Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A7 Lite might not be the most impressive Android tablet around, but if you’re after value and don’t mind a slow software experience, it can offer you some bang for your buck.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
The Tab A7 is a better machine by the numbers than its Lite counterpart; however, it’s not that powerful. Still, it will help you complete your basic daily tasks, and the 1200p screen is great for viewing content.
iPads might have the tablet market cornered, but plenty of niche budget tablets are still available for those who want a tablet’s convenience without the iPad’s price or software. In fact, Samsung has made somegreat cheap Android tablets, which makes it very easy to find one capable of doing your basic daily tasks on a larger screen than your phone.
While theSamsung Galaxy Tab A7isn’t the newest Samsung budget tablet anymore, it’s still a solid choice, especially when compared to more widely available and cheaper options like the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. Here’s everything you need to know about these two devices, including how they stack up next to each other and othergreat tablets.
Price, availability, and specs
The Galaxy Tab A7 has mostly been replaced by the newer Galaxy Tab A8, so it’s a bit harder to find. You may not be able to walk into your local electronics store and expect to snag one; however, Amazon does have some in stock. While $230 was the starting price, if you find a Tab A7 somewhere, you should see it discounted. The Tab A7 is not as cheap as the Tab A7 Lite, which typically goes for around $130, and the A7 Lite is more widely available since Samsung still sells it.
An important distinction between the two models comes down to LTE. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite has Wi-Fi + Cellular models available in the States, but the A7 never did. You can try to import the international models if you can find them, but if you want to take your tablet away from your home Wi-Fi network and out into the world, the A7 Lite has a leg up by providing LTE compatibility.
The design differences between the two tablets aren’t too drastic, though the Galaxy Tab A7 has a slightly more uniform look with even bezels all around the display. Sure, it’s not the most modern look in tech hardware these days, but the thinner bezels on the side and the larger bezels on the forehead and chin of the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite can look a little less polished.
Both models have Bluetooth and the coveted headphone jack, meaning you don’t need a fantastic pair ofwireless earbudsfor audio; you can use your favorite pair of wired headphones.
The differences between the display on each device are certainly worth noting. The 8.7-inch display on the Tab A7 Lite is only 720p, which by today’s standards is pretty weak; though, as we mention in our review of theGalaxy A7 Lite, it doesn’t look too bad on a screen this size. Still, it does pale compared to the Tab A7, which has a larger 10.4-inch LCD panel that also sports a 1200p resolution while keeping that same wider screen aspect ratio to ensure it has smaller black bars on the side of your content when you’re watching your favorite streaming services.
The slight difference in screen brightness won’t matter too much since neither screen gets bright enough to make the display visible in bright sunlight. The max brightness of 329 nits on the A8 and 315 nits on the A7 Lite are pretty comparable, and both should be bright enough to see what you need to, so long as you’re indoors and away from windows.
Surprisingly enough, since the Tab A7 Lite launched after the Tab A7, it can update to the Android 13 software, whereas the Tab A7 can only get Android 12. Regarding future support, you’re out of luck with both models since both tablets received the two promised major Android updates. Of course, your software version won’t matter much whether you go with the A7 Lite or standard A7.
Undoubtedly, the software experience on budget Android tablets such as these leaves a lot to be desired. You’ll often notice this with features like multitasking, which is not even worth touching due to the lack of a taskbar and only a pop-up view available. These tablets aren’t meant for productivity.
Performance
Neither tablet has enough power to be a machine that any hardcore users will like, and the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is particularly lacking in the power department. It will let you stream your favorite movies and TV shows without too much hassle, and slowly browsing the web is possible, but longer app loading — and hiccups and stutters anytime you do something that takes a little more juice — are pretty commonplace.
The Galaxy Tab A7’s Snapdragon 662 chipset fairs a little better, but it lacks power to handle complicated tasks. You’ll have a better time navigating around Samsung’s One UI on the Tab A7, but it’s mostly a machine suited for light tasks and content viewing.
Battery life
The Galaxy A7 has a larger battery — 7,040mAh vs. a 5,100mAh in the A7 Lite — but its larger screen zaps more power on a Snapdragon chip that isn’t as efficient as it could be. Still, you should get around a day’s use on each tablet with average use, and if you’re heavily using the screen on your device, you’ll likely only last somewhere in the 10-12 hour range.
Charging is painfully slow on both devices since each tablet is limited to only charging with 15W speeds — you’ll need a good chunk of time to charge up from 0-100% battery.
If you’re a tablet photographer, you probably already know these aren’t the tablets you should use, as the cameras are pretty abysmal. The Tab A7 and A7 Lite only feature a single 8MP sensor on the back, and they don’t produce very good photos. Most shots will look fairly fuzzy, even in decent lighting conditions.
One of the benefits of such lightweight tablets is that they are easy to carry and thus good for video calling, but the 5MP selfie cam on the Tab A7 is a bit better than the 2MP sensor on the A7 Lite. Don’t get it twisted, though; both selfie cams aren’t great, but the Tab A7 is just a bit better.
Which fits you best?
Strictly from a technical standpoint, the Galaxy Tab A7 is the better of these two tablets. And in most cases, it’s going to serve the majority of folks better. However, it can be a bit difficult to get your hands on with its more limited availability, and since it isn’t as cheap, you may want to go with the A7 Lite instead. Still, it’s boasting a bit more power than the A7 Lite, as well as a larger screen which is better for viewing videos and movies, especially since it’s actually HD.
While it can be a little harder to find, the Galaxy Tab A7 is a decent budget tablet that packs just a bit more punch than the A7 Lite.
However, those who don’t care about the technical standpoints will find that the wider availability and the LTE compatibility of the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite make it a bit of a better option. The screen is only 720p (compared to the full HD of the A7), but nothing looks bad on the screen when in use, despite the slightly smaller size. If you want to save yourself some money, the A7 Lite is still a great choice.
On sale in most places, tracking down an A7 Lite won’t be challenging, but the tablet won’t work hard for you, either. It’s a good content-viewing machine but doesn’t offer much else.
