Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 Review: How Good Is This Rugged Tablet?

[@trevordp]

Now why can't Samsung make one like this but NOT rugged?

[@hopydaddy]

We all should send an email to Samsung to fire the guy who signed off on the USB 2.0 downgrade, because Samsung ruined what is otherwise a very fine device. What a dumb-shit move to put 2.0 when the earlier model had 3.1... Plus, they could have improved the graphics performance to equal, if not better, their older model Tab Active3. I own Active3. It's the best rugged 8-inch tablet there is - bar none. I am sure Samsung would lose sales because of the stupid decision they made. If their reason for the downgrade was to keep the price the same level as the Tab Active3 despite the monetary inflation these days - BY CUTTING CORNERS - they made a terrible mistake. They could have given us USB 3.1 and raised the asking price by $50 or $100, and we would have gladly paid it, because the Tab Active5 is otherwise a superb device.

[@Simpaulme]

Manufacturers don't aim to make the best for punters - they aim to make the best for themselves.

[@andrewstorrie5322]

Another backward step in the 5 is you cannot use it in the horizontal position while wearing polarised sunglasses, which for me is 80% of the time. I will be going back to the 3.

[@ontdekuzelf]

And a much faster processor...

[@ontdekuzelf]

​@@andrewstorrie5322the 3 is much too slow

[@hopydaddy]

@@ontdekuzelf Not true. My Active3 is blazingly fast. You may want to use a cleaning app.

[@barriemoorcroft534]

The spen looks easy to pick up from the ground, even outdoors and with gloves on. I love that u can attach a bracelet loop to it too. Great for construction professionals everyday use.

[@DaphneLowe]

Thank you very much! Because of your review, I avoided making the mistake of buying the wrong tablet. Not have external monitor support was a deal breaker for me. Thanks to you, I bought the Active 3.

[@SammyTabGuy]

TL;DR: If you want a S9FE but in an 8 inch factor, and you want a great TABLET, get the Tab Active 5. If you want a PORTABLE COMPUTER in a shell of a tablet, keep or get the Active 3. I dont need the computer part since i have two laptops and my tab s8+, so I will be ultimately keeping the Tab Active 5

[@zapdosmtr4961]

Same specs on non-active Tab would be a perfect! Samsung finally put some effoft into 8 inch tablet line.

[@Simpaulme]

No they didn't! They made it as unattractive as possible to avoid cannibalising their other offerings 🥴

[@Yellowmoonhero]

I just bought one. It is a very good tablet. Especially suitable for users who often change batteries.

[@leekuan2007]

Can I independently make calls on it (use it as a phone)? Thanks.

[@ontdekuzelf]

​@@leekuan2007off course , all Samsung tablets with simcard can make phone calls.... Only Apple has the bizar commercial habbit to block call/sms in their tablets with simcard....

[@gr8bkset-524]

I was hoping that you'd test out the ruggedness with that hammer you have in the background.

[@gutwallst6645]

lol

[@fhwolthuis]

Hahaha, I'm sure you steal the show walking around with it to your ear in Berlin 😂

[@SammyTabGuy]

AYYYYYY YOU FINALLY DID IT!!! Love this review!! I love my tab active 5 besides its weight and wireless DeX. It's an amazing tablet!

[@hopydaddy]

What's your view on the USB 2.0 downgrade? I own Active3, and it's a superb tablet - buttery smooth.

[@SammyTabGuy]

@hopy0daddy for me it won't affect too much as I don't personally use DeX a lot but the downgrade in general is such a letdown that I've been considering keeping my tab active 3

[@SammyTabGuy]

​@hopydaddy also, if you get the Tab Active 5, it is so much better than the active 3 in performance. Everything just feels so much faster here. Tab Active 3 is fast enough but it will feel slower as we march on in tech innovation. Tl;dr: Tab active 5 is a GREAT tablet, Tab Active 3 is a GREAT portable computer in the shell of a tablet. If you need samsung dex, active 3 is your answer, but if you want a great tablet and don't need dex, the active 5 is your answer

[@mateos8378]

downgrade to 2.0 means no for me and im sure thousands of other fans of the older models. wth are they thinking. good review as usual

[@hopydaddy]

I am also very disappointed with Samsung. Who in the company made such a dumb decision? I own Tab Active3, and it's got USB 3.1. They ruined otherwise such a fine device with the stupidest move. My best guess is that they wanted to keep the price the same as Active3 - with inflation being what it is in 2024 - so they cut corners with the USB port. What a dumb move !!! They could have raised the asking price a bit, and we still could have gladly paid it.

[@The_life_of_jools]

Just got mine...interesting cos I've been using the s9 ultra.. can't say it's noticeably slower.... nice to use actually.... I'm using it as my phone.... but hey... I used the Dell Streak back in the day...everyone thought it was monstrous :) now, most phones are as big or bigger.... Certainly performs well....no issues or gripes so far?..

[@kevinreid1970]

Why haven't you done a vs with your active 3 against the active 5, please do one or tell us how the compare to each other.

[@stevesutton772]

How is it outside regarding glare?

[@keepemwet]

To make calls did you have to connect it to your cell phone ? Can this model work as a stand alone phone ?

[@ontdekuzelf]

The version with simcard you can use as a phone

[@keepemwet]

@@ontdekuzelf stand alone or does it have to pair to a phone ?

[@ontdekuzelf]

@@keepemwet always stand alone..... It's the adsurd commercial madness of Apple to make tablets with a simcard and then block the call/sms function... One of the main reasons not to use Apple.... I've seen it only once with an Android tablet a xiaomi one.... It could send sms but not make calls.... Also sold again. I'm not such a fan of Samsung either, one had a phone which was often overheated and then stopped all the apps... Not comfortable when you're navigating in your car and navigation stops.... Sold quickly.... But this tablet is oka6, although much too slow of course. The mini tablets of Lenovo are much much faster, everything is better with that tablet, except is had

[@ontdekuzelf]

@@keepemwet stand alone of course.... Only Apple has the crazy commercial habbit to sell tablets with a simcard and then block the call/sms function... and then you have to pair it with a phone and use the simcard of the phone......most weirdest thing possible on earth... Only problem here is that the speed is hardly enough to let it work as a smooth phone.... therefore sold the active 3 immediately..... Lenovo has mini tablets which are ten times faster ... But without simcard... And mostly only in China, but the hacked versions work okay, not perfect unfortunately... I hope they will go global and with simcard... Or that Samsung wakes up to speed up a mini tablet.... 😉 Just today I got a message from KZbin that you redacted.... So in 14 days you will get a notification of my answer.....😁

[@ontdekuzelf]

​@@keepemweti don't see my reaction.... Stand alone of course... A phone and a tablet are the same besides screensize.... When there's a simcard of course... Only Apple has the bizarre commercial habit to block the phone function on it's tablet with simcard...

[@onimyrytol8947]

thanks. i wish screen was 8.4 inc or just a little bit bigger

[@babavaga]

Good day! Can You help me a little? I have Tab Active 3 with LTE SM-T577 dualsim version. But there is no possibility to make a call. You are using this function in your videos. How did You shoot it on?

[@eltiohaku73]

I think the model 577 is only for data, the tablet don't have earpiece for calls, the model with phone function is the 575, and btw, I think the 306 model of the active 5 is the one with phone function too, because I have seen a 307 model with no earpiece too

[@joluves1]

Hola Yo compre mi Active 3 modelo 575 en ebay con un vendedor británico, abrió la caja de la tableta nueva y activo la tableta con una esim británica para poder hacer llamadas. Así quitó el bloqueo de región para poder hacer llamadas. Cuando yo recibí la tableta la configuré y puse mi propia esim sin problemas, teniendo datos, llamadas y mensajes de texto.

[@eltiohaku73]

@@joluves1 el bloqueo regional de Europa siempre se hace cuando se envía un teléfono o tablet así a un país que no es de Europa, por eso quitan el bloqueo con la sim de allá, pero si, el modo 575 si puede hacer llamadas

[@hopydaddy]

What sucks is that the U.S. version is missing the earpiece, so we can't use it as a phone. Samsung deliberately did it to sell their phones instead of Active5 to use as phone.

[@ontdekuzelf]

What do you mean by earpiece. ??

[@hopydaddy]

@ontdekuzelf it's that tiny speaker on smartphone to hold your ear to so you can hear. Tab Active 5 U.S. version doesn't come with it.

[@ontdekuzelf]

@@hopydaddy oh they should remove it and replace it with stereo speakers.... Never use it on my ear. I buy tablets especially for the superb handsfree calling function.

[@hailynewma9122]

Bought it instead of a fold

[@davidstechart1168]

Please can you compare both?

[@JedEckert]

I use a Bluetooth speaker or headphones for better sound when watching movies on my Tab Active5

[@ontdekuzelf]

Problem with bluetooth is the delay in sound so you lose lipsinc performance....

[@viktorbaresic4180]

8 years of security updates ;)

[@keepemwet]

how did you make calls ? Samsung support is telling me it takes a sim for browsing interenet but does Not have a call feature...this is Tab Active5 5G SM-X308UZGAXAC

[@ontdekuzelf]

Samsung tablets with simcard can all make phone calls.... Apple has the bizar habbit to block the call/sms with their tablets with simcard.

[@hopydaddy]

@seanvan6377 if you have the Tab Active5, international version (not the U.S. version), yes, you can use it as a phone, because it is a phone.

[@ontdekuzelf]

@@hopydaddy what's the problem with the US version?

[@hopydaddy]

@ontdekuzelf Nothing other than the inability to make phone calls (unless you go the Google Voice way) and the missing wired Dex capability.

[@ontdekuzelf]

@@hopydaddy you mean handsfree?

[@kritikpakaikarya]

Do you know, knox capture on the tablet? trial version (allowed demo 100 scan) or full version?

[@1vbAPiYk]

oh look, a water resistant smartphone with a removable batery. MAke one wonder why all smartphones have non-removable batteries...

[@hopydaddy]

It all started with the usual suspect - Apple. They designed obsolescence into their products to make you buy more of their crap after a couple of years because the battery is only good for that. They got greedy and started making expensive disposables. Sealed-in battery - like the old-school sealed-in disposable flashlights of the 70's. Others saw how much money Apple was making and soon followed.

[@hopydaddy]

One word: greed.

[@davidstechart1168]

Please does it support camera2api. Bro its good to make good videos but reply to your comments.

[@TheQuietBeast]

There is TFT screen on this one

[@darienchiba6682]

O botão para retroceder funciona só por pressionamento ou também por toque?

[@ontdekuzelf]

You really have to push it ... I hate it... But you can install and app for on screen navigation ... 😅

[@leekuan2007]

Can the Tablet directly make phone calls and send messages? According to the review done by the channel "Mike and Believe" he couldn't and therefore sent the purchase back to Samsung. If I cannot use this tablet like a phone, I probably won't buy it. Thanks for your confirmation!

[@Anton-id8ts]

I'm curious too, the old tablet 1,2 and 3 did.

[@ultraaaaaslan]

​@@Anton-id8ts i search this information too, i want use this tab like a phone

[@ontdekuzelf]

Oh boy..... What a question.... Just buy the version with a simcard..... Smartphones and tablets are essentially the same.... Only the screen size differs.... And there are tablets without simcard, so they can't make phone calls .. All Samsung tablets have versions with and without simcard.... So buy the version with simcard.... Tablets with simcards are nearly always much much better in handsfree calling then smartphones.... My reason to buy small tablets... Only Apple has the bizar commercial habbit to block the call/sms function on their tablets with simcard...... Should be legally forbidden...

[@TonyStark-yj6iv]

Are you able to do a review on the Samsung galaxy tab S9 ultra international and the Samsung galaxy tab S8 ultra international because I heard those work as a phone too. I’m not sure. Are you able to do a review on them? They are on Amazon

[@ontdekuzelf]

Off course they work as a phone, at least if you buy the version with simcard..... All tablets with simcard can make phone calls because essentially there is no difference between a smartphone and a tablet. Only Apple has the bizar commercial habbit to block the call/sms function in their tablets with simcard.

[@TonyStark-yj6iv]

@ @ on Amazon it’s say 5g WiFi and lte international so it will work as a phone

[@keepemwet]

so does it have esim slot ? which model has it along with 3.5mm jack for headphones ? or earpeice

[@ontdekuzelf]

Just a normal simcard..... eSIM is again promoted by Apple mainly...

[@saratmeinam6331]

Its only drawback is that its weight is greater than 280 gm

[@netnomad47]

Oled?

[@ultraaaaaslan]

No LCD

[@CapricornEGO]

Why would anyone get this instead of Tab A9 when that one is much cheaper and offers the same performance?

[@tsubasasawako5600]

Different uses, as mentioned this has an IP raiting a removable battery, a 5g option and so on. A9 uses a diff soc, screen is not full hd and has 60hz. In other words ,entirely different device.

[@danielnery5904]

Do not offer the same performance.

[@ontdekuzelf]

Size does matter

[@hopydaddy]

@@CapricornEGO Ruggedness !!!

[@TheDarthBuddha]

Oooo I want one

[@smbutte]

Bloke, how did you get the A5 to make calls? Please explain.

[@ontdekuzelf]

Just buy the version with simcard and use it as a phone There's essentially no difference between a smartphone and a tablet.... Only the screen size.... Therefore this is called a fablet

[@smbutte]

@ doesn’t work bloke

[@edgarpoe5243]

Not every Galaxy Active 5 has a front speaker

[@hopydaddy]

@@edgarpoe5243 Only the international model...

[@evelinecarolinelienhuaming1184]

I Think if it has 12inch Screen Must be Awesome!!! Yay ✌🏻😃✌🏻

[@warzoneidiot881]

This might be a replacment to my microsoft duo. I treat my duo as a foldable tablet with smartphone capabilities. The samsung seems to be just that. A tablet with smart capabilities with some limitations ofc