First of all, I am a techie, and I upgrade to the newest tablets and phones once a year (sometimes every 10 months I upgrade). So I own this Tab A 10.5 and also own the Tab S4 10.5. I use the Tab A as my GO TO TABLET, my personal and fun tablet. The Tab S4, I use with the Samsung Keyboard and I use it for business purposes, like a mini laptop. So when I began using/testing the Tab A, I was AMAZED because the Tab A is so much better than I expected! I happily use a generic cover/stand (11.00), the on-screen keyboard, and sometimes my Bluetooth keyboard with great success.
* My goal in this review is to help you with your decision of whether or not to purchase this tablet. Please note that this review reflects my personal opinion and my personal experience with this tablet.*
PROS:
1) 32 GB of Internal Storage, however, after the Oreo OS and Factory Apps, it showed 21.8GB left. After I installed/updated lots of personal Apps such as Word and Excel and several weather apps, Facebook, Twitter and Kindle, I now have 20.47 GB left. So I have plenty of storage left if I decide to install more apps later or install app updates.
2) Screen Sharpness/Colors/Backside of Tab A: This Tab A has a huge 10.5 inch IPS LCD Capacitive screen and has a PPI of 216. (Pixels per inch, the higher the better). The Tab S4 has 287 PPI and has a SUPER AMOLED SCREEN.
Note: Here is my personal comparison of the Tab A vs Tab S4 screen sharpness and color. I placed them SIDE BY SIDE and each screen had a detailed map with lots of colors. The Tab S4 was very, very bright and extra clear in detail because it has a SUPER AMOLED Capacitive type of screen. The Tab A has a IPS LCD Capacitive type of screen, and I found that the colors are vivid, text sharp, and overall a beautiful screen on the Tab A. In fact, I found the Tab A screen to be very clear as I noticed that my Kindle eBooks were super clear on this tablet and all apps look great as well.
* Back of tablet...so happy to report that the back is NOT GLASS, it has a velvety back and looks expensive. The Tab S4 tablet has a GLASS BACK and if dropped, can break!
* This tablet is very durable and functional as well.
3) MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note, etc) and Generic Playstore Office Programs.
* There is a free Office program in Playstore called WPS Office. I discovered that it is compatible with the MS Office files. It is easy to use and the only generic Office I found to work much like MS Office with good compatibility. I used it for years. Later, I started using MS Office as I create and edit so many files each day.
* MS Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote are free, however, tablets OVER a 10.1 inch size and the Tab A 10.5 is larger, so the documents are read only, no editing. That's right, no editing UNLESS you purchase an Office 365 subscription. So I purchased the 9.99 monthly one because of the 5 PCs, 5 Tablets, 5 Smartphones, and 1 TB Storage. The OneDrive Cloud storage from Microsoft gives me a choice of WHERE I save my documents: Internal Storage, SD Card or OneDrive Storage.
4) Printing from this TABLET...I print right from my TABLET using PrinterShare from the Playstore. I print Word, Excel Documents, emails, pictures and more, using a Wireless printer.
5) Wifi Calling...So I use Google Hangouts phone number/app if I want to use this TAB A as a phone. It works well, however, WIFI must be connected for it to work. I use my ATT phone plan with Unlimited minutes and texts.
* This model does NOT have 4G LTE Data/Cellular capabilities. When Wifi is not available, I use my Samsung Phone as a Data Hotspot to get on the Internet. (I called AT&T and the representative told me that tethering (using my Data for a Hotspot) is allowed on my plan).
6) Android OS---My tablet arrived with Oreo 8.1, however, I read that this device should receive at least one OS update so I should receive Android Pie around February to March 2019.
7) WiFi--This tablet has in the specs a dual band WiFi Radio (A/B/G/N, AC and dual band). If you have a 5GHZ capable router, it will connect to the fastest 5GHZ speed! My tablet connected right away with a super strong signal to my AT&T Uverse Router that has 2.4GHZ. I plan on upgrading my router to a 5GHZ one later this year. However, I have a large home and 2.4 GHZ goes a much longer distance than 5GHZ does. I just tested my router and I receive 144 speed mps (very fast). And it keeps a strong signal in every room of my home, even in my backyard.
8) Speed and Performance---Excellent! So for my personal use, this tablet gives me great speed and performance on my many apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, Internet, YouTube, Email, MS Office etc. Also, I found all videos run very well. Performs very well with no lagging.
9) Battery Life / Coolness -- SUPER! This battery lasts about a bit longer than my older 2016 Tab A tablet did. With 100 percent brightness and very heavy, constant use, I still have 18 percent left when it is 10pm and bedtime, time to recharge.
This battery has never overheated, it stays between 70 to 86 degrees Farenheit, which is excellent.
10) External Slot for SD Card---So I installed a SanDisk 128gb Micro SD card which was loaded with my music, pictures, home videos and files. I still have 75 gb left on my SD Card. According to Gsmarena, this device accepts up to a 512 GB Micro SD card. I plan on purchasing a 200 GB SD card soon.
10) Camera--- Excellent! So I actually took some inside and outside pictures and saved them to my SD Card. The pictures (indoors and outdoors) are very clear, excellent for sending in email or even Facebook. My videos also came out well.
11) USB Port is a type C. And it has OTG (On the Go), which means with a USB/type C adapter, you can insert a USB Flash drive, USB mouse, USB keyboard (one at a time). I use this to copy files from my Flash drive to my phone or vice versa).
12) Sound: The sound quality is pretty good as it has 2 small internal speakers. Well I listened to several songs on this and the sound was pretty good. Then I tested it by making a phone call on Google Hangouts and the internal speakers were plenty loud and very clear. Most of the time, for music and videos, I use my Bluetooth headset or a Bluetooth speaker and the sound is outstanding.
Also, this tablet has a headphone jack as I sometimes use my wired headset.
13) Price and Usability...For a reasonable price, this Tab A is excellent. If you don't have to have lots of Internal Storage, then this TAB A is one you should consider. Personally, I find the Tab A 2018 to be a big improvement over the Tab A 2016 as it has 32GB of storage, the Tab A 2016 just had 16GB of storage.
* In one word, my description of this Tab A: AMAZING!
Cons (3)
1) There is no DeX feature (DeX gives a more PC like experience with sizeable app windows. The Tab S4 has DeX. However, for the much lower price at 329 vs 649 to 749, this Tab A is 320 dollars to 420 dollars less than the Tab S4.
2) No S Pen. The Tab S4 comes with S Pen, the Tab A, no S Pen. However, I purchased some very high end Friendly Swede Stylus Pens that have micro knit tips and these come 6 in a package for 10.00 on Amazon. I use them daily and draw with them, even write with then in writing and drawing apps.
3) Microsoft allows you to freely edit files IF you have a screen size of 10.1 inches or under. This tablet has a 10.5 screen so one must purchase a Microsoft subscription (6.99, 9.99 monthly) in order to edit documents. This is not the fault of Samsung, it is a Microsoft thing.
You do not have to subscribe to Office 365 unless you want to. The WPS Office is free in the Playstore.
Would I buy this tablet again? Yes, because of the large 10.5 inch screen and 32 GB internal storage. Yes, this TABLET is a great buy as it is beautiful, fast, and a joy to use!
Should you consider purchasing this Samsung Tab A TABLET?
** Yes, if you are watching your budget and want a very nice tablet at a good price, then you should consider this Tab A.
* No, if you really need more Internal Storage such as 64GB or 256GB, and don't mind paying an extra 320 to 420 dollars for say a Tab S4, then you may want to consider the Tab S4.
Bottom line...This Tab A is an excellent buy. It has many features. While it does not have the large, large internal storage space of the Tab S4, I discovered that the Tab A 10.5 2018 TABLET gives a lot of bang for the buck. In fact, I like it so much, I nicknamed the Tab A this:
AMAZING.
* Thank you for reading my review. I hope that it has helped you in your decision of whether or not to purchase this tablet.*
I have the 2 year old Samsung Tab A 10.1” and decided to upgrade to this new model. The Tablet works very well and has a great picture. I use it for games and movies. I got an android tablet because I do not like the Apple controlled environment of the iPad. I also can add up to a 400gb SD card on this model and have much more storage at a lower cost than the iPad. I also like this better than the Amazon Fire because I can download apps from the Google store, which you cannot do on an Amazon Fire tablet.
I don't know why people are saying this is a bad tablet
The screen resolution is great, very good looking tablet
Face recognition to unlock the tablet is really cool
The processor is very fast, loads up apps in seconds
But most importantly, my wife started to find me more attractive after seeing me use the tablet. It rekindled our marriage within hours of watching some videos on the crisp looking screen. She told me "this is a tablet for real men!"
Thanks Samsung!!!
I have three Galaxy Tabs and love them all. My favorite is the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 (Jan 2015) because it is lightweight, easy to hold, and has a gorgeous screen with 4M pixels. I use it for emails, newspapers, Wikipedia, web browsing and shopping. I use the Tab A 10.1 (2016) for watching DirecTV Now, emails, word processing, and classroom study. It usually sits on a table near my easy chair. I keep a 7" Tab 4 (2014) in my car, in case I need to read the Check Engine light. A bluetooth keyboard ($30-50) can be added to any. If the keyboard has a mousepad, a mouse pointer will appear on the Galaxy's screen and work just like a Windows computer's. Handy if you have trouble with tiny buttons on a touchscreen.
The two 10" Tab A's weigh about 18 oz, a bit heavy for sustained hand-holding, and have about 2M pixels, similar to HDTV before 4K. The new model has a 3GB front-page memory and a 32GB flash drive, a significant improvement over the Tab A 10.1 and Tab Pro 8.4's 2GB / 16GB. Processor speed has risen from 1.6 to 1.8 gHz. The new model has facial recognition, which some may find useful, and an upgraded sound system with speakers better positioned. (While using DirecTVnow, I connect an Anker SoundCore2 ($40) or JBL Charge 2+ ($90). The SoundCore2 has a fine, well-balanced sound; the JBL's have more power and lots of bass.)
Operating systems on Galaxy Tabs are not updated...but that's OK with me. The Tab 4 and Tab Pro 8.4 have KitKat 4.4 and every program I've installed - with the notable exception of DirecTVnow - has worked fine. Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat are very similar to each other. The most noticeable difference between Marshmallow and Nougat is in the display of time on the welcome screen. The newer program uses an unattractive font and an unintelligible format.
The dedicated, below-screen, Recent, Home and Back buttons are gone. You'll need to press a button on the side to turn the 2018 model on. These three important buttons will appear on screen, and stay at the bottom when you rotate the machine.
Update (Nov 28): I heard that Samsung is offering two OS upgrades for tablets in this price range. Mine was upgraded to Nougat 7.0 earlier this year. If you buy a new Tab A 10.1 today, it will likely have Nougat installed, or upgrade as soon as you connect. I just wish they could upgrade my old Tab Pro 8.4!
Who cares about android updates anyway. Reliable tablet here at a good price. You want updates get a pixel tablet oh wait no new pixel tablets, Ok then get a LG tablet wait what no new LG tablets well dang get a Sony tablet no really no new Sony ones. Hmm what to do then oh I know suck it up and buy a Samsung or Hawuie tablet and not care about something so stupid as updates. It's android you don't need the newest version everytime. It's not apple were oh this app don't support ios7 and that crap. You pretty much pay for a faster nicer looking tablet.
Feature Product
- Wide Immersive Display
- Cinematic Dolby Atmos Surround Sound
- GOOGLE Assistant
- Fast-Charging
- Multitasking Performance
Description
The Galaxy Tab A 10.5" is the tablet you'll want to get your hands on. Enjoy cinematic experiences on a wide screen with Dolby Atmos surround sound, listen to music or browse your favorite sites-and do it all at once. And with Google Assistant plus a long-lasting, fast-charging battery, your tablet keeps you going all day.
Great tablet. Large screen size. very clean picture. fast enough for web browsing, social media and games. I however can not transfer any files or apps over to the micro SD card. I bought a third party app to try as well and no dice. nothing on the message boards fix it either. If anyone has a solution let me know. :(
Just wanted something for watching movies, web browsing and email so buying a new s4 for its price would be a total waste. I had a galaxy tab S before this and wanted something similar but with more storage. Very pleased with the purchase and price.
Great everyday tablet with excellent battery life and sound. It's a little too large for reading or holding for a long time, but overall you get a lot for the price.
I bought this to replace a Sam Tab S 1st gen I used for reading.
The battery started to fail and I couldn't get a reliable replacement battery.
Pros:
Large 16:10 screen
On screen nav button
Fantastic speakers for a tablet
32gbs of internal storage with mSD card slot (i put a 400gb sandisk card in mine), FINALLY!!! No more 8gb and 16gb configurations
Very nice unibody polycarb design, but i would have preferred a design that allowed for replacing the battery.
Cons:
They used a snapdragon 400 series processor for this ?!?!? Lets be clear, this processor is FASTER than the exynos processor in the outgoing Tab 10 model. But for the price, I would have expected at least a snapdragon 600 series processor.
The screen, despite being big, bright and having a nice resolution for reading, has very poor black levels. So if you often read white text on a black background like me, it might not be the best experience like the AMOLED screens are, but its acceptable given the lackluster options in the tablet marketplace.
Also, the battery is not replaceable.
So, I own currently a Tab 9.7 S2. I was looking around to see if I could upgrade this tablet. I've tried and failed at a couple of others before I bought this item.
When I got it, I said I would give it a week at normal usage to test it out in my "real world". And I did just that. I inserted my SD card, set up my connections, and used it just as I would my other tablet.
The good stuff:
Long, long, LONG battery life. And fast charging! That was very exciting to me. :)
10.5 screen. Nuff said.
WiFi connection nice and strong and easy set up with WPS.
Samsung Notes included, which I was happy to see. I like that interface for writing notes and it was easy to sync across to my Note 8. (That's the real reason I have Samsung; I like my phone so much. lol)
The reason(s) it is going back:
The screen is.....meh. It's not as dark or colorful as my old tablet. Even the extra screen space can't make up for a bad picture. I think Samsung could have made this one AMOLED.
The performance in my usual gaming and apps is actually slower than in my old tablet. Very choppy. The video playback is OK, but not really worth upgrading if everything doesn't work that way.
So, back I go to my S2 and I'll continue the hunt.
Don't get me wrong. This would be a great tablet for most folks and I"m not knocking the build quality. But the performance I expect and the visuals I already receive are superior, even with the added screen real estate.
This is a hopeful exploration tho. Maybe the next Samsung tab I try will be the one.
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