Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 Vs Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8: Which to Buy?

Estimated read time 7 min read
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8
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PROSPROS
Pretty Good Screen Quality.
Powerful processor.
Android 9.0 Pie.
Very good performance.
Good full HD screen.
Android 9 Pie.
Mostly metal body.
Decent battery life.
CONSCONS
Full Plastic body.
Only One Speaker.
No fingerprint.
Old Micro USB Port.
Heavy software customization.
No earpiece for phone calls.

Design

Tab A 8.0M5 Lite 8
Dimensions208.3 x 137.9 x 7.4 mm204.2 x 122.2 x 8.2 mm
Weight313.0 g310 g
Materials
KeysRight: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key
ColorsGray, Blue, WhiteDark Gray, Champagne Gold

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0

After unboxing, when I take a first look at the device, it felt very premium, and the finish is good as well. On the back, we get to see a metal cover with Samsung in the middle and the camera on the top left corner of the device.

The back of the device attracts fingerprint, so I would recommend getting a case. The build quality of the device is really good and it doesn’t feel cheap at all. It feels very comfortable holding in hand and it can also be held in one hand comfortably as it is a very compact device.

Overall, the design of the device is nice, build quality is good, and also its very comfortable holding in hand.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8

The design of the device is very good and it also has got a metal back with plastic bars on the top and the bottom. The back camera has got a bump and it has a circular design which gives it a little bit different look. There are two speakers, one on the top and the other on the bottom. This device feels a little bit cheap but it’s not. The bezels are equal from all the sides which are nice but if it were a little thinner then I would have loved it.

Overall, the design of the MediaPad M5 Lite 8 is nice, and also the build quality is nice as well.


Display

Tab A 8.0M5 Lite 8
Size8.0 inches8.0 inches
Resolution1024 x 768 pixels, 160 PPI1920 x 1200 pixels, 283 PPI
TechnologyTFTIPS LCD
Screen-to-body68.99 %74.63 %
Colors16 777 216
TouchscreenCapacitive, Multi-touchCapacitive, Multi-touch
FeaturesAmbient light sensorAmbient light sensor

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0

The Galaxy Tab A 8.0 has an 8-inch HD display with a resolution of 1200 x 800p. The viewing angles are great but we don’t know if it’s an IPS panel as Samsung doesn’t mention that.

The colors and contrast are fine and also brightness is good enough to use outdoors but only in shadows. However, it’s fine considering that it’s an entry-level tablet. The display is laminated which means that there is no air gap between the panel and display. This gives a really nice experience especially for those who love drawing but the S-Pen is not supported which is fine.

But it doesn’t have the Widevine Level 1 certification. It means that we can’t watch movies or web series on Netflix or Amazon Prime in HD.

Overall, this is a good display as its just an entry-level tablet.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8

As the name says, it’s an 8-inch Full HD display. This display has nice viewing angles as it’s an IPS panel. It has a resolution of 1920 x 1200.

The color reproduction and contrast is nice and also the brightness is nice as well. However, it will get difficult to use the tablet in direct sunlight. As it’s brightness is not good enough for using it in direct sunlight.

The other good thing about this device is that we can watch movies or videos in Full HD as it has got Widevine Level 1 certification.


Hardware & Performance

Tab A 8.0M5 Lite 8
System chipQualcomm Snapdragon 410 8916HiSilicon Kirin 710
ProcessorQuad-core, 1200 MHz, ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bitOcta-core (2.2 GHz, Quad-core, Cortex A73 + 1.7 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A53)
GPUAdreno 306Mali-G51 MP4
RAM1.5GB3GB
Internal storage16GB32 GB
Storage expansionmicroSDXC up to 128 GBUp to 512 GB
Device typeTabletTablet
OSAndroid (7.1 Nougat, 6.0 Marshmallow, 5.0 Lollipop)Android

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 has got bottom-firing stereo speakers. These speakers are loud enough and clear as well. However, while holding it in landscape mode I don’t get proper audio as my hand comes in the way. If the speakers were on both sides each then it would have been a better experience overall.

If you are looking for a tablet to do everyday things like scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, browsing the web or listening to music then this device is a great choice as I didn’t notice any stutters while doing all these things. However, I did notice that apps running in the background getting closed because of less RAM.

If you are someone who wants to play high-end games like PUBG then you will be disappointed. You can play PUBG but you need to set the graphic settings to the lowest. If you set the graphic settings at high then you will notice that the game stutter and lags a lot. However, if you just want to play simple games like Subway Surfer, Temple Run, or some other similar games then you will have no problem at all.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8

The performance of the device is good enough for everyday use. Apps like Youtube, Chrome, Facebook, Instagram and even word works very nicely. You can also do multitasking on this device without any issues like stutter or lags. I would recommend just to do simple multitasking like using Chrome and YouTube simultaneously.

If you like gaming than I would recommend to go for this device as you can do high-end gaming like playing PUBG, Call Of Duty and some other high-end games like Asphalt-9. But I would recommend to set the graphics to medium so that you don’t get too many stutters. Also simple games like Subway Surfer, Temple Run works pretty good.

Overall, this is a good device for everyday user as well as for gamers.


Camera & Battery life

Tab A 8.0M5 Lite 8
RearSingle cameraSingle camera
Main camera5 MP (Autofocus)13 MP
Video recording1280×720 (HD)1920×1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
Front2 MP8 MP
Battery Capacity4200 mAh5100 mAh
Battery TypeLi – Ion, Not user replaceableLi – Polymer

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0

These cameras are decent enough to take good images in bright lighting conditions but it doesn’t take nice photos in dark lighting conditions. However, I wouldn’t recommend this tablet for taking photos as the quality is not too good. I would recommend using this device for video calling, document scanning, or even for taking online classes as well.

The battery life of Tab A 8.0 is good for an average user as it could last for a day or two depending upon its usage. I did a video playback test at full brightness and it lasted for more than 7 hours which is fairly good. However, with heavy usage, you might get a battery life of 3 to 5 hours. But the battery life of the device depends on its usage.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8

The back camera is good enough for taking images in bright lighting conditions and also it takes decent videos as well. The front camera is also the same and takes decent photos and videos. These cameras are better than the one on Tab A 8.0. But don’t expect these cameras to take high quality photos or videos.

In my battery test, I found that the MediaPad M5 Lite can last for more than 11 hours. I test the battery life by putting the video in playback mode. However, this is a very basic test, if I did some heavy test like playing games, then the battery life might have been last for 5 to 6 hours. However, the battery life of a device varies on its usage.


Which Should You Buy?

If I need to buy one of these tablets then I would definitely go for MediaPad M5 Lite 8. The MediaPad M5 Lite 8 has got better performance in comparison with Galaxy Tab A 8.0, it has better battery life as well, it even has Full HD display which the Tab A 8.0 doesn’t. However, the MediaPad M5 Lite doesn’t have google play store pre-installed (but you can install it by yourself).

On the other hand the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 has google play store pre-installed and if the Tab A 8.0 fulfils your needs than you should definitely go for it. Also, I choose the MediaPad M5 Lite 8 because it’s much more powerful device and I it’s in my budget. However, if your budget doesn’t allow you than the Tab A 8.0 is also not a bad choice. But if you have the budget than I would recommend to go for MediaPad M5 Lite 8.

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Jaskaran Singh

Jaskaran, a tech enthusiast from childhood, inspired by his father, began his tech journey by rooting Android phones. He now writes on various tech topics, aiming to simplify complex ideas for a broad audience. His writing is direct, concise, and flows effortlessly, making tech topics accessible and engaging.

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