The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus are finally here, announced at Samsung Unpacked, with some pretty cool tricks to make iPad Pro owners jealous. And that starts with a biometric security feature that will also make iPhone owners demand that Apple match them this fall.
But even outside of just fighting off Apple’s tablets, the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus look slick and offer a lot of reason to upgrade today, that will make them top contenders for not just our best Android tablets list, but our list of the best tablets overall as well.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus release date and price
Announced today (Aug 5) at Samsung’s Unpacked 2020 event, the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus will be available on August 21. The Tab S7 starts at $649, while the Tab S7 Plus starts at $849.
For cellular connectivity, you’re going to be spending at least $100 more. The LTE Galaxy Tab S7 costs $749, while the 5GB Tab S7 costs $849.
The Tab S7 Plus also jumps by $100 at each tier, with the LTE Tab S7 Plus going for $949, while the 5G Tab S7 Plus costs $1,049.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus specs and performance
| Galaxy Tab S7 | Galaxy Tab S7 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 11-inch 2560 x 1600-pixel TFT panel (up to 120Hz) | 12.4-inch 2800 x 1752-pixel Super AMOLED panel (up to 120Hz) |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB | 128GB/256GB |
| Memory | 6GB/8GB | 6GB/8GB |
| Cameras | Rear: 13MP & 5MP (Ultra Wide). Front 8MP | Rear: 13MP & 5MP (Ultra Wide). Front 8MP |
| Security | Facial recognition, fingerprint reader on side key | Facial recognition, fingerprint reader on display |
| Connectivity | 5G (optional), LTE (optional), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 5G (optional), LTE (optional), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | 8,000 mAh | 10,090 mAh |
| Size | 10 x 6.5 x 0.2 inches | 11.2 x 7.3 x 0.2 inches |
| Weight | 1.1 pounds | 1.3 pounds |
The Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus have similar internals, so you’re not sacrificing performance with your choice for a big slate or a smaller screen. Both run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus, which is expected to be 10% faster than the regular 865 chip. We look forward to seeing how it stacks up against the iPad Pro (2020)’s A12X chip, currently the fastest processor in a tablet, where it should be putting up a decent fight.
But that’s not the biggest performance difference in the Tab S7, as this tablet is the first to market with 5G connectivity. Or at least it will be when Samsung rolls out the 5G models, which it hasn’t announced pricing for yet. If you want that, spend the weeks while you wait to talk with your cellular service provider to see what your plan covers.
Different Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus models will have different amounts of memory and storage, but they start with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus design
The Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus look like Samsung took the iPad Pro and shaved its bezels and frame down even further, to make an all-screen tablet — which is exactly what we want. On the back, you’ve got a spot for the included S-Pen to magnetically dock and a small camera bump, which we’ll get to later.
Both tablets are available in Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze and Mystic Silver — the color tones that Samsung’s debuting with these tablets and the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra — and use a “textured haze effect” to reduce fingerprints and smudges. The bronze hue is the one that catches my eye, looking like a less played-out rose gold.
When you convert everything to inches, the 0.2 inch thick Galaxy Tab S7 Plus sounds similar to the 0.2 inch thick 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but looking a little closer in millimeters, you see that Samsung’s out-thinned Apple, with the S7 Plus measuring 5.7mm thick to the larger iPad Pro’s 5.9mm.
The 1.1-pound Tab S7 is a little heavier than the 11-inch iPad Pro (1 pound), while the 1.3 pound Tab S7 Plus is a little lighter than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1.4 pounds), though Apple’s tablet is a bit bigger.
In terms of ports, Samsung’s still not giving the Tab S7 a headphone jack (I wish they’d stop drinking from Apple’s fountain of courage). You’ll rely on Bluetooth audio for listening, its SD memory port to expand memory and its USB-C with DisplayPort out for charging and expanding your screen.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus display
This is where it pays to go big (we’re all going home regardless). The Tab S7 Plus features the larger of the two screens, boasting a 12.4-inch, 2800 x 1752-pixel Super AMOLED screen with refresh rates of up to 120Hz.
We haven’t gotten to measure these tablets yet, but it’s safe to say the Tab S7 Plus’ screen will be brighter and more vibrant than the Tab S7’s 11-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel panel, which isn’t AMOLED, though it also offers refresh rates as fast as 120Hz. As someone who uses and loves the iPad Pro, I can tell you that the buttery smooth scrolling that its 120Hz panel provides is a delight that Apple needs to bring to the iPhone 12, and something that all iPad Pro competitors need.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus cameras
We’ve got good news and bad news for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus’ cameras. The positive change is that the front-facing 8MP camera sits in the middle of the long side of the bezels, which makes it perfect for a Zoom call.
The downside is that the Tab S7’s rear cameras have a small bump on the back (though it doesn’t look as pronounced as the iPad Pro’s).
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus security
While both the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus have fingerprint recognition, the S7 Plus performs the latter in a much cooler way: under the screen. This isn’t the first device we’ve seen that can check your prints with its screen, but it’s the first tablet with this trick. The Galaxy Tab S7 uses a fingerprint sensor embedded in a button on the side.
The Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus also offer facial recognition, using the cameras in the bezels. Meanwhile no iPad has both a fingerprint reader and facial recognition — in Apple’s world, you either get one or the other.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus software
Since note-taking is such a huge part of the tablets and Galaxy Note phones, I’m surprised it took Samsung so long to make its Samsung Notes app sync across its phones, tablets and even its PC app. There’s also an ability to record audio and embed it within a notes file, so you can hear what was being said while you took specific notes. Samsung Notes also offers to convert handwriting into more legible penmanship.
Samsung’s work with Microsoft has provided the opportunity for increased integration and optimization with Office applications in Android and DeX mode, so Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint should work pretty well. And that’s a very important facet if the productivity-focused DeX mode is supposed to succeed. True, Google apps sing on Android, but GDocs isn’t the preferred word processor for all.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus S-Pen and Book Cover Keyboard
While Samsung includes its S-Pen for free, it’s charging $199 (Tab S7) and ($229) the Book Cover Keyboards, and $69 (Tab S7) and $79 (Tab S7 Plus) for the Book Cover cases. Both protect the docked S-Pen from falling off.
The S-Pen looks a lot more like a pen than its predecessor, thanks to its mostly-rounded shape with only one flat side (the Tab S6’s S-Pen was flat on both sides). Samsung’s also improved latency for its stylus, getting down to 9ms (tied with the Apple Pencil’s 9ms mark).
As for the Book Cover Keyboard, it’s pretty cool that it automatically converts your Android 10 experience to DeX mode when you dock — which feels like how the Microsoft Surface Go 2 will convert to and from tablet mode when you detach its keyboard. Its touchpad also offers gestures, and there’s a full row of function keys. We can’t wait to type on it to see how it feels.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus battery life
Samsung isn’t promising all-day battery life, but the 10,090mAh battery in the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus and the 8,000 mAh battery in the Tab S7 should last a while.
By comparison, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a 9,720mAh battery (according to GSM Arena) and that tablet lasted 10 hours and 16 minutes on our web-surfing-based battery test.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, S7 Plus outlook
Samsung’s been trying to make the Galaxy Tab S-series slates a big deal for a while, and the recent Tab S6 Lite was the first true home run for the tablet lineup. If the Galaxy Tab S7 is as great as it looks, then Apple’s finally got company in the first class section of the tablet plane.
And while the Tab S7 looks like it will offer speedy performance and a brilliant display, it’s just as important that it delivers great battery life, too. The Galaxy Tab S6 only lasted 8 hours and 58 minutes on a single charge, and we hope the Galaxy Tab S7 will enter the double-digits club when it comes to how many hours it will last.
