Affordable Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) quietly launches in the US in two variants
Samsung continues to be one of the world's most prolific Android tablet vendors, even though said devices aren't exactly selling like hotcakes or rivaling Apple's iPads in terms of customer satisfaction. The latest additions to the already massive Galaxy Tab portfolio are two A-branded mid-rangers with respectable specifications and reasonable price points.
Technically, the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) is not an entirely new product, having seen daylight way back in July with a primary focus on emerging Asian markets. But the 8-incher appears to have recently gone on sale in the US as well with little to no fanfare, fetching $149.99 in a single silver-colored Wi-Fi-only model capable of accommodating 32 gigs of data internally.
Interestingly enough, the refreshed 8-inch Galaxy Tab A is also available in a kid-friendly edition that we're actually hearing about for the very first time. The aptly named Galaxy Tab A Kids Edition (2019) goes straight for the jugular of Amazon's popular Fire HD 8 Kids Edition with a similar bumper case included and the exact same aforementioned $149.99 price tag. That's 20 bucks higher than the kid-friendly Amazon Fire HD 8, and unsurprisingly, the two share more than a colorful protective cover.
Both children-centric slates come with 32GB internal storage space and 1280 x 800 pix res screens, as well as "long-lasting" batteries rated at more than 10 hours of endurance between charges in typical use. Meanwhile, Samsung Kids is the company's answer to the popular Amazon FreeTime Unlimited service, although it's unclear how long you can use the former platform without paying if you spend 150 bucks on the Galaxy Tab A Kids Edition (2019). Normally, you only get a 30-day Samsung Kids free trial, after which you need to cough up $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year for the extensive parent-controlled library of fun, educational games, books, and videos.
It's also worth highlighting that the regular and kid-oriented Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) variants are practically identical in terms of their specs and features, sharing everything from a quad-core Snapdragon 429 processor to a surprisingly premium unibody aluminum design, as well as 2 gigs of memory, a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD support, microUSB 2.0 port, 8MP rear-facing camera with autofocus, and 2MP front-facing shooter. All in all, that's not so bad for $149.99, now, is it?
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