Best Between Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 & Tab S7 FE

1. Design

On the design front, the Tab S8 and S7 FE look similar. First, both have relatively small bezels, but they aren’t too thin. That’s handy for holding the tablet as it helps avoid accidental touches, which are specifically common when dealing with such a large screen device in your bare hands.

They both have flat displays and squared-off edges on the sides. Speakers are mounted at the bottom beside a charging port. The S8 also includes additional speakers at the top, totaling four.

A fingerprint reader lives on the side of the S8, although the S7 FE doesn’t include one (it has face unlock instead). But similar to the S7 FE, the S8 includes a power button and volume rockers at the top.

The S8 is available in Graphite, Silver, or Pink Gold, while the S7 FE ships in four colors, either Mystic Black, Mystic Silver, Mystic Green, or Mystic Pink.

2. Display

The S8 features an 11-inch LCD panel refreshing at 120Hz. The display has 1600×2560 pixel resolution and a taller 16:10 aspect ratio.

If you want a slightly larger display, then the S7 FE is your choice as it includes a 12.4-inch LCD panel with an identical resolution and aspect ratio. However, the S7 FE doesn’t support even a 90Hz refresh rate, let alone the 120Hz available on the S8.

Furthermore, the S8’s Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection gives it an edge over the S7 FE. And as expected, the two have S Pen support, and they ship with one out of the box.

3. Hardware Specifications

Another thing that makes the S8 stand out is its processor. Qualcomm’s flagship 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip powers the S8 paired with an Adreno 730 GPU. That flagship chip runs in tow with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. This is the same chip that runs Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series devices, the company’s flagship phones for 2022.

On the other hand, the S7 FE depends on Qualcomm’s midrange Snapdragon chips. The 5G-powered S7 FE uses the 8nm Snapdragon 750G 5G chip, while the Wi-Fi-only version runs on the 6nm Snapdragon 778G 5G. The SoCs are paired with either 4GB, 6GB, or 8GB of memory.

You can get the Galaxy Tab S8 and S7 FE in different configurations of memory and storage. The S8 is available in 8/128GB, 8/256GB, and 12/256GB, while the S7 FE offers 4/64GB, 6/128GB, and 8/256GB. Storage is expandable, as both have dedicated microSD card slots with support for up to 1TB.

Both devices use USB Type C ports, a must-have in 2022 and beyond.

4. Battery

Battery life is as important for tablets as it is for smartphones. Due to their displays, the S8 and S7 FE have to include larger battery capacities to deliver meaningful screen time. The S7 FE beats the S8 for raw battery capacity thanks to its 10090mAh battery—the S8 has an 8000mAh battery. However, keep in mind, that a bigger battery means additional weight.

5. Android and One UI

Out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 runs One UI 4.1 based on Android 12. The S7 FE, on the other hand, debuted with One UI 3.1 based on Android 11. Although the S7 FE doesn’t run the latest version of Android at the time of writing, it is one of the devices slated to receive Android 12.

Thanks to Samsung’s updates policy, the S8 will receive four major Android updates and will receive security updates for five years.

6. Camera

Moving to the camera department, the S8 features a dual camera on the back, while the S7 FE only has a single shooter at the rear. The S8 includes a 13 MP, f/2.0 wide camera with autofocus. The secondary camera is a 6MP, f/2.2 ultrawide shooter.

The S7 FE has a single 8MP snapper. For selfies, the S8 has a 12 MP, f/2.4 ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view, and the S7 FE sports a 5MP selfie camera. For video, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 can shoot up to 4K video while the S7 FE tops out at 1080p.

7. Audio

For audio, the Galaxy Tab S8 includes four stereo speakers. The S7 FE, on the other hand, has a dual stereo speaker setup. Both systems are tuned by AKG, as has become the norm for mid-range to high-end Samsung Galaxy devices. With that in mind, the S8 has the edge over the S7 FE when it comes to sound.

Which One Should You Pick?

For the most part, the Galaxy Tab S8 has the edge over the S7 FE. The cameras, audio, hardware, and display all favor the S8. And although the S7 FE has a bigger battery, screen time shouldn’t be that different. The S8 counters this by using a smaller display and a more power-efficient chip.

However, the starting price of the S8 might make it hard for most. It starts at $699.99 for a Wi-Fi-only model with 128GB. The slightly older S7 FE can be found on offer at some very competitive prices.

However, if you’re going to hold onto the tablet for a long time, and you love gaming or other resource-intensive tasks, the S8 should be your only option.

It does have better value for money overall and has various modern features that you will surely appreciate, like the 120Hz display and a fingerprint reader. Plus, it has a longer support life than the S7 FE.