My impression of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A series has always been that it’s a decent tablet on a budget designed for casual use. But I’ve not actually owned one until I got my hands on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 and after spending some time on it, I’m keen to share my thoughts about it with you.

Price and Build

If you are living in Malaysia, the tablet would cost RM 999, a long distance away from the Galaxy Tab Series-S, which sells around 3 times the A8’s price tag. But despite its affordable price tag, the A8 still performs well as long as users keep their expectations realistic and remember that this is an entry-level tablet, so don’t over-demand.

The device comes with an impressive 10.5″ display built into a metal-framed body and weighs 508 grams which is not bad for its size. In Malaysia, the device comes in the option of Pink Gold and Dark Gray.

Camera-wise, the A8 tablet comes with an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera, the same specs as the previous A7 tablet. If you are hoping for some fun with the camera, this is not the tablet for you. Picture qualities are just decent but it does allow you to get by if you need to snap some urgent documents, household items for a shopping list, or engage in a virtual meeting.

The model we received from Samsung is the 3GB RAM with a 32GB storage variant. 32GB is not a lot of space by today’s standards, but anyone in need of more storage can utilise the microSD ready slot by putting in a card. The 3GB RAM also means you cannot run too many things in the background without the tablet struggling to stay smooth. There have been occasions where my A8 froze under pressure but things are better after I got used to managing my apps and usage.

Good for Streaming Movies

Its 10.5″ screen size, 16:9 ratio, and 4 stereo speakers make it a good device for watching media content. The display quality isn’t the best but it’s more than enough to serve its purpose and didn’t stop me from enjoying the latest season of Attack On Titans on Netflix. The sound quality from the speakers are surprisingly loud and clear and there’s a 3.5mm jack for anyone needing audio privacy.

On the battery compartment lies a 7,040mAh power cell that’s more than enough for every day’s casual use. This is of course if I don’t go on a Netflix or Prime marathon all day long, but generally, the battery has lasted me reasonably well. A fully charged A8 would see me charging it once every 2 days or 3 if I wish to stretch it which is great. But the time it takes to charge is quite depressing. Going at just 15W, you can imagine how long it takes to bring this tablet up to max power and the answer is; hours. It takes hours to fully charge it and I usually leave it charged overnight.

Good For Gaming? Or not…

While this tablet will support some games comfortably, it is not a device that anyone should be considering getting if they want high-performance and quality gaming. For example, I downloaded Genshin Impact on it, hoping that it would at least run the game on medium settings – It was ambitious, I know, and the tablet soon made its limits and capabilities known to me when it picked the lowest setting as default. And even on the lowest settings, it was obviously struggling to function and I just spare it from any further tortures by uninstalling the game.

I’ve tried to play some more games on it like the Call of Duty Mobile, Chimeraland, and FF First Soldier – the results were similar to what happened with Genshin. On less demanding games like Stardew Valley (if you don’t zoom out too much), and other puzzle and word games that I have, the tablet runs decently with the occasional brain freeze that eventually recovers. I will reiterate it one more time – this is not a device for performance-level gaming.

Good For Kids And Elder Folks

With the effects of Covid still running rampantly these days and online classes being the new norm, I decided to switch my daughter’s iPad with the A8 and observed if there was a huge difference in her study experience. No doubt, the iPad was the superior device considering it costs almost 4 times the A8’s price tag but still, the A8 got the job done and her sessions went smoothly. Other than e-learning, my daughter also used it to do some online quizzes and these too went without hiccups.

The A8’s speakers also allowed me to do some chores around the house while eavesdropping on my daughter’s learning sessions as the sound is projected loudly and clearly allowing me to make sure she heard the right thing and is able to understand and repeat them.

Other than for kids, this tablet is also a splendid choice for elder folks seeking an entry-level tablet. Be it to read their online newspapers on, jollying around with their video streaming, social media, or use it to do their online shopping, this tablet is wide and tall enough for easy browsing and friendly to read from.

What I Liked

• Big and widescreen for streaming
• Huge battery capacity
• Loud and clear speakers
• Budget-friendly
• Well built

What I wished Was Better

• Cameras
• Rather low storage space
• Slow charging

Verdict

All in all, my experience with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has been both entertaining and depressing (the charging part!). This is not a device for the power users no doubt, but it can be good for many things as long as you keep your expectations within a realistic level. The tablet is a reliable companion for the younglings’ education and learning purposes and a good entry-level device for elder folks assimilating into the ever fast and growing technological scene. For a budget device, I would say the value it brings is superior to its price tag of RM 999.