Samsung is infamous for its great-quality phones and tablets. More specifically, they are known for their Galaxy line products. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 was released in 2019 while Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in 2020. Both tablets are relatively new and it might be difficult to understand which one fits your needs the most. So, here is a full and detailed comparison of Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Lite, which will help you decide and make a more informed decision if either tablet is for you.
Design
Regarding the design, both tablets look very similar. The design is modern and sleek. It has an aluminum back and frame. This provides a high-end feel. The corners are rounded. Additionally, both tablets come in 3 different colors. Therefore, you have the option to choose which tone will suit your style the most.
It must be noted that colors will vary depending on which model you choose. For instance, Galaxy Tab S6 comes in Mountain Gray, Cloud Blue, Rose Blush, while S6 Lite comes in Chiffon Pink, Angora Blue, Oxford Gray. That said, as evident from the names, the colors are pretty much the same and there might be a small difference in tone. Therefore, irrespective of which tablet you would choose, you would have an option to have it in gray, blue, or pink color.
Additionally, it must be noted that the biggest difference is the positioning of the stylus. Galaxy Tab S6 comes with an S Pen stylus that has a specifically designed place at the back of the tablet. The stylus can be magnetically attached to the back of the tablet. Furthermore, once the stylus is attached, it will automatically start charging. In fact, it will take only 60 to 90 minutes to get it fully charged. This is very useful if you are the type of person that uses a stylus for everything because you will never have to worry about running out of charge or forgetting it since it will be attached to the back.
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite does not come with a compartment for the S Pen stylus. Instead, the stylus magnetically sticks to the edge of the tablet, making it easily accessible at any point. Unfortunately, the S6 Lite stylus is not Bluetooth integrated. This means that the stylus is more basic and will be missing some features, such as snapping pictures by using the pen. At least, however, it does not require any charging. Therefore, you would not have to ever worry about running out of charge.
In conclusion, both tablets have a very similar design with only having different stylus specs and their placement.
Dimensions
As with the design, the dimensions and weight are similar. Galaxy S6 is a 10.5-inch tablet. Therefore, the dimensions are 9.63 x 6.28 inches. It is only 5.7 mm thick and weighs 420 grams. This makes this tablet perfect for most tasks since it is big enough for watching movies while still being compact to carry with you everywhere since it will fit in most bags and backpacks.
Similarly, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a 10.4- inch tablet. The dimensions are 9.63 x 6.07 inches. It is 7 mm thick and will weigh 467 grams. Overall, it is a well-sized tablet that is light enough to be considered travel-friendly. As with Galaxy Tab S6, S6 Lite will fit in most medium-sized bags and backpacks.
When comparing both tablets, both are almost the same size. However, there is only one big difference. That is the thickness of the tablet. Galaxy S6 is 5.7 mm thick while S6 Lite is 7 mm thick. This respectively changes the weight of the tablet. In practical terms, this difference should not be noticeable and both should fit comfortably in your palm. Furthermore, both tablets are respectively lightweight and can be considered as travel-friendly. Therefore, it depends on your preferences and if the thickness of your tablet does matter to you for everyday use.
Display
Regarding the display, there is a massive difference between these two models. Galaxy S6 Lite has the classic LTPS TFT capacitive touchscreen. This means that the backlight is being used to produce the image. However, Galaxy Tab S6 has the Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. This type of display is thinner than the classic LCD display because the capacitive touchscreen is blended right inside the display. This also means that the responsiveness of the touchscreen improves and also explains why Galaxy S6 is thinner than Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.
Additionally, AMOLED offers a wide range of colors with an incredible degree of color clarity and greater resolution. This is achieved through direct pixel-to-pixel control. In fact, the display resolution for S6 is 1600 x 2560 pixels which is around 287 pixels per inch. This can be considered as a very good resolution and will brilliant picture quality. Therefore, a better quality picture on display will be produced and an exceptional viewing experience can be achieved.
Regarding the resolution, S6 Lite has 1200 x 2000 pixels, which equals 224 pixels per inch. Unfortunately, this is not the best resolution. It will produce a clear image, but it will not have the highest quality or as good as it would be with the Galaxy Tab S6. Therefore, it will satisfy your every day needs but will be lacking if you are planning to use your tablet for creative projects.
Lastly, both tablets have a bezel around the edges of the display. More specifically, the screen-to-body ratio for Galaxy S6 is approximately 82.5 % while for S6 Lite it is approximately 81.6%. The bezel is smaller for S6 than S6 Lite. However, the difference is minimal and does not make a massive difference.
In conclusion, both options are good but which tablet would be suitable for you will depend on how you plan to use your tablet. Considering the provided information, it can be stated that Galaxy Tab S6 will be a better match for you if you plan to use your tablet for creative projects, drawing, or if you plan to use Adobe Photoshop. However, if you need a tablet for everyday use, such as internet surfing, video calling, and watching tv, Galaxy S6 Lite will satisfy your needs, especially considering it is cheaper than S6.
Performance
Regarding the performance, both tablets are very different. Galaxy Tab S6 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, Kryo 485 CPU, and Adreno 650 GPU. This combination will provide good performance for video games, as well as for creative endeavors. This combination should provide up to 45% faster single-core performance and 35% multi-core performance than its predecessor, such as Snapdragon 845.
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has Exynos 9611 chipset, octa-core CPU, and Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. In practical terms, the performance will not be as great as it will be for Galaxy Tab S6. Snapdragon 855 chipset provides a better CPU and GPU performance. This is also because developers optimize games for Snapdragon processors more than for Exynos. Therefore, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite cannot be considered as a great option if you plan to do gaming on your tablet.
Both tablets have different RAM memory specs. Galaxy S6 comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This is more than enough to enable you to play the newest games and apps without issues. That said, you can also choose more memory if you feel the need for it. For this reason, it is possible to get this tablet with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Galaxy S6 Lite comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB of memory. It is possible to get this model with 128GB memory, but the RAM memory will stay the same. The memory is limited and will not allow you to upload as many games or apps on your tablet. Fortunately, both tablets have a dedicated microSD slot that will enable you to expand memory up to 1TB.
Therefore, it can be concluded that you can expect better performance for gaming and AI applications from Galaxy Tab S6. This does not mean that Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is not a good everyday tablet but it will be lacking in performance when compared to the S6 model.
Battery
Regarding battery life, both tablets have the same specs. Both Galaxy Tab S6 and S6 Lite have a non-removable Li-Po 7040 mAh battery. On average, you will be able to get up to 15 hours of video playback time before needing to charge the tablet again. This is great news if you plan to take your tablet with you while commuting or traveling since it gives you the freedom to leave the charger at home. Both tablets can be charged through the fast type-c charging or you can opt for 15W fast-charging technology. However, for this to be enabled, you will need a POGO charging dock, which does not come with the tablet and has to be bought additionally.
In conclusion, both tablets have identical battery specs and will provide the same playback time.
Camera
The camera specifications are different for both tablets and may affect strongly your decision on which tablet is better for you. Galaxy S6 has a dual-camera system. The rear camera consists of a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP ultra-wide camera. Additionally, it has an HDR feature, panorama feature, and [email protected] fps videos that can be recorded. Regarding the front camera, Galaxy Tab S6 has a single 8MP camera, which has been positioned right at the center for perfect selfie-taking.
Unfortunately, these specs do not apply to Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. Instead, this tablet has a single camera system. The rear camera consists of an 8MP camera, while the front camera has only a single 5 MP camera. These specs fall short of many other tablets that are currently available on the market and will not provide good-quality pictures.
In conclusion, Galaxy Tab S6 has decent specs for the camera and good-quality pictures can be achieved. However, this conclusion cannot be applied to S6 Lite. Therefore, if a camera is something that is important to you, S6 might be the right tablet for you.
Sound
Galaxy Tab S6 comes with 4 stereo speakers. A couple of speakers are positioned on the top and a couple on the bottom. Regarding Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, it has only 2 stereo speakers. Fortunately, the loudspeakers are tuned by AKG technology for both tablets. This ensures that a truly pure sound, which is free from any sound distortion, can be provided. Therefore, precisely tuned sound for gaming, for videos, and for listening to music is achieved.
Unfortunately, Galaxy S6 does not come with a 3.5mm jack. This means that wired earphones cannot be used. Therefore, if you plan to use your tablet while commuting and do not have a Bluetooth compatible headset, it will require you to purchase a new pair of earbuds.
That said, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite does have a 3.5 mm jack, which will enable you to listen to music or podcast with Bluetooth headphones, wired earphones, or through the 2 stereo speakers. Therefore, S6 Lite is more diverse than S6 when it comes to sound.
In conclusion, both tablets provide different benefits. If you prefer to watch movies on loudspeakers, Galaxy Tab S6 will be the better fit for you since it has 4 stereo speakers and that will provide a clearer and louder sound. However, if you are looking for a tablet that is more diverse and comes with a sound jack, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will be a better option.
Features
The most noticeable feature is the S Pen stylus that comes with Galaxy Tab S6. The stylus can be magnetically attached to the back of the tablet. Therefore, you will not have to worry about losing the stylus. Additionally, once the stylus is attached, it will automatically start charging.
Furthermore, the S Pen stylus has Bluetooth connectivity. This will give you the freedom to control your device by simply pressing a button on the S Pen. It also recognizes Air’s actions. Meaning, the stylus will recognize hand gestures and will limit the need to reach for the tablet while, for example, doing a presentation or controlling video playback.
Regarding Galaxy S6 Lite, it comes with a stylus as well. However, it does not have Bluetooth connectivity. This means that the stylus is more basic and will be missing some features, such as recognizing hand gestures. Fortunately, the benefit of this is that it will not require any charging.
Moreover, Galaxy Tab S6 has an embedded in-screen fingerprint sensor. However, it is an optical scanner and does not use ultrasonic technology. This means that the fingerprint sensor may not be as reliable or as secure. Galaxy Tab S6 Lite does not have a fingerprint sensor at all which is unfortunate. Therefore, you will have to rely on either typing a password or face-recognition.
Lastly, both tablets have ANT+. This is a wireless protocol used for monitoring sensor data. For example, it should enable you to monitor your heart rate and sports and fitness activities. Additionally, there multiple other features, such as a compass, accelerometer, and gyro. That being said, it has to be pointed that Galaxy Tab S6 has more features. For example, it comes with the Samsung DeX feature, which is a software platform that will extend your tablet into a desktop computing experience.
In conclusion, it can be stated that Galaxy Tab S6 is more advanced and has more features than S6 Lite.
Summary
| Galaxy Tab S6 Lite | Galaxy Tab S6 | |
|
Size |
10.4 inches | 10.5 inches |
|
Screen |
LTPS TFT | Super AMOLED |
|
Chipset |
Exynos 9611 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
|
CPU |
Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) | Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485) |
|
GPU |
Mali-G72 MP3 | Adreno 640 |
|
Camera |
8MP primary rear camera, 5MP front camera | 13MP primary rear camera and a 5MP ultra-wide camera, 8MP front camera |
|
Battery |
Li-Po 7040 mAh | Li-Po 7040 mAh |
|
Features |
3.5mm jack
S Pen Stylus ANT+ Compass, accelerometer, proximity, gyro, stereo speakers |
In-display fingerprint sensor
S Pen stylus ANT+ Samsung DeX Compass, accelerometer, proximity, gyro, stereo speakers |
Conclusion
It can be concluded that even though both tablets have a similar name, they are very different from each other. The design and the screen size are almost identical but that is where the similarities end. Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a decently sized tablet that will be perfect for everyday internet surfing, taking quick notes, and watching a movie or two while commuting. However, if you are looking for a more advanced tablet, Galaxy Tab S6 will be perfect for you. It has a Super AMOLED display for the incredible viewing experience, a decent RAM memory and uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which will ensure that most AI applications and games can be run on this tablet.
It all comes down to you, if you’re going to use it passively, now and then we recommend S6 Lite, a good budget tablet (which is one of the best tablets under $400) capable to do everything if we’re talking about web surfing and entertainment and even light-weight games, but if you’re planning to use it for work where you need to edit pictures, videos or work with a lot of data, we would recommend Galaxy Tab S6.
Related Articles:
Best 10-inch Tablets
Best Samsung Tablets
Best Tablets with Stylus for Note Taking
Leave a Reply