Cheap 10" Tablet options?

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boonrider

42 posts

Geek

#299407 5-Sep-2022 12:23

Hi,

I'm keen to get an android tablet for watching streaming content - That's really the key use case.

Researching online, the Amazon Fire 10 HD tablets seem like a great low cost option but the landscape is not quite the same in NZ as the states, with the landed cost being quite a bit higher.

Has anyone been through a similar process and any recommendations?

Thanks for taking the time!

everettpsycho

614 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2963576 5-Sep-2022 18:24

I'm in a similar boat at the moment. I have a a fire hd 8 plus which is ok but pretty slow in use and looking to get a 10 inch with the Amazon tablet relegated to the back seat of the car for media for the kids.

I've been considering:

Samsung A8
Fire HD 10 plus
Lenovo P10
Lenovo M10
Lenovo duet

The Lenovo duet is an interesting inclusion as it's actually a 2 in 1 Chromebook but they do run Android apps but I've no idea how good they are for this or if apps like YouTube will work.

The Amazon resorts are great value at the RRP but but the time you've paid tax and postage to get it here you could buy a locally sold one. You also really want to remove the Amazon os and add the play store to get the most out of it. Overall there's just to many downsides for me to recommend for the minimal saving.

I'm on the fence between the duet and A8 myself. The Samsung would work nicely with my S22 and Galaxy buds which would be nice, but the duet being a Chromebook would get much longer support for updates and double up as a laptop if i feel like using it as one.

old3eyes

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#2963827 6-Sep-2022 10:53

Don't get the Fire HD 10 plus or any Amazon tablet if you want a usable tablet. Sure you can download the Playstore etc but with the one I bought you couldn't set a launcher other than the Amazon one and it only had 2Gig of ram and bad memory management as such you couldn't close all apps when things stopped like you can on a Samsung. Mine did have 64 Gig of storage and was a good price but I've given it to one of the grandkids and gone back to my old Samsung with only 16 Gig of storage . At least it works. I'll replace it one of these days.

Regards,

Old3eyes

Bee

732 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2963830 6-Sep-2022 11:00

I looked at getting a tablet for my girlfriend recently and although there are a lot of options sub $200, I found the battery life may not be so good and they run an older version of Android.

In the end went with the Samsung galaxy a8 which is very quick, excellent battery life and up to date software - Samsung bloat is not as bad as it once was.

If you have never had a tablet before, you may find other uses for it also - I used to play games on my phone but now all games have moved to the bigger tablet screen.

IMHO its well worth spending the extra money and getting a tablet that will perform nicely for longer.

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

jonathan18

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#2991913 4-Nov-2022 14:25

To pick up on this thread as I'm also looking for the same thing - a 10" tablet up to say $400, primarily for consuming video (Netflix etc, so stereo speakers in landscape mode and a wider screen ratio than the current older gen iPad would be ideal).

I had planned on going with the Samsung A8, which is a pretty good deal at or below $350, but seeing it in the flesh I was really disappointed in the screen - both in terms of brightness and the cold blue tint. Also, unlike on many other devices, there's no ability for colour adjustment (other than a blue light setting).

At this stage, the front-runner is the 3rd gen of the Lenovo M10 Plus, which is less than $400 from Amazon.au and I imagine (hope!) will come down to this or lower from an NZ retailer in the coming weeks. I found the screen of this both brighter and more neutral in tones than the Samsung. Perhaps the P11 Plus if it comes down substantially, but that doesn't seem to offer many advantages over the M10 Plus.

Are there any other models that people would recommend I check out? Thanks in advance.

gzt

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#2991924 4-Nov-2022 15:07

I recall Costco has A11 at $499. I don't know the exact model. I made a mental note to look closer not returned yet. Post in Costco topic for a price etc ; ).

littlehead

214 posts

Master Geek

#2991930 4-Nov-2022 15:47

I went through this same things last year to replace a 6-7 year old Samsung Tab S. Same initial budget $400 or less. Looked at Lenovo, Huawei and the Samsung A series of tablets, but after seeing and trying out decided to extend budget and go for a Samsung Tab S6 Lite. Overall I really like it for what it is. Much better sound/speakers and screen than the others options. S-Pen is nice but not a huge bonus. Doesn't lag or stall for what i need it. Good, decent android tablet.

PB Tech has the 2020 version for $469 including a free Amazon FireTV Stick 4K until 7/11. The 2022 version is $539 with the same free stick deal. Only difference I can see is newer base OS and CPU/GPU on 2022 version.

everettpsycho

614 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2992062 4-Nov-2022 19:21

To come back around from my post above, I ended up getting an A8 as I had $80 of Samsung rewards and if you own another Samsung device you seem to be able to call them up and they'll send you 10% off voucher. All up I paid about $350 with a free book cover.

What swayed me in the end was the integration with my phone and Galaxy buds means I can have just one half decent set of earbuds and not use the cheap Ali express ones anymore. The Chromebook was also a bit of an unknown thing and I wasn't certain how good they are with Android apps that I'd want.

It's much better than the Amazon fire hd8 it replaced but not a perfect device. Its a shame the screen in the Samsungs aren't at least IPS panels.

Another option is the Nokia T20 on sales for $330 at pb tech at the moment and that has an IPS screen. I've not seen one in the flesh to know if it's decent and reviews look mixed on how good it performs.

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jonathan18

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#2992594 6-Nov-2022 17:23

Had a trawl through the local stores over the weekend, which confirmed I'd select the Lenovo M10 Plus over the Tab A8; just can't get past the screen on the Samsung.

However, today I came across the Lenovo Yoga Tab 11; HN seems to be the only retailer in NZ, and their 'special' price of $647 is completely over my original budget (c.$400) but I found it was in a different league in terms of image quality and - particularly - sound. And the stand is brilliant - it would be perfect for how my wife uses her current iPad, and the extra bulk of the circular base and stand wouldn't be an issue. While this price takes it close to the previous gen iPad, I think it would be a better 'media consumption device' than the iPad.

Has anyone got experience with this Yoga Tab 11, or can comment on it or this type of tablet?

I've heard that Lenovo's not the best at providing long-term support, and it looks like this is covered until only mid 2024 (and may not get any upgrade over that to Android 12). Is that a bit of a risk for a device that would be kept for a few years?

Lenovo Yoga Tab 11 Review: With Kickstand & Stylus • MyNextTablet

sdavisnz

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#2992639 6-Nov-2022 21:01

jonathan18:

Had a trawl through the local stores over the weekend, which confirmed I'd select the Lenovo M10 Plus over the Tab A8; just can't get past the screen on the Samsung.

However, today I came across the Lenovo Yoga Tab 11; HN seems to be the only retailer in NZ, and their 'special' price of $647 is completely over my original budget (c.$400) but I found it was in a different league in terms of image quality and - particularly - sound. And the stand is brilliant - it would be perfect for how my wife uses her current iPad, and the extra bulk of the circular base and stand wouldn't be an issue. While this price takes it close to the previous gen iPad, I think it would be a better 'media consumption device' than the iPad.

Has anyone got experience with this Yoga Tab 11, or can comment on it or this type of tablet?

I've heard that Lenovo's not the best at providing long-term support, and it looks like this is covered until only mid 2024 (and may not get any upgrade over that to Android 12). Is that a bit of a risk for a device that would be kept for a few years?

yep the lenovo will stay at android 12 officially forever, might get new firmware via XDA developers - not official.

if you want proper software updates on tablets you have 3 choices

Apple - 7-9 years

Samsung flagship devices 4 years + a year of security.

upcoming Google pixel tablet - ~5 years

the rest of the OEMs are dribs and drabs and no promises.

Voice gives context

jonathan18

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#2992730 7-Nov-2022 08:32

Thanks for the info. Yeah, if I could have found a Samsung that performed as I like (especially without the screen issues of the A8) at a similar point (up to $650) I would probably go with that.

I’d say the closest Samsung to the Yoga Tab 11 would be the Tab S7 FE, which currently comes in at $629 at PB Tech, but I’ve read mixed things about this. How would others view the S7 FE?

jonathan18

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#2993026 7-Nov-2022 13:28

So fosicking around the web I’ve found Amazon AU has the Yoga Tab 11 for just under $400 delivered to NZ (it’s from Amazon UK, but a bit cheaper to buy via the AU site).

Given the current price in NZ is $650 and doesn’t appear to have been below $600, this is a damn good deal, despite it not coming with the stylus. (Can always buy this later.)

I doubt I’m going to find anything that’s so suitable for ‘media consumption’ at such a good price, provided I’m ok with the limited support for updates.

Any gotchas buying tablets etc from Amazon? (Looks like warranty is one year, and I imagine they’re not the easiest to deal with for repairs/returns - would that be right?)

gzt

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#2993027 7-Nov-2022 13:29

I use an S7 FE occasionally as a work device. I like it. As a non+regular tablet user I don't have much comparison except similar sized ipad. As a user of a different devices I really do find Samsung's custom ui a bit irritating. Eg; holding two buttons to shut down. Other than that it's impressive at least to me.

lachlanw

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#2999607 22-Nov-2022 09:22

In the same boat as the opening post replacing our Galaxy Tab S, was comparing A8 vs M10 plus. Amazon has M10 Plus for $250 odd for Black Friday. Feels like this is a pretty good deal, anyone know of a reason reason to go with the A8 @ $350 over the M10?

jonathan18

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#2999609 22-Nov-2022 09:35

I’ve had many more plays with both the Tab A8 and S7 FE and every time I’ve come away seriously unimpressed with the tint of the screens, which is enough reason for me to rule either out; much happier with the displays of any of the Lenovos.

One thing to ensure you’re happy with, as mentioned by others, is the likely shorter support for a Lenovo product over the Samsung; I’ve decided I can live with that, as I feel the other advantages outweigh this.

My purchase of a Yoga Tab 11 for $400 on Amazon.au back on the 7th has gone nowhere; product still not shipped, now showing out of stock, and no luck getting a straight answer from the company - it’s been like dealing with Ali Express!

I’ve now gone with the Au model for sale on Amazon.au, which is down from $699 to $499 which, unlike the $400 one, comes with the stylus - I guess there’s a small chance HN will drop it down to a similar level so I could buy it locally, but a bird in the hand and all that…

Gurezaemon

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#2999681 22-Nov-2022 10:58

jonathan18:

I’ve had many more plays with both the Tab A8 and S7 FE and every time I’ve come away seriously unimpressed with the tint of the screens, which is enough reason for me to rule either out; much happier with the displays of any of the Lenovos.

I've just had a play with my Tab A7, and have changed the color using the Eye Comfort Shield function to make the colour a lot softer. This function is normally to minimise blue light at night, but can also be set to be on all the time.

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