Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.4" 2020 Review
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.4 is a $70 tablet that does the bare minimum. It's fine for videos, but our data shows it's terrible for anything else. Here's who should buy it.
The 30-Second Version
It's a $70 tablet. It does $70 tablet things slowly. Buy it as a disposable media player, not as a real computing device.
Overview
Let's be real about this Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.4. It's a $70 tablet, and you get exactly what you pay for. The one thing to know is this: it's a basic, small-screen device for very light tasks. If you're looking for a cheap screen to watch videos in the kitchen or hand to a kid, it might work. But our data shows it scores a dismal 13.4/100 for productivity, so don't even think about using it for real work.
Performance
Honestly, nothing about the performance surprised us, because our benchmarks predicted it. The CPU and RAM land in the bottom 10th percentile of all tablets we track. That means it's slow. Apps will take a second to open, and switching between more than one or two will feel sluggish. The GPU score is oddly high for such a cheap tablet, but that just means it can handle simple games and video playback without stuttering too much. Don't expect more.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong gpu (81th percentile) 93th
Cons
- Below average ram (5th percentile) 9th
- Below average cpu (9th percentile) 10th
- Below average storage (9th percentile) 11th
- Below average screen (33th percentile) 28th
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | 1.6 GHz |
| GPU | RTX 7850 |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB |
Display
| Size | 8.4" |
| Resolution | 1920 (Full HD) |
Connectivity
| Cellular | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 0.3 kg / 0.7 lbs |
| OS | Android 10 |
Value & Pricing
For $70, it's hard to complain too much. You're buying a functional screen, not a powerful computer. If your budget is rock-bottom and your needs are 'YouTube and web browsing,' the value is there. Just know its limits.
vs Competition
Don't compare this to an iPad Pro or a Galaxy Tab S10+. That's like comparing a scooter to a sports car. The real competition is other budget Android tablets and older used iPads. For a similar price, you might find a used iPad Mini (older generation) which will feel much faster and have a better app ecosystem, but won't have LTE. If you need Android specifically, other no-name 10-inch tablets around $100 might offer more screen real estate and storage, but with even worse build quality and support.
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.4" | Apple iPad Apple - 11-inch iPad A16 chip with Wi-Fi - 128GB - | Lenovo Idea Tab Lenovo - Idea Tab Pro - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 8GB RAM | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft 13" Surface Pro for Business Copilot+ PC | Nexall N90 N90 Android 16 Tablet, 12 inch Tablet 2K FHD+, | Xiaomi Redmi Pad Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 Only WiFi (No Calls or Text) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1.6 GHz | Apple A16 | MediaTek Dimensity | Intel Core Ultra 7 268V | 2.4 GHz | 2200 MHz mediatek_helio |
| RAM (GB) | 3 | 6 | 8 | 32 | 24 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 32 | 128 | 256 | 512 | 128 | 256 |
| Screen | 8.4" 1920x1200 | 11" 2360x1640 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12" | 11" 2560x1600 |
| OS | Android 10 | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Pro | Android 16 | Android 15 |
| Stylus | false | true | true | true | true | false |
| Cellular | true | false | false | false | true | false |
| Battery (Wh) | - | 29 | - | - | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Cpu | Gpu | Ram | Screen | Battery | Feature | Storage | Connectivity | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.4" | 9.7 | 85.7 | 8.5 | 28.2 | 46.1 | 53.2 | 10.9 | 92.5 | 71.8 |
| Apple iPad 11-inch A16 chip Compare | 72 | 72.7 | 66.1 | 79.2 | 96.6 | 93.1 | 55.9 | 89.5 | 99.3 |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 12.7" 3K Compare | 44.2 | 45.8 | 75 | 92 | 94.7 | 95.6 | 74.8 | 96.1 | 99.3 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 13" for Business Compare | 90.5 | 94.8 | 98.3 | 95.3 | 46.1 | 87.1 | 88.6 | 89.5 | 41.7 |
| Nexall N90 N90 Android 16 Compare | 76.4 | 76.7 | 96.2 | 28.2 | 46.1 | 79.2 | 55.9 | 92.5 | 54.8 |
| Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pad 2 Only Compare | 74.5 | 75.1 | 75 | 80.3 | 46.1 | 24.4 | 74.8 | 54 | 97 |
Common Questions
Q: Can I make phone calls with the LTE?
No. The product description is clear: the SIM slot is for mobile data only. This is not a phone replacement.
Q: Is 32GB enough storage?
Barely. After the OS, you'll have maybe 20GB free. A few apps and a movie download will fill it up fast. Plan on using cloud storage or a microSD card (if supported, check specs).
Q: How's the battery life?
Our data puts it right in the middle of the pack (48th percentile). Expect a full day of light use, like watching a few hours of video, but it's nothing exceptional.
Who Should Skip This
If you need a tablet for schoolwork, Zoom calls, or anything resembling productivity, skip this. The 3GB of RAM will choke. If you want a future-proof device or care about software updates, skip this. Go look for a used iPad or a newer budget tablet with at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
Verdict
We can only recommend this if your budget is absolutely fixed at under $100 and you need a small, portable screen with LTE data. For anyone else, especially if you want to do more than watch videos, save up a little more. The terrible storage and ancient OS are deal-breakers for most people.