Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 tablets boast flagship specs, including 120Hz screens and long-lasting batteries, but do they also support wireless charging?
Samsung's flagship phones are known to come with support for wireless charging, but does the new Galaxy Tab S8 series also support wireless charging? While charging wirelessly used to be a slower but convenient means of charging devices, that has changed in the past few years. Advancements in wireless charging technology have seen the speed significantly increase, and even surpass wired charging in some cases.
Samsung began using the “Ultra” name for its flagship products in 2020 with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but the Galaxy Tab S8 series is the first in the company's tablet lineup to have an Ultra model. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is not only Samsung's most powerful tablet yet, but it's also one of the largest, thanks to a massive 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display.
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The three Galaxy Tab S8 tablets have varying differences that include screen size and battery capacity, but there are some similarities including charging support. Despite the significant disparity in their battery sizes, all three models support 45W Super Fast Charging over USB-C. Surprisingly, the advertised time to charge all three tablets is almost identical. The Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy Tab S8 Plus both take 80 minutes to fully charge while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will fully charge in 90 minutes. Unfortunately, not only does Samsung not include a power adapter in the box, but wired charging is the only option available. None of the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets offer support for wireless charging.
Samsung isn't the only tablet manufacturer that hasn't added support for wireless charging to its tablets. While none of Apple's iPads offer support, that may change soon. Those who want a tablet with wireless charging support right now will have to consider something like the 2021 Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 or MatePad Pro 10.8, both of which are capable of 27W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging, and 40W wired fast charging.
Although some will find it disappointing that none of the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets come with support for wireless charging, the truth is buyers won't be missing out on much. Samsung phones with support for wireless charging, such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, can only charge at up to 15W using this method. When compared to the 45W Super Fast Charging available via wired charging, it is considerably slower. Of course, there are benefits other than just the speed that consumers will be missing out on. For example, charging a device without fumbling with a cable, or reverse wireless charging compatible devices on the back of the tablet. Either way, Samsung has deemed wireless charging support as unnecessary on its tablets for now.
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Habeeb enjoys writing about the consumer technology space and has a keen interest in wearables, Android smartphones and tablets, and Chromebooks. When he's not writing, he's catching up on the latest TV shows and movies.