Cons: Mid-range SD670 processor, 64GB is the only storage option, no 3.5mm audio out
Galaxy Tab S5e has a neat trick up its sleevs: Samsung’s DeX.
You won’t find the words Android and tablet used in the same sentence very often. There’s a very good reason for that - Apple holds over 70% of the global tablet market (recent numbers from June 2019). To top it off, tablet numbers are also declining because people don’t buy tablets as often as phones. But Samsung’s not ready to thrown in the towel just yet. On the face of it, this new Galaxy Tab is a brilliant move: it leverages Samsung’s expertise in displays (it has a gorgeous sAMOLED), design (the 5.5mm metal slab design is amazing) and software (Samsung Experience is smooth, fast and includes features like DeX – more on that later).
To understand why iPad is the de facto tablet, we need to understand what tablets are used for: for most people it would bea combination of media consumption, reading, web, email, gaming and sometimes work. The iPad just works smoothly for all this. And the fact that device fragmentation is low means developers have always been interested in that platform.
Samsung has used a Qualcomm processor instead of their own Exynos but the performance is optimised.
Samsung has paid a lot of attention to small details and the Tab S5e feels and looks premium. That sAMOLED display is just amazing: deep blacks, high viewing angles and vibrant colour. The build quality is superlative, with an aluminiumcasing that feels cool to the touch. It’s impressively thin (5.5mm) and light (400 grams) which means you can hold and carry it for long periods without an issue. You can pair it with the official keyboard case for a big boost in productivity. Although priced at Rs 7,000, you can get the keyboard case for Rs 3,500 for a limited time. The only gripe with the official keyboard case is that some keys (like numbers, cursors) are too small. But at least they are individual keys with a sufficient amount of travel and feel. You can, of course, use any other Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with it too.
For any Android or Samsung smartphone user, the experience is familiar. The same gestures apply, the same buttons, multi-tasking, split view, app permissions et al. It even has the same apps pre-loaded from many Samsung phones. Samsung has used a Qualcomm processor instead of their own Exynos but the performance is optimised. You won’t find any slowdowns for all kinds of use except the most demanding kind of gaming. Watching video is a treat, thanks to the AKG tuned quad speaker array. We even like the camera quality which is a big step up compared to any other Android tablet.
There is one major area where the Tab S5e (for that matter, any Android tablet) will never catch up to the iPad – and that is app support. The iPad has more tablet optimized apps by a staggering margin. Some apps on large screen Android tablets still feel like a workaround. Others may not even be available for this 16:10 aspect ratio.
You can pair Galaxy Tab S5e with the official keyboard case for a big boost in productivity.
But, the S5e also has a neat trick up its sleevs: Samsung’s DeX. This is a desktop-like experience that some Samsung phones like Note 9 & S10 have. Unlike the phones though, you don’t need to connect the tablet to an external display for DeX – it works on the tablet display too. If you like, you can always output the display to a TV too, using a USB C to HDMI. Finally, the 7,040mAh battery is more than enough to power through the day (12hrs) with fast charging thrown in for good measure. If you think you’ll be able to manage with all the built in apps and and a handful of the usuals (which work great), the Tab S5e does well. Ultimately, we really like it for the screen and affordability and think it’s a viable alternative to iPad.
Android may be the king when it comes to number of smartphones sold, but it needs a fighting chance when it comes to tablets. The Tab S5e is giving it that chance.
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