When I think of a tablet, I usually see it as something that professionals carry around in place of a laptop or PC, because they’re still working on the go.
For me, I do it old-school style, lugging around my laptop wherever I go, because I paid a good amount of money for one that is light by today’s standards. I won’t let my reason for the purchase go to waste.
Once I had the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in my hands for this review, I still couldn’t quite convert myself to using it as a replacement for my laptop, as I still preferred typing on a physical keyboard (and if you haven’t noticed, a lot of my work revolves around typing).
However, I did find other uses for it and while it wasn’t a mind-blowing device in any way, it definitely had its plus points.
More Fun Than Expected
With a 10.4” display, its size is compact while still being nice for watching videos or making notes, which were the 2 main things I did on the Tab S6 Lite.
It fits into bags easily and is relatively light, but as it doesn’t come with a cover, I had to be a lot more careful with how I stored it in my bags so it wouldn’t get scratched up.
YouTube videos looked and sounded great on it, and the best thing about its size was its Split Screen function, which worked a lot better than on any other Samsung phones I’ve reviewed.
As the Split Screen had a lot more area to work with than on a phone, it was great for note-taking or for drawing according to a reference.
I would usually have Google Chrome/YouTube/Gallery open for one tab and Samsung Notes for the other.
Admittedly, the best thing about the Tab S6 Lite for me was the S-pen stylus that came included. I love using a stylus in general, and even just to unlock the screen or swipe around apps, I’d use the stylus.
It’s not bad to hold, but I wasn’t using it for hours on end to really test if its design would cause hand cramps or not.
The only thing I wished was different was the little button it had on its side because I kept pressing it by accident and triggering functions I didn’t want.
Perhaps it was simply a matter of getting used to having a proper hand position for this stylus.
I spent most of my time with the Tab S6 Lite using Samsung Notes, as I really enjoyed scribbling notes and doodling in the app.
Minor Inconveniences
One of my biggest complaints about this device is its absolutely slow charging time.
Each time I’d plug it in, it would take a few good hours to charge, which I suppose is the trade-off for having a 7,040mAh battery.
Another thing is the magnets that keep the S-pen stylus attached to the side of the Tab S6 Lite. As I had no cover for my review unit, I couldn’t depend on the not-so-strong magnets to keep the two attached when in my bag.
If you’re leaving the tablet and stylus alone on a table, they’ll stay perfectly attached, but a little jostling would easily detach the stylus.
A slot to store the stylus would’ve been much more secure and convenient.
While I did say several times that I really enjoyed scribbling notes and doodling on the tab, I wish it had better palm rejection support.
It wasn’t an issue most of the time, but there was never a single time that my palm wouldn’t create a swipe or dot on the screen when I’m in drawing mode on Samsung Notes.
I can imagine that it’d be a bit more of a pain if I were a professional artist using the Tab S6 Lite for my work.
This last complaint is more of a personal difference in taste. In Malaysia, the Tab S6 Lite comes in 2 colours: Oxford Gray and Angora Blue.
I think Samsung tried, but the Angora Blue unit I got just wasn’t that pretty to me, and I disliked how the stylus was almost a different shade of blue from the tablet due to having a different material coating.
If I were making a purchase, I’d opt for the boring but elegant Oxford Gray instead, and if we had Chiffon Pink released here, I think even that would be much prettier.
Verdict
As you can notice, my complaints about the Tab S6 Lite are quite surface level, and simply about minor inconveniences instead of major issues.
Because of this, my overall verdict is that it’s still a pretty great and handy device to have around, but only if you would have more use for it than me, such as using it as a second device for your work.
I only used it mainly for entertainment and leisure purposes, making it personally not worth the buy at RM1,699.
You can’t even put a SIM card into it for calls or messages, so I’d rather just buy a phone and stylus with that money.
| Pros | Cons |
| 10.4″ display makes it easy to store and big enough for entertainment and work purposes | Slow battery charging |
| Split Screen function is great thanks to the size | No slot for S-pen stylus storage |
| Graphics and audio quality are clear |
- You can find out more about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite here.
- You can read more of our VP Verdicts on Samsung devices here.
VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion into our Facebook page.