Making a Lite version of flagship devices has become a new trend for tech giants in addition to their existing mid-range segment. This is a good way to help consumers approach high-end specs and features without having to pay a hefty amount of money. And as its name suggests, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite was released by Samsung as a more affordable version of the standard Galaxy Tab S6.

Design

The tablet comes with a glass front, featuring a metal frame and back panel, making it feel sturdy as if it could survive a few drops. However, these materials make the Tab S6 Lite heavier than the standard version and nearly twice as heavy as a typical smartphone.

Measuring 244.5x154.3x7 mm, the device comes in average size with a 10.4-inch screen, almost the same screen size as the Galaxy Tab S6. At this dimension, it can easily fit in your bag so you can carry it anywhere.

A very nice thing about this tablet is that its bezel is pretty slim, compared with that one the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab A cousins. The low screen-to-body ratio gives the device a good-size display without feeling too large on the hand.

On the back of the Tab S6 Lite, there is a main camera in the top-left corner. On the top of the tablet, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the right edge houses the volume rocker and the power button, and the bottom edge houses a USB-C port.

Buyers can choose from three colors, including Chiffon Rose, Angora blue, and Oxford Gray.

The S Pen comes included in the box of this device, allowing for better note-taking, sketching, and drawing. However, the tablet doesn’t have an inbuilt slot for the stylus, meaning you will have to attach it on the right edge magnetically.

Display

The screen on the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite measures 10.4 inches with a resolution of 2000x1200. But it’s not a Super AMOLED panel like that on the standard version, a compromise for a lower price.

However, the LCD panel on this table is pretty good too, displaying nice and bright images. It’s easy to view outdoors though the colors may look a little wash-out. And the low resolution is noticeable in some games and movies.

The tablet features an aspect ratio of 5:3, a common ratio used by most streaming movies and TV shows. This means when watching such content, you won’t be annoyed by the two black bars at the bottom and top of the screen like on the iPad with a 4:3 ratio.

Due to the LCD technology, this display shows black quite brightly as LCD generates the shade by showing all the colors at the same time. As a result, when you look at something dark, the screen will still appear bright, which can strain the eye and power-consuming.

It’s also worth noting that the display is a bit less responsive than that on other tablets, which feels like resistance or friction. The reason for this lack of responsiveness is unclear, but it could be due to the material applied on top of the screen.

Chip

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is powered by the Exynos 9611 from Samsung. This processor has powered a number of mid-range smartphones like the Galaxy A50s and A51.

This is not a powerful chip but it’s enough for a moderate user. The Exynos 9611 handles well-optimized and lower-end games smoothly, meaning you can easily play Call of Duty Mobile on this tablet. However, more intensive titles like PUBG isn’t as good on this device.

The biggest issue of this tablet’s performance is the navigation speed with a bit delay when you swipe between menus or tap on the display to type or open an app. This is the result of middling specifications and you may get used to it easily if you have used a lower-end phone before.

In a benchmark test, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite gets 1,313 points, which is less than half the score of the Galaxy S20 (3,061 points). This score is quite low.

Navigation on this device is slow, which is the most obvious when you use face recognition to unlock it.

Camera

There is an 8MP lens on the rear of the tablet that doesn’t offer as much photography power as your smartphone. Its shots look a bit dim. You also have a 5MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

The hardware is good, not great, but definitely decent for many users. The camera features a Live Focus mode that allows for editing the background of a photo after you take it. There’s also the AR Doodle feature that lets you draw over your face with the S Pen, in real-time. Both cameras can record videos at a resolution of 1080 pixels.