It makes natural that Samsung would release a budget ‘FE’ successor to the Galaxy Tab S8 later in the year – it would be tradition, after all – but the sheer lack of rumours about it caused us to completely lose hope that Samsung would release a new low-cost tablet. A fresh leak does, however, catch our attention for a significant reason.
The impending tablet has been discovered in a benchmarking database, as reported by the Dutch website GalaxyClub (opens in new tab).
With a mid-range multi-core score, this listing gives some indication of the tablet’s processing power, though early tests like this one can differ from the finished product as engineers make adjustments to the hardware. There appears to be 4GB of RAM as well. But this page also has the intriguing fact that we mentioned: allegedly, the tablet will run Android 13.
Android 13 isn’t currently available for tablets other than in beta form, although it’s anticipated to do so shortly. And if the Galaxy Tab S8 FE report is accurate and the tablet launches shortly, it may be the first tablet to have the software pre-installed (or even be compatible with it at all).
Samsung’s FE tablets are typically good mid-range devices with fair value for the money, although they rarely wow in a significant way. If the aforementioned is accurate, the Galaxy Tab S8 FE may be a contender for our award for “best tablet” for one intriguing reason.
Analysis: Android 13 and its effect on tablets
The formal release of Android 13 earlier this year sounds like it could be a revolution for Android tablets, perhaps allowing them to genuinely compete with Apple’s iPads.
The home page is getting a redesign, widgets are getting a design update, multitasking will be simpler, swipe-down options are getting organised, apps are getting tweaked to work better on larger displays, and the Google Play Store is getting extra information to let you know which apps have been optimised for tablets. These are just a few of the user interface changes that are coming with Android 13.
With Android 13, it sounds like the software will be specifically designed for these giant slates, making it a lot more delightful experience. Previously, Android seemed like a phone operating system that had been stretched and deformed to run on larger tablet screens.
In the event that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 FE is the first Android tablet to include this redesign, it will be the first in many years to challenge the iPad Pro for the top spot on our ranking of the best tablets. It will at the very least be a simple choice for our list of the best Android tablets.
