Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Line: A Good Tablet for Musicians?

I’m so excited to share an overview of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 line today! This post has been in the works for weeks, as I researched these tablets that I don’t own.

If you’re opposed to using an iPad but would still like to convert to a tablet for digital sheet music reading, this line could be a great option for you!

Keep reading for spec charts and my thoughts.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Models

There are three models in this line: the basic Tab S8, the moderate Tab S8 Plus, and the giant Tab S8 Ultra.

All three options are built similarly–the main differences between the models are size, memory, and storage space.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Specs

Let’s compare the specs of all three models:

	Galaxy Tab S8	Galaxy Tab S8+	Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Price	From $699.99	From $899.99	From $1099.99
Screen Size	11 inches	12.4 inches	14.6 inches
Storage Options	128 GB or 256 GB	128 GB or 256 GB	128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB
Port Type	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
S Pen Compatibility	Yes (ships with it)	Yes (ships with it)	Yes (ships with it)
Rear Camera(s)	13MP and 6MP Ultra Wide	13MP and 6MP Ultra Wide	13MP and 6MP Ultra Wide
Front Camera(s)	12MP Ultra Wide	12MP Ultra Wide	12MP and 12MP Ultra Wide
Headphone Jack	No	No	No
Connectivity	Wifi	Wifi or Wifi & Cellular	Wifi

How does Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Compare to the iPad?

There are quite a few similarities between the two tablets, and I think Samsung’s new line is really pushing Android tablets to race to the advanced point iPads have risen to.

	iPad Pro (4th Generation – 2020)	Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, S8 Plus, and S8 Ultra (2022)
Screen Size	12.9 or 11 inches (I own the 12.9in)	11, 12.4, or 14.6 inches
Storage	128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB	128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB
Port Type	USB-C	USB-C
Pencil Compatibility	Apple Pencil 2 / any brand Bluetooth Pen	S Pen / any brand Bluetooth Pen
Rear Camera(s)	12MP Wide, 10MP Ultra Wide	13MP and 6MP Wide
Front Camera	7MP	12MP Ultra Wide
Headphone Jack	No	No
How to Unlock	Face ID, Passcode	Fingerprint and Face unlock

Want to learn more about using an iPad as a sheet music reader? Check out all my posts about tablets for musicians here!

Screen Size

The screen size of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is 11 inches, the same as the smallest model of the iPad Pro.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus has a screen size of 12.4 inches, almost as large as the biggest iPad Pro (12.9 inches).

And finally, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra‘s screen size is a whopping 14.6 inches, larger than any iPad that’s been released.

Aspect Ratio

Apple and Samsung’s tablets have very different screen aspect ratios. The iPad has a 4:3 ratio, similar to a piece of paper. Samsung’s options have a 16:10 ratio, which is great for watching movies, but much taller and skinnier than a piece of paper.

If you’re new to adjusting from paper sheet music to digital sheet music, going straight to the Samsung tablet could be a bit difficult, because scans of music might not fit the aspect ratio in the most efficient way.

Screen Brightness

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 models don’t get nearly as bright as iPads. While users have said that the brightness is fine indoors, you may have trouble using this tablet if you perform a lot of outdoor gigs.

Tablet Construction

Both Samsung and Apple’s tablets are very similar in that they have flat edges with four speakers, a USB-C port for charging, rounded screen edges, and no headphone jack.

They look fairly similar, except the Samsung option is much longer and more narrow than the iPad.

Front Facing Camera

Both the iPad and all models of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 have a front facing camera, but they’re not all located in the same spot.

The iPad’s front camera is located on the top, centered, in portrait mode.

Samsung’s front camera is located on the top, centered, in landscape mode. This is great if you make a lot of video calls in landscape mode.

However, Samsung added a small notch where the camera is on the tablet. It’s pretty small, but will likely be noticeable if you’re reading sheet music with a bright white background.

Video Tracking

Both brands of tablets have video tracking, or as it’s called on iOS, “Center Stage.” When you’re on a video call, the front camera tracks your face to keep it centered on the screen. It can zoom in or out and move around depending on where you go. This feature is great if you’re walking around or cooking while on a call, but it’s a little glitchy when my students use it while playing violin.

The S Pen

For musicians, it’s very important to have a bluetooth pen with palm rejection and low latency to enhance your sheet music reading experience.

Personally, I’m always writing in my sheet music, and before I bought my iPad Pro, I struggled using an average stylus on my iPad Air 2. Having palm rejection and a piece of tech that integrates with the tablet itself is soooo nice.

From what I’ve heard, the writing experience with the S Pen provides more friction than the Apple Pencil does. If you struggle writing with the Apple Pencil, you may have a better time with Samsung’s option.

One of the great things about the S Pen is that it comes free with any Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 model! (For reference, the Apple Pencil costs $129.)

Expandable Storage

One of the best features of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 line is the fact that they have expandable storage!

Each tablet has a micro SD slot, where you can add up to 1 TB of storage to the tablet. This would be super helpful if you have a ton of sheet music or store videos on the tablet. You can easily and quickly add more room!

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Do you have any other questions about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and how it could work for musicians? I really enjoyed researching it!