Not content with releasing two of the biggest flagship phones of 2020 - in the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra - Samsung also revealed a pair of tablets at its Unpacked event on 5 August 2020: the S7 and S7+.

As you might have guessed, the 'Plus' model is the larger of the two. But that's not all that's different. Here we run through the details and which of these two slates might appeal the most for your needs - but now also consider that there's a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 too.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Wi-Fi Android Tablet Mystic - Black (UK Version)

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Release date and price

  • Tab S7: from £619 / €699
  • Tab S7+: from £799 / €899

Samsung is gunning to be top dog in the tablet market, so it's no surprise its Tab S7 and S7 Plus models are built at roughly the same size as Apple's iPad Pro models. The Galaxy Tab prices - while not small by any means - conveniently undercut Apple's asking price, to try and maintain that competitive edge.

The Galaxy Tab S7 has been available for some time and availability might be restricted, with Samsung now pushing the Galaxy Tab S8 models instead.

Design

  • Tab S7: 254 x 165 x 6.3mm; 495g
  • Tab S7+: 285 x 185 x 5.7mm; 590g

First and foremost these two tablets are different sizes. The Plus model has the larger screen, therefore its footprint is also larger - although this bigger tablet is actually the slimmer of the two by a tiny amount.

The Plus also has an in-screen fingerprint scanner, whereas the standard S7 uses a side-mounted arrangement instead.

In terms of construction the two tablets feel very much that same. That's thanks to a high-quality aluminium frame that feels solid, without being overly heavy. Neither have a 3.5mm headphone socket.

Display

  • Tab S7: 11in IPS LCD, 1600 x 2560 resolution
  • Tab S7+: 12.4in Super AMOLED, 1752 x 2800 resolution
  • Both devices: 16:10 aspect ratio, HDR10+ dynamic range, 120Hz refresh rate

The S7 Plus doesn't only have the larger screen - it's 12.4-inches on the diagonal, compared to the 11-inch screen of the standard S7 - but the Plus also uses an AMOLED panel, compared to the standard S7's IPS LCD. Both offer good viewing angles, but it's that OLED panel that wins in terms of ultra black levels.

With more screen real-estate there's also more pixels in the Plus - although, given how it scales, the pixel density is ever so slightly lower compared to the standard S7.

Both models offer a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, for smoother scrolling and playback, which is an interesting take - in the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, for example, Samsung didn't give the 'entry' Note the faster refresh panel.

Cameras

  • Both: 13MP f/2.0 main camera, 5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera
  • Both: 8MP front-facing selfie camera

You don't really buy a tablet for its camera. At the same time these can be useful for face to face calls, snapping a picture of something you need to send to a colleague, and so forth. The spec is identical for both devices, with the front camera positioned on the longer edge - designed for calls in landscape orientation, when the Tab S7 is being used in a laptop-like form.

Hardware spec

  • Both devices: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, 6GB RAM
  • Tab S7: 7,040mAh battery capacity, 45W fast-charging
  • Tab S7+: 10,090mAh battery, 45W fast-charging
  • Both devices: Android OS, One UI 2 interface
  • Both devices: 5G connectivity

There's no holding back on the power of these tablets, with top-end chipsets for 2020 making their way into both of these devices. Those mobile Android games that can make best use of that screen scale and resolution won't be left wanting, to deliver the smoothest of experiences.

In terms of longevity, the larger footprint of the Plus model means there's more battery capacity squeezed into that frame - an increase of about 40 per cent - so odds are that it'll be the longer-lasting of the pair. Both models feature fast-charging.

There's also 5G connectivity available.

Software wise, Samsung has introduced Multi-Active Window, which allows up to three apps to be used at the same time to help with multi-tasking - something that Android tablets haven't always been the best at dealing with.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ Wifi - 128GB (Black)

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