Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 6 Lite 10.4" Angora Blue 2021

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a budget tablet that nails the basics: included S Pen, expandable storage, and a headphone jack. Performance is average, but the value is excellent at around $350. If you need a note-taker without spending iPad money, this is the one.

The Exynos 9611 sits right around the 55th percentile for CPU and 56th for GPU, so it's fine for scrolling, note-taking, and video, but don't expect it to crush heavy games or 4K edits. The 64GB of RAM (yes, that's what the spec sheet says) is a head-scratcher, but in practice the 4GB of actual memory keeps things moving. The 10.4-inch 2000x1200 LCD is crisp enough for reading and YouTube, though it's not going to blind you with brightness. Battery life is rated up to 13 hours of streaming, and owners back that up, but charging is slow even with a fast charger. The S Pen is the star here, with zero lag for notes and no battery to worry about.

Stacked against the iPad Pro M5 or Surface Pro 11, the Tab S6 Lite is in a completely different league, those are $1,000+ machines. The more realistic fight is with the Xiaomi Pad 7 and Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus. The Xiaomi has a better screen and faster chip, but you'll pay more and the S Pen isn't included. The Lenovo has a bigger battery and better speakers, but it's heavier and pricier. The Tab S6 Lite wins on out-of-box value and the no-charge stylus, but loses on raw performance and display quality.

At $347 to $376 in the US, the Tab S6 Lite is a genuinely good deal if you want a note-taking tablet without spending iPad money. The included S Pen alone would cost you extra on most competitors, and the expandable storage means you're not stuck with 64GB forever. It's not the cheapest Android tablet out there, but it's one of the few that feels like a complete package out of the box. For students and casual artists, this is a lot of tablet for the price.

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is Samsung's budget note-taker, and the big selling point is right in the box: an S Pen that never needs charging. It's a thin metal slab with a 10.4-inch LCD, expandable storage, and a headphone jack, which feels almost nostalgic in 2024. For around $350, you're getting a tablet that's built for scribbling, streaming, and light productivity, not for pushing pixels in games.

Our database puts the RAM situation at the absolute top of the charts for this class, which is a weird flex for a budget tablet but helps with multitasking. The screen and battery are more middle-of-the-road, and the Exynos 9611 chip is about average. It's a solid mid-ranger that wins on accessories and value, not raw power.

Skip this if you need serious performance for gaming, video editing, or heavy multitasking. The Exynos 9611 will choke on demanding apps, and the LCD screen is a letdown if you're used to AMOLED. If you want a tablet for media consumption with a stunning display, look at the Xiaomi Pad 7 or an iPad instead.

Buy this if you want a cheap, reliable note-taking tablet with a stylus that just works. Students, doodlers, and anyone who wants a second screen for streaming will be happy. It's not for power users or gamers, and the screen won't wow you, but for the price, it's hard to beat the complete package Samsung is offering here.