The Galaxy S22 Ultra is one of the most important Samsung smartphones in recent years, but in my opinion, it's not the most exciting device unveiled at Unpacked 2022. Granted, the Galaxy S22 Ultra attempts and seemingly achieves to combine the best qualities of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines into a single device, and that alone is commendable. Besides, I seriously considered upgrading from my Galaxy Note 10 to the Galaxy S22 Ultra because the latter really feels like a proper sequel.
However, as Unpacked 2022 gets smaller and smaller behind me, I find myself thinking more and more about the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. I feel as though it is one — if not the — most interesting device unveiled at the 2022 event, but why is that?
Giving the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra a definition
First of all, the initial challenge was to give the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra a definition beyond ‘high-end tablet' because, well, it is a bit more than that.
In my mind, Android tablets have so far existed in three main categories, as follows:
- Cheap kitchen tablet — This is what I'd call devices such as the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. They don't cost more than $200, and they're a relatively cheap way to get a portable screen for movie streaming anywhere around the house.
- Multimedia tablets — They are devices like the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite and the Tab S7 FE. They may or may not come with an S Pen and can generally offer a decent all-around tablet experience for multimedia content, web browsing, and light mobile gaming.
- High-end tablets — These fill the same role as multimedia tablets except they're better all around. Think of the Galaxy Tab S7 / Tab S8 and S7+ / Tab S8+. High-end Galaxy tablets always come with an S Pen and enough processing power to handle the most demanding mobile games and other types of apps.
Here's the thing. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra doesn't really fit in any of those categories. It's a high-end tablet by default, of course, but it's more than that. It's the first ‘Ultra' tablet, and one of its defining characteristics is the generous notebook-sized 14.6-inch display.
The large screen is the main reason why it may be tempting to put the ‘notebook replacement' label on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, but personally, I'm not very satisfied with that description, and I prefer to call the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra something else.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra may be an ‘All-in-One tablet'
I feel like the term ‘notebook replacement' has become too vague and loaded with somewhat unrealistic expectations because everyone uses an imaginary well-equipped laptop as the basis of any comparison whenever the term ‘notebook replacement' comes up. That's an unrealistic premise to say the least, but it is based on a fair question. Can the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra replace your notebook?
I'd say yes, for the most part. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is what I like to call an ‘All-in-One tablet.' It has smartphone and tablet functionalities, an attachable keyboard cover, a decent camera array for mobile photography and video conferencing, premium build, S Pen support, the ability to transfer battery charge to smaller Galaxy devices, the ability to sync with various Windows 10 apps and services, a secondary desktop-like software environment called DeX, and most importantly, a large 14.6-inch display.
All this means that the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a fantastic all-around tablet device that can do many things — but not everything — your Windows notebook does, and in some cases, even more, thanks to the S Pen.
However, the Tab S8 Ultra does everything differently, and customers who aren't prepared to go on that journey of adapting to a new environment (other than Windows) risk dismissing the Tab S8 Ultra as just another high-end tablet that tries and fails at becoming a notebook. And it is true, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra isn't a notebook. But don't make the mistake of thinking it lacks the potential of becoming something greater.
This is a good ‘notebook replacement' if you don't think of it as a notebook
If you're looking for a portable, powerful device that isn't a notebook but has notebook capabilities, i.e., offers anything from mobile gaming to document and light video editing, video streaming, and more, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra certainly fits the bill better than any other Samsung tablet before it, partly thanks to that generous 14.6-inch display.
The Tab S8 Ultra is essentially a high-end tablet that can convert into a light notebook or a large graphic tablet. It's somewhat of a mirror image of a 2-in-1 convertible notebook that can turn into a tablet, except Samsung is doing things the other way around.
Samsung used a high-end Android tablet as the foundation for the Tab S8 Ultra, rather than trying to turn a low-end Windows 10 notebook into a tablet. We know how those types of devices usually perform (poorly), so I'd say that Samsung's approach lends many high-end qualities to the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and might help it define a new Android tablet segment. It's a very interesting tablet, and I'm very tempted to try and make it my next mobile PC, shortcomings and all.
In conclusion, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra could be a breath of fresh air to anyone who may have gotten tired of trying out different Windows notebooks yet can't live without the portability and versatility a notebook provides. The potential is there, but only time can tell just how well the Tab S8 Ultra can fit that role. Stay tuned for our upcoming reviews and more.
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