Samsung’s brand new midrange tablet — the Samsung Galaxy Tablet A8 — has made its way to Singapore.

The tablet promises better media consumption, convenience and protection for kids, better multi-tasking, and more.

Price and availability

The Galaxy Tab A8 will be available in Singapore starting January 14 2022, Friday, at the following:

• Samsung Online Store
• Telecommunication operators (StarHub, Singtel – available from 15 January 2022)
• Samsung Experience Stores
• Samsung Official Store in Lazada and Shopee
• Major Consumer Electronics & IT Stores (Gain City, Courts, Challenger, Best Denki, Harvey Norman)

Pricing are as follows:

• Galaxy Tab A8 LTE (64GB) — SG$ 548
• Galaxy Tab A8 Wi-Fi (64GB) — SG$ 448

Anyone who buys the tablet from Jan 14  to Feb 13, 2022 will be entitled to a Samsung Universal Stand and Galaxy SmartTag+ (total worth $94) launch exclusives upon purchase.

The following Galaxy Tab A8 accessories will also be available to complement the device:

• Bookcover — SG$ 78
• Clear Edge Cover — SG$ 48
• Protective Standing Cover — SG$ 78

Galaxy Tab A8

The lightweight device boasts a 10.5-inch screen with a remarkably slim bezel on a 16:10 aspect ratio for an 80 percent screen-to-body ratio, leading to a much more immersive viewing experience.

The Galaxy Tab A8’s quad-speaker with Dolby Atmos provides a rich soundscape with unparalleled detail, depth and realism.

Beyond its incredible display, the latest Samsung tablet’s CPU and GPU have each been increased by 10 percent to deliver faster and smoother performance and reduce lagging.

In a first for the Galaxy Tab A8, users can choose either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage alongside 4GB of RAM on an Octa-Core 2GHz processor, plus an expandable microSD card feature of up to 1TB of space.

The Galaxy Tab A8 comes with a 7,040mAh battery with up to 15W fast-charging means that users can stream for hours on end, without worrying about losing power.

Samsung announced today the release of its new Galaxy Tab A8, the most streamlined and powerful Tab A Series device yet from the electronic company.

The Galaxy Tab A8 combines impressive screen, power and performance into a slim and lightweight design for a portable experience that suits users’ everyday lifestyles.

Everything users want, enhanced

The Galaxy Tab A8 experience begins with Samsung’s signature tablet design and feel while elevating power and performance.

The lightweight device boasts a 10.5-inch screen with a remarkably slim bezel on a 16:10 aspect ratio for an 80 percent screen-to-body ratio, leading to a much more immersive viewing experience.

The Galaxy Tab A8’s quad-speaker with Dolby Atmos provides a rich soundscape with unparalleled detail, depth and realism.

Beyond its incredible display, the latest Samsung tablet’s CPU and GPU have each been increased by 10 percent to deliver faster and smoother performance and reduce lagging.

In a first for the Galaxy Tab A8, users can choose either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage alongside 4GB of RAM on an Octa-Core 2GHz processor, plus an expandable microSD card feature of up to 1TB of space.

The Galaxy Tab A8 comes with a 7,040mAh battery with up to 15W fast-charging means that users can stream for hours on end, without worrying about losing power.

Convenience and protection for kids

In an effort to make everyday lives easier and better, Samsung made the Galaxy Tab A8 equipped with interactive educational content and convenient parental controls.

These will make it handy for parents to provide their kids with a safe and engaging learning environment whether at home or on the go.

Kids can also enjoy a fun and personalized tablet experience, thanks to Samsung’s partnerships with global content partners and the ability to customize the home screen with playful icons and color schemes.

Better multi-tasking

Users can instantly access a comprehensive snapshot of device usage and activity all in one place and can set screen time goals and track progress against them throughout the week.

For simpler and more powerful multitasking, Multi-Active Window allows users to split the screen and use two apps at the same time side-by-side, and even add a pop-up window.

If in a lecture for instance, you may be able to simultaneously chat with classmates, take notes and view a presentation all at once.

When browsing the internet, simply drag a link from your current window to the side to create a split screen, as the Drag & Split feature automatically opens a second browser window.

Increased functionality

The Galaxy Tab A8 has an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and brand-new Screen Recorder feature so students, teachers and even gamers won’t have to miss out on recording important lectures or game highlights.

The feature allows for clear and detailed recording of videos, as well as even recording the user while giving a demonstration with voice while making annotations or writing on-screen to highlight key points.

Most importantly, users can enjoy all the functionality of the Galaxy Tab A8 with confidence and peace of mind.

Galaxy Tab A8 is backed by Samsung’s industry-leading Knox security platform with multi-layer protection. Face recognition may also be turned on to provide an extra layer of security.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy Tab A8 will be available in Gray, Silver and new Pink Gold beginning on January 11, 2022.

Galaxy Tab A8 Wi-Fi (64GB) will be priced at PhP 13,990, while the Galaxy Tab A8 LTE (128GB) variant will be priced at PhP 18,990.

From January 11 to February 28, 2022, customers will get a FREE Book Cover worth PhP 2,599 with the Galaxy Tab A8 LTE, and a FREE Clear Edge Cover worth PhP 1,299 with the Galaxy Tab A8 Wi-Fi.

I have personally always struggled to find a reason to get a tablet. But spending time with the Nokia T20 made me realize how handy it is to have one with you.

By the numbers

I want to focus on the experience using the Nokia T20 right away so I’m dropping the spec sheet here so we’re all on the same page.

• Display – 10.4” IPS LCD
• Processor – Unisoc T610 chip
• OS – Android 11
• RAM and Storage – 4GB+64GB, Expandable up to 512GB via MicroSD card
• Main Camera – 8MP
• Selfie Camera – 5MP
• Battery – 8,200mAh
• Price: PhP 12,990, SG$ 345, US$ 250

It honestly seems bland on paper, but you can squeeze out plenty of usage with it.

Work companion 

I wasn’t able to take a photo in action, but the Nokia T20 proved most useful to me as a sort of extra screen during workdays. Video conference calls/events have been the norm ever since the pandemic hit. And while the laptop I use can more than handle running Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet or whatever app is required for the video call, having it all on the same machine can feel overwhelming for me.

Having the Nokia T20 meant I could attend events on a separate, sizable screen. And I don’t feel like my attention is divided even as I complete other tasks on the laptop while attending an event. It seems like a small thing, but it goes a long way in having your work setup feel less cluttered.

Binge-buddy

Where this slate truly shines, though, is as your bring anywhere binge buddy. And you can tell that Nokia intended for it to be as such. It has this thing called Entertainment Space. It’s kind of a space that you can access from the left side of your screen and it’ll have a selection of various videos, movies, and what have you for you to watch.

The 10.4” IPS LCD seems underwhelming on paper, but it’s more htan enough for whatever content you decide to watch. It also isn’t a power hungry display so you can watch stuff for hours on end. By our usage, it lasted for over a day of getting lost in YouTube and TikTok blackholes.

The speakers aren’t anything special. But they get loud enough when necessary and the sound doesn’t turn into a buzzy mess when fully turned up. You can have this on some countertop, desk, and it’ll be more than good enough to let you hear what you need to.

Of course, for more personal viewing sessions, you can always pair it with the Nokia P3600 for an elevated audio experience. Whether you really want to listen intently, or you don’t want anyone else hearing what you’re watching, this is a nice pair of true wireless earbuds to use with the Nokia T20.

The camera situation

One thing that continues to puzzle me is the inclusion of rear cameras on tablets. I think it’s well documented that taking photos using a tablet isn’t exactly the best look.

And manufacturers don’t really put the best rear cameras on here. What I hope is that they would just focus on improving the selfie camera since that is what likely will be used more anyway.

So no, we didn’t take photos because it’s just really kind of silly. Wish they just put that 8MP camera on the front instead for, at least, better video calls.

Everything else

We barely used the Nokia T20 for anything other than the above mentioned. Naturally, you can treat it as a huge-ass phone and use social media. Browsing Instagram is nice since the photos seem larger.

It also works well for reading sessions. Whether that’s using reading apps or you’re just catching up with the news online, it feels rather nice to do on a tablet.

Oh, and it’s worth noting that you can put a separate SIM card on this thing — perhaps one that can be focused on data consumption to match your video-viewing needs.

As with many tablets, Nokia expected this to be somewhat of a family device. There are options to restrict certain apps for children. So, if you’re a parent looking to share a tablet with your child, you’ll be pleased to know that this was taken into account.

Is the Nokia T20 your GadgetMatch? 

The Nokia T20 seems like it’s in kind of a sweet spot when it comes to price-to-performance ratio. It’s not too expensive for an extra device to have around the household, and it’s capable of more things than what we used it for.

Personally, I’d pick a smaller slate – perhaps somewhere in the 7-inch to 8.5-inch range. But that’s just me. This 10.5-inch slate doesn’t feel too big and works quite well whether you’re stationary or on-the-go.