Better 7" Android tablet than Samsung Tab under $200?

papaschtroumpf

Senior member
Mar 5, 2003
869
2
81
My wife needs a new Android tablet.
She wants 7", is open to 8" but doesn't want something large or heavy
She needs "smart" bluetooth so it works with her FitBit
I want 802.1a support (5GHz)
Doesn't need huge internal storage

Beyond that it's for light usage, such as browsing, email, reading ebook or light gaming like Candy Crush, etc...

Costco currently as a decent price on the Galaxy Tab 4 in 7". Looks like I missed the Best Buy deal on the Tab Pro at $199.

Is there anything better? People keep saying get the Nexus 7 instead but I can't find it from a reputable dealer under $200.

My wife currently has an old Kindle Fire that's about dead, and she has very mixed feelings about using an Amazon product again. Been caught too many times with web pages that wouldn't work properly on amazon, or apps that are only available on Google Play, GMail being a main one (she doesn't like how the Amazon email app doesn't suggest email address from previously received emails). So I think that rules out the Fire HD 7


Our main concern is UI smoothness and responsiveness while browsing or switching apps, etc... I have the Nexus 7 2012 and it sucks with Lollipop, UI keeps freezing for seconds at a time, so that's not a recommendation for the Nexus 7 unless the 2013 was that much better. The Nexus 7 20123 requires Lollipop for some of the FitBit stuff to work.
 
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postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
7,721
40
91
Nexus 7, nothing else is close enough. LG G pad 8.3 has similar specs but is little over $200.
 

Platypus

Lifer
Apr 26, 2001
31,053
321
136
My wife needs a new Android tablet.
She wants 7", is open to 8" but doesn't want something large or heavy
She needs "smart" bluetooth so it works with her FitBit
I want 802.1a support (5GHz)
Doesn't need huge internal storage

Beyond that it's for light usage, such as browsing, email, reading ebook or light gaming like Candy Crush, etc...

Costco currently as a decent price on the Galaxy Tab 4 in 7". Looks like I missed the Best Buy deal on the Tab Pro at $199.

Is there anything better? People keep saying get the Nexus 7 instead but I can't find it from a reputable dealer under $200.

My wife currently has an old Kindle Fire that's about dead, and she has very mixed feelings about using an Amazon product again. Been caught too many times with web pages that wouldn't work properly on amazon, or apps that are only available on Google Play, GMail being a main one (she doesn't like how the Amazon email app doesn't suggest email address from previously received emails). So I think that rules out the Fire HD 7


Our main concern is UI smoothness and responsiveness while browsing or switching apps, etc... I have the Nexus 7 2012 and it sucks with Lollipop, UI keeps freezing for seconds at a time, so that's not a recommendation for the Nexus 7 unless the 2013 was that much better. The Nexus 7 20123 requires Lollipop for some of the FitBit stuff to work.

The 2013 is light years better than the 2012 due to the horrific flash memory they used in the 2012 version. It's directly responsible for the lag and freezing you see. It should never have been sold as is imo and thats why the refresh happened so quickly for it. You can use fstrim but it's temporary and a pain in the ass to maintain over time. Some people have had success with f2fs instead of ext4 for on it, but again you cant polish a turd.

The 2013 model is nice but at this point a bit older. For the price point you're after, nothing else is going to come close to what it provides.

FWIW, I've been using a flo (2013 model) daily on lollipop since google uploaded the source code and it's been pretty solid. The only lag I notice is with resource intensive games sometimes while I'm also listening to music.
 
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gmaster456

Golden Member
Sep 7, 2011
1,877
0
71
I feel like there should be something better out there than the Nexus 7 but sadly I don't think there is unless you want a Windows tablet. In which case I would recommend the HP Stream 7/8 or the Toshiba Encore 7/8. The Galaxy Tab 4 is also a solid choice.
 

openwheel

Platinum Member
Apr 30, 2012
2,044
17
81
Nexus 7 2013 is by far the best Android tablet today imho. It has gotten better with every update. It may not have the higgest specs but it "feels" more polished any anything else.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,378
708
126
I like the Evga tablet, I know the screen isn't as high resolution as the Nexus 7, but the pen's a great addition. I've seen them for $130 on Newegg. Don't think they still make it, but it's the sub $200 tablet I'd get, but that's just me.
 

papaschtroumpf

Senior member
Mar 5, 2003
869
2
81
I ordered the Nexus 7, my wife likes mine except for the lag, so she likes the idea of having a better one than mine :)
 
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poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
Wow, finally an easy thread. The Nexus 7 is the best Android tablet ever period.

This makes up for all those "I want a ten inch Android tablet" threads where we were all like "are you SURE you don't want a 7 inch tablet? Because that is all Android has."
 

stlc8tr

Golden Member
Jan 5, 2011
1,106
4
76
Too bad you missed out on the $200 Best Buy sale on the Tab Pro 8.4 as that was a seriously great deal.

7" tablets are too small and 10" tablets are too heavy. An in-between size like the 8.4" is perfect. Especially if you don't mind TouchWiz or can flash your own custom ROM.

The prices at Best Buy seem to bounce around a lot so they might have another sale at some point.