Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e 128GB WiFi Tablet Black Review

For about $114 renewed, you get a tablet in the 94th percentile for portability and 77th for screen quality. That's the good news. The bad news is its processor is in the 14th percentile. Buy it as a gorgeous, lightweight media player. Don't buy it as a workhorse.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e is a 2019 tablet that's still punching above its weight, especially if you can snag the renewed version for around $114. Its standout feature is that screen, which lands in the 77th percentile for tablets in our database. That means it's still better than most of what's out there today. The other big number is its weight: at 400 grams, it's lighter than a pound, which puts it in the 94th percentile for portability. For the price, you're getting a premium-feeling media machine that won't weigh you down. Just don't expect it to keep up with modern apps or games. Its CPU and GPU scores are in the 14th and 18th percentiles, respectively. This is a device for specific, lighter tasks.

Performance is a tale of two halves. For media consumption, this tablet is a champ. That 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1600x2560 resolution is gorgeous for shows and movies. It scores a 77th percentile for screens, which is impressive for a five-year-old device. The 6GB of RAM is decent, sitting in the 68th percentile, so multitasking between a few apps is fine. But the silicon inside shows its age. The CPU lands in the 14th percentile and the GPU in the 18th. That means you'll feel slowdowns in more demanding apps, and gaming beyond simple titles is off the table. Battery life is middle-of-the-road at the 49th percentile, which matches the claimed 'up to 15 hours' for video playback.

At around $114 for a renewed unit, the value proposition is strong if your needs align. You're getting a premium metal build and a display that rivals tablets costing three times as much. The trade-off is performance that's firmly in the budget category now. Compared to a new budget tablet at the same price, you'll get a worse processor but a much, much better screen and build quality. It's a swap of raw power for premium feel and media quality.

Stacked up against modern competitors, the S5e is a niche player. Next to a base model iPad, the iPad will demolish it in CPU and GPU performance (think 90th+ percentile vs. 14th), but the S5e's screen and lighter weight are real advantages. Compared to a newer Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, you're looking at similar performance tiers but the S5e often wins on display quality and portability. Against any modern Surface Pro or high-end iPad Pro, it's not a contest on performance, but those devices also cost 5-10x more. The S5e's play is being a luxury media consumption device at a bargain bin price.

Skip the Tab S5e if you need performance. Its 14th percentile CPU and 18th percentile GPU scores mean it will choke on modern games, video editing, or intensive productivity apps. Also, if you need all-day battery life away from an outlet, its 49th percentile rating is mediocre. Business users looking for a primary device should steer clear, as it scores a 43.7/100 in that category. This is a specialist, not a generalist.

We recommend the renewed Galaxy Tab S5e if your top priorities are a beautiful, lightweight screen for watching videos, reading, or light web browsing on a budget. The data is clear: it excels in portability and screen quality while being dragged down by its aging chipset. For $114, it's a fantastic second screen or kitchen tablet. But if you need to do anything more intensive, like gaming, video editing, or heavy multitasking, its low CPU and GPU percentiles mean you should look at something newer, even if it costs more.