LATEST GALAXY TAB A8 NEWS
Introduction
The Galaxy Tab A8 10.5 is one of Samsung's few budget tablets of 2021. It looks very much like the Galaxy Tab A7 did last year because it's essentially the same tablet with a few minor — but important — changes.
In short, the Galaxy Tab A8 has the same overall design and features but ships with a different chipset and a newer Android OS version. In addition, it's now available with 128GB of built-in storage.
Design
The Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) has a boxy design with flat edges. The back panel is not metal but has a metallic paint finish in silver, gray, or pink gold.
The tablet measures 246.8 x 161.9 x 6.9mm and weighs 508 grams.
Specifications
Unlike the Galaxy Tab A7 10.4, which was powered by a Qualcomm chipset, the new Galaxy Tab A8 has a UNISOC Tiger T618 chipset. On paper, it's comparable to the Snapdragon 662 SoC, though, in practice, it's not as popular and offers poorer graphical performance.
The tablet launched in three memory configurations: 3GB + 32GB / 4GB + 64GB / 4GB + 128GB. The expandable storage slot supports up to 1TB.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and LTE. The tablet is equipped with a USB-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack. It relies on a 7,040mAh battery with 15W charging.
Display and cameras
The Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) has a 10.5-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1920 by 1200. The refresh rate is fixed at 60Hz.
In terms of cameras, the tablet has two: a 5MP selfie sensor embedded in the display bezel, and an 8MP rear-facing camera with autofocus capabilities.
Software and features
Samsung is shipping the Galaxy Tab A8 with Android 11 and One UI 3 out of the box. In theory, it should be eligible for two Android OS updates to version 13.
Advanced features like Samsung DeX are missing, but customers get to benefit from access to Samsung TV Plus for mobile, Dolby Atmos, and a built-in screen recorder.
Availability and price
The Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) got announced in mid-December. Samsung scheduled it for release in Europe by the end of the year, and in the USA in January 2022.
In Europe, the Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) has a starting price of €229. The price can go as high as €309 and €359 for the top tier 128GB Wi-Fi and LTE models, respectively.
