LATEST GALAXY TAB S6 LITE
Introduction
After many teasers, leaks, and rumors, Samsung finally unveiled its latest mid-range Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, on April 16, 2020. As the name suggests, it's a budget-friendlier version of the high-end Galaxy Tab S6, but many differences hide behind the similar design language.
Compared to the Galaxy Tab S6, the Lite model makes sacrifices in a few areas but the result is a considerably lower price tag. You can find more pricing details below.
Design
The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite looks very much like the high-end model with a couple of key differences. First, the Tab S6 Lite doesn't have a special S Pen holder carved on the back panel, but it can hold the S Pen stuck to its edge with magnets. Second, the Tab S6 Lite has a single rear-facing camera, so there's no mistaking the two.
Samsung's new mid-range tablet measures 244.5 x 154.3 x 7.0mm. The Wi-Fi model weighs 465 grams, while the LTE variant weighs 467 grams. The tablet is available in three color options including Chiffon Pink, Angora Blue, and Oxford Gray. The latter two color options are widely available, while Chiffon Pink is reserved for fewer markets, at least at the time of launch.
The tablet has physical buttons on the right side, a USB Type-C port at the bottom along with a speaker grille, and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top.
Specifications
The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite features an Exynos 9611 chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of built-in storage. The on-board memory can be expanded by up to an additional 1TB via a microSD card.
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz+5GHz connectivity is on-board, along with Bluetooth 5.0. The 4G variant comes with Cat.11 LTE capabilities. The tablet also benefits from dual speakers by AKG and features Dolby Atmos.
Powered by a 7,040mAh battery, the same as the Galaxy Tab S6, Samsung claims the tablet delivers up to 12 hours of internet usage time or up to 13 hours of video playback on a single charge.
The tablet lacks NFC connectivity and fingerprint recognition technology.
Display
The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has a 10.4-inch display with a resolution of 2000 by 1200 pixels. But unlike its high-end sibling which carries a Super AMOLED screen, the Tab S6 Lite employs a TFT LCD panel instead.
This is one of the tablet's more obvious weaknesses. Most Galaxy fans expect the vibrant colors and deep black levels delivered by an AMOLED display, and they won't get these characteristics from a TFT LCD panel. Understandably, Samsung had to cut some corners to achieve a lower price, and the display is one of the areas that have been affected by this strategy.
Camera
An 8MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture resides on the Tab S6 Lite's back panel. This model doesn't come with a dual-camera setup, leaving the Tab S6 as the only Samsung tablet to boast this characteristic.
At the front, the tablet carries a 5MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, which should be enough for video conferencing friends or family from your couch.
Software
The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite ships with Android 10 and One UI 2.0. Android 10 is the latest mobile OS version from Google, and because the tablet benefits from this OS out of the box, it should technically be eligible for two major OS updates (up to Android 12) according to Samsung's firmware update policy.
Samsung confirmed in August 2020 that it will now provide three years of Android OS upgrades to select devices. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is on the list of Samsung devices that get three Android OS upgrades. It's now eligible to receive the Android 13 when the time comes.
The S Pen suite of apps, including Samsung Notes, is also a part of the software experience. However, the tablet lacks DeX support at launch, with no official word on whether or not this will change later down the line.
S Pen
A refreshed S Pen ships along with the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. Samsung claims that it's been redesigned for a more comfortable grip. The S Pen weighs 7.03 grams and the company states that it has improved latency over the previous model.
Unlike the Tab S6 S Pen, the Lite mode's stylus lacks Bluetooth connectivity and, in turn, it doesn't support Air Actions. Otherwise, the S pen delivers the kind of experience you would expect. It lets users take notes, create drawings, highlight text, mark up PDF files, and more.
