Buzz
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S series is renowned for its top-tier tablets, but the company branched out by introducing the more affordable Tab S5e last year. Its spiritual successor is the recently-released Tab S6 Lite, offering a more budget-friendly alternative to the premium Tab S6. Priced at about half of the S6, the Lite manages to outshine its pricey sibling by a significant margin, but it has to make certain compromises to fit into that price range.
In this comparison between Tab S6 Lite and Tab S6, we'll delve into the exact differences between the two Samsung tablets and whether it's worth splurging more for the premium model or not.
Design
Distinguishing between the two Tab S6 models when placed side by side is quite challenging. They're almost, if not entirely, indistinguishable from the front with slim bezels and screens featuring rounded corners. Frankly speaking, there's nothing unique on their front façades that you could point out or use to differentiate them. Both tablets sport your typical glass and metal build, although there's a slight difference in everything when you flip them over.
While both come with flat metal backs, complete with some antenna lines, the premium Tab S6 boasts additional features compared to the Lite. For one, the non-Lite model has a dual rear camera setup, as opposed to just one for the Tab S6 Lite. And right beneath that large camera module, you'll find a groove where the S Pen attaches magnetically and charges wirelessly.
In terms of their physical dimensions, the Tab S6 is not only significantly thinner at 5.7mm but also much lighter at 420 grams. The S6 Lite isn't too far off; It's about 7mm thick and weighs around 470 grams. Of course, we're not factoring in their pen weights in these figures; Plus, the S6's attachable keyboard accessory could add to the overall load.
Display: LCD vs AMOLED
Samsung aims to position its entirely new Tab S6 Lite within a specific price frame to cater to a larger user base, those who might not be keen on splurging top dollar for a tablet. To do that, the company had to cut some corners, one of which happens to be the display. Instead of the iconic and industry-leading AMOLED display, Samsung opted for a more modest LCD screen. While LCDs can't produce deep blacks like AMOLEDs, they certainly have some advantages, such as not being susceptible to burn-in and other OLED-specific issues.
Given that the Tab S6 is Samsung's flagship offering, it naturally boasts the best AMOLED display, with better viewing angles and performance under direct sunlight. However, using both tablets side by side reveals their displays are too close in terms of color accuracy and actual panel quality for you to find any noteworthy differences. It'd be a whole different story if you're a professional or an eagle-eyed individual.
It must be said, though, the company hasn't skimped on display sharpness on the budget model. Both projectors utilize impressive screen resolutions – with the Tab S6 edging slightly ahead with its 2K panel, whereas the Lite falls just short with a lower resolution of 2000 x 1200 pixels. You'll note that the former features an in-screen fingerprint reader beneath its AMOLED, whereas the latter doesn't have any such biometric sensor. You might want some additional security if you frequently find yourself away from your personal tablet, say, in public areas of your workplace.
Speaker
Fortunately, both Tab S6 models come with a pair of built-in speakers, so your movie-watching time is covered with either device. Moreover, both the S6 and S6 Lite use speakers tuned by Samsung's AKG, ensuring you that the audio quality won't be significantly affected in any way.
The difference between the two devices in this department lies in the number of speakers. Samsung has included four speakers – two on each side – on the Tab S6, while the Lite settles for two of them – one speaker on each side. As mentioned earlier, their audio quality isn't much affected as their volume: The Tab S6 naturally is louder with two additional air vents.
However, the Lite has upgraded a feature of the S6 by retaining the headphone jack, a feature that pricier had to forego due to its thinness.
Hardware and Performance
Performance is an aspect where their differences will become more apparent. As you'd expect from a flagship device, the Tab S6 runs on the Snapdragon 855 processor, which is one of the fastest mobile processors we've seen recently. On top of that, you have configuration options of up to 8GB of RAM, making multitasking a breeze, and 256GB of storage capacity. Based on our tablet reviews, we can say that Samsung's 2019 flagship is the most powerful Android tablet.
On the other hand, the Tab S6 Lite, as good as it is, is a lite tablet, evident from its internal components. Samsung has used a slightly older top-tier chip – the Exynos 9611 – certainly not as capable as the Snapdragon 855. However, the Exynos SoC still delivers impressive performance, and you won't face diminishing performance throughout your daily use. With the Lite, you'll get 4GB of RAM on the tablet, which you can pair with storage options of 64GB or 128GB.
In terms of connectivity, both tablets are identical. You're getting regular dual-band Wi-Fi along with Bluetooth 5.0. If you need to maintain internet connectivity while on the move, you can opt for LTE upgrades for either device. Both devices feature a USB Type-C port for charging and data syncing, while only the Lite comes with a headphone jack.
Software
You can rest assured that the overall software and general interface will remain the same across both devices. They run on the latest One UI 2 version based on Android 10 – the Tab S6 Lite comes pre-installed with it, while the Tab S6 recently received it as a feature update. Google's latest Android 10 itself is a feature-rich operating system, and the One UI running on top brings its own flavor and various enhancements.
Since both devices support the S Pen, which we'll detail later, they'll come pre-loaded with plenty of dedicated software features and small decorative elements for interaction. However, only the pricier S6 supports Samsung's desktop-like DeX interface, while the Lite simply doesn't have the capability to pull off all those fancy tricks. If DeX is important to you, then you know which tablet you should go for.
For future updates, you should note that one of the models may not be eligible for the next Android 11 version, and even if they eventually become eligible, it will take quite some time for them to actually receive the update.
Camera
In the camera department, the pricier Tab S6 clearly leads with its dual rear sensor setup. The main 13MP camera snaps much better images than what we'd expect from most tablets, and the output is on par with many modern smartphones (though certainly not flagships). A 5MP wide-angle camera accompanies the main sensor and can come in handy in certain situations, but we don't use it much due to its lower quality. The 8MP front selfie camera also performs quite well, and the photos are certainly worth sharing on social media.
The Tab S6 Lite employs a lower-grade camera setup with a single 8MP rear sensor along with a 5MP shooter on the front. In our preliminary testing, both of these cameras fall noticeably short compared to the Tab S5e, which uses a similar camera setup to the Tab S6, minus the second wide-angle lens. While the Lite might suffice for basic things like video calling, you shouldn't expect much from it.
S Pen and Other Accessories
In a sense, the Tab S6 Lite succeeds the Tab S5e (review), but both have omitted different features to arrive at their respective budget prices. While the Tab S5e could attach to a keyboard but lacked support for the S Pen, the Tab S6 Lite does the opposite. The latter comes with the same old tubular stylus pen, not magnetically attached to the tablet's body. You'll have to carry it separately in a pouch or get one of Samsung's folio covers with a groove for the S Pen. The Lite lacks the connection points for attaching a keyboard, although you can always use a Bluetooth keyboard.
Those unwilling to give up either of those features should opt for the Tab S6, which also provides a better S Pen experience. Samsung has introduced a new design for the stylus pen, now slightly flatter and with magnetic charging. The tablet has a slight recess on the back where you can stick the stylus for both storage and wireless charging. Additionally, its companion keyboard is a two-piece affair with the back portion capable of transforming into a stand similar to the Surface Pro. The keyboard itself is as wide as the tablet and has a functional touchpad that works well on Android.
Battery Life
Interestingly, both the Tab S6 and S6 Lite feature the same 7040mAh battery capacity, but their actual battery life differs quite significantly. Samsung claims that the premium model can last up to 15 hours on a single charge – a figure that our battery test also corroborates. The S6 is one of the longest-lasting tablets out there, not just among Android tablets.
It's a common understanding that Snapdragon processors have much better energy efficiency than their Exynos counterparts, which is perhaps why the Tab S6 Lite is claimed to have a shorter battery life. Samsung says you can expect continuous usage of 12 hours after a full charge, which isn't particularly bad, but it still doesn't match up to the S6's usage time. We hope to conduct a thorough review of the Lite soon to provide an accurate conclusion.
Pricing
As the more affordable choice of the two, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes in at $350 for the base model with 64GB of storage. For the pricier Tab S6, you'll have to shell out at least $650 for its variant with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. Since the latter has been out for a few months, you can easily find it retailing at a discounted price, offering even sweeter deals. That might not be the case for the Lite as it's a new product and may not be discounted as early.
Should You Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite or Tab S6?
Delving into the intricacies of these two tablets, it's evident that Samsung will offer options to add or skip certain features, especially for the Lite, to keep their prices reasonable. The Tab S6 Lite follows a completely different philosophy than the S5e – which also resonates with their target audience. Samsung hasn't designed its newest budget tablet for productivity on the go, but it leans more towards entertainment and brings out the artist in you.
At under 400 USD, the S6 Lite is a solid package offering most of what you could ask for from a tablet in this range. The company has certainly made some cuts to keep the price low, but the downgrades aren't severe to the point where you won't appreciate all that the Lite offers. At this price, you get an outstanding S Pen included with the tablet. Additionally, this is the only device that can connect to wired headphones.
If your budget allows you to spend an extra 300 dollars on a tablet, then it's challenging to find a better option than the Tab S6 (unless Samsung offers its own tracking service once in a while). It boasts a much nicer AMOLED display along with top-of-the-line components and a redesigned S Pen. It can even connect to a keyboard for your productivity needs using the company's DeX platform. The Tab S6 simply outshines the Lite in almost every aspect.
But ultimately, it all boils down to how much your budget is and whether you can extract enough value from the higher-end device to justify spending more money or not. That entirely depends on you.
