Recommend me a mid priced Android tablet?

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#1438165 30-Nov-2015 21:22

Pretty sure I'd be happy with a 9 incher (hehe). Thing is I don't play games, all I do is surf the web, check email, do Facebook, and read RSS feeds. I don't need Android 6, 5 would be nice just for a bit more future proofing. I don't need something super robust, just a midrange tablet with reasonable build quality, midrange specs (processor and screen), ideally in the same ballpark as my S4 which is as fast as I really need.

The Cube i10 remix would be perfect if they'd done Android properly and thrown away Windows.

timmmay

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#1438173 30-Nov-2015 21:41

Dragon M10X might be an interesting option - review here. Haven't read all the reviews yet, but it's four times faster than my TF101, just a touch slower than the S4. 4 core 1.3GHz, 1GB RAM. Seems to be stuck on Android 4.4.4, but I think that's the norm for cheap tablets. US$140 with great reviews on Amazon. I'll ponder it a bit...

emsworth

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#1438188 30-Nov-2015 22:14

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 with S-Pen last month - really pleased with it. At $549 (wifi but no 4G), it's a tad more than your upper limit. I got it from Noel Leeming for that price, not sure if there are cheaper prices elsewhere. Pricespy should help.

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#1438204 30-Nov-2015 22:28

They are supposed to be releasing android 5 for the cubes. To be honest on my i6 air pro I never use android. Only windows. Eventually I'll delete android off it. But the android side does run pretty damned well and quick. And great battery life.

tigercorp

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#1438218 30-Nov-2015 23:29

timmmay: Any thoughts on the Lenovo Tab 2 A10 - 10", US$180, 1080p screen, looks to be around 30% faster than my S4 i9505 phone? It has Android 5 and it's possible to root it, no sign of Android 6. Apparently people do have a bit of trouble with upgrades.

For the size and price I think this ticks the most boxes. Decent performance, late enough version of Android and most importantly for me on a large tablet, good resolution.
We've got the Samsung Tab A 9.7 and I can't stand reading anything on it due to its poor resolution, particularly compared with any of the phones/tablets I've owned over the past few years.

I know you've said you want to stay large but if you were to consider a smaller screen I'd personally be trying to negotiate a slightly better price on this Samsung Tab S 8.4. I have the LTE version and its a serious piece of kit. Was using it as the primary voice calling phone until the Note 5 released but now its my main reading/browsing/gaming device. Highly recommended.

Stu

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#1438253 1-Dec-2015 07:04

Cyber Monday email from B&H Photo Video has a few tablets which may be of interest.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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#1438261 1-Dec-2015 07:28

Samsung S range is pretty much top of the line. Not sure I want another tablet that much, when all I use it for is reading stuff in front of the tv. Samsung A range has lower resolution than me 3 year old tablet, so probably not.

The Lenovo I linked to has Android 5, but I've seen one place where a lot of people are complaining about it, so I need to read around a bit more. However it has a nice screen, a decent processor, good to great Amazon reviews, and a good price, so maybe that is the best option. I like Lenovo generally, they build solid stuff. Anyone have any comments on Lenovo tablets?

Dairyxox

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#1438268 1-Dec-2015 07:56

Tried the Huawei Mediapad Tablets in the weekend.
The specs are low end, but the software and device quality are very good.

They do a cheap ~10 inch tablet.
Huawei Mediapad T1 10" 4G Silver Tablet

Quite surprised its got 4G for that price.
Edit: Android 4.4 and only 8GB (its got SD card storage) - but the price!

timmmay

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#1438270 1-Dec-2015 08:01

Interesting idea thanks. I think the Mediapad is a bit lower end than I'm looking for, and specs are worse than the Lenovo I'm currently considering.

However the reviews on the Lenovo aren't great. The KitKat upgrade is apparently really poor, it breaks Wifi, and many people have to downgrade to 4.4.4. Software support isn't great from Lenovo and a good fraction need to be replaced. I think I'll have to skip it after all.

Dairyxox

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#1438277 1-Dec-2015 08:24

I've tried one of the entry level Lenovo tablets for work and didnt like it much.
The plastic chassis was one of the ugliest possible (horrible blue color), huge bezels, quite thick. And the software was just garish (basically AOSP) with fugly everything (icons, wallpaers etc) with no optimization.
Definitely felt buyers remorse.

timmmay

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#1438279 1-Dec-2015 08:37

Based on a lot of reviews I think I've ruled out Lenovo tablets. Their laptops are great, but their tablets have problems and support is apparently really poor. Still looking, probably a brand with more experience in tablets, like my current Asus or Samsung. The Cube option still seems interesting, shame it's a hybrid with Windows and Android seems to be an afterthought and done poorly.

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browned

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#1438292 1-Dec-2015 08:56

The NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet K1 is only 8" but a great option. You say you are not interested in android 6, or games, but my experience with tablets is that once an OS upgrade is available every thing moves quickly and pretty soon you are left with a aging device that doesn't perform as it should because application demands on memory, storage space and performance increase quickly.

I am seriously considering the above but may also wait for the rumoured NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet X1 which might have a 10" screen. At least K1 is a brand new device, so it should get at least 2 OS updates.

timmmay

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#1438300 1-Dec-2015 09:10

browned: The NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet K1 is only 8" but a great option. You say you are not interested in android 6, or games, but my experience with tablets is that once an OS upgrade is available every thing moves quickly and pretty soon you are left with a aging device that doesn't perform as it should because application demands on memory, storage space and performance increase quickly.

I am seriously considering the above but may also wait for the rumoured NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet X1 which might have a 10" screen. At least K1 is a brand new device, so it should get at least 2 OS updates.

I looked at 8" devices in JB yesterday, they looked pretty small to me. I'll go back today and have another look, but after having 10" for years I'm not sure I want to downgrade. The main reason for the upgrade is web pages are really slow, and most web pages aren't mobile friendly yet and are much more readable on a 10" device.

Agree re a new device that should get a couple of updates. I may have to drop the budget and get a high end tablet. Just seems a waste since all I do is sit on my sofa, read RSS feeds, and browse the web occasionally.

Is there any way to use my S4 for processing and just have a bluetooth screen? Probably not.

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#1438314 1-Dec-2015 09:19

Check both Warehouse Stationery and Dick Smith they both have Tablets on good prices.

If you don't want Mid to high end the market is flooded with cheap tablets that I call throw aways

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

timmmay

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#1438320 1-Dec-2015 09:28

Yeah, the trick is finding one that's good the right combination of decent screen, fast enough to be worth the upgrade from my current one, and reasonable software/support. A lot of the cheap tablets seem to have hardware or software problems, or have really poor performance.

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