The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is the best Android productivity tablet currently available. It’s not just the first phone to enable 5G connectivity, but it’s also a performance beast capable of multitasking. Though its $849 starting price—which excludes 5G capability, a carrier subscription, and the Book Cover Keyboard Case—seems high, it’s one of the few feasible laptop alternatives on the market, especially if you commute or travel frequently and don’t want to utilize a hotspot. It’s the greatest Android tablet you can purchase right now, with outstanding features, incredible performance, and all-day battery life, and it wins our Editors’ Choice award.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
High-quality construction
Beautiful Display: Super AMOLED
5G connectivity option with textured S Pen tip makes writing on screen feel natural
CONS
The S Pen is readily detached.
Optional Book Cover Keyboard Case seems flimsy Android app integration still lags behind iPadOS
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S7+ SPECS
| Operating System | Android 10 |
| Dimensions | 11.3 by 7.3 by 0.2 inches |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs |
| Screen Size | 12.4 inches |
| Screen Resolution | 2,800 by 1,752 pixels |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ |
| Storage Capacity | 128 GB |
| Battery Life | Not Tested |
A Lovely, Stylus-Friendly Display
Little distinguishes the Galaxy Tab S7+ from other high-end slates like the iPad Pro in terms of design. The Galaxy Tab S7chassis +’s and back are made of aluminum and are available in black, silver, or bronze. Without the optional Book Cover Keyboard Case, it measures 11.25 by 7.3 by 0.2 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.3 pounds. Although it appears to be hefty, the weight is evenly distributed, making it comfortable to handle for long periods of time. The upper left corner has a thin camera stack and a magnetic attachment for the S Pen. A word of caution: the S Pen connector isn’t as well positioned or as powerful as the one on the iPad Pro, making it easier to misplace.
A 12.4-inch, 2,800-by-1,752-pixel Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate dominates the front. With bright hues and inky, deep blacks, color fidelity is perfect. The screen is bright enough to utilize without difficulty in direct sunlight.
A Marathon Battery and Top-Notch Hardware
The Tab S7+ is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor. Samsung sells the tablet in storage/RAM options of 128GB/6GB, 256GB/8GB, and 512GB/8GB. The 256GB/8GB version is the one we tested. With a microSD card, all three allow up to 1TB of additional external storage.
The Tab S7+, as expected, can handle almost every task you throw at it. It didn’t even flinch when we tested it with over a dozen apps and three dozen Chrome windows open.
The tablet’s powerful Snapdragon 865 CPU, along with its 120Hz display, creates an immersive and flawless gaming experience. We used the tablet to play Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG Mobile and experienced no issues. Load times are lightning fast, and the 120Hz display eliminates lag and missing frames.
Our experience was reinforced by benchmarks. The Tab S7+ scored 994 single-core (SC) and 3,814 multi-core (MC) on Geekbench 5, a set of tests that measure raw computational capability. That’s by far the best score for an Android tablet marketed in the United States, but it still trails the iPad Pro’s 1,113 (SC) and 3,277 (MC) scores on the same tests.
The Tab S7+ has a 10,090mAh battery (far larger than the Tab S7’s 8,000mAh battery), which can easily get you through the workday with some battery life left over. The Tab S7+ lasted 7 hours and 21 minutes in our battery test, which involved streaming HD video over Wi-Fi at full brightness. That’s approximately the same as the iPad Pro (7 hours, 48 minutes), and you should easily be able to go a full day between charges with more careful use.
With an extra power adaptor, 45W fast charging is possible. If you opt to use the 15W adapter that comes with the device, plan on charging it overnight.
Video Calls using a Selfie Camera
The Tab S7rear +’s camera module consists of a 13MP primary lens with an f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP ultra-wide lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The tablet’s front camera is an 8MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.
The two camera stack performs effectively in good light. The 13MP lens produces outstanding images with superb depth of field and color accuracy. The ultra-wide lens is nearly as good, albeit there is a slight loss of fine detail.
The rear cameras perform admirably in dim light. Although our low-light test images showed significant edge grain and lens flares, they were nonetheless acceptable for a tablet. However, we suspect that many people would use the tablet to take impromptu shots because most flagship phones perform better and are quicker to whip out at the dinner table.
No matter what time of day it is, the 8MP selfie camera is ideal for video calls. It also takes decent selfies, though several of our low-light test images were flat and had some noise around the borders.
Audio Immersion
Samsung offers both 5G and Wi-Fi variants of the Tab S7. Wi-Fi 6 is included in the base model. The 5G variant is compatible with all US carriers and enables sub-6GHz and mmWave communication, albeit monthly service is required. On a gigabit Wi-Fi network, the Tab S7+ performed admirably, with average speeds of 631.4Mbps down and 38.8Mbps up.
The Tab S7four +’s AKG-tuned speakers are among the greatest we’ve ever heard on a tablet. Audio is loud enough for conference calls and really sounds decent for watching videos, with a maximum volume of 96dB. The Galaxy Buds Live or your favorite Bluetooth headphones can connect over Bluetooth 5.0 for cordless audio.
S Pen Is Fantastic
Unlike Apple’s $129 Pencil, Samsung’s S Pen comes standard with the Tab S7+. Simply put, the S Pen is amazing. It comes with the Galaxy Tab S7+ and charges wirelessly when connected to the back.
It’s actually enjoyable to write using the S Pen. When using the stylus, there was no lag, and latency has been reduced from 26ms on the Tab S6 Lite to 9ms. The S Pen’s tip is substantially thinner than the Pencil on the iPad Pro, and it has a slight drag to make drawing on the screen feel more natural.
Samsung’s Air Actions, a series of S Pen-based shortcuts previously introduced on the Galaxy Note 9, makes its big-screen debut on the Tab S7+. You can utilize Air Actions to take selfies, swipe through pages without touching the screen, and create custom shortcuts using the S Pen. There is a learning curve if you’re new to Air Actions, but once you get the feel of it, it’s really useful.
A Flimsy and Expensive Keyboard
It’s hit-or-miss with the optional Book Cover Keyboard Case ($229.99). The real keyboard has a good amount of travel and provides pleasing tactile feedback. The trackpad is responsive, and motions function flawlessly. The cover converts to a stand with a wide range of motion and a magnetic pocket for the S Pen.
What is there not to enjoy about this case? For starters, using it in your lap is practically impossible. The stand is designed to sit on a flat surface. The keyboard has a lot of flex, even if you manage to locate a comfortable location for it on your lap. Moreover, the Book Cover Keyboard Case appears to be low-cost. From afar, the case appears to be leather, but up close, it unmistakably looks and feels like low-grade vinyl. Anyone purchasing a high-end tablet such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ will want a cover that reflects the same level of craftsmanship and design. The Book Cover Keyboard Case does not have this feature.
One User Interface Won’t Save Android
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Pro comes preloaded with Android 10 and the most recent version of Samsung One UI. We’ve had mixed feelings about One UI in the past, but Samsung has made some significant tweaks that make it much more appealing. Apple customers are out of luck with the latest version, which now supports live synchronization between Samsung devices and PCs.
Samsung’s productivity apps have also received a makeover. With the S Pen, you can now easily annotate PDFs in Samsung Notes. It’s quite simple to use a tool that allows you to sync voice recordings with written notes. You can also sync your notes with Microsoft Outlook and OneNote, but you can simply download Microsoft 365 to your S7+ and avoid the syncing process entirely.
If you prefer to keep papers directly on your tablet, the folder and file structure has been greatly improved, making it easier to find documents. Syncing your papers using Microsoft OneDrive is also an option.
On the Tab S7+, the single UI also helps multitasking. Three windows can now be open at the same time. App groups are now supported in Multi-Active Window, a persistent tab on the side of the screen that allows you to create quick shortcuts to access your three most-used apps at the same time.
Samsung has made significant enhancements to DeX (desktop-mimicking) mode during the last year. It’s more user-friendly than previous generations, with multi-touch gestures and the ability to connect wirelessly to compatible televisions and monitors. We wouldn’t claim it can completely replace your desktop, but it’s a great option for simple chores.
To be honest, Samsung’s One UI fixes a lot of the issues that plague Android tablets, but you’re still running Android apps at the end of the day. That means there are few options, particularly for individuals in creative areas, and some apps are simply not up to par. If the iPad Pro isn’t for you, there are plenty of Windows 2-in-1 computers that can run full versions of Adobe Creative Cloud and similar software.
There’s also the matter of upgrades to consider. Samsung has stated that it will upgrade its new devices “for three generations,” yet this is an unclear statement that does not provide a schedule for updates. The majority of Android manufacturers have been slow to release OS updates, and we doubt the Tab S7+ will be an exception. Though Samsung is currently upgrading some of its devices, the Tab S7+ isn’t expected to get Android 11 until 2021.
| Tab S7+ | Tab S7+ Wi-Fi | Tab S6 Lite | Tab A7 | |
| S-Pen included | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Display Size | 11.0″ | 12.4″ | 10.4″ | 10.4″ |
| Display Resolution | 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) TFT | 2800 x 1752 (WQXGA+) | 2000 x 1200 (WUXGA+) | 2000 x 1200 (WUXGA+) |
| Audio | Quad + AKG + Dolby Atmos | Quad + AKG + Dolby Atmos | Dual + AKG + Dolby Atmos | Quad + Dolby Atmos |
| Weight | 1.1 lb. | 1.28lb | 1.02 lbs. | 1.05lbs. |
| Processor | Octa Core (3.09+2.4+1.8GHz) | Octa Core (3.09+2.4+1.8GHz) | Octa Core(4×2.3GHz + 4×1.7GHz) | Exynos 9611 |
| Internal Memory | 6/8GB(RAM) + 128/256/512GB | 6/8GB(RAM) + 128/256/512GB | 4GB(RAM) + 64/128GB | 3GB(RAM) + 32/64GB |
| External Memory | microSD up to 1TB | microSD up to 1TB | microSD up to 1TB | microSD up to 1TB |
| Keyboard Supported | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
The Finest iPad Pro Alternative
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is the best Android productivity tablet currently available. It’s not just the first phone to enable 5G connectivity, but it’s also a performance beast capable of multitasking. The S Pen is a joy to use, and the Samsung One UI seems like it contributes to the whole experience.
The OS is what prevents the Tab S7+ from reaching its full potential. No matter how many adjustments Samsung makes to One UI, it’ll always run on Android and won’t provide the same seamless experience as the iPad Pro. While the extra Book Cover Keyboard Case looks great on a desk, its high price and poor build quality are a letdown.
Despite these flaws, we still believe the Tab S7+ is a fantastic piece of hardware. Once you’re able to travel again, you’ll find it to be the best Android tablet for working on the go and having a laptop-like experience with a great stylus. It is, without a doubt, an Editors’ Choice.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
High-quality construction
Beautiful Display: Super AMOLED
5G connectivity option with textured S Pen tip makes writing on screen feel natural
CONS
The S Pen is readily detached.
Optional Book Cover Keyboard Case seems flimsy Android app integration still lags behind iPadOS
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