Buying guide for Best Samsung tablets
Mobile devices continue to grow in popularity, whether you’re talking about tablets or smartphones, and Samsung has carved a strong niche for itself in the world of mobile devices.
Although quite a few manufacturers make Android operating system tablets, the Samsung Galaxy family of tablets ranks highly among consumers.
Several different models of Galaxy tablets give you different sizes of screens and varying levels of processing power, at numerous price points.
If you’re in the market for a tablet, it’s a great variety to choose from.
If you’re ready to join the Samsung tablet customer base, we at BestReviews can help you find the best model for your needs.
Read through our Samsung tablet shopping guide to understand the key features available in these amazing mobile devices!
Samsung tablet features
When comparing Samsung tablets, you can separate the choices based on a few key features.
Display size
A larger display size works well for most people. If you want to watch movies on your Samsung tablet, for example, a larger screen makes the movie-watching experience more enjoyable.
However, a larger display will cost more money.
Display resolution
The maximum resolution that the Samsung tablet can reach plays a role in your enjoyment of the screen, too.
Most larger tablets can reach full HD resolution (1920x1080) and higher, which is important for watching movies. Most smaller tablets won’t offer full HD resolution.
Did you know?
The Airplane mode on your Samsung tablet not only works on an air flight, but it also will conserve battery life while you’re on the ground.
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Battery life
Pay attention to the battery lifespan of the mobile device.
You don’t want to be taking an eight-hour car ride with a Samsung tablet that offers six hours of battery life.
Wireless connection
All Samsung tablets will connect to a Wifi network. However, not all of them can connect to a cellular network.
If you want cellular capability in a tablet, look for a tablet with this feature and then purchase a monthly cellular plan.
Operating system
Nearly all Samsung tablets run from the Android OS.
However, you may find an occasional model that makes use of the mobile Windows OS.
RAM
This indicates the amount of memory you have available for processing tasks.
Generally speaking, the more RAM a tablet has, the better its performance will be.
Storage space
This measures the size of the area available to store data and apps.
Some Samsung tablets allow you to expand this space with a memory card.
When researching Samsung tablets for our shortlist, we consider all the various sizes available. To meet the needs of our readers, we look at lightweight, portable models as well as heavier tablets with a higher performance.
We appreciate Samsung tablets with an excellent display quality. Some are engineered to deliver impressive HDR performance with supported apps and media.
Most Samsung tablets have dual-band WiFi support, but some of the models we look at are available with optional 4G LTE modems. Many consumers love this because they never need to manually connect to a wireless network.
We give special consideration to the handful of Samsung tablets that support DeX technology, a feature that lets you connect a tablet to a TV or computer monitor and use it in desktop mode.
The flagship family of Samsung tablets has been one of the top Android tablet lineups for years. According to our in-depth research, this still holds true today.
In researching Samsung tablets, we have uncovered a range of new and recent models we think would satisfy multiple users. We always keep both casual and heavy users in mind when performing product research.
Our research shows that the S Pen designed for use with Samsung tablets is one of the most reliable and precise on the market. It comes complete with a 4,096-level sensitivity.
We look for Samsung tablets with high-quality screens. Bonus points go to those tablets that provide a good HDR movie streaming experience.
The amount of internal storage offered by a Samsung tablet varies, and it’s a key consideration for many consumers. We note this spec in our research and encourage potential buyers to find out how many GB a tablet has before buying it.
Before shortlisting a Samsung tablet, we find out its dimensions, including its thickness and screen size. We understand that users have varying needs when it comes to this.
Samsung tablet prices
One of the nicest things about Samsung tablets is the variety of price points from which you can pick. Because you have so many choices, you’re sure to find a model that’ll fit in your budget.
When it comes to the price of the Samsung tablet, you may find some exceptions to the guidelines we’ve listed here.
A certain tablet may be close to replacement with a newer model, for example, which may lead to a greater than expected price drop.
Under $150
These low-cost Samsung tablets often will have very little RAM and minimal storage space. Samsung tablets aimed at children often fit in this price range, too.
These tablets have smaller than average screen sizes, often just a little larger than the largest smartphones. Resolution often remains at less than full HD in this price range.
Expert Tip
To wipe your data on an old Samsung tablet before selling it or giving it away, use the Factory Data Reset feature.
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$150 to $300
A mid-range Samsung tablet will have a couple of great features, but the other features will remain at an average level.
So, if you want an excellent screen resolution above all else, you can find that type of tablet in this price point, as long as you’re willing to sacrifice performance in other areas.
Another area where mid-priced Samsung tablets suffer a bit involves the quality of the cameras. Some of the tablets in this price range will be older models that have dropped in price recently.
$300 and higher
A handful of Samsung tablets fit in the upper end of the price range. Such tablets offer screen sizes of nine inches or more, with excellent resolution of full HD quality or greater.
Samsung tablets in this price range tend to offer an S-Pen stylus. They also will offer 64 GB or more of internal storage and high-quality cameras, both in the front and the rear.
Many new Samsung tablets start in this upper price range, because they contain the latest features and technologies.
FAQ
Q. Can I use a real keyboard with my Samsung tablet?
A. You have a few options for typing on a physical keyboard when entering data onto a tablet. Perhaps the easiest approach is to purchase an external keyboard, and attach it via Bluetooth or to the USB port on the tablet.
Q. What’s the best way to back up data from my tablet?
A. Most Samsung tablets that run the Android operating system will allow you to set up automatic backups through your Google account to Google Drive in the cloud. Many people love this feature because you don’t have to remember to perform the backups, as they happen automatically. However, you also can make backup copies of your data yourself by connecting the Samsung tablet to a computer through a USB cable, and copying the files from the tablet to a computer folder.
Q. How can I gain more storage space on the Samsung tablet?
A. Some Samsung tablets allow you to add storage space via a removable memory card. If that feature isn’t available on your tablet, perhaps the best way to gain more storage space on your Samsung tablet is to uninstall apps that you’re no longer using. This will give you more space for downloading new apps. As with a computer, you can delete your old files on the tablet to free up space, such as old spreadsheets, photographs, or videos.
Q. How can I conserve battery life with the tablet?
A. If your tablet’s battery power seems to be running low, you can conserve battery by entering Power Saving Mode. You also can turn down the brightness of the screen to save battery power. Turning off the Wifi or Bluetooth connectivity prolongs the battery life, too. Some apps make use of a lot of battery power, especially those that deliver constant notifications, so you can disable or close those apps.
