Verdict
The Galaxy Tab A8 is an affordable pad of paper that ’s got a decent screen and reliable battery life . However during our mental testing we happen the carrying into action levels are very underwhelming , the photographic camera is n’t great , and it takes a while to charge back up . This makes it a mediocre choice in today ’s tablet market place .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Galaxy Tab A8 is Samsung ’s tar to the budget final stage of the pill grocery – a far cry from the luxury of all - babble out , all - dancingGalaxy Tab S8 Ultra .
If you splash out on this gimmick , you ’ll get a 10.2 - in blind with a large 7040mAh battery for an affordable Leontyne Price – but does it perform its fundamental functions well , or does it amount to less than the sum of its part ?
Design
In keeping with most pad of paper on the market , the Galaxy Tab A8 is not a flashy gimmick in terms of its color or purpose . Our review sample has a dark gray rear control board , and the only suggestion of any flair is a slenderly lite - intone stripe running along one bound . Other than that and the photographic camera lens , it just appears as a large grey slate . Most crucially , it has a mat rather than glossy finish on this back jury , so that it does n’t roleplay as a magnet for fingerprint and blot .
However , while it ’s a grow trend for large - covert devices to cut down on the bezels around the side of the CRT screen , this one still has rather pregnant black bar at the edges , and though they are at least unvarying in size ( unlike theiPad 9 ) , it would look more sympathetic with a minimal frame around the edges . Having said that , we have at least been spared the unsightly in - display pass that was regrettably present on the stain ’s flagship tab , theGalaxy Tab S8 Ultra .
The lozenge still retains the 3.5 millimetre headphone jack for pumped audio playback that has long since been overlook by many premium smartphones , include Samsung ’s ownGalaxy S22series , and it ’s get down a dedicated MicroSD placard time slot too if you require to flesh out the storage or change picture from your camera more easily . This latter feature may shew especially useful given that , of the base - level 32 GB storage , only 18.2 GB is actually usable to practice after system requirement and pre - set up apps are taken care of .
When it descend to unlock the pad , you ’ve got the option of using a PIN , a pattern , or present unlock . All of these methods worked responsively for me , without irritatingly long postponement or false negatives . The tablet also did a fairly becoming enough occupation of reorientating itself when impress from a landscape painting position to portrait and frailty versa , although this could be jerky and did sometimes leave me wait an additional few second for the right orientation .
Unfortunately , the Galaxy Tab A8 does n’t have anIP rating , so we ca n’t be on the nose trusted of how it would manage with exposure to piddle or rubble . What ’s more , the maker has not state whether the display is made of Gorilla Glass or a likewise simoleons - tolerant textile . However , the frame still felt physically robust and did not flex under duress , so I do n’t think you ’ll need to care about your child breaking the equipment unless a very large amount of force is exerted .
Nonetheless , if you ’re buying this I ’d still recommend arrest a case for a few reasons . Firstly I did notice a couple of scuffs on one of the corners after my calendar week with it ( see above ) , which could otherwise have been fend off . second , it does have a large screen door that could be vulnerable to scratching if it ’s not cover up . third , a case with a work up - in supporting would let you to prop this 508 yard equipment up on a table or your lab without you need to hold it yourself for the duration of a photographic film , for example .
Screen
The CRT screen measure 10.2 - inches , and I found this to be a fairly good size for watching motion picture and TV series when it ’s prop up up in front of you , and when it ’s lying flat on a table top it ’s also a honorable size of it for show through clause or webpages without you having to move it closer to your face .
The display isLCDrather thanOLED , which means that the contrast is n’t everlasting and you ’ll lose out those majestic deep blacks that characterise organic light-emitting diode . Samsung is usually a champion of OLED screen , even on its budget smartphones , so it ’s a piece of shame that it has n’t fetch that expertness to accept on this gimmick . The showing supports over 16 million colour , which is a good grade of colour depth , and the result is 1200 x 1920p .
While this quality would be very good for a smartphone of the same price , you are more mindful of its shortcoming on a larger - screen out tablet as it ’s not as super - sharp as you might be used to when follow the same content on a high caliber animation elbow room goggle box , for instance .
I spent hours using this equipment to follow films and TV shows , and though the screen is not the very good around it is still gamy enough quality to savor what you ’re watching . Whether watching shiny Netflix documentary film , stoppage - coloured animated moving picture , or lushly photograph artsy picture show , this pad give a decent accounting of them that was skilful enough to keep me amused . I never found myself specially rag by the screen ’s limitations in this setting .
When this pill catches the visible light , it does unfortunately reverberate quite a significant amount of it , so that if a threshold or windowpane opens near you on a cheery day then you could suddenly be treated to a blaze chink of light in the middle of you screen that reveals a few fingermark smear or your own face gaze back at you .
The display ’s brightness is n’t strong enough to surmount this problem , which means that it ’s not the best for watching something outside – you ’d be good off just using it indoors .
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 runs on a Unisoc Tiger T618 chipset . I ’d never follow across this 12 nm atomic number 14 before , and frankly I ’d be glad if I never number across it again .
The performance levels of this twist are pretty miserable , and this is seeable both in industry benchmarking test and in literal - life usage . I used the base manikin , which has just 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of store blank space .
I put this tablet through Geekbench 5 benchmarks , to measure its CPU power ( which prescribe general performance ) , and 3DMark tests , to measure the output of its GPU ( which relates to its play potential difference ) . Below you’re able to see the result in a table , and you’re able to slide across to see how it stacks up against its peer .
Test Data
The 3-D Mark Wild Life Stress test has no economic value for the Tab A8 because it only could n’t run . While this tablet does surmount the cheaperGalaxy Tab A7 , as you should expect , it ca n’t hold a candela to the performance of iPads or premium Android tablets .
What ’s more , these benchmarking psychometric test are n’t just theory ; in practice , the tablet often struggles to execute . Demanding games are a no - go .
There ’s shake lag when you ’re play racing games like Asphalt 9 that is extremely distracting , and if you hap to have other apps feed in the background at the same fourth dimension then the hitches make the biz nigh - on unplayable . This shortcoming is quite a disgrace , because playing racing or action games on a tablet should sense like a merriment and immersive experience .
When run light games , such as online chess , I did n’t notice any problems at all , and once again the form factor of a big screen greatly enhanced my use ; puzzle games can be a bit of a fiddle even on large - filmdom smartphones , but the sizing here was just right and gave me a exchangeable impression to play a strong-arm tabletop secret plan . I also never noticed problems with lag or freezing when using the interface of teem apps such as Netflix or MUBI .
However , when flicking between apps , there was noticeable lag and even a couple of times when the screen just froze for a few seconds . Closing one app and get into another sometimes necessitated a pause and on occasion the CRT screen would register that you ’d touched a different app . Even search the equipment ’s own preferences menu take an years . Using the camera app became torturous because it was so juddery . If you ’re design to habituate your tablet for anything more than light web browsing , simple apps , and television playback , then you should buy one with a spot more brawn , such as theiPad 9or its successor .
Another headache was that I noticed that my Wi - Fi connection occasionally dropped out on this pad of paper while at the same time remain strong on my smartphone and laptop . The variant we tested was Wi - Fi only , lacking mobile connectivity , and so any outage was very frustrating .
As for this twist ’s software , it runsAndroid 11 . This is not the best package system for Android , since apps are often ill optimised for the larger - sieve experience on pad , and tend to make poor use of the extra available outer space . However , it does at least grant you access to all the many apps on the Play Store , including your preferent social medium apps , streaming servicing , and mobile biz .
There are few frills that amount with Samsung ’s One UI sheathing either , away from the addition of a few extra apps on showtime - up , like the Galaxy Store , Samsung Notes , and other proprietary programme . One jot that I did specially like was the option for dynamical ringlet screens . Simply swipe leave behind on the lock screen and you ’ll be give a menu of image libraries from which you’re able to choose a musical theme ( shown above ) . Then , every time you start up the tablet there will be a different impression to greet you . This search specially good on the Tab A8 ’s 10.2 - inch blind , and can help unexpectedly lighten up your solar day .
Battery Life
Battery life is one of this tablet ’s cardinal forcefulness , and that ’s specially majuscule news when you ’re taking on a long - distance trip-up such as a fussy - country coach trip or a long - haul flight .
I did the latter , a nine hour transatlantic flight , and over the course of that long lidless journey I watched three time of day - prospicient documentary installment and two full - length feature films . Afterwards the barrage fire was still on 60 % , having start the trip at its full complement . It ’s highly reassuring to know that you’re able to count on this gadget for endurance .
To break down its shelling performance into more specific example , I found that one hour of streaming Netflix take the shelling down by 6 % , and half an hr of light play took it down by 3 % . The only element where it struggled , and this likely wo n’t surprise you feed how it performed , was intensive gaming ; half an time of day knock 8 % off the barrage fire , move over another reason to avert playing ask video game on this platform .
I was also relieved to see that the Galaxy Tab A8 did not importantly put down overnight , lose just 2 % of battery after around nine hours on standby .
However , the flipside to this good barrage life is that recharging does take quite some time – about one hr and forty minutes from empty to full , with this lozenge ’s 15W exponent fit .
This means that if you all of a sudden realise that you ’ve forget to charge your tablet before a misstep , then madly stop up in before your going is improbable to do much good , and you ’ll only get about 5 % of tutelage every ten minutes . by and large speaking tablets do lack the tight - charging chop of smartphones , so this gadget is far from the only offender , but it still could be a potential frustration . Naturally , there ’s no wireless accuse choice either .
Camera
Your lozenge ’s tv camera timber may not have even been a Ping River on your radio detection and ranging in old years , given that most multitude rely on their smartphones for taking snap . However , since the pandemic we ’ve examine a dramatic rise in telecasting career , and tablet can often be the most convenient machine to use for this function .
We still do n’t expect tablets to meet the high standard of forward-looking smartphone photography , but they should at least be usable .
The above pictorial matter was taken by the 5 - megapixel selfie camera , the snapper you ’re most probable to use regularly on your tab , and it ’s grainy and washed - out ; this effect is even worse in television musical mode , where harsher light sources can completely flood the electron lens , making it intemperately to see your face .
You will be capable to nurse a TV call on this twist , and it may even be better than your laptop ’s webcam ( though that says more about the computer than the tablet ) , but the calibre is still fallible and for certain wo n’t get you depend your best when you ’re verbalise on Skype or on Zoom . If you ’re thinking of using the picture call function in a professional setting , rather than just scream family and friends for a chat , then I ’d particularly advocate you take a look at higher - end tablets , specially the iPad or the iPad Air .
As for the rear camera , I ’d await that you ’d only use this in a tight arrest if you found yourself temporarily away from your smartphone or camera , so its public presentation does not greatly affect my assessment of this tablet . The pictures above were taken with the 8 - megapixel rear television camera , and they ’re nothing limited – but if you just want to make a ocular banknote of something for future reference or to share chop-chop with friends , then it will do the Book of Job .
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Should you buy it?
and complete basic tasks then this one ’s not bad , with the barrage aliveness being a finicky highlight .
– and if you ’d front at your honorable on TV claim – then you should ward off it .
Final Thoughts
The Galaxy Tab A8 is by no means a tour de force of a tablet , and its miserable performance standard is a in particular disappointing low note . It also wo n’t be the best for TV calls , give the underwhelming face - facing camera , and it takes quite a long prison term to charge back up .
However , if you ’re just wait for a modestly - priced traveling fellow to watch videos on , or use simple apps , then you could do far bad than this one ; the screen is still good enough quality to enjoy photographic film and TV display , and the battery life offers impressive endurance that will well see you through long - distance voyages .
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FAQs
There ’s no prescribed information science rating , so we ’re not sure how it would react if exposed to water or dust
The Galaxy Tab A8 has a 10.2 - inch screen
It runs on Android 11 software
Full Specs
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