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Almost like "painting by numbers": digital coloring pictures on Samsung's ultra tablet
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
With the new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, Samsung has set itself an elusive goal: to make Apple's iPad Pro serious competition.
In a market in which the Californian company is far ahead with a share of 38 percent, this is an ambitious undertaking.
Samsung has created the basis for this with the prices: In the cheapest version, with eight gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 128 GB of storage space, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra costs 1149 euros.
That's only 50 euros less than you would have to invest for a comparably equipped iPad Pro 12.9.
The top version with 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage space and 5G mobile communications costs 1599 euros, which is 100 euros less than the corresponding Apple model.
For so much money you get both more and less than the competition.
Less because it is exactly 0.9 millimeters thinner than the iPad.
More because it's also heavier, at 726 grams it weighs 44 grams more than Apple's tablet.
Of course, I can't feel that with my test device, which may be due to the fact that the weight is distributed over such a large area.
After all, with its 14.6-inch (approx. 37 cm) screen, it's larger than the large iPad – and, above all, wider.
The 16:10 widescreen format has its advantages: some films and videos are displayed with much narrower black bars than on the iPad.
But there is also plenty of room for multitasking, for example to open two browser windows side by side, or the e-mail app and Word.
However, windows cannot be stacked next to or on top of each other quite as intuitively and flexibly as on an iPad.
What I would advise against: Holding the Galaxy Tab S 8 Ultra upright.
You can do it and it may sometimes make sense, for example for reading digital newspapers, but it feels unnatural due to the format that then appears very stretched.
Also annoying: the actually beautifully narrow frame around the screen means that the ball of my hand regularly rests on the touchscreen.
When this happens, the device no longer responds to intended inputs.
A protective cover that enlarges the frame a little may help.
Otherwise, however, the display is great cinema: With 2960 × 1848 pixels, fine resolution, very high contrast thanks to Super AMOLED technology and also extremely bright, which is particularly noticeable when watching HDR films.
However, it does not come close to the quality of Apple's mini-LED screen.
Sound is just as important as the picture, especially when watching a movie.
And the Tab S8 Ultra doesn't have to hide there.
Its four speakers can get pretty loud without distorting.
It still wouldn't be my first choice for listening to music, the sound is too thin and cold for that.
But with Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube, it builds up a nice soundscape that also seems a tiny bit spatial.
Fun fact: as soon as you put the tablet out of your hand and onto a table, the sound becomes noticeably better and wider.
But sometimes you have to work.
And the Tab S8 Ultra can also be used well for this.
Without accessories, you have to rely on the on-screen keyboard, for example, for typing, which takes up a good third of the display.
This may be sufficient for occasional writing or short texts. Anyone who seriously wants to use Samsung's tablet as a notebook replacement should consider purchasing the Book Cover Keyboard, which the company offers as an accessory.
I can't say whether it's any good because I don't have a test device, and at a price of 349 euros it's not a bargain.
On the other hand, the S Pen is included at no extra charge, with which you can paint, draw and write in your handwriting on the display.
It all works great too.
Even to me, who very rarely reaches for pen and paper, the simply designed digital pen conveys a very »near-natural« writing feeling.
It doesn't improve my rusty handwriting, but I can use it to color Samsung's digital coloring blocks (see lead image).
Only the attachment of the charging device for the pen on the back seems suboptimal to me.
The pen is held there magnetically and charged wirelessly.
But if the pen is hanging there, you have to be careful with the tablet, because as soon as you touch something, it slips off.
The optional Book Cover Keyboard offers a solution for this by enclosing the pen tightly.
The Protective Standing Cover, which costs 69 euros and contains a clamp holder for the pen, is cheaper.
Conclusion
With the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, Samsung ticked all the important checkboxes: the screen is great, the sound too, and the performance anyway.
The fact that an S Pen is included is a cool extra.
Only the charging option on the back of the device should be reconsidered.
If you want to use the ultra-slim tablet on the go, you should choose the optional 5G option, which is available for an additional charge of 150 euros.
In any case, the price should be the sticking point for many interested parties.
But that is put into perspective if you consider the Tab S8 Ultra not just as a tablet, but as a PC replacement.
In order for this to work, however, you should use a variant with more than the basic 128 GB of storage and you have to order the optional book cover keyboard as well.
Such an Ultra is no longer cheap, but it is lighter and more flexible than most notebooks.
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