iPad just got serious competition from the $279 Samsung Galaxy Tab A

iPad will have serious competition from Samsung's new $279 Galaxy Tab A
(Image credit: Samsung)

Apple's iPad might want to watch out. Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy Tab A 8.4, a new Android tablet with LTE connectivity, 10 hours of battery life and a cool $279 price tag. 

The Galaxy Tab A 8.4, available for pre-order now, is a 4G LTE-capable variant of the existing Galaxy Tab A. The 8.4 refers to the 8.4-inch size of the display, which has 1920 x 1200 resolution. 

Samsung's new tablet sports a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies or calls and an 8-megapixel rear camera that can record FHD video. It also features a 5,000-mAh battery, USB-C charging and an estimated 10 hours of battery life, which is on par with last year's Galaxy Tab A. 

Also like the most recent Galaxy Tab A, the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 runs on an Exynos 7904 processor, offers 3 GB of RAM and comes with 32 GB of storage with a microSD card slot. There’s a headphone jack and Dolby Atmos speakers as well.

In terms of design, the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 is pretty much a shrunken replica of last year's non-LTE model, too. The rear casing is has a more uniform metal finish, but only comes in only a peculiar "Mocha" color. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.4

(Image credit: Samsung)

It will ship with Android Pie, despite Android 10 powering all of the new Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphones. The Galaxy Tab A 8.4 also won't have DeX support for peripherals like a keyboard, mouse and monitor like the more premium Galaxy Tab S6. 

Like it's Tab A predecessors, it's clear the Galaxy Tab A 8.4 exists in the budget tablet category. Still, the cheapest iPad with cellular capabilities you can buy new costs $459, so Samsung managed to undercut Apple's cellular tablet to a considerable extent. If you want an affordable tablet with that you get you online on-the-go, it could be worth checking out.

The 2020 Galaxy Tab A 8.4 LTE is only available through Verizon Wireless, with AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular and T-Mobile models arriving at a later date.

Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She covers smartwatches, TVs and audio devices, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.