Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Review

By Anula Wiwatowska

Last updated 17 July 2020

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Review: The Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite ticks all the boxes a tablet needs to, and it's affordable enough to warrant it.

What we love

Respectable battery life
Lightweight for the screen size

What could be improved

Display is a bit dull
Cameras are there for the sake of it

The essentials

Performance: Snappy enough apart from on start up.
Battery: 5 days of sporadic use.
Screen: Dull for dark viewing but fine otherwise.
Camera: It sure has a camera.

80/100

$649

10.4-inch WUXGA+
2.3GHz, 1.7GHz
128GB storage, 4GB RAM
8MP rear-facing, 5MP front-racing cameras
7,040mAh battery

Tablets to me, always coincide with travel. My first extended overseas jaunt was just before tablets became widely available, or at least available enough to this broke AF wannabe writer backpacking through Europe. I remember my 2kg laptop which didn’t fit into my bag, constantly struggling to hold its battery for longer than a couple of hours. How was I supposed to blog about my life changing experiences when I couldn’t even sit down to write for long enough to finish the half litre of Italian red I'd ordered?

These pain points inadvertently culminated to create my tablet expectations. A tablet should be lightweight and fit into a carry-on, it should have a solid battery life and it should be comfortable to write (or draw, or play) on. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite ticks all these boxes. To 19-year old me, this would be an upgrade to business class or at the very least premium economy.

The Galaxy S6 Tab Lite is light and small, it’s what we’ve come to expect from tablets. The generous 10.4-inch display is encased in just 7mm depth, making it easy enough to slide into any carry-on suitcase, backpack or handbag. Coming in at 465g it’s a touch lighter than the latest 10.2-inch iPad and a far cry better than a 2kg laptop. The unit I reviewed came with the book cover case which holds both the tablet and the S-Pen in place magnetically. Even if it’s just to have a place to keep your stylus, I would heavily recommend buying the case alongside your tablet.

As for battery life, the Tab S6 Lite made it through far more than half a litre of wine. With solid daily use for reading, writing, messaging, some occasional streaming sessions and hitting up the ‘gram the 7,040mAh battery lasted five days before needing a recharge. I felt comfortable enough starting to stream a 40 minute episode with 4% battery and made it to the charger in just the nick of time. If your usage is less sporadic, the Tab S6 Lite should still have enough charge to make it from nine to five.

Performance itself is fine. Nothing to complain about. Apps open quickly and there's little downtime when transitioning between functions as long as the application has been opened recently. If on the other hand you’re starting fresh after a recharge you can expect some delay in your apps starting back up again.

The display is perhaps a touch duller than you’d get from a smartphone but it doesn’t make a discernible difference unless you’re streaming something especially dark. Edges become muddy and on a whole it’s not the most pleasurable viewing experience. On the other hand if you’re watching something brighter like Broad City or Middleditch and Schwartz then you’re cheering.

Lastly comes the comfort factor. How easy is it to write, work and play on the Tab S6 Lite? With the addition of the S-Pen working and drawing are easy, nay enjoyable. Sitting down with the stylus to sketch is reminiscent of days in the old town square in Prague. The only difference being that these drawings didn’t get destroyed by the baggage handlers who broke my bag in Amsterdam. Although it’s nothing revolutionary, the S-Pen is a fantastic addition to the tablet and it’s difficult to imagine using the device without it. Using the right apps you can sketch til your heart’s content and almost, ALMOST feel like you’re putting pencil to paper in real life.

Typing however is a different story. On the tablet itself typing is more difficult, I can imagine that using the available keyboard cover would alleviate these woes but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to test that out this time around. Writing on a tablet is always tricky when using the screen itself but Gboard helps to make it a touch easier with the drag to type functionality.

Where bonuses are concerned the S-Pen is the biggest win for the Tab S6 Lite. The device has one rear (8MP) and one front-facing (5MP) camera, both there for the sake of being there. Photos that come from this set-up will allow you to video chat and be one of - those - people taking pics from a tablet but they’re nothing special.

Galaxy Tab S6 Lite -Final Thoughts

I like the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. Even for travel close to home, or travelling from the couch to the bath this device has been great. It does everything it has to and it does it smoothly. For less than $700 it’s an absolute win and I hope for it to accompany me back to an Italian red soon.