Tempted by one of Samsung’s new Android tablets but not sure which is best? You’re not alone as the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus are both fairly similar devices on paper.
Both have similar convertible designs to the ruling Apple iPad offering stylus support and optional, attachable keyboard covers that can be used to turn them into pseudo laptops.
They both also run using the same Android 10 software, with a few Samsung additions like Dex, and feature 5G-ready Snapdragon 865+ CPUs, 6GB RAM and 128G of storage.
But, if you look a little closer you’ll see both are very different devices. Here are the three biggest differences between the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus you should be aware of before deciding which is right for you.
Related: Best tablet
One has a way better screen
The Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus are the first Samsung tablets to match the iPad’s ProMotion tech on refresh rate. Specifically, like the new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy S20, both have silky smooth 120Hz refresh rates. This means both tablets will feel significantly smoother to use and are far more reactive for key things like gaming on GeForce Now or Project xCloud. As an added bonus, unlike their phone counterparts, the tablets’ screens are truly variable, which means they can intelligently adjust their refresh rate to optimise performance or battery life depending on the process they’re running.
However, that’s where the similarities end when it comes to screen tech. Living up to its branding, the Plus has a larger 12.4-inch, 2800 x 1752 resolution screen than the regular Tab S7, which comes with an 11-inch, 2560 x 1600 resolution screen. The Plus also uses a more premium OLED panel. The normal Tab S7 uses an LCD panel.
For non-techies, this means the Plus will likely have a far better screen for movie streaming and gaming as OLED panels offer deeper blacks than LCD and, usually, have better dynamic range, punchier colours and generally just look nicer.
Size matters
OLED isn’t the only added perk you get with the Plus. The Tab S7 Plus features a more discrete in-screen fingerprint scanner. The regular S7 has a side-facing scanner. This sounds small but it makes the Plus look a little more elegant than its smaller sibling.
The Plus also comes with a significantly larger 10090mAh battery than the Tab S7 which is powered by a 7040mAh cell. This gives the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus an on paper longer battery life than the Plus. Both have 45W fast charging, however.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the increased screen size will make the Plus slightly nicer to jot notes on and take advantage of one the new tablets’ most unique features – three app multi-window support. This lets you have three different apps running and displayed on the tablet at any time, a perk you won’t find on vanilla Android devices.
Price
The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus may have a lead on the regular Tab S7 technically, but you have to pay a fair amount more for it. The Tab S7 Plus is set to retail for a hefty £799 in the UK. This makes it a fairly hefty investment and one of the most expensive tablets on the market. The basic Tab S7 isn’t altogether cheap either, with UK pricing set at £619. If that’s prohibitive, and you don’t need quite such an advanced feature set, you may be better off checking out Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy Tab S6 Lite as a result.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.