Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020, review: an inexpensive alternative for movie and series devourers

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line is one of the oldest in the current technological landscape and it does not stop producing new devices with which to maintain a fairly stable catalog that, however, has been allowed to grow from time to time in number of models. The one we have now among us is a mid-line model with a 10.4-inch screen . We talk about the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020.

As we have already mentioned, it is a mid-line model designed to compete in the price range between 200 and 300 euros , pulling more towards the first figure than the second. An Android tablet hidden behind the characteristic One UI that lies on our analysis table so that we can see what it is capable of offering us.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020, technical specifications

Classic design and 5: 3 format

We are not used to receiving tablets in the market with a ratio like the one offered by the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020 that we have in hand. The screen is a 5: 3, practically a 16: 9 but no, practically a 4: 3 but not either . A characteristic format of the Korean manufacturer’s catalog that generates a large device, like any tablet over 10 inches, but still quite manageable when we have it in use.

That “weirdness” aside, the 2020 Galaxy Tab A7 is pretty classic in terms of button layout and overall design. On the front we find the screen dominating embedded in frames approximately one centimeter thick, and the visible area of ​​the frame itself is separated by just over a millimeter. On the right we find the front camera in a module with double perforation.

We have four stereo speakers , each of which sits at opposite ends of the device. Two placed in the corners of the upper frame and another two in the same arrangement, but in the lower frame. Along with the latter we also have the USB port for charging and transfer, and the headphone jack is completely moved to the lower left corner. The buttons, to the right frame with the power above the volume controls. The left frame is only for the microSD tray.

Finally, the completely clean back with the rear camera in one corner, located on a module that protrudes from the body and greatly reduces stability, and the brand logo in the center clearly inviting us to use the Galaxy Tab A7 2020 in panoramic format. , rather than like a mobile phone. The construction is solid with metallic materials and despite its almost 500 grams of weight, it is balanced and quite comfortable . In general, this Galaxy Tab A7 2020 is quite resistant to fingerprints although, logically, the body supports them better than the screen itself, which is still quite clean despite everything.

By the way, we are talking about a TFT with a resolution of 2,000 x 1,200 pixels that does not shine due to its density (224 pixels per inch approximately) but that offers good colors although it lacks in the viewing angles, somewhat limited, and in an automatic brightness control somewhat slow . However, the maximum brightness is quite high and allows us to look at the screen in almost any situation, even if it is not a very called tablet to leave home. On the screen we have the now classic double tap to wake it up (useful since we do not have a fingerprint reader) and we can customize the navigation buttons or fonts.

Before jumping into performance, what better way to close this section than talking about its four speakers and sound in general. Of course, you can see that Samsung has taken care of this aspect because the sound of the four speakers of this Tab A7 2020 is really spectacular . Not only do we find a lot of power but also a very high quality to which perhaps a single fault: it would take a little more bass. For the rest, you can tell that Dolby Atmos is present and it is hard to believe how good the sound is until it is heard. So much so that Bluetooth audio and that we get through wired headphones are good, but are dwarfed by the set of external speakers.

Restrained power and too fair at times

Samsung bet on a Snapdragon 662 running at 2GHz for its Galaxy Tab A7 2020 and surrounds it with two memory configurations: we have 3GB and 32GB in the most modest version (the one we analyzed) and 3GB and 64GB for the top one. There is no doubt that the presence of Qualcomm is noticeable for good but perhaps the memories are too tight , something that is not noticed when we focus on a single app at the same time but that emerges with multitasking and with certain more demanding apps and games.

As we say, the day to day with the tablet is fluid and the system, despite the fact that One UI is demanding in itself, behaves well but as soon as we begin to accumulate open apps, things get complicated. It is not strange that the Tab A7 2020 closes apps in the background that on other devices should remain open, but memory is what it is and you have to save money. The jump between applications is also somewhat slow and lag has sometimes appeared in apparently simple tasks . For example, when it comes to taking screenshots, it is not surprising that the Tab A7 2020 takes almost a second to react.

As for limitations when opening certain apps and heavier games, the Tab A7 2020 does not give us too many drawbacks, although we did notice a drop in resolution and fps in the most demanding ones to adapt to the power of the tablet. It takes a while in some heavy game, like Clash Royale or Asphalt, to return to the system and realize that almost the entire background is frozen, dedicating all the resources to the game. A pity, because this could have been solved with an extra gig of RAM, that simple.

We leave you with the performance tests of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020:

As for the battery, the autonomy does not represent any problem since we are facing an internal battery of 7,040 mAh with a fast charge of 15W. During our tests, the Galaxy Tab A7 2020 has offered us 8 to 9 hours of screen while consuming multimedia, playing games and browsing the Internet and social networks. We cannot speak of an outstanding autonomy given the resolution of the panel itself, but we can speak of that it remains above average considering that this battery feeds 10.4 inches of screen. We can leave the autonomy note at a remarkable high, without more.

Finally, and before jumping into the camera, we have to talk about One UI, Samsung’s proprietary layer. As is usual when we talk about it, One UI arrives on board the Galaxy Tab A7 2020 with pre-installed Microsoft apps in addition to others such as, for example, Netflix . Nothing that cannot be uninstalled once we start it up, but a cleaner layer would have been appreciated considering that the most basic model offers only 32GB that we have to take good care of. In terms of functionalities, One UI is still one of the most complete layers although arriving running on Android 10, at this point in the Android 11 distribution, should be penalized.

An 8 megapixel camera for basic uses

We are not facing a mobile phone that we carry in our pocket and has replaced traditional cameras, so the requirement when requesting results should not be the same. However, we will tell you what the 8 megapixel camera has offered us , operating alone, which we find at the back of this Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020.

The One UI camera app is very recognizable, although the Tab A7 2020 comes cropped

The camera app embedded in One UI is already an old acquaintance in the market. An intuitive, simple app with direct access to the main functions and shooting modes. Given that the rear camera of this Tab A7 2020 is quite basic, we do not find the photography modes that its brothers offer us, smartphones, but we will still find almost everything necessary to take a photograph at home, either to photograph objects or documents.

In light the focus is fast and the colors, although natural, are usually slightly saturated

In less light, the camera tends to raise the exposure to compensate for noise and blur.

As we say, the photographic section of this Galaxy Tab A7 2020 is quite basic. We come across a main camera, the rear one , with autofocus that offers photographs with reasonable quality as long as we have good light available, with sharp edges and a good slightly saturated color, but whose quality plummets once the light disappears, at the same time that the camera tends to overexpose to compensate. The dynamic range is not too good either, despite the fact that it defends itself in certain situations, and the noise does not take long to appear despite the fact that the image processing is apparently similar to that of the brand’s phones.

Dynamic focus mode works well even if it’s 100% a software gimmick

We have, yes, a dynamic approach mode by software. The classic selective blur mode, also known as Portrait mode, which here gives a quite acceptable result despite presenting some problems with complex scenes. But the identification of planes is quite good for a camera of this quality.

Selfies, with their 5 megapixels, are just the right quality for a camera that seems designed for video conferencing

Regarding selfies , we have at our disposal a 5 megapixel front camera located in the upper frame when we use the Galaxy Tab A7 2020 horizontally, the results of which are sufficient for the occasional selfie or, as it seems based on our tests, to make video calls. We are not talking in any case about professional cameras or that they pretend to be, so the Galaxy Tab A7 2020 approves, without a note, in this section.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020, opinion of EuroXliveAndroid

We find this Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020 and we can only think of an ideal device for consuming multimedia content at home, especially considering that we have analyzed a model that only has WiFi connectivity. Good autonomy, spectacular sound and a screen diagonal more than enough for movies, series and all kinds of streaming content , because yes, it has also responded when playing through Stadia.

The processor, however, is somewhat constrained by the shortage of RAM , which leaves us with a tablet that can serve us without problems on a day-to-day basis but that can suffer if what we are looking for is to squeeze it with heavy titles or more tasks complex. Maybe it can be used to telecommute with the right apps and an external keyboard, but photographic processing apps and others will reveal the shortcomings of an inexpensive tablet that does not seem built to perform.

Finally, the cameras are merely documentalists for the purposes of the results achieved in the tests. Cameras to record our surroundings, make video calls and not much else, perhaps what they were conceived for. We cannot ask for more from this Galaxy Tab A7 2020 for its price although some other improvement would have rounded the product . However, a competitive tablet in its price range that with little more memory or photographic quality would have been able to shine.

The terminal has been released for testing by Samsung. Can inquire our policy of relationships with enterprises.