Cheap tablets are getting good, and good tablets are getting cheaper. This statement is perfectly resonant with the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite 8 inch tablet from Samsung that has been moving heads all around for being a great entertainment device that can help you perform all your daily tasks with ease.
But is it worth it? Should you get a year-old tablet for your workflow and entertainment today? Well, we’ll be answering all your questions today. So, keep on reading to get the best take on the device.
What are the main differences from Samsung Galaxy Tab A7?
The Tab A7 Lite brings some notable differences from the larger brother Samsung Galaxy Tab A7, and here’s all that you should know about the main differences:
Processors – The regular Tab A7 comes with a great budget Qualcomm SD662 chip that performs admirably and delivers a decent gaming experience, but the A7 Lite is powered by a MediaTek processor, which is a lot weaker in comparison. So, if you’re looking for performance, then the larger A7 tablet is what you should be looking at.
Gaming Experience – The A7 has a better GPU than the A7 Lite, and the overall experience with lighter to mid-tier titles are better on the larger tablet. So, if you are looking for a casual gaming tablet, then get the regular A7 tablet.
Faster Charging – Samsung went ahead and improved charging for their tablets, and both the A7 and the A7 Lite line of tablets come with a 15W charger that charges the devices under 4 and 3 hours, respectively.
Premium Metallic Finish – The build for the A7 and A7 Lite series of tablets has also been improved. The older plastic body is gone and replaced with a metal and glass sandwich design that feels sturdy, robust and premium.
Cameras – With the pandemic and increased dependability on video calls, Samsung improved the cameras to make all your video calls look crisp and sharp, which feels like an excellent choice for the device. However, the A7 is better all around and has improved cameras than the measly 2MP front sensor on the A7 Lite.
Display – Both of the tablets come with a TFT panel. We would’ve loved to see an AMOLED panel that Samsung is proud of but comparing both the panels, the regular A7 panel is much more vibrant and has better and crispier images with a higher resolution panel.
What’s in the box?
The Samsun Galaxy Tab A7 Lite box contains the following items:
- The A7 Lite Tablet
- The USB-C cable
- A 15W Wall Charger
- Quick Start Guide
Specifications
- Processor – Mediatek MT8768T Helio P22T Octa-core (4 x 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4 x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53)
- OS – One UI 3.1 (Android 10 upgradable to Android 11)
- Display – TFT 8.7 inches 800 x 1340 pixels Panel
- RAM – 3/4GB RAM
- GPU – PowerVR GE8320
- Storage – 32GB, 64GB
- Cameras – 8MP Primary, 2MP Secondary
- Connectivity – USB Type-C 2.0
- Dimensions – 212.5 x 124.7 x 8 mm
- Weight – 366 g grams
- Battery Life – 5100 mAh (7-8 hours of SOT)
A Closer Look
The overall experience with the device is impressive. It works like a charm for streaming movies and shows with Netflix and other streaming services, and the device feels like a premium tablet at a budget price tag. It’s much more than an entry-level iPad replacement. However, the only downside to it was the lackluster display as we expected to see an AMOLED Panel that Samsung devices generally come with but instead opts for a TFT panel that loses some details and saturation with the image.
All and all, it delivers on various features that make up the incredible experience – A seamless gaming experience, Beautiful build quality, and a whole lot more.
Defining Features
Durable Metallic build
The most impressive part of the tablet that makes it feel like a much more expensive device is the slim metal and glass sandwich build. The design feels new, and it makes it so that you can take it everywhere without worrying about damaging it in the process.
Improved power and performance
It was surprising to see Samsung leave out their Exynos chip and put in a Mediatek MT8768T Helio P22T chip, and we are glad to see it.
All-Day Battery Life
The 5000+ mAh battery in the Tab A7 Lite is excellent, and the MediaTek chip is power efficient. This combination helps it make a device with all-day battery life and around 8 hours of screen time. You can go straight on streaming movies and shows for hours and still have battery left for the night.
USB-C Fast Charging
The next thing that helps you keep your tablet juiced up is the fast charging support it has. You can get the tablet from 0 to 100 in about 3 to 4 hours, making the overall battery experience much better.
Android with One UI
Samsung’s One UI has always been different from the base Android version that Google develops. However, the One UI experience feels refreshing and looking at what Samsung is bringing with the new updates, and we are pleased to say that you can experience all the new features that Android 11 brings with it.
Storage Expansion
MicroSD cards have been great at expanding storage capacities. Seeing a card slot on the device makes it so you can easily store a lot of data and save movies and shows for faster access to a lot of entertainment.
LTE Support
Where most tablets are WiFi, only Samsung comes at it with both options. It has a cheaper WiFi-only variant if you just want to use your tablet in your home and an LTE-enabled variant, making it easy to stay connected and use it as a travel work machine.
You can also check the best tablets with LTE(sim card)
Quadruple Speakers
Finally, the entire media experience is enhanced by the four speakers that it houses. The sound quality is balanced with some punchy bass, and it sounds the best at around 80% of the total volume.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- A slim metallic build
- Decent cameras for video calling
- Fantastic battery life
- A great media experience
- Has support for flip cases
Cons
- Average display quality (lack of AMOLED)
- The overall performance can feel a little slow if you use it for demanding tasks
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is it for you?
There are many pros and cons for the device, and the deciding factor solely depends on you. The device works fantastically as a media streaming tablet and for light workloads, but you should look at all you need and then decide. So, here are some cases for you to look at and determine if the Tab A7 Lite is for you.
Buy If
Case 1: Get the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite if you’re looking for a media machine that can help you stream movies and TV Shows from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and a whole lot more on an 8-inch device. The media experience is decent, and regarding the quality of the streaming process, we can just say that it’s good. Of course, we can’t compare it to iPad Pro 2021 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ as this is a budget tablet, and it won’t bring the same quality as premium devices but rest assured that you’re going to love binging shows and spending time on the device.
Case 2: If you’re in the market for a secondary work device that can help you read, research, and send emails quickly and efficiently, then this is one great tablet on the market. Gmail and Outlook work brilliantly, and managing your audiobooks and ebooks is a breeze. However, don’t expect it to deliver iPad Pro or Samsung Tab S7+ plus levels of performance. In fact, it falls short even compared to the regular Tab A7 as it is not meant to be used like that and has an overall learning curve.
Case 3: If you’re a student looking for a video-calling tablet that has decent performance and can run most games at a good framerate, then the Tab A7 Lite is going to be ideally suited for you. The Helio P22T chip is a great chip, and the 1080P capable cameras deliver an excellent clear video calling experience. However, it would help if you still keep your expectations grounded as the 2MP and 8MP sensors can’t get you the best of the best, and you likely would have to compromise to be satisfied with the experience.
Case 4: Finally, the Tab A7 Lite works great as a home tablet for your kids as it can also be locked down with parental controls and passwords to keep kid-friendly content for your children. The overall build is durable, the price is affordable, and you can rest easy while your children have a good fun time with the device. This is where the A7 Lite shines the most as you can rest assured that your expensive tablets would be safe with you and even if the Lite ends up not working, you won’t have made a massive dent in your pockets.
Don’t Buy If
Case 1: If you’re in the market for a primary work device. The Tab A7 Lite doesn’t come with a stylus or a keyboard cover as the other high-end Samsung tablets do, and the performance can feel a little lacklustre depending on the work you do.
Case 2: If you’re an intense mobile gamer that needs a smooth and high-end tablet for all your games. It can run games like COD and PUBG fine at low resolutions, but if you push it to higher graphics or games like Genshin Impact, then you’re sure to have lag, performance issues and extra heat pumped out with the device. Higher-end tablets like the iPad Pro or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ would be better options for you.
Case 3: If you’re looking for a tablet that can work as your designing or editing machine, the TFT panel is not suited for those tasks. The colour of your art can feel washed out, and the overall experience is terrible. So, be sure to look elsewhere. iPads have recently gotten massive upgrades, and we would recommend you take a look at those.
Little comparison: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite vs Lenovo Smart Tab M8
These two tablets come at very different price points. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is a 150 dollar-ish tablet that works brilliantly as a mid-tier machine, but the Smart Tab M8 is a grounded budget tablet that comes in under 100 dollars. However, both work excellent as a media streaming device, but what should you get? Here’s a small comparison between both the devices.
The Price
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite comes at around $130 and can even be seen lower with some discounts, but the absolute banger is the Lenovo Smart Tab M8 as it comes just under $100 for most of the time and if you are only looking for a budget-friendly movie device then this is the way to go.
Winner – Lenovo Smart Tab M8
The Performance
This is no competition; the performance of the Helio P22T found in the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite far outshines the Mediatek MT6761 Helio A22 found in the Lenovo Smart Tab M8. The Samsung Tab is better for gaming and all-day workflows, so if performance is your first priority, then getting the Samsung Tab A7 Lite is the most logical choice.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
The Displays
There is no doubt that the TFT panel that the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is worse than the AMOLED that we’re used to seeing, but the Lenovo Smart Tab M8 comes with an IPS LCD panel. Now, you might think that it’s IPS, so it should be better than the TFT panel, right? Well, no, the IPS panel found on the Smart Tab M8 feels washed out and has a lower resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels. So, we would still recommend the TFT panel over this.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
Apps, Games and the OS
Finally, let us take a look at the OS and app compatibility of both devices. The Tab A7 Lite from Samsung uses the One UI skin on top of Android 11 as its weapon of choice, but the Smart Tab M8 is based on stock Android 9 from Google. All apps and games are compatible with both devices, but the Samsung Tab takes the lead in how well it can run those apps.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite FAQs
What does Lite mean on a tablet?
The “Lite” branding is used in a lot of places, but in the tablet space, it is meant to represent a cheaper and less powerful tablet that is suited to be a perfect companion for the masses. You can also find this in phones, and as we have discussed earlier, the Tab A7 Lite is considerably slower and less capable than the regular Samsung Galaxy Tab A7.
Does Samsung Tab A7 Lite have a SIM card slot?
The Samsung Tab A7 Lite features a Nano-SIM slot on the left side of the body which also houses the MicroSD card slot. You can use it with 4G SIMs, and it also has support for GSM / HSPA / LTE network technologies.
Can I use Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite as a phone?
You can definitely use the Tab A7 Lite as a phone and make calls, but the device is primarily meant to act as a bigger and better alternative to an affordable media machine. Hence, we would recommend you get a phone because there are much better and affordable options on the market.
Final Verdict
Samsung has done a fantastic job with the Tab A7 Lite, but it still has some caveats that you should know before getting the device. The most considerable caveat is the washed-out bland display that we did not enjoy using. AMOLED panels are beautiful and a staple of Samsung, so you should look elsewhere if you’re looking for that. But if you don’t mind the TFT panel and need an excellent tablet for all-day use with some media streaming, light workload, and a little bit of gaming, you should highly consider this.
With that said and done, we end our review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and we believe it’s one of the best budget Samsung tablet in the market currently. We hope this review gave some sort of clarity on what this tablet is capable of. However, if you still have concerns and need answers to some other queries, comment below to help you out as soon as possible.
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