Can someone give this guy a prize for his review because it is simply too underrated. No BS and spot on to the real world experience that actually matters.
@@Johnmims65 Depends on your use case. The Tab has better hardware and is better for tablet use. The Surface Pro 8 is better if you want a desktop experience. I prefer the Pro 8 for most of my tasks.
This was brought for my dad who has dyalisis 3 times a week ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxhCuDBrUituw2nsXGvNEQnKy8UaTIxd8Y and is regularly admitted to hospital. This has definitely saved him from bordem whilest having his treatment. He’s watched loads of great films and fount himself learning more each day
Your list of issues is one of the most helpful things I've seen in reviews for this product. Wish more reviewers would focus on this sort of thing instead of sweet, sweet 4k b-roll. Kudos!
I just went for the Tab S8+. Less cost, still has a beautiful display, the keyboard case (last year's, with the track pad) is big enough so the keyboard is useful and not cramped. I threw a 1 TB micro SD card in it and it's fabulous. With Black Friday sales and a trade in, I spent just under $600 for the tablet, keyboard, and micro SD card. It's not a replacement for my laptop...but it's great to bring when I travel instead of my laptop. I can do "light work" on it, and watch movies/shows without the weight, or risk of damage/theft to my more more expensive laptop.
As several folks have stated, I was incorrect in saying that the screen was always mirrored when using an external display with the Tab S8 Ultra. It's only mirrored when you specifically start in Dex when plugging in the cable. Otherwise, it acts like a Galaxy Phone - where it can continue to be used in normal tablet mode or used as a trackpad. Yes, this is a better solution than the iPad. But what I'm looking for is a multiple monitor desktop experience, which the tab doesn't give you. Edit: An update on the trade in situation as well: I disputed the case with Samsung customer support, and they thankfully walked it back, so I wasn't charged $800 and they kept my Z Fold 2. I talked about this in my S22 Plus review
This is an app for that but it will cost you $13 one time fee and it will work perfecting like a second monitor when connect to a cable. Samsung or google should have implemented this instead of someone else doing it and charging for it. Maybe android 12L will change that.
@@vertextwin1177 they call it """ Super display "" ill try to send yu the video. ua-cam.com/video/u56cCatBf_A/v-deo.html go to the 6:35 mark and she explains it there. let me know if this helped.
A youtuber named Flossy Carter said it can mirror computer or laptop screen or you can choose to use it as a screen extension like multi screen is that what you mean?
Great review! I have had a very similar experience with this tablet. There's one big selling point for me though: I like the stylus a lot. There are many great drawing and note-taking apps that take advantage of it, and it is very well integrated in the system. Being able to take notes long hand, and to draw intricate diagrams, makes a big difference. The tab is also great on Team calls, thanks to the great screen, speakers and camera (the cam and mike are way better than on 99% of laptops). The stylus is also helpful there, where you can annotate a shared PPT in real time. What's more, there's a (paying) app called "super display" that allows you to connect your PC via USB-C, and turns your tablet into a wired second-screen/graphic-tablet with zero latency and full touch + high-end stylus features... while letting you you enjoy the Android apps: your "PC-Screen" becomes just one of the "apps" running on the tablet. Very cool and useful, without the lag compromise of Samsung's "second screen" feature. Your Tab S8 Ultra becomes the equivalent of a top end Wacom for drawing and illustration.
@@innoiso cool you replied. I tried to write documents with Samsung dex . But I rarely use the keyboard and dex anymore it was too frustrating. Whenever I tried to copy paste or mark text it was so bad compared a laptop. Before buying I saw almost every Samsung dex review and I actually knew that it wasn't optimal for editing text but I didn't realise that it would bother me this much. Maybe my expectation was wrong but I thought that Samsung dex would operate mostly like a desktop OS not like android OS. I was obviously wrong. Having said that the ultra does al lot of things really good the screen is amazing though 4k resolution would have made it perfect. Keep up the good work I believe you can be big.
@@ningudo i was into market for a laptop for my master's ,should I consider this since the only software thts required is ms office ?? Or should I go for proper laptop??
Man, your review is amazing and the most genuine i have come across. If all your reviews are like this, I hope your channel grow quickly. you can be the next Dave2D. Fantastic work many.
Dude, you were on point. Really paid attention to daily details without focusing to much on things that other 100+ reviewers had already mentioned, and off course, you actually used the goddam thing! Thank you for the hard work.
Thank you! I figure a lot of people are already consulting other reviews for all of the high level information, so I focus a lot of my reviews on the experience of using the device. I really appreciate the kind comment!
Yeah this is much better than other reviewers. They are mostly about speed and hype. You have real content from someone who doesn't just edit videos and play games all day but work in an office with real office applications. Plus you actually used the device for a long time with many use cases and compared to windows device like surface too which would relate to most office workers. Keyboard shortcuts was also important to me. Didn't mind it was long, it had all the info I needed. Goes to show mobile/tablet experience has gone a long way but sadly not there yet and interestly the best experience with some apps is through the browser using web apps. Thanks for the great review!
Pro Tip: If you only need to use the kick stand without the keyboard, samsung is selling "Protective Standing Cover" for only $70, much cheaper than getting a keyboard for the kick stand.
I own the tab S8 Ultra and I'd say that you're spot on with 99% of your review. There are some things that have changed since your review (for example, expanding the desktop of Dex to another monitor instead of mirroring is an option now), but I appreciate your blunt dose of reality to people who might be considering this device. The one thing that I would add to your "who is this tablet for?" question, is that this tablet is for an ARTIST, who's already a power-user, already has a main desktop/laptop for heavy lifting. The thing that sold me on this tablet was just how good the pen is. Yes, the iOS equivalent has a better pen (don't tell my other android-users I said that) BUT, it doesn't come in the box with the tablet, and iOS's "Stage Manager" is just no where near as good as Dex (yet). An artist will really appreciate the screen realestate, and the ability to do some heavy-ish/heavier lifting when it's necessary and they don't necessarily have their desktop right there available (or they'd rather not go into the other room because it's "so far awaaaaaay"... speaking from experience). There absolutely are some major flaws that cannot really be overlooked; the Tab S8 Ultra definitely isn't a laptop or a laptop replacement, but it IS a REALLY good device to supplement a powerful computer - ESPECIALLY if you're an artist. Great video, sir! I hope you ended up getting that trade-in issue sorted out.
What in your opinion makes the Apple pencil better than the s-pen? It would be great, ToastDog, if you could substantiate such a claim with solid evidence.
@@lauriealach1072 Are you asking for my opinion or are you asking for factual evidence? It's hard to really say something is "factually better", when A LOT of it really comes down to user preference (opinion) with these devices that are already so comparable in function. I'll do my best to answer your question. I'm going to caveat my response by saying that I am *not* an expert in device hardware and I haven't torn down these two devices to give a true comparison. So everything that follows is my *interpretation of what I have read and experienced of these two*. If you wanted to talk "factually" (note my caveat from earlier) about the actual hardware inside the devices, they both have some give and take. Ultimately, the S-pen has a faster response rate. If I'm not mistaken, the S8 Ultra's delay is like 2.3ms which (again, if I'm not mistaken) is half of the delay for Apple's pencil, making the S-Pen "better". The reality though is that the SPen (or Apple Pencil) isn't entirely responsible for this performance as the hardware & software combination is inside the tablet itself. I can say though, that a standard consumer probably isn't going to notice it the difference in their day to day. An artist or a "power user" will definitely notice it. There's also the problem of supportive apps. Android app developers just haven't taken advantage of the opportunity to develop enough yet for the S-Pen for it to be as refined an experience as Apple has. Apple just has the advantage because they have the market share (at least in the USA) and are extremely exclusive with their hardware and software. Now for my OPINION, I like the feel of the Apple Pencil over the S-pen. It glides better, the weight of it feels more natural, the taper of the tip/nib feels more realistic to an actual pencil compared to that of the S-Pen. BUT if we threw in a THIRD option, say the Staedtler Digital pencils, I'd choose THAT over the Apple Pencil for feel - it actually feels like a pencil in the hand (except when you tilt it sideways to shade). It lacks some of the functionality, however, that the SPen and the Apple pencil have built in. One of my irks with using the SPen (Staedtler and Apple Pencil too) is that Samsung (or Apple) hasn't quite gotten the "shading" portion of the pencil software down quite yet, which muddies the experience a little for both devices. All that being said, they're both VERY, VERY good devices. Guess which one I actually bought? The Samsung. Which is better on paper, probably the Samsung. Which one do I think feels the best in hand for drawing on a device between Samsung and Apple? The Staedtler... then the Apple Pencil, then the S-Pen.
@@TheToastDog Very interesting. I'm looking as many reviews of writing experience on tablet as i can. And the conclusion is that the s8 is the best for writing and ipad for drawing. My priorities are notetaking and multitasking.... so i ordered the s8 ultra. Im not artist but i like to draw and the staedtler is going to be a good help. Thanks
Stumbled upon this by chance. By far this has to be the best, practical, no nonsense, coherently put out review. It has all the points what a tech savvy person wants.
Don't let this review turn you away from these tablets. There was a lot of Windows "Power User" complaints here about the number of clicks it takes to do something or where settings like bluetooth are buried (long press on the toggle btw, even in DeX mode) Don't forget that Windows 10 has crap like 2 Control Panels as well. I've been using my Tab S7+ in addition to a Windows desktop PC for a few years now and I can say that these high end tablets offer a GREAT experience. Most people can definitely drop the PC and use this as a daily driver. If My desktop PC were to die today I'd be fine with a Galaxy Tab and my phone.
It's absolutely possible for some people. It's just restrictive and doesn't allow for power user or even intermediate office work. Windows is far from perfect, but Dex is still a very young desktop environment and needs a lot of TLC before it can work for everyone
@@innoiso Dex isn't even the primary environment I work in , I work in normal android which gives me access to terminal emulators and through that full Linux to boot. I hope I'm not coming off as rude but when you say things like android is too restrictive for power users compared to windows it seriously feels more like you don't have much experience with what android can and can't do and are judging the whole experience on just dex which is very very young and still gaining features.
Did you see the segment of the video where I talked about "real work"? I understand that different folks have different workflows and I walked through my own. It's really cool that you can do those things on an Android tablet. And the few times I tried to run a Linux terminal on this I failed because I didn't understand the errors and it was just easier to just run Ubuntu in a VirtualBox on my Windows desktop. There are thousands of guides online on how to do so, and it's how people get their feet wet. From my experience with the Tab, it feels like those things take a bit more effort or know-how.
Good review. And thank you for actualy covering Excel. So Im typing this on my Tab S8 Ultra, and have been using mine for a few weeks now. So as a catch all device, it could work ok for normal people. That wasnt what I was after though, I have a fantastic desktop with a great triple monitor setup for working. The problem is im always on call and I need something mobile thats able to deal with how I work(mostly email excel outlook pdfs ect). Dex mode is the first non windows machine Ive really been able to get things done semi effeciently. Keyboard case is great, but for $350 thats out to lunch pricing. Ive found ive been using the Ultra quite a bit more than I expected, and im overally pleased with it. Now my happiness is equivilent to the preorder pricing combined with a discount from getting a S22 at the same time. In the end I paid 660ish and got hte keyboard case for free. At that price its probally been one of my best tech purchases. At full price, well somethings should of been better.
Yep pre order discounts were quite insane, and makes the tablet a lot more worth it. We'll see if the price settles a bit. Agreed that it works fine for most as a catch all, but I expect more out of a >$1000 machine
@@innoiso I totally get that. For the price it's too hard a sell. Which I know a large chunk of the price is the screen which makes it in a wierd point. Like try to find a 15 inch laptop with a comparable screen then look at the price. It's where I feel like that's what Samsung was trying to price it at a competing with laptops and the iPad pro. Which was a mistake, I would rather of seen them leave the same internal hardware as the tab s7 and do the big boy screen to be able to drop the price somewhat. Same with the rear cameras. But it's that next update to android 12 with tablet specific stuff and Samsung gathering apps like lumafusion is where this could be a good path. But the issue is if units don't sell than it will keep staying the current android tablet issues.
to be honest samsung always have a bunch of promotion where you can get the tablet for much cheaper than what you claim it to be. I got both the keyboard cover and tablet months after it was released and it total out 1200 ish for me, and I got the 256gb version. I replaced my laptop with this tablet because I'm one of those people who doesn't need a laptop to work on the go, the tablet is use mostly for entertainment purposes and some minor productivity work like answering email sending files and documents while im out and making some video calls etc... It's been great for me so far. In term if using it for entertainment, this thing was pretty good, I havent own a tablet for years and I came back to the tablet playground just because of how impressed I was at this tablet when I tested it out at the store. Streaming video and viewing photos on this this is awesome. I agree that it could be cheaper but for now, Im pretty happy with my purchase.
This is one of the best reviews for “office work” professionals. Thank you for not assuming everyone has a job as a UA-cam or IG influencer. Long video, but I watch all of it. Truly appreciated.
Very nice review!!! Finally received my S8 Ultra 512GB after waiting 8 weeks, with $350 trade-in for a Note 8. Copied apps, etc from my Note 20 Ultra 5G. Updated to One UI 4.1 and Android 12. Ordered a Samsung 1TB microSD card and waiting for the "free" book cover keyboard. This is a very nice upgrade to my Tab S 10.5 from 2014, which still works.
While it's not proper extended display support, if you go to Samsung Dex settings and active auto start when HDMI is connected it will display Dex on the second monitor and the tablet will keep working as normal. I haven't tested it enough to know how far you can push it, but it's a nice feature.
As a long-time Samsung android tablet user, I would really recommend using the SAMSUNG INTERNET BROWSER. That thing is a game-changer and makes the experience even more like a DESKTOP experience as it has an option to load sites IN DESKTOP versions ALL THE TIME, this is important because you won't be presented with weird mobile layout pages on such a huge screen (of course, Chrome browser can do this too, but you have to set to desktop mode FOR EACH tab every time which is a little cumbersome for me.). I'm saying this because the Samsung Internet browser is underrated and not getting the right acknowledgment it deserves. Most of my daily work tasks can be done through a browser (answering emails, google services such as spreadsheets and docs, Jira, etc) but some can only work best when being viewed in desktop mode (ahem, google services!) as the mobile version won't cut it. There are also subtle things that makes the Samsung browser able to almost FULLY emulate the desktop browsing experience. One good example is the ability to hover on web items like hovering on menu drop downs, giving reaction to a facebook posts, when you need to hover a video on youtube so you can see a short teaser etc. There are lots of things a simple mouseover can do that completes the desktop-like browsing experience. I don't think that works perfectly in chrome mobile. The video assistant is amazing too. Bottom line, I like for a mobile browser to load the desktop versions of the sites I'm visiting especially on a tablet with a screen this big (14.6 inches). It makes more sense. :)
thanks a lot for this information. It make these tablet more usefull ! I use to be oblige to start my laptop big box mostly because of some limitations on chrome mobile, like tracking open e-mail. Now it'll be started only for unusual heavy tasks
totally agree, not sure why browsers default to mobile sites on a device which is this large. I also use Samsung Internet but also Brave browser as both of these give the options of desktop view and prevent all types of ads.
I'm cross shopping. As an artist the Ipad pro 12.9 has been my go to for years but recently got back into android with my pixel 6 pro and I love this phone. I love the size of this thing! more screen space for artwork
It’s a really great review. As my “Real Work” is playing with excel and spreadsheets like you do, I’m going to give up this year tab S8 ultra. May be Samsung will improve the functionality of keyboards and dex experience time to time and I believe it’s time for android developers to look into tablets back. Hope Tab S9 Ultra might improve those ares. 👏👏👏
It's all software now. The hardware is there, the keyboard is better than before. it'd be great to see Samsung partner with Microsoft to make a real version of office for Galaxy Tabs
Do not know if it has been said already, but you can lock the Fn key by holding it a few seconds. Great review by the way, I bought this one and also the Surface Pro 8 but I like this tablet better actually for use as a tablet.
This is a well made video. I have the same gripes which made me actually look at returning my tab s8+ and getting the surface pro 9 while watching your video, but its just too much money. May as well just get a laptop for 1800 lol.. I'm sticking with the s8+!
This is the first time I see any of your videos and I'm totally impressed. I really enjoyed every minute. I subscribed. I will be back to view the rest of your videos and catchup. You are like the perfect reviewer that isn't there kissing ass to Android, Windows or Apple...you just tell it how it is. Thanks. It's very refreshing.
I have this device to but I very rarely use any app on it and much prefer the browser versions, i.e. ebay, UA-cam, twitter, facebook...etc etc etc. I use Brave browser to access my favourite sites which also means no ads at all, even on UA-cam.
This was a wonderful review of this product and your thoughts are clear and exacting. Nice job! I did go out and buy one and the keyboard and I got the Pro earbuds for free. took a 5 hour call with customer service at Samsung to get it all aranged but thats another story. Now I think this has a market for the person like me that runs a business and needs to connect on the run or has social media and wants to do edits and uploads from the orignal app and run it like a phone would. Like Instagram. Content creators will find this tablet to be exactly what they need for great photos editing and uploads also it connects to download with smart synk so it ports over all your data from a phone so you dont loose anything and also makes a great back up for the phone. Now with that said it is great for podcast on the go or to record in the fast pase of our lives and it is small easy to use and has great cams on it too. I think it is a cross over from a phone to a computer with the interface of the phone and the size of a laptop. It needs some work on function instructions and how to use it since it has somany different moving parts. How ever it may be just what content creators and influencers have been looking for. At least I hope so I just gotr mine today so I could be talking smoke here but Ive used it already to do some amazing uploads and I love it for this ease of use.
I'm actually planning to buy the new Tab S9+ to replace my iPad Pro 11" because I'm just not used to using apple product for my work. I'm curious if the Tab S9, assuming it's gonna be similar experience with Tab S8, is a good pick for me. My work revolves around Google Docs, Sheets, Adobe Lightroom (mobile), and Canva. I'm not really a power user in Google docs and sheets. I just do basic typing and accounting / recording for my restaurant business. Anyway, amazing video! Very detailed and really tackled real world scenarios. Unlike most of videos out there that don't really answer our questions.
Man what a great video! First of all thanks for the test you did for me. Thanks to that, I went for the 16GB model just in time before the free keyboard offer expired (I wanted the 12GB but was not available for preorder, so I pulled the trigger for the 16GB to get the keyboard, which has not arrived yet, while the tablet arrived immediately). Honestly I agree with you on virtually everything. If the keyboard was not free no way I would have spent that kind of money on it. But to be honest at some point the will sell it at half price like the do every year at least a couple of times a year. Other than that I don't use it like a laptop. I only use dex with external monitors and, allow me to correct you on this, if you are not already in Dex, it won't mirror, but let you use Dex on the monitor and the tablet at the same time, which iPad cannot do... and which is perfect for me. This allows me for instance to remote into a desktop via dex and still use the tablet, or simply do more. The only thing that drive me crazy is that you cannot have the tablet below the monitor in dex settings, only to the side... I never use dex from the tablet, also because it reloads every app and I like having many apps and tabs open for days and even weeks. Other than that I have tried almost every browser and the is one I am really liking a lot is Vivaldi. Great desktop support and great adblocking once you configure it and tabs don't reload contrary to other browsers. Another thing that bothers me is palm rejection, it still does not work well and I accidentally hit the screen all the time while holding it, just like the S7+. Other than that I love the device, much better than the S7+, the added speed makes a difference in browsing desktop sites, the added screen real estate is awsome for videos and also as a second display (try Superdisplay if you want zero latency). And it can even output more power from the USB C compared to the S7 so now all my external SSDs work, including my 4TB Sandisk that required too much power for the S7+.
Thank you! You've gotta let me know how it ends up for you! I forgot that note about how Dex can be unmirrored if you stay in tablet mode. I was in Dex for so much of this review. I'll take a look at Vivaldi soon. Definitely think this is a huge upgrade from the S7+.
Great video, super useful overall. I think the best device to provide both tablet and desktop experience is not a tablet providing a desktop experience but a windows tablet providing a tablet experience. The Surface Pro may not fit the bill yet and I think Dell has dropped their excellent Latitude 2-in-1 devices (Surface Pro clones, but with an option for a Smart Card slot for pro/government users) but that seems to be the most logical approach.
What a great in-depth review. I purchased a S8 Ultra and Keyboard yesterday and played around with it a bit. IMO, the track pad was fine. I have an older Nextbook that has a very slippery track pad. I hate it. I do dislike the fact that in Dex mode it only mirrors the screen. I did find if you turn on the automatic start to Dex when HDMI is connected, the Ultra will push Dex onto a second screen once connected and keep the "tablet" screen on the Ultra. The only downside is you can't open the same app in Dex and in Android and you can only use touch for the Android while the track pad is for Dex. Keyboard does work on both.
Thank you! Yeah I realized that there was an option to use the screen unmirrored after I released the review. Agreed that is not as good as a full multi-monitor Dex experience though
Holdup why does the built in myfiles file browser not count as a "proper" file browser for you? It has all the normal file browsing functionality I can think of.
It's a file browser designed for phones ported to a desktop experience. Yes you can browse files. Same issues that I had with the rest of the experience - limited keyboard shortcuts, no quick Go To or pathing functionality, no quick access or favorites folder... Etc.
Great video! It's hard to find practical reviews of these. The one constructive suggestion I have is to include more video of you doing the tasks instead of just talking about it. For ex., more video like your "Escape" button discussion.
Inaccurately states DEX can only mirror the tablet screen. DEX on the phone and tablet will allow you to use the tablet in tablet mode and use dex on second display
11:29 if it is USB C power delivery compliant (as well as the charger you use), then it should automatically negotiate the correct voltage (assuming the charger supports the correct voltage, if not, then it will just refuse to charge)
Samsung has a full proof excellent work around for the poor android app situation. I'll use twitter as a example. Open Samsung browser then search for twitter in search bar. The full desktop version will open in the browser, then press on the hamburger menu top right of the screen and select add page and add twitter desktop version as a app to the home screen. It works independently as a app but it's better because it's the desktop version.
This is not "foolproof". The apps installed as web apps from Samsung Internet are limited to 5 apps open at any time. I don't know about you, but I tend to keep more than 5 apps open in background at any time.
Long press on the quick icons in the slide down notification menu will bring you to their specific settings. way less convoluted then was pointed out using the long way to get to the settings.
Got the combo with the keyboard and the 256gig version of this used like new for 850€. For me the screen is IT. Im a huge oled fan and wanted something big on the go, especially for watching content when its darker. Usability also comes handy when im using it for work, notes, etc. Even coding is possible with Colab from google or other ways. Handwriting for sketches in electricity or math related classes are also key. The size is perfect. Yes, the battery could be better!!!
Quick comment on the function key, hold it down for like 5 secs and it should activate the little light and therefore make all the function keys work the way you want without having to hold down the fn key each time :)
@@innoiso what about this 800 dollars trade in? I'm considering buying this tablet with a great bonus on trade in but.... If at the end they ask you for this money.......
Thanks for such an awesome review that was in every way relevant to my needs when it comes to a device that offers both a good tablet experience and a good windows experience. I do a lot of excel spread-sheeting too and hearing the excel issues just ruled out getting a Tab S8+. I might try configuring my little Acer Switch to be a better tablet experience but MS Store just doesn't offer the range of apps or the same apps on Android that would make the experience work. I think what will work for me is having a good desktop that I can share files with my phone via something like OneDrive and have a laptop for times I need windows functionality on the go. I might have to give up on a better tablet experience.
Glad I could help you make your decision. Excel on mobile devices just isn't there yet. And I thought Sheets would cover the gap for me. But Samsung still doesn't seem to build the experience for that use case. I wish Windows had more tablet apps and a better tablet UI but it looks like slowly that might start to change
@@innoiso Yes, I spent this arvo configuring my Windows 10 netbook/tablet to see if I could get an acceptable tablet experience out of it. Up until now, I've been using it mainly as a netbook so my tiles haven't been set up for tablet mode. In addition to the lack of apps and poor tablet UI, I noticed that the tablet mode tiles is the same as the start menu tiles. This is pretty horrific for me as I will use different apps in each mode. I can sort of get around this by pinning my 'desktop' apps to the taskbar and using the tiles for my tablet configuration... but it's still pretty disappointing and makes Windows feel quite B grade. Currently watching through your Win11 touch/tablet interface review and it seems things haven't improved much there for me (and it seems some things have gone backwards... lack of tiles concerns me. Former Windows Phone user here). Hopefully MS will get on top their tablet interface. For now, I think I'm going to stick to my phone for my 'touch screen' needs and get a new basic laptop so I can bring my desktop needs with me from time to time. I was hoping to migrate some of my phone uses to a tablet/laptop hybrid to conserve battery life but it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon.
Wrong! Samsung DEX on an external monitor does not mirror the tablet screen like the iPad does. Samsung DEX on the external monitor lets you use the tablet in tablet mode while the external monitor is displaying the desktop user interface and they can run independently of each other. Sort of..
Folks have mentioned this. If you are already in Dex, then you get a mirror of the display. If you instead have it in tablet mode, Dex starts on the second screen.
Also to find a setting for instance bluetooth you dont have to go through settings and type it or search it if you dont have the FN key locked hit the finder key thats located next to dex and type in bluetooth like windows it directs you to what you are looking for
Makes sense. Meaning the the Bixby search is separated from searching the app drawer on DeX. Glad there's an option, but since I'm coming from Windows I tried to carry over as much as I could without major changes
@@innoiso That trying to view everything through a windows lense I feel is coloring your experience pretty badly. I was guilty of this when I first tried to learn macos and linux .
@@innoiso I have a question with regards to comparing ipad vs tab S8 ultra with regards to MS office and Google productivity suite. How would you compare the functionality of MS Office apps (Docs and Powerpoint) vs Google (Docs and Slide)? I find that MS office on iPAD Air can be abit finicky at times. I would say macbook/windows machines, the office suites are more robust, with more features while the iOS side and Android side, it is probably limited. Again, I’m wondering whether a Samsung tablet running MS office/google docs will be a good option at the end. (Will probably wait for S9 Ultra Tab :-D with hopefully android 12L support) .. PS: I don’t use google sheets/MS excel much unless I need to.
I know what you mean about the ESC key...it's so annoying...I am glad that you also have that problem...I thought my keyboard was defective or I had fcked it up on my own unintentionally. You should make a video on how to use Google Sheets on Android tablets....I would love to learn from you on that subject too.
Much of what you said about multitasking in android didn't make sense and I can't reproduce much of your gripes about dex at all. I specifically moved around my desktop and going in and out of dex multiple times everything stayed where I left it so I'm not sure how yours was forgetting your choices. Also generally defaults to a non mirrored state so what exactly did you do to have it start mirrored?
Great review on the state of Dex and where this tablet sits. I had similar thoughts, this is a lot of money, for a great slate, but with the limitations of android. If your computing needs are standard, then this is really great. But then I think the same of iPad OS. I found the information on the keyboard and track pad the most disappointing. I use a Lapdock for Dex and their is no palm rejection, it sounds like the tab is better, but not by much! Esc in the browser also, I think it's more frustrating because it works correctly in the google sheets application, so makes for a very confusing experience!
IOS is a much more limited os than current android, I do all my work on android and most of his points seem less like failings in the tab and more like an unwillingness to accept its simply different from windows.
Yes and no. In terms of the desktop and keyboard experience, Dex is absolutely better. But until app developers start making more functional applications for Android, iPadOS has more creative niches covered, and allows you to use more than just a web browser for more functions
I currently have the Tab S7+ and was thinking about upgrading to the Tab S8 ultra for uni, now I am not sure 🤔 I was thinking about replacing my laptop and using it for writing assignments, notes in lectures and highlighting pdf readings etc.
If those are your use cases, and you don't expect to be using legacy applications, then don't base the decision off my experience. The S8 Ultra just adds a bigger screen to what you already have (the rest is minimal) if you could get by with just the S7 Plus, then you would love the S8 Ultra
Yes !BUT ‼️‼️‼️What about one basic feature that is not there -AOD !!! Always on display !!! How can we receive notifications on 2020 !! without the screen turning on !!!????????
You can get a premium case with kick stand for 50€/$ and quality Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for around 100. No need for overpriced keyboard with kick stand.
What drove me to considering the S8 as a laptop replacement is the absolute trash webcams that are built into laptops. All tablets seem to have fantastic front-facing cameras when compared to the shit that laptop manufacturers dump into their devices.
Dear Sir, Thank you for the guidance .Please let me know: Is the keyboard cover of Galaxy tablet S8Ultra ,convenient to use, and worthy for the price? To make it work with MS word ,do I need a Microsoft account ?
Great review... but ..... bat about the notetaking!..... and the writing experience is the best, better than any other tablet, included ipad or any windows device. This is the main reason i bought it
Hi there, Vaibhav here from India. It was an amazing video, thanks a lot! I have one question that if this tab provides the option of having Multiple Desktops in Dex mode or if we run Windows 11? Like in laptop or Mac, there is an option to have Multiple Desktops and operate each of the desktops screens independent of one another... If No, is there any way out how can I have similar functionality in this tablet?
on the Samsung shop right now I traded in my S7 plus tab and got a book cover free and that keyboard case for only $74 instead of the $350 all together I came out 552 for the tablet and all the accessories not a bad deal must be something that Father's Day
Honestly, the biggest thing this video did for me was make me lean more towards the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360. Amoled Screen, s-pen, and is still windows based while being small. Wish it had a higher res screen, but tbh it's cheaper than this thing with the keyboard anyway lmao
Can someone give this guy a prize for his review because it is simply too underrated. No BS and spot on to the real world experience that actually matters.
You just made my day! Thank you
So agree. Subbed.
Thank you!
@@innoiso what is the better device the tab s8 ultra or the surface pro 8?
@@Johnmims65 Depends on your use case. The Tab has better hardware and is better for tablet use. The Surface Pro 8 is better if you want a desktop experience. I prefer the Pro 8 for most of my tasks.
This was brought for my dad who has dyalisis 3 times a week ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxhCuDBrUituw2nsXGvNEQnKy8UaTIxd8Y and is regularly admitted to hospital. This has definitely saved him from bordem whilest having his treatment. He’s watched loads of great films and fount himself learning more each day
Your list of issues is one of the most helpful things I've seen in reviews for this product. Wish more reviewers would focus on this sort of thing instead of sweet, sweet 4k b-roll. Kudos!
Thank you! That's really helpful feedback for future reviews!
I just went for the Tab S8+. Less cost, still has a beautiful display, the keyboard case (last year's, with the track pad) is big enough so the keyboard is useful and not cramped.
I threw a 1 TB micro SD card in it and it's fabulous. With Black Friday sales and a trade in, I spent just under $600 for the tablet, keyboard, and micro SD card.
It's not a replacement for my laptop...but it's great to bring when I travel instead of my laptop. I can do "light work" on it, and watch movies/shows without the weight, or risk of damage/theft to my more more expensive laptop.
As several folks have stated, I was incorrect in saying that the screen was always mirrored when using an external display with the Tab S8 Ultra. It's only mirrored when you specifically start in Dex when plugging in the cable. Otherwise, it acts like a Galaxy Phone - where it can continue to be used in normal tablet mode or used as a trackpad.
Yes, this is a better solution than the iPad. But what I'm looking for is a multiple monitor desktop experience, which the tab doesn't give you.
Edit: An update on the trade in situation as well: I disputed the case with Samsung customer support, and they thankfully walked it back, so I wasn't charged $800 and they kept my Z Fold 2. I talked about this in my S22 Plus review
This is an app for that but it will cost you $13 one time fee and it will work perfecting like a second monitor when connect to a cable. Samsung or google should have implemented this instead of someone else doing it and charging for it. Maybe android 12L will change that.
@@domitalain1 What app is that? I can't seem to find the right one.
@@vertextwin1177 they call it """ Super display "" ill try to send yu the video. ua-cam.com/video/u56cCatBf_A/v-deo.html go to the 6:35 mark and she explains it there. let me know if this helped.
@@domitalain1 Thanks a lot! I'll have to check this out.
A youtuber named Flossy Carter said it can mirror computer or laptop screen or you can choose to use it as a screen extension like multi screen is that what you mean?
Great review! I have had a very similar experience with this tablet. There's one big selling point for me though: I like the stylus a lot. There are many great drawing and note-taking apps that take advantage of it, and it is very well integrated in the system. Being able to take notes long hand, and to draw intricate diagrams, makes a big difference. The tab is also great on Team calls, thanks to the great screen, speakers and camera (the cam and mike are way better than on 99% of laptops). The stylus is also helpful there, where you can annotate a shared PPT in real time. What's more, there's a (paying) app called "super display" that allows you to connect your PC via USB-C, and turns your tablet into a wired second-screen/graphic-tablet with zero latency and full touch + high-end stylus features... while letting you you enjoy the Android apps: your "PC-Screen" becomes just one of the "apps" running on the tablet. Very cool and useful, without the lag compromise of Samsung's "second screen" feature. Your Tab S8 Ultra becomes the equivalent of a top end Wacom for drawing and illustration.
That's awesome! I wish I had more use for the S Pen, for me it's just an occasional distraction
@@innoiso cool you replied. I tried to write documents with Samsung dex . But I rarely use the keyboard and dex anymore it was too frustrating. Whenever I tried to copy paste or mark text it was so bad compared a laptop. Before buying I saw almost every Samsung dex review and I actually knew that it wasn't optimal for editing text but I didn't realise that it would bother me this much. Maybe my expectation was wrong but I thought that Samsung dex would operate mostly like a desktop OS not like android OS. I was obviously wrong. Having said that the ultra does al lot of things really good the screen is amazing though 4k resolution would have made it perfect.
Keep up the good work I believe you can be big.
@@ningudo i was into market for a laptop for my master's ,should I consider this since the only software thts required is ms office ?? Or should I go for proper laptop??
What would you recommend someone who wants to learn drawing.
Man, your review is amazing and the most genuine i have come across. If all your reviews are like this, I hope your channel grow quickly. you can be the next Dave2D. Fantastic work many.
Thank you! I put a lot into this one and appreciate it paid off. Will strive to make each video better!
This Gentelman has done the best review ever .... I highly appreciate the level of details addressed in this review ....
Dude, you were on point. Really paid attention to daily details without focusing to much on things that other 100+ reviewers had already mentioned, and off course, you actually used the goddam thing! Thank you for the hard work.
Thank you! I figure a lot of people are already consulting other reviews for all of the high level information, so I focus a lot of my reviews on the experience of using the device. I really appreciate the kind comment!
Yeah this is much better than other reviewers. They are mostly about speed and hype. You have real content from someone who doesn't just edit videos and play games all day but work in an office with real office applications. Plus you actually used the device for a long time with many use cases and compared to windows device like surface too which would relate to most office workers. Keyboard shortcuts was also important to me. Didn't mind it was long, it had all the info I needed. Goes to show mobile/tablet experience has gone a long way but sadly not there yet and interestly the best experience with some apps is through the browser using web apps. Thanks for the great review!
Thanks for the great comment! I appreciate the support!
Pro Tip: If you only need to use the kick stand without the keyboard, samsung is selling "Protective Standing Cover" for only $70, much cheaper than getting a keyboard for the kick stand.
This is a great tip cheers. The weight would be interesting
I own the tab S8 Ultra and I'd say that you're spot on with 99% of your review. There are some things that have changed since your review (for example, expanding the desktop of Dex to another monitor instead of mirroring is an option now), but I appreciate your blunt dose of reality to people who might be considering this device. The one thing that I would add to your "who is this tablet for?" question, is that this tablet is for an ARTIST, who's already a power-user, already has a main desktop/laptop for heavy lifting. The thing that sold me on this tablet was just how good the pen is. Yes, the iOS equivalent has a better pen (don't tell my other android-users I said that) BUT, it doesn't come in the box with the tablet, and iOS's "Stage Manager" is just no where near as good as Dex (yet). An artist will really appreciate the screen realestate, and the ability to do some heavy-ish/heavier lifting when it's necessary and they don't necessarily have their desktop right there available (or they'd rather not go into the other room because it's "so far awaaaaaay"... speaking from experience). There absolutely are some major flaws that cannot really be overlooked; the Tab S8 Ultra definitely isn't a laptop or a laptop replacement, but it IS a REALLY good device to supplement a powerful computer - ESPECIALLY if you're an artist. Great video, sir! I hope you ended up getting that trade-in issue sorted out.
What in your opinion makes the Apple pencil better than the s-pen? It would be great, ToastDog, if you could substantiate such a claim with solid evidence.
@@lauriealach1072 Are you asking for my opinion or are you asking for factual evidence? It's hard to really say something is "factually better", when A LOT of it really comes down to user preference (opinion) with these devices that are already so comparable in function. I'll do my best to answer your question. I'm going to caveat my response by saying that I am *not* an expert in device hardware and I haven't torn down these two devices to give a true comparison. So everything that follows is my *interpretation of what I have read and experienced of these two*. If you wanted to talk "factually" (note my caveat from earlier) about the actual hardware inside the devices, they both have some give and take. Ultimately, the S-pen has a faster response rate. If I'm not mistaken, the S8 Ultra's delay is like 2.3ms which (again, if I'm not mistaken) is half of the delay for Apple's pencil, making the S-Pen "better". The reality though is that the SPen (or Apple Pencil) isn't entirely responsible for this performance as the hardware & software combination is inside the tablet itself. I can say though, that a standard consumer probably isn't going to notice it the difference in their day to day. An artist or a "power user" will definitely notice it. There's also the problem of supportive apps. Android app developers just haven't taken advantage of the opportunity to develop enough yet for the S-Pen for it to be as refined an experience as Apple has. Apple just has the advantage because they have the market share (at least in the USA) and are extremely exclusive with their hardware and software. Now for my OPINION, I like the feel of the Apple Pencil over the S-pen. It glides better, the weight of it feels more natural, the taper of the tip/nib feels more realistic to an actual pencil compared to that of the S-Pen. BUT if we threw in a THIRD option, say the Staedtler Digital pencils, I'd choose THAT over the Apple Pencil for feel - it actually feels like a pencil in the hand (except when you tilt it sideways to shade). It lacks some of the functionality, however, that the SPen and the Apple pencil have built in. One of my irks with using the SPen (Staedtler and Apple Pencil too) is that Samsung (or Apple) hasn't quite gotten the "shading" portion of the pencil software down quite yet, which muddies the experience a little for both devices. All that being said, they're both VERY, VERY good devices. Guess which one I actually bought? The Samsung. Which is better on paper, probably the Samsung. Which one do I think feels the best in hand for drawing on a device between Samsung and Apple? The Staedtler... then the Apple Pencil, then the S-Pen.
@@TheToastDog Very interesting. I'm looking as many reviews of writing experience on tablet as i can. And the conclusion is that the s8 is the best for writing and ipad for drawing. My priorities are notetaking and multitasking.... so i ordered the s8 ultra. Im not artist but i like to draw and the staedtler is going to be a good help. Thanks
@@tacusarcalis5152 you won't regret your purchase. It's an incredible device.
Stumbled upon this by chance. By far this has to be the best, practical, no nonsense, coherently put out review. It has all the points what a tech savvy person wants.
I really appreciate the kind words
Don't let this review turn you away from these tablets. There was a lot of Windows "Power User" complaints here about the number of clicks it takes to do something or where settings like bluetooth are buried (long press on the toggle btw, even in DeX mode) Don't forget that Windows 10 has crap like 2 Control Panels as well. I've been using my Tab S7+ in addition to a Windows desktop PC for a few years now and I can say that these high end tablets offer a GREAT experience. Most people can definitely drop the PC and use this as a daily driver. If My desktop PC were to die today I'd be fine with a Galaxy Tab and my phone.
Well said sir ! I Daily drive an 8 ultra and my whole family are on 7 pluses until they can upgrade. We functionally dropped windows a while back.
It's absolutely possible for some people. It's just restrictive and doesn't allow for power user or even intermediate office work. Windows is far from perfect, but Dex is still a very young desktop environment and needs a lot of TLC before it can work for everyone
@@innoiso Dex isn't even the primary environment I work in , I work in normal android which gives me access to terminal emulators and through that full Linux to boot. I hope I'm not coming off as rude but when you say things like android is too restrictive for power users compared to windows it seriously feels more like you don't have much experience with what android can and can't do and are judging the whole experience on just dex which is very very young and still gaining features.
Did you see the segment of the video where I talked about "real work"? I understand that different folks have different workflows and I walked through my own.
It's really cool that you can do those things on an Android tablet. And the few times I tried to run a Linux terminal on this I failed because I didn't understand the errors and it was just easier to just run Ubuntu in a VirtualBox on my Windows desktop.
There are thousands of guides online on how to do so, and it's how people get their feet wet. From my experience with the Tab, it feels like those things take a bit more effort or know-how.
Good review. And thank you for actualy covering Excel. So Im typing this on my Tab S8 Ultra, and have been using mine for a few weeks now. So as a catch all device, it could work ok for normal people. That wasnt what I was after though, I have a fantastic desktop with a great triple monitor setup for working. The problem is im always on call and I need something mobile thats able to deal with how I work(mostly email excel outlook pdfs ect). Dex mode is the first non windows machine Ive really been able to get things done semi effeciently. Keyboard case is great, but for $350 thats out to lunch pricing. Ive found ive been using the Ultra quite a bit more than I expected, and im overally pleased with it. Now my happiness is equivilent to the preorder pricing combined with a discount from getting a S22 at the same time. In the end I paid 660ish and got hte keyboard case for free. At that price its probally been one of my best tech purchases. At full price, well somethings should of been better.
Yep pre order discounts were quite insane, and makes the tablet a lot more worth it. We'll see if the price settles a bit. Agreed that it works fine for most as a catch all, but I expect more out of a >$1000 machine
@@innoiso I totally get that. For the price it's too hard a sell. Which I know a large chunk of the price is the screen which makes it in a wierd point. Like try to find a 15 inch laptop with a comparable screen then look at the price. It's where I feel like that's what Samsung was trying to price it at a competing with laptops and the iPad pro. Which was a mistake, I would rather of seen them leave the same internal hardware as the tab s7 and do the big boy screen to be able to drop the price somewhat. Same with the rear cameras. But it's that next update to android 12 with tablet specific stuff and Samsung gathering apps like lumafusion is where this could be a good path. But the issue is if units don't sell than it will keep staying the current android tablet issues.
to be honest samsung always have a bunch of promotion where you can get the tablet for much cheaper than what you claim it to be. I got both the keyboard cover and tablet months after it was released and it total out 1200 ish for me, and I got the 256gb version. I replaced my laptop with this tablet because I'm one of those people who doesn't need a laptop to work on the go, the tablet is use mostly for entertainment purposes and some minor productivity work like answering email sending files and documents while im out and making some video calls etc... It's been great for me so far. In term if using it for entertainment, this thing was pretty good, I havent own a tablet for years and I came back to the tablet playground just because of how impressed I was at this tablet when I tested it out at the store. Streaming video and viewing photos on this this is awesome. I agree that it could be cheaper but for now, Im pretty happy with my purchase.
This is one of the best reviews for “office work” professionals. Thank you for not assuming everyone has a job as a UA-cam or IG influencer. Long video, but I watch all of it. Truly appreciated.
Very nice review!!! Finally received my S8 Ultra 512GB after waiting 8 weeks, with $350 trade-in for a Note 8. Copied apps, etc from my Note 20 Ultra 5G. Updated to One UI 4.1 and Android 12. Ordered a Samsung 1TB microSD card and waiting for the "free" book cover keyboard. This is a very nice upgrade to my Tab S 10.5 from 2014, which still works.
Nice! Hope you love it!
Wow 8weeks!!?..i got my ultra 4days after i ordered it.
To trigger the function lock you need to hold the button down for ~5 seconds
Thanks!
While it's not proper extended display support, if you go to Samsung Dex settings and active auto start when HDMI is connected it will display Dex on the second monitor and the tablet will keep working as normal. I haven't tested it enough to know how far you can push it, but it's a nice feature.
As a long-time Samsung android tablet user, I would really recommend using the SAMSUNG INTERNET BROWSER. That thing is a game-changer and makes the experience even more like a DESKTOP experience as it has an option to load sites IN DESKTOP versions ALL THE TIME, this is important because you won't be presented with weird mobile layout pages on such a huge screen (of course, Chrome browser can do this too, but you have to set to desktop mode FOR EACH tab every time which is a little cumbersome for me.).
I'm saying this because the Samsung Internet browser is underrated and not getting the right acknowledgment it deserves. Most of my daily work tasks can be done through a browser (answering emails, google services such as spreadsheets and docs, Jira, etc) but some can only work best when being viewed in desktop mode (ahem, google services!) as the mobile version won't cut it.
There are also subtle things that makes the Samsung browser able to almost FULLY emulate the desktop browsing experience. One good example is the ability to hover on web items like hovering on menu drop downs, giving reaction to a facebook posts, when you need to hover a video on youtube so you can see a short teaser etc. There are lots of things a simple mouseover can do that completes the desktop-like browsing experience. I don't think that works perfectly in chrome mobile. The video assistant is amazing too.
Bottom line, I like for a mobile browser to load the desktop versions of the sites I'm visiting especially on a tablet with a screen this big (14.6 inches). It makes more sense. :)
As I mentioned in the video, that's the primary browser that I used
thanks a lot for this information. It make these tablet more usefull ! I use to be oblige to start my laptop big box mostly because of some limitations on chrome mobile, like tracking open e-mail. Now it'll be started only for unusual heavy tasks
totally agree, not sure why browsers default to mobile sites on a device which is this large. I also use Samsung Internet but also Brave browser as both of these give the options of desktop view and prevent all types of ads.
its possible to import bookmarks from chrome to samsung browser?
I'm cross shopping. As an artist the Ipad pro 12.9 has been my go to for years but recently got back into android with my pixel 6 pro and I love this phone. I love the size of this thing! more screen space for artwork
Nice! It also helps that you can connect it to a Windows PC and use desktop apps
It’s a really great review. As my “Real Work” is playing with excel and spreadsheets like you do, I’m going to give up this year tab S8 ultra. May be Samsung will improve the functionality of keyboards and dex experience time to time and I believe it’s time for android developers to look into tablets back. Hope Tab S9 Ultra might improve those ares. 👏👏👏
It's all software now. The hardware is there, the keyboard is better than before. it'd be great to see Samsung partner with Microsoft to make a real version of office for Galaxy Tabs
@@innoiso yes, I’m hoping that tab s9 ultra will be perfect to invest it.
I’m hoping windows arm comes to tab s8, s9 ultra
Do not know if it has been said already, but you can lock the Fn key by holding it a few seconds. Great review by the way, I bought this one and also the Surface Pro 8 but I like this tablet better actually for use as a tablet.
This is a well made video. I have the same gripes which made me actually look at returning my tab s8+ and getting the surface pro 9 while watching your video, but its just too much money. May as well just get a laptop for 1800 lol.. I'm sticking with the s8+!
This is the first time I see any of your videos and I'm totally impressed. I really enjoyed every minute. I subscribed. I will be back to view the rest of your videos and catchup. You are like the perfect reviewer that isn't there kissing ass to Android, Windows or Apple...you just tell it how it is. Thanks. It's very refreshing.
I really appreciate it, and I'm glad you like it!!!
I have this device to but I very rarely use any app on it and much prefer the browser versions, i.e. ebay, UA-cam, twitter, facebook...etc etc etc. I use Brave browser to access my favourite sites which also means no ads at all, even on UA-cam.
very detailed experience without having the tablet in hand. i know what to expect. Thanks for your great work
Thanks for watching!
This guy reminds me of Cory from Aquarium Co-Op
What a great review... I am getting the Ultra 512gb in a couple of days. As a digital artist looking forward to the experience😎⚜️
Thank you! Hope you love it!
Very beautiful and helpful review thanks so much
Thank you!
This was a wonderful review of this product and your thoughts are clear and exacting. Nice job!
I did go out and buy one and the keyboard and I got the Pro earbuds for free. took a 5 hour call with customer service at Samsung to get it all aranged but thats another story.
Now I think this has a market for the person like me that runs a business and needs to connect on the run or has social media and wants to do edits and uploads from the orignal app and run it like a phone would. Like Instagram. Content creators will find this tablet to be exactly what they need for great photos editing and uploads also it connects to download with smart synk so it ports over all your data from a phone so you dont loose anything and also makes a great back up for the phone.
Now with that said it is great for podcast on the go or to record in the fast pase of our lives and it is small easy to use and has great cams on it too. I think it is a cross over from a phone to a computer with the interface of the phone and the size of a laptop. It needs some work on function instructions and how to use it since it has somany different moving parts. How ever it may be just what content creators and influencers have been looking for.
At least I hope so I just gotr mine today so I could be talking smoke here but Ive used it already to do some amazing uploads and I love it for this ease of use.
Nice! Let me know how it ends up working for your use case!
Wait.
So you're telling me someone THIS professional has so few subscribers??? Subbed, shared, recommended.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
@@innoiso I've been planning to get a tab, and I'm torn between s7+ and s8+. Which one would you suggest, given the price difference?
I haven't personally used the S8+, but I have been using the S8, and I honestly can't tell the difference from the S7.
I'm actually planning to buy the new Tab S9+ to replace my iPad Pro 11" because I'm just not used to using apple product for my work. I'm curious if the Tab S9, assuming it's gonna be similar experience with Tab S8, is a good pick for me. My work revolves around Google Docs, Sheets, Adobe Lightroom (mobile), and Canva. I'm not really a power user in Google docs and sheets. I just do basic typing and accounting / recording for my restaurant business.
Anyway, amazing video! Very detailed and really tackled real world scenarios. Unlike most of videos out there that don't really answer our questions.
Man what a great video! First of all thanks for the test you did for me. Thanks to that, I went for the 16GB model just in time before the free keyboard offer expired (I wanted the 12GB but was not available for preorder, so I pulled the trigger for the 16GB to get the keyboard, which has not arrived yet, while the tablet arrived immediately). Honestly I agree with you on virtually everything. If the keyboard was not free no way I would have spent that kind of money on it. But to be honest at some point the will sell it at half price like the do every year at least a couple of times a year. Other than that I don't use it like a laptop. I only use dex with external monitors and, allow me to correct you on this, if you are not already in Dex, it won't mirror, but let you use Dex on the monitor and the tablet at the same time, which iPad cannot do... and which is perfect for me. This allows me for instance to remote into a desktop via dex and still use the tablet, or simply do more. The only thing that drive me crazy is that you cannot have the tablet below the monitor in dex settings, only to the side... I never use dex from the tablet, also because it reloads every app and I like having many apps and tabs open for days and even weeks. Other than that I have tried almost every browser and the is one I am really liking a lot is Vivaldi. Great desktop support and great adblocking once you configure it and tabs don't reload contrary to other browsers. Another thing that bothers me is palm rejection, it still does not work well and I accidentally hit the screen all the time while holding it, just like the S7+. Other than that I love the device, much better than the S7+, the added speed makes a difference in browsing desktop sites, the added screen real estate is awsome for videos and also as a second display (try Superdisplay if you want zero latency). And it can even output more power from the USB C compared to the S7 so now all my external SSDs work, including my 4TB Sandisk that required too much power for the S7+.
Thank you! You've gotta let me know how it ends up for you! I forgot that note about how Dex can be unmirrored if you stay in tablet mode. I was in Dex for so much of this review. I'll take a look at Vivaldi soon. Definitely think this is a huge upgrade from the S7+.
Great video, super useful overall. I think the best device to provide both tablet and desktop experience is not a tablet providing a desktop experience but a windows tablet providing a tablet experience. The Surface Pro may not fit the bill yet and I think Dell has dropped their excellent Latitude 2-in-1 devices (Surface Pro clones, but with an option for a Smart Card slot for pro/government users) but that seems to be the most logical approach.
Dayum I wasn't prepared for it but that was a GREAT review!
What a great in-depth review. I purchased a S8 Ultra and Keyboard yesterday and played around with it a bit. IMO, the track pad was fine. I have an older Nextbook that has a very slippery track pad. I hate it. I do dislike the fact that in Dex mode it only mirrors the screen. I did find if you turn on the automatic start to Dex when HDMI is connected, the Ultra will push Dex onto a second screen once connected and keep the "tablet" screen on the Ultra. The only downside is you can't open the same app in Dex and in Android and you can only use touch for the Android while the track pad is for Dex. Keyboard does work on both.
Thank you! Yeah I realized that there was an option to use the screen unmirrored after I released the review. Agreed that is not as good as a full multi-monitor Dex experience though
@@innoiso after I left the comment I learned how to drift the mouse over to the tablet. Again, great review and I'm now a subscriber.
Holdup why does the built in myfiles file browser not count as a "proper" file browser for you?
It has all the normal file browsing functionality I can think of.
It's a file browser designed for phones ported to a desktop experience. Yes you can browse files.
Same issues that I had with the rest of the experience - limited keyboard shortcuts, no quick Go To or pathing functionality, no quick access or favorites folder... Etc.
Great video! It's hard to find practical reviews of these. The one constructive suggestion I have is to include more video of you doing the tasks instead of just talking about it. For ex., more video like your "Escape" button discussion.
Thank you, and I appreciate the suggestion! Could have definitely used more b-roll covering the Esc problem!
Inaccurately states DEX can only mirror the tablet screen. DEX on the phone and tablet will allow you to use the tablet in tablet mode and use dex on second display
Thanks for letting my know, read the pinned comment =)
11:29 if it is USB C power delivery compliant (as well as the charger you use), then it should automatically negotiate the correct voltage (assuming the charger supports the correct voltage, if not, then it will just refuse to charge)
Samsung has a full proof excellent work around for the poor android app situation. I'll use twitter as a example. Open Samsung browser then search for twitter in search bar. The full desktop version will open in the browser, then press on the hamburger menu top right of the screen and select add page and add twitter desktop version as a app to the home screen. It works independently as a app but it's better because it's the desktop version.
This is not "foolproof". The apps installed as web apps from Samsung Internet are limited to 5 apps open at any time. I don't know about you, but I tend to keep more than 5 apps open in background at any time.
Great review cover almost every aspect. One quick question, could you test how is the performance in Windows Dex app by both WiFi and direct connect?
I'll give it a shot
Spell check is not working when the Dex mode is on. How to activate the same
Take a shot whenever he says frankly, jokes aside good review!
Frank and I are good friends, that's why I say his name all the time 😉
Thank you!
Correction: It's close to 15,6" laptop then 13,3". Don't you think?
Also more useful display as you mentioned for productivity.
Long press on the quick icons in the slide down notification menu will bring you to their specific settings. way less convoluted then was pointed out using the long way to get to the settings.
That would require lifting your hand off the keyboard to touch the screen
@@innoiso trackpad? Lol I get it though!!!!
Yeah or that. I like to use the keyboard for everything if I can, so shortcuts to get around are very important to me!
It seems that the previous update addressed your "ESC" button issue on excel. Good job pointing it out
Really? Ooh gotta check it out! Thanks for the heads up!
Hi innoiso, have you done a 2023 review of this? I'd be interested to see your thoughts..Thank you for this very honest review
Got the combo with the keyboard and the 256gig version of this used like new for 850€. For me the screen is IT. Im a huge oled fan and wanted something big on the go, especially for watching content when its darker.
Usability also comes handy when im using it for work, notes, etc. Even coding is possible with Colab from google or other ways. Handwriting for sketches in electricity or math related classes are also key. The size is perfect.
Yes, the battery could be better!!!
I'm a new subscriber. You are very thorough and objective with your review. I can't wait to hear your new reviews soon
Thank you and welcome to the channel!
Quick comment on the function key, hold it down for like 5 secs and it should activate the little light and therefore make all the function keys work the way you want without having to hold down the fn key each time :)
Thanks for the tip!
Can you open two files of excel side by side in dex mode?
You can, since you're probably going to be opening them in browser windows
@@innoiso so it's better to use excel in browser than the app?
Yes. Better keyboard support.
@@innoiso then does it mean any other tab is the same if I used it in browser, using dex isn't going to be better at all?
Best Tab S8 review most suited for my "real work"
Glad I could help!!!
@@innoiso what about this 800 dollars trade in? I'm considering buying this tablet with a great bonus on trade in but.... If at the end they ask you for this money.......
I want a cover just like that but without the keyboard. Just a magnetic cover and that bottom detatching as the keyboard does
Thanks for such an awesome review that was in every way relevant to my needs when it comes to a device that offers both a good tablet experience and a good windows experience. I do a lot of excel spread-sheeting too and hearing the excel issues just ruled out getting a Tab S8+. I might try configuring my little Acer Switch to be a better tablet experience but MS Store just doesn't offer the range of apps or the same apps on Android that would make the experience work.
I think what will work for me is having a good desktop that I can share files with my phone via something like OneDrive and have a laptop for times I need windows functionality on the go. I might have to give up on a better tablet experience.
Glad I could help you make your decision. Excel on mobile devices just isn't there yet. And I thought Sheets would cover the gap for me. But Samsung still doesn't seem to build the experience for that use case.
I wish Windows had more tablet apps and a better tablet UI but it looks like slowly that might start to change
@@innoiso Yes, I spent this arvo configuring my Windows 10 netbook/tablet to see if I could get an acceptable tablet experience out of it. Up until now, I've been using it mainly as a netbook so my tiles haven't been set up for tablet mode. In addition to the lack of apps and poor tablet UI, I noticed that the tablet mode tiles is the same as the start menu tiles. This is pretty horrific for me as I will use different apps in each mode. I can sort of get around this by pinning my 'desktop' apps to the taskbar and using the tiles for my tablet configuration... but it's still pretty disappointing and makes Windows feel quite B grade.
Currently watching through your Win11 touch/tablet interface review and it seems things haven't improved much there for me (and it seems some things have gone backwards... lack of tiles concerns me. Former Windows Phone user here). Hopefully MS will get on top their tablet interface. For now, I think I'm going to stick to my phone for my 'touch screen' needs and get a new basic laptop so I can bring my desktop needs with me from time to time. I was hoping to migrate some of my phone uses to a tablet/laptop hybrid to conserve battery life but it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon.
Go into settings and search second display it'll let you use it as a part of a 2 or 3 screen setup
That tab is freaking amazing..love it to use
How did you get charged for a trade in 6 months later?
Fantastic review. You've just earned yourself a new subscriber. Keep up the good work.
Thank you, and welcome to the channel!
Wrong! Samsung DEX on an external monitor does not mirror the tablet screen like the iPad does. Samsung DEX on the external monitor lets you use the tablet in tablet mode while the external monitor is displaying the desktop user interface and they can run independently of each other. Sort of..
Folks have mentioned this.
If you are already in Dex, then you get a mirror of the display. If you instead have it in tablet mode, Dex starts on the second screen.
I have a question about your trade in. Why are they trying to charge you now? What did they say was the issue with your trade in?
Amazing review! Thank you so much, keep up the good work!
Thank you for watching!
Great review, mate... Do you use screen protector for this tab s8 ultra?
Thank you! And no I don't
Can this tab can open some special PDF file like for example IMM forms from immigration?
You did an incredible job on this review!! Thank you
Thank you!
Also to find a setting for instance bluetooth you dont have to go through settings and type it or search it if you dont have the FN key locked hit the finder key thats located next to dex and type in bluetooth like windows it directs you to what you are looking for
Makes sense. Meaning the the Bixby search is separated from searching the app drawer on DeX. Glad there's an option, but since I'm coming from Windows I tried to carry over as much as I could without major changes
@@innoiso That trying to view everything through a windows lense I feel is coloring your experience pretty badly. I was guilty of this when I first tried to learn macos and linux .
Great review. 👍 I hope Samsung is listening or watching this video. 👁
Thank you!
@@innoiso I have a question with regards to comparing ipad vs tab S8 ultra with regards to MS office and Google productivity suite.
How would you compare the functionality of MS Office apps (Docs and Powerpoint) vs Google (Docs and Slide)?
I find that MS office on iPAD Air can be abit finicky at times.
I would say macbook/windows machines, the office suites are more robust, with more features while the iOS side and Android side, it is probably limited.
Again, I’m wondering whether a Samsung tablet running MS office/google docs will be a good option at the end. (Will probably wait for S9 Ultra Tab :-D with hopefully android 12L support) ..
PS: I don’t use google sheets/MS excel much unless I need to.
I know what you mean about the ESC key...it's so annoying...I am glad that you also have that problem...I thought my keyboard was defective or I had fcked it up on my own unintentionally. You should make a video on how to use Google Sheets on Android tablets....I would love to learn from you on that subject too.
Very nice comparison and review… all the best from 🇮🇳
Non-ironically, this was a wonderful video 😊
Much of what you said about multitasking in android didn't make sense and I can't reproduce much of your gripes about dex at all. I specifically moved around my desktop and going in and out of dex multiple times everything stayed where I left it so I'm not sure how yours was forgetting your choices. Also generally defaults to a non mirrored state so what exactly did you do to have it start mirrored?
The second screen only starts in a non mirrored state if you are not already in Dex when you plug it in.
Great review on the state of Dex and where this tablet sits. I had similar thoughts, this is a lot of money, for a great slate, but with the limitations of android. If your computing needs are standard, then this is really great. But then I think the same of iPad OS. I found the information on the keyboard and track pad the most disappointing. I use a Lapdock for Dex and their is no palm rejection, it sounds like the tab is better, but not by much! Esc in the browser also, I think it's more frustrating because it works correctly in the google sheets application, so makes for a very confusing experience!
IOS is a much more limited os than current android, I do all my work on android and most of his points seem less like failings in the tab and more like an unwillingness to accept its simply different from windows.
Yes and no. In terms of the desktop and keyboard experience, Dex is absolutely better. But until app developers start making more functional applications for Android, iPadOS has more creative niches covered, and allows you to use more than just a web browser for more functions
I currently have the Tab S7+ and was thinking about upgrading to the Tab S8 ultra for uni, now I am not sure 🤔 I was thinking about replacing my laptop and using it for writing assignments, notes in lectures and highlighting pdf readings etc.
If those are your use cases, and you don't expect to be using legacy applications, then don't base the decision off my experience. The S8 Ultra just adds a bigger screen to what you already have (the rest is minimal) if you could get by with just the S7 Plus, then you would love the S8 Ultra
Yes !BUT ‼️‼️‼️What about one basic feature that is not there -AOD !!! Always on display !!! How can we receive notifications on 2020 !! without the screen turning on !!!????????
Haven't seen that feature on a lot of tablet, but I understand your frustration
@@innoiso ( ipad pro ).... thank you
Just bought it as an onthego device. If I need my Windows PC I use remote connection using parsec
You can get a premium case with kick stand for 50€/$ and quality Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for around 100. No need for overpriced keyboard with kick stand.
Excellent review, I like your attention to detail, subscribing now.
Thank you, and welcome!
The function lock key works by holding down the FN key for 5 sec. until the light comes on
5 seconds! Thank you! Could have looked it up on Google but I preferred the F keys anyways
What drove me to considering the S8 as a laptop replacement is the absolute trash webcams that are built into laptops. All tablets seem to have fantastic front-facing cameras when compared to the shit that laptop manufacturers dump into their devices.
Please do comparism. Im torn between buying my first apple device or stick with samsung
I recently bought the 14.6 inch Samsung Galaxy S8 without a keyboard and cover, can someone share a specifications for the keyboard and cover?
Awesome review. I'm sold on getting this tablet, only issue is the price for it and the keyboard accessory.
Great video .. I have problems.. it didn't act right with Facebook.. froze stuck crash .. its great but for that reason I returned it ..
Dear Sir,
Thank you for the guidance .Please let me know: Is the keyboard cover of Galaxy tablet S8Ultra ,convenient to use, and worthy for the price? To make it work with MS word ,do I need a Microsoft account ?
amazing reveiw man althought as a student and an android gamer how long do you think i can use this tab if i buy this in 2023.
my "real work" issue in excel, cant link to external data
Fair point. Google Sheets has a mechanism for that but it's not as advanced or feature rich as desktop excel
Great review... but ..... bat about the notetaking!..... and the writing experience is the best, better than any other tablet, included ipad or any windows device. This is the main reason i bought it
What a great review man , than you so much bro
Thank you
Hi there, Vaibhav here from India. It was an amazing video, thanks a lot! I have one question that if this tab provides the option of having Multiple Desktops in Dex mode or if we run Windows 11? Like in laptop or Mac, there is an option to have Multiple Desktops and operate each of the desktops screens independent of one another...
If No, is there any way out how can I have similar functionality in this tablet?
on the Samsung shop right now I traded in my S7 plus tab and got a book cover free and that keyboard case for only $74 instead of the $350 all together I came out 552 for the tablet and all the accessories not a bad deal must be something that Father's Day
Solid!
@@innoisoI just posted another video that compares the S7 plus to the Galaxy tab S8 ultra you can check it out on my page
Honestly, the biggest thing this video did for me was make me lean more towards the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360. Amoled Screen, s-pen, and is still windows based while being small. Wish it had a higher res screen, but tbh it's cheaper than this thing with the keyboard anyway lmao
Thanks for this wonderful review! Great info and video!
Thank you and I'm glad you liked it!
5g model for verizon?
Almost bought this until i saw your 'real work' review. Guess gotta go for a boring ol laptop now sigh!
do you able to edit visio files on s8?
It’s frankly ironic that this video is pretty good.
Was that not expected?
On 15:06 it seems as if you were coding. How did you manage that?
I was using GitHub Codespaces
@@innoiso How do i set that up on my Tab S8 Ultra?
How is the functionality affected, if any, when using the ultra with keyboard while on bed?
It works, since the Ultra has such a massive footprint with the keyboard and kickstand out, it's a little unstable, but it works
@@innoiso Thank you, I am bedridden, so just wanted to make sure that I do not waste the money on the keyboard.
Just a very quick one the FN key on keyboard hold down the FN key for 5 seconds. The FN key lights up