Samsung has added a new budget tablet to its portfolio with the hopes of taking on the entry-level iPad. Say hello to the Galaxy Tab A8. At first glance, the latest Samsung offering looks like a replica of its predecessor, save for the camera lens enclosure that is now circular instead of the square profile on the Galaxy Tab A7. But the innards have been improved, says Samsung.
On the front sits a 10.5-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels) LCD display with uniform bezels on all sides, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and an 80-percent screen-to-body ratio. Samsung doesn’t specify what processor it has fitted inside its latest tablet, but says it’s an octa-core chip with a peak clock speed of 2 GHz. The company only gives a vague detail regarding a 10 percent boost in CPU and GPU performance. Of course, it won’t be racing against the Bionic A-series processors that Apple fits inside its iPad line.
The tablet will be up for grabs in 3GB and 4GB RAM flavors, while storage options on the table are 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. Samsung has armed the Galaxy Tab A8 with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. However, the selfie camera is positioned alongside the right edge, which means the tablet must be used in landscape orientation for video calls.
This ain’t no iPad killer
It can latch on to 4G LTE waves, but the availability of cellular models varies based on region and carrier partnerships. A 7,040mAh battery keeps the lights on, and it supports 15-watt fast charging as well. However, the retail package comes with the slower 7.75W power brick, while the 15W adapter is sold separately. Disappointingly, the tablet ships with Android 11 out of the box, and there is no word when it will be treated to the Android 12 upgrade.
Buyers can pick up the tablet in a trio of colors — gray, pink gold, and silver. It will hit the shelves in the U.S. market next month, but Samsung is mum about the asking price for its latest budget tablet. We’ll keep you posted about the pricing as soon as the tablet is up for sale from retailers and Samsung’s own online outlet. But if its predecessor is anything to go by, the Galaxy Tab A8 should start below the $299 mark.
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