Samsung can call it what it likes — perfect entertainment companion, holistic entertainment device, or a must-have multimedia partner. But right from the outset, I have my qualms about the Tab A 2017, an eight-inch tablet launched recently in India.

In current times, a tablet has to offer something truly special to be more attractive than a smartphone. Size, for example, could be one of those attributes. The Tab A could have had its eight inches on its side except for the fact that it’s heavy, clunky and not at all nice to hold. If you put a case on it, no matter how light, it will make the device feel thicker and more inconvenient. You will most certainly feel its weight in a handbag and your hands will get tired holding it until you look around for some kind of kickstand for it. Let’s remember that many smartphones, even at budget prices, have shot past the six-inch mark. I’m not convinced that the additional inch and a half on this tablet is that critical given its weight and heft. If they had reduced the thick bezels and increased the attractiveness of the display, that might have made the device a little more pleasing. On top of that, it’s an 800x1280 pixels screen that’s bright but not amazing in any way.

This thick weighty device houses a 5,000 mAh battery. But look around. You’ll find that on many smartphones now. Shouldn’t a tablet have had a lot more? Regrettably that’s what I find myself thinking when I look at each hardware spec on this device. By now the lowest-end budget phone has more than 2 GB of RAM — that’s what is offered on the Tab A, which promises to be such an entertainment powerhouse and just the thing for movies and gaming. It works with a basic Qualcomm 1.4 GHz quad core processor and has a measly 16 GB of storage space, not all of it available to the user. The memory card slot is a minor consolation under these circumstances.

In a concession to modernity, the Tab A has a Type C USB charging port. It retains the 3.5 mm headphone jack. The cameras are a 12 MP and 5 MP set that are average in good light but grainy and murky in low light.

If the Tab A is meant to be a competitor for the iPad Mini, it can forget it. The tablet does include Samsung’s new virtual assistant, Bixby, but it’s doubtful whether those focused on entertainment will take the trouble to use it. Bixby is actually much more useful on a phone, where it is the guardian of all the tasks you want to do repeatedly. On a tablet with which you’re expected to sit and gape at the screen, it’s not that important. Other than that, the software is the usual familiar Samsung and the performance of the device is just adequate. It’s at the bottom of the list in benchmark tests even though it does work on Android Nougat. A tablet at this price should be beating budget phones hollow while giving you a much more interesting experience because of the larger screen. But the Tab A does none of that.

Price: ₹17,990

Pros: Bright display, includes virtual assistant Bixby, has a safe kids’ zone

Cons: Should offer more for its price, underpowered on every spec, heavy, barely average cameras

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