Samsung is the undisputed leader in tech demos. A lot of its products are not fully developed or ready – see the first-generation Galaxy Fold phone or its absurdly expensive 100-inch Micro LED TVs. Tech aficionados can spend a lot of money on these demos now, while others will have to wait a few generations for Samsung to iron out the kinks.
The new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a technology demonstration. Samsung’s large Tab S8 Ultra tablet explores the idea of a tablet running a mobile operating system that’s the size of a typical productivity laptop (read my review of the more pedestrian Tab S8 and S8 Plus here). The Tab S8 Plus combines the features of the other Tab S8 models behind a gargantuan 14.6-inch screen. The Ultra is also expensive: it starts at $1,099.99 before adding accessories like a case or keyboard. Keeping up with the times isn’t cheap.
Keeping up with the latest trends comes with other costs. Using the Tab S8 Ultra as an actual tablet is quite difficult because of its massive screen. Also, anyone familiar with Android tablets won’t be surprised to learn that there isn’t much software that takes advantage of the S8 Ultra’s giant display.