@yakkoTDI the resolution on my Samsung tab is 2560×1600. I’ll never see another one like that sold. If I went down to 1280×800 it would be like viewing this tab through a fine mesh screen.
@BillLehecka I bought my Fire HD 8 last year on the black friday sale. Bought it with the Amazon ads so i could get it cheaper. Thought I would never use it as I never had a tablet. Turns out that it is one of the best things I have ever used. Being a prime member, I love the way it interacts with prime, sending me sweet deals, keeping everything orderly, recommending stuff, etc. Battery life is great, picture is perfect for movies and it has been flawless since i bought it…and I use it every day at work, watching netflix and such for 6 hours at a clip. (i repair vacuums at my shop so it leave it propped up on the workbench). It plays games great as well…Real Racing 3 runs awesome with the perfect tilt controls in the tablet.
I will absolutely buy the next one in the series when they come out with it…
@BillLehecka I own 2 7"? fire Hd’s. They are older, but get the job done. Good storage space for traveling with my kid. One is for the kid (cartoons and movies) to download Prime movies, and one for me. Fire tablets are not bad for what they are and depending on what you want to use them for.
@BillLehecka I own 6,7,8 &10 in Fires. Great for watching vids and surfing. I love em. Just bought my brother an 8 from another deal site for 30 bucks. They are unbeatable for the price.
@weirdly Are you sure about the lack of GPS. Almost all of the Qualcomm chipsets include GPS. I have been poking around for information on this and it looks like other devices that use this chipset have GPS/Glonass as well. I haven’t found anything specific eliminating it from the realm of possibility that it doesn’t have GPS though. Just wondering if it wasn’t called out in the product specs
@AySz88 Comparing dissimilar model numbers is a slippery slope. For example, my iPad Pro 12.9” has GPS. It’s the wifi/cellular version. The wifi-only model, identical size and memory capacity, does NOT have GPS.
@AySz88@ruouttaurmind comparing different manufacturers is also a slippery slope. Currently any iPad without cellular doesn’t have GPS because the gps is included in the cellular chip, not in the main processor. With many Android devices built on Qualcomm chips, GPS is built into the main processor and is easily exposed, which is why many Android WiFi only devices have autonomous gps instead of only WiFi only location
Samsung Galaxy TAB A 32GB Tablet with 8-inch Screen
We’re comparing it, price-wise, to a model on Amazon that is NOT exactly the same. Here’s the deal: the Amazon price is for a tablet with 32gb of space, whereas this one is a comparable model built for warehouse clubs that only has 16gb of space
Memory: 16GB internal and 16GB microSD card (included)
So it’s not really a 32GB Tab A then. Be sure to comparison shop accordingly, and remember: 16GB SD cards are dirt cheap, so that only adds a few dollars to the value.
@ruouttaurmind you’re perfectly right. FURTHERMORE, there is a mistake in the Specs page: it says that the tablet has 32GB internal memory. So, what is it? 16 or 32 GB internal? Meh staff: fix the issue
@ruouttaurmind@salvatorepoier Starting with Marshmallow, you can designate SD card memory as internal memory, which works if the SD card is sufficiently fast.
@2many2no@ruouttaurmind@salvatorepoier Yeah, I bought a crap SD card once and it was a bottleneck on video and even audio playback. Constant buffering. Gotta pony up for a decent SD card if I’m going to use the expandable storage like a workhorse.
@2many2no@salvatorepoier It’s called “adoptable storage” and not all devices support it. I do not know if this tablet does, but it’s a device dependent feature.
Example: The cheap ZTE phone I recently purchased as a dedicated media player does not support. My PA’s LG Stylus 3 does not support. My sales manager’s Razer does support.
@ruouttaurmind@salvatorepoier Android 7.1 should support this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung locked it out. After all, you can charge a lot more for internal storage than the cost of a UHS-1 SD card.
HAHAHAHAHA!! THIS ISN’T EVEN A FUCKING DEAL!! I’D RATHER PAY FOR THE AMAZON ONE!! 32 GB ISN’T EVEN FUCKING ACCEPTABLE WITH CURRENT APP SIZES!! LET ALONE 16!! HELL, A 16GB SD CARD DOES NOTHING!! THAT’S TOO SMALL TO BE ACCEPTABLE FOR ANY MODERN DEVICE!!
@cinoclav@Dizavid problem is a lot of apps won’t let themselves be installed to the external SD card, so you have 16GB internal, probably up to 4 of that being used by the system, so 12GB remaining, and depending on what apps you choose that 12 GB can go quick.
@cinoclav@Dizavid@Stormchaser I appears the SD card isn’t adoptable in this model. So, as @Stormchaser mentioned, many apps don’t take advantage of the external card, and don’t permit relocation to the card.
@Dizavid You can expand the SD storage but you can’t do anything with internal RAM and 2GB simply isn’t enough these days. It’s also a version behind on Android and if Samsung hasn’t updated it yet, they probably won’t.
@JT954 unless they recently changed something you should be set. I have a Galaxy tab s2 running 7.0 or 7.1 and I haven’t had issues downloading Netflix for offline playback.
Beware that MicroSD storage is a second class citizen in Android. A straight up 32GB tablet will be better than a 16GB + 16GB uSD. It’s not quite as horrible as it was in the old days, but it’s still not great. If you’re planning to store movies/songs/books on there that’s fine, apps however can get cranky even though they aren’t supposed to anymore.
It looks like this tablet should be upgradeable to Oreo, so that’s something.
That screen is remarkably low resolution for a 2017 tablet, especially one over $100. It’s honestly probably ok, but just kind of weird to see screen resolutions that low. You will be able to see the pixels.
16g ram + 16g microsd is not equal to 32g ram. Some apps can only be installed in ram while others will allow you to install them on the SD card and then misbehave.
Christmas 2016, I bought all my nieces and my sister Fire HD8s for $60 a pop. This year picked up a Fire HD10 for $60 and the new HD8 for $30. At this rate, I expect one to be in the next box of cereal I buy.
Still prefer my Ipad though. Anyone know how this compares as far as speed and user experience? I have used several variations of the Amazon tablets and the Nook tablet but I understand they do not have normal Android operating systems.
Wasn’t there a write recently about how Meh wants to be honest with its customers, yet still sell stuff?
I am disappointed in you Meh. The name of this item is (in my opinion) deceptive at best, and fraudulent at worst.
I have never seen a tablet advertised from a name brand store or a name brand manufacturer that included the SD card size as part of its quoted “memory”. It is not the same.
@bdb@medz, Maybe misinformation bothers me more than it should… but this:
$40 cheaper than the Amazon price, which itself is $50 cheaper than list.
Not so. Samsung.com lists the price of a true 32GB model at $180 ($200 less a $20 “instant savings”). So the Amz price is exactly the same price as purchasing directly from Samsung.
The price offered here is significantly lower, but not the enormous discount being represented. And not for an identical item.
I support the “truth in advertising” movement, and failure to properly research the facts isn’t a reasonable excuse.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As mentioned, the 16GB memory gets wasted quickly with core Google and Samsung ROM apps that get any upgrades (gmail, chrome, photo, play store, webkit, contacts, etc). These upgrades have to be stored in the on-board memory since they replace the ROM fsctory versions and can’t be stored on the SD card since they’re core firmware apps and have to be available.
I have a real 32 GB Galaxy Tab A. I got it because my Nexus 7 tablet broke and has actually gone up in price since I bought it. This is the highest end Android tablet I could find that I can hold in one hand and use in the other.
Not high end. Highest end. The screen resolution is worse than the Nexus 7 from 2013. It’s thicker and heavier. I’ve only had it a month or so, and it’s performed as well as I expected. No flakiness.
It has the Samsung crap you’d expect on it. If you want to root it, you need to leave it on for a week to get around a theft-protection feature. If you need more info and can’t find it, reply to this and I’ll hunt it down for you.
If you want a tablet to read books on, do some web browsing, and watch Netflix, this serves pretty well. It fits easily into any bag and into some coat pockets. If you’re a man with average size hands or a woman with longer than average fingers, you can hold it in one hand and use it with the other, which I really like. If you have some high end tablet use case, odds aren’t great that this one will work for you.
I’ve only had it a month or so, and it’s performed as well as I expected. No flakiness.
Also admittedly anecdotal from me - but give it a year - mine is flaky. It randomly restarts even with 40-70% battery left. Never had that with our iPads. And unlike with iPads, there’s no local store with thorough testing and support.
-has 2 GB RAM compared to my current 7 inch tablet which has 1 GB.
-Android 7.1 can use Netflix for offline viewing (thanks, dnh127, for clarifying). My other tablet cannot upgrade to that OS.
-Free MicroSD card (I could use some more).
Only thing holding me back is the 1280 x 800 screen which, to be honest, doesn’t bother me on my 7 inch tablet. But would I have a problem with pixelation on an 8 inch screen? I would not use this for gaming. Only reading and video purposes. I have the same 16 GB memory on my current tablet and I have no issues needing more.
I want to buy this, but I think I’ll sleep on it in case there are any other cons that are enough to make me reconsider.
@JT954 There’s a little bit of pixelation with video. No real issue for reading text. I’ll try to take a picture with my phone and see if that gives an idea.
So if you want an ideal video watching experience . . . this isn’t it. But if you want to watch video rather than not watching video, this may be a perfectly adequate compromise.
@JT954 my 1-1/2 year old Tab A 8 has been flaky - the random restarting tends to be when watching video. (40-70% battery left.)
As with many things, once you’re conditioned to the screen rez, it is OK as long as you tell yourself you got a deal on the tablet. Note you’ll tend to watch video from a bit further away as the screen size increases.
In fairness, I think there’s a world of difference between a 7 inch display and an 8 inch display.
It seems to be the breaking point between a large phablet and a real tablet. I wouldn’t even consider a 7 inch tablet at any price.
@cotten516 Yeah-- You’re much better off buying some cheap knock-off tablet, PROPERLY titled as a 16GB tablet, and without all of the useless Samsung crap on it.
Very tempting. I need a cheap tablet for my OBD-11 (VW modification/diagnostic tool) since it’s android only and we only have iCrap. I had a cheap Neutab which I used twice before the battery shit the bed and Neutab told me to go fist myself.
@mexifinn it might make more sense to buy one of the multitude of highly rated OBD-II (and much less expensive than $129+$5) devices that work with iOS.
@RedOak OBD-11 is unique though. It’s not just an OBD-II scanner… it lets you modify the car as well. Alternative is a Ross-Tech VAG-COM which is way more expensive and requires a laptop. I already have a $10 universal scanner just for pulling codes on any car.
@mexifinn ok, I understand the difference between a basic OBD-II (“OBD two”) scanner that can only read codes/reset the engine trouble light and an OBD-II tool with more control module programmability. And that VWAG vehicles like to go their own way. But hadn’t heard of an OBD-“eleven” tool. How is is different? Is that a proprietary tool model number from a tool manufacturer?
@RedOak You know, good question. I guess OBD(eleven) and Ross-Tech are the only ones who make a tool that allows you to do the required long coding on VW’s/Audi/Skoda/Seat.
@MooseWizard Wha? How? Looked on their website and I don’t see anything that cheap… Funny, I tried to go to Costco today and they were closed - power outage!
We had a refurb Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition that lasted quite awhile. We had to send it in for warranty repair once. Then I had to take it apart to disconnect the battery when it wouldn’t boot. Eventually it crapped-out after heavy toddler use.
Now the kid has both a kindle fire kid edition and a refurb Samsung SM-T560NZKUXAR Galaxy Tab E 9.6 inch. The year of Unlimited games and such with the fire tablet is nice, but she tends to use the samsung tablet more often for watching videos and playing minecraft. I’m still waiting for an android update on it, however. The Roblox app, for instance, is no longer compatible on the samsung device. Roblox says there is an update, but the play store doesn’t have an update for that version of android. I THINK we’re supposed to get an Android 7 update soon…
Btw, we confirmed directly with Samsung (as well as checking in the ‘location methods’ preferences), this tablet does have built-in GPS. (Feel free to contact them, too.)
I’ll stick with my true 32GB 1920x1200 Nexus 7 from 2013, thanks. All I really use it for is daily MS Rewards searches and watching videos on flights, and 1280x800 on an 8" screen sounds awful.
Someday I’ll have a reason to upgrade from Marshmallow, but until then, I haven’t seen anything that has enticed me to upgrade.
@JT954 I don’t know about 8” display, but the Fire HD 10 has 1920x1200 224ppi display, and is currently $120 for the 32GB version if you have Prime ($150 for non-Prime). New, not refurbished.
For comparison, this Galaxy Tab A has 1280x800 189ppi display.
Specs
What’s in the Box?
1x Tablet
1x Charger
1x 16GB microSD card
1x User Manual
Price Comparison
$177.99 (for similar) at Amazon
Warranty
1 Year Samsung
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
Meh tablet — Meh be ok meh be not
Meh. I will pass with that crap screen resolution.
@yakkoTDI the resolution on my Samsung tab is 2560×1600. I’ll never see another one like that sold. If I went down to 1280×800 it would be like viewing this tab through a fine mesh screen.
Shoot, I just bought a Fire HD tablet. And I’m kinda looking for something like this. I never get lucky.
@BillLehecka Fires are great.
@BillLehecka I love my Fire tablet.
@BillLehecka When did you buy it? Amazon is usually really good about no-hassle returns.
@BillLehecka I bought my Fire HD 8 last year on the black friday sale. Bought it with the Amazon ads so i could get it cheaper. Thought I would never use it as I never had a tablet. Turns out that it is one of the best things I have ever used. Being a prime member, I love the way it interacts with prime, sending me sweet deals, keeping everything orderly, recommending stuff, etc. Battery life is great, picture is perfect for movies and it has been flawless since i bought it…and I use it every day at work, watching netflix and such for 6 hours at a clip. (i repair vacuums at my shop so it leave it propped up on the workbench). It plays games great as well…Real Racing 3 runs awesome with the perfect tilt controls in the tablet.
I will absolutely buy the next one in the series when they come out with it…
@BillLehecka I own 2 7"? fire Hd’s. They are older, but get the job done. Good storage space for traveling with my kid. One is for the kid (cartoons and movies) to download Prime movies, and one for me. Fire tablets are not bad for what they are and depending on what you want to use them for.
@BillLehecka I own 6,7,8 &10 in Fires. Great for watching vids and surfing. I love em. Just bought my brother an 8 from another deal site for 30 bucks. They are unbeatable for the price.
Boo
No GPS.
@weirdly Are you sure about the lack of GPS. Almost all of the Qualcomm chipsets include GPS. I have been poking around for information on this and it looks like other devices that use this chipset have GPS/Glonass as well. I haven’t found anything specific eliminating it from the realm of possibility that it doesn’t have GPS though. Just wondering if it wasn’t called out in the product specs
@kphilippe I haven’t found an exact match for the model number, but similar Tab A models don’t have GPS listed in the specs.
@kphilippe @ruouttaurmind @weirdly Not an exact match, but here’s a help article about a TAB A model (SM-T280) - the screenshots show GPS: https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00050096/
Also most people in this thread say T380 has GPS… Except the OP anyway. https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/samsung-galaxy-tab-a-gps-without-wifi.190788/page-2
@mehcus Official word maybe?
@AySz88 Comparing dissimilar model numbers is a slippery slope. For example, my iPad Pro 12.9” has GPS. It’s the wifi/cellular version. The wifi-only model, identical size and memory capacity, does NOT have GPS.
@AySz88 @ruouttaurmind comparing different manufacturers is also a slippery slope. Currently any iPad without cellular doesn’t have GPS because the gps is included in the cellular chip, not in the main processor. With many Android devices built on Qualcomm chips, GPS is built into the main processor and is easily exposed, which is why many Android WiFi only devices have autonomous gps instead of only WiFi only location
@weirdly look at the Asus Zenpad 8, similar specs at the same price point and i can confirm mine has GPS
@weirdly @kphilippe @ruouttaurmind @jhguth Dave from Meh just said that according to Samsung, this DOES have GPS.
https://meh.com/forum/topics/samsung-galaxy-tab-a-32gb-tablet-with-8-inch-screen#5af308166ed829044caeacec
Hmm…
So it’s not really a 32GB Tab A then. Be sure to comparison shop accordingly, and remember: 16GB SD cards are dirt cheap, so that only adds a few dollars to the value.
Mind you, I’m not saying this isn’t a fair value, just make sure you do your due diligence appropriately.
@ruouttaurmind I believe the Amazon model also has a newer CPU.
@ruouttaurmind you’re perfectly right. FURTHERMORE, there is a mistake in the Specs page: it says that the tablet has 32GB internal memory. So, what is it? 16 or 32 GB internal? Meh staff: fix the issue
@ruouttaurmind @salvatorepoier Starting with Marshmallow, you can designate SD card memory as internal memory, which works if the SD card is sufficiently fast.
@2many2no @ruouttaurmind @salvatorepoier Yeah, I bought a crap SD card once and it was a bottleneck on video and even audio playback. Constant buffering. Gotta pony up for a decent SD card if I’m going to use the expandable storage like a workhorse.
@2many2no @salvatorepoier It’s called “adoptable storage” and not all devices support it. I do not know if this tablet does, but it’s a device dependent feature.
Example: The cheap ZTE phone I recently purchased as a dedicated media player does not support. My PA’s LG Stylus 3 does not support. My sales manager’s Razer does support.
@ruouttaurmind @salvatorepoier Android 7.1 should support this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung locked it out. After all, you can charge a lot more for internal storage than the cost of a UHS-1 SD card.
What the Meh! This is a namebrand tablet.
I’ve owned a Samsung Tab A 8 inch tablet for about a year and a half.
Not long ago it started randomnly rebooting with anywhere from 40-70% of battery left.
I think I paid $129 - otherwise I wouldn’t have been tempted.
Going back to iPads.
Don’t call it a 32 GB tablet, please.
@earmstrong Agreed. This isn’t kosher.
@bdb @earmstrong it’s not Halal or vegan either…
@dkaine I’m a vegetarian, so I might be OK. I’ll order one and try to do some chemical analysis looking for animal products.
HAHAHAHAHA!! THIS ISN’T EVEN A FUCKING DEAL!! I’D RATHER PAY FOR THE AMAZON ONE!! 32 GB ISN’T EVEN FUCKING ACCEPTABLE WITH CURRENT APP SIZES!! LET ALONE 16!! HELL, A 16GB SD CARD DOES NOTHING!! THAT’S TOO SMALL TO BE ACCEPTABLE FOR ANY MODERN DEVICE!!
@Dizavid Still annoying I see.
Is that enough for you?
@cinoclav @Dizavid problem is a lot of apps won’t let themselves be installed to the external SD card, so you have 16GB internal, probably up to 4 of that being used by the system, so 12GB remaining, and depending on what apps you choose that 12 GB can go quick.
@cinoclav @Dizavid @Stormchaser I appears the SD card isn’t adoptable in this model. So, as @Stormchaser mentioned, many apps don’t take advantage of the external card, and don’t permit relocation to the card.
@ruouttaurmind It’s an Android device. Root it and have your way with it
@meverett Sure, but couldn’t I also root a Fire HD8 for half the price if a project is what I was after?
@Dizavid You can expand the SD storage but you can’t do anything with internal RAM and 2GB simply isn’t enough these days. It’s also a version behind on Android and if Samsung hasn’t updated it yet, they probably won’t.
@Dizavid Speak up, I couldn’t hear you.
@bobzilla1960 @Dizavid wat?
Extremely interested in this as I was looking to get an 8 inch tablet that runs on Android.
One question that makes or breaks this deal for me:
Is this tablet updated enough so I can use the latest version of Netflix so I can download video for offline viewing?
Thanks for any helpful feedback.
@JT954 Does let you DL movies? I know AZ does. Either way, you will want a larger external storage card.
@JT954 unless they recently changed something you should be set. I have a Galaxy tab s2 running 7.0 or 7.1 and I haven’t had issues downloading Netflix for offline playback.
@JT954 Yes. I own this tablet (well, the real 32 GB version) and have downloaded Netflix stuff onto it in the last week to watch on an airplane.
@radi0j0hn What size card would you recommend?
Digital zoom is just in-camera cropping. A non-feature.
@radi0j0hn you shouldn’t be using a tablet as a camera anyways
@devyanks90 Agreed. But many people are more “Instamatic” types than Nikon users.
@devyanks90 digitizing documents. That’s about it tho.
Beware that MicroSD storage is a second class citizen in Android. A straight up 32GB tablet will be better than a 16GB + 16GB uSD. It’s not quite as horrible as it was in the old days, but it’s still not great. If you’re planning to store movies/songs/books on there that’s fine, apps however can get cranky even though they aren’t supposed to anymore.
It looks like this tablet should be upgradeable to Oreo, so that’s something.
That screen is remarkably low resolution for a 2017 tablet, especially one over $100. It’s honestly probably ok, but just kind of weird to see screen resolutions that low. You will be able to see the pixels.
16g ram + 16g microsd is not equal to 32g ram. Some apps can only be installed in ram while others will allow you to install them on the SD card and then misbehave.
AKA no optical zoom? Lucky thing nobody with any sense of decency uses the back camera on a tablet.
2GB of RAM is a little on the small side. This tablet is going to be obsolete in a couple of years.
@jandrese no worries - it isn’t durable enough for that timeframe.
Christmas 2016, I bought all my nieces and my sister Fire HD8s for $60 a pop. This year picked up a Fire HD10 for $60 and the new HD8 for $30. At this rate, I expect one to be in the next box of cereal I buy.
Still prefer my Ipad though. Anyone know how this compares as far as speed and user experience? I have used several variations of the Amazon tablets and the Nook tablet but I understand they do not have normal Android operating systems.
@ponagathos it isn’t in the same league as an iPad. We own both.
@ponagathos What @RedOak said. This isn’t a bad tablet, but it isn’t an iPad.
For comparison…
Costco has a 10" Tab A, 16GB with 32GB card, for $190. Model #SM-T580NZKMXAR. The same model as this 8", including card, for $160. Both members only.
@excarnate I believe the 8 goes as low as $130-140 fairly regularly - at least at our local Costco.
I was going to get one but then I saw you criticized my favorite episode of Breaking Bad. It was about the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!
Oh so close but then I read all the helpful comments. Meh button continues. Thank you all for sharing knowledge.
Get a TAB tablet to go with your PHO phone
Samsung Galaxy TAB Meh
Sorry, I just had to.
I’ll slink off to bed, now.
Wasn’t there a write recently about how Meh wants to be honest with its customers, yet still sell stuff?
I am disappointed in you Meh. The name of this item is (in my opinion) deceptive at best, and fraudulent at worst.
I have never seen a tablet advertised from a name brand store or a name brand manufacturer that included the SD card size as part of its quoted “memory”. It is not the same.
@bdb yeah that is lame. 16gb tablet with bonus 16gb SD card
@medz looks like the title has been updated! Nice change meh.
@bdb @medz, Maybe misinformation bothers me more than it should… but this:
Not so. Samsung.com lists the price of a true 32GB model at $180 ($200 less a $20 “instant savings”). So the Amz price is exactly the same price as purchasing directly from Samsung.
The price offered here is significantly lower, but not the enormous discount being represented. And not for an identical item.
I support the “truth in advertising” movement, and failure to properly research the facts isn’t a reasonable excuse.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As mentioned, the 16GB memory gets wasted quickly with core Google and Samsung ROM apps that get any upgrades (gmail, chrome, photo, play store, webkit, contacts, etc). These upgrades have to be stored in the on-board memory since they replace the ROM fsctory versions and can’t be stored on the SD card since they’re core firmware apps and have to be available.
So pass.
What the hell is this? 32gb!? Getouttatown
So a quick look shows no lineage os support, anyone know if that is the case?
@thismyusername Looks like yes: https://www.getdroidtips.com/lineage-os-14-1-galaxy-tab-a-10-1/
@gominosensei I saw that one but its the 10 inch 2016 version.
@thismyusername Oh shoot, sorry about that.
@gominosensei no worries, either it’s too new to have made it down that road, or is too locked down I guess.
I have a real 32 GB Galaxy Tab A. I got it because my Nexus 7 tablet broke and has actually gone up in price since I bought it. This is the highest end Android tablet I could find that I can hold in one hand and use in the other.
Not high end. Highest end. The screen resolution is worse than the Nexus 7 from 2013. It’s thicker and heavier. I’ve only had it a month or so, and it’s performed as well as I expected. No flakiness.
It has the Samsung crap you’d expect on it. If you want to root it, you need to leave it on for a week to get around a theft-protection feature. If you need more info and can’t find it, reply to this and I’ll hunt it down for you.
If you want a tablet to read books on, do some web browsing, and watch Netflix, this serves pretty well. It fits easily into any bag and into some coat pockets. If you’re a man with average size hands or a woman with longer than average fingers, you can hold it in one hand and use it with the other, which I really like. If you have some high end tablet use case, odds aren’t great that this one will work for you.
@gominosensei
Also admittedly anecdotal from me - but give it a year - mine is flaky. It randomly restarts even with 40-70% battery left. Never had that with our iPads. And unlike with iPads, there’s no local store with thorough testing and support.
Reasons why I’m interested in this tablet:
-has 2 GB RAM compared to my current 7 inch tablet which has 1 GB.
-Android 7.1 can use Netflix for offline viewing (thanks, dnh127, for clarifying). My other tablet cannot upgrade to that OS.
-Free MicroSD card (I could use some more).
Only thing holding me back is the 1280 x 800 screen which, to be honest, doesn’t bother me on my 7 inch tablet. But would I have a problem with pixelation on an 8 inch screen? I would not use this for gaming. Only reading and video purposes. I have the same 16 GB memory on my current tablet and I have no issues needing more.
I want to buy this, but I think I’ll sleep on it in case there are any other cons that are enough to make me reconsider.
@JT954 There’s a little bit of pixelation with video. No real issue for reading text. I’ll try to take a picture with my phone and see if that gives an idea.
So if you want an ideal video watching experience . . . this isn’t it. But if you want to watch video rather than not watching video, this may be a perfectly adequate compromise.
@JT954 my 1-1/2 year old Tab A 8 has been flaky - the random restarting tends to be when watching video. (40-70% battery left.)
As with many things, once you’re conditioned to the screen rez, it is OK as long as you tell yourself you got a deal on the tablet. Note you’ll tend to watch video from a bit further away as the screen size increases.
In fairness, I think there’s a world of difference between a 7 inch display and an 8 inch display.
It seems to be the breaking point between a large phablet and a real tablet. I wouldn’t even consider a 7 inch tablet at any price.
For the price, this tablet is pure garbage. It has the specs of a $59.99 tablet. If you buy this, you are crazy. This is a Meh home run.
@cotten516 Yeah-- You’re much better off buying some cheap knock-off tablet, PROPERLY titled as a 16GB tablet, and without all of the useless Samsung crap on it.
This is a Costco deal… https://m.costco.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-A-Wi-Fi-Tablet---Black----Includes-16GB-MicroSD-Card.product.100409717.html
@Butwhole
(A bit leery replying to a username like that.)
For those folks without a Costco membership - the “deal” is $159 + 3.99 shipping.
But it fairly regularly goes as low as $129 or $139 over there. And is often available in warehouse.
Very tempting. I need a cheap tablet for my OBD-11 (VW modification/diagnostic tool) since it’s android only and we only have iCrap. I had a cheap Neutab which I used twice before the battery shit the bed and Neutab told me to go fist myself.
@mexifinn it might make more sense to buy one of the multitude of highly rated OBD-II (and much less expensive than $129+$5) devices that work with iOS.
@RedOak OBD-11 is unique though. It’s not just an OBD-II scanner… it lets you modify the car as well. Alternative is a Ross-Tech VAG-COM which is way more expensive and requires a laptop. I already have a $10 universal scanner just for pulling codes on any car.
@mexifinn ok, I understand the difference between a basic OBD-II (“OBD two”) scanner that can only read codes/reset the engine trouble light and an OBD-II tool with more control module programmability. And that VWAG vehicles like to go their own way. But hadn’t heard of an OBD-“eleven” tool. How is is different? Is that a proprietary tool model number from a tool manufacturer?
@RedOak You know, good question. I guess OBD(eleven) and Ross-Tech are the only ones who make a tool that allows you to do the required long coding on VW’s/Audi/Skoda/Seat.
54 sold by about 8:30am. Hmmm.
It’s an over a hundred bucks item but I would have expected at least double those sales. Not enough of a discount?
Perhaps non-VMPrs waiting for the Meh “Members” shipping thing to light up?
Meh. Just picked up the 32GB version for my wife last week at Costco for $99.
@MooseWizard Wha? How? Looked on their website and I don’t see anything that cheap… Funny, I tried to go to Costco today and they were closed - power outage!
@mexifinn
It was in-store. I see online it is $179, but in store it was $99.
DON’T YOU DARE DISPARAGE THE BOTTLE EPISODE.
I guess I’ll just keep using Galaxy Tab 4 for a few more years.
We had a refurb Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition that lasted quite awhile. We had to send it in for warranty repair once. Then I had to take it apart to disconnect the battery when it wouldn’t boot. Eventually it crapped-out after heavy toddler use.
Now the kid has both a kindle fire kid edition and a refurb Samsung SM-T560NZKUXAR Galaxy Tab E 9.6 inch. The year of Unlimited games and such with the fire tablet is nice, but she tends to use the samsung tablet more often for watching videos and playing minecraft. I’m still waiting for an android update on it, however. The Roblox app, for instance, is no longer compatible on the samsung device. Roblox says there is an update, but the play store doesn’t have an update for that version of android. I THINK we’re supposed to get an Android 7 update soon…
Btw, we confirmed directly with Samsung (as well as checking in the ‘location methods’ preferences), this tablet does have built-in GPS. (Feel free to contact them, too.)
And tell 'em @dave sent ya!
@dave Does it support adoptable storage?
I’ll stick with my true 32GB 1920x1200 Nexus 7 from 2013, thanks. All I really use it for is daily MS Rewards searches and watching videos on flights, and 1280x800 on an 8" screen sounds awful.
Someday I’ll have a reason to upgrade from Marshmallow, but until then, I haven’t seen anything that has enticed me to upgrade.
Yep, not a great price. Cpstco always has the 10-inch version for just a little more.
Ok after sleeping on it and seeing some more comments, I think I will pass. Besides, I don’t like how the back arrow is on the right side.
That being said, what’s the average/best deal on an 8 inch tablet with a better screen?
@JT954 I don’t know about 8” display, but the Fire HD 10 has 1920x1200 224ppi display, and is currently $120 for the 32GB version if you have Prime ($150 for non-Prime). New, not refurbished.
For comparison, this Galaxy Tab A has 1280x800 189ppi display.
When people say this is a bad tablet, believe them.
People complain about the screen resolution. This is not the worst thing about this tablet.
The capacitive touch buttons are not illuminated. You have to guess where they are located.
It is a terrible gaming tablet. My Amazon Fire HD 8 with Google Play services sideloaded is a better gaming tablet.
Example: World of Warships Blitz on medium graphics quality and 30 fps limit.
HD8 runs at 25-30 fps. Switch to a lower graphics quality and it gets 30 fps.
Tab A runs at 15-22 fps. Switch to lowest graphics quality and it is not much better, maybe mid-20s fps.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a DO NOY BUY.