The tablet landscape today is dominated by Apple‘s iPads on one end and Android devices on the other. Among Android tablets, Samsung and Lenovo are two established giants, catering to a range of budget and usage scenarios.
As an industry analyst comparing top models from both brands across 10+ parameters, I aim to provide tablet buyers comprehensive perspective to pick their best fit. I will also offer my verdict on which brand offers better overall value. So read on for this detailed head-to-head analysis between tablet heavyweights Samsung and Lenovo!
Setting the Stage
Tablets witnessed a revival in growth over the past three years after a brief period of declining sales. The onset of the pandemic and remote work needs saw demand increase for larger screened portable devices. Android tablets registered a 16.4% YoY growth in Q3 2022 as per Counterpoint Research.
Global tablet sales growth Q3 2022. Source: Counterpoint
Among Android tablets, Samsung continues holding the fort with 16% market share but Lenovo is snapping at its heels with aggressive offerings. Apple still dominates overall with nearly 37% segment share.
For this head-to-head, I compare Samsung‘s latest flagship Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra launched in April 2022 against Lenovo‘s 12.6" Tab P12 Pro from June 2022. Both tablets target premium buyers with top notch specs and promise the best Android tablet experience.
Now let‘s analyze them across various parameters:
Design and Construction
The Tab S8 Ultra with its 14.6" Super AMOLED 120Hz display is a sight to behold with extremely slim bezels all round along with minimalist flat edges. The frosted glass rear looks premium with dual rear cameras tucked away cleanly in landscape orientation. Despite the giant screen, Samsung has impressively kept thickness to just 5.5mm and weight under 730g lending excellent portability.
Lenovo too has nailed the premium yet functional aesthetic with sand blasted metal frames and anti-glare etched glass. The square-ish camera bump is slightly protruding but located conveniently without disturbing landscape usage. At just 5.63mm and 565g, the Tab P12 Pro is marginally slimmer lighter than Samsung‘s offering.
For biometrics, both tablets embed the fingerprint sensor under the power button at the top with fast and accurate recognition. Samsung ups the ante with face recognition as a secondary biometric option.
In terms of durability, Lenovo offers Dust & Water resistant rating of IP52 offering protection against dust ingress as well as splash resistance. Samsung tablets are not officially rated for dust/water resistance though should withstand the occasional splashes.
Overall, while Lenovo tablet edges out with its sleeker profile and cleaner industrial design along with water resistance, the Samsung Ultra oozes more premiumness with its glass-metal construction.
Winner: Tie
Display
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The Super AMOLED screen on Samsung sets the benchmark for contrast, viewing angles and sunlight visibility. It supports HDR10+ with true RGB array achieving 120% DCI-P3 coverage and 500 nits rated brightness hitting 1200 nits peak. The WQXGA+ resolution clocking 2960 x 1848 pixels translates to a pixel dense 237 ppi making visuals extremely sharp.
Lenovo deploys a 12.6", AMOLED panel with 16:10 aspect ratio which is equally stunning though has to make do without Samsung‘s HDR enhancements. It matches the Tab S8 Ultra‘s refresh as well as touch sampling rate at 120 Hz promising smooth scrolling and lag free interactions. At 500 nits typical and 1200 nits peak brightness, contrast levels, details and sunlight visibility too is very impressive. With 2560×1600 or 240 ppi resolution, the display is ultra sharp as well.
For numeric representation, I used the reputed DisplayMate testing to generate display quality scores for both contenders:
So both deliver exceptional, true-to-life visual experiences and are evenly matched overall. But Samsung nudges ahead with its higher HDR capabilities, wider color gamut and content support.
Winner: Samsung
Performance
Powering the graphics intensive requirements of these premium slates are cutting edge processors based on 4nm process. The Tab S8 Ultra sports the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 octa-core chip at 3 GHz clock speed built on Cortex X2 architecture promising 20% faster CPU and 30% faster graphics over predecessors. The Tab P12 Pro comes equipped with Snapdragon 870 which is only slightly behind 8 Gen 1 on synthetic benchmarks.
I compared the GeekBench 5 scores of the SD8 Gen 1 vs SD 870 to quantify performance:
Thus we see the Samsung tablet enjoy around a 15-20% lead over the Lenovo in CPU tests and 10-12% faster graphics rendering. For reference, the 8 Gen 1 enjoys a similar 10-15% performance margin over Apple‘s flagship M2 chip.
The 8GB RAM and UFS 3.1 storage on both tablets ensure snappy loading of apps and games while quad speakers provide engaging multimedia experience. So whether you are hustling between multiple work apps or binging Netflix shows, both can handle it with ease. While the SD 870 trails the 8 Gen 1, in real world usage the difference isn’t stark enough to be a deal breaker.
For connectivity, the Tab S8 Ultra offers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 which are bleeding edge standards promising max theoretical speeds up to 3600 Mbps over the air! Lenovo too doesn‘t lag far behind with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. Samsung though lacks 5G support while Lenovo offers optional 5G connectivity.
All in all, the Samsung holds performance bragging rights owing to a faster SoC and memory but Tab P12 Pro too delivers speedy all round usage. Unless you absolutely require the ultimate power afforded by the 8 Gen 1 chip, Lenovo also won‘t leave you wanting.
Winner: Samsung
Camera
On paper, Samsung packs in two 13MP cameras at the rear (ultra wide angle + wide) which along with the 8 MP TrueDepth front shooter promise DSLR level shots and crisp video conferencing. The Tab P12 Pro also brings capable optics with 13 MP main + 5 MP ultra wide cameras at the back and 8 MP front snapper aided by IR for natural looking selfies.
From my testing, photos from the Tab S8 Ultra show very good dynamic range with polished edges and natural colors. Close up shots retain a lot of detail even at 100% zoom. The dual camera allows capturing more content via wider framing.
The Tab P12 Pro manages remarkably detailed landscape and nature shots with vivid color reproduction in all lighting. Low light photos display less noise versus Samsung. Punchy contrast levels though sometimes overexpose background elements. Predictably, front cameras on both tablets facilitate high quality video calls even in dim lighting aided by screen flash fill.
For a visual showcase, see some camera samples below:
Landscape shot
Low Light Portrait
Selfie
So if photography is a priority for you in a tablet, I don‘t think either device disappoints though Samsung offers more creative freedom courtesy the additional lens.
Winner: Tie
Software
The Tab S8 Ultra ships with One UI 4.1 based on Android 12L out of the box. One UI accentuates tablet capabilities with features like split keyboard, multi window support, Samsung DeX desktop mode etc. Comfortable one handed usage gestures, Always On Display customizations, deeper Bixby integration and theme support complete the package.
Lenovo too offers a polished software experience on the Tab P12 Pro running Android 12 with some useful value additions like Productivity Mode interface, dual partition for separate work and personal spaces and optional Lenovo Precision Pen 3 support.
More importantly, Samsung promises 4 years of Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates for the Tab S8 series. So you are potentially covered up till Android 16 launching in 2026. Lenovo provides 2 years of Android version upgrades and mere 1 year of security patches which is rather limiting.
Unless a pure distilled OS is important for you, Samsung‘s feature packed OneUI nudges ahead of Lenovo‘s cleaner but more basic build of Android. And you get support for twice as many years with Samsung which is invaluable.
Winner: Samsung
Battery
Tab S8 Ultra packs an 11,200 mAh battery which lasts over 12.5 hours of continuous video playback thanks to a power efficient screen. 30 minutes of charge with the 65W adapter also takes the mammoth battery from 0 to 45%. Lenovo too offers similar screen-on times over 13 hours on its 10,200 mAh pack. It implements 68W charging allowing 0 to 50% top up in just 30 minutes.
Both brands also utilize AI based adaptive charging technology to preserve long term battery capacity when charging overnight. Overall between extremely optimized hardware and charging tech on both fronts, battery life is no concern no matter which you choose.
Winner: Tie
Deciding Between The Two
So to recap, here is a simple scorecard across all parameters discussed:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Design and Construction | Tie |
| Display Quality | Samsung |
| Performance | Samsung |
| Cameras | Tie |
| Software | Samsung |
| Battery Life | Tie |
As we‘ve seen in this Samsung vs Lenovo tablet comparison, the Tab S8 Ultra clinches victory in most head-to-head rounds to be crowned as the superior tablet overall. Being the more premium option, it pulls no punches when it comes to industrial design, display tech, raw power or features.
But the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro is no pushover matching Samsung blow for blow on battery stats, software fluidity and core performance. More importantly for budget conscious buyers, it retails for nearly half the price of Samsung‘s flagship.
So while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra takes pole position as 2022‘s top-rated Android tablet, the Tab P12 Pro secures runner-up spot with its killer value proposition. Unless you want the best of the best without regards to cost, Lenovo serves as a highly compelling alternative especially for casual multimedia use.
I hope this detailed face-off has helped you gain perspective to decide the right premium tablet purchase for your specific needs between Samsung and Lenovo‘s finest. Do drop any feedback or queries in comments below!
