Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
RM699
Pros
- Awesome stereo sound
- Good battery life
- Best for entertainment
- Affordable
Cons
- Camera just okay
- Not for heavy gaming
Now it’s time. I have been using this new Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite for over 2 weeks already and based on my previous preview article, I had a great time using it as an entertainment device. And this time will be the full review of it and I will tell you what I honestly think of the new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite.
The new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is in my opinion, a replacement for the Galaxy Tab A 2019, which I also have in my possession. Comparing the two, the newer Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is larger in terms of screen size and is now powered by MediaTek as opposed to a Snapdragon 429 chipset in the previous version. However, both MediaTek and Snapdragon chipsets are based on 12nm processor but the newer MediaTek comes with an octa-core CPU while the older Snapdragon version only uses a quad-core CPU setup.
By switching to another SoC (MediaTek), Samsung is able to reduce the price for the new tablet, making it even more affordable for many and the best part is, the new chipset is actually a big upgrade from its predecessor. Not only do you get an additional 4 cores in the SoC, you will also get a bump on the RAM as well. Yay!
Another upgrade that you will get is the screen size. The new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite now comes with an 8.7” TFT display with 5:3 aspect ratio. The tablet does feel bigger, or rather, taller than the old Tab A 2019. The overall chassis size is almost the same size, but because the bezels on the new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is smaller, it can now accommodate the larger display.
Design
The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite body is made of aluminum around the back and the frame, with a glass front for the display. It feels thinner than the Tab A 2019 but after closer inspection, it looks like it’s about the same thickness. Maybe it being 2.5mm taller than its predecessor made it feel thinner, I don’t know. Since it has smaller bezels, it does look better in my opinion.
On the right side of the tablet, there’s the power button at the top and the volume rocker below it. It sits firmly on the side and it has a solid click to it. Below the volume rocker, there’s a tiny mic hole to capture your voice while you’re on any video call while the tablet is in landscape orientation.
On the left side, there’s only a single MicroSD card slot located near the top. You can see the first of two speaker grille at the top of the tablet, located near the right side of the tablet. And the other speaker grille is located at the bottom, located at the same position as the top. This way, then you turn the tablet into landscape orientation, both speakers will be near the top for better stereo sound quality. Or it can be near the bottom side, depending which landscape orientation that you turn the tablet.
Also at the bottom, there’s the 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB type-C charging port and another mic hole next to the speaker grille.
Around the back, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite only comes with a basic single camera setup. It uses the same camera as its predecessor which is an 8MP, 1080p at 30fps camera. I don’t expect the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite to be used for high quality photography as it can only shoot simple photos. Photo quality is just okay, nothing to shout about.
Same goes with the front selfie camera. It is only a 2MP camera which I think is good enough for video calls and Zoom meetings. I have tested the front camera for Google Meet call and the comment that I got from my friend is that the camera quality looks “normal”. I guess normal is good.
Other items that you can find in the box are the charger brick, USB type-C cable, user manuals and the SD card slot pin.
Performance and Usage
I use the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite mostly for entertainment. I honestly love it for that. The stereo speakers on this tablet are loud and awesome. I binge watch my usual TV series and some movies on this tablet a lot. If you’re looking for an entertainment tablet, this is it. I’ll tell you why.
The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is powered by a 5100mAh battery. The battery lasts me about two days before it reaches below 10%. During that time, I am able to binge watch my movies, watch a few YouTube videos and play games on it. With its loud stereo speaker, it made me feel that I am fully immersed with the whole experience. It’s not the best, but if you’re on a budget, this is more than worth it.
The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is powered by Android 11 out-of-the-box with OneUI 3.1. The unit I’m using comes with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. It has a slot for MicroSD card on the left side so you can add up the storage space if you need to. Android 11 on the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is very smooth and stable.
You can push the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite to its limit easily. It can handle a heavy load of multitasking with only a slight lag. The older Tab A 2019 can’t really handle heavy load apps based on my experience. And it lags a lot more. When I say slight lag on the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite when doing heavy multitasking work, I mean switching quickly from one window to another. There will be a slight lag when doing that but it loads up quickly once you’re in the app you want to use. I’m sure the upgraded 4GB RAM helps a lot and also thanks to its octa-core CPUs.
I have no problem when playing light games such as Pokemon Go, Angry Birds and Temple Run. You can download the apps and games from Google Playstore or Samsung’s very own Galaxy Store. As I have said in my preview article, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite can do many things that you throw at it. The only thing it can’t do is play heavy graphic games. But I did install PUBG Mobile on this Galaxy Tab A7 Lite just for the heck of it. This is what happened…
I managed to only set minimum graphic settings upon firing up the game. The usual option whether to use HD graphics or SD graphics appeared and I selected the lower resolution graphic. The game loads up as normal and in the graphic settings, I can only select low FPS to play the game. And in the game, it wasn’t that bad. The Galaxy Tab A 2019 was able to load and play the last time I tested it, and this new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite does everything better. It’s just better, but not good enough for a smooth gameplay.
I didn’t mind the lower graphic settings. However, I do mind the lags. So I keep in mind that the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite can only play light games as I mentioned. But not for hardcore gamers. But it is still an excellent entertainment tablet.
I also use the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite for video calls. I had a Zoom meeting the other day and I decided to use the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite for it. Best decision ever. The loud stereo speakers are great to listen to the conversations. The loudness and clarity is top notch. And I don’t have to talk loudly as well, thanks to the dual mic on the tablet.
It is incredible how this affordable tablet can perform when I need it to. It is definitely an improvement from the previous Tab A 2019 version.
Camera
As I mentioned earlier, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is basically using the same camera as the older Tab A 2019. It is using an 8MP sensor with autofocus and able to shoot 1080p video at 30fps. That is pretty much what a basic phone can shoot.
Photo quality is just okay. I am able to get some decent outdoor shots while the indoor shots or anywhere in low light areas are very grainy. Again, photos are usable for the sake of having photos but it is not good enough for prints. For social media posts however, it’s still okay.
Since we are mostly working from home during this Malaysian MCO, I am unable to go out much for some photoshoot. I only managed to take a few shots for me to show as a sample. But as you can obviously see, the outdoor shots are better than indoors.
Conclusion
I’m serious when I said that the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is great as an entertainment device. Even my wife enjoys watching some movies with this tablet. It’s good to mention that the audio for this Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is enhanced by Dolby Atmos to give that richer sound quality.
It is affordable, therefore this will also be a great device for your children to use especially for online studies. We know here in Malaysia that most schools, primary and secondary, are doing online studies on a daily basis. All you need to have installed are apps for students such as Google Meet and Google Classroom. You children can clearly listen to their teachers without earphones, thanks to the awesome stereo speakers.
Would I recommend this new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite? Definitely. This tablet can be your close companion for work, studies and entertainment. It compliments well with your phone and works best with any Galaxy devices. You can also pair it with a wireless Bluetooth keyboard if you need an external input device.
I absolutely love it. I’m a little sad that I can’t play my favourite game, PUBG Mobile on this tablet but it’s okay. I found better use for it. It can do anything you want it to do. It just works.
If you’re thinking of getting one for yourself, you can check out the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite at Samsung’s official page and it is retailing for RM699.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Specifications
- SoC: Mediatek MT8768T Helio P22T (12nm), Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53)
- GPU: PowerVR GE8320
- OS: Android 11, One UI 3.1
- Memory: 32GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM
- Display:
TFT Screen
8.7 inches, 214.9 cm2 (~81.1% screen-to-body ratio)
800 x 1340 pixels, 5:3 ratio (~179 ppi density) - Battery: Li-Po 5100 mAh, non-removable
- Camera: 8 MP, AF
- Selfie Camera: 2 MP, 1080p @ 30fps
- Sensors: Accelerometer, compass
- Colours: Gray, Silver
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