We’re nearing the end of 2015, but Samsung isn’t quite done releasing tablets, as proven by Verizon’s recent reveal of the Galaxy Tab E.
Revealed in the form of a product page on Big Red’s website, the Galaxy Tab E is equipped with a 9.6-inch, 1,280 x 800 resolution AMOLED display. Taking a peek under the hood reveals an unspecified quad-core 1.3GHz processor, rumored to be the Spreadtrum SC7730SE chipset, paired with 1.5GB of RAM.
16GB of internal storage is all you’ll get, though you can tack on an additional 128GB of memory through the Micro SD card slot. Finally, Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, the most recent version of Android, will come out of the box.
Unfortunately, the biggest issue here is the $330 price tag of the Galaxy Tab E. You can opt to pay $13.74 a month for 24 months or stick to a two-year contract and pay $130 upfront, but the tablet doesn’t seem to warrant such a price with such meager specifications. As such, we can assume that the tablet is intended for those who aren’t very tech-savvy and don’t quite get what it is they’re buying.
Case in point, the Galaxy Tab S2, which comes with a price tag that’s $70 higher, comes equipped with a more powerful processor, a more impressive display, more memory to play with, and a fingerprint sensor. Sure, the $330 price tag of the Galaxy Tab E nets you LTE capability on Verizon and compatibility with T-Mobile and AT&T should you go that route in the future, but you’re far more future-proofed with the Galaxy Tab S2.
Even the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, which was announced last June, offers greater value, since it comes with a higher-density display, more powerful internals, and a fingerprint sensor, albeit one that has you swipe vertically.
In short, at its current price tag, there doesn’t seem much reason to pick up the Galaxy Tab E when there are more compelling options at around the same price point.