Did you know that with the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, Samsung is giving users the ability to get a larger display, outstanding battery life, a premium design, and more advanced features like DeX, all at a lower price point. Of course, you’re not getting everything that’s available with the popular yet more expensive Tab S7 or S7+. So let’s take a look at this Fan Edition tablet, talk about the good and the bad, and see if it’s a good fit for you. And normally, I don’t worry too much about processing power, but make sure that you watch that segment before you choose between the Wi-Fi and the 5G version, because there’s a pretty significant difference.
Starting out, I think one of the primary reasons why buyers will consider this device is the size.
We’re getting a 12.4-inch display, which is the same size as the Tab S7+ and the dimensions of the body are virtually identical. With the main difference being that the Tab S7 FE is a half a millimeter or 0.03 inches thicker. For the types of things that I did, which was watching content, taking notes using the S Pen, browsing the web, managing the channel, and then editing photos, the size of this device was great.
I’ll talk more about the display in the dedicated section because the resolution and the type of display aren’t the same, but at the same time, I did really like the 16:10 aspect ratio for watching content, and in general, I like a larger tablet because I don’t have to scroll as much.
I did have one issue with it though, which was a little disappointing. Now, as far as the overall design, the Tab S7 FE is quite similar to the 7S+. We’re still getting the squared off edges, the rounded corners, small bezels. And the one that I have is Mystic Black, which I think looks great.
If you’re looking for other options, it’s also offered in Mystic Silver, light green, and light pink. Now looking around the edge, we’ve got the power button and the volume controls, a micro SD card slot for expanded internal storage, two speaker grills, and a USB-C port for charging and accessories.
On the back, we find the camera module and a magnetic strip that’s used to store and charge the included S Pen. Of course, when you’re using the pen with a tablet attached to a keyboard, you can actually put the pen right up here on the long side, and then store it there temporarily. It won’t charge, but there are magnets here which will keep it attached.
All around, this is a really nice looking tablet, and I’m happy with the built quality and how solid it feels. Moving on to biometric authentication, the Tab S7 FE offers face recognition, but there’s no fingerprint sensor on the power button like in the Tab S7 or in the display like the Tab S7+. Face detection has worked pretty well for me. And whether you feel like you need a fingerprint sensor or not is really up to you. I have devices like the iPad Pro which only offers Face ID.
And then I have the iPad Air 4 which only has a fingerprint sensor.
And I’ve always appreciated that the Tab S7 and the Tab S7+ offered both options for added versatility. Now, of course, the Tab S7 FE is being offered at a lower price point, so Samsung had to make some choices about where to save money. So earlier I mentioned that we’re getting a 12.4-inch display, just like with the Tab S7+.
But this is a TFT display rather than Super AMOLED. This is another area where Samsung had to cut back, so we’re getting a lower resolution at 1600 x 2560 versus 1752 x 2800 that we’re getting on a Tab S7+, and we’re getting a lower refresh rate at 60 hertz.
The 1600 x 2560 is actually the same as what we’re getting on the Tab S7, but with a lower pixel per inch. And then finally, the Tab S7 FE display is not an HDR10+ display. Now having said that, the image quality was still pretty good.
It’s bright. And when you’re watching Netflix or YouTube, the content looks good. If you’re surfing the web, working with Google Docs, or I’m using different apps, or just navigating around the setting, again, the screen works well. Sure, if you put it next to the Tab S7+ with 120 hertz AMOLED display, and then you play certain games or really pay attention to certain UI elements when you’re scrolling, then you’ll notice the difference.
But in everyday use where I don’t have it next to a faster refresh rate model, it offers a user experience that’s quite good.
If a faster refresh rate, either fixed or adaptive, and better image quality are a priority for you, then you wanna take a look at the Tab S7 or S7+, and I’ll include more details and image quality information in my upcoming reviews. Now, if you’ve gotten value from this video, give it a thumbs up so that I know to make more of this type of content. And if you’re new here, hit the Subscribe button. Moving onto battery life, this is definitely a strength of the Tab S7 FE. The 10,090 milliampere-hour battery is the same as what we have in the Tab S7+, and with my typical use, it definitely lasted all day.
When it came time to charge, it was a similar situation to the Tab S7 and the S7+, where the FE can accept up to 45-watt fast charging, but the included adapter is only rated for 15 watts.
I have other higher capacity adapters that I use for charging multiple devices, and I ended up using one of those instead to get the fastest charge possible. Next, I wanna talk about multitasking and specifically DeX because we’re getting the same benefits as with the more expensive models. But before we get to DeX, let’s talk about processing power because apparently there are two different options here. According to the Samsung website, if you buy the more expensive 5G Tab S7 FE, you’re getting an SM7225, which is the part number for the Snapdragon 750G.
But if you buy the less expensive Wi-Fi only model, then you’re getting the faster SM7325 or the Snapdragon 778G. That’s somewhat confusing to me because I would assume the more expensive model would get the more powerful chip. And from all the research I did, it could be a pretty significant difference, especially for multi-core performance. I have the 5G version here, and I’ll be getting the Wi-Fi only model in a couple of weeks. So if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, I’ll post the benchmark results to show you the difference.
And I’ll also update you about the soft image quality and whether that was an issue just with this device or it’s true across devices. Another important difference has to do with internal storage. So the five gig option only comes with 64 gigs of internal storage, where you get four gigs of RAM.
The Wi-Fi version comes with the same 64 and four, or you can get 128 gigs of internal storage and six gigs of RAM, or 256 with eight gigs of RAM. Again, it seems like an interesting choice to only offer the 5G version with the lower specs, and you’ll see that impacts my recommendations in the pricing section.
Now going back to DeX, if you’re not familiar with it, it’s an awesome feature that lets you transform the UI on this tablet to one that’s very similar to what you get on a laptop. You can have multiple windows open, you can resize them, you can have them floating on top of each other, there are desktop icons at taskbar, and the overall user experience is very much one of using a laptop. Now, speaking of using a laptop, if you have a support of laptop or a desktop, you can actually use the Tab S7 FE as an additional display.
So for example, I can grab my Galaxy Book Pro 360 and then very quickly get an additional display for a portable multi-display setup. I talked a little bit about using accessories, so let’s see what’s available and what’s included.
One of my favorite things about Samsung is that they include an S Pen with these devices. I keep saying this, but it just means that more people end up finding a way to use a stylus with their workflow.
When you buy an iPad, you have to pay another 100 or 130 bucks if you want an Apple Pencil. So, you’re not very likely to do that unless you are absolutely sure that you need one. I really liked the feel of the S Pen.
It has a little bit of give to it on the tip, so it feels like you’re writing on a notepad and the pages are compressing as you apply more pressure. Now, one important factor about this S Pen is that it’s not the Bluetooth enabled one that you get with the Tab S7 and the S7+. So those specific features are not available. And again, I’ll cover that in my comparisons. As I mentioned earlier in the video, the pen is stored and charged on the back, which I actually usually have covered with the book cover keyboard, and it can temporarily be attached to the longer edge when it’s more convenient.
Here’s where I’m gonna give you some advice. So Samsung actually makes a dedicated book cover keyboard for the Tab S7 FE, but that model doesn’t come with a trackpad.
I already had one for my Tab S7+ which comes with a trackpad, so if that functionality is important to you, I can confirm that it does fit and it works. Personally, if I’m getting a keyboard case, I want it to have a trackpad so that I don’t have to reach for the display every two seconds. As far as the actual quality of the keyboard and the trackpad, the keyboard is pretty good, it’s not the best keyboard I’ve ever used, but it’s definitely not the worst.
I love having the function keys at the top because they give me quick access to functions that would normally require me to either use the quick panel, the buttons, or the touchscreen. So if I need to brighten the display or change the volume control, those types of things, I can do that right from the keyboard. Now the trackpad is serviceable and I use it because it saves me, again, from having to reach for the display. But for 225 bucks, I would like to get a more accurate and better designed trackpad. So what I really hope is that when the S8 and S8+ come out, Samsung releases an upgraded and more premium version.
Next, let’s talk about the audio and camera systems. So unlike with a Tab S7 and the Tab S7+, we’re getting two speakers instead of four. I didn’t open the tablet, but they seem to be the same size. And with Dolby Atmos, they give great sound when you’re watching content and playing games. There’s no 3.
5 millimeter headphone jack, so if you wanna use wired headphones or a headset, you’ll need to either get a USB-C hub or get an adapter. As far as the camera system, this is another area where Samsung was able to save some money by going with an eight-megapixel camera on the back and a five-megapixel camera on the front. There was no Ultra Wide or flash on the back and the front camera isn’t the best. For me, the camera system on a tablet isn’t really a priority because I’m pretty much always going to use my phone if I have the choice.
If you’re using this tablet for video calls or for online learning, you’re gonna be just fine.
I like the position of the camera because it’s in the center of the long edge, so that when you have it mounted on a keyboard or a stand, you’re positioned in the center and it’s a better angle. And finally, to get the best out of any camera, your focus should always be on lighting. Okay, so now let’s talk about pricing and my recommendations. If we’re talking about the Wi-Fi only model, we’re looking at 530 bucks for 64 gigs, 600 bucks for 128 gigs, and 680 bucks for 256 gigs. And remember that you can add up to a one terabyte micro SD card for additional storage.
If you’re looking at the 5G model, then the only option is 64 gigs for 670 bucks. And don’t forget what we talked about earlier about the Wi-Fi only model getting the more powerful chip. The way I look at it, if you want this size display with DeX, then of the most recent lineup, your other option is an $850 Wi-Fi only Tab S7+ or a $1,050 5G Tab S7+.
So you’re looking at a lot more money. Personally, I think that the Wi-Fi model of the Tab S7 FE is the better value.
Adding 5G to the lowest flagship model and then getting a less powerful processor, doesn’t really sit well with me, but I’d love to know what you think. Remember that I have links in the description to all the products I talked about. Hopefully, this video was helpful. Click on my face to subscribe, and then watch one of these videos. You know what I always say, “Buy it nice or buy twice.
” Good luck and see you soon..
