Samsung A7 10.4" (2020) is a downgrade from Samsung Tab A 10.1" (2019)

[alcoholbob]

I just bought one during the Walmart sale, went down to $169. Comparing with a 2019 Tab A. The A7 is way faster, on geekbench its about 33% faster on single core and 2.4x faster in multi-core score. On the flip side, it drains battery much faster too, multiples faster than the Tab A. The other problem is the screen is garbage. The Tab A 10.1" has an IPS-style PLS display. The A7 looks...I don't know, it might be TN or something. The viewing angles are so bad that even looking at it head on, the left and right corners are darker, and if you go off-axis from the screen more than 15 degrees from center the screen immediately darkens, when you go above or to either side. Whereas on the Tab A you have to extreme angles before there's even a hint of color change.

Because of the crazy color shifts even though its a larger 10.4" display, it's functionally much smaller because you have to keep centering to display in order to read anything. It might as well be a 8" tablet screen with the usable real estate.

Also the screen is blue, very blue. When you turn on the blue light filter, it turns all blacks into light brown. Whereas you don't have this effect on the Tab A 10.1 (2019). Seems like they pulled a fast one here on their entry level 10" tablets this year. Yeah, the CPU is faster, and there's 1GB of more RAM for the same price. But the display took a massive hit. For an entry level video and surfing tool and/or e-reader, it's a much worse product.

 

[Commodus]

I just bought one during the Walmart sale, went down to $169. Comparing with a 2019 Tab A. The A7 is way faster, on geekbench its about 33% faster on single core and 2.4x faster in multi-core score. On the flip side, it drains battery much faster too, multiples faster than the Tab A. The other problem is the screen is garbage. The Tab A 10.1" has an IPS-style PLS display. The A7 looks...I don't know, it might be TN or something. The viewing angles are so bad that even looking at it head on, the left and right corners are darker, and if you go off-axis from the screen more than 15 degrees from center the screen immediately darkens, when you go above or to either side. Whereas on the Tab A you have to extreme angles before there's even a hint of color change.

Because of the crazy color shifts even though its a larger 10.4" display, it's functionally much smaller because you have to keep centering to display in order to read anything. It might as well be a 8" tablet screen with the usable real estate.

Also the screen is blue, very blue. When you turn on the blue light filter, it turns all blacks into light brown. Whereas you don't have this effect on the Tab A 10.1 (2019). Seems like they pulled a fast one here on their entry level 10" tablets this year. Yeah, the CPU is faster, and there's 1GB of more RAM for the same price. But the display took a massive hit. For an entry level video and surfing tool and/or e-reader, it's a much worse product.

Seems to sum up the Android tablet market in a nutshell, really — that race to the bottom where quality keeps dropping in the name of price. That kind of screen just isn't acceptable on any tablet. Were you looking at returning it, if you can?

 

[alcoholbob]

Seems to sum up the Android tablet market in a nutshell, really — that race to the bottom where quality keeps dropping in the name of price. That kind of screen just isn't acceptable on any tablet. Were you looking at returning it, if you can?

Yeah I returned it and am keeping the 2019 model. The display is so much better, it works for its role as a cheap e-reader and video player. Whereas the newer model seems more like a super cheap gaming tablet with better specs but with a crappy display.

 

[accguy9009]

I have a Tab A 2019 also. It doesn't get heavy use but I like the display and battery life quite a bit considering the $. having a phablet like the Note 10+ means I don't use the Tab daily but when I break it out it delivers the goods.