Samsung has a new addition to its tablet lineup: the 2020 Galaxy Tab A 8.4. For under $300, it comes with baked-in LTE, and while it's not exactly at par with the iPad Pro, it's a perfect device for those who don't want to spend a whole lot buying Apple's most affordable tab.
Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 doesn't have the OLED display that's common in Samsung's more expensive models. Instead, it uses a TFT LCD panel on its 8.4-inch display that comes in at 1920 x 1200 WUXGA resolution.
At the bottom of the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 is the usual USB-C port for fast charging. The upcoming device carries a 5,000 mAh battery that allows up to 11 hours of web browsing or 12 hours of video playtime. A microSD slot can carry an additional 512GB added to its 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. As for the chipset, it's powered by Samsung's own Exynos 7904 paired with its octa-core CPU.
For its low-cost price, the new tablet comes with an integrated 4G LTE connection, along with WiFi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0. Several carriers in the U.S. are already offering the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 via their respective websites, including T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular, Verizon, and AT&T. It's expected more carriers will offer the new device soon.
As for the cameras, there's a 5-megapixel cam for selfies and the back has an 8-megapixel sensor with autofocus. The tablet doesn't come with Samsung's S Pen stylus, but you do get Dolby Atmos support, two speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Perhaps the biggest downer with the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 is that it doesn't ship with Android 10. Samsung, for some reason, opted to use Android 9.0. As of writing, the South Korean tech giant hasn't put out a word if the device will be upgraded soon.
That aside, an older software isn't really a big of a deal for a bargain tablet already integrated with LTE. It's sold for $280 via Verizon, but an expanded release is expected soon enough.
Samsung has given consumers the option not to go for a data plan though, as you can connect the device with Wi-Fi. But if you really want a strong LTE connection, you'll have to buy an existing plan.
Samsung should make announcements whether the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 will have a global release or otherwise.
