Samsung Galaxy A54 and a decent tablet? Advice sought

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JayADee

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#304544 14-May-2023 07:13

Hi,

I'm an apple person so I'm not much help here.

My sister is wanting a new phone and a decent tablet and needs recommendations on the tablet which will be her first.

She's looking at buying a Samsung Galaxy A5 for the phone; can you all recommend her a tablet that will be similar and play nice with it including recommending the details like memory size?

Thanks so much.

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478 posts

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#3075947 14-May-2023 07:34

Couple of things,

What is the price range, size and features she is wanting? (price being important)

What do you mean by Tablet and Phone playing nice together? (as in what is your expectations?)

Androids came in a ton of different prices and features, that is the great thing about the eco system.

However it doesn't have the same standardisations as apple, including not usually having the same software sharing support, 3rd party apps sometimes required to do the job.

Bung

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#3075948 14-May-2023 07:59

The only thing about my wife's ipad/ iPhone combination that I like is that she can link the 2 and answer/make calls and texts on her wifi tablet. AFAIK on Android you can also do this if you stick with pairing 2 Samsung devices. I have a Tab 7 so the next phone is almost certain to be a Samsung.

jonathan18

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#3075949 14-May-2023 08:18

Decent Android tablets are fairly rare, especially without paying iPad like prices (I went through this prior to Xmas as I was looking for a tablet for my wife - there’s a thread on this). I wouldn’t personally go with any of the Samsung tablets below their expensive S, primarily as I don’t like the blue tint of the screens (and given tablets are so often used for video…). The new Google Pixel tablet looks pretty spiffy with its base (and functionality as a Google Home Hub device when in it) but I’m unsure of its price and when it’ll be available here. But, as per the earlier comment, knowing budget would help.

As someone with an iPad (plus a work iPad Pro) and a Samsung phone, I’ve no issue using devices from these separate ecosystems. It’s not too often I’m frustrated by the lack of synergy between them as most apps will sync or there are methods, eg using Google’s Messages web interface to view and send texts.

JayADee

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#3075951 14-May-2023 08:26

Ah see that's all really useful info already.

I'll ask her what her budget is.

I thought an android tablet might be easier for her since she's never used a tablet before (uses her current Samsung phone a lot and her pick of next phone is the Galaxy A54) but I want her to have a good user experience because she isn't tech savvy at all.
I told her I like iPads because that's what I use… she said because she's used to her phone she's leaning android.

She is also living in North America…

Like for messenger for example, if she's switching between her Samsung phone and a tablet she'd like to see the ongoing conversation…like iPad and iPhone do. Maybe OS doesn't matter for that? I have no idea.

jonathan18

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#3075953 14-May-2023 08:30

Ipads are far more intuitive than Android tablets - so probably a better bet for someone new to tablets - and unless there's a specific reason, eg budget, I'd recommend them over an Android!

Edit: noting where she lives and depending on her budget, and whether she's interested in the extra base and features, the new Google Pixel could be an option. It's from $500, but only overviews not full reviews are out yet (that I've seen).

JayADee

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#3075954 14-May-2023 08:36

jonathan18:

Ipads are far more intuitive than Android tablets - so probably a better bet for someone new to tablets - and unless there's a specific reason, eg budget, I'd recommend them over an Android!

Edit: noting where she lives and depending on her budget, and whether she's interested in the extra base and features, the new Google Pixel could be an option. It's from $500, but only overviews not full reviews are out yet (that I've seen).

I'll tell her you said that. Another benefit over an android tablet is I could help her with any tech support. I've had them since they came out and have the pro version atm.

JayADee

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#3075955 14-May-2023 08:40

Will messenger and Facebook apps sync between the Samsung phone and an iPad?

I'd say those two would be important. Texts and calls she'd probably be happy to stick to the phone.

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#3075969 14-May-2023 10:08

They don't 'sync' between devices, but they can both have the apps installed and sync to their respective app servers, just the way they would if it was two Apple devices. You can swap between each device and continue viewing or chatting.

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

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everettpsycho

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#3076077 14-May-2023 14:42

Samsung can talk across devices but it's not great, things like web browsing you need to use their browser not chrome or edge. I do find it useful my buds can jump between my tablet and phone though.

A good an S22+ and A8 and if all you want to do is watch videos and very basic briefing the tablets fine. The S series offers a much better experience but I couldn't justify over double the price.

The pixel tablet probably won't be here anytime soon, but it's definitely going to oz and I think it's $750. Pairing a pixel tablet with a pixel 7a would probably be a nice combination but you are going to have to import them to get them anytime soon. The fact google are launching tablets again means they might actually take it seriously and I'd think all tablet manufacturers will benefit from that sort of integration being built in to android. Android apps kn general just still aren't quite there for tablets with apps like Facebook basically being the phone app stretched to a much bigger screen.

JayADee

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#3076086 14-May-2023 15:05

Thanks, much appreciated. It sounds like Apple might be the best way to go, possibly the 64GB iPad 10th gen.

jonathan18

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#3076142 14-May-2023 18:55

JayADee:
Thanks, much appreciated. It sounds like Apple might be the best way to go, possibly the 64GB iPad 10th gen.

You really can’t go wrong with an iPad, so I think that’s a good recommendation.

A good recent addition on the standard iPad has been stereo speakers (when in landscape mode); my personal iPad has them only on one side, and it irritates me when watching video content - so definitely an advantage going with the current model.

jonathan18

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#3076144 14-May-2023 19:01

everettpsycho: The pixel tablet probably won't be here anytime soon, but it's definitely going to oz and I think it's $750. Pairing a pixel tablet with a pixel 7a would probably be a nice combination but you are going to have to import them to get them anytime soon. The fact google are launching tablets again means they might actually take it seriously and I'd think all tablet manufacturers will benefit from that sort of integration being built in to android. Android apps kn general just still aren't quite there for tablets with apps like Facebook basically being the phone app stretched to a much bigger screen.

The OP’s looking for a recommendation for a sister in North America, hence why I suggested the new Pixel tablet is indeed a realistic option. If they’re already in the Google Home ecosystem then this would definitely be a logical choice (as you suggest, particularly paired with a Pixel).

(That said , if one can really bare to stay with a GA/GH-managed dumb home - I’ve found our many GH devices have got SOOOOOO bad over the past months; interesting to see more and more articles saying exactly the same thing. I can’t work out why voice recognition would get worse not better over time…)

everettpsycho

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#3076162 14-May-2023 19:36

Apologies I forgot that she's in the states. The pixel would be an option but considering they've released tablets before and it's still in a questionable state integrating the systems I'll be interested to see if this time is different or just more of the same. Personally I just don't use my tablet for much being media and basic browsing and have turned off most notifications to stop them pinging on both devices and needing clearing out.

As for google assistant, I agree that ours feels like it's got significantly worse over the last year or so. It often picks up in the wrong room and then can't understand what you asked through the wall despite having a speaker next to you. Then it seems to forget some devices or just want to play the track lights when I try and then off the lights. Hopefully all the AI stuff they talked about at I/O might actually help their soeach recognition as it needs it.

Handle9

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#3076219 15-May-2023 06:58

jonathan18:
JayADee:
Thanks, much appreciated. It sounds like Apple might be the best way to go, possibly the 64GB iPad 10th gen.

You really can’t go wrong with an iPad, so I think that’s a good recommendation.

A good recent addition on the standard iPad has been stereo speakers (when in landscape mode); my personal iPad has them only on one side, and it irritates me when watching video content - so definitely an advantage going with the current model.

An a54 with a 9th generation iPad would be pretty much as good and a fair bit cheaper.

Unless you have a very specific use case, a very small budget or just hate Apple it’s very hard to recommend a tablet that isn’t an iPad. Outside of the hardware the software ecosystem is far bigger and better supported.

gehenna

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#3076234 15-May-2023 08:29

Android tablets have come a long way in the last few years, mostly driven by Samsung's OneUI and some enhancements to the underlying Android OS. Based on Google I/O the other day, even more tablet focus is coming, and I would expect the functionality to surpass iPad in the near future. There's already way more customisation available to have the home screen how you want it, compared to the iPad. But as usual with the iOS/Android debate it comes down to how much of a tinkerer you are vs how much you just want a lowest common denominator experience that works out of the box for the masses.

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