The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite 32GB presents itself as an affordable and compact option for professionals seeking a versatile device for business purposes. Below, we’ll explore its strengths and weaknesses to help you determine if it’s the right fit for your business needs. 

Businesses tend to use them for engineers out on the road, any operatives out on the road,  sales people, automotive diagnostics, front of house reception, and retail stores. Great for when you just need a larger screen to track jobs, complete reports or share images or presentations. A budget tablet can make some real economies and take some wear and tear.

Contracts start from an attractive £9.95 a month  (plus VAT).

Positive Features

1. Portability and Design The A7 Lite is designed with portability in mind. Its 8.7-inch display and lightweight construction make it easy to carry around, whether you’re commuting or traveling for business. The metal frame provides a premium feel and durability, which is a plus for frequent use.
2. Affordable Price Point For budget-conscious professionals or businesses looking to equip a team with tablets, the A7 Lite offers an economical solution. It delivers essential features without the hefty price tag associated with high-end models.
3. Battery Life With a battery life that comfortably lasts a full workday, the A7 Lite ensures you remain productive without constantly searching for a power outlet. This is particularly useful for long meetings, conferences, or travelling.
4. Multi-Tasking Capabilities The tablet runs on Android 11 with One UI 3.1, providing a smooth and intuitive interface. It supports multi-window functionality, allowing you to run multiple apps simultaneously. This feature is beneficial for tasks such as checking emails while referencing documents or browsing the web during video calls.
5. Connectivity Options The A7 Lite offers both Wi-Fi and optional LTE connectivity, ensuring you’re always connected, whether in the office or on the go. This flexibility is crucial for staying in touch with clients and colleagues and accessing cloud-based applications and data.

Downsides

1. Performance Limitations Equipped with a MediaTek MT8768T processor and 3GB of RAM, the A7 Lite is suitable for basic tasks but may struggle with more demanding applications or heavy multitasking. Professionals who require high performance for graphic-intensive tasks or extensive data analysis might find this tablet underpowered.
2. Display Quality The 8.7-inch display, while adequate for general use, has a resolution of 1340 x 800 pixels, which is lower than some competitors in the same price range. This can result in less sharp visuals, which might be a drawback for users who need to review detailed graphics or presentations.
3. Storage Constraints With 32GB of internal storage, the A7 Lite may require frequent management of files and applications. Although expandable via microSD card up to 1TB, the base storage might be insufficient for users who need to store large files or numerous apps.
4. Camera Quality The tablet’s cameras (8MP rear and 2MP front) are basic and may not meet the expectations of professionals who rely on high-quality video conferencing or need to capture detailed images for work purposes.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite 32GB is a practical choice for business users who prioritise portability, affordability, and essential functionality. It excels as a secondary device for on-the-go tasks, note-taking, and light multitasking. However, for professionals requiring robust performance, high-resolution displays, or extensive storage, it may fall short.

Overall, the A7 Lite is a dependable companion for everyday business activities, offering good value for its price.

If the A7 Lite is not for you, there are other tablets available in the Tablets and iPads for Business section in our Business Mobiles Shop, brands include Nokia and TCL,  the Apple iPad Air 13 inch or the iPad Air 11 inch, as well as other models of Samsung including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9

The latest offering from the South Korean giant Samsung is the A16. The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G stands out as an affordable yet feature-packed smartphone that caters to budget-conscious users. Samsung continues its tradition of offering devices for every price range, reinforcing its market dominance in the mid-tier segment. The A16 is available from as little as £14.95 per month on O2 from Simpatico – take a look here to see the cost for each of the four networks with a variety of different data plans.

Key Features and Performance

The A16 features a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, an upgrade from the A15’s 6.5-inch screen. It delivers vibrant colours and sharp visuals but is capped at a 90Hz refresh rate, which feels limiting compared to competitors offering 120Hz at this price point. Its sleek design, measuring 7.9mm thin, is another improvement over its predecessor, the A15, which was bulkier. The A16 also has an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, adding durability without increasing cost.

Performance-wise, the A16 is powered by the Exynos 1330 chipset in the UK, with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. While it handles daily tasks and light gaming effectively, it struggles with heavier multitasking that an S range phone would find a breeze. The phone’s software, One UI 6.1 on Android 14, is polished and user-friendly. Long-term users of Samsung phones like this reviewer will be comfortable with the user interface which offers heaps of time-saving shortcuts, gestures and features to make your daily life easier. Samsung’s commitment to six years of updates is a standout feature, future-proofing the device for long-term use.

Camera and Battery

The triple-camera setup includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro shooter. Let’s be honest, a phone at this price point is never going to incorporate a camera comparable in quality to an Samsung Galaxy S24 or an iPhone 16 Pro. While daylight performance is good, the dynamic range and detail fall short compared to higher-end devices; portrait mode and low-light photography could be improved, although macro shots are surprisingly detailed for this class of phone. The front-facing 13MP camera delivers acceptable selfies but lacks the richness of higher-tier options – but you’d be paying much more for the privilege.

Battery life is a strong point however, with a 5000mAh capacity offering a full day of use under moderate conditions. However, the 25W charging speed is slower than some rivals that provide up to 66W in similar price brackets.

The Samsung A16 compared with the A15

Compared to the Galaxy A15, the A16 offers tangible improvements in design, screen size, and processor efficiency. However, the enhancements are incremental rather than revolutionary, maintaining the A series’ reputation for reliable mid-range devices without drastically redefining expectations.

Samsung’s Market Position

Samsung is the second most popular handset manufacturer in the UK with about 30% of the market. If you are considering an Android-powered phone, then a Samsung handset will almost certainly feature in your list of choices. They are well-designed, robust and the A16 offers a surprising level of quality for what is essentially a budget handset. The Galaxy A16 exemplifies Samsung’s strategy to maintain a foothold in every market segment, ensuring its relevance amidst competition from brands like Xiaomi, Sony or Motorola. By offering long-term software support, Samsung also positions itself as a trustworthy choice for budget buyers seeking longevity in their devices.

The A16 isn’t flawless—it faces stiff competition in the camera and performance departments. Yet, its robust build, long software life, and respectable feature set make it a compelling option for anyone seeking a reliable low to mid-range smartphone.

The Fairphone 5 has been dubbed the most environmentally friendly phone on the market right now, and so today we’re reviewing how accurate that really is. Spoiler; it really is all it chalks up to be, but if you’re a new phone addict, this might not be for you.

What is the Fairphone?

Fairphone is a smartphone company branded as sustainable and ethical, and is based in Amsterdam. The Fairphone 5, their most sustainable phone to date, was released in 2023.

Why might businesses be interested in the Fairphone mobile?

Businesses might like to have more environmentally friendly mobile phones because they are genuinely concerned about their carbon footprint. The Fairphone, marketed as more sustainable than others, will help companies to achieve this. An extra bonus is that it will help businesses to meet corporate social responsibilities.

If the environmental benefits aren’t exciting you, how about the fact that Fairphones are designed to last longer (at least five years). This could offer a more cost-effective way to replace your business handsets, making them an economical choice with added green kudos.  The Fairphone would also be more brand-congruent for organisations and charities with an environmental focus.

For those businesses with an environmental focus, you can to see our other tips on how to make your business mobiles more green.

How is it sustainable?

Fairphone won Best Mobile Innovation for Climate Action at the Mobile World Congress in March 2024. In their 2023 Impact Report, they shared some stats for us:

• 76% of the 14 focus materials used are sustainably sourced in the Fairphone 5. 
  • (To compare to the current iPhone 15 Pro, whereby 20% of this phone’s materials are sourced sustainably or are recycled)
• 29 tons of e-waste was avoided in 2023
• 944 tons of CO2e was avoided
• 100% of their suppliers use 100% renewable electricity 
• They use fairtrade gold and silver, a first for any smartphone company

The company sells replacement parts of all kinds, including internal parts such as the USB-C port, and even the camera; the phone is modular by design so when the time comes for an inevitable breakage, the phone can easily be opened up and parts replaced at home by yourself. This process greatly reduces the amount of e-waste produced from consumers throwing away their old phones at the slightest lag or crack.

The Fairphone 5 comes with eight years of software updates, and a 5 year warranty, so the idea is that you are not destined to trade in your phone after 2 years, but are actively encouraged to keep it for as long as possible.  The longer a smartphone is kept in use, the lower its impact on the environment.

Undeniably, the Fairphone is far more sustainable than that of any smartphone produced before it, and aims to encourage and demonstrate how smartphones can be produced far more sustainably than that of current manufacturers such as Samsung or Apple. 

Any downsides?

If you’re big of upgrading your phone regularly when a new model has been released, the Fairphone is probably not for you: it’s designed to be with you for a long time. 

In a BBC review of the Fairphone in November 2023, it was highlighted that despite 76% of the 14 focus materials being sustainably sourced, a total of 40 materials are actually used in the manufacturing of this phone, and so progress is needed to ensure the usage of more sustainably sourced material – the mining of rare earth elements used by all mobile phone companies has a significant environmental impact.

How does it actually perform?

As far as the actual phone functions, it does everything you would reasonably expect it to do. The few minor complaints include an occasionally sluggish performance, a less than exceptional camera quality, and slightly less dust and water resistance than that of current competitors. 

On the upside, because the back of the phone is not made of glass, it is less prone to breakages.  And the new Fairphone 5 has finally been given an OLED screen, unlike previous models, giving the screen a bright and sharp look, and it has a battery capacity that can last all day.