The early indications are that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 tablet series is proving very popular with consumers: preorders on the standard Galaxy Tab S8 and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra are now paused in the US while Samsung takes a breather.
XDA Developers spotted the development and got a comment from Samsung, revealing that the preorder pause is down to “overwhelming demand” during the first 48 hours that the tablets were available to order in advance.
“We are thrilled by the consumer response to our new Galaxy Tab S8 lineup,” Samsung says. “We are working quickly to meet consumer excitement and demand. Please stay tuned for more updates.”
Pressing pause
There's no indication yet if preorders will open up again in the US before the devices officially go on sale on February 25. For now the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus is still available to preorder, but that might not be the case for long.
We haven't heard any reports of preorders being halted anywhere outside of the US, and at the time of writing all the models were still showing as in stock and available to preorder in the UK.
With manufacturers expected to have to deal with the ongoing global chip shortage until next year at least, it's perhaps not surprising that Samsung is having some availability issues with its new tablets – but let's hope they don't last long.
Analysis: Android tablet fans are out there
The news that Samsung has had to pause preorders on the Galaxy Tab S8 and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra would suggest that the demand is there when it comes to Android tablets – as long as manufacturers are prepared to put out premium products in this category.
For a long time the Apple iPads have been the go to slates for people interested in the tablet form factor, and Apple has done a good job of covering multiple price points and sizes with its range – see the iPad mini, the iPad Pro, and so on. There's always the Amazon Fire tablets if you're on a budget as well.
But the same benefits that you get from an Android phone are also true of Android tablets: more customization options, fewer restrictions, and not being shut into the Apple ecosystem. It's a shame that both the hardware and the software have let down potential Android tablet buyers in recent years.
Let's hope the arrival of Android 12L and the Galaxy Tab S8 series are the start of a genuinely competitive Android tablet market – though other companies are also going to have to stand up and be counted with premium Android slates of their own.
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