BREAKING: Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra could be the Android tablet to rule them all

Samsung launches a flagship Android tablet every year. We got the Galaxy Tab S7+ last year. It was accompanied by a more affordable version in the form of the Galaxy Tab S7. Samsung has just added another model to that lineup, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE.

Perhaps this third model of the Galaxy Tab S7 was a sign of things to come. It appears that Samsung will be launching three new high-end Galaxy Tab S8 models this year. One of them might be the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, a tablet so bonkers that you’ll be blown away.

Samsung’s new tablet lineup is going to be off the charts

Details of Samsung’s upcoming tablet lineup have leaked from South Korea. It appears that the company conducted a survey in which it provided some details about the new devices. Samsung may be launching three new models at the same time. The new high-end tablet is codenamed “Basquait.”

Basquait 1 would thus be the entry-level model. It will feature an 11-inch TFT 120Hz display with an 8,000mAh battery and 45W charging. The “fastest next-gen” processor will be onboard along with 8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage. The tablet will be 0.63cm thick with a dual camera setup at the back.

Basquait 2 would basically be the Galaxy Tab S7+’s successor. It’s said to feature a 12.4-inch OLED 120Hz display with a 10,090mAh battery and 45W charging. It’s also going to have the same processor with 8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage. The tablet will weigh 575g and measure 0.57cm thick. An in-display fingerprint sensor will also be present.

Finally, Basquait 3 would be what Samsung might launch as the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. It will feature a truly massive 14.6-inch OLED 120Hz display. This is laptop territory that we’re entering in now. The tablet will measure an impressive 0.55cm thin and weigh 650g. It will have a chunky 12,000mAh battery that also supports 45W charging. The same processor will be paired with 8/12GB RAM and 128/512GB storage respectively.

An S Pen will be included with each model. These new tablets will also feature quad speakers, an 8-megapixel front and a 13/5MP dual camera setup at the back with flash. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will have a dual 8MP and 5MP ultra-wide camera setup at the front.

Samsung will also be shipping a new premium keyboard accessory for these tablets. It will support a variety of different modes for added versatility during use, allowing for a 165-degree field of view.

All three models will have Wi-Fi, LTE and 5G models. Prices for what may be called the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will start at $740, $1,120 and $1,320 respectively based on the conversion from Korean Won.

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Galaxy Tab S7 FE seems like a poor excuse for a Fan Edition device

It’s a little unclear right now when Fan Edition really means for Samsung. The company hasn’t told us exactly who these fans are and how it decides which features these fans love the most when it sets out to make Fan Editions of flagship phones and tablets. It probably does some internal polling that we will never see the data on, and it makes us wonder if there’s really a proper goal Samsung has in mind.

After all, take a look at the Galaxy S20 FE and compare it with the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. The former gives you pretty much every major feature from the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ (you even have to make do with the Exynos 990, but let’s not enter that territory, shall we?). The latter? Well, you get some of the good Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+ features, but a lot of them are missing.

The only true flagship stuff — as in features that you don’t see on Samsung’s mid-range or budget devices — you’re getting are the S Pen, 45W charging, and software features like DeX mode. Actually, scratch the S Pen off the list, because the stylus has been available on plenty of mid-range Galaxy tablets already. As for everything else, there’s nothing really special on offer. Sure, the display is huge and so is the battery capacity, there’s 5G (yay?) and hey, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack as well!

A made-for-fans Galaxy device with an LCD display?

But it’s strange how Samsung has the audacity to call the Galaxy Tab S7 FE a device made for fans without giving you an AMOLED screen, let alone a high refresh rate. Who in their right minds is looking to pay €600+ for a tablet with an LCD display that works at 60Hz when even a sub-$200 Galaxy M series phone has a 90Hz panel? Well, some customers surely wouldn’t mind, but it’s a huge omission from a device that’s supposed to be made for some so-called fans.

Don’t even get us started on the processor choice and the amount of memory you’re getting. The Tab S7 FE has a Snapdragon 750G, the same chip that powers the 5G-capable-but-otherwise-budget Galaxy M42 5G and the Galaxy A52 5G. And… wait for it… the base variant has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for €649! Is the 750G powerful enough to run Dex mode on the tablet? Will 4GB of RAM handle the weight of running three apps at once using the Multi-Active Window feature?

These are questions that will only be answered once we’ve had the chance to test the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, but theoretically, this tablet lacks too much of what made the Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+ so good. Even if it turns out to be a fairly solid tablet, perhaps Samsung should have called it the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite, as there’s a good chance many customers will buy one thinking it’s a flagship killer of sorts like the Galaxy S20 FE and end up being disappointed.

Or perhaps that’s the goal here, to use the Fan Edition branding to lure gullible customers into spending their hard-earned money? We can’t say, but we sure hope Samsung won’t bungle up the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE in a similar way and tarnish the Fan Edition brand before it has even had the chance to take off.

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Galaxy Note 8 gets new update with more than security fixes in tow

Samsung’s software support keeps finding new ways to shine. From pushing future security patches ahead of time to promising three generations of OS updates for many devices, the Korean giant is doing all it can to show customers that it cares about them after they have paid for the hardware. In the latest such move, Samsung has released yet another new update for the Galaxy Note 8, nearly four years after it hit retail shelves.

And this isn’t just a standard security update. Well, at least judging by the firmware version (N950FXXUFDUE4), which suggests the update includes more than just security enhancements, though Samsung doesn’t go into detail in the changelog. But considering how this update comes so long after the Galaxy Note 8 stopped getting big updates, there likely is something important in there. Oh, and you also get the May 2021 security patch.

The update is currently limited to Germany. Since the phone is in Samsung’s quarterly release schedule, it’s hard to say when other countries will join the party. It could be today, it could be next week, or it could be in a couple of months – it all depends on when your Note 8 last received an update. Speaking of last updates, Samsung is likely to remove the Note 8 from the quarterly schedule before the end of the year, seeing as how that recently became the Galaxy S8’s fate.

As usual, you can check if the latest update is available for your phone by opening its Settings app, selecting Software update, and tapping the download option. You can also go the alternative route and download the new firmware for your device model and country from our firmware archive and install it using a Windows PC.

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‘Hey, Google, turn off Android purism and order Galaxy S21… erm, Pixel 6’

If you haven’t been keeping up with the news lately, you might have missed this week’s terse, but credible report about how Samsung scored a deal to supply even more Pixel 6 parts. That would be in reference to the Pixel 6 Pro – supposedly the next Android flagship Google has in the works for… gee, this is hard. People who happen to adore every third smartphone by Google? Low-demand users who’d be content with any device not outright malicious toward them?

It’s difficult to say, but just watching self-proclaimed Pixel aficionados react to the original report of Samsung doing the Pixel brains this year is plenty of fun. Especially in light of the aforementioned report which suggested an Exynos-powered Pixel phone is as good as done. Well, half-done, at least. It is Google we’re talking about here, I’m pretty sure they have a whole department in charge of killing any and all products whose development cycles haven’t been outright schizophrenic for longer than six months.

Who needs stability when those defense contracts keep coming? This way, you get the monies and don’t have to sweat over your social media calendar for 2022. Just check what Samsung did five years ago, then do that in vanilla Android.

Even Samsung would likely prefer a capable rival-client over a measly supply deal

And so, the self-fulfilling prophecy of Google being bad at hardware will most likely continue this year. For its 2021 edition, I’m going to wager a guess that it’s somehow going to be Samsung’s fault, at least according to some of the loudest, most hardcore tech enthusiast communities on the Internet. Those whose opinions happen to echo the loudest, thus appearing way more prevalent than they are.

Since the Nexus days, Google has tried mid-rangers, flagships, then something in between, both, and neither. Not necessarily in that order, but it’s difficult to keep track of this specific flavor of bland and gimmicky. From the squeezable edges of the Pixel 2 which were cute but useless to the full-blown snake oil salesman mode that was required for someone at Google to greenlight the Soli radar-whatever, the Bixby button seems like a Nobel-worthy contribution to science in comparison.

Maybe if any of those previous devices had a feature list more consistent than what you’d get from throwing darts at an Icelandic horoscope and spelling the results into Google Translate set to full auto, there would still be people looking forward to another Pixel phone or two being in the works. Looking forward in a “probably-buying-it-day-one” kind of way.

Samsung, for one, would certainly love a slightly stronger Pixel series; largely on account of the fact that Google’s brand is distinct no matter what. To the point that it could definitely generate some sales that would have never been Samsung’s, anyway. All the while Seoul might have been making even more money from a variety of supply contracts. The kind it already has with Google, but on such an insignificant scale the Pixel lineup usually isn’t even a footnote in the company’s financial reports.

The ultimate Google… I mean, Galaxy phone?

Given how focused Samsung’s been on optimizing margins in recent times, it’s impossible to see that situation changing anytime soon. Even on the off chance the Pixel 6 series ends up glimpsing so much as a fraction of what the Galaxy S21 lineup achieved so far. Direct comparisons wouldn’t be fair, of course, but given the implications of a Mali-G78 graphics chip being part of the package, not to mention the rest of the Exynos 2100, it’s difficult not to wonder how the next Pixel won’t be a poor man’s Galaxy S21.

Not that anyone should expect it to be cheaper than Samsung’s mainstay for 2021. Least of all in the U.S. where Samsung has been pushing some jaw-dropping deals lately, with the Galaxy S21 range currently starting at $99 alongside an eligible trade-in. And maximizing the value of the latter is way easier than you might suspect after being conditioned to expect borderline-scam tactics from the average electronics brand.

Instead, the Pixel 6 Pro or whatever is in the works at the world’s most luxurious retirement home for ex-HTC engineers sounds like it’s going to be yet another reimagining of an erratic line. One that will sell in such minuscule quantities that Samsung won’t even mention its impact on its quarterly financials. Either due to a planet-wide conspiracy against Google, or the simple fact that Alphabet’s subsidiary never really learned how to do hardware to begin with. Not consumer-grade hardware, at least. And certainly not smartphones, which are as high-end as mass-consumer goods get while still hitting annual sales targets worthy of a mass-anything label.

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Samsung Galaxy users: Google Photos’ unlimited backup service is ending soon

Google Photos is the most popular and widely used cloud photo storage service out there, mainly thanks to the fact that it has provided free unlimited photo backups to the cloud to everyone with a Google account for the last couple of years. More than 4 trillion photos are stored in Google Photos, as Google announced last year, and 28 billion new photos and videos are uploaded each week.

All good things come to an end eventually, though, and soon, the same will be true for Google Photos’ unlimited photo storage. As many of you might already be aware, Google is ending its free unlimited storage service starting June 1, and if you own a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet, that applies to you as well.

Starting June 1, all photos and videos backed up to Google Photos will count against the free 15GB of Google Account storage that’s shared between Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail (photos and videos uploaded before that date will not count towards that free storage). That means it’s time to start thinking about paying Google for more storage or look for another cloud storage service and pay for that instead.

Time to pay to store those memories in the cloud

That’s because no cloud service out there provides unlimited free storage of photos and videos. Google was the only one, but that’s no longer going to be the case starting next week. And depending on which ecosystem you’re using, the best two options for buying cloud storage from are Google and Microsoft, both of which provide you with the ability to buy additional online storage at different prices and are two of the most trusted brands around.

With Microsoft, the benefit is that OneDrive Sync is integrated into Samsung Gallery, which is great if you tend to browse your photos and videos on the Samsung’s gallery app. Microsoft also tends to be less heavy-handed with how much of your data it farms to make money from advertisers, so it’s better if privacy of your data is a big concern. Microsoft’s OneDrive storage plans can be seen here.

However, if you’re wholly into Google’s ecosystem and use its various services, then Google Photos is easily the better choice, especially since you will be able to access the app on every Android device out there — and the iPhone as well — if you someday decide to stop using a Galaxy-branded phone or tablet. Plus, the Google Photos app offers a lot of amazing AI-enhanced features that can’t be found elsewhere. Here’s where you can check out all of Google’s storage plans.

Either way, the decision is up to you: If paying for cloud storage isn’t your thing, then you can choose to start saving your photos and videos to physical media. For Galaxy devices that support expandable storage, you can buy a microSD card for cheap. Or, if you want to be able to access your photos online from anywhere, you can also check out network-attached storage devices like Western Digital’s My Cloud that connect to your home’s Wi-Fi router and can be used by all members of your family.

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Galaxy Buds 2 design leaks, might come with a compromise

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds lineup has been a success. After the modest launch of the Galaxy Buds two years ago, the company has upped the game by launching the Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds Live, and the Galaxy Buds Pro. Now, the company is looking to launch the successor to the original Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Buds+.

The Galaxy Buds 2 (SM-R177) design has been leaked ahead of the official launch, thanks to the truly wireless earbuds’ FCC certification. The upcoming earbuds appear to have a design similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro rather than the Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Buds+. Even the case has a rounded square design, similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro, which means that Samsung is moving away from the older, pill-shaped case design.

The images found in the FCC certification showcase that the Galaxy Buds+ have infrared sensors for automatic wear detection and metal connectors for charging. While the upcoming truly wireless earbuds are only visible in the black color, we should expect a few more colors, going by the company’s history.

Galaxy Buds 2 could feature shorter battery life than Galaxy Buds+

Samsung tipster Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) has mentioned on Twitter that the South Korean firm’s upcoming wireless earbuds will feature improved audio quality and “active noise reduction.” It might be the company’s way of mentioning passive noise cancellation rather than ANC (Active Noice Cancellation). The Galaxy Buds 2 features Bluetooth 5.0 with LE and Qi wireless charging (2.5W).

The upcoming earbuds feature a combined battery capacity of 120mAh (60mAh inside each earbud) and 500mAh for the case. It means that we should realistically expect lower battery life on a single charge when compared to the Galaxy Buds+ (which has an 85mAh battery inside each earbud). The Galaxy Buds+ can last 11 hours straight on a single charge, but the Galaxy Buds+ might not last as long (unless there are power efficiency improvements).

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Galaxy A80 joins the May 2021 security update party

Samsung is continuing to update its older smartphones and tablets. It released the June 2021 security patch to the Galaxy S21 series yesterday and to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G earlier today. Now, the company has started releasing the May 2021 security patch to its two-year-old rotating-camera smartphone, the Galaxy A80.

The Galaxy A80 has started getting a new software update with the May 2021 security patch in Spain. The new software, which bears firmware version A805FXXU6DUE2, brings fixes from both Google and Samsung for various privacy and security vulnerabilities. While we don’t have the changelog just yet, you can expect to see improvements to file sharing over Quick Share to be part of the update, similar to recent updates released for other Galaxy devices.

Of course, the bigger question Galaxy A80 users might have is whether their phone will manage to make it to Android 12 and One UI 4.0 or if it will spend its last remaining days on Android 11. Well, according to Samsung’s official list of phones eligible for three generations of OS updates, the Galaxy A80 didn’t make the cut, so minor software updates are all that it is likely to get moving forward, before it is eventually limited to only security-related releases.

If you own a Galaxy A80, you can check if the latest update is available for your phone from its Settings » Software update menu. You can also upgrade your phone by downloading the latest firmware from our archive and installing it using a Windows PC, though not before you make sure you have backed up all your important data.

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These are some of the Galaxy Tab S7 FE’s best features

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE was officially announced as Samsung’s first-ever FE (Fan Edition) tablet, and although it doesn’t have a flagship-grade chipset or an AMOLED display, it has a lot of other qualities that make it stand out a bit more than it would have otherwise.

Some of the best Galaxy Tab S7 FE features are actually borrowed directly from the Galaxy Tab S7 flagship series. It even has one feature that the more expensive flagship models lack. So, without further ado, here are the best features the Galaxy Tab S7 FE has to offer.

A large display and an S Pen included in the box

Samsung’s new Fan Edition device boasts an unusually large display for a non-flagship Galaxy tablet. It’s a generous 12.4-inch panel that has the same resolution of 2,560 by 1,600 as the Galaxy Tab S7.

The panel is TFT and it doesn’t support a high refresh rate, but it can be paired with the included S Pen for a significant boost in productivity and creativity.

Great software and a good collection of productivity apps

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE ships with Android 11 and One UI 3.1, which are the latest versions available to the public, at least until Android 12 and One UI 3.5 take the stage later this year. Samsung will supposedly support the tablet with three major Android OS updates up until version 14.

Beyond Android OS and One UI, Samsung’s first FE tablet also borrows its productivity software suite from the 2020 flagship models. It ships with the latest version of Samsung Notes, as well as third-party apps such as Clip Studio Paint, Noteshelf, and a 30-day trial to Canva Pro. These apps can take full advantage of the included S Pen accessory.

Samsung Dex and an optional Book Cover Keyboard accessory

The app suite above should be enough to label the Galaxy Tab S7 FE as a productivity tablet, but there’s more to it than that. The FE model also supports Samsung DeX, and together with the Book Cover Keyboard accessory that can be purchased separately, it can become a powerful on-the-go, lightweight machine.

Other software features include Multi-Active Window, split-screen mode, and support for Second Screen, the latter of which allows the tablet to act as a secondary screen for Windows 10 PCs via WiDi.

A modern design with a metal finish

Samsung’s first FE tablet looks very much like a flagship model. It has a flat back panel and flat edges all around, similar to the Galaxy Tab S6 and Tab S7 premium models. It looks modern with relatively thin bezels, and the back panel features a magnetic strip for the S Pen.

The back panel has a metal finish, and Samsung is releasing the tablet in four color options: Mystic Black, Mystic Green, Mystic Pink, and Mystic Silver.

A 3.5mm headphone jack

A 3.5mm headphone jack isn’t an unusual sight in the budget segment, but it has become a rarity at the opposite end of the spectrum. The 3.5mm audio port was abandoned by Samsung’s flagship phones and tablets alike, but the Galaxy Tab S7 FE isn’t a premium device, so it didn’t get the memo.

This is one instance in which the tablet’s non-premium nature has worked in its favor. The Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+ are limited to wireless earbuds or USB-C dongles, whereas the Fan Edition tablet comes with a standard 3.5mm audio port on top of the usual Bluetooth capabilities for wireless earbuds.

A massive battery with 45W super fast charging support

Last but certainly not least, one of the Galaxy Tab S7 FE’s best features is its massive battery. It has a capacity of 10,090mAh, same as the Galaxy Tab S7+, and it should provide up to 13 hours of video playback on a single charge.

Furthermore, it boasts 45W super-fast charging, and one of Samsung’s leaked promotional materials suggested that the battery can gain a full charge in up to 190 minutes at maximum charging speeds.

There is one caveat. The tablet supports 45W charging, but Samsung is shipping it with a 15W charger in the box. However, customers who may want to get more out of the Galaxy Tab S7 FE battery can purchase an optional 25W or 45W charger separately.

What are some of your favorite Galaxy Tab S7 FE features? Let us know in the comment section.

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Keep up with Galaxy Tab S7 FE specs via this colorful infographic

Samsung launched two new mid-range tablets yesterday, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE and the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE aims to bring most of the popular features from the Galaxy Tab S7+ at an affordable price, while the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite aims to be the default tablet for streaming videos.

If you haven’t had a chance to go over their specs, now is the right time as Samsung has published official Galaxy Tab S7 FE specs and features via a colorful infographic.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE specs

The latest mid-range Galaxy tablet features a giant 12.4-inch IPS LCD display with QHD+ resolution, which is excellent for browsing the web, watching videos, and jotting down notes (with the S Pen that comes bundled with the device). It has AKG-tuned dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos audio. The tablet features a high-end design with a metal build, and it comes in four colors: Mystic Black, Mystic Green, Mystic Pink, and Mystic Silver.

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE runs Android 11 out of the box with One UI 3.1 on top of it. It is equipped with an 8nm Snapdragon 750G processor, 4GB/6GB RAM, and 64GB/128GB internal storage. Of course, there is a dedicated microSD card slot (up to 1TB). The tablet can run Samsung DeX and act as a second screen with a compatible Galaxy Book.

There is a 5MP front camera and an 8MP rear camera with autofocus, and both max out at 1080p 30fps for video recording. Other features include GPS, 5G (one variant), Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 3.2 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It is powered by a massive 10,090mAh battery that can fast-charge via a 45W charger.

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