Skip to main content

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 handles your multimedia needs on a budget

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.

Recommended Videos

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

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 budget tablet
Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem is a tech and science journalist who started reading about cool smartphone tech out of curiosity and soon started…
Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge is already being tipped to replace a key sibling next year
Galaxy S25 Edge in all three colors

Much of the talk this week is about Samsung’s all-new Galaxy S25 Edge. However, attention will soon turn to next year’s Galaxy S26 lineup. The Elec says that the 2026 lineup will look slightly different from the more recent ones, and here’s how.

Samsung reportedly plans to replace its Plus smartphone variant with an Edge model next year. Historically, Plus sales have lagged behind those of Ultra and standard models, so this would make sense.

Read more
How to watch the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge launch event
Close-up view of the camera module on Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Samsung is about to launch its most ambitious smartphone in years later this week, one that brings back the fondly remembered “Edge” moniker. The Korean electronics giant’s next offering is the Galaxy S25 Edge, an ultra-slim phone that was first showcased earlier this year and will finally get the full launch treatment. 

The online event kicks off at 5:00pm PT / 8:00pm ET on May 12 for those of you in the US, instead of multiple on-ground events across different regions.

Read more
Your Samsung Galaxy Watch might get significantly smarter with next update
A person wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Samsung announced the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra alongside its folding phones in July last year, and with them came a number of clever software features, including offering you an Energy Score every morning based on a collection of metrics. 

A number recent reports from Android Authority based on several APK teardowns suggest Samsung's smartwatches could be in for a treat in the coming months when the rumored One UI 8 Watch update lands, however. 

Read more