Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G tablet has a low price, but at the expense of the screen

Andy Boxall
By

Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G tablet, a new version of the existing Galaxy Tab S7 Plus tablet released in August 2020. It’s the latest entry in Samsung’s growing range of “FE” devices, which includes the Galaxy S20 FE and started out with the Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition. FE, as is now clear, stands for Fan Edition, and indicates Samsung has made some changes to the original non-FE model.

What’s new here? The Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G is a new version of the S7 Plus, rather than the 11-inch S7 tablet, meaning it has a 12.4-inch screen with a 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution. Unfortunately, it’s a TFT screen and not the wonderful 120Hz refresh rate Super AMOLED display from the Tab S7 and S7 Plus. The 608-gram metal tablet is very thin at just 6.3mm, and comes in a selection of colors — black, silver, green, or pink. The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus came in the attractivemystic bronze, which is unfortunately missing here.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G front and rear
Samsung / Samsung

The name gives away the primary new feature on the Tab S7 FE 5G. Yes, it comes as standard with a 5G modem, ready to connect to the fastest mobile data connection, provided you pay out for a new contract or upgrade your current one. The Tab S7 tablets both had the option of adding a 4G or a 5G mobile connection, but a Wi-Fi-only model was also sold.

Related

Samsung’s not saying which processor the Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G has inside, only that it’s an octa-core chip with two 2.2GHz cores and six 1.8GHz cores. There are two versions available, one with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage space, and a second model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Both have a MicroSD card slot. The software is Android 11 with Samsung’s OneUI 3.1 over it, and a 10,090mAh battery powers the tablet with 45-watt fast charging.

Recommended Videos

A Samsung S Pen stylus comes with the tablet, plus the Canva app comes preinstalled. There’s also a six-month trial of drawing app Clip Studio Paint, and the note-taking app Noteshelf is included for free as well. This appears to be the extent of the positive changes over the original Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, but aside from the screen, there is another downgrade to highlight. The cameras have changed to a single 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5MP selfie camera on the front, compared to a 13MP and 5MP dual camera on the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While it’s unfortunate the cameras are different, no one buys a tablet to take photos, but the screen downgrade hurts. The Galaxy Tab S7’s screen is one of the tablet’s standout features, and a top reason to buy one. The upside to these changes comes in the price. Samsung will release the Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G on June 18, although pre-orders will be live from June 2, and the price has been set at 589 British pounds, or around $835, for the 64GB model and 629 pounds/$891 for the 128GB. This is cheaper than both the Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus Wi-Fi-only models.

At the time of writing, we don’t have U.S. availability details or prices for the Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G, but will update this article should they be announced. The existing Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is featured on our Best Tablet list as our recommended Android tablet.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
I love the Galaxy S23 — here are 5 things the iPhone still does better
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has arrived to the masses, and it’s one of the best Android phones you can get right now, especially the S23 Ultra. However, for those who don’t need all of the fancy bells and whistles, like the S Pen and 200MP main camera, the regular S23 is also plenty powerful for the average person, especially if you prefer smaller devices.

I’ve been using the Galaxy S23 for the past few weeks, and so far, my experience has been delightful. I know that it’s still early on in the year, but for me, the S23’s small size is perfect and comfortable. Android also does a lot of things better than iOS, like individual volume controls and notifications, for example. But I am still primarily using my iPhone 14 Pro — despite Apple having some big flaws, such as overprocessing images after you capture them.

Read more
The one thing the iPhone 14, Galaxy S23, and Pixel 7 all get wrong
Apple iPhone SE (2020) being plugged in to charge.

At Mobile World Congress (MWC) this year, new smartphones broke cover as one would expect. I won't bore you with all the details; Digital Trends' Joe Maring and Jacob Roach wrote an excellent roundup of all the best MWC 2023 announcements already.

One key quality-of-life-improving feature we picked up on as a theme was charging speed. Apple, Samsung, and Google, the mainstream phone brands by coverage (even if not all by sales), stick to a fast-charging average speed of just over an hour — even with the latest iPhone 14, Galaxy S23, and Pixel 7. By comparison, a phone from Xiaomi, Oppo, or OnePlus can get you moving in 30 minutes or even less. It's time to demand more from our phones.
Fast charging exists — just not for you

Read more
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 may get a feature the iPad has never had
Front face of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.

Samsung is working on bringing IP67 water and dust resistance to its Galaxy Tab S9 devices, a new report claims. This comes from the fairly reliable Samsung-focused tech blog SamMobile. The company is expected to launch its next-gen Tab S devices in roughly six months, having adopted an 18-month cycle since 2020.

The report notes that this would be distinct from the Active Tab series, which Samsung sells as a rugged alternative to its regular Galaxy S tablets. Samsung's previous Galaxy S tablets had not been equipped with any form of IP rating, though the company had extended it to the similarly sized Fold-series.

Read more