Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Review

Samsung has just unveiled a duo of Galaxy Tab S7 tablets alongside the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy Watch 3, here’s our first look after spending some time with the smaller of the two.

With its two new high-end tablets, Samsung is clearly going after the iPad Pro.  The Tab S7 is the smaller and cheaper of the two and while it doesn’t have all the bells-and-whistles of the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus there’s still plenty on offer for Android tablet fans to get excited about.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 release date and price

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 will cost £619 when it hits shelves later in August. You can pre-order it from today (August 5) and claim either a gaming bundle or a free case.

There’s a larger Tab S7 Plus available too for £799. This has a bigger OLED display, 5G support and in-display fingerprint sensor.

There are two real standout parts of the Galaxy Tab S7: the display and the new design. This is the most striking Android tablet from Samsung yet, with flat sides and rounded corners. This 11-inch version is light enough to clutch in one hand and feels like it’s going to be an ideal size for note-taking with the included S Pen and watching videos on-the-go.

While I didn’t have the 11-inch iPad Pro to hand, it certainly seems like the Tab S7 packs a similar footprint.

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The front of the tablet is taken up by the device’s display and there’s an embedded fingerprint sensor on the side for secure unlocking. You’ll have to pay more for the 12.3-inch version to get an in-display fingerprint sensor. The only other port is USB-C for charging.

It’s a simple design but it looks sleek and that’s more than can be said for many Android tablets in 2020. You’ll be able to pick it up in a few colour options: cosmic grey and cosmic black.

Flip the tablet over and there’s a distinctive glossy stripe cutting through an otherwise matte finish. This is the charging point for the included S Pen (it can attach to the side too, but it won’t charge there) and it’s got some magnets to keep the pen in place. I’m not entirely sure having the pen charging on the back is the best solution – what if I want to rest it on the table? – but at least it’s a wireless solution.

The screen is the other star here. Like the iPad Pro, it’s an adaptive refresh panel that can range from 1Hz to 120Hz. Unlike the Galaxy S20, the screen here isn’t stuck at 120Hz (or 60Hz) all the time and it can alter itself depending on what you’re doing in the hope of stretching the battery further. We’ll have to run our usual in-depth review process over the tablet to see how true this claim is. From first glance, it’s a suitably smooth screen, with a sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution and HDR support. It’s not an OLED panel like the Plus version and the blacks aren’t quite as deep and colours not quite as punchy. Still, it’s a very good display.

Screen aside, the two tablets have similar internals. There’s a Snapdragon 865+/Exynos 990, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. You’ll find a 13MP and 5MP camera on the back and an 8MP camera on the front for video calls and selfies.

Usually, the biggest issue with Android tablets is apps. Very few feel at home on a big screen there isn’t the choice of creative-focussed apps you’ll find on iOS. Samsung has attempted to change this by tweaking Android to work better on the big screen and adding in a few extra multitasking tweaks, like the ability to have three apps open side-by-side. There’s also the DeX desktop view for a more traditional layout and Samsung has added a lot of new features to the Notes app to tie it with Office 365. It’ll now sync notes across devices for example, and you’ll be able to access them on other devices.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – First impressions

Samsung has made a powerful, really nice looking tablet with a 120Hz screen and great S Pen functionality. For £619 it seems a good deal – however, it’ll be all down to Android feels on this device and whether the trade-offs might mean there are better options elsewhere.