Android tablets are a dime a dozen, but finding one that’s a real iPad rival is like scouring for a diamond in the rough. That’s why Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which was unexpectedly leaked on an official Bixby support page, looks so intriguing.
The apparently accidental leak was initially discovered by 91Mobiles. In the image, Samsung’s latest tablet is seen propped up behind a close-up photo of a Samsung Galaxy smartphone in the foreground. You can tell it’s an unreleased product, because the tablet has a notch. Samsung later swapped the photo for a more current image, but screenshots of the leaked image give us some indication of what to expect from the Galaxy Tab S8.
The image supports previous rumors about the tablet, which will reportedly be named Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The device is expected to have a 14.6-inch OLED display, which makes it bigger than the largest iPad Pro and basically as big as a laptop. The panel will reportedly offer a 120Hz refresh rate and 2960 x 1848 resolution. Fairly standard as far as tablets go. But then there’s the notch: Rumor has it that the Tab S8 Ultra will embrace Apple’s most polarizing design decision, most recently seen in the latest MacBook Pros, in order to add two 12-megapixel cameras for video calls. The secondary lens will be a wide-angle one to make it easier to capture groups.
In terms of specs, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is expected to run on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, along with 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. There’s likely to be S Pen support, as there has been on Samsung’s previous premium tablets, as well as optional 5G and two additional rear cameras.
Perhaps the most exciting rumored Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra feature is a massive 11,200 mAh battery. If the battery life is anything like what I experienced on the Galaxy Tab S7 FE last year, this tablet could very well be a legitimate mobile powerhouse.
Samsung is expected to launch a trio of tablets for every type of user this spring alongside the company’s Galaxy S22 flagship devices. We’re hoping to hear more about the new Galaxy device lineup in February, so stay tuned.
