 |  |
|---|---|
| Tab S6 | Tab S6 Lite |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| Beautiful Super AMOLED display. Speedy performance. Excellent S Pen comes as standard. | Robust design. Plentiful UI customization options. S Pen stylus included. |
| CONS | CONS |
| Samsung’s One UI still not perfect. No headphone jack. Expensive for an Android tablet. | Some issues with S Pen. Can be a little sluggish in use. Android not perfectly optimized for tablets. |
DESIGN
| Tab S6 | Tab S6 Lite | |
| Dimensions | 9.63 x 6.28 x 0.22 inches (244.5 x 159.5 x 5.7 mm) | 9.63 x 6.07 x 0.28 inches (244.5 x 154.3 x 7 mm) |
| Weight | 14.82 oz (420 g) | 16.47 oz (465 g) |
| Materials | Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum |
| Biometrics | 2D Face unlock, In-screen fingerprint | – |
| Features | Stylus | Stylus |
| Colors | Mountain gray, Cloud blue, Rose blush | Oxford gray, Angora blue, Chiffon pink |
Tab S6:
The basic design of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the same one we’ve seen with the Galaxy Tab S6 and S5e last year. This tablet come with a flat, full metal back with some antenna line.
As for their physical dimensions, the Tab S6 is thinner at 5.7mm and it weighs at 420 grams.
To unlock the tablet, Samsung gives you the option between face unlock and an optical fingerprint scanner that’s tucked under the display.
Tab S6 Lite:
Design of this tablet is very beautiful. I like the rounded corners. The build quality is very solid coming from Samsung. The tablet is quite thin at 7 millimeter and the weight is 453 grams.
We no longer have the ultra fast fingerprint scanner on the side and now we’re back to the old days of punching in your pin or using basic facial unlock that’s at times unreliable and can be fooled with pictures.
On the right side, there is power buttons, volume rockers, and MicrSD Card slot. There is 1 speaker and USB-C charging port at bottom. And at the top, you will see another speaker and 3.5mm audio jack.
DISPLAY
| Tab S6 | Tab S6 Lite | |
| Size | 10.5 inches | 10.4 inches |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 pixels, 16:10 ratio, 288 PPI | 2000 x 1200 pixels, 16:10 ratio, 224 PPI |
| Technology | Super AMOLED | IPS LCD |
| Screen-to-body | 81.93 % | 81.63 % |
| Features | HDR video support, Ambient light sensor | Ambient light sensor |
Tab S6:
The Tab S6 comes packed with a very good-looking screen combined with great sounding quad speakers. I was blown away by how vivid and detailed the screen was for watching content, especially at night, thanks to that Super AMOLED technology.
Using it in outdoor environments though, I found the screen to get just bright enough. I do recommend some sort of screen protector as I somehow managed to leave a few scratches in the first few days. Bottom line though, you will not be disappointed when consuming content with this screen.
What Samsung does generously include in the box is the S-Pen Stylus. The S-Pen charges by attaching to the back of the tablet. It feels awkward at first but I’ve gotten used to it.
Things drawn with the S-pen tend to show up just milliseconds behind the Pens tip. If you’re super picky and walk the absolute best response time for digital art, the Apple pencil and it’s 120 Hertz refresh rate has it beat there.
Okay, that’s not to say the S-pen can’t be used for art though, as it’s more than capable with a variety of drawing programs available on the Play Store.
Tab S6 Lite:
This is a 10.4 inch TFT LCD display. Colors are nice but not as vibrant and display not as bright compared to the AMOLED display. The resolution is 2000×1200 that means when you are playing YouTube videos, the maximum resolution of those videos will be at 1080p.
Even though the Tab S6 Lite has lower resolution, the size for user-interface elements like the bezels, menus, buttons, they are about the same size as the Tab S6 which has higher resolution.
One benefit is that the S-Pen is included in the box but it is super lightweight and kinda cheap feeling. When we draw on the screen there is a massive delay probably the worst I’ve experienced. It seems to be a mix of screen delay and the graphics not keeping up because the delay varies almost like frames are sometimes being dropped and this is just simple drawing not comlex projects with layers. Overall the pen experience is quite poor.
HARDWARE & PERFORMANCE
| Tab S6 | Tab S6 Lite | |
| System chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SM8150 | Samsung Exynos 9610 |
| Processor | Octa-core, 2840 MHz, Kryo 485, 64-bit, 7 nm | Octa-core, 2300 MHz, Arm Cortex-A73 and Arm Cortex-A53, 64-bit, 10 nm |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Mali-G72 MP3 |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4 | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Internal storage | 256GB | 64GB |
| Storage expansion | microSDXC up to 1000 GB | microSDXC up to 1000 GB |
| OS | Android (10, 9.0 Pie) | Android (10), Samsung One UI |
Tab S6:
On the software front, the Tab S6 is running Android 9.0 with Samsung’s OneUI 1.5. In tablet mode, it will feel very familiar, if you’ve used any recent Samsung smartphone with the exception of app tray. Samsung’s always been really good at multitasking and the app tray is a solid addition.
In terms of performance, animations can feel a little jumpy at times but during my time with the tablet it’s been leg free and very snappy.
I don’t think any Android tablet is ever going to win the battle when it comes to having tablet optimized apps. But for the most part, the apps that I’ve been using on the Tab S6 have run perfectly fine.
The tablet comes available in two versions but with both supporting a microSD card to add more storage, the 2GB of RAM is the key difference. I’ve personally been using the 6GB option. There’s also an LTE version for those who want to stay connected at all times.
Tab S6 Lite:
From a hardware perspective, the Tab S6 Lite isn’t going to value. As expected, it’s the step down from the regular Tab S6 in many ways. Everything from the display type, resolution, processor, RAM, cameras, and number of speakers. Truthfully, potential buyers will probably totally fine with these compromises.
To my surprise, the two AKG tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos sounds really good too. Even more surprising, they’ve included a headphone jack.
This isn’t a device for heavy gaming and you’ll notice lags in demanding games. You can play Fortnite at 30FPS. COD Mobile on the other hand, actually ran relatively well on medium graphics, which is nice. Overall, light casual games are fine, just don’t expect much more than that.
For everyday use, the tablet handles perfectly fine with apps. The only time you’ll notice the tablet stutter and get jumpy is when you’re installing apps in the background.
The Tab S6 Lite runs One UI 2.1 based on android 10 which includes things like quick share and gesture navigation.
If you own a samsung smartphone, what are the perks of getting a Samsung tablet, well the main thing is that you’ll be able to make calls and send text messages right on the tablet.
CAMERA
| Tab S6 | Tab S6 Lite | |
| Rear | Dual camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | 13 MP (Autofocus) 5 MP (Ultra-wide) | 8 MP (Autofocus) |
| Video recording | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps) | 1920×1080 (Full HD) (30 fps) |
| Front | 8 MP (Dual-Camera) | 5 MP |
Tab S6:
In terms of cameras, you’re actually getting dual rear cameras, 13 and 5 megapixels including an ultra wide on the back and a single 8 megapixel one on the front. In good lighting, the camera is amazing. But with less light and no available flash, the pictures do tend to come out really grainy, especially with the wide-angle lens.
Tab S6 Lite:
The cameras are fine for a tablet with my only complaint being the lack of a flash. Working professionals and students looking to scan or snap pictures of notes in darker rooms are gonna have a tough time doing so.
BATTERY LIFE
| Tab S6 | Tab S6 Lite | |
| Capacity | 7040 mAh | 7040 mAh |
| Type | Not user replaceable | Not user replaceable |
| Charging | Fast charging | – |
Tab S6:
The tablet should easily get you through even the most intense workday and maybe even multiple days with lighter usage. A 15 watt fast charger is included in the box, when it’s time to charge up. Something that stood out to me was the 5%-7% battery drain, I was seeing overnight.
Tab S6 Lite:
As for battery life, it’s actually quite good. So for 100% you can get up to maybe 8-9 hours of battery life but that really depends on what you are doing on the tablet. When streaming HD videos at maximum brightness, the S6 Lite lasts 6.5 hours.
WHICH GALAXY TAB YOU SHOULD GET?
If you want to save some money then you should buy S6 Lite because it offers a decent package at $400. Yeah, I know Samsung has cut down some features to keep the price low. At this price, Samsung is giving S-pen included in the box.
If budget doesn’t matters you then Tab S6 would be a better option. Personally, I love the design and weight of this tablet in the comparison of S6 Lite. Streaming content or playing games will give you more good experience because of AMOLED display. It can even connect to a keyboard for your productivity and it has also Dex Mode. The Tab S6 is just a better device in nearly every way.
