Tablet Decision

[Tsaar]

In the mobile phone space, I feel that Android 4.1 is the cream of the crop. I am a current iPhone owner and I will be moving to Android very soon.

The tablet decision has been weighing on me though. I want to hold out for the Nexus 10 (you have to assume this is coming), but with Android in the tablet space this is a tougher decision.

On one hand you have iOS with a terrible and outdated homescreen. The wall of icons make my eyes bleed. Once the apps are open though the iPad is truly amazing. Most apps have great UIs customized for the tablet size.

On the other hand you have Android with an amazing and customizable homescreen. Most apps I have seen though are phone apps with stretched screens.

Why can't we get a tablet with the best of both worlds? Has anyone else gone through this dilemma? Or am I behind the times and are there now any updated apps for Android?

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One other question. I keep going back and forth on the wifi vs 3g tablets. If I am at the airport and pull out my wifi tablet which is tethered to my phone...will this kill the battery life of the phone? With the new shared data plans a tablet would be an extra $120/year, but I would avoid the need to tether.

 

[drbrock]

I have had a transformer with ics and an iPad 2. The iPad blows it away. Not even on the same level. The apps and browsing are so much better on the iPad. don't make the same mistake that I did and go with android. The only thing I miss is the calendar on the home screen.

I pretty much agree with you on the android phones being better now. But I think the iPhone 5 will make things even again. Who knows though, apple could blow it like they did with the 4s. The only reason I want to upgrade is because of the camera. I could care less about Siri. IMHO the 4 camera is a subpar camera for a phone these days.

Good luck with the tablet. You can get a iPad 2 for about 250 to 300 on Craigslist these days.

 

[ponyo]

Nexus 7 is basically oversized Galaxy Nexus. It's the Android tablet to get if you can deal with the smaller 7" size. As for 10" Nexus tab, I have no interest. Maybe after the release. Til then it's vaporware.

I have no interest in paying for another data line so 3g/4g tablets don't interest me. I would only be interested if I could use my current cell sim card for no extra charge like I can with my 3g original 7" Galaxy Tab. As for tethering, most Android phones now come with beefy battery. You can get like 5 hours of WiFi tethering battery life. If you need more, it's simple as swapping spare battery which should give you another 5 hours or so. This is assuming the battery can be removed and not self enclosed like HTC One X.

 

[Tsaar]

I have had a transformer with ics and an iPad 2. The iPad blows it away. Not even on the same level. The apps and browsing are so much better on the iPad. don't make the same mistake that I did and go with android. The only thing I miss is the calendar on the home screen.

I pretty much agree with you on the android phones being better now. But I think the iPhone 5 will make things even again. Who knows though, apple could blow it like they did with the 4s. The only reason I want to upgrade is because of the camera. I could care less about Siri. IMHO the 4 camera is a subpar camera for a phone these days.

Good luck with the tablet. You can get a iPad 2 for about 250 to 300 on Craigslist these days.

Thanks for the advice. My reasoning for choosing Android in the phone space over iOS is because I feel that Android itself is a superior OS (customizable home screen, great integration with Google apps, and the phone apps are comparable to iOS). Having phone apps magnified on a tablet just does not cut it for me though.

I can barely stand looking at my iPhone homescreen with an icon grid though. The iPhone 5 is going to be the same with more icons unless they blow us away with hidden iOS6 features on the 9/12 announcement.

Edit: Also Apples refusal to allow me to remove icons I don't use (i.e. Weather, Newstand(!!!), etc) really pisses me off. I am fairly OCD and "hiding" the apps on the last page just isn't a solution for me haha.

 

[Bateluer]

In the mobile phone space, I feel that Android 4.1 is the cream of the crop.

It is, but pretty much limits you to the Nexus 7 right now. Unless you plan to root and rom. Asus will likely bring JB to its TF201, 300, and 700 tablets before anyone else does though.

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One other question. I keep going back and forth on the wifi vs 3g tablets. If I am at the airport and pull out my wifi tablet which is tethered to my phone...will this kill the battery life of the phone? With the new shared data plans a tablet would be an extra $120/year, but I would avoid the need to tether.

I haven't been a fan of the cellular enabled tablets due to their extra pricing. Tethering will severely drain the battery on your phone, especially if you're pulling a lot of data. Anand's articles on smartphones always include a tethering battery life chart, and the results usually aren't pretty. Course, there's usually charging available at an airport.

Do you believe you'll be using the mobile data enough to justify the monthly price? Second, are you willing to pay an obscene amount for the tablet upfront, or save a pittance and sign a 2 year contract, keeping the tablet for 2 years? Bare in mind, the N7 is WiFi only.

Personally, I think a 3G4/G hotspot device is a better value because it'll work with most phones and tablets on the market. You may have to sign a contract for it, but you'll be able to use it with any tablet or laptop during that 2 year time frame.

 

[lothar]

It is, but pretty much limits you to the Nexus 7 right now. Unless you plan to root and rom. Asus will likely bring JB to its TF201, 300, and 700 tablets before anyone else does though.



I haven't been a fan of the cellular enabled tablets due to their extra pricing. Tethering will severely drain the battery on your phone, especially if you're pulling a lot of data. Anand's articles on smartphones always include a tethering battery life chart, and the results usually aren't pretty. Course, there's usually charging available at an airport.

Do you believe you'll be using the mobile data enough to justify the monthly price? Second, are you willing to pay an obscene amount for the tablet upfront, or save a pittance and sign a 2 year contract, keeping the tablet for 2 years? Bare in mind, the N7 is WiFi only.

Personally, I think a 3G4/G hotspot device is a better value because it'll work with most phones and tablets on the market. You may have to sign a contract for it, but you'll be able to use it with any tablet or laptop during that 2 year time frame.

How is a 3G/4G hotspot device a better value than tethering through your smartphone?

Battery life with tethering is not as horrid as you put it.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6022/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-review-att-and-tmobile-usa-variants/3
~ +/- 1 hour difference on most phones with a few exceptions(the 4G ones obviously)

 

[RockinZ28]

I always tether for free through my smartphone. Web browsing and other low bandwidth apps don't have much effect on battery life, but streaming HD video etc. will kill it much faster.

If the tablet has a usb port though, it can charge the phone. I haven't done extensive testing to see how fast that drains the tablet battery, or if it can keep up with the charge when using high bandwidth though.

In any case, I would never pay the premium for a 3g/4g tablet or hotspot.

 

[lauren_]

I am actually looking forward to the Microsoft tablet that they have announced to be released at the end of the year. It looks promising, and with the new Windows 8, I think it would do great. I am not a fan of Windows but I prefer it over Android.

 

[corkyg]

How is a 3G/4G hotspot device a better value than tethering through your smartphone?

My Smart5phone has a 3G/4G hotspot app (Verizon) - best of both worlds.

Tethering? So 1990s!

 

[Tsaar]

I am actually looking forward to the Microsoft tablet that they have announced to be released at the end of the year. It looks promising, and with the new Windows 8, I think it would do great. I am not a fan of Windows but I prefer it over Android.

I would agree with you, but I really worry about web security on the Surface.

I only surf in a Linux sandbox at home due to lack of trust of the internet on a Windows machine.

 

[BoT]

i have a nexus 7 and it's been great to me. the only app i really could complain about is FB not acting quiet right on the tablet format. everything else i use adjusts well to the larger screen size. i actually prefer the plain google home screen and i make heavy use of widgets. i also prefer the 7 inch form factor. another big plus, NFC

 

[lothar]

My Smart5phone has a 3G/4G hotspot app (Verizon) - best of both worlds.

Tethering? So 1990s!

My international Galaxy S II has a built-in hotspot feature.
No app needed.

Hotspot apps? That's so 2000s!

 

[T_Yamamoto]

My international Galaxy S II has a built-in hotspot feature.
No app needed.

Hotspot apps? That's so 2000s!

My rooted Galaxy Nexus let's me tethering with a click of a button!

F U Verizon!

 

[Bateluer]

How is a 3G/4G hotspot device a better value than tethering through your smartphone?

Assuming one pays for the fee, the hotspot is the better value. Consider the delays getting OS updates on carrier branded tablets, the 2yr lock-in, and the higher price. Better to get the hotspot, and keep or purchase a new tablet that actually gets some semblance of support.

 

[lothar]

Assuming one pays for the fee, the hotspot is the better value. Consider the delays getting OS updates on carrier branded tablets, the 2yr lock-in, and the higher price. Better to get the hotspot, and keep or purchase a new tablet that actually gets some semblance of support.

Why do you have to get a carrier branded tablet at all?
Why not just get a wifi tablet and tether with your smartphone?
I am perplexed by your statement.

-Lothar

 

[Phokus]

I have had a transformer with ics and an iPad 2. The iPad blows it away. Not even on the same level. The apps and browsing are so much better on the iPad. don't make the same mistake that I did and go with android. The only thing I miss is the calendar on the home screen.

I pretty much agree with you on the android phones being better now. But I think the iPhone 5 will make things even again. Who knows though, apple could blow it like they did with the 4s. The only reason I want to upgrade is because of the camera. I could care less about Siri. IMHO the 4 camera is a subpar camera for a phone these days.

Good luck with the tablet. You can get a iPad 2 for about 250 to 300 on Craigslist these days.

Apple will almost certainly blow it again with the iphone 5 if the leaked models are real.

 

[Chocu1a]

Motorola Xoom is scheduled to receive JB, some have already received it. That covers your 10" tablet fix.

 

[Oyeve]

Apple will almost certainly blow it again with the iphone 5 if the leaked models are real.

Not really. iphans love the model and changing it too drastically will disrupt their lives. They basically just want a larger screen and better camera. As much as I dislike ios if the leaked pics are accurate then the iphans will buy it in droves.

 

[gorcorps]

Not really. iphans love the model and changing it too drastically will disrupt their lives. They basically just want a larger screen and better camera. As much as I dislike ios if the leaked pics are accurate then the iphans will buy it in droves.

Remember, there's a pattern to iphone releases: External upgrade > internal upgrade > external > internal > etc

This is the year for the external upgrade, larger screen is a big deal. Last year was internal upgrades with Siri and camera. I don't think folks will be surprised to not see much else change on the software side this year... so yes, it will be huge and nobody should be surprised.

Back on topic: I'm struggling with the tablet decision too. I think I might just end up with an ultrabook and a Nexus 7.

 

[psych2]

I'll just post my comment on a Nexus 7 vs Transformer Infinity thread. Basically I think the Infinity is on par if not better than the upcoming Nexus 10 if Google continues omitting the microSD slot (which the iPAD will never have anyway). If you're getting an Android phone, the same apps will work with varying levels of success. You'll have to buy them again if you went apple.

HDMI is a huge plus for me due to a few reasons. Although Netflix doesn't look very good, HD Youtube looks great, and Play Movie rentals work fine as well. Hulu, HBO Go and Max Go are HDMI blocked, however there's a hacked Hulu version that allows for streaming. EDIT: I forget to mention that Crunchyroll (for anime), HBO Go and Max Go offer HD streams of the same content over flash. I've been able to use something like the Firefox beta or Dolphin on my Infinity to stream Game of Thrones, True Blood, etc over HDMI to my HDTV. It works, and it's amazing.

However streaming apps like the ones listed above aren't the only option. Some apps such as Plex and XBMC make transcoding content from your home computer or a service like Icefilms simple, and with the right plugins you can stream Hulu through the Infinity straight to your HDTV. It has effectively replaced cable for me since I only watch a few channels and anime anyway. Don't forget HDMI mirroring makes game emulation a huge boon. FPSE, Mupen64 all benefit from playing on a tv screen, and the Infinity makes it even easier by having native PS3 and Xbox 360 controller support through USB-OTG from the full size usb dock. Also remember that Ouya has more than reached their funding, and is using the same Tegra 3 SoC that the Infinity is. From a hardware standpoint, there is nothing stopping an Ouya developed game from working with the Infinity.

As for the upcoming SoCs out there, I was tempted to wait for Krait, mali-T706, Omap 5, etc, but these are just starting to sample and won't be out until next year whereas the Nexus 7 guarantees a Tegra 3 AOSP build will always be available for the next few versions of Android. Also none of those tablets coming in the fall/winter offer the same keyboard/dock experience. Speaking of the keyboard/dock, I suspect it will be no trouble dual-booting Ubuntu or Windows 8 along with Android with the Infinity, making this solution much more than the simple media consumption device that a tablet only Touchpad/Nexus 7 can do. Hell, you can even dev on it now that AIDE is out of beta. With that in mind, all that extra storage expandability is starting to look good knowing the Infinity has the capability of being a great ultraportable laptop replacement in addition to being a media consumption device.

Finally let's not forget that the Infinity offers the best HD Android Screen Experience to date, with the only comparable option being the Acer A700, which lacks both the dock and a suitable processor. This ties in to the viewing experience of the various streaming services I listed above. Watching things on my 47" tv is nice, but consuming the same media on the Infinity in bed has been great as well, if not more comfy for obvious reasons . Don't let the minor niggles overshadow the possibilities this unique form factor offers now that the bootloader is unlockable.

 

[zerogear]

Just having USB OTG is awesome for me. Plug in any flash drive = more storage; though it is one more cable you have to carry around.

 

[Bateluer]

As for the upcoming SoCs out there, I was tempted to wait for Krait, mali-T706, Omap 5, etc, but these are just starting to sample and won't be out until next year


Qualcomm's Krait is out now, powering the Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X and the HTC One S in the United States. There's no such thing as Mali T706 yet, you may be thinking of Mali 604 and 658. OMAP5 has working silicon, should be out late Q4 this year or 1Q2013.

 

[stormkroe]

Qualcomm's Krait is out now, powering the Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X and the HTC One S in the United States. There's no such thing as Mali T706 yet, you may be thinking of Mali 604 and 658. OMAP5 has working silicon, should be out late Q4 this year or 1Q2013.

He was probably talking about s4 pro. It's rumored to debut in September. The LG ls970 will have it, maybe the 5+ inch hTC phone, and it's 'supposed' to be in the note 2 (that or exynos 5 dual). That's why I think it's one of those rare times in the cycle that waiting is a good idea. Things will be a lot clearer in a month, then you can buy with more confidence.

 

[Rottie]

you don't want jailbreak an iPad 2?

 

[xSauronx]

really liking my transformer infinity. sold my ipad 2 to get it. not that i hated the ipad 2, i just didnt love it and have an android phone that im not giving up, so it makes more sense for me to have android on both.

the only thing i miss is the skydrive app. the app for ios is slick, and android doesnt have an official one....but it also gets to the skydrive website and lets me get around just fine, so its sort of moot.