Recently, Samsung launched the company's most powerful tablet Galaxy Tab S7 in India with prices starting at Rs 55,999.
It has a marked improvement in terms of looks and also internal hardware over the Galaxy Tab S6. I have been using Samsung's slate for a week and here are my thoughts.
Design, build quality and display
In terms of the design and materials used, Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S7 is a true premium tablet. It has a smooth aluminium body with a thin slab-like structure with curvaous corners. And yet, it is light to hold in its true form, but with an accessory, such as smart keyboard cover, its weight goes up a bit.
On the back, Samsung has crafted a unique horizontally aligned magnet-laced black stripe ending with a dual-camera module at the right. The colour perfectly blends with the S Pen, which comes with the same raven-hued shade and docks to the place holder with firmness.
The Mystic Black model is a real beauty, but despite the sturdy structure, I still recommend the prospective buyers to get a cover, as the Galaxy Tab S7 or any tablet for that matter, need protection to sustain accidental fall. The display can survive the daily wear-and-tear like scratches, but even a small from a height of two feet will cause significant damage to the screen and will surely cut a deep hole in the pocket for the repairs.
It's better to go for Samsung's own smart keyboard cover, which compliments the tablet in improving the productivity of the user.
As far as the display is concerned, the Galaxy Tab S7 has the best display for a tablet in the market. It flaunts the 11-inch WQXGA (2560x1600p) LTPS TFT LCD display, pixel density 274 ppi (pixels per inch), offers up to 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+. The bezel is thin and uniform around the edge and the device has an 83.6% screen-to-body ratio.
It is just so delightful to watch high-resolution 8K content (very few but worthy) movies and play games on it and add to that, the AKG-tuned quad speakers with Dolby Atmos system, two on each side in the landscape mode, outputs superior audio, further enhancing the entertainment quotient.
Also, it is a fine device to hand out to the children at home for online classes and the high-quality display assures, there is less strain on the eyes.
Performance
Samsung's new tablet is powered by 7nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus octa-core chipset (3.09 GHz Kryo 585 x 1 + 2.42 GHz Kryo 585 x 3 + 1.8 GHz Kryo 585 x 4) with Adreno 650 graphics engine. Our review unit came with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD card).
With such a power-packed configuration, the Galaxy Tab S7 did not disappoint me in functionality be it app loading, working on S Pen, operating the camera, playing games. Whatever I tried on it, the device performed buttery smooth.
It runs Android 10-based One UI 2.5 and comes pre-loaded with the versatile Samsung Notes app. It has actually got better with new features. It now allows PDF import and annotation, as well as the ability to write, type, and draw in the same area. Samsung Notes also comes with the innovative Audio Bookmark, which allows the user to record lectures or meetings while the user writes, and then sync the two together.
Furthermore, with multi-window features, users can open and run up to three apps simultaneously. For example, the user can make video calls, monitor email, and take notes all at once.
Have to say, the DeX mode and Microsoft apps made me more comfortable working on Galaxy Tab S7 compared to the iPadOS-powered Apple iPad Pro. That probably has to do with the familiarity of working on Windows PC both on the office and home front. But have to say, the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 Plus, despite the super clock speed and all, it is yet to achieve the A12Z Bionic-like powerful computational capabilities of the 2020 iPad Pro (starts at Rs 71,900).
That being said, the Galaxy Tab S7 is worth every penny of its asking price. Also, it is a great compact tablet to read e-books and shop on e-commerce applications.
Furthermore, the Galaxy Tab S7 comes with several benefits including 22.5% off on Microsoft 365 suite of apps and also Xbox Game Pass, giving to exclusive access to hundreds of gaming titles.
As far as the security is concerned, the Galaxy Tab S7 comes with side-mounted fingerprint sensor and it works like a charm. It responds faster to the finger impressions and even the face authentication feature also does a fine job.
The Galaxy Tab S7 houses a big 8,000mAh cell and takes long to the get fully charged from zero to 100%, but it delivers a full day of battery life. It can offer up to 15 hours of video playback.
Camera:
It has one of the best camera hardware for an Android tablet in the market. The Galaxy Tab S7 houses dual camera module-- a maoin 13MP (with f/2.0 aperture, 26mm (wide), 1/3.4-inch lens, 1.0µm pixel size, Auto Focus) + 5MP (with f/2.2, 12mm ultra-wide, 1.12µm pixel size) and a LED Flash on the back. It supports 4K video recording at 30 frames per second (fps).
To be honest, It is a bit too much to indulge on such high-grade camera hardware, as most of us won't run around places to take photos or capture videos with a big tablet. But, happy to note that it takes beautiful snaps of the documents and with the help of the Microsoft Lens app, the former can be converted to a PDF or annotate them in Word and OneNote or any compatible format for that matter.
On the front, it features an 8MP (with f/2.0 aperture, 26mm (wide), 1/4-inch lens, 1.12µm pixel size) front camera, it takes full video at 30 fps and comes handy for video conferencing and video chats with good Wi-Fi signal.
Samsung smart keyboard
The official smart keyboard is one of the best I have used for a tablet. The button press is very tactile and has 26% bigger keycaps with an 11mm key pitch. Even the trackpad is wide, very responsive to the movement, and also press feel too, are similar to the laptop.
However, the magnet's pull power to dock itself to the three-pin connector of the Tab S7 is one notch less compared to the iPad Pro. But, it still held on to the tablet quite well while using it on my lap. Also, the design of the upper panel to covers the backside of the tablet is also good. It folds at the base to offer a laptop-like stand view on a table. Furthermore, it has an S-Pen bump on top to house the stylus attached horizontally just below the camera module.
As far as the user-experience is concerned, it took a day for my fingers to get used to the compact keyboard design compared to the larger variant used my office desktop PC. The next day, the finger muscle memory kicked in, and was able to type the words smoothly. Though I did falter for some words, over the days I got a good hang off the keyboard layout.
Final thoughts (DH ratings: 4.5/5)
For a long time, there has been a dearth for better Apple iPad alternatives in the market. In recent years, Microsoft has been able to come close to it as the Surface tablets run a familiar PC-like Windows interface and this clicked with so many people in North America and Europe. However, in the Android ecosystem, Samsung has been trying its best with the Qualcomm chipsets, but couldn't until now.
Samsung has finally found a secret formula to find traction for the latest Galaxy Tab S7 series among all age groups. It has a boatload of productivity tools including its own well-refined Samsung Notes app, versatile S Pen, Windows app integration, discount on Microsoft 365 subscription, wireless DeX support, and for the fun part, it comes with exclusive access to top gaming titles via Xbox game pass.
Additionally, it is guaranteed to get three year Android OS support with quarterly security patches. Even after the obligatory three years of OS service, several apps will continue to support Galaxy Tab S7 for several more years.
With such features and Microsoft & Xbox collaboration, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is a compelling device to invest and it will serve you well for at least four or five years given you take good care of the device. It is a good companion to work, do school projects, edit videos, shop, enjoy watching movies, and playing games.
Pros:
Best display on a device period.
Versatile S Pen
Impressive AKG-tuned quad speakers
Powerful configuration
Day-long battery
Cons:
A bit expensive for the India market, but as mentioned above you should see this as a long-term investment rather than a yearly replaceable device
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