Buzz
This year, Samsung has made quite a substantial reform to its flagship tablet line. Unlike last year when they introduced the Galaxy Tab S6 and the compact version, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, Samsung has decided to give their tablet line a similar naming convention to their smartphones, with the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. Among them, the Galaxy Tab S7 corresponds to the 'Lite' version, while the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is the top-of-the-line model, a strong contender for the title of the best Android tablet of 2020.
So, how good is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus really? Is it priced appropriately? And is it the perfect work and entertainment tool for everyone? You'll find the answers in this review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus by Mytour.
Review of the Design of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
Sleek. That's really all you need to know about the design of the Galaxy Tab S7+. It exudes a premium feel as expected from a top-tier tablet thanks to its all-metal construction. I particularly love the metal back finished with raised edges, creating a stunningly attractive allure.
Don't forget, this is the largest tablet that Samsung has ever produced for its flagship product line. The actual size of the device has significantly increased to accommodate the dominant 12.4-inch display on the front. It's larger and wider than the Galaxy Tab S6 but at 5.7mm thick, it's impressively thin like its predecessor. It weighs 575g. For comparison, it's both thinner and lighter than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
The screen bezels are just thin enough to make the displayed content stand out without causing inconvenience to those accustomed to larger screens. Operating this tablet with one hand is completely effortless, with no discomfort whatsoever. The build quality is superb, very sleek, solid, and the Mystic Silver and Bronze color options are stunning. I believe this is one of the most beautiful tablets Samsung has ever produced.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus comes with an S Pen that can be attached to the groove on the back, the magnetic force is strong enough to keep it stable in place. The protruding bump now extends to accommodate the dual cameras adjusted vertically. This means that when placed on a table, this tablet won't lay completely flat, but that's not a big deal.
Additionally, there's one detail that many people may not like, which is Samsung's removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, forcing us to consider using Bluetooth headphones if we want to listen to music or watch movies from it.
Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Display and Sound
The 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2800 × 1752 pixels is truly exceptional. It's hard to find fault with Samsung's OLED panel because they're just that good. The familiar 16:10 aspect ratio is maintained, delivering an excellent visual experience. Colors are vivid and vibrant with deep, rich blacks, and excellent viewing angles. The screen brightness is quite high, but Samsung has also reduced the intensity of blue light to a minimum to protect users' eyes. The in-display fingerprint sensor works very well.
The 12.4-inch size is perfect for watching your favorite movies and also for getting work done. However, that's not all. Samsung has increased the refresh rate to 120Hz, making every interaction with the screen incredibly smooth and fast. If you've been using this screen for a while and then go back to a 60Hz screen, you'll definitely feel extremely uncomfortable, just like I did.
Above and below the device (held horizontally) are the four familiar AKG speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Each speaker has a power of 1.6W, delivering overall better sound performance than last year's Galaxy Tab S6. Objectively speaking, the sound of the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is very impressive, with powerful bass, clear midrange, crisp highs, and sufficient volume.
Performance of the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus uses the improved Snapdragon 865+ chipset from Qualcomm. Its base configuration has 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal memory, and the higher version has 8GB of RAM, 256GB of internal memory. Regardless of the version, the Tab S7 Plus demonstrates extremely powerful processing performance.
Its chipset can handle any task. It doesn't struggle with resource-intensive games, switches between apps quickly, multitasks, or opens multiple windows in DeX mode effortlessly. Personally, I find the interface operation of the device to be very smooth, lightning-fast, coupled with the 120Hz refresh rate making it extremely fluid. Additionally, the Adreno 650 graphics chip supports gaming very well, allowing you to play current games at the highest graphics settings without lagging or stuttering.
Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Camera
Very few tablet users use the camera, but Samsung still equips its latest product with dual cameras on the back. The main sensor has a resolution of 13MP and a 5MP sensor for wide-angle shots. When using this camera, you'll get fairly detailed photos and overall decent color reproduction. Ultra-wide photos are not as sharp as expected and low-light performance is slightly lacking, but still acceptable. Additionally, Samsung provides various shooting modes so you can customize your images, but there's no professional video mode.
The selfie camera has an 8MP resolution and is placed on the top right edge opposite to the rear camera. Its position when in landscape mode is right in the middle of the screen, very convenient for video calls. This camera delivers decent photo quality and fairly natural-looking video quality, with a beautiful angle.
Software of the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
The Tab S7 Plus runs on Android 10 with Samsung's latest One UI 2.5 interface. Many new features that can be found on the device include Quick Share and Music Share. Samsung also introduces new software features that allow you to make the most of the device's screen.
Firstly, the Samsung Notes app has been revamped to improve efficiency. You can easily import and annotate PDFs, record while still being able to write and take notes, along with the ability to sync with smartphones and laptops. A more effective folder management feature similar to PC is also introduced to help you easily search for information files.
The Multi-Active Windows feature first appeared on the Galaxy Fold last year and is now integrated into the Galaxy Tab S7+, allowing you to combine up to 3 apps and run them simultaneously. So you can video call, check emails, and take notes all at the same time, making it a perfect application for work.
Galaxy Tab S7 Plus S Pen
The S Pen of the Tab S7 Plus has been significantly improved to deliver a premium experience. I like the new design because it makes the S Pen more comfortable to use for extended periods. The latency has also been reduced, combined with the 120Hz screen refresh rate, you almost never want to put the pen down. Every stroke or written character feels smoother. Additionally, you can perform some actions without touching the screen, such as Home, Recent, Back, Smart Select, and Screen Write.
Overall, Samsung has done an excellent job in improving the S Pen. With 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, your drawings and notes feel just like using a real pen on real paper. There's also a function button on the pen body for you to quickly change pen tips or switch to an eraser. Press once to change pen tip or color and press twice to switch to eraser mode. For designers, I believe this pen will enhance your creative productivity.
Galaxy Tab S7 Plus DeX Experience
Samsung's DeX platform has undergone quite a long testing period. Essentially, this feature allows users to use the tablet as a desktop computer, but in reality, it only brings certain advantages when working, there's still a lot to improve before it becomes a complete platform.
First, let's talk about the advantages. Samsung DeX has been improved with a smoother interface, a redesigned taskbar, and more detailed settings for screen magnification and font size. If you use it with the optional Book Cover Keyboard (sold separately) with multi-touchpad support and add a Bluetooth mouse, this platform will provide excellent efficiency.
However, some users still report that Samsung DeX has many inconveniences. For example, text selection doesn't work with the touchpad of the Cover Book Keyboard, the window interface is still rudimentary, some apps won't open, or when working, the device shuts down and tasks are lost. Overall, these complaints all have their reasons, and hopefully, in future generations, Samsung will refine DeX to better support work.
Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Battery
Samsung's new tablet comes with a massive 10,090mAh battery supporting super-fast 45W charging. The device will have about 10 hours of usage after one charge. Although the 120Hz display consumes more energy, the Snapdragon chip is quite power-efficient, so it doesn't significantly affect battery life.
Should You Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus?
With a price tag of $1,061 (about 25 million VND) for the Wi-Fi version and $1,297 (about 30 million VND) for the 5G version, the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is a choice you need to consider carefully. Although it indeed has many advantages from appearance to hardware configuration, at that price point, you could consider Ultrabook models. Not to mention, to fully utilize its advantages, you still need to purchase the Cover Book Keyboard for $229 (about 5.2 million VND), which is too much for a tablet. On the other hand, the predecessor Galaxy Tab S6 is still not outdated, it's still a good choice this year and the price is only about 15 million VND, even with accessories it's only about 20 million VND.
In conclusion, personally, I rate the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus this year as one of the best tablet choices in 2020. However, depending on economic conditions and usage purposes, this tablet may or may not be suitable for you, the choice is still yours.
