Review: Samsung Galaxy Tab A, the perfect tablet for everyday use

Galaxy Tab A is the perfect choice for less demanding users looking for a not too expensive tablet but with good performance

For those who want something bigger than a smartphone, but are not willing to carry a notebook everywhere, a tablet remains their best option.

Thinking about it, the Samsung invested in a new model of its intermediate line of tablets with the new Tab A, a perfect device for use in the simplest to the most complex tasks.

THE Samsung yielded one Galaxy Tab A to Showmetech for testing and, after a few weeks of use, we bring you a complete analysis of the device, highlighting its main qualities and some attributes that could be improved to ensure a better user experience.

Design and canvas

Anyone looking quickly will not notice many changes in the design of the tablet compared to previous models. Tab A slightly larger than its predecessor, with an increase of 10.1 inches to 10.5 inches, and in its latest models, the Samsung opted for the simplest and cleanest possible look (nothing more than the logo on the top of the device).

Galaxy Tab AThe screen quality is good, even in high or low light.

The physical home button has also been removed, being replaced by the native Android button. The only buttons on the device are the power button and the volume buttons, which are on the upper right side of the device. However, the decision to place these two boats on the same side and as close together can be a little uncomfortable.

There were many times that, during the tests, I ended up pressing the power button instead of one of the volume buttons, or vice versa. This confusing design decision, as the boats could be on each side of the device, like the Samsung usually do with their smartphones.

O Tab A also thinner, having only 8 mm of thickness. The entire front of the device is protected by a special Gorilla Glass 4 glass, while its rear is made of plastic which, even though it does not look like it, gives a high quality and flexibility to not let the tablet slip from the user's hands. It is possible to hold the device firmly in any position without much effort.

Galaxy Tab AThe Tab A's rear design allows you to hold the device firmly with just one hand.

The Tab A screen is one of its great highlights. She has 1920 × 1200 resolution pixels of the WUXGA type, which equals a pixel density of 216 PPI. The brightness generated by the screen ensures good lighting in both low and high light environments, so you don't have to worry about reflections when using the tablet outdoors during the day.

audio

Certainly one of the items that surprises in the Galaxy Tab A your sound system. The device has four speakers that support Dolby Atmos technology.

The tablet's sound enhancement program can be activated via Android's sound settings and includes an equalizer as well as sound profiles for videos, voice and various other styles of music. In addition, when changing the position of the tablet from portrait to landscape mode, the device automatically adjusts the sound surround virtual.

But even with the good sound quality that Dolby Atmos offers, it is not able to turn the Galaxy Tab A into a musical concert that fits in your hand. In the tests, I noticed that while the sound system has good and linear treble, the bass is very weak.

Hardware and games

The tablet equipped with Qualcomn Snapdragon 450 media processor, with an internal processor ARM Cortex A53 which can reach a processing frequency of up to 1.8 GHz. In addition, the interior of the device has a memory of 3 GB of RAM and an integrated GPU Qualcomn Adreno 506.

Together, all of these components offer a good, but brilliant, system performance that can handle everyday tasks without much difficulty. Even performing several simultaneous tasks such as downloading apps, using social networks, e-mail, or even playing games, the tablet's performance didn't present any problems.

Even with this robust hardware, it cannot be said that the Galaxy Tab A an ideal device for games. In tests with the GameBench app, not all games available for mobile devices will run normally on the tablet.

When testing Shadow Fight 3 – a game not very demanding in terms of graphics – it ran stably in 50 FPS with details to the fullest.

J for PUBG Mobile, a game that needs more processing power, the performance of Tab A has reached its limit. Even with the graphic settings selected for balanced mode, the game had an average of 26 FPS, a very low mark for such a game.

When testing the game Hearthstone, some choking occurred, but I don't know if they were due to connection problems or the performance of the device.

O Galaxy Tab A is available in versions with 32 or 64 GB of storage. The version sent for our tests was 32 GB, which is left with about 22 GB free after the initial configurations were made. However, it is possible to increase the storage of the tablet with a Micro-SD, capable of boosting its capacity by up to 400 GB!

The connection port for charging and transferring data from the Galaxy Tab A to a port USB Type-C USB 2.0 speed connection supported. In addition, the device also features a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack and magnetic connectors for a separate keyboard or case.

Software

Galaxy Tab A runs the back 8.1 (Oreo) Android, however, with changes to and adjustments to software characteristic of Samsung devices. The interface runs the Samsung Experience 9.5. Although this interface program offers several additional configurations to the device, navigation is very similar to what Android users are already used to.

In addition, the device comes with mandatory Google apps, as well as a selection of Microsoft apps like Word, Excel and Skype. Finally, there is still the Samsung app package as a file manager and the Galaxy Apps app store.

As a more family-oriented tablet, Galaxy Tab A introduces the Kids Mode, a special mode of tablet settings for child use. When accessing the mode, the program transforms the device's interface to a simpler form with special apps and games.

If you slide to the right from the home screen you will access the Bixby Home, another app already installed on the tablet that offers a compilation of news, warnings, weather information and other activities that you can customize. You can still connect your social networks as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to receive updates directly through the Bixby Home interface.

It is important to note that during the tests with the device, no bugs or flaws were found in the execution of native or installed apps, nor in the software interface. Moving icons or changing screens quickly and easily, without any gagging, even when several programs are suspended in the background.

Cameras

The photographic features are not the highlight of the Galaxy Tab A, but Samsung has equipped the device with two cameras that meet the needs of occasional photos. The main rear camera of 8 MP has a flash and auto focus, and can take pictures in up to 3264 × 2448 resolution pixels.

Galaxy Tab AThe rear camera is not very prominent, but it produces good quality photos.

However, it is important to remember that if you want photos in the format 16: 9, the resolution will reduce to 6 MP. Videos can be shot on Full HD with 30 FPS with both the rear camera and the front camera 5 MP.

Both cameras offer several ways to take pictures. The rear camera allows the user to take pictures in panorama, HDR and Burst mode. The front camera is recommended for selfies and more casual photos as it includes stickers and other fun options to customize the image.

Both cameras support the feature Bixby Vision, an augmented reality app that allows instant text translation, location identification and QR code reading.

As we can see in the photos taken with the tablet's cameras, the Galaxy Tab A takes decent photos, although its quality cannot be compared with Samsung's high-end smartphones. The images always look a little dark, even under ideal lighting. In addition, some details of the images are not captured properly.

It is evident that the cameras on Tab A do not deal very well with poor ambient lighting. Even so, we can say that for a simpler and day-to-day use the image qualities of both cameras are sufficient to meet less demanding users.

Drums

Power consumption and battery life are two aspects that the Tab A user will not have to worry about. Whether in sleep mode or in use, the tablet can support itself with a small amount of energy being spent. In a comparison, there is only another similar device on the market that consumes less energy than Tab A: the Acer Iconia Tab 10.

During testing, Tab A showed how sturdy its battery. He was able to stay on and using the Wi-Fi connection for about 15 hours on just one battery charge. That amount of time almost two hours longer than its predecessor lasted (which was already quite impressive).

When playing videos in high resolution and in full screen, the tablet is able to stay connected for up to 16 hours. No battery life tests have been carried out using the mobile data connection via 4G, but it is expected that energy consumption will be almost double when this type of connection is used.

For daily use, Tab A is perfect as it is possible to use the device without worrying about energy expenditure throughout the day and just leaving it charging overnight. In addition, the Samsung fast-charger that comes with the device allows charging the battery of the tablet very fast, taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach its full charge in our tests.

Final considerations

The Galaxy Tab A is a good quality medium performance tablet from Samsung. Costing about 1,600 reaisIt is an interesting investment for users who do not want a notebook, but also do not want a device with high capacity and processing power. If you want a tablet to be able to use on a daily basis, on the road, for simple tasks (and for fun, of course), Tab A is a great choice.

Galaxy Tab ALooking for a good-performing tablet for an affordable price? The Tab Your perfect choice!

Of all the tablet's weaknesses, certainly one that future buyers and users need to be aware of is the quality of their cameras, even though they are more than enough for use in selfies or video chats. And even if it doesn't have a biometric reader like Samsung's latest smartphones, it has identification via easy recognition, making the task of unlocking it simple and practical.

Galaxy Tab A technical specification

YES

Screen Type

CPU and GPU

ONLY

RAM

Storage

Screen Resolution

Camera

Front Camera

Wi-Fi

GPS

audio

Sadas

Drums

Rdio

Product Weight

Dimensions

Colors

4G

Just a NanoSIM card
10.5 ″ Gorilla Glass (1200 x 1920)
Qualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 (Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) andAdreno 506
Android 8.1 Oreo
3 GB
32 GB (expandable to 400 GB)
1200 x 1920 pixels
8 MP; single LED flash; HDR
5 MP
802.11 A / B / G / N
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
4 speakers
USB Type-C 2.0, Type-C; P2 (3.5mm) for headphones
7300 mAh (Fast charging)
FM radio
529g (Wi-Fi), 534g (LTE)
260 x 161.1 x 8 mm
Black, Blue and White
Cat4 LTE at up to 150 Mbps

Samsung Galaxy Tab A

  • Design – 8/10
  • Performance – 9/10
  • Cameras – 8/10
  • Sound – 8/10
  • Drums – 9/10

8.4 / 10

Verdict

With a robust configuration and exhibiting good performance for simple and complex tasks, the Galaxy Tab is the perfect option for those looking for a tablet that combines practicality with a good price.

Pros

  • Rear design avoids possible falls;
  • High definition and quality screen;
  • High capacity battery;
  • Good performance with multiple applications running.

Cons

  • Not recommended for games;
  • Cameras with reasonable quality.