Buzz
When was the last time you thought about purchasing an Android tablet? If you're like me, that question barely crosses your mind. The Android tablet market, once vibrant and competitive, now seems lackluster. However, Samsung remains committed to this market, seemingly determined to rival Apple. Last year, Samsung released the Galaxy Tab S6, considered the most powerful Android tablet (to date), yet still falling short of challenging the iPad Pro. And this year, they've introduced a compact version of last year's model, named the Tab S6 Lite. While this tablet has its merits, its performance falls short of expectations. Moreover, pricing it similarly to the iPad is a risky move by Samsung, placing the S6 Lite in direct competition with the world's best tablet.
Fortunately, Samsung remains 'enthusiastic' about this market, striving to keep pace with Apple. Last year, Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab S6, considered the most powerful Android tablet (to date), yet still unable to dethrone the iPad Pro or even close the gap significantly. This year, they've introduced a trimmed-down version of last year's model, named the Tab S6 Lite. While this tablet boasts several advantages, its performance doesn't quite meet expectations. Moreover, pricing it on par with the iPad is a risky move by Samsung, as it places the S6 Lite in direct competition with the world's best tablet.
What I Like About the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Although the introduction of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite may seem somewhat lackluster, it's not all doom and gloom. In reality, this Samsung tablet has several redeeming qualities.
Firstly, its design remains as beautiful as previous models, with an aluminum frame meticulously crafted to exude a luxurious feel when held. The slimness of the device is also quite impressive, at just 7 mm thick and weighing 460g, allowing for extended use without feeling overly cumbersome.
On the top and bottom edges are the meticulously tuned stereo speakers by AKG, supporting Dolby Atmos 3D. Typically, I don't expect much in terms of audio quality from a tablet, but I must admit that the speakers on the S6 Lite are impressive. They offer rich bass, excellent sound effects, and even at maximum volume, there's minimal distortion.
Samsung has retained the 3.5mm headphone jack, positioned on the top edge of the S6 Lite. On the bottom edge, you'll find the USB-C charging port.
Overall, the design of the S6 Lite is quite satisfactory, but my favorite aspect is the display. It features a 10.4-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 2000 x 1200 pixels, offering a pixel density of approximately 224 ppi. While these specs may not be the highest, the sharpness is adequate, and colors and brightness are both impressive, making it suitable for gaming or watching movies.
Another detail worth noting is that I quite like the bezels on the S6 Lite—they're just right. They're slim enough to provide an optimal display area, yet thick enough so that when holding the device for gaming or watching movies, accidental touches from the palm are minimized.
Finally, a highly commendable feature of the S6 Lite is that Samsung includes the S Pen with it. In previous models, the S Pen had to be purchased separately, at a not-so-cheap price, and there was hardly any demand for it. This stylus offers a total of 4096 pressure levels, almost zero latency, and a comfortable grip. Personally, I'm not particularly interested in doodling, nor can I assess its performance in that regard, but for note-taking, messaging, etc., it's quite handy. When not in use, you can 'store' it by attaching it to the right edge of the device; it will securely latch on with magnets and also charge itself while there.
Other specifications of the device include a 7040 mAh battery, 64GB of internal memory for the basic model, with support for a micro SD card slot, allowing for expansion up to 512GB. The camera isn't a strong suit of this tablet, with only an 8MP main sensor on the rear, offering mediocre quality, and a 5MP front sensor capable of video calls with decent detail.
Limitations of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
As a trimmed-down version of the Tab S6, the S6 Lite has undoubtedly undergone significant cuts to achieve a more affordable price point. However, I was quite disappointed when the processor also fell into this category of reductions. Powering the S6 Lite is the Exynos 9611 octa-core chipset, which was used in the mid-range phone Galaxy A51 released late last year, and I must admit that this chipset is incredibly sluggish. It causes all operations on the S6 Lite to have a very high latency, whether it's opening apps, checking emails, or simply swiping through apps on the screen. Even web browsing — something that a high-priced device like the S6 Lite should excel at — reveals its 'snail-like' weakness.
I've experienced the S6 Lite for a few days, not expecting 'lightning-fast' performance, but what I received was even more disappointing than expected. Frankly speaking, there are many cheaper chipsets out there that offer better performance than the Exynos 9611. If Samsung truly wants to compete with the iPad Pro, perhaps they should reconsider upgrading the processor.
In summary, performance is the biggest drawback of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. Some other minor limitations include the lack of a fingerprint unlock feature, instead using facial recognition. Well, that's fine, but with the mediocre camera of the S6 Lite, it's best used in well-lit conditions, otherwise, resorting to a password or PIN for quicker access is advisable.
Should You Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite?
Facing this question, I feel quite conflicted.
On one hand, this tablet has many advantages. Beautiful design, decent screen, comes with an S Pen, good stereo speakers, USB-C charging port. Above all, its price is very reasonable, around $350.
However, its weak performance makes the advantages of the S6 Lite somewhat meaningless. Although it can still perform tasks well, the sluggishness makes users extremely uncomfortable. That said, if you don't demand lightning-fast speed from your device, you'll still find the S6 Lite acceptable.
Lastly, at a price of $350, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is even more expensive than the 10.2-inch iPad ($329). Although if you want to add an Apple Pencil, you'll have to pay an extra $99, but remember, the performance of the 2019 iPad 10.2 inch surpasses the S6 Lite by ... quite a margin.
In conclusion, if you need a 10-inch Android tablet with a high-quality stylus, priced under $350, then the Tab S6 Lite is definitely worth considering. But if you need something for smooth app experiences and gaming, I still recommend sticking with the iPad.
