As a cheap tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers almost everything you need for surfing or streaming on the couch. The test shows where the catch is.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 X200/X205 is the successor to the Galaxy Tab A7 T500. It is currently the cheapest tablet (theme world) with a diagonal of more than 10 inches in the Samsung range. The variant with the smallest memory of 32 GB is available from just under 155 euros and is therefore also cheaper than the previous model.
This type of tablet serves as a simple entertainment device for surfing, gaming or streaming on the couch. We tested Samsung’s inexpensive Android tablet (theme world) and show how the Korean performs in comparison to the competition.
We show more about tablets in the guides and leaderboards Big and sharp: 5 cheap 10-inch tablets with full HD up to 200 euros Netflix & Co.: The best tablets and Chromebooks for streaming as well as iPad, Samsung or Xiaomi? The best tablets up to 500 euros and iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab S8? Top 10 best tablets on the market .
The dimensions of 247 mm x 162 mm x 7 mm are typical for a tablet of this size with a screen diagonal of 10.5 inches (267 mm). That’s about the size of a breakfast board. This makes it almost 50 mm higher than the Nokia T20 (test report) , which is due to the form factor of 16:10. However, the weight of 508 g is relatively high for a device of this size and corresponds more to an 11-inch tablet. The front camera is embedded in the rather wide display edge, on the back the main camera protrudes slightly in a round element.
The case is made of metal, which gives it a high-quality feel. The processing looks high quality. Only the transition to the separate, shiny stripe on the top of the back doesn’t look as if it was made of one piece compared to the rest of the case. The power button and the volume rocker are on the upper long side and offer a solid pressure point. The dark gray finish on our test device gives the tablet an elegant character. There is no IP certification for protection against dust and water – so be careful with drinks!
screen
The diagonal has increased slightly compared to the Galaxy Tab A7 and is now 10.5 inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels (Full HD). This results in a pixel density of 216 ppi (pixels per inch). This is low compared to a smartphone, but a tablet is usually held further away from the face. As a result, almost no pixels are noticeable to the naked eye.
The existing certification for Widevine Level 1 is also commendable. This allows content from Netflix, Amazon Video Prime or Disney+ to be played back in Full HD resolution. Many inexpensive tablets do without the certificate for cost reasons, with the result that only playback in SD resolution with 720 x 480 pixels is possible – which clearly looks blurry at over 10 inches. This is the case with the Nokia T20 (test report) . We explain more about Widevine Level in the guide Netflix & Co.: The best tablets and Chromebooks for streaming .
As nice as the Full HD resolution is, the image quality of the LC display with IPS panel could be better. The colors look a bit pale and powerless. The contrasts are well defined, but the viewing angle stability decreases quickly when tilted flat, which makes the screen difficult to read.
According to our measurements, the maximum brightness is 365 cd/m². That’s decent for the price range, but it means that the display can no longer be read as well outdoors in good weather. If you want to use the tablet on the terrace, balcony or in the garden, you should look for a place in the shade.
camera
The equipment of the cameras is kept very simple – which is not surprising given the price of the tablet. The main camera offers an autofocus and 8 megapixels, but no LED flash. The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels.
You shouldn’t expect too much from the main camera. It is just enough for occasional snapshots or for photographing a document. Colors look quite pale, and the image details aren’t particularly well defined either. The lens is also sensitive to brightness and tends to overexpose photos. Videos are possible in Full HD with 30 fps.
The front camera is much more relevant for video chats with Skype, Teams or Zoom. 5 megapixels actually read quite well. But the result is sobering. Selfies are plagued by image noise and appear blurry and pixelated. The same applies to video recordings with the front camera.
Furnishing
The heart of the Galaxy Tab A8 is the Unsicoc Tiger T618 with eight cores (2x ARM Cortex-A75 and 6x ARM Cortex-A55, each with 2 GHz). It ensures fast performance for a tablet in this price range. The operating system runs smoothly and does not require long loading times or hangs. We achieved an average of 7400 points in PCmark’s Work 3.0 benchmark. This roughly corresponds to the performance of a smartphone up to 200 euros (best list) . The Nokia T20 (test report) achieves a similar performance, the CPU of the third generation of the Lenovo Tab M10 (test report) is a little less powerful .
The Galaxy Tab A8 is suitable for casual games such as Angry Birds or Solitaire, but less so for games with more complex 3D graphics, such as Asphalt 9 or Call of Duty: Mobile. The power of the Mali G52 GPU is simply not sufficient for these games to run smoothly even with higher details. We achieved an average of just over 700 points in the benchmark.
Our test device uses the most meager memory equipment with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. We recommend going straight for the variant with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. There is also 128 GB. The internal storage space can be expanded to up to 1 TB using a micro SD card. GPS is also on board, which is not a matter of course for an inexpensive tablet. However, there is no fingerprint sensor.
USB-C is available as a connection, which supports a maximum of USB 2.0. That’s normal for the price. Bluetooth 5.0 is available for wireless headphones. The Galaxy Tab A8 surfs through home networks with a maximum of Wifi-5. There is also an LTE version, like our test device. This requires a Nano-SIM with a data plan. We show inexpensive options for this in the LTE and 5G guide: The best and cheapest tariffs for mobile surfing . The stereo speakers make a good impression, offering powerful and voluminous sound for video clips.
Samsung has been very commendable in the recent past when it comes to supplying its end devices with updates. However, the cheaper product line does not seem to be given such high priority here. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 still runs Android 11 with the One UI 3.1 user interface. The security patch is from May. The patches come quarterly for the Galaxy Tab A8, so the next security update should appear here over the course of the next week. An upgrade to Android 12 with One UI 4.1 should follow by the end of September. In addition to Spotify and Netflix, Samsung packs a large number of additional apps onto the tablet.
battery pack
The lithium polymer battery (LiPo) has a capacity of 7040 mAh. This puts it on par with the competition in this price range. We determined a runtime of 9 hours at a brightness of 200 cd/m² in the simulated operation of the PCmark battery test. It’s not great, but it’s okay. The third generation of the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (test report) for 220 euros shows more endurance with almost 11 hours. The Nokia T20 (test report) comes to about 10 hours .
Samsung still delivers the Galaxy Tab A8 with a power supply unit, but the manufacturer does not do so with newer devices – supposedly for reasons of sustainability. However, the power supply only delivers an output of 8 watts. This means that the tablet is charged from 20 to 100 percent in over 4 hours. That’s pretty long. After all, the tablet allows charging with up to 15 watts, which should halve the charging time. A corresponding power pack from Samsung costs 9 euros. The tablet does not support wireless charging. We show other power supplies in the article USB-C chargers in a large comparison test: The best only costs 11 euros .
Price
The RRP for the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 X200 with 3/32 GB is 229 euros. The currently cheapest offer for the Galaxy Tab A8 with 32 GB is around 155 euros in the Samsung store on Amazon. The variant with 4/64 GB is our recommendation and is currently just under 200 euros. The LTE version costs an average of 50 euros more each.
You can choose between the colors dark gray (Dark Grey), silver (Silver) and pink (Pink Gold). 3/32 GB, 4/64 GB and 4/128 GB are available as memory. There is also a variant with an LTE modem for operation via a nano SIM card for each color and memory option.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is a good entry-level 10.5-inch tablet at a fair price. Thanks to Widevine Level 1, streaming in Full HD is possible without any problems. The processor provides a more than solid performance for the price, the sound is also convincing.
We were a bit disappointed with the display, which lacked brilliance and color. First and foremost, the Galaxy Tab A8 is a good device for entertainment. However, it is only suitable to a limited extent as a full-fledged gaming tablet for complex games; the performance is not strong enough for that. But for casual games you are at the right address. In addition, it is not a working device due to the lack of pen support or a keyboard as an accessory.
A better and brighter display as well as a longer battery life is used in the Lenovo Tab M10 (test report) . The chic Nokia T20 (test report) is also fast and enduring, but playback with Netflix in Full HD is not possible here. A particularly compact and inexpensive alternative is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (test report) with 8.7 inches. We show other tablets in the articles Netflix & Co.: The best tablets and Chromebooks for streaming and iPad, Samsung or Xiaomi? The best tablets up to 500 euros .
