Budget Android tablets aren’t anything new but, to see them come from an industry stalwart like Samsung, is. Sure, the Galaxy Tab 3 line is already pretty affordable compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Note tablets but, the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite aims to offer a standard Android tablet experience to those on a budget, and we think they’ve made the right changes. It’s been rumored for some time and now, after the user manual leaked and it appeared in Poland, the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite is officially, official. This 7-inch Android tablet from Samsung is definitely not something you brag about to your friends but, it’s not designed to be, either.
Specs wise, we’re looking at a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, a dual-core 1.2 Ghz CPU, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage. At nearly 10mm thick, this isn’t the thinnest tablet but, we have to remember that this is going to be sold for a lot less than most other tablets. That also shows in the version of Android shipping with the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite, at Android 4.2 this is already a little outdated and considering Android 4.4 KitKat was built for less capable hardware, it’s bizarre to see Android 4.2 Jelly Bean here. Perhaps even more bizarre however, is the omission of a front-facing camera. Instead, Samsung is shipping this with a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera that’s capable of video recording. Powered by a 3,600 mAh battery though, this should last the distance.
There’s no word on pricing from Samsung just yet, which makes it a little difficult to predict how well this is going to do in the market. Pricing these days is more important than most and considering this “lite” version of the Galaxy Tab 3 cuts a lot of corners, it’s hard to see it being a viable option for much more than $100. It’ll do most general tablet functions, such as web browsing, light gaming and app use but, without a front-facing camera you won’t be making any video calls or joining any Hangouts. Samsung have said that pricing will defer depending on region and that the device will be available worldwide later on this year.
