Samsung quietly launches the budget-friendly Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) with S Pen support
One might say that Samsung was readying the Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) with S Pen support just to compete with Apple's new iPad Mini, but we know that Android and iOS customers are quite different.
There's also the matter of price, as Android tablets are known to be much cheaper than its iOS counterparts, but than there's also the ecosystem and the premium feel that these products offer.
The Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) is definitely not meant to compete with Apple's new iPad Mini. Still, it can offer a cheaper alternative to the Galaxy Note series let's say, but only if you need a device with an S Pen that it's a top-tier smartphone.
Samsung hasn't officially introduced the tablet, probably because it's not that important for its mobile division, which is why we don't have a price and availability yet. However, we do know some of the countries where you will be able to purchase it: Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the UK (via Carphone Warehouse).
Despite the fact that it will be released as part of Samsung's affordable Galaxy Tab A lineup, the tablet does pretty well hardware-wise, at least on paper. The 1.8GHz Exynos 7904 octa-core processor is coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 512GB via microSD.
It's worth mentioning that this is the same chipset that that powers Samsung's affordable M20 smartphone, a device specifically designed for the Indian market. Even though Samsung's Exynos 7904 chipset supports 32-megapixel cameras, the Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) doesn't offer one.
In fact, Samsung packed inside a simple setup comprising an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a secondary 5-megapixel selfie snapper. There are no additional cameras for the famous bokeh effect, which blurs the background of your pictures, or unnecessary sensors included as simple sales points.
On the bright side, the tablet offers 4G LTE connectivity and has a pretty decent 4,200 mAh battery inside, which is said to last for up to 11 hours of internet browser using either Wi-Fi or GSM networks. Also, the 8-inch display features a standard resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, which isn't the brightest on the market.
To make things even more appealing, Samsung has finally decided to drop Android Oreo for good and included Google's latest version of the operating system – Android 9.0 Pie. It sure sounds like a decent selling point, but when you think that in just a few months Google will release Android Q, it's doesn't look that great.
The tablet weighs just 325g, but that still makes it slightly heavier than Apple's iPad Mini (2019), although not by much. Of course, the Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) is no match for Apple's iPad Mini (2019) in terms of performance, but what it loses in speed, Samsung's tablet gains in affordability.
Although we don't have a price for Samsung's mid-range tablet, it will surely be much lower than $400, the price you'll have to pay for a new Apple iPad Mini (2019) with the most basic hardware configuration.
As far as US availability goes, we have no way to tell whether or not the Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) will ever come to the States, but if it does, we hope the tablet won't cost more than $250.
There's also the matter of price, as Android tablets are known to be much cheaper than its iOS counterparts, but than there's also the ecosystem and the premium feel that these products offer.
Samsung hasn't officially introduced the tablet, probably because it's not that important for its mobile division, which is why we don't have a price and availability yet. However, we do know some of the countries where you will be able to purchase it: Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the UK (via Carphone Warehouse).
XDA Developers reports the tablet has already been listed on Samsung Thailand's site, so we know it will come in two colors: gray and black. We'll update the news when we get more info on price and availability, but for now, let's dive in and see what the slab has to offer in terms of hardware.
Affordable on paper, hopefully, price-wise too
Despite the fact that it will be released as part of Samsung's affordable Galaxy Tab A lineup, the tablet does pretty well hardware-wise, at least on paper. The 1.8GHz Exynos 7904 octa-core processor is coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 512GB via microSD.
It's worth mentioning that this is the same chipset that that powers Samsung's affordable M20 smartphone, a device specifically designed for the Indian market. Even though Samsung's Exynos 7904 chipset supports 32-megapixel cameras, the Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) doesn't offer one.
In fact, Samsung packed inside a simple setup comprising an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a secondary 5-megapixel selfie snapper. There are no additional cameras for the famous bokeh effect, which blurs the background of your pictures, or unnecessary sensors included as simple sales points.
On the bright side, the tablet offers 4G LTE connectivity and has a pretty decent 4,200 mAh battery inside, which is said to last for up to 11 hours of internet browser using either Wi-Fi or GSM networks. Also, the 8-inch display features a standard resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, which isn't the brightest on the market.
To make things even more appealing, Samsung has finally decided to drop Android Oreo for good and included Google's latest version of the operating system – Android 9.0 Pie. It sure sounds like a decent selling point, but when you think that in just a few months Google will release Android Q, it's doesn't look that great.
Clearly not an Apple iPad Mini (2019) competitor
The tablet weighs just 325g, but that still makes it slightly heavier than Apple's iPad Mini (2019), although not by much. Of course, the Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) is no match for Apple's iPad Mini (2019) in terms of performance, but what it loses in speed, Samsung's tablet gains in affordability.
As far as US availability goes, we have no way to tell whether or not the Galaxy Tab A Plus (2019) will ever come to the States, but if it does, we hope the tablet won't cost more than $250.
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