Need help finding a phablet

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IronH

249 posts

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# 175115 17-Jun-2015 21:57

I'm after a new phablet, it's main use will be for surfing the web while at home, so screen quality, battery life, performance, & speaker quality are most important. Basically I'll use it like a tablet and won't use the phone functionality at all.

I don't want another tablet because I find them to large. I had the 6.3" Galaxy Mega a while back which I used as a tablet and found the size was great. I latter changed to the 8.4" Galaxy Tab S and found it to large and uncomfortable for how I hold it.

So now I'm after a phablet again, 6" or bigger. When I had the Mega 6.3 it had the same styling as the Galaxy S4 I had at the time. And when I had the Tab S it had the same styling as the S5 I had. Now I currently have a Z3 compact so naturally I'm drawn to the 6.4" Z Ultra, but its getting old, and its weak battery life means other alternatives are still worth considering.

I'm liking the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro with metal build, 6" QHD screen and 4000mAh battery but have no idea who to import it through (doesn't appear to be sold anywhere in NZ I can find). Any recommendations on who to import through or alternative devices? The last few tablets I've bought have been under $600 so would like to keep to the same price range. Cheers in advance for any help.

mattwnz

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# 1326871 17-Jun-2015 22:45

Does it need to be android. What about the ipad mini 2, a;though maybe slightly too large . Under your budget, excellent app support and great screen quality. I find iOS and apps far more reliable than android. Plus apple supports iOS for years. If I was going android I would look at one of the google tablets.

nathan

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Microsoft

# 1326879 17-Jun-2015 22:56

an iPad is not a Phablet. an iPhone 6 Plus is.

nathan

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# 1326880 17-Jun-2015 22:57

OK right, so I reread the OP and phone won't be used at all. So why the Phablet?

Batman

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# 1326884 17-Jun-2015 23:05

Last time i checked, mini tablets are far cheaper than phablets ... But presumably also lower specd

Involuntary autocorrect in operation on mobile device. Apologies in advance.

mattwnz

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# 1326894 17-Jun-2015 23:40

joker97: Last time i checked, mini tablets are far cheaper than phablets ... But presumably also lower specd

That is why i suggested the ipad mini 2, as it is pretty well spec'd at quite a good price. It is probably a bit of a dated product , as the iphone 6plus has probably taken much of it's market. But there are still people who want these types of devices that doesn't have cellular access.

michaelmurfy

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# 1326899 18-Jun-2015 00:17

Have you considered the Amazon Fire 6 or 7? My partner has one and she finds it perfect for web browsing, reading etc.

Good bang for buck and whilst they're not the most powerful the pros are excellent battery life and a very good screen also (since they're designed for reading), they do also have excellent speakers. I see that XDA has gotten root on them and a custom recovery so shouldn't be an issue with getting the official Google Play store on it and turning it into a real tablet if you must.

But for your use it sounds perfect.

IronH

249 posts

Master Geek

# 1326931 18-Jun-2015 06:02

Thanks for suggestions but neither will suit. I want something I can comfortably palm. Ipad mini is wider than the tab s which I already find to wide. And besides I already have ipad mini 3 which Im not a fan of. I had a read of the Amazon fire, and it looks aweful Tbh, chunky, heavy, massive bezels and very low res screen. Also I posted in the Android section because im only interested in android. But thanks for the input.

Edit: im after a phablet unless anyone can point out a slim 6" tablet with excellent screen and higher end specs. Im not aware of any, hence why im after a phablet. Devices like the z ultra, the vibe z2 pro, g pro 2, ascend mate7, etc. Nexus 6 would be ideal but I cant justify the price of one of those :(

kiwitrc

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# 1326934 18-Jun-2015 06:38

IronH

I'm liking the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro with metal build, 6" QHD screen and 4000mAh battery but have no idea who to import it through (doesn't appear to be sold anywhere in NZ I can find). Any recommendations on who to import through or alternative devices? The last few tablets I've bought have been under $600 so would like to keep to the same price range. Cheers in advance for any help.

Amazon ---> Youshop ----> yours.

You might get hit for GST etc on the way through though. Download the Whats my Duty app to see what you might be up for.

michaelmurfy

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# 1326962 18-Jun-2015 07:21

The Amazon Fire is Android based just FYI :)

It is actually very comfortable to hold. I would recommend going into a store and trying some instead of going by looks alone.

timmmay

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# 1326964 18-Jun-2015 07:34

kiwitrc:
IronH

I'm liking the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro with metal build, 6" QHD screen and 4000mAh battery but have no idea who to import it through (doesn't appear to be sold anywhere in NZ I can find). Any recommendations on who to import through or alternative devices? The last few tablets I've bought have been under $600 so would like to keep to the same price range. Cheers in advance for any help.

Amazon ---> Youshop ----> yours.

You might get hit for GST etc on the way through though. Download the Whats my Duty app to see what you might be up for.

Or just use the website, no download required.

MikeB4

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# 1326972 18-Jun-2015 07:57

Huawei Mate 7 or Huawei P8 Max come to mind

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andrew027

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# 1327005 18-Jun-2015 08:33

I assume you've already been to sites like PriceSpy and filtered a list of search results with your requirements?

IronH

249 posts

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# 1327239 18-Jun-2015 12:47

michaelmurfy: The Amazon Fire is Android based just FYI :)

It is actually very comfortable to hold. I would recommend going into a store and trying some instead of going by looks alone.

It's a forked version of Android, I'm not interested in Amazon's ecosystem. I know I will hate it without trying. eg The ppi of the screen alone puts me off (remember I’m changing from tab S and mini3), thanks for suggestion but it's not what I'm after. Cheers

MikeB4: Huawei Mate 7 or Huawei P8 Max come to mind

I missed out on the 2GB version of the Mate7 for $599 at warehousestationery a couple weeks back because I had only just started looking into getting a phablet at that point. Have heard of the p8 and p8 lite, didn't know there was a p8 max, will have to research this, but I get the feeling it will be expensive?

andrew027: I assume you've already been to sites like PriceSpy and filtered a list of search results with your requirements?

Of course. Search fields as follows 5.9-6.5", under $600, 1920x1080-2560x1440 resolution, results:
G Pro 2 - a bit dated but could be an option
One Max - dated and I'm not a fan of HTC's build quality (not to be confused with build material)
Z Ultra - dated and weak battery, still a contender (wish there was a Z Ultra 3/4 coming)
THL 200 - not a contender
Also the Huawei Mate7 could be an option if it goes on sale again.

Pricespy of course doesn't find stuff not sold in NZ - eg The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro, that's why I'm asking here because I thought I might tap into GZ knowledge base to see if anyone knows of other options.

JayADee

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# 1327307 18-Jun-2015 13:59

Mate 7 is $608 at PB Tech