Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite in review: Inexpensive 8.7-inch tablet for on the go Anyone looking for a small and inexpensive tablet for buses and trains can take a look at the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite from Samsung. TechStage tested the device. 3:56 p.m. tech stage

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is the smallest and currently cheapest tablet model in the Korean range. With a display diagonal of 8.7 inches, it is very compact for a device in this category. It is aimed at anyone who is looking for a mobile media device and often takes the tablet with them, for example to use it on public transport.

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is aimed at everyone for whom the smartphone is too small and larger tablets from 10 inches are too unwieldy. It can also be used as a second device for the bedside table. Unlike larger Android tablets, using it upright works relatively well, for example to read longer articles. We tested the small tablet and show how it performs in everyday use.

With a size of 213 mm x 124 mm x 8 mm, it is about as long as an A5 sheet, but around 20 mm narrower. It’s roughly equivalent to a paperback or notebook like a L-size Moleskine. Weighing 366g, it’s around 150g lighter than most tablets over 10 inches. This also makes it easy to use with one hand. It also fits in a handbag. Compared to a 10.4-inch tablet, it offers about 30 percent less screen real estate, but 55 percent more than a smartphone with a 6.4-inch display.

The design leaves a solid and noble impression and fits seamlessly into the style of Samsung’s mobile products. Only when you hold the tablet in your hand do you realize that the case is only made of plastic. But that’s absolutely fine for the price. The processing is successful all round and does not have any annoying gaps. The pressure point for the power button and the volume rocker is solid. The main camera on the back protrudes only minimally. The front camera is located in the edge of the display on the short side. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite does not have an IP certification with protection against dust and water.

The diagonal of the screen is 8.7 inches (22 cm). The LCD uses an IPS panel and has a maximum resolution of 1340 × 800 pixels. The pixel density is around 179 ppi (pixels per inch). That’s not much for a smartphone, but since you usually hold the 8.7-inch tablet further away from your face, the pixels are hardly noticeable to the naked eye.

The screen does not offer HDR. Like all Samsung tablets, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite has the Widevine Level 1 certificate. This allows the device to play content from Netflix or Amazon Prime Video with HD resolution (1280×720 pixels). Without this certificate, at most SD with 720 × 480 pixels would be possible. The picture quality is okay and is reasonable for the price. But don’t expect too much. The contrasts could be better balanced, and the colors appear weak. The viewing angle stability is largely given.

The screen’s maximum brightness is 325 cd/m². This makes the tablet more suitable for indoor use. In direct sunlight, it’s not bright enough to be legible. This is usually sufficient for texts, but it becomes more difficult for video clips. Especially in films and series with dark scenes, the image is often difficult to recognize. But that’s not unusual for this price range.

Unlike a 10-inch tablet, an 8.7-inch model is more suitable for taking photos. Overall, however, very few should use it regularly. The equipment of the camera is kept rather simple in an inexpensive device like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. An 8-megapixel lens serves as the main lens, while the front camera for video chats and selfies has a meager 2-megapixel resolution. The best cell phones up to 100 euros (best list) usually offer better cameras.

The camera is not intended for more than occasional snapshots. In good lighting conditions, it produces decent photos with acceptable sharpness and sufficient image details. The image dynamics are rather reserved. The result of the selfie camera is significantly weaker. The recordings are blurred, offer weak contrasts and seem powerless. Videos are possible up to Full HD with 30 fps (frames per second).

For the price, the technical equipment is kept rather simple. The Mediatek Helio P22T (MT8768T) is the octa-core processor. The performance could be described as “sufficient”. We achieve about 5100 points in the benchmark Work 3.0 from PCmark. This corresponds to the performance level of the Lenovo Tab M8 FHD (test report) or a smartphone up to 150 euros (best list). The graphics performance of the GPU is also modest. The device does not support “Wild Life” from 3Dmark, and we achieve a meager 430 points in “Slingshot Extreme”. This means that the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is at most something for casual games. There are always minor delays in operation. The tablet is primarily intended for surfing, reading or watching video clips, less for complex applications.

Either 3 GB RAM and 32 GB or 4 GB RAM and 64 GB are available as storage. We recommend the latter. An expansion using a micro SD card is possible up to 1 TB. The device also offers Bluetooth 5.0 and supports WLAN up to the Wi-Fi 5 standard. The T225 variant allows mobile surfing via SIM card with a maximum of LTE. The location uses GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, compass and QZSS. A USB-C socket is available as a connection, which works with a maximum of USB 2.0. There is even a jack plug (3.5 mm) for headphones. The stereo speakers also make a good impression, offering a rich sound for video clips or games.

The operating system is still Android 11 with the One UI 3.0 user interface. An update to Android 12 will be rolled out soon. The security patch dates from May and is therefore no longer entirely up to date. Unlike high-end devices, Samsung does not distribute monthly updates here. As you already know from the Koreans, numerous apps from Samsung and other providers such as Netflix or Spotify are already preinstalled.