Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Review: Best Mini Tablet For Budget-Minded People
August 19, 2021Performance: Mediatek Helio P22T, 4GB RAM
Display: 8.7-inch (1340 x 800) WXGA+
Weight: 366g
Storage: 64GB
Battery: 5,100 mAh
Features: FHD (1920 x 1080) video recording
Rear Camera: 8 MP
Front Camera: 2 MP
Rating: 8/10
Price:RM699.00
Tablets are poised to take over the role of productivity machines. The introduction of Samsung’s DeX interface and iPadOS’s slick Mac-like UI make them compelling prospects to consumers who want the flexibility and mobility that PCs cannot offer. The same is true of e-book readers. They do not offer the same convenience that a basic Android tablet can provide.
It’s this end of the spectrum that most intrigues Samsung. While Apple continues to ask top dollar for its lower-end tablets, the Korean giant has done the exact opposite. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, is a lightweight, mini tablet that is targeted at budget-minded consumers. Weighing just 355 grams, it’s lighter than most books yet its 64GB storage can be filled with hundreds of them.
The Look
The rear shell is made from plastic but the impressive colour scheme does a convincing job making it look like metal. Standing at 212.5mm tall and just 124.7mm thick, it’s a compact tablet that is easy to carry. This coupled with its feather-light characteristics, make it one of the most suitable tablets for people who are always on the move.
On numerous occasions, I found myself reaching for the Tab A7 Lite instead of my phone despite the latter having superior hardware. The Tab’s 8.7-inch screen is just big enough to read e-magazines and PDF files comfortably, yet is small enough to hold with one hand. In terms of practicality, it’s eerily reminiscent of a kindle e-reader.
I’m against the act of using a tablet while in bed. My stand is based on several painful encounters with heavy gadgets impacting my nose and forehead. Traditional tablets are significantly heavier than a smartphone, and as such keeping them upright requires more work. If you do lose your grip, the repercussions can be excruciatingly painful.
But this isn’t the case with the Tab A7 Lite because it’s only a smidgen heavier than your regular run-off-the-mill smartphone. If you’re comfortable with reading a book in bed, doing the same with this tablet will feel familiar. The 8.7-inch TFT display may not have the same eye-popping colours as that of an AMOLED display, but it isn’t far off the mark either.
The Performance
However, its shortcomings become immediately apparent when compared side by side with a 1080p display. The 1340 x 800 (WXGA+) screen resolution doesn’t look as sharp as that of the regular Tab A7’s (10.4-inch display). This becomes abundantly clear when viewing the fine print of a document. But for everything else, the resolution seems to cope quite well.
There isn’t S Pen or DeX support here, which is fitting considering its RM699 price tag. Said features are pointless for a tablet of this size. But based on its performance alone, the Tab A7 Lite is a very capable device. It can launch apps almost instantly, switch between them effortlessly, and comfortably run two of them simultaneously in split view mode.
A YouTube video can run on the top half smoothly while the bottom is used for an unrelated task. The chipset and 4GB RAM work well to make mincemeat of most tasks. The OS doesn’t seem to get bogged down when asked to do more than one thing at a time. This is an astonishing feat for any device below RM700.
To put this into perspective, the performance is significantly better than that of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Review: A Worthy Rival To The iPad that we tested last year (retailed for RM1,699 at launch). Admittedly, the smaller screen and lower resolution of the Tab A7 Lite may have played a part in giving it the advantage. But that doesn’t negate the fact that it can offer similar performance to devices twice its price.
The size is perfect for streaming content from YouTube or Netflix. It has a speaker at the top and another at the bottom. When held horizontally they function well as a stereo unit. The sound quality is decent but the delivery is configured to favour clarity rather than bass. At maximum volume, what you’re watching or listening to, can be heard from across the room.
When at that level, the output is still bearable and devoid of crackling or other types of distortion. They perform very well for most people’s tastes. However, don’t expect too much from them, especially if you’re an audiophile. All things considered, the speakers add value to the Tab A7 Lite, making it an enticing prospect for budget-minded consumers.
Being a Samsung tablet, the Tab A Lite has the usual gestures, which include swiping the side of the screen to access Recent, Back and Home functions. There are also one handed keyboards and control menus. But I didn’t find them very useful. At 8.7-inches, the screen is easy to use with only one hand.
Besides reading books and schematics, the Tab A7 Lite can serve the role of “command centre” in a smart home. If you have Samsung branded smart appliances and gadgets, they can be controlled through the use of a single device that is running the Smart things app. With a few touches and swipes, the tablet can switch on lights, turn on the TV or vacuum cleaner.
It could be a smart universal remote that can be carried all over the house as you go about your day. Given its smooth performance, app crashes or in-app lagging issues aren’t matters of great concern. Like most budget devices, the shortcomings only become apparent when asked to handle graphically intensive tasks like playing demanding gaming titles.
The Cameras
On the back, there’s a single 8MP rear camera that does alright when used in decent lighting conditions. On most occasions, shots seem to have a passable amount of detail accompanied by a good level of exposure. However, overall quality falls short of the mark when compared with budget smartphones like the A02s and A21.
This isn’t a table that you should be taking pictures with. In fact, nobody should take pictures with tablets, period. You would look ridiculous while trying to capture half baked photos. Photography is best left to your smartphone, any model would do.
On the front, the Tab A7 Lite has a 2MP selfie camera. Images that this sensor captures are ‘ok’ at best. At night the results are considerably worse. The same is true when using it for video calls. The results are alright, but not great. It will do fine for calls with family members or relatives, but isn’t suitable for business video conferencing events.
The tablet has a 5,100mAh battery and should last the entire day without problems. Remember, the screen is only 8.7-inches and with a resolution of 1340 x 800. As such, power draw is on par with that of a regular smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy A52. You should be able to get about a day’s worth of use with moderate workloads.
Though the Tab A7 Lite supports 15W fast charging, the included charger only supplies 7.8W of power. You’d be better off using the 15W charger that came with your Samsung smartphone. That said, if you stubbornly choose to stick with the standard charger, expect to wait for about two hours for a full charge.
Samsung offers this tablet with one storage option: 64GB. But it can support Micro SD cards with a maximum capacity of 1TB. This allows you to store a large number of e-books, notes, presentation slides and various other types of content. It can be used as an electronic notebook that stores your digital life.
If linked with your smartphone, the Tab A7 Lite can be used to answer calls or respond to messages. Instead of having to frantically search for your phone to answer a call, this tablet can function as a suitable stand-in device. While at home, you won’t feel the urge to use your smartphone unless the plan involves mobile gaming.
Should I Buy One?
This depends on your workflow. If you need a light tablet that can function as an e-reader and a video streaming device, then look no further than the Tab A7 Lite. This is an excellent device for media consumption, viewing e-magazines and controlling your smart appliances. Given the price tag, there’s little that you can fault it for.
Some buyers may not be impressed with its sub-1080p resolution. But this won’t be a problem unless you’re used to high resolution displays. For RM699, It offers great value for money, especially if you want something that doesn’t need to be looked after. It’s a ‘good buy’ for people who want a cheap but capable tablet.
