Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 was recently made available in Nepal.
It is an update to the existing Tab A7 Lite which was released last year. It’s not exactly a multitasking or performance tablet, but it offers a lot more than its predecessor. It can be a great media tablet, especially for watching movies, reading books, browsing the internet, or taking online classes. However, its performance in the market is still uncertain given the presence of better competitors.
Let’s get into the details of the tab.
Characteristics
| Dimension | Height: 246.8mm Width: 161.9mm Thickness: 6.9mm Weight: 508 grams |
| To display | 10.5 inch TFT |
| Simulator | Nano-SIM |
| Resolution | 1200*1920 pixel |
| SE | Android 11, One UI 3 |
| chipset | Unisoc Tiger T618 (12nm) |
| GPUs | Mali G52 MP2 |
| Storage room | 32GB/64GB/128GB |
| SD card slot | Dedicated |
| RAM | 3GB/4GB |
| Camera | Front: 5MP Rear: 8MP |
| Ring | 4 stereo speakers 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Battery | 7040mAh, Li-Po, non-removable 15W fast charge |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Proximity Gyro Compass Hall effect sensor light sensor |
| Colors | Grey, silver, pink, gold |
| Price | Rs 31,999 (4/64GB Wifi only) Rs 37,999 (LTE variant) Rs 40,999 (4/128GB LTE variant) |
Design and display
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has a solid metal construction on the back. The rear of the tab also houses the camera panel and the Samsung branding is done perfectly. Unlike Samsung Galaxy phones, branding is done vertically. Although having a huge backup battery, the tab is only 6.9mm thick and weighs around 508 grams.
On the front, there is a 10.5 inch TFT LCD display which has a maximum resolution of 1920*1200 pixels. This large screen can be very handy for surfing the web, streaming videos or for virtual classes. Samsung has one of the best screens around and this tab should be no exception.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 also has four stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, which can be extremely loud and can add a nice audio experience for the big screen. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack on the tab if you need some privacy.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 only has a minimal camera setup. It has only one camera on the back and front. On the front, there is a 5MP selfie camera and an 8MP camera on the back. The rear camera has autofocus and can record videos in 1080p resolution. The front camera can also record videos in the same resolution but does not have autofocus. There are camera features such as portrait mode, pro mode, panorama, hyper-lapse, and food mode.
The camera spec on the tab says it’s mostly good for scanning documents or attending virtual classes. The front camera should be better than most laptops and should come in handy during virtual meetings and classes.
Performance and battery life
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 runs on One UI 3 based on Android 11 and is powered by Unisoc Tiger T618 (12nm) chipset. Tab graphics are handled by Mali G52 MP2. Samsung is very clear about users here. The chipset on the tab says it’s not the fastest on the market and shouldn’t expect heavy work or intense gaming sessions from it.
However, that doesn’t mean it can’t perform basic tasks. It’s perfectly equipped to perform basic tasks like editing with Google Docs, web browsing, checking email, or normal gaming. It will also provide the same user experience as Samsung phones, so if the user has a Samsung phone, the tab should look familiar to them.
Bringing the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 to life is a non-removable 7040mAh Li-po battery. The tab can be charged with a 15W fast charger. This power should be enough for longer session use and should come in handy when interacting online or surfing the web.
Storage, connectivity and price
Samsung currently offers three variants of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 in Nepal. There are only 4/64GB Wi-Fi, 4/64GB LTE and 4/128GB LTE variants. The tab’s storage can also be expanded with a microSD card and there’s a dedicated slot for that.
The tab supports single nano sim. For more connectivity, the tab has Bluetooth 5.0 and uses USB Type-C 2.0.
The starting price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is Rs 31,999 for the base 4/64GB Wifi variant only. Prices are set at Rs 37,999 for the LTE variant and Rs 40,999 for the LTE 4/128 GB variant.
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 puts buyers in a sticky situation. The price of 40,999 for the 4/128 GB variant rivals Xiaomi’s Pad 5 which costs Rs 44,999 for a 6/128 GB variant. Not to mention that the Pad 5 is a powerful tablet and is better than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8 in all sectors. The Pad 5 has a bigger, better screen with a higher refresh rate and higher resolution. It also has a powerful chipset, larger battery backup and faster charger. It can really put the buyer in a dilemma if one has to spend so much money on Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 for minimal features rather than opting for Xiaomi’s Pad 5.
However, if one does not need additional and powerful features and only needs a tablet for multimedia purposes, the basic variant will be the best option. Spending more on better storage and on the LTE variant seems a bit excessive with the existence of the Pad 5.