Samsung has announced their latest Galaxy Tab models, called the Galaxy Tab A 8" and Galaxy Tab A 9.7". These tablets lean towards the low end of the Samsung spectrum, with mediocre specifications and displays. The one remarkable thing about the release is that Samsung has moved to a 4:3 aspect ratio for the screens, leaving behind the 16:10 and 16:9 ratios of their earlier tablets. They are also the first tablets that Samsung has announced since their loose partnership with Microsoft.
Both tablets share identical specifications except for the battery and display sizes:
- Dimensions: 8.20" x 5.43" x 0.29"
- Weight: 0.69 lb.
- Screen: 8" 1024x768 TFT or 9.7" 1024x768 TFT
- OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core (4 x 1.2GHz Cortex A53)
- Memory: 1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSD expansion (up to 128GB)
- Camera: 5.0MP Rear, 2.0MP Front
- Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1, 802.11 a/b/g/n; 2.4GHz+5GHz, HT40
- Battery: 4200 or 6000mAh Li-Ion
- Price: $229 or $299
Samsung is also offering their Kids Mode and Multi User experiences from past tablets, as well as the usual array of pre-installed applications that may or may not be useful to buyers.
These tablets do ship with download links to Microsoft Office apps in Google Play and 100 GB of OneDrive storage for two years. This will help in Microsoft"s multi-front strategy to gain a foothold in the clearly dominant Android smartphone and tablet space.
These two tablets are available for pre-order now on Samsung"s website, although for budget tablets there does not seem to be much sense in pre-ordering as there is rarely a sell-out rush on the low end of the market.
Source: Anandtech via Business Wire | Image: Samsung Galaxy Tab A via TabletMonkeys