Top 10 Reasons to Avoid the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 and Its Tiny 8.7-inch Screen
As an expert on digital technology who is passionate about gadgets, I‘ve tested out dozens of Android tablets over the years. One recent release that I would advise most people to stay away from is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7. While it may seem like an attractive option given the low price and Samsung brand name, the Tab A7 makes too many compromises, especially when it comes to the undersized 8.7-inch screen.
Here are the top 10 reasons why I recommend avoiding the Galaxy Tab A7 tablet:
- The screen is too small at only 8.7 inches
The biggest issue with the Galaxy Tab A7 is the tiny 8.7-inch screen size. While an 8-inch tablet may have been acceptable many years ago, it feels extremely cramped and limiting by today‘s standards.
Trying to watch YouTube videos or Netflix on an 8.7-inch screen is a subpar experience, with
the video player appearing small and hard to view from a distance. For reading articles or ebooks, you‘ll have to do a ton of zooming in and scrolling around on such a small display. Want to play some games? Good luck seeing all the on-screen action on this little tablet.
An 8-inch screen size really limits what you can practically use a tablet for. It‘s too small to be a true multimedia device for comfortably watching videos. It‘s too small to use as an e-reader for long articles or full length books. It‘s too small to get any real work done like writing emails or editing documents. And it‘s too small to fully immerse yourself in games and apps.
If you‘re going to buy a tablet in 2023, I highly recommend choosing one with a screen that‘s at least 10 inches or larger. The extra screen real estate makes a world of difference in terms of usability and versatility. 10 to 13-inch tablets are ideal for media consumption, reading, gaming, and even productivity.
- Low 1340 x 800 screen resolution looks pixelated
In addition to the small size, the Galaxy Tab A7 screen is hampered by its low resolution. At only 1340 x 800 pixels, this display is not nearly sharp enough for its size, especially when compared to other modern tablets.
Text on the Tab A7 looks noticeably pixelated and blurry, without the crisp edge you see on higher resolution tablet screens. Images and videos also appear soft and lack fine details. In a side-by-side comparison with a tablet that has a full HD or higher resolution display, the difference is night and day.
It‘s puzzling that Samsung would choose to saddle the Tab A7 with such a low-res screen. Sure, it helps keep costs down, but the sub-full HD resolution really degrades the overall user experience. Your eyes will definitely notice and be bothered by the pixels.
- The screen is dim and hard to view outdoors
The Galaxy Tab A7 screen disappoints yet again with its poor brightness and dim appearance. With a peak brightness of only around 300 nits, the Tab A7 display is quite a bit dimmer than most other tablets in its price range. Even with the brightness cranked up to 100%, the screen doesn‘t get very bright.
This becomes painfully apparent when attempting to use the Tab A7 outdoors on a sunny day. The screen is nearly impossible to view in direct sunlight and is barely visible in shaded areas outside. Glare is also a huge problem that makes the Tab A7 unsuitable for outdoor use.
If you frequently like to use your tablet outside on the go, the Tab A7 is absolutely not recommended. You‘re better off with a tablet that has a much brighter screen of at least 400 nits or higher. Some tablets even go up to 600-700 nits or have special anti-reflective coatings to dramatically improve outdoor visibility.
- Underwhelming performance from a budget processor
Performance is another weak area for the Galaxy Tab A7 thanks to its underpowered internals. The tablet uses a MediaTek MT8768T processor, which is an entry-level chip typically found in budget phones.
While the MT8768T is fine for basic tasks like checking email and browsing Facebook, it struggles mightily when faced with more demanding computing loads. Want to play graphically intensive games like Fortnite or Genshin Impact on the Tab A7? Prepare for disappointingly low and choppy frame rates that make the games frustrating to play.
Opening more than a handful of browser tabs simultaneously also bogs down this weak processor. And forget about running multiple apps side-by-side in split screen mode. The Tab A7 simply doesn‘t have the processing grunt to be a true multitasking machine.
The lack of power is exacerbated by the paltry 3GB of RAM in the base model Tab A7. That‘s barely enough RAM for an affordable smartphone these days. So don‘t expect to have a ton of apps running in the background.
The bottom line is that the Galaxy Tab A7 provides lackluster performance in an era when even budget and mid-range tablets have gotten surprisingly powerful. Samsung really should have used a faster processor and bumped up the RAM to 4GB or 6GB to provide a snappier and more responsive user experience.
- No S Pen support or included stylus
If you like using a stylus with your tablet for drawing, taking notes, or precision pointing, you‘ll be disappointed to hear that the Galaxy Tab A7 doesn‘t support Samsung‘s excellent S Pen. And it doesn‘t come with any stylus in the box.
The lack of stylus functionality is a glaring omission considering many of Samsung‘s other tablets and even its flagship phones work with the S Pen. It seems rather odd for Samsung to arbitrarily remove this useful feature just for the Tab A7.
While you can still use a cheap third-party capacitive stylus on the Tab A7‘s screen, it won‘t provide nearly the same level of accuracy, palm rejection, and pressure sensitivity as the S Pen. So artists and note takers should definitely look elsewhere.
Samsung‘s own higher-end tablets like the Galaxy Tab S7 FE and S8 series all have S Pen compatibility for a superior sketching and writing experience. Many of Lenovo‘s Android tablets also now come with an active stylus in the box. So there are much better options if the stylus is important to you.
- Doesn‘t support Samsung DeX desktop mode
Samsung DeX is an innovative software feature that allows some Galaxy tablets and phones to provide a desktop PC-like experience when connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It essentially turns your mobile device into a productivity workstation.
DeX can be a real game-changer that allows you to use your tablet for serious work and not just content consumption and light tasks. It gives you a more comfortable large screen desktop environment, complete with a Windows-like interface, resizable app windows, keyboard shortcuts, and full mouse control.
However, the Galaxy Tab A7 is noticeably missing DeX functionality. You‘re stuck with the standard Android tablet UI and can‘t extend the Tab A7 to an external display for a desktop experience. That severely limits how productive you can be on this device compared to other Samsung tablets that do have DeX.
If you‘re looking to use your Android tablet as an occasional or full-time laptop replacement, I suggest choosing one that has DeX built-in, like the Tab S7 FE, S8, and S8 Ultra. You‘ll appreciate the ability to seamlessly switch between a finger-friendly tablet mode and a mouse-driven desktop mode.
- Absence of a fingerprint scanner
These days, almost every tablet and phone has some form of biometric security, whether that‘s a fingerprint scanner or facial recognition camera. Biometric locks allow you to instantly and securely unlock your device without having to type in a passcode each time.
But for some reason, the Galaxy Tab A7 doesn‘t have any biometric authentication options at all. There‘s no fingerprint reader built into the power button or embedded underneath the screen. And there‘s no special camera for face unlock either.
This means you‘ll be forced to use a weak PIN, pattern, or password to lock the Tab A7, which is slower to enter and less secure than using your fingerprint or face. You also lose out on the ability to use your fingerprint to authenticate app purchases and sign into banking apps.
It‘s very odd that Samsung would omit a fingerprint scanner on the Tab A7 when it‘s such a standard feature on modern mobile devices. Even cheap tablets from Amazon and Lenovo now include fingerprint readers. This feels like a cost-cutting move that ultimately makes the Tab A7 less convenient and secure to use.
- Missing some important sensors like a gyroscope
Another way Samsung cut corners with the Tab A7 is by removing a few sensors that you typically find in most tablets, including a gyroscope and compass. While this may seem minor, the lack of these sensors can negatively impact functionality and app compatibility.
Without a gyroscope, the Tab A7 won‘t be able to detect rotational motion and orientation. Quite a few apps rely on the gyroscope for all sorts of motion-based controls and UI elements. This includes many augmented reality (AR) apps that let you interact with digital 3D objects in the real world. It also affects some racing games that use the tablet‘s tilt to steer.
VR apps and games that work with simple VR headsets like the Google Cardboard also depend on the gyroscope to track head motion. So if you were planning to use the Tab A7 for entry-level VR, you‘re out of luck.
The lack of a compass sensor is more of a minor annoyance than a deal breaker. But the compass does enable some additional functionality in navigation and map apps that you won‘t have access to on this tablet.
It‘s disappointing that Samsung didn‘t include these basic sensors in the Tab A7 to save a few bucks on the bill of materials. It unnecessarily cripples the motion sensing capabilities of the device.
- Mediocre cameras with no flash
Tablet cameras are never going to be as good as what you get on high-end smartphones. But the front and rear shooters on the Galaxy Tab A7 are particularly mediocre, even for a budget tablet.
The 8MP rear camera takes blah photos in good lighting and really poor, grainy ones in low light. The dynamic range is weak, with overblown highlights and crushed shadows. And colors look dull and muted compared to cameras on other tablets. The lack of an LED flash also means you can forget about taking pics at night.
The front selfie cam is even worse at a measly 2MP, which is a very low resolution by today‘s standards. Selfies from this camera look soft and fuzzy without much detail. And video calls have that same low-res appearance.
While most people probably won‘t be using their tablet‘s cameras very often, it‘s still nice to have capable image quality when you need to snap a quick pic or hop on a Zoom meeting. The Tab A7 simply doesn‘t deliver in the camera department, which is yet another reason to consider other tablets.
- You can get a much better tablet for around the same price
The Galaxy Tab A7 usually retails for around $200-$250 when not on sale. At that price point, your money is much better spent on a competing tablet that doesn‘t have as many hardware limitations and cut corners.
For about the same cost, you can get an Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet with a larger and sharper 10-inch 1920×1200 screen, faster processor, 4GB of RAM, and a USB-C port. The iPad 9th generation is also frequently on sale for under $300 and absolutely destroys the Tab A7 in terms of display quality, performance, app selection, and accessory support. Even Lenovo‘s new Tab P11 Plus gives you a bigger and better 11-inch 2K screen with quad speakers and more RAM for only a bit more money.
Don‘t be tempted by the Galaxy Tab A7‘s lower price. There are much better value tablets out there in the same ballpark that provide a far superior overall user experience. Saving a few bucks isn‘t worth all the frustrations you‘ll have to deal with by choosing this lackluster Samsung tablet.
BONUS: Better tablet alternatives
If you‘re in the market for a new Android tablet, here are a few excellent options worth considering instead of the Galaxy Tab A7:
-
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE: Larger 12.4" 2560×1600 display, S Pen included, faster processor, DeX mode, 10090 mAh battery
-
Lenovo Yoga Tab 13: Huge 13" 2160×1350 screen, built-in kickstand, hangable design, Snapdragon 870 chip, 8GB RAM
-
Lenovo Tab P11 Plus: 11" 2000×1200 display, quad speakers, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 7700 mAh battery
-
Xiaomi Pad 5: Flagship-level specs with 11" 2560×1600 120Hz screen, Snapdragon 860, 6GB RAM, 8720 mAh battery
If you prefer Apple‘s iOS ecosystem and apps, the baseline iPad 9th generation is an even better choice starting at only $329. It has a beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, A13 Bionic chip with plenty of power, support for Apple Pencil, and Apple‘s unbeatable tablet software.
The bottom line is that you don‘t have to settle for the Galaxy Tab A7 and its many shortcomings. The Android tablet market has seen a resurgence in the past couple of years, with new compelling options from Samsung, Lenovo, Xiaomi and others. And Apple‘s iPads still reign supreme as the top tablets for most people. Don‘t let the Tab A7‘s low price tempt you – invest in a tablet that you‘ll enjoy using for years to come!
