Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE: Should you upgrade?

Excluding Google’s Pixel Pill, there would possibly as nicely be one identify on the town in relation to high quality Android tablets, and that’s Samsung. If in case you have Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A8 from 2022, you is likely to be contemplating a step as much as the brand new Galaxy Tab S9 FE, which is costlier however not as costly as a full-fledged Tab S9. Is it well worth the soar?

As you would possibly count on leaping from an early 2022 funds pill to a late 2023 mid-range possibility, there’s quite a bit to achieve right here. For starters the show expands from 10.5 to 10.9 inches, and also you get a sharper 2304 x 1440 decision paired with a smoother 90Hz refresh price. The A8’s display is ok, however you’ll discover the distinction.

The Tab S9 FE additionally combines Samsung’s Exynos 1380 processor with at the least 6GB of RAM, and 8GB on some fashions. The A8 performs nicely sufficient with its Unisoc Tiger T618 chip, however that and not more than 4GB of RAM places a low ceiling on what the pill can do — the S9 FE is a significantly better system for issues like gaming or picture and video enhancing.

Storage choices on the S9 FE swap to 128 or 256GB, fully ditching 32 and 64GB, which is ok contemplating that these are too small to do a lot with. There’s nonetheless a microSD slot with assist for playing cards as much as 1TB, which is sweet information you probably have a big app or media assortment.

Different upgrades on the S9 FE price mentioning are a fingerprint scanner on the facility button — there aren’t any biometrics in any respect on the A8 — and improved wi-fi tech together with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and (on mobile fashions) 5G as an alternative of simply 4G. There’s additionally a sharper 12-megapixel entrance digicam for video calls, and also you get an S Pen within the field as an alternative of getting to purchase one.

Battery tech has additionally been improved, however we’ll cowl that in a later part. We’ll finish this one by noting a few downsides — there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack on the S9 FE, and no bundled charger, so chances are you’ll want to purchase some equipment.

There isn’t a lot to speak about right here, however that’s truly a great factor. A pill must be little greater than a window into your apps and media, and that’s what you get with each merchandise. There isn’t a lot aesthetic distinction between the 2, and a few folks would possibly even choose the A8.

The S9 FE (above) is a bit wider, taller, and heavier, however not in any significant method. The A8 (under) was already 508g (about 1.1 kilos), so neither pill is one thing you wish to maintain one-handed for various minutes.

We have now but to completely evaluate the S9 FE, so we don’t but have many specs on battery life past Samsung’s declare of 18 to twenty hours of video playback. It does nevertheless have an 8,000mAh battery pack, considerably bigger than the one on the A8, which may already final two days underneath a mixture of streaming, internet searching, and social media. The S9 FE might probably be extra power-hungry owing to superior show and processor expertise, however we’ll see.

Whereas the brand new pill doesn’t ship with a charger, it does supply a lot quicker charging capability, topping out at 45W versus the A8’s meager 15W. You must be capable to absolutely recharge the S9 FE in as little as 90 minutes — assuming in fact you will have a USB-C adapter able to 45W or greater.

Samsung continues to be promoting the A8, and it’s even cheaper than it was at launch, sliding underneath $200 in the event you get can get away with a 32GB Wi-Fi mannequin. There’s a great motive why — an A9 is already on the horizon, if nonetheless and not using a agency launch date. The corporate is presumably attempting to filter out as a lot stock as it will probably.

The Galaxy Tab S9 FE began delivery to some retailers on October 5, 2023, with plans for wider distribution on October 10. Samsung has been cagey on US pricing and the roster of nations it’s concentrating on, however likelihood is that if Samsung sells electronics someplace, the S9 FE ought to arrive in the end.

Maybe. You’re vaulting from a funds pill to a mid-range one, and also you’ll undoubtedly benefit from the enhancements in show, efficiency, and charging expertise. It’s a disgrace that the S9 FE doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack, however that’s par for the course as of late, and also you do get a bundled S Pen. That permits you to dive straight into notetaking and drawing, or at the least leaving fewer fingerprints in your display.

In fact, the impediment right here is that the S9 FE can simply be twice as costly, regardless of being comparatively low cost subsequent to an iPad Air, an iPad Professional, or an everyday S9. If you wish to keep inside funds territory it could be higher to attend for the A9, which could possibly be delivery inside a matter of days or even weeks. Simply don’t count on any radical enhancements — in reality, it’d be wiser to attend for an A10 or A11 if you wish to see significant function advances within the funds realm.