As well as the premium-level Galaxy Tab S8 tablet, Samsung is also expected to push out a more affordable Galaxy Tab A8 slate in the not-too-distant future – and newly leaked images show off what could be press renders of the Android device.
The images were posted by prolific tipster Evan Blass, and don't really reveal many surprises about the tablet. We've got fairly thick display bezels on show, as you would expect from a budget slate, and it looks as though the power and volume control buttons are in their usual place on the side.
These pictures bear a striking resemblance to other image leaks, from a different source, that emerged back in September. That the two sets of renders match up so well makes us think this is what the Galaxy Tab A8 is going to end up looking like.
https://t.co/AJO9wUJfA3 pic.twitter.com/0ASzFPWB5INovember 4, 2021
Specs appeal
As savvy Samsung watchers will have noticed, it's actually been quite a week for Galaxy Tab A8 rumors. A few days ago we saw supposed benchmarks for the budget device show up online, which were pretty much what you would expect for a tablet towards the more affordable end of the market.
As Notebookcheck.net reports, the device is expected to come with a display in the region of 10 inches in size, and should be powered by a mid-range Tiger T618. We're reportedly going to get 3GB of RAM on board, with both Wi-Fi and cellular options coming down the Samsung production lines.
The Galaxy Tab A7 launched at the end of 2020, though it was arguably the A7 Lite model released earlier this year that attracted the most attention, especially in international markets. With that in mind we could see the Galaxy Tab A8 appear anytime from now until this time next year – so stay tuned.
Analysis: Android tablets have a value-for-money edge
There's no doubt that Android tablets have struggled to attract the same kind of attention and brand loyalty that the Apple iPad has – and Google hasn't really helped the situation with its rather half-hearted approach to optimizing Android for larger tablet devices.
The software side of the operation seems to be improving now though: last month Android 12L was unveiled, which promises to make the mobile operating system much more of a pleasure to use on bigger screens. Let's hope that Android developers follow the lead set by Google over the next 12 months.
As the Galaxy Tab A8 shows, affordability is one area where Android tablets can really compete with the might of the iPad. The cheapest Apple tablet comes in at $329 / £319 / AU$499, and that's with a paltry 64GB of internal storage. You can pick up many Android tablets for significantly less.
Many people don't need cutting edge performance or a bundle of features for their tablet, as long as the basics are right – see the popular Amazon Fire HD slates, for example. Samsung's 2022 tablets should give consumers shopping for an Android tablet plenty of choice across various price points.
