Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review with Pros and Cons

Samsung is one of the few Android OEMs that continue to retain faith in the tablet form factor. Even though our phones are getting bigger and bulkier, time and again we all feel that hankering to shift the task at hand to a bigger yet manageable screen, and that’s where tablets make sense. (Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review हिंदी में पढ़िए)

The recently launched Galaxy Tab S5e is a mid-range tab that can be viewed as an alternative to Apple’s iPad Air. It’s meant to hit the sweet spot between the affordable Galaxy Tab A-series tablets and the high-end Galaxy Tab S4 (or the upcoming Tab S6), which should make it an ideal choice for people who are enticed by the idea of a gorgeous bigger, portable AMOLED screen but don’t see the point of spending the exorbitant high-end price. 

Samsung throws in a sharp 2K display, AKG tuned quad speakers, a beefy battery, and Dex support, making Tab S5e a very appealing tablet on paper. We have been using it for a while, trying to decipher if this is a tablet we’d buy or recommend. Let’s answer that and more in our Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e review. 

Page Contents:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Specification and Price
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Design, Build and Display
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Display and Keyboard
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Performance, Software, and Samsung Dex
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Camera, Battery, and Audio
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Verdict with Pros and Cons

Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e price in India and specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Design, Build and Display

It’s been a while since we laid our hands on a metal body gadget with those visible antenna bands. Which is perhaps why the Tab S5e feels like a refreshing change of pace. It’s also extremely slim (5.5mm) and feels substantial in hands. 

On the front, the bezels are uniform all around the display and this ensures that irrespective of the orientation you use it in, the Galaxy Tab S5e doesn’t feel unnatural (like the iPad Air 2019 does). 

The power button, which also doubles as the fingerprint sensor, and the volume rocker are more accessible in the landscape orientation, which makes sense because you’d be using them more often while viewing multimedia content. 

The fingerprint reader isn’t very consistent, especially with the attached cover. Having said that, gradually our muscle memory got trained in positioning the registered finger right in one go and things got better. There are pogo pins on the other edge to connect to the magnetic keyboard case that users will have to buy separately. 

When held in landscape orientation, the tablet is flanked by 2 AKG tuned speakers on both sides (which is awesome), but unfortunately, the Audio Jack didn’t make the cut. We have the Wi-Fi model with us that only has an SD card slot, and an LTE variant with a SIM slot retails for additional 4000 bucks. 

The Tab is solidly built and there are no flexes or creaks in the body. The rear camera juts out and the metal back is prone to smudges, but these are minor inconveniences that any proper case would resolve. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Display and Keyboard case

The concept of a tablet is centered around the screen, which is why we are glad that Samsung isn’t skimping on the display tech. The 10.5-inch AMOLED display has 2K resolution and is awesome for consuming multimedia content. Samsung goes for a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is to say that an empty black (or white, as in Hotstar) strip will be there at the bottom when you are watching 16:9 content (which is most content).

HD streaming is supported on Netflix and Prime videos, but unlike iPad Air, there is no HDR content support. 

One UI has a night mode if you love dark theme, but the Tab S5e is missing an always-on display. Under display settings, you will find four-color profiles to choose between, and as always the ‘Basic’ seems the most color-accurate one. 

Let’s now talk about the keyboard case that magnetically clings (firmly) to the metal back. The keys are surprisingly good with decent travel and firm feedback. It’s still too cramped for hardcore typing, the kind we require, but is certainly good enough for moderate typing needs and entering text in search fields, and any day the experience is better than typing on the software tablet keyboard. 

The keyboard case doesn’t add any battery or extra ports, but maybe that’s how Samsung managed to make room for extra key travel. One downside is that there’s no option to adjust the angle of the incline.

The keyboard connects to the tab via pogo pins and is a kind of mandatory accessory if you wish to make optimum use of Samsung dex (we will get back to that later).  

It must be noted that the Keyboard case doesn’t come bundled with the tab, and you will have to buy it separately. The box MRP reads 7,999 INR, but Samsung is currently selling the keyboard case for Galaxy Tab S5e for Rs. 3,500 in the bundle.  

Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Performance, Software, and Samsung Dex

On the inside, the Galaxy Tab S5e is powered by Snapdragon 670, which is the same SoC that you’d see on the Pixel 3a phones. While not particularly snappy, the chipset is good enough to drive wonderful multimedia and day-to-day usage experience on the tablet. 

The unit we have has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. As stated, the configuration is good enough for ‘tablet use’, if not for Dex use.

Also Read: Google Pixel 3a XL Review – A Fabulous Experience 

A big attraction of the Galaxy Tab S5e is Samsung dex support. In the Dex mode, the Tab switches to a Windows-like interface where popular keyboard shortcuts work. 

We often found ourselves switching to the Dex mode for work-related stuff, for running two or more apps on the screen efficiently, and for more intense browsing. The Tab S5e could handle more than we’d expected in the Dex mode, but you will still need to be cautious to not push the tab too far. With multiple apps open simultaneously, the Tab S5e begins to stutter. 

After we’d connected our wireless mouse via OTG, we really enjoyed the Dex experience. However, since there’s just one port for audio, connectivity and charging on the Tab S5e, this may get trickier than you imagine. And we soon realized that the Dex is still work in progress. The Apps compatible with Dex are quite limited. For instance, we had to restart apps like Netflix and Prime in order to maximize them to full screen and then again to minimize them back to a smaller window. 

When not in the dex mode, the software is the conventional One UI which is currently one of our favorite custom interfaces. The One UI is thoughtfully designed and very simple to navigate. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review: Camera, Battery, and Audio

For photography, there’s a 13MP rear and an 8MP front camera. We don’t imagine users would use this as a primary photography device unless they are caught up in exceptional circumstances. The cameras on front and rear are good enough for video calling and that’s good enough for us. 

Samsung has been generous with the battery capacity. The 7040mAh battery inside supports fast charging and can comfortably last for three to four days depending on your usage, of course. We didn’t use the tab through our day and when we picked it up, we were pleasantly surprised to find enough battery more often than not. 

The Audio output via our AKG tuned speakers is really great, thus enriching the multimedia experience. And the Tab is loud enough to be audible over the din of a boisterous room. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Review Verdict

A tablet is meant to find a sweet spot between a phone and a laptop but is often not considered as big a necessity as either of the two.  Yes, it’s a niche market and thus it wouldn’t be wise to judge the price from the standpoint of either a phone or a laptop. 

In the time we had the Galaxy Tab S5e lying around, we often reached out for it whenever we could. It’s more portable than our laptop and a much better medium to binge on Netflix and Prime whenever we are not in front of your TV. We also preferred using the tab when we had to browse through shopping apps like Amazon and Flipkart or when we had to scroll through our Instagram feed. 

The Galaxy Tab S5e covers all tablet essentials. It has an awesome screen, outputs rich audio, has a long-lasting battery and if you are accessorized, the Dex can be really handy for more aggressive usage. 

The Galaxy Tab S4 costs 57,900 INR in India, and the Galaxy Tab S5e passes on most of what’s good for a significantly lower price. So, yeah, we’d say it’s definitely worth considering.