The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE was announced a few months ago, which is the Fan Edition of last year’s flagship tablet. Being a fan edition device, Samsung has to cut down on many things to make it more affordable. I’ve been using the tablet for a few weeks, and here’s the full review.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE Specs
- 12.4-inch WQXGA (2,560×1,600) TFT display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor
- Up to 6GB RAM
- Up to 128GB expandable storage
- Cameras
- Rear: 8MP
- Front: 5MP
- Dual speakers sound by AKG, Dolby Atmos
- 10,090mAh battery with 45W Super Fast Charging supported
- Android 11
- Colors: Mystic Black, Mystic Silver, Mystic Pink
Same Boxy Design
Just like the Galaxy Tab S7+, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE has the same boxy design and flat edges with thick bezels. The black glossy part where you put the S Pen to charge is now gone, but the S Pen will snap on the back thanks to the magnet. You can still snap the S Pen on top of the tablet if you think that’s more convenient, but the S Pen won’t charge itself.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has only two speakers — one on each side, these speakers are still tuned by AKG, Dolby Atmos. The speakers sound okay, but it’s definitely not as good as quad speakers on last year’s Galaxy Tab S7+. Yet again, it doesn’t come with a 3.5mm audio jack, so you’ll have to rely on the dongle or wireless earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds2.
TFT Display
Here comes another part where Samsung has cut down the cost — the screen. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE sports a 12.4-inch WQXGA (2,560×1,600) TFT display with a 60Hz refresh rate. Yup, you don’t get an AMOLED panel and also the 120Hz refresh rate.
The screen is alright with vibrant colors, but it’s just not very Samsung since we’ve been used to the AMOLED screens where most Samsung devices now come with. That’s also another reason why the tablet doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint scanner because you can’t do that with a TFT panel. I do hope Samsung at least includes a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, but the company just eliminates it all the way.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor with two memory configurations — 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage. Performance is good enough, but don’t expect everything to run fast and smoothly without any hiccups. I do experience some delays when watching videos via Chrome browser.
Same S Pen
The tablet comes with the same S Pen, which feels like a proper pencil/pen. However, the overall writing and sketching experience isn’t as good as the Galaxy Tab S7+ since it doesn’t have an ultra-low 9ms latency. That’s another compromise you get when just having a 60Hz refresh rate.
The software experience is pretty much the same, though. With its support for Samsung DeX and the Book Cover Keyboard accessory, which transforms the device into a tablet-like laptop, with the UI experience reminiscent of a laptop. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE can also be used as a secondary screen when connected to the PC via Samsung DeX.
Same 10,090mAh Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE packs the same 10,090mAh battery that supports 45W Super Fast Charging. Unfortunately, the 45W fast charger is sold separately. If you treat it like a laptop, it actually has a great battery life with more than 8 hours of battery life. Throughout my three weeks review period, I only managed to charge the tablet thrice.
Final Words
Retailing at RM1,899 (4GB+64GB) and RM2,199 (6GB+128GB), the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is basically a toned-down version in the Tab S7 lineup with less powerful speakers, a less impressive screen, and decent performance. If you need a tablet just to handle some basic tasks like web browsing, watching videos, and even video conferencing, this is actually the best option in its class you can get at the moment. If not, just go get an iPad!
Buy Here! (Affiliate Links)
Yay
- Comes with a tablet-like laptop experience
- Great battery life
- Affordable
Nay
- TFT panel
- No 120Hz refresh rate
- S Pen doesn’t have an ultra-low 9ms latency
About Post Author
