Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review

Today, we’ll be looking at the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8. It is bigger, better, and more powerful than before(A7), but should you get it? Is it worth it? Let’s dive right in and check it out.

It has 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, but it also comes in different configurations. It has a sturdy aluminum finish that gives you great durability. It has 4x speakers, a headphone jack, a USB-C port & micro SD card slot, so you can expand it’s storage. It has an 80% screen-to-body ratio with symmetrical bezels. Bezels are big enough to rest your fingers on the edges while viewing the tablet in landscape mode and in portrait mode. The bezels are left as big as they are to avoid accidental touches.

If you want a budget tablet that can play most games smoothly(light games are great, heavy games are a bit laggy), do some basic tasks like sending emails, watch movies, read ebooks, listen to music, etc. and lasts an entire day if you use it moderately. So, if that sounds like something that you would be interested in, then get the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Ratings

Our standard rating method:

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Specs

OS	Android 11, Upgradeable to Android 13
Display	10.5″ LCD (1200×1920) pixels
RAM	3 | 4 GB
CPU	Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU	Mali G52 MP2
Battery	7040mAh (Up to 9 hours)
Storage	32GB | 64GB | 128GB
MicroSD Expansion	microSDXC (dedicated slot)
Camera	8 MP (rear), 5 MP (front)
Price	~$170-$255
Colors	Gray, Silver, Pink Gold
Dimensions	9.72 x 6.37 x 0.27 inches
Weight	508 g (1.12 lb)
Stylus Support	No
LTE Support	Yes

What’s Inside The Box?

You get the following items in the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 box:

• The tablet itself
• Quick start guide
• SIM tray ejector tool
• 5V, 1.5A 7W charger
• USB-C cable

Pros & Cons

Features of Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

• Display: While it doesn’t have the awesome OLED panels that Samsung is famous for, it does come with a FULL HD TFT panel. The color reproductions are great, and interacting with it is responsive and smooth.
• Speakers: It comes with 4x Dolby Atmos speakers. While that sounds good on paper and mostly in real life, too, it can get a little distorted at higher volumes. So, consider that if you like blasting your music.
• Camera: Cameras on tablets have consistently been poor, making sense. The most you would use your tablet’s camera for is video calling, and that works incredibly well. However, if you want to get this tablet for photography, don’t. 
• Battery-Life: It has a large 7000 mAh battery so that you can use it all day long, and it wouldn’t die on you. I played games on it for 4 hours, and it still had juice left for some basic lightweight tasks.
• Storage: You can get it in 3 different storage configurations. So, pick the one you need, and I would recommend getting the 64 GB model and upgrading it with a 128 GB SD card down the road.
• Design: It really is nice to see that Samsung is upping their game with design, and it shows with the A8. While the previous A8 looked a little clunky, the new one is sleek and looks modern with a better overall design and comfortable rounded edges.
• Portability: Tablets are super portable, and the A8 is too. You can even get the book/flip case to make it much easier to carry and improve its overall durability.

How Long It Takes To Charge Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has Fast charging

With about 8-9 hours of battery life, it is clear that you can use the tablet for the entire day. But, how long does it take to charge Samsung Galaxy Tab A8?

The Samsung only includes a 7W charger inside the box. So, if you want to charge your Android tablet faster, you will have to buy a 15W charger. That’s the maximum Wattage the Samsung tablet supports. This investment is worthwhile as it saves you an hour every time you charge it.

Charging Power	Charging Time
15 W	~ 2 hours 10 minutes
7.5 W	~ 3 hours 50 minutes
30 W	~ 2 hours 10 minutes

Keeping your Samsung tablet’s battery above 20% is a good idea because it helps the battery last longer. Lithium-ion batteries in tablets and phones can only be charged a certain number of times before they start losing their capacity. Each time you use up all the battery (like going from 100% to 0%), it counts as one charge cycle.

So, if you often let your tablet’s battery go below 20%, it can wear out faster. To make your tablet’s battery last longer, try not to let it drop below 20% too often.

What’s New Compared To Samsung Galaxy Tab A7(2019)?

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has improved a lot from the older 2019 edition(Samsung Galaxy Tab A7), and all these changes amount to a better tablet experience. Here are all the new additions:

1. Improved Durability and Design. The new A8 is sleeker, looks better, has better build quality, and feels better to use overall.
2. Larger Battery.
3. Better Front Camera. The old A8 has a measly 2 MP camera, and the new one has a larger 5MP sensor for improved video calling.
4. Improved Performance. This is a given. The new A8 comes with a better processor, more RAM, and delivers better performance overall.
5. Better Display. The new A8 has a Full HD panel with better color reproductions than the old A8 with an average 1280 x 800 TFT panel.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 vs A7

Obviously, the Tab A8 is better, but the Tab A7 isn’t something you should disregard overall. I highly recommend getting the Tab A8 due to the better features and the improved value, but if you enjoy a better display and can sacrifice a bit on the performance, then the A7 will do fine too. 

So here are a few key differences between the tablets that you should know of:

• The A8 is more powerful and better for gaming and productivity than the Tab A7. However, if you are an everyday user who just needs a good movie experience and some light work, the A7 is a nice option. 
• The Tab A7 is lighter at just 1.05 lb compared to the A8’s 1.12 lb. However, this entirely depends from person to person.
• The Tab A7 has a slightly better display than the A8 and is a bit sharper. However, they are very evenly matched. Oh, and both the tablets are also capable of streaming Netflix at Full HD resolutions.

Device	Samsung Galaxy Tab A8	Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
OS	Android	Android
CPU	Octa-core (Cortex-A55)	Snapdragon 662
GPU	Mali G52 MP2	Adreno 610
RAM	3/4 GB	3 GB
Storage	32GB, 64GB, 128GB	32GB, 64GB
Battery	7040mAh	7,040mAh
Display	10.5″ LCD (1200×1920)	10.4″ WXGA+ (2000 x 1200)
Dimensions	9.72 x 6.37 x 0.27 in	9.75 x 6.20 x 0.28″ in
Weight	1.12 lb	1.05 lb

Overall, both tablets are great for their budget. However, I would still recommend the Tab A8 as a better pick.

Who Is The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 For?

If you are a casual everyday user who watches many YouTube videos and some movies here and there and enjoys listening to music; then the Tab A8 is for you. 

Oh, and if you do lightweight gaming or need a tablet for reading, then the Tab A8 would be a wonderful choice as well. It’s easy to read from it. It’s lightweight and has long battery life.

However, if you are a gaming enthusiast, a professional video editor, work with pro photography and drawing apps, then the Tab A8 isn’t for you. Instead, I would recommend getting the Tab S9 series Samsung Tablet for better performance. These tablets have S Pen support, have better displays, processors and more features.

Alternatives to Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

You aren’t just limited to Samsung’s Tab A8 because other companies have great options. Two such products are: 

1. Apple iPad 9th Gen

If you want a lot more performance, iPad OS, and have an extra $100 to spend, then the new iPad is for you. It has the best performance out of the three, so it is the perfect choice if you want to run a lot of productivity-centric applications or render videos.

Here are the key features that you can expect with the iPad:

• iPad OS 
• Apple Pencil support

2. Microsoft Surface Go 3

If you like using Windows and want a full-on Windows experience on a tablet, then the Surface Go 3 is the tablet for you. It also has the best typing experience out of the three and can be used as the perfect college/school device.

The new Surface Go has access to all the Windows apps, Surface Pen, a great type cover, and you can get it for $399. Here are a few key features that you get with it:

• Windows Operating System
• Stylus Support
• Kickstand

Specifications Compared

Device	Galaxy Tab A8	Apple iPad 9th Gen	Microsoft Surface Go 3
OS	Android 11, One UI 3	iPad OS	Windows 11
CPU	Octa-core (Cortex-A55)	Hexa-core A13 Bionic	Intel® i3-10100Y
GPU	Mali G52 MP2	Apple GPU	Intel® Graphics 615
RAM	3/4 GB	3GB	4/8 GB
Storage	32GB, 64GB, 128GB	64 GB, 256 GB	64 GB, 128 GB
Battery	7040mAh	8557mAh	8 hours of SOT
Display	10.5″ TFT (1200×1920)	10.2″ IPS (1620×2160)	10.5” IPS (1920 x 1280)
Dimensions	9.72 x 6.37 x 0.27 in	9.87 x 6.85 x 0.30 in	9.65” × 6.9” × 0.33” in
Weight	1.12 lb	1.07 lb	1.2 lb

FAQ

Verdict

Overall, it is one of the best Android budget tablets and offers decent gaming and media experience, and it deals greatly with basic tablet tasks. Such as emails, music, ebooks, videos,games, movies, social media apps, video calls, etc.

If this is not enough and you want to take notes on your Android tablet and have a little bit more processing power, you will have to spend a bit more, but I recommend getting Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022 Model).