Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 11” 128GB WiFi 6E Android Review

At $289, the Galaxy Tab S8 delivers 80th percentile CPU performance and includes a best-in-class S Pen, making it a steal. Its 95th percentile social proof score means owners rave about it. Just know the battery is average and it's WiFi-only.

At $289, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is a compelling argument against spending iPad Pro money. Its CPU lands in the 80th percentile, which is plenty for the Android apps and multitasking it's built for. The 11-inch 2560x1600 LCD screen is sharp and bright, sitting in the 76th percentile, and the included S Pen is a genuine perk that most competitors charge extra for. We see its strongest scores in 'social proof' (95th percentile) and features (77th), which tells us people really like using it and appreciate the extras. Just don't expect it to replace a full laptop for heavy work.

Performance-wise, this tablet is solidly in the 'very good' tier. That 80th percentile CPU score means it's faster than most tablets in our database, handling day-to-day tasks and light gaming without a hiccup. The GPU is right there with it at the 79th percentile, so you can expect smooth graphics in most apps. It's paired with 8GB of RAM, which is above average (73rd percentile) and helps Samsung's DeX multitasking mode feel genuinely useful. The storage, at 128GB, is the one spec that's a bit more middle-of-the-road, ranking in the 56th percentile, but you can expand it with a microSD card. The battery life is the real performance trade-off, sitting at the 49th percentile, so it's just average.

The value proposition here is simple: you get a lot of premium tablet for not a lot of money. At $289, it undercuts the base iPad Air by a significant margin and includes a stylus that Apple charges $129 for. You're getting performance that beats most Android tablets, a great screen, and features that score in the 77th percentile. The trade-off is in battery life and the lack of cellular connectivity, but for the price, those are easy compromises for most people.

Stacked against an iPad Air, the Tab S8 wins on price and the included pen, but loses on app ecosystem polish and battery life. Compared to something like a Lenovo Tab P12, the Samsung has a more powerful chipset (80th vs. likely 60th percentile) and better build quality. The real competition might be its own bigger brother, the Tab S8+. You give up some screen real estate for a more portable 499g form factor here. If you need a true laptop replacement, a Surface Pro will run circles around it for productivity, but you'll pay at least three times the price and lose the included stylus.

Skip the Tab S8 if your primary need is business productivity on the level of a laptop. It scored its weakest in our 'business' category at 60.1/100. Also, if you absolutely need cellular data on the go, this WiFi-only model isn't for you. And hardcore mobile gamers looking for top-tier graphics might want a device with a GPU percentile higher than 79.

We recommend the Galaxy Tab S8 if you want a powerful, feature-packed Android tablet without the premium price tag. The data backs this up: stellar owner satisfaction (95th percentile), strong performance scores, and a feature set that includes the excellent S Pen. Just go in knowing the battery life is just okay, and this is a WiFi-only model. For students, artists, and media consumers, it's a fantastic deal.