 |  |
|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e | Microsoft Surface Go |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| Excellent display. Battery mileage. Audio. Dex support. | Excellent design. Surprisingly strong graphics. Decent price. Fantastic display and speakers. |
| CONS | CONS |
| No audio jack. No HDR support. | Still no accessories included. Less powerful than an iPad. Screen could be sharper. Windows desktop mode feels cramped. |
Design
| Tab S5e | Surface Go | |
| Dimensions | 245 x 160 x 5.5 | 10.31 x 6.26 x 0.39 inches (262 x 159 x 9.8 mm) |
| Weight | 400 grams | 504.0 g |
| Materials | Back: Aluminium | Back: Plastic |
| Keys | – | Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key |
| Colors | Black, Gold, Silver | Plum, Twilight Blue, White |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
The Tab S5e is a really lightweight device and it’s the first thing I notice after getting it out of the box. And it’s also very thin as well which always is not a good thing as it could bend or break easily so we have to take extra care of this device while using it. The back of the device is mostly made of metal and also the frame is made of metal as well.
Overall, the design is nice and the build quality is also nice as well. But it can’t be held in one hand as it’s a huge device but other than that it’s completely fine.
Microsoft Surface Go
This device looks very small when I take a look at the device after the unboxing. The design is quite unique as it’s mainly made to use in landscape mode. The kickstand of the device is very durable as well and it can bend up to 180 degrees and then also it’s quite durable. The build quality of the device is quite nice and it feels very strong and feels very premium as well.
Overall, the build quality and the design of the device are quite nice. The grip of the device is good as the bezels are thick enough to hold the device properly with two hands.
Display
| Tab S5e | Surface Go | |
| Size | 10.5 inches | 10.0 inches |
| Resolution | 1600 x 2560 pixels, 288 PPI | 1200 x 1800 pixels, 216 PPI |
| Technology | Super AMOLED | PIXEL SENSE |
| Screen-to-body | 81.83 % | 69.42 % |
| Colors | – | – |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive Touchscreen, Multi-touch | YES |
| Features | – | Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
The display over here is really beautiful and it looks absolutely stunning. This is a high-resolution screen and the details look absolutely amazing. The viewing angles are also very nice as it has got an IPS panel. The colors look very vibrant and the contrast is nice as well. The brightness of the display is nice as well and it could be used outdoors as well.
This display is also laminated which means no air gap between the panel and the display. This enhances the drawing, sketching, or writing experience of the user. The bezels are very slim which is a little issue for the grip of the device. If the bezels were a little thick then it would be easy to hold the device in hand.
Microsoft Surface Go
The Microsoft Surface Go has got a 10-inch display with a resolution of 1800 x 1200 pixels. The screen quality is really nice and it feels nice as well. But the big problem with this display is that it’s very reflective and almost all the surface devices are. The color accuracy of the device is pretty good and the contrast is good as well. Here, we get to see 350 nits of brightness which is good for using outdoors but in shadows and not in direct sunlight.
The other good thing about this display is that it has got a Fully Laminated display which means no air gap between the display and the panel which is a nice thing. This enhances the user experience of someone who loves to draw, sketch, or likes to write. Overall, this is a nice display but it’s not too bright otherwise it would have been a great display.
Hardware & Performance
| Tab S5e | Surface Go | |
| System chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 | Intel Pentium 4415Y |
| Processor | Octa core (2 GHz, Dual core, Kryo 360 + 1.7 GHz, Hexa Core, Kryo 360) | Dual-core, 1600 MHz, 64-bit, 14 nm |
| GPU | – | Intel HD Graphics 615 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8GB |
| Internal storage | 64 GB | 128GB |
| Storage expansion | Up to 512 GB | – |
| Device type | Tablet | Tablet |
| OS | Android | Windows 10 |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
The Tab S5e has got quad-speaker set up. Two speakers are on the bottom and the other two are on the top of the device. These speakers are nice and the audio produced from these speakers is loud and clear as well. The bass is also clear as well. The speakers also support Dolby Atmos and these speakers are tuned by AKG as well.
The performance of the device has been great so far. I have been doing multitasking and I switch between multiple apps. And yet, I don’t notice any lags or stutters at all. Also I was able to do decent level of productive work which is fine but it’s very snappy in switching from one app to another and things like that.
Now, this device also has the DEX mode which pushes the productive level way further but this is still a mid-range device so it’s just good for a medium level of productivity, and if you try to do a high-level of productive work then you might get some stutters or lags on your device. But the huge disappointment with this device is that it doesn’t support S-Pen. So if you are looking to use S-Pen for your productivity then this device is not for you.
Microsoft Surface Go
Here, we get to see front-facing stereo speakers. These speakers are on the left and right sides of the display. The sound of these speakers is really good. The loudness is good and the sound is clear as well. Also, the bass is nice as well.
This device has got three variants one comes with the Pentium gold processor and the other two comes with the Core M3 model. I would recommend going with the Core M3 model if you do some heavy work like photo editing or video editing.
Now, if we talk about gaming I don’t think that high-graphics games can be played on the base variant but PUBG can be easily played on the Core M3 variant. But simple games like Ori and the Blind Forest works fine but it does seem that it’s lagging a little bit.
Camera & Battery life
| Tab S5e | Surface Go | |
| Rear | Single camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | 13 MP | 8 MP (Autofocus) |
| Video recording | 3840×2160 @ 30 fps | 1920×1080 (Full HD) (30 fps) |
| Front | 8 MP | 5 MP |
| Battery Capacity | 7040 mAh | 26.12 Wh |
| Battery Type | Li-Polymer | Li – Ion, Not user replaceable |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
The cameras are pretty nice and it takes pretty decent photos considering that this is a tablet but I wouldn’t recommend to use this cameras at night as the photos are not great at all. But these cameras are good enough for video calling on the apps like zoom and also for document scanning as well.
The battery life of this device has been nice and the battery size is pretty decent as well. However, I wasn’t able to test the battery life in a professional way. But it definitely lasted for the whole day with a light to moderate level of work. But as I always the battery life of the device would depend on your usage and the environment as well.
Microsoft Surface Go
The camera quality of the front and the back camera of the device is not too good according to today’s standard and our mobile phones take much better photos than these cameras. But these cameras are good enough for video calling or document scanning and nothing more should be expected from these cameras.
The battery life for me on this device is somewhere around 6 hours of active usage, which is pretty nice. However, if your battery usage is not that much then it might last for seven or even eight hours. Also, you can charge the device with the USB Type-C or its default charging brick.
Which Should You Buy?
Now, both of these devices are good but If I need to go for one of these devices then I would definitely go for The tab S5e as the performance is good, the display is good, and also the battery life is nice as well. But it doesn’t have S-Pen support but it doesn’t concern me at all. So the Tab S5e is the best device for me.
However, the Surface Go is also a good device but it can’t be used to its full potential without the keyboard. This device is mainly made for working professionals and it’s also made in landscape mode as well. However, this device can also be used in portrait mode. But the Tab S5e suits my needs and it’s also in my budget as well. I would also recommend you to go for the device which suits your needs and your budget.
