Choosing between the Galaxy Tab S7, the Tab S7 Plus, and the new Tab S7 FE is difficult. Samsung’s pricing strategy for these tablets doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Tablets come in two different sizes and with a wide range of capabilities. So how do you know which option is best for you?
SIZE DIFFERENCE
As far as size is concerned, it can help you narrow down your options. A 16:10 aspect ratio is used for all three.
With an 11-inch screen, the Tab S7 is smaller than the S7+ and FE, which have a 12.4-inch screen. My recommendation is that you visit a store and try on these before deciding which one is best for you, because that gives you the best sense of what will work best for you.
If you’re an artist, the S7 is a more convenient option, but it comes with a smaller canvas. If you’re using the S Pen to take notes, you’ll need a smaller notebook. Then there’s the tiniest screen for multitasking and entertainment. When it comes to gaming, a smaller device may be more convenient to use because it is easier to grip and hold.
DISPLAY
The Tab S7, has an 11 inch, 120 Hertz LTPS TFT display with a resolution of 2560 by 1600, and 274 pixels per inch.
The Tab S7 FE has a 12.4 inch, 60 Hertz TFT display with the same resolution of 2560 by 1600 and the lowest pixel density of the three, at 243.
Finally, the Tab S7+ has the same size display at 12.4 inch, but it’s 120 Hertz Super AMOLED display with the highest resolution of 2,800 by 1752, and the highest pixel density at 287.
Now that the Tab S7 and the FE both have the same resolution, you get a larger canvas to work with, but the same amount of screen real estate, as far as scrolling or multitasking goes, with the FE. The 120 Hertz of the Tab S7 means that you’ll have a more fluid experience when navigating the OS, scrolling through pages, or playing games. We’re also getting HDR10+ support, which comes into play as more and more HDR content is being released, making the Tab S7 even better. Overall, the Tab S7 has a better display, and the only advantage that I’m going to give the FE is that it has a larger screen.
Compared to the Tab S7, the S7+ has a larger screen, 120 Hertz refresh rate, and HDR10+ support. Furthermore, the display is a stunning Super AMOLED one, with deep blacks, vibrant colors and the highest resolution.
DESIGN
In terms of design, Samsung has done an excellent job with all three tablets. There are rounded corners, squared off edges and smaller bezels on all three. There is a USB-C port for charging and connecting additional devices on all three. Then there’s a micro SD card slot, which lets you add an extra 1 terabyte of storage to the system.
On the FE, there are only two grills for speakers. This includes a magnetic strip that stores and recharges the built-in Bluetooth-enabled S Pen on the back of both models. The FE comes with a basic S Pen, which lacks Bluetooth functionality and can be stored on the back, but it does not need to be recharged.
All three tablets have a front-facing camera that can be used for biometric authentication. In addition, the S7 and S7+ have a fingerprint sensor built in. For the Tab S7+, it’ll be an in-screen sensor, while on the S7, it’ll be part of the side power button.
CAMERA AND AUDIO
The Tab S7 FE comes with a five megapixel front facing camera and an eight megapixel rear facing camera. Now both the Tab S7 and the S7+ come with a higher resolution. Eight megapixel front facing camera, and then a dual camera system on the back consisting of a 13 megapixel main camera and a five megapixel ultra wide.
Since the camera on my phone is usually better and easier to use, I don’t use tablet camera systems very often beyond testing.
All three of these have a front facing camera that is on the long side, which I find appealing. When the tablet is on a stand or in a case, you’re in the middle of the frame. In contrast to iPads, which have cameras on the short side, resulting in an odd camera angle for video calls when used in landscape mode.
AKG speakers and Dolby Atmos support are used in all three audio systems. In contrast, the Tab S7 FE has two stereo speakers, one on each side, compared to the four speakers on the S7 and S7+ models. The Tab S7+, on the other hand, has the best audio quality, with a fuller sound and a greater sense of presence.
ACCESSORIES
S Pen
The S Pen is included on all three tablets, which I think is a big plus. In contrast, the Tab S7 and S7+ have a Bluetooth S Pen while the FE has a regular S Pen. All of the gestures can be used wirelessly.
Keyboard
The Book Cover Keyboard on the Tab S7 and S7+ includes a touch pad. If you want to use either of these in tablet mode, you can now separate the keyboard from the back.
The Tab S7+ Book Cover Keyboard is now my preferred keyboard because it is larger and more comfortable to type on. Function keys are also located at the top, allowing me to adjust things like the brightness of the screen and the volume. Additionally, it has a dedicated DeX button, in addition to UI and multimedia controls.
SPECS: TAB S7 VS TAB S7 PLUS VS TAB S7 FE
TAB S7 | TAB S7 PLUS | TAB S7 FE | |
DISPLAY | 11-inch TFT LCD 2,560 x 1,600 (WQXGA) 120Hz | 12.4-inch Super AMOLED 2,800 x 1,752 (WQXGA+) 120Hz | 12.4-inch TFT LCD 2,560 × 1,600 (WQXGA) 60Hz |
PROCESSOR | Snapdragon 865+ | Snapdragon 865+ | 5G: Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G Wi-Fi: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G |
MEMORY / STORAGE | 6GB/128GB 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB microSD (1TB) | 6GB/128GB 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB microSD (1TB) | 4GB/64GB 6GB/128GB, 256GB microSD (1TB) |
BATTERY | 8000mAh 45W Charging | 10,090mAh 45W Charging | 10,090mAh 45Wh fast charging supported |
CAMERA | Rear Main: 13MP Ultra Wide: 5MP Front 8MP | Rear Main: 13MP Ultra Wide: 5MP Front 8MP | Rear 8MP, AF Front 5MP |
DIMENSIONS | 253.8 x 165.3 x 6.3mm | 285 x 185 x 5.7mm | 284.8 x 185.0 x 6.3mm |
WEIGHT | 502g (5G) | 575g | 608g |
PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE
The Tab S7 and the S7+ both have a Snapdragon 865+ with 6 GB of RAM, if you get the 128 GB of internal storage. Then if you upgrade to 256 or 512 GB of internal storage, then you get 8 GB of RAM.
In the case of the Tab S7 FE, there are two choices. If you buy the 5G version, you’ll get a Snapdragon 750G processor. When it comes to the WiFi-only version, you get a faster Snapdragon 778G. Both have 64 GB internal storage and 4 GB of RAM, but only the wifi version of the FE has 128/256 GB of storage and 6/8 GB of RAM. This affects how much RAM you can get.
Now that you’ve got all this processing power, you can put it to good use by multitasking. Also, all three tablets have the same set of functions. One of my favorite features on these Samsung tablets is the DeX feature.
For games like PUBG, I’ve used all three of these tablets with an X-Box controller and X-Box Game Pass on them. The more powerful processors on the Tab S7 and S7+ allowed for a more fluid gaming experience. There are now two models with 120 Hertz displays, which is a bonus for games that support higher FPS settings.
The battery capacity of the Tab S7 is 8,000 milliampere hours, while that of the S7+ and FE is 10,000 and 90 milliampere hours. Battery life on all three devices has been excellent. Approximately 9 to 14 hours of mixed use is required for this amount of time.
CONCLUSION
Since we’re comparing, I’ll use the 128 GB Wi-Fi only versions of each because they’re available for all three models. So the Tab S7 FE costs $599, the Tab S7 costs $499 and the Tab S7+ costs $699.
And I just can’t see how someone would spend an extra, a hundred dollars to get the FE which does have a larger display and battery, but the Tab S7 has a better display with a high refresh rate, a more powerful processor, a better camera system, better audio system, a Bluetooth enabled S Pen and a fingerprint sensor.
And if you want the larger display of the FE why not add a hundred bucks and then get the Tab S7 Plus which is the best of everything, plus an incredible Super AMOLED display. I think that the FE would have made more sense at a lower price point, but where it’s currently positioned, the other two just make more sense.