I purchased a new Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G (T-Mobile) two weeks ago. I put a SIM card in and finished the setup process. When I try to make a phone call, a message shows up "Check your phone and this tablet to make sure Call & text on other devices is turned on". Samsung checked the tablet remotely and sent a replacement device. Same situation. Today I was told by Samsung that the tablet can't make regular phone calls using just the SIM card and that it needs to be connected to another device. The 5G/LTE capability is basically for data only. Are you serious?! All of my old Samsung tablets were able to make phone calls by just using the SIM card. That's a big step backwards and makes me think if I should switch to Apple, or at least to a Non-Samsung device. The information from Samsung reps (and TMO as well) were contradicting. So what is true? Can the Galaxy Tab S8+ make phone calls (without being connected to another phone) or not?
SIM card service for tablets has always been data only. The only way to make calls is to have it paired with a mobile phone. The call is then routed using the phone's cellular connection.
That's not correct. I've been using a Galaxy Tab S2 (9.7") for almost 2 years with the same SIM card and I can make and receive phone calls without problems. This old tablet doesn't even support the "Call and text on other devices" feature.
Doesn't fix the problem, since the tablet is needed for work and the SIM card is the business phone number. It might be a workaround, but then you could just purchase the Wifi version of the tablet. I returned the tablet to Samsung and ordered the European model, had a friend test it and it works. No additional app or device needed, just make calls via SIM card and the native Android phone app. I don't understand why Samsung is doing this.
Hello! Thank you for reaching out! I can definitely see how using your tablet for calls can be useful. As @LongHiker was saying this feature will only work when the phone and tablet are being paired. And both the tablet and the phone must be on the same wi-fi network. I would recommend using the link below to help get everything set up. If this is still not working you can also try getting a new sim card for your tablet
