Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review: Budget-Friendly Tablet
Discover the affordable Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 with a vibrant display, expandable storage, and solid performance for everyday use.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers great value for its affordable price. While it’s a more budget-friendly option compared to the Galaxy Tab S8, it still delivers impressive features.
10.5-inch LCD screen is clear and vibrant, perfect for watching movies or shows especially compared to other budget tablets. It’s housed in a metal frame, giving it a premium feel. Octa-core processor and 3GB/4GB of RAM handle multitasking smoothly and it supports split-screen mode.
Tab A8 also offers expandable storage with a microSD card up to 1TB and includes 3.5mm audio jack, which is rare in many modern devices. Bluetooth 5.0 is also available for wireless connections.
Battery life is okay but 7,040mAh battery could be better and charges slower than some competitors. Still, Galaxy Tab A8 is good, affordable tablet with strong performance and great display.
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Specification
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 📅 January 17, 2022 |
| Weight | ⚖️ 508g |
| Dimensions | 📏 246.8 x 161.9 x 6.9 mm |
| OS | 📱 Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 |
| Storage | 💾 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, microSDXC |
| Display | 🖥️ 10.5″, 1200 x 1920 pixels |
| Main Camera | 📸 8 MP, 1080p video |
| Selfie Camera | 🤳 5 MP, 1080p video |
| RAM | 🧠 2GB, 3GB, 4GB |
| Processor | ⚙️ Unisoc Tiger T618 |
| Battery | 🔋 7040 mAh, 15W charging |
| Speakers | 🔊 Stereo (4 speakers) |
| 3.5mm Jack | 🎧 Yes |
| Connectivity | 🌐 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C |
| Positioning | 📍 GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO (cellular model) |
| Sensors | 🧭 Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Colors | 🎨 Gray, Silver, Pink Gold |
| Price | 💰 About 230 EUR |
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Price and Availability
Released on January 17, 2022, Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is priced starting at $229.99 / £219 / AU$379. It is available directly from Samsung and other major retailers. Prices vary depending on storage and connectivity options across regions.
32GB Wi-Fi model starts at $229.99 in the US, £219 in the UK and AU$379 in Australia. Other options with more storage or cellular connectivity are priced higher.
Tab A8 is cheaper than tablets like the TCL Nxtpaper 10s, Lenovo Tab M10 Plus, and Apple’s iPad 10.2-inch (2021), which starts at $329 / £369 / AU$549.
It’s also much more affordable than the premium Galaxy Tab S8, starting at $699.99, though the Tab S8 comes with better features.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8: Display
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has a 10.5-inch LCD screen, which is bright and clear, even though it’s not as high-end as the AMOLED display on Galaxy Tab S8. Compared to TCL Nxtpaper 10s, Tab A8’s display is much sharper, with clear details even in darker images.
Tab A8 also includes an Eye Comfort Shield mode that reduces blue light, which helps protect your eyes, especially at night.
The screen responds rapidly, making it easy to input or write. The on-screen keyboard has no lags, and writing with your finger is fluid and precise.
However, the screen attracts fingerprints readily, so you may need to clean it frequently. It also produces some glare, which can be irritating indoors. An anti-glare screen protector could help with this problem.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 design
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has a simple, sleek design. It comes in a dark gray metal body, which feels premium. Other colors like pink-gold and silver are available in the UK and US.
Tablet has a small camera bump on the back, but it’s not too noticeable. Without a case, the tablet might wobble slightly when placed on a flat surface.
Along the edges, you’ll find dual speakers, a USB-C charging port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot for extra storage. Power and volume buttons are also on the sides, along with the built-in microphone.
While the design is similar to other tablets, the metal body makes Tab A8 feel more expensive than it actually is.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8: features
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has useful features. It has an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera, good for video calls and basic photos. The front camera can record 1080p video, which is clear enough for calls.
Tablet offers expandable memory, starting with 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB, and you can add up to 1TB with a microSD card, giving you a lot of storage.
It also has multitasking features like split-screen and pop-out apps. Setting them up isn’t hard once you get used to it.
Tab A8 supports Bluetooth 5.0, so you can connect a wireless keyboard if you don’t like using the onscreen keyboard. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack which is rare now, so you can use wired headphones.
Tablet runs Android 11 and can be updated to Android 13, which makes it easier to use.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 performance
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 performs well for its price. It runs on Android 11 but you can update it to Android 13. Update process was quick and it brought improvements like a better onscreen keyboard and simpler apps. After the update, tablet felt a bit faster, but the difference wasn’t huge.
Tablet handles multitasking well, even with up to 4GB of memory. I didn’t experience any lag while watching videos or playing mobile games. Split-screen and pop-up modes worked smoothly, and it was easy to browse web and take notes at the same time. It’s a great option for tasks like research or watching movies.
Front camera is good for video calls, with no delays except when my internet connection was unstable. However, the microphone sometimes struggled to pick up my voice, which was fixed by getting closer to the tablet.
There was an issue when the battery dropped below 20%. Sometimes, apps would crash, and I couldn’t open anything else. This problem went away when I plugged the tablet in to charge or left it alone for a few minutes. This didn’t happen every time but it’s worth noting.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Battery
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has a 7,040mAh battery which offers decent battery life but is smaller compared to competitors like the 2021 iPad and TCL Nxtpaper 10s. Depending on usage, you can get a few days of battery life. For example, playing a movie at full brightness for 2.5 hours used only about 25% of the battery, so it can last up to 10 hours for media streaming. With light use, such as watching videos and playing games, the battery can last up to three days, dropping to around 60%.
Tab A8 also has a power-saver mode to extend battery life, and the Device Care app shows battery usage details. However, charging is slower, taking about 3 hours and 45 minutes to fully charge which is slower than TCL Nxtpaper 10s (2.5 hours) and iPad 10.2 (3 hours).
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Pros and Cons of Samsung Galaxy Tab A8
| 🔴Pros | 🟢Cons |
|---|---|
| 💸 Affordable | ⚠️ Crashes on low battery |
| 🌟 Clear display | ⏳ Slow charging |
| 💾 Expandable storage | 🐢 Slower with heavy apps |
| 🎨 Slim design | 🌞 Glare in bright light |
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers a clear and vibrant display at affordable price. Its LCD screen shows details and colors well and features like split-screen make it good for productivity. While its performance and battery are not as strong as more expensive models, it handles basic tasks efficiently and looks great doing it.
