Samsung is best known for their premium Galaxy Tab designs like the Tab S7 that launched earlier this year but not everyone needs the tablet equivalent of a Ferrari which is why they’ve issued the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite in Malaysia that costs just RM699. Here’s our Galaxy Tab A7 Lite unboxing and our first impressions of their latest budget slate.

What is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite proves to be a fairly compact budget tablet sized for one-handed use and is a more affordable, pared down variant of the Galaxy Tab A7 released last year. 

For Malaysia, you’re getting an 8.7-inch diagonal LCD display with a 1,340 x 800 pixel resolution which translates to about 179 ppi and a 60Hz refresh rate. Running under the hood is a MediaTek MT8768T Helio P22T processor paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage expandable via a microSD card slot with up to 1TB microSD cards supported.

Of note is that the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite runs the latest Android 11 overlaid with One UI 3.1 with full access to the Google Play store and all its apps with the only bottleneck being the modest capabilities of the built-in MediaTek processor.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite for Malaysia is the WiFi 5 (802.11ac) only version and lacks a SIM card tray with the ability to make calls and use data on its own.

However, LTE capable variants do exist in other regions. Other mod-cons with the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite include a pair of stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support emplaced on its sides. Powering the tablet is a 5,100mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging though the bundled charger maxes out at about 8W.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Unboxing – What’s in the Box

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite comes in a compact white box with the product image boldly printed on the front, the tablet itself wrapped in a protective bag and a modest selection of gear at the bottom neatly separated into plastic trays. Here’s what you get:

1 x Quick Start Guide 

1 x SIM Eject Pin

1 x USB-C to USB-A cable

1 x Galaxy Tab A7 Lite

1 x USB 8W charger

Unfortunately there aren’t any extras on purchase at the moment though they did have a promotion awhile back that tossed in a free Clear Cover a while back.

At present, you can purchase your own original Samsung Book Cover case separately to protect it and prop it up for viewing.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Unboxing – Design and Build

The tablet doesn’t break new ground in terms of design and has a fairly standard form factor with all the usual trimmings. Samsung hasn’t skimped on the essentials here and the tablet’s backplate is hewn primarily of aluminium for sturdiness. Add in the fairly substantial battery and you have a rather hefty slate though it’s still light enough to comfortably tote around with one hand.

At a glance, the tablet features fairly modest specifications with a MediaTek Helio P22T 2.3GHz processor running under the hood, 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage under the hood.

Up front, you get an 8.7-inch diagonal LCD display with a 1,340 x 800 pixels resolution which translates to about 179 pixels per inch (ppi) and a 60Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, even cursory handling resulted in fingerprints smudging the display which is fairly typical of most touchscreens.

The side bezels of the touchscreen are relatively slim though both the top and bottom bezels are a bit on the chunky side with the top bezel housing the front facing 2MP selfie camera for video calls. 

The base of the tablet comes with a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C 2.0 port for charging and docking duties as well as a grille for one of a matching pair of stereo speakers.

The right side of the slate, which is the top in landscape mode, has a power button and volume rocker while the left side comes with a microSD card slot tray with support for up to 1TB microSD cards.

The rear is otherwise a swath of aluminium with a low-gloss semi-reflective finish, the Samsung logo emblazoned in the center and a housing for the sole 8MP rear camera. To Samsung’s credit, the backplate finish does repel fingerprints to a modest degree.

In terms of build quality, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is adequate for its sub-RM700 price tag with an emphasis on durability and sturdiness over aesthetics. The buttons are a bit plasticky but the tablet is otherwise very sturdy without any creaking and an even heft when held with the addition of aluminium for the backplate adding a modest touch of class. 

Weighing just 366g and at 8mm thin, the tablet felt light and comfortable enough to wield one-handed for reading e-books and watching movies while the form factor is compact enough that it’s easily slotted into a daypack or hand carry luggage for watching movies on the go.

A quick field test offered fairly fluid navigation with OneUI’s usual smoothness though booting up and swapping between apps and games needed a slight bit of time on account of the modest MediaTek processor and RAM.

Stay tuned for our full review where we put it through its paces!

Review unit courtesy of Samsung Malaysia. For more details check out their official Galaxy Tab A7 Lite link here.