Buy an 8-inch tablet: a comparison of seven mini-computers

Smartphones and tablets have gotten bigger and bigger over the years. This is not surprising, since Apple, for example, is trying to replace laptops with its iPad Pro. Understandable, because the great strength of a tablet is that it can be used immediately and easily. In addition, operating the touchscreen with a stylus feels more intuitive in many cases, especially when you are taking notes or editing images.

Logical: Rather than replacing a laptop, an 8-inch tablet serves more as a digital notepad. Manufacturers give consumers who are looking for exactly that the choice between two product categories: either they reach for an oversized smartphone such as the Galaxy Note Ultra (6.9 inches, 17.52 centimeters) or the Galaxy Fold 3 (7.6 inches , 19.34 centimeters), or they rely on a small tablet with an 8-inch screen diagonal (20.32 centimeters).

One thing in advance: In terms of price-performance ratio, a large smartphone is probably the more sensible investment because you can save yourself a device. However, the mobile phone giants lack ease of use and carrying comfort: they are impossible to control with one hand and they do not fit in every trouser pocket. So an 8-inch tablet makes sense if you already own a handy smartphone and don’t intend to exchange it for a large one. Another advantage of the mobile phone giants is that they are often supplied with input aids such as a small pen. You usually have to buy it separately for the tablet.

The 8-inch tablet doesn’t even give in to the illusion of wanting to fit in a trouser pocket. It is rather the digital notepad and university calendar on which you answer emails and edit PDF, Excel & Co. in the worst of times. And like its analog likeness, it also feels most comfortable in a backpack or bag.

1. 8 inch tablet: Apple iPad Mini

This is the classic among 8-inch tablets iPad Mini. 2021 the tech giant launched the sixth generation of its mini tablet. Without a doubt, its display makes it special: Apple has given it a Liquid Retina display (2266 x 1488 pixels) that extends over 8.3 inches (21.08 centimeters). A resolution that is second to none.

The tablet uses the Apple A-15 Bionic processor, which is also in the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. Its performance is sufficient for the next four to five years. The sixth generation of the iPad Mini works with the Second generation Apple Pencil together. At the top edge of the tablet (held in landscape mode) is the magnetic holder for the pen. Of course, it is – how could it be otherwise – not included in the scope of delivery.

If you want to write notes with the pen, you still have to calculate about 120 euros for the Apple Pencil. Despite the convincing technical specifications of the iPad Mini 2021, the tablet is therefore more worthwhile for consumers who are already at home in the Apple world. You benefit from the cloud-based convenience functions that the tech giant offers you. Contacts, notes and files are automatically synchronized via the iCloud – if set – so that you can also access them on iPhone, iMac & Co.

2.Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite

However, if you own an Android smartphone, you should look for an alternative that harmonises with it. Here you have a bigger choice. This is one of the higher-end 8-inch tablets with Android Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. With a screen diagonal of 8.7 inches (22.09 centimeters), it almost comes close to 9 inches. Although it came onto the market in August 2021, its display resolution unfortunately does not come close to that of the Apple tablet: Samsung only gives the display ‎1340 x 800 pixels. For consumers who like to edit their photos, this could be a bit meager. They benefit from a good display and should lean towards Apple.

Otherwise, the Galaxy Tab A7 leaves nothing to be desired. The integrated memory is a bit small at 32 gigabytes, but can be expanded to up to 1 terabyte thanks to the micro SD card slot. Samsung also treats its tablet to the Qualcomm Andreno 640. Although it has two more cores compared to the A 15 Bionic, it lags behind the Apple chip in terms of performance. This means that the iPad Mini should be a little more durable than the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite – at least as far as computing-intensive tasks are concerned. The Galaxy Tab A7 should be sufficient for surfing, taking notes and checking emails for the next four years.

3.Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 3 LTE

Samsung wants a very special target group with its Galaxy Tab Active 3 appeal to: the outdoor fanatics and people who work on construction sites. According to the manufacturer, the Tab Active 3 is also certified with protection class IP 68. In addition, the housing is shockproof and, according to Samsung, survives falls from a height of up to 1.5 meters. Nice: A stylus is included with the tablet. It is practical that you can also operate the display of the tablet when you are wearing gloves.

Incidentally, the display of the 8-inch tablet has a sharper resolution than that of the Tab A7 Lite. Samsung accommodates a proud 1920 x 1200 pixels on a display diagonal of 20.32 centimeters. The 64 gigabytes of internal memory can be expanded by 1 terabyte with a microSD card if required. What makes the tablet special is its replaceable battery. Practical if you have longer work assignments to do in the fresh air and need the tablet. But that’s not the only special feature of the battery, because the Galaxy Tab Active can also be used without a battery when it’s connected to the power supply.

This is particularly useful if you leave the tablet in the sun in the car, for example, and it stops working because of the heat to protect its battery. Incidentally, the Samsung Exynos 9810 processor works inside the tablet in combination with 4 gigabytes of RAM. Unfortunately, the CPU is getting a bit old. Samsung introduced them in early 2018. Nevertheless, its performance is still sufficient for three to four years for simple tasks.

4.Fire HD 8 Plus

This is a tablet that you only want to use for surfing and streaming Fire HD 8 Plus from Amazon. Its display measures exactly 8 inches and thus 20.32 centimeters diagonally. Only 3 gigabytes of RAM assist the quad-core processor in its calculations. That’s not enough for performance-hungry tasks such as image or video editing. In addition, the display’s resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels is a bit low. When it comes to internal storage, buyers can choose between 32 and 64 gigabytes of storage space.

If necessary, it can be expanded to up to 1 terabyte thanks to the microSD card slot. What makes the Fire HD 8 Plus special is the ability to charge it wirelessly. If you can do without it, you can charge it via the tablet’s only USB-C socket. Overall, the Fire HD 8 Plus is clearly an entry-level tablet for private use. It is of particular interest to buyers who have equipped their smart home with Alexa speakers. Amazon’s language assistant also feels at home on the Fire HD 8 Plus and harmonizes accordingly with Echo Dot & Co.

5.Fire HD 8

Looks the same as the Fire HD 8 Plus, but it’s a (slightly) different tablet. Compared to the big brother it has Fire HD 8 not 3, but 2 gigabytes of RAM. Also, it cannot charge wirelessly. That was it already. The display and processor are the same and the Fire HD 8 can also accommodate a microSD card with up to 1 terabyte of storage. In addition, the “normal” Fire HD 8 is a good 20 euros cheaper.

6.Lenovo Tab M8

This is also in a similar price range to the Fire tablets LenovoTab M8. Unfortunately, buyers should not expect more than with Amazon tablets. The resolution of the 8 inch display is again only 1280 x 800 pixels. The main memory is just as poor at 2 gigabytes and buyers should also spare the built-in quad-core processor from computing-intensive tasks.

After all, the 32 gigabyte internal memory can be upgraded with a 2 terabyte microSD card. On the other hand, the tablet lacks a USB-C socket. Unfortunately, Lenovo uses microUSB here. At least the Tab M8 from Lenovo has an LTE module. So you can put a SIM card in the tablet and connect to the 4G network.

7. Blackview Tab 6

Same price range, same game: Das Table 6 from the Chinese no-name manufacturer Blackview is an 8-inch tablet for simple tasks. The low-performance quad-core processor has 3 gigabytes of RAM available for such tasks. The screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels is the same as that of the Amazon and Lenovo tablets in this comparison. But the Blackview Tab 6 still holds two SIM cards or alternatively a SIM card and a microSD card, with which you can expand the internal memory of 32 gigabytes by a maximum of 256 gigabytes.

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