Cellular Tablet -recommendations please

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Cellular Tablet -recommendations please

Gov

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Wannabe Geek

#248568 31-Mar-2019 19:20

I am looking to buy a tablet- This will be used to manage social media accounts of a business website, install all major messaging apps to interact with customers and also receive phone calls by using a sim card. That's all it will not be used for video streaming, camera or any other things we have a desktop for all that.

Not looking for a top end product something in a budget which can do the job. Any recommendations will be great. Thanks

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#2208322 31-Mar-2019 20:02

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

mattwnz

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#2208324 31-Mar-2019 20:04

Are there tablets that can also receive normal mobile phone calls? ipads don't, they only use sim for data. Not sure about surface tablets. Maybe you are looking for an android one, maybe samsung, but not sure if they answerphone calls either? Doing a search the Huawei MediaPad or Asus fonepad may, but never seen these myself, and some of these cheap tablets have pretty poor specs and very old android versions.

Gov

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2208330 31-Mar-2019 20:14

I can use my ipad to make/receive calls but that's an IOS feature. We very rarely get phone calls maybe 1-2% of enquires are over the phone rest all via emails. I am trying to avoid buying a smartphone alongside a tablet. At this stage, I am only looking for Android devices, but it has way too many options

mattwnz

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#2208332 31-Mar-2019 20:31

Gov:

I can use my ipad to make/receive calls but that's an IOS feature. We very rarely get phone calls maybe 1-2% of enquires are over the phone rest all via emails. I am trying to avoid buying a smartphone alongside a tablet. At this stage, I am only looking for Android devices, but it has way too many options

That is apples facetime, but not the same thing as a normal phone call, as both have to be using apple devices. These days people don't make as many phone calls as they used to, with the exception probably being to call centres, and to those businesses who use call centres in preference to email.

mdav056

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#2208345 31-Mar-2019 21:53

I've been looking at such things too, after buying a Lenovo Tab 4 Plus from Amazon, which I found doesn't do phone calls (but is great on Warehouse data).

Have a look at the Chuwi Hi-9 tablets on Aliexpress -- most seem to be "phone call" tablets. I can't vouch for them (I'm hoping you, or someone else, will!), and I don't know how well they will go on NZ networks. $NZ200-300. Older versions are also available, at around $150.

gml

gehenna

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#2208350 31-Mar-2019 22:29

mattwnz:
Gov:

I can use my ipad to make/receive calls but that's an IOS feature. We very rarely get phone calls maybe 1-2% of enquires are over the phone rest all via emails. I am trying to avoid buying a smartphone alongside a tablet. At this stage, I am only looking for Android devices, but it has way too many options

That is apples facetime, but not the same thing as a normal phone call, as both have to be using apple devices. These days people don't make as many phone calls as they used to, with the exception probably being to call centres, and to those businesses who use call centres in preference to email.

You can make and receive normal phone calls from an iPad and a Mac, using Facetime forwarding via an iPhone.

OP might like to consider that there aren't tablet apps for some of the standard social media platforms, eg Instagram.

neb

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#2208358 31-Mar-2019 23:32

Gov:
I am looking to buy a tablet- This will be used to manage social media accounts of a business website, install all major messaging apps to interact with customers and also receive phone calls by using a sim card. That's all it will not be used for video streaming, camera or any other things we have a desktop for all that.

Not looking for a top end product something in a budget which can do the job. Any recommendations will be great. Thanks

Pretty much any Android tablet will do that once you get past the bare-bones cheap-as-possible models. Not sure if I want to recommend anything particular since there's things like size, colour, storage, etc, it's really just a case of finding your price point and getting whatever fits.

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Gov

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2208360 31-Mar-2019 23:55

I was looking at Samsung Tab 3 T113 , it said supports voice calls but then I checked with Samsung they say it doesn't take sim cards: Cheap though $139 but wifi only

https://www.dicksmith.co.nz/dn/buy/samsung-galaxy-tab-3-lite-70-t113-8gb-wi-fi-white/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_listing_ads&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyoHlBRCNARIsAFjKJ6C2CLpHDsJ1vlHKsEZeLQ74dHcfEMFrgCSFjGO3ojJRPhE6mXkwRZ0aAlFDEALw_wcB

neb

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#2208361 1-Apr-2019 00:02

neb: Pretty much any Android tablet will do that once you get past the bare-bones cheap-as-possible models. Not sure if I want to recommend anything particular since there's things like size, colour, storage, etc, it's really just a case of finding your price point and getting whatever fits.

Ah, should clarify that, what I meant was the straight-from-China ones designed to cram as many features into a device as they can, rather than big-name ones designed so as not to undercut sales of the vendor's other product lines.

Technofreak

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#2208362 1-Apr-2019 00:41

My Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is capable of making and receiving phone calls. It came with the phone app pre-installed.

Currently I have a data only SIM so the calling function doesn't work. I'm fairly sure most tablets with a SIM card will be capable of making and receiving phone calls provided the correct SIM is fitted.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
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Gov

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2208363 1-Apr-2019 00:49

Does the data sim have a phone number? If so can you call it?

I am only going to use the tablet to receive maybe 1 call a week if that, no outgoing calls at all.

Technofreak

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#2208365 1-Apr-2019 01:12

Gov:
Does the data sim have a phone number? If so can you call it?

I am only going to use the tablet to receive maybe 1 call a week if that, no outgoing calls at all.

Yes, it has a phone number. It won't accept calls. It is an Optus (Australian) sim. Your mileage may vary with a different provider.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

mdav056

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#2208436 1-Apr-2019 09:30

Technofreak:
Currently I have a data only SIM so the calling function doesn't work. I'm fairly sure most tablets with a SIM card will be capable of making and receiving phone calls provided the correct SIM is fitted.

I'm not sure this is right. I think most tablets with a sim are set up for data only. My Lenovo on Warehouse has a phone number, will accept txt messages, won't accept phone calls, does mobile data, but has no phone app.

gml

rhy7s

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Ultimate Geek

#2208441 1-Apr-2019 10:05

I have a friend with one of the older Samsung Galaxy Tabs running LineageOS and it can use the phone app for calling. Do you need a particular number already associated with the SIM? If not, would VoIP be an option? Also re: phones, they are getting pretty ridiculously huge, might be close enough to a tablet for your use case?

MichaelNZ

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#2208442 1-Apr-2019 10:05

I have a Samsung S2 with LTE. Cost a bit more than the WIFI-only version but well worth it. It's been replaced by the S3 now.

In response to previous posts from various members - the Samsung will make and receive phone calls (Speaker phone only) and texts.

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

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