Every Samsung Galaxy Tablet Released In Chronological Order

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The very first iPad was announced in January of 2010, and then later in September of the same year, Samsung announced its first tablet: the Galaxy Tab 7.0 (via Wired). So right off the bat, Samsung had some pretty difficult tablet competition with Apple, a brand well known at the time (and today) for its smart touchscreen displays. Compared to what Samsung's tablets offer today, the original Galaxy Tab pales in comparison, but it's fascinating to look back at the company's original design and see how much its tablets have improved.

Since the first Galaxy Tab, Samsung tablets have seen improvements to their internal specs, like more RAM and internal memory, greater amounts of expandable storage, a much clearer and more vivid display, and of course, stronger and more efficient processors. Samsung has also introduced quite a few newer tablets that have LTE or 5G capability, allowing you to use it more like a cellphone and integrate it completely with your Galaxy smartphone or Galaxy watch.

Although Samsung first released the 7-inch model of the Galaxy Tab 2 in 2012, it was the 10.1-inch model that won the public's favor. Compared to its biggest competition, the iPad from Apple, the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 2 provided an affordable tablet alternative that didn't skimp on screen size. At 1280 x 800 pixels, the resolution improved slightly from the previous model but still wasn't anything special.

A lot of the specs stayed the same between the original Tab and the Tab 2, like the 16GB of internal memory storage (with an option to expand storage with a 32GB microSD card), Wi-Fi capabilities, the 1.0GHz processor, and the 4000mAh battery. On the 7-inch model of Tab 2, the resolution stayed at 600 x 1024 pixels.

The two biggest differences between the two models are the cameras and Bluetooth capabilities. The original Tab only supports Bluetooth 2.0, but Tab 2 supports Bluetooth 3.0. Then, the 2MP camera on the Tab was upgraded to a 3MP camera on the Tab 2.

Samsung deviated from its Tab series with the first Galaxy Note tablet. The 8-inch version of the Galaxy Note tablet came with a 1280 x 800 screen resolution and a service called WatchON that would search the internet, YouTube, or your device for the video content you're trying to find. Then, if you have a Samsung Smart TV that's at least a 2013 model, you can even pass off live TV from your TV to your tablet.

Inside, there's a 1.6GHz Exynos_4400 quad-core processor and 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM that helps everything feel a lot smoother than previous Galaxy tablets, from browsing the internet to playing mobile games to making a video call. There's also 16GB of flash memory built-in, but you can add up to 64GB of extra storage with a microSD card.

The first Galaxy Note tablet's cameras weren't an improvement from the Galaxy Tab 3. These two tablets are technically different series, but the Note tablet did release after the Tab 3. There was a 5MP rear camera, and a 1.3MP front camera for selfies or video calls. With all other specs, however, the Note was a step up from the Tab 3.

One of the biggest upgrades between the Galaxy Tab 3 and the Tab 4 was the operating system. The Galaxy Tab 4 is equipped to run Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) with its quad-core 1.2GHz processor. This was also the first Galaxy Tab to support Bluetooth version 4.0 (via GSMArena). This gave the device superior sound when using headphones, making activities like movie watching and music streaming more enjoyable.

Other than these two changes, a lot of the specs and features stayed the same between Tab 3 and Tab 4. It has a 1280 x 800 screen resolution, 16GB of flash memory, and the option to expand with a 64GB microSD card, a 4000mAh battery, and the same cameras.

Like the other Tab models, the Tab 4 was released with a few different size options. Available were options including a Tab 4 with a 7-inch screen, 8-inch screen, or 10.1-inch screen. 

Tablets are fairly handy in an enterprise sense. They allow users to handle a variety of office tasks, such as sending emails and working on documents. Specialist apps are also available that can perfectly adapt a tablet to meet the needs of a particular role. Unfortunately, the easy-to-use devices are quite fragile. Samsung has attempted to fix this with the Galaxy Tab Active — a more robust version of the standard tablets designed for use out in the field. 

That said, the Galaxy Tab Active isn't strictly enterprise, anyone can buy one. Still, its target customer base includes the likes of first responders, construction workers, mechanics, people working outdoors, and anyone else operating in an environment where a standard tablet would be handy but may not survive.

So far, Samsung has made the original Galaxy Tab Active, along with its LTE version, a Galaxy Tab Active 2, Galaxy Tab Active Pro, Galaxy Pad Active3, and Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro. Under the hood, the tablets are largely the same as the standard version, with a few exceptions, as some models have a few useful tweaks beyond the added durability. On the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro, for example, the touchscreen is designed so users wearing gloves can navigate it while the batteries are heavier duty and easily replaceable, and there are customizable hotkeys that allow the Active4 Pro to double as a walkie-talkie.

In addition to an S line of tablets, Samsung also released an E line, which is meant to be an entry-level line that's more affordable. While there have been different sizes of the Tab E released between 2014 and 2016, this is the only tablet in Samsung's E line, with the 9.6-inch model being the most popular.

The 9.6-inch model has a 1280 x 800 screen resolution, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of flash memory and a microSD card slot for expandable storage up to 400GB. The 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm APQ 8016 processor powers Android OS up to version 5.1 (Lollipop). Although it doesn't have the largest battery capacity among Samsung's tablets, the Tab E has a 7300mAh battery, which is larger than a lot of Samsung's previous models that only had battery capacities of around 4000mAh.

There's a 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear camera with autofocus. Although the cameras themselves aren't anything special on the Tab E, this tablet did come with a few special photo and video features. You can use Panorama mode to capture an entire scene from left to right, or use Continuous Shot mode to snap multiple photos one after the other.

This is the first of Samsung's A tablet line of products. The A tablets are designed to be mid-range, somewhere between the E line and the S line. The original 8-inch Tab A was released in 2015, then updated in 2017, 2018, and 2019. You can also find a 10.5-inch model and a 10.1-inch model of Tab A. Then, most recently, Samsung released an 8.4-inch model in 2020 exclusively for T-Mobile customers that has 4G LTE capability.

The 2019 Tab A has a 5100mAh battery that boasts about 13 hours' worth of battery life. Then, there's 2GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in memory, and up to 512GB of expandable storage via a microSD card. Although the tablet might come with Android 8.0 (Oreo) or 9.0 (Pie), you can upgrade it to Android 10.

This model seems to be better than other Samsung tablets in some aspects, like storage capability, battery capacity, and even its 8MP rear camera with an autofocus feature. It also has a 2.0GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 processor. While the resolution isn't as high as other Samsung tablets, Tab A's 1280 x 800 resolution is nothing to sneeze at.

Only a year later, the Galaxy Tab S4 launched and it was even more impressive than the Tab S3. Compared to the Tab S3, the Tab S4's 10.5-inch screen is larger and has an even more impressive Super AMOLED 2560 x 1600 resolution. Then, this is the first Samsung tablet to incorporate Dolby Atmos Surround Sound for a more cinematic sound experience. There are also built-in microphones that support Google Assistant and listen for your voice even if you're far from your tablet.

There's a 2.35GHz octa-core Qualcomm processor that supports Bluetooth 5.0 and Android 8.0 (Oreo) right out of the box, but the Tab S4 can upgrade to Android 10. Then, there's also 4GB of dedicated RAM, 64GB or 256GB of internal flash memory, and up to 400GB of external storage through the purchase of a microSD card. Even the battery capacity got a boost to 7300mAh, so the tablet lasts even longer in between charges.

The Tab S4 has quality cameras that come with a few special features. There's an 8MP front-facing camera and a 13MP rear-facing camera, making the Tab S4 home to Samsung's best tablet cameras as of 2018. The front-facing camera can recognize your face and scan your irises to unlock your tablet. Then, with Bixby Vision 2.0, you can use your camera app to help translate something, identify a location, or find a product to buy online.

It's always great to see a company consistently improving its next-gen product and not just slapping a new price tag on something that's identical to last-gen. Both the Tab S6 and the Tab S6 Lite were released around the same time as the S5e, so they share a few features but are different enough to warrant a new numbered title.

Just like the Tab S5e, the Tab S6 weighs less than a pound and the S6 Lite barely weighs over a pound. They also both support cellular LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0. Then, they both have an awesome battery life, but the Tab S6's battery can last about five hours longer than that of the S6 Lite.

The Tab S6 is clearly the more powerful of the two models, while the Tab S6 Lite is a more affordable option that still packs quite a punch. Most notably, the S6 has a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display and a Qualcomm 855 octa-core processor. The S6 Lite, on the other hand, has a 10.4-inch TFT LCD screen and an Exynos 9611 octa-core processor.

With the Tab S6, there's 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal memory, and an external capacity of 1TB via a microSD card. With the Tab S6 Lite, you can pair 4GB of RAM with 64GB or 128GB of internal memory, or spring for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory; you also have that same external storage option of a 1TB microSD card.

Unlike other Tab A models, this is the first version to get a number attached to its title. Similarly titled after the S7 series released at the same time, the Tab A7 is an affordable tablet with a large display. Instead of offering various screen size options to customers, the Tab A7 only offers a 10.4-inch ultra-wide display with a 2000 x 1200 pixel resolution.

As with many later tablet models from Samsung, the Tab A7 is equipped with a quad-speaker system with Dolby Atmos Surround Sound. Inside, there's 3GB of RAM, an Exynos 9611 processor, a Qualcomm SDM865+ graphics coprocessor, a 7040mAh battery, and an option of 32GB or 64GB of internal memory. If you want extra memory, you can always buy a microSD card and add up to 1TB of additional storage.

A year later, Samsung released the A7 Lite for those who were okay with a smaller 8.7-inch display in exchange for saving quite a bit of money. The A7 model only offers a Wi-Fi version, but the A7 Lite lets you choose between a Wi-Fi-only model or an LTE version through a mobile carrier like AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile.

The Galaxy Tab A8 is Samsung's newest tablet to date. Unlike the previous A7 model, you have more options with the Tab A8 when it comes to amounts of RAM and internal storage. You can pair 3GB of RAM with 32GB of flash memory or pair 4GB of RAM with either 64GB or 128GB of flash memory. These internal storage amounts are still tiny in comparison to Samsung's more premium S line, but you can add up to 1TB of external storage with a microSD card.

Because this is a more affordable model, the 10.5-inch TFT LCD display only has a 1920 x 1200. This certainly isn't a bad resolution, but it's worse than the S tablet's Super AMOLED display and higher resolution. Inside, there's an octa-core Unisoc T618 processor and four powerful speakers fueled by Dolby Atmos, making streaming videos and even gaming a breeze. Plus, with its 7040mAh battery, you'll be able to go one or two days in between charges.

One of the best features of the Tab A8 is its ability to connect multiple Galaxy devices. Almost everything between your Galaxy devices syncs automatically, like writing your to-do lists, answering and transferring phone calls, or switching a song from playing on your tablet to your smartphone. So if you're someone who has a Galaxy smartphone or watch, you'll be able to take advantage of the A8's multi-tasking capabilities.

As with previous generations, the Galaxy Tab S9 has a cheaper and more accessible little brother in the Galaxy Tab A9. The A9 is likely to appeal to those on a budget, especially for users who don't need all of the power and features that come with Samsung's flagship tablet. 

There are two options with the A9, a regular version with an 8.7-inch screen and the 11-inch A9+. Both devices come with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage built into the tablet. That storage can be increased by up to 1TB if you add in a Micro SD card. For connectivity, 5G comes standard with the tablet, along with other common connectivity options like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Some of Samsung's software stalwarts, like the ability to split the screen and a Knox-encrypted secure folder, are also included.

The 8MP main and 2MP selfie cameras are likely to be somewhat disappointing, especially compared to the cameras Samsung puts in its lower to mid-range phones these days. The processor is octa-core, so will be handy for multitasking. However, its actual speed, 2.2GHz or 1.8GHz, depends on the exact chip used in your region's devices. Overall, the Galaxy Tab 9 has some solid features on paper, along with the compromises you would expect from a newly launched device that many retailers are selling at around the $250 mark.