Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review: Attack on a giant

This is the main feature of this tablet. With a 14.6-inch, AMOLED panel and an 1848 x 2960-pixel display, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra thinks big, very big. The resolution of 240 dpi is sufficient, and of course it is compatible with the S Pen. The refresh rate is variable, up to 120 Hz.

This screen turned out to be quite convincing in general. It’s among the brightest in our comparison (apart from a dozen smartphones), measuring at 615 cd/m² at most, which is more than enough for the indoor use dictated by its format. It is sufficient to offset the measured high reflectance of 50.4%. This screen can also limit its brightness to 1.7 cd/m² to protect the eyes during night use.

This large display, useful for watching videos and for editing photos or drawing, requires flawless colorimetry. This is not really the case when the monitor is not calibrated. By default, it chooses the “Vivid” display mode which results in saturated colors, especially red. Delta E is affected, as it stands at 6.5, while the color temperature, slightly cooler, reaches 7115 K. Choosing the “normal” display mode brings big gains: Delta II is contained at 3.6, with more drifts contained. The color temperature (6680K) matches the video standard (6500K), and the screen is more pleasing to the eye. Let’s add that the haptic delay of this screen is limited to 55 ms, and its persistence is not present. Boys are required that its contrast harmonizes with infinity.

The Tab S8 Ultra’s large screen has an aspect ratio of 16:10. Fairly practical format for office automation, as two pages can be viewed side by side in a format large enough to remain readable. Black bands appear around YouTube or Netflix videos, but not particularly annoying. On the other hand, some will regret that the notch that Samsung got rid of on its smartphones appears again on this tablet, to accommodate two image sensors …