Last time I had a tablet was about ten years ago when I ordered the Nexus 7 from America. Back then, we considered 7 inches excessive for a mobile phone and it fell into the tablet category. Nowadays, it's something ordinary. Having gone through many flagship Android and iOS smartphones, my opinion on the S8+ is:
---Build quality: Very good. I would say excellent. The metal gives a very nice, smooth feeling of sturdiness. It is very thin and light, in case anyone is wondering about the weight. It doesn't bend easily... no fear there.
---Display: Here, I don't think any special comments are needed. We're talking about a Samsung display, Amoled, 120Hz, with many settings to customize it to your liking. Immediate response to everything, with black being like ink since it's a turned-off pixel. Very bright with beautiful colors. A delight. (Netflix and Youtube play flawlessly)
---Sound: Sound by AKG... that's what it says on the back of the device. Two speakers on the right, and two on the left. Four in total, playing very loudly and with great quality. If not the best sound on a tablet, definitely among the top two or three. It doesn't disappoint in any case. It impressed me.
---Cameras: The rear cameras are not something that will impress you. They are there to do their job in case you need them, but they cannot be compared to the cameras on top smartphones. However, what will impress you is the front selfie camera, which is top-notch. You will have high-quality video calls and your caller will see you like they have never seen you before. Also, the Autoframing function is excellent, keeping you always in the center of the frame, and when it detects a second person, it zooms out to fit everyone and centers again.
---Battery: It easily lasts for 8+ hours of screen-on time (maybe even 10 in some cases), depending on your usage and the brightness and refresh rate settings of the screen. However, it won't leave you hanging. The fast charging feature at 45W is very nice. I have a 35W charger (from Samsung) and it charges from 8% to 100% in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (I get around 8+ hours with several hours of Candy Crush, browsing, Duo video calls, and SPen usage)
---Spen: That's the main selling point of the tablet. Incredible, excellent. It will impress you with its responsiveness. It's like writing on paper. There is absolutely no latency. Countless possibilities, which of course I haven't discovered and used all of them yet. It's an amazing tool, especially in the hands of an artist or creator. It charges on the back of the device, where it magnetically attaches, in about 5 minutes and lasts for hours.
---Processor: Very fast. I have nothing to comment on. The top one in the Android market, it doesn't lag anywhere and responds perfectly. In all applications and games.
---Fingerprint sensor: It could be better, that's the truth. It doesn't have the quality of the S21 Ultra, for example, but it works okay. I should mention that its performance has improved quite a bit in the past few days and it is more accurate in fingerprint recognition and faster. There is also Face Unlock, but it's not as secure and more of a convenience feature.
---Operating system: I remember in the past on tablets, but also in the Android world in general, the operating system suffered in one crucial aspect. And that was long-term support. Fortunately, this has changed, as Samsung now offers 4 years of major operating system upgrades (meaning it will receive up to Android 16) and 5 years of security updates. So, there is no need to worry about that. As for the functionality of the operating system itself at the moment, if I were to rate it, I would give it a 9/10. It is significantly improved and well-crafted in many aspects, although not in all. There are some scattered flaws, but often the quick software updates cover them. Additionally, there needs to be even greater effort to adapt apps for larger screens, as some do not work in landscape mode. The truth is that this aspect still needs work. *** I would like to emphasize that the Samsung Dex function turns the tablet into a laptop, providing an experience very close to what you have on a desktop or laptop. Needless to say, it has no rival in multitasking. The app management on the screen is excellent.
---Price: with 950 euros, you get the top tablet on the market (in the world of Android). Yes... it has everything, it will cover you in everything, whether it's work or entertainment. Is it worth it? No. Not at this price. I consider a reasonable price to be around 700 euros. However, I know that in recent years, all devices are extremely overpriced.
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I did not like at all the fact that there is no charger included in the package, especially considering the money mentioned above.
Also, the process you have to go through with Samsung Members to receive the free case from Samsung is not practical at all, as it may take you 2 weeks or even longer to receive it, and during that time, you will either have to leave the device completely exposed or be forced to buy a second case.
In conclusion, yes... it is a top-notch device. Very well-crafted and high-quality in many aspects. Perfect? Definitely not. Something needs to be done about the lack of a charger. It is something that bothers me a lot, especially in this price category...
