We loved the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 when it debuted and we also loved its bigger sibling, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Now it looks like there’s another Galaxy S8 Tab joining the family.
According to Android Central, Samsung is now working on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 FE (Fan Edition). This rumored tablet was first leaked by Roland Quandt on Twitter and is apparently going by the codename “Birdie,” with a rumored model name of Samsung SM-X506B. While there is no release date for the tablet, there’s already been some rumored benchmarks. Geekbench 5 testing of SM-X506B produced a single-core score of 773 and a multi-core score of 2318.
Galaxy Tab S8 FE (that's the actual name) SM-X506B has an LCD, Wacom digitizer = great pen experience, and carries the codename "Birdie", so that Geekbench result from September should totally be real.November 21, 2022
Unfortunately, we don’t know how that compares with the Galaxy Tab S8, as the original S8 tablet was controversially delisted by the benchmarking tool. While the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra seems to have since been relisted, the Tab S8 benchmarks are still unavailable.
Compared to the Tab S8 Ultra, the rumored Tab S8 FE definitely falls short of the Ultra’s 1,158 single-core performance and 3,180 multi-core performance. However, this is because Samsung likely downgraded this rumored Fan Edition to a MediaTek MT8791V chipset from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that’s in the core Galaxy Tab S8 lineup. Luckily, the point of the S8 Tab FE seems to be the feature set — not the CPU.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 FE: Rumored features
First, the bad news — no OLED screen for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 FE. It will likely continue to sport the LCD display that is on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. But that’s not a huge surprise given that Fan Edition Samsung devices are all about providing an affordable experience with some slight feature updates. An OLED screen would be a significant — and pricey — change.
But the good news is that the Tab S8 FE is tipped to have a great pen experience. The rumored tablet is suggested to include a Wacom digitizer. This is meant to provide a stylus experience beyond what the S-Pen typically offers. So for those who use their S-Pen a lot, or use a stylus to design or draw, the Galaxy Tab S8 FE could provide a relatively affordable device more catered to your needs.
If you can’t wait that long to get your hands on a tablet though, we understand. The Galaxy Tab S8 is still one of the best tablets we’ve reviewed and it's the best Android tablet out right now. Since Black Friday is right around the corner, you can even get one at Best Buy for $150 off right now. Don’t wait too long — it could sell out before you know it.
