Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 review

Performance and battery life

The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 has the same Samsung Exynos Octa 5433 processor as the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. This processor has four 1.9GHz cores for the heavy lifting, and four 1.3GHz cores to help save battery when the phone is running less-intensive tasks. As the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 has the same chip as the 9.7in model, I was expecting to see similar performance in our benchmarks, and this was mainly the case. Scores of 1,012 in the Peacekeeper web browser-based benchmark and 4,182 in the multi-core GeekBench test were almost identical, but the smaller tablet was significantly slower in our graphics benchmarks: In the GFXBench offscreen test, I saw 957 from the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 but just 569 from the eight-inch tablet. I suspect this is due to the problems of dissipating heat within the smaller chassis, but this is just speculation. I certainly didn’t have any problems playing Hearthstone on this tablet.

The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is generally slower than the iPad mini 4, however. Apple’s tablet was slower in the multi-core GeekBench test, with 3,058 compared to 4,182, but faster in the single-core Geekbench benchmark and more than twice as quick in GFXBench Offscreen, with a huge 1,330. The iPad mini 4 was also far faster in the Peacekeeper browser benchmark. Here the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 managed 1,012, but the iPad mini 4 scored a huge 3,064.

The Peacekeeper benchmark was particularly illuminating, as it translated into significantly better web browsing performance from Apple’s tablet. Both tablets were beautifully smooth when scrolling around web pages, but the Galaxy Tab S2 would pause occasionally after zooming in, and not respond to a swipe gesture for a heartbeat. The iPad mini 4 had no such problems.

It may be a bit slower, but the Galaxy Tab S2 wipes the floor with Apple’s tablet when it comes to battery life. In our video-playback battery test, the Samsung tablet kept going for 14h 7m, while its Apple rival gave up the ghost after just 10h 43m.

Conclusion

If you’re set on a compact Android tablet, there’s no doubt the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is the best there is. It certainly has a premium price, but it has a great screen and excellent battery life. It wins a Recommended award. However, if you’re not tied to Android, I think the iPad Mini 4 has the edge. Apple’s tablet may have worse battery life, but has similar screen quality and is significantly faster. If you’re looking for something else entirely, our best tablets article can help. Buy Now from Amazon