Samsung tends to exist the height choice for Android tablets because not but does it makes excellent hardware, only it also lacks competition. Only at the breakneck speed at which Samsung releases tablets, you may find it hard to go along track of what'due south new, what's former, and which Tab South models offer what features.

Dipping into Samsung's tablet wares is a confusing maze of slabs that all wait alike, and so it can be tough to know whether upgrading from a previous model is worthwhile when the latest and greatest hits the shelves. If you'd like to make sense of the never-ending listing of features spread across the final iv generations of Samsung's Tab S tablets (covering the Galaxy Tab S5e, Tab S6, Tab S6 Lite, Tab S7/S7+, and Tab S7 FE), while comparing hardware, software, functioning, accessories, and pricing against the Milky way Tab S8 line, then proceed reading as that'due south what today'due south guide is all nearly.

Galaxy Tab S8 vs Tab S7 & Tab S6: Pricing, availability, and deals

The Samsung Milky way Tab S8 series globally launched in Feb 2022, while the Samsung Galaxy Due south Tab seven series launched in September 2021, and the Galaxy Tab S6 series had at present been out for iii and a half years later on arriving in Baronial 2019. The Galaxy Tab S6 and S6 Lite are getting harder and harder to find — and they're not really worth it when compared to the 2020-2021 A-series tablets — but the Galaxy S7 series and even the new Milky way Tab S8 series are seeing regular deals, especially as we go closer and closer to Prime Day. To aid you make up one's mind if something is a good deal for you lot or simply a "normal" price, here are the listing prices and the normal discounts for the Galaxy Tab S6/S7/S8 series:

Model Name (Wi-Fi) 64GB Price 128GB Price 256GB Cost 512GB Price
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Northward/A $700 $750 (from $780) Due north/A
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ N/A $830 (from $900) $980 N/A
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra N/A $one,100 $1,200 $one,400
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 N/A $585 (from $650) $650 (from $730) $830
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ North/A $700 (from $849) $775 (from $930) $one,030
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE $465 (from $530) N/A $680 N/A
Samsung Milky way Tab S6 N/A $550 (from $650) $630 (from $730) North/A
Samsung Milky way Tab S6 Light $225 (from $349) $275 (from $430) N/A Due north/A

Given how similar the Galaxy Tab S7 and S8 series are to each other, once you choose the size you want, lookout man both the new and old models. One or both models volition run across a decent bargain within a month — or you can go past which has the meliorate discount today. If yous're willing to go with a larger screen, the Galaxy Tab S7 Fe tin can too be a great way to salve money while getting a quality tablet, and so long as you observe it on auction.

Milky way Tab S8 vs Tab S7 & Tab S6: Pattern and hardware

tab-s8-trio-backs

After shopping for tablets for a while, they all showtime to blend into one another, especially Samsung's Tab S models that all offer similar bezels and shapes. Still, in that location are ever differences, even if you don't discover them at first.

Of class, the Tab S8 and Tab S8+ offering the verbal same form-factor equally the Tab S7, Tab S7+, and Tab S7 FE, so if you're only looking to upgrade your Tab S7 device over its appearance and appearance solitary, and so you lot're improve off sticking with your S7 model to salve some coin (though there are still hardware differences, which we'll get into in the adjacent paragraph).

Moving further dorsum, the Tab S5e, Tab S6, and Tab S6 Lite, the differences in the blueprint of these tablets are a bit more than articulate. The Tab S5e, S6, and S6 Lite offer slightly larger bezels than the S7 and S8 models, with askew edges (instead of the newer flat edges of the Tab S7/S8 lines). Yet, all three of these tablets look relatively similar, so what's best for your needs will ultimately come downward to hardware.

The Tab S8 line offers the most up-to-engagement hardware, packing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in all models (though in that location is some throttling), along with a minimum of 8GB of RAM. So if you're shooting for pure power, the S8 line is the way to get, especially when the S7 line offers mid-range chips and less RAM to commencement.

Still, the S7 and S7+ are no slouches, both offering loftier frame rate screens (TFT for the S7, OLED for the S7+) with their Snapdragon 865 chipsets. At that place's no need to rush an upgrade, especially if y'all picked up a model with 8GB RAM. Sadly the Tab S7 FE, fifty-fifty with its Snapdragon 778, doesn't offer a high-refresh screen, which would hateful moving to an S8 of whatsoever kind would indeed offer an upgrade that could be worth the toll of a new device.

Speaking of screens, information technology's a principal feature of high-end tablets that should be considered when potentially upgrading to new hardware. The S5e and S6 pack OLED screens, but the S6 Lite is TFT, and all three are express to 60Hz refresh rates. The regular S7 also offers a TFT screen, but it'south a high frame rate screen that supports 120Hz, comparable to the S8 TFT screen.

The earliest model that'due south both OLED and tin run at upwards to 120Hz is the 12.iv-inch S7+, but for some reason, the 12.iv-inch S7 Iron jumps back to TFT despite its Fan Edition moniker. This also holds true for the regular Tab S8, which is as well TFT (120Hz), but the S8+ and S8-Ultra jump back to OLED (both 120Hz). So there's an odd mix of hardware here spread across quite a few tablets, where an upgrade from a tab S5e or S6 makes sense, with the cost of that upgrade making less sense if you already own a Tab S7 model (unless it'due south the FE, which is the outlier of the group).

Galaxy Tab S8 vs Tab S7 & Tab S6: Software and features

Samsung is pretty much the leader in the Android loftier-end tablet market, and software is a big part of this equation. Something every bit simple as the Samsung Internet Browser is actually a standout app (as far every bit Android web browsers become), and that comes packed in with every Samsung device.

And then there'due south DeX mode, a proprietary software feature from Samsung where y'all can plug your tablet into a screen to enter into a desktop-like interface that works with a mouse and keyboard, offering a familiar bottom taskbar design (similar to Windows). Every Tab being discussed in today's guide supports DeX, though the newer the model, the more than performance (as the S5e even struggled with DeX when it was a new tablet on the market place). So if yous're looking for a new tablet and require solid DeX mode performance to go piece of work done on an external screen, an upgrade to an S8 may be in club, though an S7 should still do a pretty good job

Another notable software feature is S Pen back up. The Milky way S8 line offers the lowest latency when using the Southward Pen, so at that place'due south an advantage hither that older models tin can't compete with. Certain, the S Pen back up on the S7 lineup does an excellent job, peculiarly if yous simply dabble with taking notes and drawing, only if you're a professional who requires the lowest latency and superior palm rejection, then the S8 should be the first place to await.

Galaxy Tab S8 vs Tab S7 & Tab S6: Performance and updates

Performance is oft in the eye of the beholder. Sure, you can dip into benchmark apps, such as Geekbench, but in the particular case of the Tab S8 line, much similar the newest S22 phone models that were delisted from Geekbench, Samsung has likewise inverse how its latest tablets report their performance, which makes nailing downward said performance hard.

Tab S8 plus-12

Still, if you're more worried most real-world utilize, and so I have good news, the Tabs S8 line is a powerhouse. Every bit a Tab S8+ user, I can say without a shadow of a dubiety that it chews through apps and games alike with little noticeable slowdown. Certain, this is what you'd wait from the newest high-stop Samsung tablets, but if pure operation is your goal, don't allow the Geekbench snafu dissuade you, the Tab S8 Line is the cream of the crop when it comes to tablet performance on Android, though yous will pay for the privilege.

Then again, the Tab S7 line is no slouch, thanks to a range of chips, such every bit the Snapdragon 865, Snapdragon 778G, and 750G spread between the S7, S7+, and S7 Lite. These might not exist loftier-finish chips, sitting somewhere towards the high-cease of mid-range, merely they use less power than something like the Snapdragon 888 or 888+ (last gen's loftier-end), so there are some battery savings to be had with the lower performance, which is precisely why Samsung ran with these chips final year. Still, most people won't be able to tell the difference between a Snapdragon 865 and a Snapdragon 8 Gen i when using a tablet for everyday employ, like browsing websites, though the divergence will exist more apparent if you often utilize demanding apps like image or video editors all the time.

Also, fifty-fifty if yous're currently using a Tab S6 or S6 Lite, they are still pretty handy when it comes to everyday use; but go along in mind the Lite packs a Exynos 9611 instead of a Snapdragon. And so moving beyond an S6 may not exist needed if you don't throw demanding apps at your tablet, though there will indeed be performance gains if you jump upwardly to an S8.

When it comes to updates, Samsung does an excellent job keeping its tablets on the latest software, though a few stragglers are stuck on older versions of Android, with the Tab S5e, S6, and S6 Calorie-free limited to Android 11 and OneUI iii.1. So if you're looking to upgrade from one of these older devices to a Tab S8 model, y'all can look forward to four years of software back up, along with 5-years of security updates.

Moving to the Tab S7 and S8 lines, both run Android 12 forth with OneUI iv.one, though the S8 series volition meet the lengthiest update bike now that Samsung is updating its deices in four-year stretches. Then again, fifty-fifty if you own an S7 model, your update cycle won't compare to the current iv years of support planned for the S8 line.

It's as well worth noting that Google has been working on something called Android 12L, which will bring tablet optimizations to Android whenever the 12L features are merged with the mainline 12 software updates. All the Tab S7 and S8 models will receive this tablet-oriented update onetime in the nigh future. So if you're looking for some future-proofing, sticking with a Tab S7 is a safety bet, though the move to an S8 will net you longer software support.

Galaxy Tab S8 vs Tab S7 & Tab S6: Accompaniment compatibility

Tab S8 plus-1

When information technology comes to accessories, the Tab S8 line is still pretty recent, and then in that location aren't that many third-party solutions for accessories out there quite yet, especially for the Tab S8 Ultra, since it offers a make-new footprint, thanks to its enormous xiv.six-inch OLED screen. The proficient news is that the Tab S8 and S8+ are the same sizes every bit the Tab S7 and S7+, and so cases and keyboards volition work betwixt these two models, tertiary party or showtime. So in that location are some slight savings to be had if you pick upward a Tab S8/S8+ and purchase older Tab S7 accessories. Plus, there are savings to be had if you're upgrading from a Tab S7 to an S8, as all your peripherals will all the same piece of work with the newer tablet, cut out the demand to buy a new example or keyboard just because you inverse devices.

Beyond the compatibility between a few Tab S7 and S8 models, things get exponentially cheaper with a wider availability of options the older the Tab S, where cases and styli tin can be snagged on the majority of online stores for much less than the newest items for the Tab S8 line. And so sticking with an older tablet will afford you some savings if you are in the market for accessories, and the selection will be difficult to beat if you plan on picking upwards a newer Tab S model with fewer peripheral options.

Galaxy Tab S8 vs Tab S7 & Tab S6: Pricing and availability

At the end of the day, the virtually important cistron when making a purchasing decision comes down to cost. Specs and functioning are definitely needed details in this equation, but ultimately how much you lot're looking to spend is what's really important.

If you're coming from a Tab S5e or S6/S6 Lite, yous'll gain a lot by jumping upwardly to any of the Tab S8 models. The cheapest selection is, of course, the standard S8 model sporting a TFT screen, but you become a 120Hz display, the latest Snapdragon processor, and 4-years of updates, starting at $500, which is simply $100 more than what the S5e is currently retailing for (to put things into perspective).

samsung galaxy tab s7 fe in hand

Now, if you're looking to footstep up your game, perhaps wishing to movement from a base S7, the 11-inch Tab S8 is more of a lateral move with the aforementioned TFT screen as the S7, but the larger S8+ may actually fill your needs meliorate, thanks to its larger 12.v-inch 120Hz OLED screen, a definite upgrade from an 11-inch TFT. Of course, you'll have to spend more than equally the Tab S8+ retails for $700, but seeing that the S7+ still retails for the exact same price, the improve buy will exist the S8+.

Thanks to the minute differences betwixt the S7/S7+ and the S8/S8+, the S7s aren't seeing the cost drops one would expect, probably because Samsung doesn't want to undercut its newest tablets. So if you lot're just looking to buy into your commencement tablet, and so the S8s are the mode to become, but if you're looking to upgrade, particularly if you're already using a Tab S7+, there'due south less reason to splash out again so soon. Yet, moving on from a Tab S7, Tab S7 FE, S6, or S5e could be the right call if you find your current devices don't quite deliver on all fronts.

Galaxy Tab S8 vs Tab S7 & Tab S6: Should you upgrade?

It depends. The Tab S7 models are yet extraordinarily powerful and handy, and even though they don't accept the latest chipset; unless you're a professional that edits video, audio, or images on your tablet, it'southward non like the actress cash spent on an S8 model will make a huge difference, particularly when the form-cistron between the S7s and S8s are the same. Certain, possibly the fifteen" Tab S8 Plus is calling you, and that's fair, as there is no other tablet that compares in terms of size.

Only if you lot're coming from an earlier model, say a Tab S5e or one of the Tab S6 models, and then in that location is actually a lot to gain from upgrading to an S8, such as access to Android 12 as well equally a promise of a future update that will bring Google's planned Android 12L tablet features to the Bone. There'south also the newer hardware of the S8 line to consider, not only with high refresh screens in the flick (if y'all're using a Tab S5e), but you also get a newer CPU/GPU and more RAM, so if you feel your older tablet is starting to slow, perhaps it is time for an upgrade.

More than or less, the selection of whether to upgrade comes down to your personal needs. There may not exist much of a difference betwixt the S7 and S8 models beyond a crash-land in specs and lengthier update support, but if y'all've been running out of RAM on an older S7 during your heavier tasks, then the actress 2 GBs in the entry-level S8 models may actually be worth the upgrade. Still, the tablet market moves a little slower than the telephone market, then it'due south non like these tablets are going anywhere anytime soon, then yous have time to decide which model is all-time for yous, and yous may fifty-fifty grab a sale quondam shortly, evening out the high cost of purchasing a brand-new Samsung Tab S8 tablet.

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