Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) Tablet Review

Desirable. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) is a compelling package. No other other 10-inch tablet with Android 6, LTE and Full-HD on the market offers more for less. If the performance is up to par as well is the subject of our review.


For the original German review, see here.
Just like its predecessor Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7, the 2016 version also targets the price-conscious consumer. Equipped with Android 6.0, the tablet now not only comes with an up-to-date OS, but is faster as well. Samsung's own Exynos 7870 Octa SoC, which features twice as many processor cores, takes the place of the Qualcomm quad-core SoC the predecessor was equipped with. The display panel has grown from 9.7 to 10.1 inches and now features Full-HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels compared to the predecessor's 1024 x 768. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) starts at 289 Euro (~$330) for the standard version equipped with WiFi, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage and either a black or white chassis. Our review slate, which sells for 349 Euro (~$395) - but is available for less than 300 Euro (~$340) online - is the second model, which includes an LTE module.
For our review, we compare the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) to similarly-sized tablets like the Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30, the Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro, the LG G Pad II 10.1 and of course the predecessor Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7.

See our Top 10 Notebooks:Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 2016 SM-T585 (Galaxy Tab A Series)
Processor
Samsung Exynos 7870 Octa 1.6 GHz , Octa-core
Graphics adapter
ARM Mali-T830 MP2, Core: 1600 MHz
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
10.1 inch 16:10, 1920x1200 pixel 224 PPI, Capacitive, 10-finger, WUXGA, TFT, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 10.5 GB free
Weight
525 g ( = 18.52 oz / 1.16 pounds), Power Supply: 35 g ( = 1.23 oz / 0.08 pounds)
Price
349 Euro
Links
Samsung homepage
Samsung notebook section

Case

To keep the price affordable, Samsung elected to not include some nice-to-haves - for example a metal chassis. Instead, the Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) is made out of plastic, with white and black being the only two color choices. We wouldn't use the words "high-end" or "upscale" to describe the design, but the unobtrusive polycarbonate case does what it's supposed to do, it's quite sturdy, impresses with the seamless integration of the display into the bezel and - all things considered - doesn't look cheap at all. The back is slightly rubberized and is easy to grip and hold as a result.       
The 10.1-inch is definitely sturdy enough for daily use - it takes quite a bit of force to twist the 8.2 mm thick slate. Even then, there are no creaking sounds, although the picture is affected in some areas. The back of the case is slightly magnetic - the optional Book Cover attaches that way. The tablet can be propped up at a slight angle to making watching videos or typing a more enjoyable experience. 
The Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) is comparatively heavy at 525 grams. Only the Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 is slightly heavier, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 is the lightest contender at 456 grams because of its smaller form factor.

Connectivity

Aside from the LTE module, there's no difference between the two version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016). Both are equipped with a middle-class SoC Samsung Exynos 7870 Octa, with the eight cores clocked at 1.6 GHz. An ARM Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB of storage round out the package. As shipped, only 10.5 GB are available to the user - not exactly generous, given that Samsung touts that the Tab A 10.1 is particularly well-suited for mobile entertainment. At least there's the microSD card slot, which also supports App2SD, so it's usable for data storage as well as applications. According to Samsung, the tablet supports microSD cards up to 200 GB - the maximum capacity currently offered. The Micro-USB 2.0 port supports USB-OTG, but not MHL.

Left side: no ports
Left side: no ports

Right side: Nano-SIM and microSD card slot, volume rocker switch, power button
Right side: Nano-SIM and microSD card slot, volume rocker switch, power button

Top: microphone, Micro-USB, headphone jack
Top: microphone, Micro-USB, headphone jack

Bottom: stereo speakers
Bottom: stereo speakers



Software
The Galaxy sports an - at least at the time of writing - up-to-date version of the Android OS, 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Samsung more or less left the OS untouched and only includes a few pre-installed apps. The selection is small and unobtrusive - it includes Samsung's own tools like the Calender S Planner and Kids Mode - which allows the user to block media and applications - as well as the obligatory suite of Google apps. There are also Microsoft products like Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Skype, although only the space-saving download links are provided. The pre-installed apps can't be uninstalled, by the way - only deactivated.







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