Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016), we have tested it

The Korean company can boast of having one of the tablets with the best value for money on the European market . The Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a mid-range device that has a very interesting price and has a good handful of features aimed at conquering you: a very long-lasting battery, a system that works very fluidly and responds without problems to our gestures . All this from simplicity and functionality . A tablet designed for all audiences, both children and professionals that give it moderate use and that does not require too complex technical characteristics. This team comes to cover the extensive repertoire of Samsung tablets that goes from theTab 3 Kids , a tablet designed directly for children, a la the Samsung Galaxy View , a super 18-inch tablet that can be converted into a portable television.

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2016) reaches a size of 10.1 inches and WiFi connectivity (it is also possible to acquire it with 4G). A tablet that thanks to this price-quality ratio has quickly become the best-selling tablet in the Spanish market. A product that we can buy for just 280 euros and that has outstanding technical performance for its price.

One processor to keep everything flowing

One of the main features of the Galaxy Tab boasting A family is its powerful processor and battery life . In addition to the multitasking profile and its option to work and function on a shared screen. A requirement highly demanded by tablet users, since it allows, for example, to watch a video and tweet simultaneously, among other features.

And of course the goal of creating a device that works seamlessly is appreciated from the get-go. From the first contact with the Samsung Tab A, its reaction speed and the ease and speed with which it responds to all our demands stands out.. Unlocking is easy, fast and very intuitive. It does not require swiping in a specific direction for a few specific seconds. Just a brief touch of just one second in any direction is more than enough to get out of the lock screen. That is if we have not chosen the option to protect the system with an unlock code. Beyond this small but interesting detail, we find a very simple and intuitive system. The tablet is equipped, in addition to the central button, with two off-screen buttons typical of its range of smartphones (and many other mobile phone companies). The back button and the recent button, with which to clean or close the applications that are being used unnecessarily in the background.

This notorious fluidity is also palpable in its notification center . A center from which you can really manage the entire flow of information that usually circulates through your tablet intuitively and without suffering an unwanted invasion of space. From it you can activate and deactivate music or radio applications, without the need to constantly enter them. Or access notifications directly without having to unlock the device through a double click (optimal to avoid inadvertent access). A well-designed tool if the Samsung tablet is to use a somewhat more professional profile, since we have at our disposal a defined and optimized work center. That despite being a product well focused on a more playful use thanks to its large screen of more than ten inches.

This fluidity in its operation is due to its Exynos 7870 processor, a chip that the Korean company usually mounts in its mid-range terminals upwards and that has eight cores . More than enough to play and support Full HD video at 60 fps . A processor that despite not being the one used in the best mobile devices of the Asian company, offers high performance. As we have seen in the testing, the fluency, the simultaneous multitasking and the quality video playback are perfectly supported by the Exynos 7870.

Another function of most Koreans boast, and they are not wrong, it is image quality, especially when playing videos . That of because the Galaxy Tab A Samsung comes equipped with a screen with WUXGA resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels . Great especially for reducing eyestrain after long viewing periods rather than finding top-notch definition. High-quality source video applications such as Yomvi can be seen with a not inconsiderable quality for a tablet that, remember, is on the market for a price of less than 300 euros. Although it is still true that, due to these reasons, the overall quality of the video is one notch below that of higher-end devices.

Battery and connectivity

Another of the great bets with which Samsung has put the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab A on the market is its long-lasting battery. Its 7,300 milliamps per hour offer many hours of autonomy even at maximum performance . According to the company, you can enjoy the tablet up to twelve hours watching videos . And the truth is that during the test period we have squeezed it daily using social media applications, document reading applications, even videos on demand like Yomvi and it was only necessary to recharge it once. Which implies that its consumption at rest is practically zero despite having a good handful of applications working in the background.The full charge time is reasonable for a device with these characteristics, about four hours . The rate of charging via USB to the computer, although it drops as with all mobile devices, does not leave much to be desired. The battery is not removable .

Another point that can motivate you to get the Tab A is its connectivity with the Samsung Smart TV. WiFi Direct your tablet and your Samsung TV can synchronize wirelessly and can manage TV from Tab A . An extremely comfortable way to surf the Internet, put YouTube videos, watch videos or GIFs from social networks ”¦

A tablet for the whole family

That's one of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A's business cards . And is that one of the characteristics that the Korean company likes to highlight the most is that it is a customizable tablet. But not only themes and wallpapers are at stake. Each profile has a private access in which to store their own music, games, photos and applications so that each member of the family can have their own space in an easy, simple and intuitive way . Like the classic computer user of all life but taken to the tablet.

It also has a parental control (Kids Mode 4.0) and a children mode that implements a variety of games and applications designed specifically for the little ones. In which it limits, for example, the purchase within the applications, one of the headaches of parents when giving their devices to the little ones.

An eight megapixel rear camera

Another of the great innovations of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is the rear camera up to eight megapixels with an f / 1.9 aperture. More than enough to take snapshots is favorable lighting conditions . Photos taken during the day (even on cloudy days), indoors or with supplementary artificial light have a more than acceptable quality. The quality of the collected images decreases in direct proportion to the amount of light in the environment. The flash does its job for close-up photography. For its part, the video recording quality is 1080p (30fps).

The camera comes with various modes to enhance your photo taking. Beyond more or less common modes such as Night, Beauty Face (close-ups), Sports, Panoramic, Auto, Burst, it is worth highlighting the Pro mode . A system by which photography lovers can entertain themselves by adjusting the camera's ISO values, controlling exposure and white balance. Very interesting to entertain when taking pictures in which we look for a little added value even if we do not find that professional finish. It also has HDR and Sound & Shot modes , presets designed to capture small videos of up to nine seconds (sound included).

Despite coming a front camera of only two megapixels, the functionality and versatility of it is worth mentioning. It is worth that the selfies taken in conditions that do not pray perfectly are somewhat limited, but to carry out video calls through Skype (integrated app) or Hangouts it offers some features to which you cannot put a single but. Its microphone offers a standard quality for the receiver and the quality of the audio, which emanates from two small speakers located at the bottom of the device meet basic conditions.

Half a kilo of tablet

Since we are getting some but a very round product, we must point out its weight. It is true that its 525 grams is in a reasonable range for its category. However, by including the weighing in the official case of the Korean brand, the weight rises drastically to 700 grams . Another small one but we found it when it came to handling and holding it. Being more landscape than usual (15 ”™ 5 cm wide by 25” ™ 5 long, held in a vertical position), using the keyboard is very comfortable in the vertical position. However, holding it horizontally makes typing more uncomfortable and sometimes the back button is touched unintentionally.

Perfect value for money

In short, a team that meets the main characteristics that are required of a tablet: fluidity, long battery life and quality video. A device that can become the favorite technological gadget of the whole family with very few buts (it is not such a comfortable device to carry it on getaways if we equip it with its cover). And all this with a very affordable price of 280 euros.