Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 Review

One of Samsung's goals with its latest Galaxy Tab 4 tablets was to create a family of products that offered good value and versatility to a wide range of potential consumers. The new Galaxy Tab 4 family is available in three sizes: 7-, 8-, and 10.1-inches and the tablets feature lightweight materials, thin bezels, and HD displays.

The Good :The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0's multiwindow feature provides smooth navigation, and its performance is consistently fast. It houses a microSD card expansion slot and can be used as a universal remote.

The Bad: Given its simple specs, the $279 starting price is overreaching. The plastic build feels cheap and the screen resolution is notably subpar.

The Bottom Line :The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is a smooth-performing midrange slate, but it's overpriced compared to similar tablets.

In March, we took a look at Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1. If the flagship Pro series is too much for you in terms of features or price, the Galaxy Tab 4 series may be a better option. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 which is available in black or white with an MSRP of $269.99. LTE versions of the Galaxy Tab 4 are also available through wireless carriers in the US.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 is a glorified budget tablet. It features a lightweight design and a ton of software features, but it suffers from inflated pricing. Further, its silky smooth performance, even when multitasking, can't distract from its remarkably low screen resolution, plastic build, and mediocre performance speeds.

As the latest member of the Galaxy Tab family, the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 is a refreshed version of the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. The Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 features the latest version of Android (version 4.4 KitKat) along with a mild hardware refresh. You’ll still find the same 1280 x 800 pixel display on this tablet as we’ve seen on previous versions, but the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 features a 1.2 GHz Quad-core processor (compared to the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0’s 1.5 GHz dual core processor).

Starting at $279, the 8-inch Tab 4 is priced competitively when compared to premium midsize tablets like Samsung's own Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 or the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, but they rock larger super-HD screens, zippy processors, and deluxe designs that justify their high starting prices. Aside from the myriad of Touchwiz software features, the Galaxy Tab 4's basic specs scream "budget tablet," so its lofty price is hardly warranted.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 is a fine, simple tablet but -- depending on your needs -- it's far from the best deal out there. You can find a more affordable midsize slate for basic use, or pony up the extra cash and go Pro for a truly premium experience.

The Galaxy Tab 4 also features Multi User Mode which makes it easy for you to set up customizable profiles for each user. Kids Mode takes this a step further, letting parents set limits for their children by restricting apps and managing time spent on the tablet. Business users will appreciate the VPN capabilities, corporate email, on-device encryption and scalable mobile device management found on the Galaxy Tab 4. Samsung also included its Multi Window functionality for multitasking on the Galaxy Tab 4, giving you the ability to view two apps on-screen at the same time

Design

The 8-inch Galaxy Tab 4 is a nice, compact size that fits comfortable in either one or both hands. It's offered in black or white and brandishes a textured finish on its back that's simultaneously smooth and grippy. Unfortunately, its plastic construction makes the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 feel a bit cheap, and it lacks the premium feel of its sleeker predecessor.

Like a typical Samsung gadget, the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 houses a pair of capacitive buttons on the bottom bezel. These are always a nuisance when watching long videos, because they can easily be accidentally triggered by wandering thumbs, but they aren't as bothersome during activities with more movement, like browsing and gaming.

Features

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 runs on Android 4.4.2 with Samsung's Touchwiz skin. Touchwiz is quite user-friendly, and out-of-the-box it provides helpful how-to tips via pop-up windows. You can easily turn them off, but they help the uninitiated learn how to navigate the almost overwhelming number of features. Even without the extra help, the Touchwiz overlay is basic enough for the tech-novice to use, without stripping away customization options -- like the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9's simple and restrictive OS.

The 8-inch Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 impressively handles multitasking. Samsung's split-screen feature was previously reserved for its Pro line of tablets, but the simple Tab 4 takes on the dual-function duties with grace. As long as large apps aren't open in the background, the tablet consistently runs smoothly when using the split-screen to simultaneously use two apps.

By swiping right to the center of the screen, you can activate the split-screen window. Once I got the hang of it -- start with a finger on the right bezel and slowly drag it onto a blank space on the screen -- launching the menu screen was easy.

Performance

Simple activities like checking email and surfing the Web are executed swiftly; I rarely had an issue with crashing apps, sluggish behavior, or buggy functionality. Its 1.5GB of RAM is evident when multiple apps are open in the background, as performance remains unfazed. If large apps or files are being downloaded, the tablet justifiably slows down, and the touchscreen tends to lag, but it consistently runs smoothly otherwise.

The Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 fares well during gaming. Large games take awhile to launch, as well as their levels, but gaming was lag-free once loaded. It earns low benchmarks due to its basic specs, but simple mobile games like Riptide GP run fast and smooth with no problems.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0's biggest weak spot is its low number of pixels per inch and resolution. The 8-inch screen's 1,280x800-pixel resolution and brightness are modest at best. When compared to the super-HD screens on higher-end slates, it's embarrassingly pixelated, but it's definitely comparable to budget 8-inchers like the Lenovo A8 and Dell Venue 8.

The 8-to-9-inch tablet category is seeing a robust revival, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 misses the chance to make an impression on its peers. Its simple offerings conflict with its steep pricing and, though Samsung took the hint and priced the Tab 4 lower than last year's Galaxy Tab 3, it's too little, too late.

Budget tablets such as the Dell Venue 8 and Acer Iconia A1-830 offer similar performance for basic tasks and comparable screen resolutions, but they're priced considerably less at $179. If you don't mind a size downgrade for a performance upgrade, the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX and Google Nexus 7 start at a lower $229 price. Even when taking its consistently smooth performance and bevy of software features into consideration, $279 is too much to ask for a simple slate like the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4.