Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 11" Graphite Review
The refurbished Galaxy Tab S8 offers a premium Samsung experience and a great S-Pen at a budget price, but its performance and battery life are firmly mid-tier.
The 30-Second Version
A budget-friendly way to get a premium Samsung tablet with a great S-Pen. Performance is mid-tier and battery life is average, but for $320 refurbished, it's a solid deal for note-takers and media watchers. Worth buying if the pen is a must-have.
Overview
So you're looking at a refurbished Galaxy Tab S8. It's a solid mid-tier Android tablet that got a lot right when it came out. The 11-inch screen is sharp, the S-Pen is included, and Samsung's DeX mode is genuinely useful for turning it into a mini desktop.
But, and there's a but, our data shows it's not a powerhouse. Its overall score lands in the 35th percentile, and it's weakest in productivity. Think of it as a great media and note-taking tablet that stumbles a bit when you ask it to do heavy lifting.
Performance
Performance is a mixed bag. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip is fine for everyday stuff—scrolling, streaming, light gaming. But our benchmarks put its CPU and GPU in the low 40s percentile-wise. That means you'll feel some slowdown in more demanding apps or if you're juggling a ton of browser tabs in DeX. The battery life is just average, ranking in the 49th percentile, so you'll be charging it nightly.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The included S-Pen is fantastic for notes and sketches. 77th
- Sharp 11-inch LCD screen is great for media. 75th
- Samsung DeX mode adds real desktop-style multitasking. 68th
- Geek Squad refurbished status means it's been checked and comes with a 90-day warranty.
Cons
- Performance lags behind newer tablets, especially for productivity. 20th
- Battery life is just okay, not 'all-day' as claimed.
- Only 128GB of storage with no expansion option.
- The front-facing camera is decent, but the overall camera system is mediocre.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
Display
| Size | 11" |
| Resolution | 2560 (QHD) |
| Panel | LCD |
Connectivity
| Cellular | No |
Features
| Stylus Support | Yes |
| Stylus Model | S-Pen |
Physical
| Weight | 0.5 kg / 1.1 lbs |
| OS | Android 12 |
Value & Pricing
At around $320 for a refurbished model, the value proposition is its strongest feature. You're getting a premium-feeling tablet with a great pen for a fraction of its original price. The warranty is short, but it's better than nothing from a random eBay seller. If your budget is tight and you want a Samsung tablet with pen support, this is a sensible way to get it.
vs Competition
This sits in a weird spot. It's cheaper than a new iPad Air or Galaxy Tab S9, but it's also significantly less powerful. Compared to the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro, you get a better software experience and the S-Pen, but the Lenovo has a bigger screen. The real question is whether you need DeX and the S-Pen. If you do, this is your budget pick. If you just want a fast media tablet, a standard iPad or even an older iPad Pro on sale might be a smarter buy.
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 11" | Apple iPad Pro Apple - 11-inch iPad Pro M5 chip Wi-Fi 512GB with | Lenovo Idea Tab Lenovo - Idea Tab Pro - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 8GB RAM | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft 12" Surface Pro Copilot+ PC, Snapdragon | Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro Ai WiFi Version Global (No Calls | Teclast TECLAST T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025, |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (SM8450) | Apple M5 | MediaTek Dimensity | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 | 3 GHz | 2.2 GHz |
| RAM (GB) | 8 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 12 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 128 | 512 | 256 | 512 | 512 | 256 |
| Screen | 11" 2560x1600 | 11" 2420x1668 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 12" 2196x1464 | 11.2" 3200x2136 | 13.4" 1920x1200 |
| OS | Android 12 | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 HyperOS | Android 15 |
| Stylus | true | true | true | true | false | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | true |
| Battery (Wh) | - | 31 | - | 38 | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Cpu | Gpu | Ram | Screen | Battery | Feature | Storage | Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 11" | 44.2 | 45.8 | 75 | 76.5 | 46.1 | 68.4 | 55.9 | 20.4 |
| Apple iPad Pro 11-inch M5 chip Compare | 96.9 | 96.5 | 84.9 | 98.4 | 97.6 | 92.7 | 88.6 | 86.1 |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 12.7" 3K Compare | 44.2 | 45.8 | 75 | 92.1 | 94.7 | 95.6 | 74.8 | 96.1 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 12" Compare | 98.7 | 1.5 | 95 | 60.3 | 99.1 | 94 | 92.4 | 96.1 |
| Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Pad 7 Pro Ai Compare | 82.1 | 82.3 | 84.9 | 99.1 | 46.1 | 54.2 | 88.6 | 54.6 |
| Teclast T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025 Compare | 74.5 | 75.1 | 75 | 45.4 | 94.5 | 24.9 | 74.8 | 92.5 |
Common Questions
Q: Is the S-Pen really included with this refurbished model?
Yes, according to the listing, this Geek Squad Certified Refurbished unit includes the Galaxy Tab S8, the S-Pen, and a USB cable, just like a new one would.
Q: How good is the battery life?
Our data ranks its battery performance in the 49th percentile, which is dead average. You'll get through a day of light use, but heavy streaming or DeX work will require a charger by evening.
Q: Can I expand the 128GB storage?
No, the Galaxy Tab S8 does not have a microSD card slot, so you're stuck with the 128GB of internal storage. Plan your app and media downloads accordingly.
Who Should Skip This
Skip this if you need a tablet for serious work or gaming. Its performance scores are in the 40th percentile, so it will chug with complex documents, video editing, or high-end games. Also, avoid it if you need long battery life away from an outlet—it's just not that kind of device.
Verdict
Buy this refurbished Tab S8 if you're a student or casual user who really wants that S-Pen for note-taking and values Samsung's DeX mode for light multitasking, but you're on a strict budget. It's a capable companion for media consumption and basic tasks, just don't expect flagship-level speed.