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Disclaimer: You are going to see me mention the iPad a LOT here, and that's because I have been an iPad user since day 1 when the first iPad came out. I have HATED every single Android tablet up till the N7. My hatred for Android tablets was exacerbated by the fact that I love Android and so dearly wanted one that could compete with the iPad and they all just fell short. Now that I have my N7, I am THRILLED with it, and haven't touched my iPad once since getting it. So you may think from reading this that I am an iPad fanboy, which I most definitely am not. I have just been patiently waiting for a comparable Android tablet to come to market and now one finally has. Happy day.
Read on.
Those that know me know that I just don’t like Android tablets. They have never appealed to me. I have always found many things wrong with them (both hardware and software), and have always preferred the iPad for my on-the-go digital consumption and gaming needs. Even the highest end Android tablets have always left something to be desired- from the terrible screen, weight and heft of the Motorola Xoom all the way to the Transformer Prime which while being the best Android tablet ever when it arrived on the scene, failed to live up to the hype. Android just wasn’t quite ready for the tablet scene and the iPad always overshadowed even the best Android tablets. Argue with me all you want about how much better your Prime is than the iPad but the fact is (yes, I said FACT), it’s not. The iPad has better hardware, better software, better build quality, and MUCH better apps. Because of this, there was no reason whatsoever to buy any Android tablet over the iPad- until now.
In comes the Nexus 7, the second Android tablet I have owned (the first being the Samsung Galaxy tab 7.0 Plus that was returned after 4 hours), and easily the best Android tablet ever made. Now when I say that, I don’t mean that it has the best specs, the best screen, the slimmest profile, or the sexiest looks. What I mean is the package as a whole is the best Android has to offer, and for the price you just can’t beat it. In fact, after owning one for about 24 hours now, I’d be hard pressed to try to come up with a better way to spend $250. Pretty much all the complaints I have had about Android tablets in the past are completely moot now with the Nexus 7.
Lets start with the hardware. For $250 ($200 if you got the 8gb version), Google has managed to squeeze incredible performance out of this thing. The Tegra 3 processor just screams here. Now, the Tegra 3 is not the most powerful SOC (system on a chip) out there, but it is definitely a respectable powerhouse, and Google has clearly optimized Jelly Bean to run on it and that makes all the difference in the world. Apps open fast, games run flawlessly with nary a frame rate stutter, and scrolling is buttery smooth (more on the butter later). The 1280x800 screen on it isn’t the greatest. In all honesty, it is the N7’s biggest shortcoming. It feels rather outdated, especially coming from an iPad 3 and an HTC One XL, but for the price, you just can’t beat it. It’s an IPS LCD that has decent color reproduction, acceptable indoor brightness levels, and a great viewing angle. At the most extreme angles the blacks do get washed out but hey, who uses tablets from the side? At every USABLE viewing angle however the screen is great, as long as you don’t use it side by side with the previously mentioned devices. My only real complaint about it is its outdoor performance. Maybe the breathtaking SLCD2 on my AT&T One XL (best phone ever, shut up about your plasticky SGS3 already) has spoiled me, but I was very disappointed with the way the screen looks outside. Even at its maximum brightness it is barely viewable even on an overcast day like today. But the good thing is that disappointment was quickly diminished when I reminded myself how much I paid for this thing.
Build quality is superb, but that shouldn’t be a surprise considering ASUS manufactured this thing for Google. The front is a solid slab of Corning scratch resistant glass (not Gorilla Glass), it is bound by a very tasteful silver frame, and the dimpled rubberized back is a joy to behold. This thing is absolutely solid, not a creak or squeak anywhere, and it feels like a much more expensive device than it is. I expected decent build quality but what I got was way beyond whatever preconceived notions I had had. Seriously, the craftsmanship on this thing is belied by its diminutive price tag. I think all other Android tab manufacturers need to take note here (*cough*Samsung*cough*)- THIS is how you build an Android tablet. I have played with practically every other major Android tablet on the market and none of them conveyed a sense of quality that could hold its own against the build of an iPad. This bad boy right here goes toe to toe with Apple’s offering in this regard. They have completely different design aesthetics but there is no denying that Google and ASUS meant business here.
On to the software. The Nexus 7 is Google’s first device to ship with its latest version of Android, version 4.1 Jelly Bean. It isn’t a major leap forward from Ice Cream Sandwich but more of an evolutionary step. They have optimized the performance of it so it feels a lot faster, and added quite a few features such as Google Now which I haven’t really played with all too much so I’m not going to comment on it further. The biggest change to me, at least from a users perspective, is what Google calls Project Butter. This is Google’s attempt to finally match the “buttery” smoothness of the UI and other operations of the iPad. Whenever any Android device is compared to an iOS device, be it a phone or a tablet, one cannot deny that Apple’s offerings offer a MUCH smoother experience across the UI. People who love their Android devices will surely say that their Galaxy S2s are as smooth as the iPhone and that their Transformer Primes are just as smooth as the iPad- well I don’t care what you say because they aren’t. There just is no argument. Sure they are smooth as hell compared to other Android devices but iOS smooth they are not. That is because Apple sets the UI animation renderings as the priority for the CPU/GPU which makes them incredibly smooth. That smoothness conveys quality. Project Butter is Google’s answer to that and while I can’t quite say that they have matched that smoothness, they definitely succeeded in conveying that same finished product level of UI quality that iOS devices have. They do this with a combination of significantly smoother scrolling, great app opening animations, and various other tweaks throughout the system. Couple all the software tweaks with the single most responsive touchscreen on any Android device to date and you have one incredibly fluid experience. Bottom line- it’s awesome.
Now a lot of people, myself included, complained about Google’s choice to use more or less a phone UI for the Nexus 7 instead of the standard ICS tablet UI. I was very disappointed when I found out, that’s for sure. But I decided that Google made a conscious decision to do this, and that I needed to trust them so I went into it with an open mind. Now, my biggest complaint about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus was the UI. I absolutely hated it. I’m not referring to the Touchwiz modifications that they made, but the actual Honeycomb UI design choices that still showed through. It just didn’t work on the 7” form factor, at least not for me. I am happy to report that the hybrid phone/tablet UI that Google decided to use on the Nexus 7 not only works, but does so famously. Long story short, any disappointment I had about it was quickly washed away when I started using it. It just makes sense to me now to use the phone UI here. Everything is within reach, nothing is cluttered, no buttons are too small making them hard to press, and I think it looks beautiful. My only complaint is that Google locked the homescreen UI to portrait mode only, but that is easily remedied by installing a 3rd party launcher like Nova which I use and recommend.
Now, where I think Android really needs to pick up the slack is with their tablet-optimized app selections. iOS simply blows Android out of the water here. A tablet is really only as good as the apps that can run on it and the apps alone make the iPad the best tablet out there. The nice thing here, is that since the Nexus 7 is a 7” tablet, it can handle tablet optimized apps AND phone apps and make it seem like they were all designed specifically for this size screen. Apps of both varieties feel right at home here. Quite frankly, it’s awesome and it makes a HUGE difference. When I am using an app that was only designed for a phone on the N7, it doesn’t feel like there is any compromise. This right here opens up a whole world of apps that while are a pain to use on a 10” tablet, they are great on the 7” one. With the N7 we get the best of both worlds.
The main reason why I got this thing was for gaming. Aside from browsing the web whilst sitting in the throne room, my iPad is used almost exclusively for games. The problem is, it’s just way too big for some. Playing a first person shooter like NOVA 3 or Modern Combat 3 is just way too cumbersome on a 10” tablet. On a 7” tablet, it’s flat out perfect. I have been waiting for a great 7” gaming tablet to come along and I couldn’t be happier with this thing. Right now, some of my favorite games just don’t run on it, like NOVA 3, but others do and they are AWESOME to play on this bad oscar. The Tegra HD games like Shadowgun look flat out gorgeous here and the fact that the screen isn’t massive makes them a joy to play. I haven't spent too much time yet with emulators, but I can say that N64oid works great and Starfox 64 is a blast to play on it. Most of the games I have played so far have run incredibly smoothly here, and it is obvious that the Tegra 3 was built with gaming in mind.
One thing I haven’t touched on so far is the battery life. I’m on the fence with it. It seems like the battery drops faster than I was expecting it to, but I have only had it for 24 hours and that just isn’t long enough for me to give an accurate review of it. If I am just swiping through the screens it seems to hold pretty well, but as soon as I start browsing the web or playing games the battery seems to drop fairly quickly. I have yet to run this thing through a complete cycle so I dunno. Google states that we should be getting about 8 hours out of it with “active use” and that seems fairly accurate, as long as that “active use” isn’t 8 hours of straight Shadowgunning because I promise you it won’t make it that long.
So that about sums up what I have taken from this thing in the 24 hours that I’ve owned it. I am thoroughly impressed with what Google and ASUS have done here and I am FINALLY a fan of Android in the tablet world. One thing I know for absolute certain is that my iPad will see a significant drop in usage now that I have my Nexus 7. I think used to think 10" was the perfect size for a tablet but the Nexus 7 has me convinced otherwise. The 7" form factor is SIGNIFICANTLY more comfortable to hold and use. I am in absolute love with the Nexus 7 and I know it is not just a honeymoon thing. Do I think it is better than the iPad? Nope, not really. Do I think it is as good as the iPad, in an apples to oranges sort of way? Absolutely. Do I think it is the best Android tablet to date? Without a doubt. Is it worth the $200-$250? Don’t be stupid, of course it is. The bottom line is, if you have been waiting to pull the trigger on an Android tablet like I was, this is the tablet to get. It simply cannot be beat for the price.
I know I left some things out here so feel free to ask any questions that you may have.
EDIT: It's official, I have decided to sell my iPad 3. The N7 is everything I ever wanted in a tablet, no need to hang on to the iPad if it's just going to be collecting dust.
whoa.. such a big review with such small fonts on my pc. i'll read it only on my GN7
for the time being, you should upload a video review on youtube. I'd love to see that dude.
_MetalHead_ said:
Those that know me know that I just don’t like Android tablets. They have never appealed to me. I have always found many things wrong with them (both hardware and software), and have always preferred the iPad for my on-the-go digital consumption and gaming needs. Even the highest end Android tablets have always left something to be desired- from the terrible screen, weight and heft of the Motorola Xoom all the way to the Transformer Prime which while being the best Android tablet ever when it arrived on the scene, failed to live up to the hype and left much to be desired. Android just wasn’t quite ready for the tablet scene and the iPad always overshadowed even the best Android tablets. Argue with me all you want about how much better your Prime is than the iPad but the fact is (yes, I said FACT), it’s not. The iPad has better hardware, better software, better build quality, and MUCH better apps. Because of this, there was no reason whatsoever to buy any Android tablet over the iPad- until now.
In comes the Nexus 7, the second Android tablet I have owned (the first being the Samsung Galaxy tab 7.0 Plus that was returned after 4 hours), and easily the best Android tablet ever made. Now when I say that, I don’t mean that it has the best specs, the best screen, the slimmest profile, or the sexiest looks. What I mean is the package as a whole is the best Android has to offer, and for the price you just can’t beat it. In fact, after owning one for about 24 hours now, I’d be hard pressed to try to come up with a better way to spend $250. Pretty much all the complaints I have had about Android tablets in the past are completely moot now with the Nexus 7.
Lets start with the hardware. For $250 ($200 if you got the 8gb version), Google has managed to squeeze incredible performance out of this thing. The Tegra 3 processor just screams here. Now, the Tegra 3 is not the most powerful SOC (system on a chip) out there, but it is definitely a respectable powerhouse, and Google has clearly optimized Jelly Bean to run on it and that makes all the difference in the world. Apps open fast, games run flawlessly with nary a frame rate stutter, and scrolling is buttery smooth (more on the butter later). The 1280x800 screen on it isn’t the greatest. In all honesty, it is the N7’s biggest shortcoming. It feels rather outdated, especially coming from an iPad 3 and an HTC One XL, but for the price, you just can’t beat it. It’s an IPS LCD that has decent color reproduction, acceptable indoor brightness levels, and a great viewing angle. At the most extreme angles the blacks do get washed out but hey, who uses tablets from the side? At every USABLE viewing angle however the screen is great, as long as you don’t use it side by side with the previously mentioned devices. My only real complaint about it is its outdoor performance. Maybe the breathtaking SLCD2 on my AT&T One XL (best phone ever, shut up about your plasticky SGS3 already) has spoiled me, but I was very disappointed with the way the screen looks outside. Even at its maximum brightness it is barely viewable even on an overcast day like today. But the good thing is that disappointment was quickly diminished when I reminded myself how much I paid for this thing.
Build quality is superb, but that shouldn’t be a surprise considering ASUS manufactured this thing for Google. The front is a solid slab of Corning scratch resistant glass (not Gorilla Glass), it is bound by a very tasteful silver frame, and the dimpled rubberized back is a joy to behold. This thing is absolutely solid, not a creak or squeak anywhere, and it feels like a much more expensive device than it is. I expected decent build quality but what I got was way beyond whatever preconceived notions I had had. Seriously, the craftsmanship on this thing is belied by its diminutive price tag. I think all other Android tab manufacturers need to take note here (*cough*Samsung*cough*)- THIS is how you build an Android tablet. I have played with practically every other major Android tablet on the market and none of them conveyed a sense of quality that could hold its own against the build of an iPad. This bad boy right here goes toe to toe with Apple’s offering in this regard. They have completely different design aesthetics but there is no denying that Google and ASUS meant business here.
On to the software. The Nexus 7 is Google’s first device to ship with its latest version of Android, version 4.1 Jelly Bean. It isn’t a major leap forward from Ice Cream Sandwich but more of an evolutionary step. They have optimized the performance of it so it feels a lot faster, and added quite a few features such as Google Now which I haven’t really played with all too much so I’m not going to comment on it further. The biggest change to me, at least from a users perspective, is what Google calls Project Butter. This is Google’s attempt to finally match the “buttery” smoothness of the UI and other operations of the iPad. Whenever any Android device is compared to an iOS device, be it a phone or a tablet, one cannot deny that Apple’s offerings offer a MUCH smoother experience across the UI. People who love their Android devices will surely say that their Galaxy S2s are as smooth as the iPhone and that their Transformer Primes are just as smooth as the iPad- well I don’t care what you say because they aren’t. There just is no argument. Sure they are smooth as hell compared to other Android devices but iOS smooth they are not. That is because Apple sets the UI animation renderings as the priority for the CPU/GPU which makes them incredibly smooth. That smoothness conveys quality. Project Butter is Google’s answer to that and while I can’t quite say that they have matched that smoothness, they definitely succeeded in conveying that same finished product level of UI quality that iOS devices have. They do this with a combination of significantly smoother scrolling, great app opening animations, and various other tweaks throughout the system. Bottom line is- it’s awesome.
Now a lot of people, myself included, complained about Google’s choice to use more or less a phone UI for the Nexus 7 instead of the standard ICS tablet UI. I was very disappointed when I found out, that’s for sure. But I decided that Google made a conscious decision to do this, and that I needed to trust them so I went into it with an open mind. Now, my biggest complaint about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus was the UI. I absolutely hated it. I’m not referring to the Touchwiz modifications that they made, but the actual Honeycomb UI design choices that still showed through. It just didn’t work on the 7” form factor, at least not for me. I am happy to report that the hybrid phone/tablet UI that Google decided to use on the Nexus 7 not only works, but does so famously. Long story short, any disappointment I had about it was quickly washed away when I started using it. It just makes sense to me now to use the phone UI here. Everything is within reach, nothing is cluttered, no buttons are too small making them hard to press, and I think it looks beautiful. My only complaint is that Google locked the homescreen UI to portrait mode only, but that is easily remedied by installing a 3rd part launcher like Nova.
Now, where I think Android really needs to pick up the slack is with their tablet-optimized app selections. iOS simply blows Android out of the water here. A tablet is really only as good as the apps that can run on it and the apps alone make the iPad the best tablet out there. The nice thing here, is that since the Nexus 7 is a 7” tablet, it can handle tablet optimized apps AND phone apps and make it seem like they were all designed to specifically for this size screen. Quite frankly, it’s awesome and it makes a HUGE difference. When I am using an app that was only designed for phone on the N7, it doesn’t feel like there is any compromise. This right here opens up a whole world of apps that while are a pain to use on a 10” tablet, they are great on the 7” one. With the N7 we get the best of both worlds.
The main reason why I got this thing was for gaming. Aside from browsing the web whilst sitting in the throne room, my iPad is used almost exclusively for games. The problem is, it’s just way too big for some. Playing a first person shooter like NOVA 3 or Modern Combat 3 is just way too cumbersome on a 10” tablet. On a 7” tablet, it’s flat out perfect. I have been waiting for a great 7” gaming tablet to come along and I couldn’t be happier with this thing. Right now, some of my favorite games just don’t run on it, like NOVA 3, but others do and they are AWESOME to play on this bad oscar. The Tegra HD games like Shadowgun look flat out gorgeous here and the fact that the screen isn’t massive makes them a joy to play. Most of the games I have played so far have run incredibly smoothly here, and it is obvious that the Tegra 3 was built with gaming in mind.
One thing I haven’t touched on so far is the battery life. I’m on the fence with it. It seems like the battery drops faster than I was expecting it too, but I have only had it for 24 hours and that just isn’t long enough for me to give an accurate review of it. If I am just swiping through the screens it seems to hold pretty well, but as soon as I start browsing the web or playing games the battery seems to drop fairly quickly. I have yet to run this thing through a complete cycle so I dunno. Google states that we should be getting about 8 hours out of it with “active use” and that seems fairly accurate, as long as that “active use” isn’t 8 hours of straight Shadowgunning because I promise you it won’t make it that long.
So that about sums up what I have taken from this thing in the 24 hours that I’ve owned it. I am thoroughly impressed with what Google and ASUS have done here and I amn FINALLY a fan of Android in the tablet world. Do I think it is better than the iPad? Nope, not at all. Do I think it is as good as the iPad, in an apples to oranges sort of way? Absolutely. Do I think it is the best Android tablet to date? Without a doubt. Is it worth the $200-$250? Don’t be stupid, of course it is. The bottom line is, if you have been waiting to pull the trigger on an Android tablet like I was, this is the tablet to get. It simply cannot be beat for the price.
I know I left some things out here so feel free to ask any questions that you may have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nusairh said:
whoa.. such a big review with such small fonts on my pc. i'll read it only on my GN7
for the time being, you should upload a video review on youtube. I'd love to see that dude.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm planning on doing a video review later. Too hungover to do it now lol
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Excellent review! I also have always known that Android has had a tough time competing with the iPad which has definitely dominated the market for multiple reasons. I still have my iPad 2 and will use the Nexus 7 solely for the week and if I don't miss the iPad it will be sold at the end of the week. Right now after having it for around 8 hours I couldn't be happier, but I will see if I miss any iOS apps.
Screen is great and really loving the 7" form factor. I use my iPad exclusively in portrait mode and do so with the Nexus as well and it works great!
Sent from my Nexus 7
Haha thnx for the review bud, I pre ordered from play store so lord knows when I'll see mine lol
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Skillz1318 said:
Excellent review! I also have always known that Android has had a tough time competing with the iPad which has definitely dominated the market for multiple reasons. I still have my iPad 2 and will use the Nexus 7 solely for the week and if I don't miss the iPad it will be sold at the end of the week. Right now after having it for around 8 hours I couldn't be happier, but I will see if I miss any iOS apps.
Screen is great and really loving the 7" form factor. I use my iPad exclusively in portrait mode and do so with the Nexus as well and it works great!
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing I know for sure is that my iPad will se a significant drop in usage now that I have the Nexus 7. I used to think that the iPad was the perfect size for a tablet, now I'm not so sure. I am in absolute love with the N7 and I know it's not just a honeymoon thing. The size of the N7 is sooooo much more convenient than the iPad and is way more comfortable to hold. Like you said though it's all those awesome iOS apps that I will probably miss and for that reason I will not get rid of my iPad (especially because of Land Sear Air Warfare, what an AMAZING game) but for sure the N7 is going to become my primary tablet.
Wait no pics?
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE
Excellent review, awaiting for mine to arrive and stalking these threads to assure me that my purchase is justified.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda app-developers app
david279 said:
Wait no pics?
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure everyone knows what they look like by now.
_MetalHead_ said:
One thing I know for sure is that my iPad will se a significant drop in usage now that I have the Nexus 7. I used to think that the iPad was the perfect size for a tablet, now I'm not so sure. I am in absolute love with the N7 and I know it's not just a honeymoon thing. The size of the N7 is sooooo much more convenient than the iPad and is way more comfortable to hold. Like you said though it's all those awesome iOS apps that I will probably miss and for that reason I will not get rid of my iPad (especially because of Land Sear Air Warfare, what an AMAZING game) but for sure the N7 is going to become my primary tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I definitely prefer 7", but like you said will see if the iOS apps sway me back to the "dark side".
Any issues with dead pixels or screen flicker? Others are having some complaints
AtropineNa said:
Any issues with dead pixels or screen flicker? Others are having some complaints
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, aside from the minor complaints I talked about in the review, the screen is perfect. No image retention "problems" either.
Nice review
I'm trying to decide between the Xoom and the Nexus 7.
Both are the same price and each have their pros and cons so not an easy decision. Especially since I already have a 5.3" Note in my pocket.
Decisions, decisions.
Any advice?
Cheers
K1LLER HORNET said:
Nice review
I'm trying to decide between the Xoom and the Nexus 7.
Both are the same price and each have their pros and cons so not an easy decision. Especially since I already have a 5.3" Note in my pocket.
Decisions, decisions.
Any advice?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I really don't like the Xoom in the slightest. I played with one again today and it reminded me about how much I hated it. The screen is pretty crappy, the thing is heavy as hell, and performance is terribly sluggish by today's standards. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to go with a 10" tab, the iPad is the only option worth considering. If you want a 7" or just any Android tablet in general, the only one that I can comfortably recommend is the Nexus 7 and that is a wholehearted recommendation. At this point, I don't think anybody should consider buying an Android tablet unless it's an N7 and even then they shouldn't consider it- they should stop wasting time and buy it already
Go with the Nexus 7 man, guaranteed you are going to love it.
_MetalHead_ said:
Honestly, I really don't like the Xoom in the slightest. I played with one again today and it reminded me about how much I hated it. The screen is pretty crappy, the thing is heavy as hell, and performance is terribly sluggish by today's standards. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to go with a 10" tab, the iPad is the only option worth considering. If you want a 7" or just any Android tablet in general, the only one that I can comfortably recommend is the Nexus 7 and that is a wholehearted recommendation. At this point, I don't think anybody should consider buying an Android tablet unless it's an N7 and even then they shouldn't consider it- they should stop wasting time and buy it already
Go with the Nexus 7 man, guaranteed you are going to love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers, thanks for the info.
I recently sold my 64GB iPad 2.
Won't be going back to Apple. Good app selection but can't stand how they operate.
Just seen a review of the the Xoom's screen, pretty poor to say the least. Simply terrible viewing angles.
I think I'll take your recommendation and stick with my N7 pre-order :good:
Can't wait.
Thanks again
K1LLER HORNET said:
Cheers, thanks for the info.
I recently sold my 64GB iPad 2.
Won't be going back to Apple. Good app selection but can't stand how they operate.
Just seen a review of the the Xoom's screen, pretty poor to say the least. Simply terrible viewing angles.
I think I'll take your recommendation and stick with my N7 pre-order :good:
Can't wait.
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I hate the way Apple operates but I love the hardware and the game selections. No way can I get rid of my iPad.
No review can fully convey just how bad the Xoom's screen is. Especially if you are coming from an iPad, you will HATE it.
Picked mine up & am VERY happy w/ every aspect of this device. Hopefully the Dev community embraces the N7 and pump out ROMs / kernels etc
Good read OP. Just pre ordered from gamestop earlier.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
I'll add that the Nexus 7 will be a secondary tablet for me. The lack of an internal memory card slot, hdmi port, a rear camera (with flash), and other things relegate this to a part time toy. My Acer A500 is my workhorse. It has 80gb memory, reads barcodes, has the real estate big enough to read schematics at work, and has 2 USB ports... one full-size.
Don't get me wrong, I'll get a LOT of use from my Nexus, but not for work, not for on a trip where I want to display media on a projector or flatscreen... essentially, not for serious use. It's going to be a great reader, great for streaming, great for browsing, etc.
I now have a choice of viewing options- a 4.3" screen on my Razr Maxx, a 7" screen on my Nexus 7, and a 10.1" screen on my Acer A500. There's been times I wanted a larger second device with me, but the Acer (especially with the case) was just too damned bulky. This opens a lot of options. And, yes, it does fit in a pocket when you're wearing cargo pants
I don't know dude, almost sounded like the only thing you liked about it is the price (and the form factor, but that will be a non issue once iPad mini comes out).
Most of the time your review almost sounded sarcastic, like your using this review to reiterate how awesome your iPad is ..."Yeah, I like so and so about n7, it still sucks compared to my glorious iPad, but it's cheaper, so I'll pretend it's fine".
As for your so-called "facts" about one thing being better than another, you might wanna start substituting "facts" with "in my opinion", coz there is such a thing as personal preference.
Sent from my Full AOSP on Toro-VZW using xda app-developers app
I ask this because I need a tablet for my 1 month summer vacation soon, and I'm not sure if I can buy a Nexus 7 at that point yet.
Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 actually costs the same, or even cheaper than Nexus 7 right now. Tab 7.7 will also be only slightly more expensive, because the Nexus 7 will be sold at a higher price in my country after tax and so on.
So, disregarding the price, would 7.0 or 7.7 be a good choice too?
7.0 is very affordable, but i think the resolution isn't as good as the Nexus or 7.7?
7.7- I love the hardware, it's slim, AMOLED screen, and the battery life is great. I've heard about lagging though. However, I will probably root and use a stock android rom.. or use a launcher that replaces samsung's crap.
Both the samsung tablets also have sd card support. They do lack the development scene of the Nexus though.. but I am not someone who messes around with the custom rom a lot. I just need one simple clean one, then I'm good.
Would you choose the samsung tabs if they all cost the same price? why or why not?
Bought this tablet and gave my GTab 2 7" to my girlfriend and couldn't be happier. This thing is miles ahead of it.
This is the best 7in. Out there period. In terms of power and quality. Nothing even remotely comes close to touching the power this device has. Or at least below the 10 in. Range. Get one asap! Lol. So happy to have one.
Samsung tab in 7in. Range sucks, spec wise. Not worth the extra cost to pay for a lower spec device. Samsung smiled screen good but nexus 7 has an excellent display also. Actually aside from infinity pad, nexus 7 has the highest dpi of any android tablet out. So the resolution looks even better and sharper. If we go by the way apple rates their screens, nexus 7 has a retina display. Nexus 7 has like 216 dpi. New ipad3 has 250 or something close to that. So the screen quality on nexus 7 is top notch for a tablet, especially an android one.
Isn't this the only 7 inch running quad core at the moment?
I had the GTab 7.7, it was the best sub-10" tablet, before the Nexus 7 came out (or if you must have 3G).
However, JB on it sucked due to wifi problem. Samsung is not exactly know if fast when it comes to OS updates.
Don't even have mine yet but I've been shafted by enough devices that I don't think I'll ever buy anything except official Nexus devices from here on out.
It's so smooth and fast' nothing lags' even web browsing is a great experience. My wife is extremely jealous...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
ikeny said:
Isn't this the only 7 inch running quad core at the moment?
I had the GTab 7.7, it was the best sub-10" tablet, before the Nexus 7 came out (or if you must have 3G).
However, JB on it sucked due to wifi problem. Samsung is not exactly know if fast when it comes to OS updates.
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Click to collapse
Yes, its the only quad core (really 5) tegra3 7in. Tablet out now. Plus its the only one that can play all tegra3 optimized apps n games. Plus its the only 7in. To have really fast ddr3 ram. Then aside from infinity pad, it has the highest dpi of any android tablet. Really making it have the best display for this size factor. Then its the only android tablet period running official jellybean firmware.
BUTTERY SMOOTH...very fast! Plain n simple it works great. I will likely buy my woman one also.
Nexus 7 hands down.
I actually looked at the Galaxy 2 7" last night to see how it compares. The hardware across the board is grossly inferior. From the CPU, to the GPU to the resolution, to the DPI, etc.
The Samsung does have some added features (ie: gorilla glass, sd card, etc.), but it hurts where it counts.
If you disregard the price the new Toshiba 7.7 (AMOLED screen) is better as general hardware and construction, no question here.I think right now is th best 7" tablet you can buy. But it cost more than double which I can not justify (it is better but it's not "twice" as good).
My relative have one of these and, having set it up for her, it feels very nice in the hand and the few apps I loaded seemed really quick. Reviewers tend to be in agreement that this is, not just the best budget tablet, but the best Android tablet - period.
there is ZERO reason to buy any other ~7" android tablet, whether taking into account pricing or not.
I sold my Galaxy Tab 10.1 to buy the Nexus 7 and I absolutely do NOT regret doing it. I love it. Best selling decision I ever made.
And the original Tab line is BETTER than the Tab 2 line (look it up, they cut a lot of stuff to make it cheaper and the performance of the Tab 10.1 actually BESTED the Tab 2 line)
So bottom line, I can't see why anyone who choose the Tab 2 7 or 7.7 over the Nexus.
I have the nex7 and the gtab 7.7, disregarding price the gtab is better.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Care to elaborate jr?
mariolouis said:
Care to elaborate jr?
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Well he doesn't really have to. The 7.7 is a beast. Don't even think about how other Gakaxy Tabs stack up with the Nexus 7. That is like comparing the Galaxy Ace to the Galaxy Nexus, of course the Nexus wins that. The tab 7.7 however, is a different story. It is pretty much the Galaxy S3 of tablets.
The thing maybe a year old but it is still a beast.
-Super Amoled plus display at 197 ppi, not that much lower than the 215 ppi of the Nexus 7. Exact same resolution actually but a bigger screen on the 7.7
- lightest tablet ever
- one of the thinnest tablets ever, a lot thiner than the Nexus 7
- perfect size and form factor. Aluminum build but still feather light
- Best battery life out of any tablet including the iPad 2
- Exynos processor (dated now but insane a year ago)
Pretty much can go down the list. It is a premium device.
Now the Nexus 7 has some pretty big advantages, especially price, CPU, GPU, and Jelly Bean, it is still hard to decide somewhat.
You are comparing an older high end car to a newer consumer car. Not as clear cut as some people make it out to be. If I were to ballpark it, the tab 7.7 would be a 2010 Acura TSX and the Nexus 7 would be a 2012 Civic SI. I would probably go with the Civic myself but some might go for the TSX.
My first experience with a 7-inch tablet was an Acer A-100. I was never really satisfied with it and ended up selling it. I don't know what made me decide to pick up the N7, but I'm very happy with it. For $250, the building quality it outstanding and it's very fast.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Yeah what he said, it is great to hold as well same height, thinner lighter again disregarding price
Tomatoes8 said:
Well he doesn't really have to. The 7.7 is a beast. Don't even think about how other Gakaxy Tabs stack up with the Nexus 7. That is like comparing the Galaxy Ace to the Galaxy Nexus, of course the Nexus wins that. The tab 7.7 however, is a different story. It is pretty much the Galaxy S3 of tablets.
The thing maybe a year old but it is still a beast.
-Super Amoled plus display at 197 ppi, not that much lower than the 215 ppi of the Nexus 7. Exact same resolution actually but a bigger screen on the 7.7
- lightest tablet ever
- one of the thinnest tablets ever, a lot thiner than the Nexus 7
- perfect size and form factor. Aluminum build but still feather light
- Best battery life out of any tablet including the iPad 2
- Exynos processor (dated now but insane a year ago)
Pretty much can go down the list. It is a premium device.
Now the Nexus 7 has some pretty big advantages, especially price, CPU, GPU, and Jelly Bean, it is still hard to decided somewhat.
You are comparing an older high end car to a newer consumer car. Not as clear cut as some people make it out to be. If I were to ballpark it, the tab 7.7 would be a 2010 Acura TSX and the Nexus 7 would be a 2012 Civic SI. I would probably go with the Civic myself but some might go for the TSX.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
For someone who was against getting a 7 inch because I thought it was going to be useless since I had a 10 inch.. I would have never thought how much I hate having my transformer this whole time. Thing is amazing. Just too bad my device is defective.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Don't have any larger tablet to compare but honestly my screen is only on par with the nook tablet. Pretty sad... mine is defective. This thing is supposed to have good saturation, viewing angles and black levels. Mine has good viewing angles but there's a little light bleed and other than pitch blacks, the gray scale is awful. To top it off mine stutters and has an unresponsive screen. Hope my RMA tag comes in soon. Ascetically its the best hands down.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I actually have both, and though I love the Nexus, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has a special place - I love it. It proved to me that specs didn't matter that much when it comes to every day use (had many tablets, including the biggest disappointment of all time - the Transformer Prime).
It was embarrassing that my Tab 2 was more enjoyable to use than the Prime, but it was, that is simply a fact. Browsing is what I do most on a tablet, and the Prime was laggy as hell. Though I love Chrome as a browser (the only one I use on PC), Chrome on the Nexus is simply not good. Still behind the stock browser (IMHO), so overall, I find browsing more enjoyable on my Tab 2 7.0.
I can't wait for the Tab 2 to get JB (if it does).
If you had to pick one though,go with the Nexus 7. For the Price, unbeatable.
Thats not just 5th best tablet. Thats 5th best consumer technology product of any kind and the top pure tablet on the list. Considering CNET's love affair with Apple this is impressive.
http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-tab-s-10-5-inch/
Not bad. Quite happy as well with the 8.4 myself after tweaking it a bit here and there. Super AMOLED is mostly the reason I keep getting Samsung stuff, if only other Android based brands would provide Super AMOLED as well and give Samsung some competition, ie LG. I only know LG as the other brand who does OLED products.
Yes. Once you have gone super amoled on an Android device it is hard to go back to LCD. Windows devices allow us to dial down the gamma which gives just as good blacks as amoled, but until Android allows that as well, amoled is your only option for truly black blacks.
Sent from my SM-T700 using XDA Free mobile app
@jball yeah I still have the S III. It's collecting dust though. I moved on to the S V. You still rockin the S III?
Y.G. said:
@jball yeah I still have the S III. It's collecting dust though. I moved on to the S V. You still rockin the S III?
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Please start an S3 thread in the S3 forum if you wish to discuss the S3.
Sent from my SM-T700
mitchellvii said:
Please start an S3 thread in the S3 forum if you wish to discuss the S3.
Sent from my SM-T700
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Was just answering a question (seems to be deleted now). Not trying to derail your thread breh.
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
mitchellvii said:
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
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Agree. Somehow for me the 8-8.4 size in THE sweet spot for tabs. Got on board with SAMOLED when I bought the original "First" SAMOLED Sammy tab 7.7 a few years back. Got it up to 4.4 (thanks to Civato) and still like to play with it ever so often. Probably will never sell it. I read somewhere the 7.7 was the tab that got Apple all riled up at Sammy...lol! But this Tab S is just perfect!
skeeterpro said:
Agree. Somehow for me the 8-8.4 size in THE sweet spot for tabs. Got on board with SAMOLED when I bought the original "First" SAMOLED Sammy tab 7.7 a few years back. Got it up to 4.4 (thanks to Civato) and still like to play with it ever so often. Probably will never sell it. I read somewhere the 7.7 was the tab that got Apple all riled up at Sammy...lol! But this Tab S is just perfect!
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I really wanted to like the Surface Pro 3 but it just was so meh to me. Plus if you read the forums it has so many problems. Overheating, throttling, wifi drops, pen drops, touch drops. Just couldn't do it.
Even at the higher resolution the ppi is actually lower than the Surface Pro 2.
Sent from my SM-T700
mitchellvii said:
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
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Click to collapse
The Pro 3 isn't supposed to be compared to tablets like the Tab S. It's supposed to be compared to other ultrabooks and high-end laptops like MacBook Pros and Airs.
That being said, I don't think my Pro 3 feels cheap at all. It has a very, sturdy, premium feel to it.
I've haven't compared the screens since I only have the 8.4 and the Pro 3 is so much bigger. I do love the display on the Tab S though.
Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
I'm probably returning my 8.4.. It's slow in all tasks compared to my iPad Air.. battery life just drains when using it.. it gets hot. Android is still clunky on tablets.. iPads still do everything better in my opinion. If only Apple used this OLED panel on their iPads it would be perfect. .
For being the same price as a iPad Mini I don't see how this is a winner unless you have some aversion to iOS..
I know I must sound like a troll but this Samsung is just slow and choppy/lagging just browsing the web and yes i've tried a stripped, clean, deodexed rom as well which improved it marginally. The choice of a slow Exynos over a 801 Snapdragon is likely a reason, for a "premium" tablet and "premium" pricing Samsung went full derp on the CPU choice.
Most of my above complaints are 90% Android's fault, not Samsung.. If Android actually ran natively to hardware, it might actually smoke iOS in terms of smoothness and speed.
I think Android is far suited better to phones still, even after 3+ years of Android tablet history, it's still a bad experience.
Diversion said:
I'm probably returning my 8.4.. It's slow in all tasks compared to my iPad Air.. battery life just drains when using it.. it gets hot. Android is still clunky on tablets.. iPads still do everything better in my opinion. If only Apple used this OLED panel on their iPads it would be perfect. .
For being the same price as a iPad Mini I don't see how this is a winner unless you have some aversion to iOS..
I know I must sound like a troll but this Samsung is just slow and choppy/lagging just browsing the web and yes i've tried a stripped, clean, deodexed rom as well which improved it marginally. The choice of a slow Exynos over a 801 Snapdragon is likely a reason, for a "premium" tablet and "premium" pricing Samsung went full derp on the CPU choice.
Most of my above complaints are 90% Android's fault, not Samsung.. If Android actually ran natively to hardware, it might actually smoke iOS in terms of smoothness and speed.
I think Android is far suited better to phones still, even after 3+ years of Android tablet history, it's still a bad experience.
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I'm in the market for the Tab S 8.4, after reading this, I'm not too sure anymore. Can anyone confirm? I havent used both device neither.
xaznxplaya said:
I'm in the market for the Tab S 8.4, after reading this, I'm not too sure anymore. Can anyone confirm? I havent used both device neither.
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I don't have any of the issues he's talking about, but I have the Tab S 10.5 (32Gb version) though I doubt they are much different performance wise.
In my case, it's as fast as my wife's iPad 3rd gen, but it has less issues than the iPad which was pissing me off quite often lately..
Battery life should last for weeks if not using it (dropping about 1-2% during the night).
Last time I charged it, it was about 3 days on battery, with a bit over 3 hours screen on time, and there was 72% battery remaining.
For me it's more than enough, I guess some people would need more but I'm ok with it.
Performance is great for me, I haven't had any complains.
Sure, there is sometimes a micro stutter, but they are pretty rare compared to my previous Android tablet.
All in all, it's very nice to use, I'm not thinking about the performance of the device when I'm using it, so I guess that means it's fast enough for me
It boots very fast too if turned off, the sound is better than the iPad 3rd gen, and the screen is just in a league of its own, way ahead of the iPad's and other Android tablets.
There are sometimes Android related quirks like on phones (an app that crashes, etc..) but nothing that's really annoying, and it happens rarely.
I guess you should try it out yourself though (if using one in a store, be sure to kill everything first, as it most likely is filled with stuff in RAM) before making a decision.
I am probably a bit biased because I don't like the limitations of iOS to begin with (though I was using my wife's iPad quite a bit more than my Asus Transformer Prime for performance reasons, even if I was pestering about things I couldn't do on iOS when using it ), so I was waiting for a good Android tablet, but my wife actually wants to replace her iPad with a Tab S now.. she keeps using it when I leave it at home instead of her iPad.
Mithrandir007 said:
I don't have any of the issues he's talking about, but I have the Tab S 10.5 (32Gb version) though I doubt they are much different performance wise.
In my case, it's as fast as my wife's iPad 3rd gen, but it has less issues than the iPad which was pissing me off quite often lately..
Battery life should last for weeks if not using it (dropping about 1-2% during the night).
Last time I charged it, it was about 3 days on battery, with a bit over 3 hours screen on time, and there was 72% battery remaining.
For me it's more than enough, I guess some people would need more but I'm ok with it.
Performance is great for me, I haven't had any complains.
Sure, there is sometimes a micro stutter, but they are pretty rare compared to my previous Android tablet.
All in all, it's very nice to use, I'm not thinking about the performance of the device when I'm using it, so I guess that means it's fast enough for me
It boots very fast too if turned off, the sound is better than the iPad 3rd gen, and the screen is just in a league of its own, way ahead of the iPad's and other Android tablets.
There are sometimes Android related quirks like on phones (an app that crashes, etc..) but nothing that's really annoying, and it happens rarely.
I guess you should try it out yourself though (if using one in a store, be sure to kill everything first, as it most likely is filled with stuff in RAM) before making a decision.
I am probably a bit biased because I don't like the limitations of iOS to begin with (though I was using my wife's iPad quite a bit more than my Asus Transformer Prime for performance reasons, even if I was pestering about things I couldn't do on iOS when using it ), so I was waiting for a good Android tablet, but my wife actually wants to replace her iPad with a Tab S now.. she keeps using it when I leave it at home instead of her iPad.
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Thanks for the feedback. I heard you can sync it to your s5 as well(receiving phone calls, etc... ) ?
xaznxplaya said:
Thanks for the feedback. I heard you can sync it to your s5 as well(receiving phone calls, etc... ) ?
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You can indeed use sidesync with the Tab S and an S5
xaznxplaya said:
Thanks for the feedback. I heard you can sync it to your s5 as well(receiving phone calls, etc... ) ?
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Click to collapse
Indeed, that works fine as well, though I mostly used it to test out the feature, I haven't really had the need to use it, except once when I was too lazy to go get my phone that I forgot upstairs and wanted to check my sms messages
I am been thinking about getting a new tablet hopefully a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. I have S4 phone so I love Samsung products but been torn between Surface Pro 3 or the new 10.5 Tab S. After reading few posts here seems a few of you guys been doing same product comparisons. You seem to swaying me to the Tab... .
RonH54 said:
I am been thinking about getting a new tablet hopefully a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. I have S4 phone so I love Samsung products but been torn between Surface Pro 3 or the new 10.5 Tab S. After reading few posts here seems a few of you guys been doing same product comparisons. You seem to swaying me to the Tab... .
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Click to collapse
let's say your going to pay full price or close enough to it.I would get the
"Tab pro" or a Nexus Tablet .this tablet is nice but the chip isn't the best compared to a Snapdragon in my opinion.not a big enough difference in clarity between Amoled and LCD also in my opinion. Oh and the biggest factor and why most of us are on XDA is the overall development
mitchellvii said:
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After selling my 32GB Amazon Fire HD 8.9", I also looked at the MS Surface Pro 3 at BB and was not impressed either! You're right, definitely felt cheap and is more overpriced than the Samsung Tab S. Once I saw the display on the Tab S, I was sold. I bought the 32GB 10.5" Tab S mid July and have not regretted the purchase at all!
jball said:
let's say your going to pay full price or close enough to it.I would get the
"Tab pro" or a Nexus Tablet .this tablet is nice but the chip isn't the best compared to a Snapdragon in my opinion.not a big enough difference in clarity between Amoled and LCD also in my opinion. Oh and the biggest factor and why most of us are on XDA is the overall development
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you compare this one to the Tab 4?
Just saw four Sammy tablets at my local Costco:
Galaxy Tab 4 7": $160
Galaxy Tab 4 10.1: $300
Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2: $530
Galaxy Tab S 10.5: $480
I would like something bigger than 7". Can anyone give some pros and cons as to why I would choose a Tab S over Tab 4 10.1 or Tab Pro 12.2 (ignoring cost).
I have looked on some different techy sites for comparisons and am still none the wiser so figured the faithful at XDA would be able to give a real-world comparison/input as to why the different models would be chosen. The 12.2 seems huge - great for movies and other larger requirements, but I've heard the Tab S screen is exceptional.
Sigh...which one do I choose...?
Honest opinion #1
Any bigger than 8.4 you should just buy a laptop.
Snapdragon rules so that rules out the Tab S .
Go with the Tab Pro series
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vigZOYJYnf8
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xhsMFOwksAM
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Honest Opinion #2
I personally have bought the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and previously had the Note 8. Now I cannot give you real life experience because mine is still in the mail but the reason why I chose it was to replace my current windows 8. I have a Samsung Smart 500t PC and it recently has crapped out so I decided to get a replacement. I ultimately chose the 10.5 for multiple reasons:
1. This is going to be my "main" mobile device, I am going to use it for work, meetings, etc. I wanted something more portable than a laptop but bigger than an 8.
2. From my research, the Tab 4 series doesn't have much support. In fact, looking for reviews from the "big" tech companies was difficult to find. I wouldn't want to get a device knowing that there isn't much support right off the bat.
3. Galaxy Tab S is the newest of the Samsung Tabs and thus has the highest chance of getting an Android L upgrade (if Samsung decided to do)
4. Of course the SCREEN is beautiful from what I have seen.
It was a bit pricey but you can find some good deals off of ebay. I got mine for about $439 new free shipping insured.
I'll add that I do own the Tab S 8.4 (SM-T700) and it is nice,it's just the future for kernels are limited.some who notice when I post I always mention that this Tab S is slick on AOSP
Got for Galaxy Tab S 10.5, nice screen.. perfect size for magazine reading as you dont need to keep zooming in and out.
Movies looks great. Very light to hold. Great cover
Cons: Exynos and hard to hold in protrait due to small bezel.
I went to a store and compared them all before I bought the tab s. The Note Pro 12.5 is great, but it's to heavy for me.
I was looking for a tablet for watching movies and reading comics on while chilling in bed
Pros
Tab S screen IS exceptional.
It's ultra thin and light.
Looks very stylish
Fast and smooth
Cons
The hardware buttons when in portrait mode due to the ultra thin bezel. (Yes it can be solved by rooting etc.) but there's really no need to have them on a tablet. As I read a lot on my tablets in portrait mode the back button really frustrates me and I keep closing my magazines and comics by mistake. Its no deal breaker however.
I cant really come up with any cons except that tbh
i love the screen on the tab s, i find it very easy on the eyes for reading and movies.
That and the weight is about all i love though. the rest is just ok.
What are you going to use it for? The Tab 4's have 1,280x800 displays which by today's standards are pretty poor and will be painful for reading text. The Tab 4 7 has 8GB of storage and the 10 has 16GB. With the way 4.4 manages external storage and some media apps only supporting internal storage 8GB is woefully inadequate and 16GB borderline. They both have just adequate CPU/GPUs and you'll feel the lack of power in multitasking and anything graphic intensive. You get what you pay for.
The 12" tablets are huge. I don't know how someone could seriously compare a 7" tablet and a 12" tablet. I have a 5.7" N3 so 10" is the sweet spot for me between screen real estate and portability. I'm a productivity user though so anything less than 10" is too small to get any serious creation or office work done. From a portability perspective the difference between 7-8.4" isn't a big deal - you're not going to stick any of them in your back pocket. 7" tablets, in my opinion, are just too small to really enjoy media and browse the web without constantly zooming pages to read them. Samsung's high-end tablets have a lot of s/w features (EG: Multiview, Scrap Book, eMeeting, SideSync, Hancom Office) that, even if available on the 4's, wouldn't perform well because of lack of SoC power and RAM.
So first, think about what's important feature and performance wise and then think about size. And really consider the display. The Pro's and S' have beautiful 2,560x1,600 displays with high PPI that really are a joy to view. Tab 4's not so much.
Here's a size comparison...
I wanted to add to this as I've owned a few tablets lately, right now I have the tab s 10.5. I had a tab pro 4 10.1, pass. You won't be happy. It's performance is OK but the screen isn't that great. Plus the lack of vibrate and light sensors just made it feel cheap, I sold mine for 60 bucks, no regrets. I had an iPad air for a bit but I took it back as I tend to leave a lot of things running and, I just didn't like it overall. Now, the tab s. Had it about a week and I've disabled a lot of things and I have apex installed. However I think it's the best tablet I've owned. It's perfectly fast, I've not had a single hiccup doing anything. I love the processor, personally. The screen is amazing although I dialed mine back to the basic setting I find it more accurate that way. Seriously, this was 500 bucks. I a most wish I could not like it so I could return it but I just can't find any faults. I've tried but this is one brilliant machine. I could live without the bloat but like I said I disabled most of it anyway and apex took care of magazine ux. Sure the benchmarks will show snapdragon doing better and even the iPad air but consider this:I found a review that showed the Puffin browser blew every browser away I'm benchmark tests. It wasn't even close so I took UC off and paid for puffin. It's performance was so abysmal I got a refund and put uc back on. I am very happy with the tab s. The titanium bronze just looks superb and it's overall performance is stunning. I didn't want to believe I could like something better than an iPad but Samsung hit it out of the park. If you have the money buy the tab s 10.5 and thank me later. Don't listen to anyone who doesn't have one.
jball said:
Honest opinion #1
Any bigger than 8.4 you should just buy a laptop....
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vigZOYJYnf8
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xhsMFOwksAM
Nexus 5 via Tapatalk
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Let me guess. You are under 50, right? Some of us really need that bigger screen. Of course there are plenty of other reasons for preferring a larger screen. All boils down to personal needs and preferences so blanket statements are always wrong for a certain percentage of users.
ratman6161 said:
Let me guess. You are under 50, right? Some of us really need that bigger screen. Of course there are plenty of other reasons for preferring a larger screen. All boils down to personal needs and preferences so blanket statements are always wrong for a certain percentage of users.
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Click to collapse
Good guess but wow I didn't think I would hit a nerve. I am sorry I stated an "opinion" .I understand now why someone would want a bigger tablet
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mikelp1973 said:
I had a tab pro 4 10.1, pass. You won't be happy. It's performance is OK but the screen isn't that great. Plus the lack of vibrate and light sensors just made it feel cheap, I sold mine for 60 bucks, no regrets. I had an iPad air for a bit but I took it back as I tend to leave a lot of things running and, I just didn't like it overall.
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All Samsung's high-end Wi-Fi tablets use the same Exynos 5420 CPU and Mail 628 GPU. The Pro 10.1 has 2GB of RAM vs. 3GB on the Tab S but I've never seen any multitasking complaints on the Pro forum. I've used all Samsung's high-end tablets on 4.4 from the N10.1-14 on. Those with M-UX are laggier than the N10.1-14 without it. The Pro's seem a bit more fluid than the S' but its most likely due to the S' using V1.0 video drivers where the Note/Pro's have been updated about four times. There's a ton of posts in various threads here where former Note/Pro users with Tab S' have commented on a perceived increase in lag in moving to the S. So your experience is definitely different. In using all the tablets none struck me as so different performance wise that I'd be swayed in to buying one over the other solely because of it. That includes S-800 vs. Exynos 5420 (caveat: I'm not a gamer).
Samsung's 2,560x1,600 LCD panels are great and have been rated so in objective testing. They draw less power overall than the AMOLED panels on the S' because their RGBW PenTile and do exceptionally better on whites which kill AMOLED battery life. Most productivity and creation apps utilize light backgrounds so the Pro's would be a better choice battery life wise for productivity and web users and heavy readers. There's no doubt the S' display blacks better and offer better contrast but it doesn't make Samsung's high-end LCDs cow dung either. I'm a heavy productivity user and the S' display would absolutely kill me.
Are you sure you had a Pro 10.1? This is from the T-520 manual...
Moral of the story is people should buy what makes them happy, draw their own conclusions based on hands-on time, and realize opinions (including mine ) are just that.
It was the tab 4 10.1 my apologies. When I bought this tab s btw I was lookng for the pro in 10.1 for $399. My thoughts were if they didn't have any I'd look for a laptop about in that range or just gwt another ipad air. But as she was unlocking the case I spotted "S". I had my credit card out before she pulled the box out. But the price being $499 almost stopped me which is why I compared it to the Air becau of price only. But I bought the S and like I said I keep the display on basic and disabled everything I could without root. I use Apex pro and I should also mention I use no widgets and a plain background. I do leave a lot of stuff running but still for me performace has been flawless. I can even attest to the WiFi being more powerful than the air as I'm on the road a lot and pick up wifi whereever I can and this is just been the best overall tablet experience I've had.
Yes I would agree the Amoled use more power overall but I keep everything I can themed dark. Also I had a nexus 10 and agree the LCD screens are brilliant. In many ways better
Amoled probably comes down to preference. Or for me I was on the road stopped at the first walmart I could find and they had one. I'm glad. I just wanted to heartily endorse the tab s (10.5). Maybe the only thing I could say is that I liked the feel of Apple's aluminum casing but the titanium bronze has a beauty all its own.
mikelp1973 said:
It was the tab 4 10.1 my apologies.
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No worries; your experience being with a Tab 4 vs. a Pro explains a lot. With Samsung carpet bombing the tablet market it's very confusing to the consumer what they're actually buying. I think that's intentional to a degree.
This for $319 looks like a great deal...
...when compared to this for $499
And to the masses, maybe it is. Their standards are a lot lower than an XDA audience's.
Thanks very much for all the (informative and helpful) replies.
BarryH_GEG said:
With Samsung carpet bombing the tablet market it's very confusing to the consumer what they're actually buying. I think that's intentional to a degree.
Their standards are a lot lower than an XDA audience's.
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And this is why I came to XDA to ask opinions and suggestions -- I get real world helpful information rather than columns of comparisons on other sites which don't mean much. I'm just your average tablet user...but f I am going to save and buy one...I want to get the best bang-for-the-buck as I won't be buying a tablet every year!
IconBoy said:
Thanks very much for all the (informative and helpful) replies.
And this is why I came to XDA to ask opinions and suggestions -- I get real world helpful information rather than columns of comparisons on other sites which don't mean much. I'm just your average tablet user...but f I am going to save and buy one...I want to get the best bang-for-the-buck as I won't be buying a tablet every year!
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Click to collapse
I think the best all around is the pro 10.1 inch. Don't get the tab 4 it's $80 more for the pro and you get so much more, the display alone is worth the extra $. Like I said I love the tab S but it just so happened it's what they had. I would say it's well worth the asking price. Stunning 10.5 inch display, performance is stellar, much better than I expected. Had it about a week and I can't bring myself to return it. I returned the nexus 10, sold the tab 4 and returned the iPad air. I look for reasons it seems but I just haven't found a thing to dislike. I even tried since yesterday it just fits me too well.
I just realized the tab pro 10.1 isn't on the list. Get the tab S. Obviously I am biased, but happily.
i own the Tab Pro 10.1 which has better specs than the Tab 4 and also have the Tab S 10.5 and the difference from the extra 1GB Ram and the much updated Touchwiz version of the Tab S makes me not like the Pro 10.1 that much anymore. also the Tab S has much better accessory options in the case keyboard area.
if you are buying something to use for more than 1+ years than spend the money and get the S
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YHXahMDDXJ8
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eqlAqk6om2s
moSess said:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YHXahMDDXJ8
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eqlAqk6om2s
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i am not using a 3rd party keyboard (video 1)
or
a 3rd party launcher (video 2)
and so i am not having these issues with my Stock TW Tab S 10.5
not saying its your 3rd party apps but saying that is not my experience with my Tab S 10.5
fletch33 said:
i am not using a 3rd party keyboard (video 1)
or
a 3rd party launcher (video 2)
and so i am not having these issues with my Stock TW Tab S 10.5
not saying its your 3rd party apps but saying that is not my experience with my Tab S 10.5
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At this price point, and this late in the game in android, this is a joke!
A Joke.
Love my Tab S but thinking on upgrading in the near future. What do you guys think is a honorable replacement?
Nothing.
There does not exist a comparable replacement. The Android tablet market made about three steps back since the Tab S series were released. Seriously.
Akopps said:
Nothing.
There does not exist a comparable replacement. The Android tablet market made about three steps back since the Tab S series were released. Seriously.
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Click to collapse
Totally agree!! Tab s 8.4 is my tablet for years now. I am bothered that I can't find a perfect rom for it to flash (some things do not work on each rom) but no matter how ofter I search for a replacement, I always go back to my conclusion: There is no tablet like this! And sometimes I wonder why Samsung made such a GREAT table THAT early. Even the next ones (Tab S2, S3 etc) are not THAT much of a leap forward. Either poor battery, or lower screen quality, or no IR etc etc... So currently I stick with my beloved Tab S 8.4.
Now...to find a new rom......
artocube said:
Totally agree!! Tab s 8.4 is my tablet for years now. I am bothered that I can't find a perfect rom for it to flash (some things do not work on each rom) but no matter how ofter I search for a replacement, I always go back to my conclusion: There is no tablet like this! And sometimes I wonder why Samsung made such a GREAT table THAT early. Even the next ones (Tab S2, S3 etc) are not THAT much of a leap forward. Either poor battery, or lower screen quality, or no IR etc etc... So currently I stick with my beloved Tab S 8.4.
Now...to find a new rom......
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Well, S3 was a big leap forward in terms of SoC, but with its 600 dollar MSRP, what a poor value it was. And the S4 was good, but pricing completely mad. For that much money I can buy an entry level business class ultrabook. Tablet is great for media consumption, reading, and entertainment, but let's admit it's kind of a toy, it's not a business tool, and for what they offered the successive Tab S-line models were ridiculously overpriced. My Tab S 8.4 does feel kind of slow and I guess I could replace it when I see a tablet for better specs that's priced right, perhaps a heavily discounted Tab S4 during the holidays.
Akopps said:
Well, S3 was a big leap forward in terms of SoC, but with its 600 dollar MSRP, what a poor value it was. And the S4 was good, but pricing completely mad. For that much money I can buy an entry level business class ultrabook. Tablet is great for media consumption, reading, and entertainment, but let's admit it's kind of a toy, it's not a business tool, and for what they offered the successive Tab S-line models were ridiculously overpriced. My Tab S 8.4 does feel kind of slow and I guess I could replace it when I see a tablet for better specs that's priced right, perhaps a heavily discounted Tab S4 during the holidays.
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Well, for me a tablet IS a business tool as I use it twice a week (or more) for talks and presentations. And furthermore I like the 8.4" size and am not fond of bigger screens. Unfortunately Samsung doesn't release any decent small-sized tablets anymore. All the good stuff (RAM, CPU etc) exist on the bigger S3, S4, S5. The 8-inch-sized S and S2 were the only ones that did the trick for me. And currently upgrading to an S2 is not a good idea I believe. My (older) S 8.4 has better screen resolution, bigger battery, IR support... So yeah, I stick with it, for a little while at least. I really hope Samsung releases a smaller Tab S5 or (future) S6 (If that is even a thing) on a 8" form factor. I would really like to upgrade this sometime. Until then, it is the best table I ever had. Not gonna change it.
artocube said:
Well, for me a tablet IS a business tool as I use it twice a week (or more) for talks and presentations. And furthermore I like the 8.4" size and am not fond of bigger screens. Unfortunately Samsung doesn't release any decent small-sized tablets anymore. All the good stuff (RAM, CPU etc) exist on the bigger S3, S4, S5. The 8-inch-sized S and S2 were the only ones that did the trick for me. And currently upgrading to an S2 is not a good idea I believe. My (older) S 8.4 has better screen resolution, bigger battery, IR support... So yeah, I stick with it, for a little while at least. I really hope Samsung releases a smaller Tab S5 or (future) S6 (If that is even a thing) on a 8" form factor. I would really like to upgrade this sometime. Until then, it is the best table I ever had. Not gonna change it.
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Huawei is still making nice high end tablet with 8 inch screen (Mediapad M6), but sadly because of trade war, we're not going to see it on our shores.
Akopps said:
Nothing.
There does not exist a comparable replacement. The Android tablet market made about three steps back since the Tab S series were released. Seriously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I replaced my T-800 with the Tab S4 when Best Buy was blowing them out at $260 or less this past Christmas.
While my Tab S was very sexy and I had the Logitech Type S keyboard I loved it very much it was a no brainer upgrading at that point.
Here is my thread explaining the $260 sale:
https://slickdeals.net/f/13607677-s...-s4-64gb-tablet-wi-fi-black-260-in-store-ymmv
I would expect the S6 is about to go on deep discount soon so I would be on the look out if you're in the market for a new Samsung Tab.
I just sold off my T-800 in perfect shape, I do plan to hold onto my T-700 as Samsung just does not make sexiness like that any longer.
Hi guys I recently tried to understand whether it was possible to replace my Tab S 8.4 LTE and... I'm astonished. Android tablets are dead. I paid 350€ for this tablet at launch so taking into account 6 years of technological development I was expecting to find at the same price the following specs: 64-128gb of storage, 8gb of ram, same screen since oled technology had some troubles advancing, modern high end processor, a camera with not necessarily more pixels but with less noise and more details, no IR because we don't use TVs anymore.
What I found instead was: crappy low end overpriced tablets, with barely any ram, and no advancements whatsoever in productivity applications. The obvious choice would be to go for an x86 Windows tablet... But I don't dare to run Windows with less than 16gb of ram (any browser uses 5-6gb of ram to begin with with my usage scenario) and onestly those tablets have poor battery life and there are no small tablets to begin with. This leaves only the ipad mini... Which I had terrible experience with (ipad mini 2 was dropped from support and update very quickly and became slow as hell with the last updates it received).
Do you guys have any suggestion? Huaway is out of the question... I don't want to be caught in a stupid useless war.
There is no suitable replacement. I use mine as a phone and there is just nothing with as large a display that has an earpiece that you can hold up to your face and make calls with. I now own 3, 2 working, so I have spare parts as bits break.
Actually that is a usage scenario that happened a couple of times. My phone was temporarily down (anything from a bricked rom to a simply drained battery) and I always simply took the sim out of it, stuck into the tablet and continued my day with no problems whatsoever. Before buying this tablet I was super into the Asus transformer line. A phone that you insert in a screen that becomes a tablet with additional battery life, then you attach the keyboard and bump in terms of productivity. They where unreasonably costly to begin with had bad software support, and super died probably because the company got more money selling separate devices. I tried to create my own version of it with a raspberry pi but it was obviously very clunky.
hi you all!
i have been researching about this subejct and found this thread...
i was also looking into replacing my 8 inch tab S tablet but havent found anything good out there... and i thought tablets were getting better and better each release... like cellhphones...
seems like the 8 inchers are forgotten by the manufacturers... its sad...
my tablet works, sometimes i think it is slow... i guess i keep on comparing to my cell galaxy s10e...
i have the ORIGINAL keyboard that locks into the tablet... i loved this keyboard since it came out! such an awesome design...
anyway... i was thinking above the Huawei MediaPad M6 8 inch... but cant decide...
iPostNak3d said:
hi you all!
i have been researching about this subject and found this thread...
i was also looking into replacing my 8 inch tab S tablet but haven't found anything good out there... and i thought tablets were getting better and better each release... like cellphones...
seems like the 8 inches are forgotten by the manufacturers... its sad...
my tablet works, sometimes i think it is slow... i guess i keep on comparing to my cell galaxy s10e...
i have the ORIGINAL keyboard that locks into the tablet... i loved this keyboard since it came out! such an awesome design...
anyway... i was thinking above the Huawei MediaPad M6 8 inch... but cant decide...
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Click to collapse
Hi There is no replacement to our beloved tablet except for the Huawei Mediapad. Chuwi does make a very compelling android tablet with keyboard... but it is way bigger than the Tab S 8.4.
If you don't mind a slightly shorter screen-on time with your current battery you can change the CPU governor to something more performing. That coupled with a thermal mod gave a totally new life to my tablet (I was close to trashing it before these 2 things together). Now its running so great that I'm tempted to buy a new battery ( or 2 batteries hacked up together) and go on with it for a couple more years.
knosso said:
Hi There is no replacement to our beloved tablet except for the Huawei Mediapad. Chuwi does make a very compelling android tablet with keyboard... but it is way bigger than the Tab S 8.4.
If you don't mind a slightly shorter screen-on time with your current battery you can change the CPU governor to something more performing. That coupled with a thermal mod gave a totally new life to my tablet (I was close to trashing it before these 2 things together). Now its running so great that I'm tempted to buy a new battery ( or 2 batteries hacked up together) and go on with it for a couple more years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using a custom rom?
Tab S 10.1
Princeland said:
Are you using a custom rom?
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Hi yes I'm using the latest Lineage OS Deathly (android 7.1). The rom is probably close to its EOL since there is much less activity and updates. ROM. I've undervolted the tab and put an aluminium bar on the SOC to stop it from overheating... I would not describe the experience as high end but it's way better than before. The same developer made roms also for the WIFi only model and for the 2 bigger models.