Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S8+ Android Tablet, 12.4'' Review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is a 12.4-inch Android tablet that's built for one thing: being a great tablet. Its feature set lands in the 95th percentile, which means it's packed with more tools and polish than almost anything else out there. That includes the excellent S Pen, PC-like DeX mode, and a gorgeous sAMOLED screen. But it's not trying to be a laptop replacement, and its business score of 50.4 reflects that. It's a premium media and creativity slate, first and foremost.

For $329, you're getting a lot of hardware that was flagship-tier not long ago. The 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage are solid, sitting in the 63rd and 64th percentiles respectively. The 12.4-inch, 2800x1752 display is in the 75th percentile for screens, so it's bright, colorful, and perfect for watching shows or sketching. Just know that its Wi-Fi 5 connectivity is a step behind the latest standard, landing in the 45th percentile.

Performance is good, not revolutionary. The CPU and GPU both sit at the 68th percentile. That's more than enough for smooth multitasking in DeX, handling complex art layers in apps like Clip Studio Paint with the S Pen, and playing most mobile games. You won't feel it slowing down. The 8GB of RAM helps keep things snappy when you've got a dozen Chrome tabs open alongside your notes app.

The battery life is perfectly average, hitting the 50th percentile. You'll get through a day of mixed use, but you'll probably plug it in at night. The real performance star here is the S Pen. Its latency is so low it feels like writing on paper, and it's included in the box, which is a huge win over Apple's Pencil.

The value proposition here is simple: at $329, the Tab S8+ is a steal if you want a premium Android tablet experience. You're getting a flagship-grade screen, a top-tier stylus, and great build quality for less than half its original price. Compare that to a new iPad Air without a pencil, which starts at nearly $600, and the math gets very attractive. You're trading some raw speed and app ecosystem polish for a much better price and a pen in the box.

Stacked up against an iPad Pro, the Tab S8+ loses in raw CPU power and app optimization, but wins on price and the included stylus. Versus a Microsoft Surface Pro 11, the Surface is a full Windows PC, making it better for real desktop software, but it's also heavier, more expensive, and its pen costs extra. The Tab S8+ carves its niche by being the best pure tablet of the bunch—perfect for reading, watching, light work, and drawing. The Lenovo Legion Go is a different beast entirely, focused on gaming, and the Panasonic Toughbook is for rugged industrial use, so they're not direct competitors.

If you're an Android user who wants a large, beautiful screen for media and a fantastic stylus for notes or art, buy the Galaxy Tab S8+. At $329, its combination of a 75th percentile screen, 95th percentile features, and included S Pen is unmatched. Just go in knowing its Wi-Fi is a generation old and it won't replace your laptop for heavy lifting. For that specific use case, it's a data-backed recommendation.