For the past few years I’ve been suggesting the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite as an alternative to the Amazon Fire HD 8 for folks looking for an inexpensive Android tablet that you don’t need to hack if you want to use the Google Play Store. But Samsung’s entry-level Android tablet is more than two years old and it’s hardware is starting to seem a little dated.

Now it looks like a replacement may be coming soon. An unannounced tablet called the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 has started to show up at the websites for wireless regulatory agencies, and it sure looks like it could be a successor to the A7 Lite.

The tablet showed up recently at the FCC and WiFi Alliance websites, and while detailed specs aren’t available yet, there are a few things we can learn from the listings.

The new tablet is roughly the same size and shape as the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. And it has the same 5,100 mAh battery.

Other features include a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm audio jack, a single camera on the back, support for 15W charging, and several different models with different wireless capabilities:

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 (SM-X115) with WiFi 5, Bluetooth, and 4G LTE
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 (SM-X110) with WiFi 5 and Bluetooth only

There are also SM-X115N and XM-X117 models, but I haven’t figured out what makes those models different from the others yet.

While pricing, processor, memory, and storage capabilities haven’t been revealed yet, Samsung tends to sell budget and mid-range smartphones and tablets under its Galaxy A and Galaxy Tab A brands, so I wouldn’t expect this upcoming tablet to break the bank.

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite has a suggested starting price of $159, but it’s often been available at discounted prices over the past two years (it’s currently on sale for $120 and up).

via Tablet Monkeys

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  1. The S7 Lite is OK if you just want something for light media consumption. My only two complaints are that after recent updates, the startup time has really slowed down, and it’s a bit long when I hold it in portrait orientation. I prefer the aspect ratio of the Fire 8 when I’m holding it in portrait orientation.

    Reply

  3. Samsung tablets in a nutshell… cheap garbage or priced out of range perfection. There is no middle ground.

    Reply

    1. I think the newer S6 Lite and the S7 FE are a pretty good middle ground. They’re reasonable deals for what you get (if you buy them on sale).

      I think a lot of it depends on your use case too. Even the largest cellphone screens feel cramped for me to watch videos or do some web browsing. I only use tablets for media consumption and some light web browsing. The cheapo tablets do that fine, but it would be painful to use them if you wanted to get real work done. For me, that’s what laptops are for.

      Reply