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Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 2019 Review

Is Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 worth buying? If you are looking for a budget-friendly tablet that can be used for basic gaming, surfing the internet, or watching movies and videos, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 is a perfect choice.

Its affordable price range matches up to the cheapest Apple Tablet and makes it preferable for most new users.

This article reviews the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 released in 2019. Before this version, Samsung had released the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 in 2018. If you are looking for the older 10.5-inch version, just scroll to the bottom for the comparison.

Related Content: Samsung Galaxy vs Amazon Fire HD 10

Specifications for Samsung Galaxy Tab A

  1. Screen Size: 10.1 inches
  2. Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels
  3. Aspect Ratio: 16:10
  4. Operating System: Android 9.0
  5. Processor: Exynos 7904 octa-core CPU
  6. RAM: 2 GB 
  7. Storage Space: 32 GB
  8. Front Camera: 5 Megapixels
  9. Rear Camera: 8 Megapixels
  10. Connectivity: USB-C
  11. Weight: 469 g

Screen and Display

One of the best aspects of this tablet is its large 10.1-inch size screen with a 1920 x 1200 pixels resolution. 

It features a 16:10 aspect ratio, making it possible to be used in both portrait and landscape orientation comfortably.

The screen is sharp, crisp, and very clean for its price range. Colors are displayed in rich and vivid output but as an LCD screen, it is not as good as an OLED screen type.

This means that the  Samsung Galaxy Tab S6  and Galaxy Tab S5e will display better quality and contrast, thanks to their OLED screens.

For normal movie watching and basic tasks, however, the LCD screen is enough and will work perfectly for you.

You can hold the 10-inch screen comfortably since it is neither too big to limit portability nor too small to cause problems when viewing. It is just the perfect size.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 will allow you to stream at 1080p Full HD. This is one of the main reasons why we highly recommend this tablet as a movie-watching and streaming device.

Power and Performance

The overall power and performance of your tablet can make or break your user experience. 

It comes with a powerful 8-core Exynos 7904 processor that is powerful enough for most of your daily tasks. Unfortunately, despite having a very powerful processor, the low RAM at 2 GB makes multitasking slow and problematic. 

This RAM is okay for basic tasks but might lag if you run complex tasks such as photo editing or drawing. For the best user experience, avoid running too many programs at a go.

If it is any consolation, however, you can choose the 3 GB option at a slightly higher price range and slightly better performance.

Storage space is also low at 32 GB and may not fit all your applications and files. Fortunately, it is possible to expand the storage up to 512 GB using a MicroSD card that you have to buy separately.

If power and performance a deal breakers for you, then we recommend the Amazon Fire HD 10 which is cheaper and has a better processor.

Body and Build

For its under 200$ price range, this tablet looks and feels great and more like a premium tablet over a budget option.

The full screen-covered front side with minimal bezels makes it look sleek and classy. The back is fully aluminum-covered, making it sturdy and durable.

It almost feels like the premium-level iPads in terms of look and overall texture. It may not match up perfectly to iPads or even more expensive Samsung tablets but for its price, it is perfect.

Overall the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 is a small and portable tablet that will easily fit in your backpack.

It features a slim build with a height of 9.65 inches, a width of 5.88 inches, and a depth of 3 inches. It is also lightweight at  469 g.

Battery Life and Cameras

If you like using your tablet for recording videos and photos, then you are in luck. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 comes with an 8 8-megapixel sensor rear camera and 5 MP front camera with autofocus technology.

This will work perfectly for most creators or photography enthusiasts and allows 1080p Full HD video recording.

It is far much better compared to the cheaper but similar Amazon Fire HD 10 which has 2MP with 720p HD video recording for the front camera and 5MP with 1080p HD video recording for the rear camera.

The camera’s 2X zoom and autofocus are unique to the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 and make it feel like a professional camera on a tablet.

Battery life will determine how long you can use your tablet away from a power source or without recharging. 

To match its small size, Samsung made a smaller  6150 mAh battery but was able to maintain a 13-hour battery life.

This battery life coupled with a lightweight build and bright screen ensures that you can use your tablet outdoors without problems for over a whole day’s working time.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 2019 is a perfect budget tablet that will serve you perfectly, especially for basic tasks such as watching movies or streaming.

It features a good screen, camera, and modern processor. The battery life lasts well over a full day 8-hour work period at 13 hours.

Processing power is okay but the 2 GB or 3 GB RAM could have been improved for better performance. 

Storage space can be improved from the low 32 GB up to 512 GB. This will cost you extra although the original price is reasonably low. However, it would have been better if it was expandable up to 1 TB like the Amazon Fire HD 10.

Pros

  • Affordable Price Range
  • Large 10 inch Screen with full HD resolution
  • Powerful Modern processor
  • Long 13 hours of Battery life
  • Good 8 MP and 5 MP rear and front cameras with autofocus and 2X zoom
  • Premium and durable feel on the body Lightweight and easily portable
  • Expandable Storage

Cons

  • Low 2 GB RAM limiting performance
  • For better performance the cheaper Amazon Fire HD 10
  • Storage space is only expandable up to 512 GB
  • No 64 GB storage option

Galaxy Tab A 10.5 2018, What you need to Know

Just like the new Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 is also a good enough iPad Mini alternative from Samsung.

  • Screen Size: 10.5 in
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels FHD
  • Processor: Unisoc Tiger T618
  • RAM: 3 GB/ 4 GB
  • Storage Space: 32 GB/ 64 GB
  • Camera: 5 Mp front and 8 Mp rear
  • Video Recording: 8K @ 30fps
  • Weight: 508 g
  • Operating System: Android 11

Differences between Galaxy Tab A 10.5 and Galaxy Tab A 10.1

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 was released slightly over a year before the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1. It came out in August 2018 while the 10.1 inch came out in April 2019.

The older Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 features a bigger and bulky body limiting its portability. It measures an overall size of 10.24 x 6.34 x 0.31 in and 508 grams weight compared to 9.65 x 5.88 x 0.30 in and 469 grams weight on the Galaxy Tab A 10.1.

The Galaxy Tab A 10.5 features a slightly larger 10.5-inch screen size with IPS LCD screen technology and a 76.3% screen-to-body ratio. It has an overall screen density of 216 ppi which is decent.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 is better but not too different. It is slightly smaller at 10.1 inches and features more modern-looking slim bezels. This is as a result of the 80.7% screen-to-body ratio.

The full Glass front TFT LCD screen is sleek and futuristic. It features a slightly higher 224 ppi screen density making it slightly clearer.

Both screens are not too different in resolution and aspect ratio. Both have a 16:10 aspect ratio and Full HD 1200 x1920 pixels resolution.