Tablets Android tablets are dead

[Heat_Fan89]

Wow, I just picked up a crazy deal from Samsung during their Black Friday Event. I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ 12.4" Mystic Blue 128GB for $349 which includes a free pair of Galaxy Buds 2. They gave me $350 trade in for my 9.7" iPad. Now i'm kicking myself because I sent in my OG iPad Air which I could have used for this trade.

So i'm trading in my 6th Gen iPad as part of the trade.

 

[Septembersrain]

My issue is options. There are not many large screens. It would seem most manufacturers don't really focus on big tablets. So the market is full of iPads as 12.9-13 isn't common with Android.

 

[nickdalzell1]

You want larger? I can't even imagine how impractical holding an unweildy 12" tablet would feel. 10.1 seems perfect.

Also wish phone screens would go back to 3.5-4" displays. That was a perfect one-handed size.

 

[Septembersrain]

You want larger? I can't even imagine how impractical holding an unweildy 12" tablet would feel. 10.1 seems perfect.

Also wish phone screens would go back to 3.5-4" displays. That was a perfect one-handed size.

I use it like a television. I'm a niche market, I know. I've never thought about it being unwieldy because it's usually sitting on a surface. I don't think I've taken my current 12.9 out of my home.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

My issue is options. There are not many large screens. It would seem most manufacturers don't really focus on big tablets. So the market is full of iPads as 12.9-13 isn't common with Android.

If you are looking for a tablet larger than 12”, a rumor I came across the other day suggest that Samsung might release a 19” tablet along with the Galaxy Tab S8 sometime next year.

 

[nickdalzell1]

Tablets for me are better to get some quick video watching in when you're nowhere near a TV or just feel like browsing TikTok or YouTube. The thing sits on my lap or held in one hand as I enjoy. Anything larger than 10.1" would be quite uncomfortable in that regard, also I tend to walk and do chores in the home bringing my tablet from room to room (less convenient for a laptop to do this) and a huge tablet would also be less convenient to carry around.

I know because I tried the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro back when, I think it was 12"? It was huge, and heavy.

 

[Heindijs]

Tablets for me are better to get some quick video watching in when you're nowhere near a TV or just feel like browsing TikTok or YouTube. The thing sits on my lap or held in one hand as I enjoy. Anything larger than 10.1" would be quite uncomfortable in that regard, also I tend to walk and do chores in the home bringing my tablet from room to room (less convenient for a laptop to do this) and a huge tablet would also be less convenient to carry around.

I know because I tried the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro back when, I think it was 12"? It was huge, and heavy.

View attachment 1914072

I bought a similar Samsung tablet when that one was new. The Tab Pro 10.1. Same interface and look as that one. It was a direct competitor to the iPad Air 2 and in the same price range, but a complete waste of money.
On paper it had better specs, but the TouchWiz UI made it incredibly laggy. The software was never updated and is still (officially) stuck on Android 4.4 while the iPad Air 2 got iPadOS 15 this year. I did manager to install Android 7.1 on it eventually but that's already out of date and practically unusable.

A €500+ tablet never receiving a software update is inexcusable.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I don't really care for updates sicne iOS 7 soured my view of them. Also, if you never update anything your device cannot ever slow down. The Note Pro actually was trying to compete with the then new iPad Pro. TouchWiz was to me very nice looking since it incorporated nature into it, and I'm a huge nature lover, and very outdoorsey. It fit me well. Today, that UI is just a background wallpaper of a lake or forest and replacing the default stock Android sounds with Samsung ones via Zedge. My Moto G Stylus has all the Samsung sounds, including the SMS tone and forest alarm. Other than that, and running an iOS'y launcher and lockscreen, it's pretty much left alone. I don't need TouchWiz's deep integration anymore, but I do miss it a bit. Especially the droplet touch sound.

I'd pay tons of $$$ for a device that never got updates unless I specifically chose to, and never nagged me about it, or worse, forced them on me. After iOS 7, I no longer believe in updates. I might choose to every now and then for apps, but I always read the changelogs, being cautious about any that mention 'redesigned' or 'reimagined'. Also make sure I can undo them if I despise the changes. It doesn't take much to annoy me, since I get used to interacting with apps and can often use them blind (most of the ones I use are from 2009-10) and just simply repositioning the settings icon bugs the living heck out of me. Just let me do as I please and enjoy my device, OEMs!

 

[SigEp265]

Tablets for me are better to get some quick video watching in when you're nowhere near a TV or just feel like browsing TikTok or YouTube. The thing sits on my lap or held in one hand as I enjoy. Anything larger than 10.1" would be quite uncomfortable in that regard, also I tend to walk and do chores in the home bringing my tablet from room to room (less convenient for a laptop to do this) and a huge tablet would also be less convenient to carry around.

I know because I tried the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro back when, I think it was 12"? It was huge, and heavy.

View attachment 1914072

I loved that tablet!

 

[Heindijs]

I don't really care for updates sicne iOS 7 soured my view of them. Also, if you never update anything your device cannot ever slow down. The Note Pro actually was trying to compete with the then new iPad Pro. TouchWiz was to me very nice looking since it incorporated nature into it, and I'm a huge nature lover, and very outdoorsey. It fit me well. Today, that UI is just a background wallpaper of a lake or forest and replacing the default stock Android sounds with Samsung ones via Zedge. My Moto G Stylus has all the Samsung sounds, including the SMS tone and forest alarm. Other than that, and running an iOS'y launcher and lockscreen, it's pretty much left alone. I don't need TouchWiz's deep integration anymore, but I do miss it a bit. Especially the droplet touch sound.

I'd pay tons of $$$ for a device that never got updates unless I specifically chose to, and never nagged me about it, or worse, forced them on me. After iOS 7, I no longer believe in updates. I might choose to every now and then for apps, but I always read the changelogs, being cautious about any that mention 'redesigned' or 'reimagined'. Also make sure I can undo them if I despise the changes. It doesn't take much to annoy me, since I get used to interacting with apps and can often use them blind (most of the ones I use are from 2009-10) and just simply repositioning the settings icon bugs the living heck out of me. Just let me do as I please and enjoy my device, OEMs!

Honestly, those nature things in old TouchWiz just felt really tacky to me. Paying so much money for a device that constantly makes toy noises made it feel cheap.
Android improved a lot especially since version 5 and there was no reason for the Tab Pro to not get an update. Updates improve the longevity of a device. It being stuck on such an old version of Android really did limit it. And not to mention the lack of security patches.

At least with iOS there only really has been one major design change with version 7 and after that it was just improvement after improvement. The iPad Air 2 is honestly much more useful with iPadOS 15 than it ever was with iOS 8. It’s not even that much slower and perfectly usable, even 7 years later and with 7 major updates.

 

[jimimac71]

So i'm trading in my 6th Gen iPad as part of the trade.

I'm buying a refurbished 7th Gen iPad and saving $120 in doing so.
Guess we are trading places.

 

[Septembersrain]

If you are looking for a tablet larger than 12”, a rumor I came across the other day suggest that Samsung might release a 19” tablet along with the Galaxy Tab S8 sometime next year.

Oh? That's quite exciting. I'm sure it'll be insanely expensive. However, I don't buy too many devices these days. So if I hold out with my iPad 1st gen 12.9, eventually the price will go down. That's the big plus of Android anything.

I hope this rumor is true.

 

[mrkapqa]

rumors are new samsung tablets getting bigger
would choose android over ipados easily because it gives more options, one is not so "landlocked".
only real "pro" feature for me that ipad used to be 4:3 format, but those days seem also gone.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I'm buying a refurbished 7th Gen iPad and saving $120 in doing so.
Guess we are trading places.

Actually, Samsung was giving $350 for my Galaxy Tab S2 which I purchased 4 yrs ago from Amazon for $249. So I used that instead.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Oh? That's quite exciting. I'm sure it'll be insanely expensive. However, I don't buy too many devices these days. So if I hold out with my iPad 1st gen 12.9, eventually the price will go down. That's the big plus of Android anything.

I hope this rumor is true.

Samsung several yrs ago released a 19" tablet just for streaming.

 

[Septembersrain]

Samsung several yrs ago released a 19" tablet just for streaming.

I hope they start trending towards that again. I never did see this tablet anywhere unfortunately.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I hope they start trending towards that again. I never did see this tablet anywhere unfortunately.

I said 19", it was actually 18.4" and was called the Galaxy View

Galaxy View 18.4" 32GB (Wi-Fi) Tablets - SM-T670NZKAXAR | Samsung US

Discover the latest features and innovations available in the Galaxy View 18.4 inches 32GB (Wi-Fi). Find the perfect Tablets for you!

www.samsung.com

 

[nickdalzell1]

There was also a Windows-based Galaxy Tab but not sure of its size.

 

[mrkapqa]

Actually, Samsung was giving $350 for my Galaxy Tab S2 which I purchased 4 yrs ago from Amazon for $249. So I used that instead.

are you saying Samsung bought a Galaxy Tab S2 off you for 350$? Lucky chap...

 

[jimimac71]

I can't quite hold my tablets in one hand and all my tablets are 10 inch.
I hold my tabby in my left hand and type with one finger on my right hand.
My devices are all about one pound.
I really don't want anything bigger or heavier.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

are you saying Samsung bought a Galaxy Tab S2 off you for 350$? Lucky chap...

Yes that’s exactly what i’m saying. Although every tablet listed also had a $350 trade in value and probably still does. The iPad Pro had the same trade in value as my Galaxy Tab S2. I reckon Samsung is trying to clear out its inventory before they release the Galaxy Tab S8. The Galaxy Tab S7 11” sold out pretty quick. That worked in my favor because I want a 12” tablet and was looking at the 12.9” iPP.

 

[bousozoku]

I would avoid Lenovo tablets. They don't get updates.
Samsung S6 lite will get Android 12 next year.

They get an update to whatever is the next version of Android. My 8 inch Lenovo tablet came with Android 9 and was updated to version 10. It's had few updates but they're good.

On the other hand, the 8 core MediaTek processor with Adreno GPU from 2013 is not so good. The tablet performs about the same as my Google Nexus 7 from 2013. The smaller tablets don't seem to get better hardware. You might as well buy a 6.x inch phone with a mid-level processor.

 

[DCBassman]

As Ive said elsewhere, I'm a retired tinkerer. I've three smartphones, a Samsung S7Edge, a Huawei P20 Pro, and an iPhone 4S. The S7Edge wins here. A Samsung Note 10.1 2012 model, and an iPad 3. The iPad wins easily for its screen, the Note for everything else.
As you can see, nothing I have is recent. But that's how it stacks up for me. I have no "productivity" needs as such, so sheer performance is not an issue.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I got a Note 10.1 2012 version too. I got a Galaxy SII phone, HTC Thunderbolt, and various other classics in my tech collection. They all work 100%, too. YouTube still works on the Note 10.1 via the in-built browser.

However, as much as I enjoy the skeuo on the SII and Note, they're headache-inducing if used too often. We really have come a long way in display tech. I think the PWM rates on old OLEDs and the lack of pixel density or PPI on the Note tablet wasn't all that great which causes headaches. Plus no blue light filter or dark mode.

That said, since I never updated a single thing on any of 'em, I can pop a SIM in any phone or use any tablet via wifi and the performance is just as they were in 2011-12. I was lucky they never got any updates before they were posted on Amazon. My Galaxy S5 has the Android 6.0 update (came that way) despite being listed as 4.4 Kitkat on Amazon, and like the last iOS update on an iPhone, performance on that phone is...painful.

 

[Jack Neill]

I wouldn't say they are dead, there isn't a lot of competition in the space. My Galaxy Tab S6 is an excellent tablet. OneUI is so much better than iOS in features its a joke.