Galaxy Tab S7+ Review By Brad Colbow

This is the Samsung Galaxy tab. S7, plus I've reviewed every pen enabled tablet Samsung has made since the tab s4. Actually it's been even before that and every year it's the same story, great hardware, but the android app ecosystem just can't compete with the iPad. Well, we may have hit a turning point. Hello. My name is brad.

I review tech for creative professionals and this device. This particular tablet was surprisingly hard to get. There are two models here. There is the s7 which has an 11-inch screen and the s7 plus, which has a 12.4-inch screen. I'm reviewing the larger one.

Samsung has reported that demand for these tablets has been 10 times what it was for the s6 just a year ago, because of that increased demand, they haven't even opened up pre-orders. Yet here in the U. S. where I live, I had to get mine off of eBay and then smuggle it out of Hong Kong in the dead of night Brett. I have your tablet here: no, no, don't throw it I'm terrible at catching.

I am not surprised at this increased demand at all and there are two reasons why? First up, I read all of your comments on these videos and android tablets are incredibly popular, but there's a couple of things that have held people back. I've seen a lot of people say if only they made one the size of the largest iPad Pro. I would jump at that boom. We have that this year. The second thing are the apps.

A lot of people are saying. I would much rather get an android tablet over an iPad, because I'm already in that ecosystem, and I've already invested in some apps there. They just don't have all the great drawing apps that I'm looking for Samsung has stepped up big time by pre-installing three, pretty impressive apps here on the tab. S7 first up there's an app called Canva, which is designed for graphic designers, doing layouts and that sort of thing then we have note shelf, which is well for taking notes, and then we have clip studio, which is just for me. Alright, you all can use it too.

If you behave yourselves- and all of this goes a long way to solving the android tablet, chicken and egg problem, you throw in some new features like the ability to use the Galaxy Tab as a second screen for your laptop, and it's not surprising at all that Samsung has a winner here. I want to start with the screen, because the screen is the star of the show. This is a 12.4 inch super AMOLED display it is just beautiful. This is what Samsung does best, and it shows here. We've got a resolution of 2 800 pixels by 1752 pixels, and this is the best part it can run at 120 hertz.

That refresh rate is nice, if I'm being honest, 60 hertz is fine, but it is cooler to get smoother animations in a premium device like this, when you're specking your tab, s7 out, you got three options for storage. You got 128, gigs, 256 or 512. , there's also a micro SD door along the side. If you want to add some more storage in there yourself, we got some cameras in the front. We also got some cameras in the back.

The front-facing camera is positioned along the top. It's its here, I'm not sure which end is on. Basically, this makes it better for video calls when you're in landscape mode, the bezels are thin, but not too thin. It's easy to hold without accidentally tapping on the screen. One little bummer here is there's no headphone jack, but the speakers are surprisingly perfect.

You would not expect them to be as clear and as crisp as they are. This is powered via USB-C cable, and you can also attach some peripherals through that port as well. If you're wondering hey, what's the difference between the s7 and the s7 plus, well, obviously, there's the size, but the display is a little different too on the little s7. It is not a super AMOLED display, but it is running at 120, hertz and knowing Samsung. This is probably still a great looking screen.

Now you probably noticed that strip along the back by the cameras, that's where the s pen magnetically attaches to recharge and just generally hangs out to have a good time. They also added a little magnet along the side that allows you to attach the s pen there as well. This is just for convenience. It doesn't charge there. It's just another option.

The stylus that comes with these tablets is a Wacom powered stylus, so it doesn't need batteries to work, but wait, didn't I just say that it recharges along the back yeah yeah. I did that battery is for some additional Bluetooth features that Samsung has been packing into their s pens as of late. You can use the s pen to swipe through pictures in the gallery app, or you can use it to take photos from a distance, but if that battery dies, while you're drawing no big deal, you can just keep on drawing this pen is very accurate. It has a semi-soft, almost rubbery tip to it. It is tiny, but it keeps it from sliding out of control on that smooth glass screen.

Since this is Wacom's tech under the hood, you get perfect pen pressure. You get really accurate lines, generally you're getting a very good pen. I will say this in some apps: it can be a little too sensitive, picking up every single wobble of your hand, but in apps, where you can adjust it a bit and streamline the brushes you're using it's its great. Once I get all my fiddly settings in place in some of these art apps, the pen can be a joy to use one big step up for the s pen this year is that Samsung has shrunk down the response rate from 42 milliseconds, all the way down to 9 milliseconds. I mentioned this in my note, 20 ultra review when apps are optimized to take advantage of this.

It is great, but most unfortunately, aren't, for example, Samsung's own notes. App is crazy. Good. There is zero lag on this pen. Even when I slow down the camera other drawing apps, in fact pretty much every drawing app.

There still is some lag there, but I will say this: it is a big improvement over what we've seen on android in the past, for example. Here is me drawing on the tab, s6 lite that came out earlier this year versus the new tab. S7. That response rate definitely an improvement and that pen comes packed in it is free, as in you, don't have to pay a hundred dollars extra to get the pen free, comparing it directly to the Apple Pencil. I will say I still prefer the Apple Pencil, but it's not like these.

Two things are light years apart. The s pen is lighter, it's not as well weighted as the Apple Pencil, so it doesn't feel as premium in the hand, but you get used to it. It's totally fine. It gets the job done. Also, I like to draw on screen protectors when I'm using the iPad.

I like that rough texture, almost parish, feel since this pen has a soft rubber tip on a matte screen protector, it would eat up that rubber tip so fast. One difference you will see between this and the Apple Pencil is palm rejection. It's okay on the s pen, but it's not perfect. It's not uncommon to run across little dots on your canvas that you have to erase or repaint. When you lift your palm after drawing some apps are gonna.

Let you jump in their turn off the gestures and fiddle with the settings a little to improve this, and when you can do that, it definitely helps hey. That's the question parrot brad. What apps are good for drawing all right here is the short and sweet version. Autodesk sketchbook. It's got a lot of tools that are useful.

I think that the brushes are too sensitive for my taste, but it's free when you sign up for it. So it's worth looking at aberrant x, it is a fan. Favorite has some awesome. Pens is also free, but is ad supported. You watch an ad.

You unlock more brushes cool, infinite, painter, all-around, good painting, app reminds me a lot of procreate on the iPad also has some in-app purchases. Art flow is another one that reminds me a lot of procreate. It also has in-app purchases. Huron has a free app now that app wasn't much at launch, but they keep adding to it. So keep your eye on that one Krita it's free, and it's open source.

It's also still in beta, and it's pretty buggy at the moment, but wow what an upside for the future clip studio, paint you all are tired of hearing me talk about that one. What's that you're, not okay, let's talk about it more, I made a whole video demoing clip studio. Paint here is the cliff notes. Version android has a lot of art apps some are good, but most of them feel like fun, sketching or painting apps, and everyone had some little quirk that got in the way of me really enjoying the app now clip studio isn't for everyone. It is a desktop app.

It even looks like a desktop app, but I feel that I can make anything. I could make an entire book with this app. I could do animations in this app and, if I ever ask, can it do this? The answer is almost always. Yes, there are some downsides one. There is a subscription that kicks in when your six-month trial is up, it is pretty affordable.

It starts at 25 a year on other platforms, probably the same price here, and I know a lot of you all hate subscriptions. I get it but hey. If you want a delicious cheeseburger, you don't go to the cheapest restaurant in town. You definitely don't go to the restaurant that says hey. If you watch a bunch of ads, we'll give you a free cheeseburger, you get what you pay for, and what android desperately needed was a pro level app, and you pay money to get good tools.

That's just the way the world works costs money to make good stuff. Next up is DEX, which is a cool little feature that allows you to turn your Samsung phone or tablet into desktop mode, plug it into a monitor, grab a keyboard, you're good to go. What I wanted to cover in this review was the big question: can an android tablet replace your laptop? We asked this question of the iPad Pro all the time. Why not ask it about an android tablet? The key to doing all of this is the new keyboard accessory that you can get extra from Samsung. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get the keyboard accessory yet so answering that question is going to have to wait.

Eventually, I'm going to get one. I know a guy, I got your keyboard brad. No, no, no, no DEX also works with some drawing tablets. I've reviewed even has pen support and everything what apps are supported depends on the tablet that you're using this new Huron 22, plus that I'm working on a review for it works great with apps like art flow, but I don't get any pressure sensitivity in clip studio. So, even though DEX is cool and has a lot of potentials just know that there are some drawbacks here, there are some kinks to be worked out, pros and cons.

There are a lot of great things here. The hardware as expected is fantastic. This hasn't been a problem for Samsung in recent years. What's held these galaxy tabs back is the software, and it looks like Samsung's really pushing forward trying to get some good apps in the android ecosystem. This is the first time I have been able to say this in a Galaxy Tab review.

If you are an artist, if you were an illustrator or a hobbyist who's been thinking, I would much rather have an android tablet instead of an iPad I'm already in that ecosystem, but you just couldn't quite bring yourself to go there for the first time I can say yeah, I think it's ready to do. I think this is just as good or better than an iPad. No, I definitely still prefer the iPad, the ecosystem, the apps there are apps like procreate, although there are apps that come close to replicating that experience now on android, criticizing beta clip studio is available. I just don't have the same reservations about android. I did a year ago in many ways android is now arriving.

Samsung has gone a long way into solving that chicken and egg problem they've been dealing with, so that is the Samsung Galaxy tab, s7 plus. What do you think? Let me know down below in the comments. Thank you guys for watching much appreciated, and I'll talk to you. In a couple of days. You.

Source : Brad Colbow