Samsung 12.4" Mystic Black Review

The refurbished Galaxy Tab S7+ is a stellar deal for media lovers on a budget. Its gorgeous 12.4-inch OLED screen and huge 512GB storage are still best-in-class features. At around $320, you're getting last-gen's flagship build for a mid-range price. Just know you're buying into older software and average battery life, not cutting-edge performance.

Let's talk about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, but specifically this Geek Squad Certified Refurbished model. You're looking at a high-end tablet from a few years back, now hitting the refurbished market at a price that makes you stop and think. It's a 12.4-inch OLED powerhouse that was designed to be a laptop alternative, complete with a super-responsive S Pen in the box. The core pitch here is simple: you get flagship-tier hardware—that stunning screen, tons of storage, a sleek design—for a fraction of its original cost, with the caveat that it's running older software and its raw performance isn't what it used to be.

Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, a chip that was top-tier in 2020. In our database, its CPU and GPU performance now sit around the middle of the pack compared to modern tablets. That means it's perfectly capable for daily tasks like web browsing, streaming video, and light gaming, but you'll feel it start to sweat if you push it with heavy multitasking or demanding apps. The benchmarks back up the real-world feel: this isn't a speed demon anymore, but it's far from slow. It's a solid, reliable performer for most things you'd actually do on a tablet.

Here's where this deal gets interesting. At around $320 for a refurbished model, you're paying a fraction of what this tablet cost new. You're essentially trading top-tier, current-gen performance for last-gen's premium build and materials. For that price, you get an unbeatable screen and generous storage that still compete with new tablets costing twice as much. The value proposition is all about prioritizing media consumption and casual use over cutting-edge speed or software support.

Stack it up against the obvious competition, and the trade-offs are clear. A similarly priced new tablet, like the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 12.7", will give you a newer version of Android and likely a better chip, but its LCD screen won't touch this OLED. The Apple iPad Pro (even an older model) will run circles around it in app optimization and raw performance for creative work, but you'll pay more and need to buy a stylus separately. The Microsoft Surface Pro is in another league as a true laptop replacement, but again, at a much higher entry cost. The Tab S7+ sits in a unique spot: it offers a premium media experience that cheaper new tablets can't match, but asks you to compromise on software and long-term support.

Don't buy this if you need a tablet for serious, daily productivity work. Our scoring shows this is its weakest area (26.1/100). DeX mode is clever, but Android still isn't as polished as Windows or even iPadOS for multitasking with complex apps. If you plan to write long documents, manage spreadsheets, or do heavy photo editing regularly, you'll be fighting the software. Look instead at a refurbished Microsoft Surface Pro or a base model iPad with a keyboard. Also, avoid it if having the latest Android features and long-term security updates is a priority. You're buying into an older software ecosystem.

Buy this refurbished Tab S7+ if your main goal is consuming content. If you want a beautiful, large screen for watching movies, reading comics, and browsing the web, and you value having tons of built-in storage, this is a fantastic deal. The S Pen is a great bonus for casual note-takers or doodlers. Think of it as a premium media slate that happens to do other things okay. Skip it if you need a true productivity workhorse or care about having the latest software. The Android 10 foundation and middling productivity scores mean it's not the best tool for serious multi-app workflows or as your primary computing device. For that, even a cheaper new Windows 2-in-1 or a base model iPad would be a more focused choice.