By 
Since the release of the iPad Pro in 2018, we haven’t felt the need to get a new tablet or upgrade—until the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra came along. This device finally tempted us to explore another operating system and try out apps on Android. We were curious: does it offer better apps than the iPad? Does it perform better overall?
The S8 Ultra is an enormous tablet, almost hitting my dream size of 15 inches. While our unboxing process isn’t overly technical, we do want to share a few thoughts on what comes in the box.
First off, we were disappointed that the box didn’t include a charger. However, with plenty of devices that support the included USB-C cable, charging shouldn’t be an issue. The S Pen feels fantastic in hand—lighter and smaller than the Apple Pencil 2, which actually makes it feel like it might write better.
Despite the S Pen’s smaller tip, which seems fragile, it’s surprisingly solid when pressed against a hard surface, mimicking the sensation of writing. Unlike the Apple Pencil, which has a replaceable tip, the S Pen doesn’t seem to offer any replacement options, and nothing in the box suggests otherwise. This raises concerns about how easy it would be to replace if lost or damaged.
The S Pen attaches securely to the back of the tablet but not as firmly to the top. Overall, we actually prefer the S Pen to the Apple Pencil, which was unexpected.
When compared to the 2018 iPad Pro 12.9, the S8 Ultra is slightly heavier and much larger, though not as wide. Its impressively thin design is exciting and makes us wonder if it could replace the iPad Pro. We opted for the 256 GB, 12 GB RAM model, partly because the 512 GB version was impossible to find.
After powering it on, we were eager to try out productivity apps on Android. Once we got the tablet set up (mostly offline), we had to deal with some screen flickering issues during our video recording. One cool feature is the fingerprint scanner embedded in the glass.
Naturally, the first thing we did was search for a note-taking app—Samsung Notes, in particular, since it was a major reason we chose this tablet. Especially with a 14.6-inch screen, we had to give it a try.
Samsung Notes supports both fixed and infinite pages, and you can choose your scrolling direction. Before writing anything, I explored the various page templates, which are impressive for a free app. It also offers five pen tools with a decent range of thickness options.
The handwriting experience with the S Pen is incredible! Despite my initial concerns about the thin tip, it performs beautifully. The pen’s soft finish makes writing on the tablet’s glass surface feel more natural than on the iPad—it doesn’t even feel like you’re writing on glass. I’m excited to see what’s possible with this tablet, especially when it comes to note-taking.
Overall, Samsung Notes seems like an amazing note-taking app at first glance. We’re curious to find out if it’s as stable and reliable as it appears, or if there are any bugs that could hinder the experience. Time will tell if this truly is the perfect note-taking app for Samsung devices.
