Android tablets, successful or not?

[paulsalter]

I think the kindle fire and nexus 7 are two tablets that are quite popular. Other then that, I think android tablets have failed to grab the consumer.

I would say this depends where you are

I agree on the Nexus 7, this appears to have been popular in a lot of places

I have no idea on the Fire as that is US only (or just about to come out in other places), but in the UK the Samsung Galaxy tab 7 is a popular device

IMO, it seems to be the 7" Android Tablets that are doing well, with the iPad Mini (is this confirmed?) things should be interesting in the coming months

There are quite a few ads at the moment on TV, mainly for iPad & Galaxy Note

 

[Irishman]

An open system. I can stream content to my (or anyone's) PS3, Xbox, or any media server without ATV, or even with ATV.

USB is nice like you mentioned. If you plug a mouse into an Android device an actual mouse cursor pops up on the screen. Anything works, keyboards, game controllers (Xbox, ps3, wiimote but that's using BT), etc.

You can have adobe flash if you choose. So when browsing a forum the video actually plays in the box that was posted so you can continue to read and listen and watch the video.

Easy downloading outside the market. So you can download files you may want for another device or computer then share it later or with Dropbox or something. This also makes it easy to download and run game roms. This is N64's Goldeneye hooked to my TV I also have the basics like Mario and etc too PS 1 games.

Image

I really prefer the widgets on a tablet. The screen is way to big just to have icons. I can't really show you a picture because my email widgets are on there but it's nice to have live data (email, Facebook, stocks, weather, etc) in that space not just static icons.

A lot of Google apps are watered down on iOS and are really nice on Android. Esp. maps which seems to be the biggest current topic.

This stuff doesn't require root. I guess I could get a lot of that functionality by jail breaking but I don't think I should have too.

No, you cannot run Flash on an Android tablet. Mobile Flash is dead, mercifully put to death by Adobe.

 

[VFC]

?.......
The Nexus 7 I have seems to get plenty of web traffic hits. It's powered by Google, and Google seems to get a few users using it's search function. I don't know anyone with a Nexus 7 that's not happy with it. The people I know that have bought a Nexus 7 also bought one for another family member ro friend. I don't know about aftermarket support. I haven't found an app that I needed that hasn't been developed. And apps that I have are updated as needed. Revenue? I have no idea. I can't careless which is making what money. I use what meets my needs and is hassle free.

My Nexus 7 is superior to my iPad 3 in many ways. Since I bought it, I rarely power on the iPad. I have more than twice as many apps installed on the N7. The widgets are great. I can turn off/on my remote BT speakers with one "click". Doing the same on the iPad is 5 or 6 steps. I used to share the BT speakers with both devices, but it's such a pain with the iPad, I just stopped using it.

I wish the N7 was available when I purchased the iPad. I would saved a bunch of money and avoided having to deal with the hassle of selling the iPad.

 

[cynics]

No, you cannot run Flash on an Android tablet. Mobile Flash is dead, mercifully put to death by Adobe.

Yes, you can you just need to know how to do it. You can't uninvent flash and since Android is open there is nothing to just stop me from installing the APK.

Edit: matter of fact you can still find it in the play store. Lol

 

[MRU]

No, you cannot run Flash on an Android tablet. Mobile Flash is dead, mercifully put to death by Adobe.

Yes, you can you just need to know how to do it. You can't uninvent flash and since Android is open there is nothing to just stop me from installing the APK.

You are both right.

There is currently no 'official support' for Flash going forward on Android, but if you allow installations from third party sources (not always a good idea) you can install the last version of flash if you download it from another source / forum / download site.



Going forward however.... with new operating systems from Google in the future, the chances are older versions of the Flash app will no longer work on the newer operating systems, thus you will eventually lose ability to run Flash even by circumventing the google play store.

Adobe are no longer going to be putting any development time into making Flash for the android operating system.

 

[cynics]

You are both right.

There is currently no 'official support' for Flash going forward on Android, but if you allow installations from third party sources (not always a good idea) you can install the last version of flash if you download it from another source / forum / download site.



Going forward however.... with new operating systems from Google in the future, the chances are older versions of the Flash app will no longer work on the newer operating systems, thus you will eventually lose ability to run Flash even by circumventing the google play store.

Adobe are no longer going to be putting any development time into making Flash for the android operating system.

I edited my post. It's still in google play, you just need to know how to find it. It still works on 4.1 just adobe is done updating it...

 

[kiltedthrower]

Mull it over however you till some semi-palatable answer for android tablet "success" sorta makes sense.

Android tablets are a flop, and there is no company provided information presented to suggest otherwise. If they had it, we'd know it.

If you've got some company provided sales figures to prove otherwise, I'd love to read it.

And the Nexus 7 doesn't even have enough clout to muster a decent distribution network, so don't expect any sudden sales magic there.

So we're simply going on sales numbers? Does this mean if the ipad mini does not outsell the Nexus 7, it's a flop of a 7" tablet? And since no company remains on top forever that we'll eventually consider ipads a flop when it finally is not the number 1 selling tablet?

 

[Tarzanman]

I have never seen an Android tablets. I am guessing its just an Android phone with a huge screen, just like the iPad is an iphone with a huge screen.

While I have seen many people prefer Android phones over iphones, infact I heard that S3 is the most successful smart phone sales wise, I dont hear the same oing for Android tablets.

Why do you think that we still have not seen an Android tablet that competes aggressively against the iPad like the S3 is competing against iphone?

Maybe you should stop hanging out at Starbucks? I'm not kidding. Trendy people still like Apple stuff.

Apple is still the king of the 10-inch tablet, but cumalatively, there are more kindles, nexus tablets and galaxy tablets in the wild.

It should be a big, huge hint that 7" tablets are doing *extremely* well that Apple is all set to introduce one in the next few months.

So, get out a little more. You don't see as many android tablets around because their owners:
1. Are much less inclined to show them off
2. Have smartphones with big enough screens to read (meaning they don't have to reach for their tablet as much).

I have the original Galaxy Tab and am chomping at the bit to sell it and get a Nexus 7

 

[TheMTtakeover]

No, you cannot run Flash on an Android tablet. Mobile Flash is dead, mercifully put to death by Adobe.

That's great thing about android, I don't need some company's approval to install something on my device. I'll just go get the apk myself. Which is why my Nexus 7 has flash running even though it is unsupported.

I actually enjoyed the 4.1 JellyBean experience so much that I sold my iPhone and bought a Galaxy Nexus. It has much more functionality. I'll consider another iDevice when I can download a file manager without having to jailbreak.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I gotta say, the allure of the Nexus 7 is stronger than ever. If there are some good deals this holiday season, might be irresistible.

I'm an iPad 3rd gen owner, by the way.

 

[cynics]

I gotta say, the allure of the Nexus 7 is stronger than ever. If there are some good deals this holiday season, might be irresistible.

I'm an iPad 3rd gen owner, by the way.

I agree. I don't need one (I have a Xoom and iPad 3) but if the price drops any lower then it already is I won't be able to resist getting one.

 

[Technarchy]

So we're simply going on sales numbers? Does this mean if the ipad mini does not outsell the Nexus 7, it's a flop of a 7" tablet? And since no company remains on top forever that we'll eventually consider ipads a flop when it finally is not the number 1 selling tablet?

iPad mini doesn't exist as of this moment so don't worry about it.

 

[MacBH928]

Hmmm...

I too feel that the iOS is too strictly limited like we are childs in the hands of Apple where we can not make a decisions on our own.

On the other hand, I feel Android is too open that anything goes. In fact many people will say different Android phones will functional differently based on software alone due to high tweaking. In a lot of ways, I feel Android is like Linux of mobile devices, its like saying "here is something that can work any way you want it to, deal with it".

I am hoping that either iOS frees itself a little or Android limit itself a little, so we can get an OS just like OS X , Reliable , Secure, Stable , works out of the box yet the possibilities are endless with software and capabilities.

I think Google should me more Like Microsoft, Where Windows probably has some sort of guidelines and rules.

Maybe Windows 8 tablet?

 

[Doggman]

My 2 cents:

I have used many an iPad (1,2, and 3) in my day but never could buy one for two reasons.
(1) Never needed a tablet, I have my iphone
(2) Didn't want a bigger iPhone that can't make calls...

But regardless, I wanted a tablet

So I looked else where and found the ASUS TF700 (iPad 3 competitor).
The hardware pretty much mops up the iPad 3 which is but the Apps are lacking. They're not bad and I have to admit the more I use them the better I'm getting with them and as a result my iPhone is pissing me off more and my tablet is pissing me off less (however the MBP still smokes both...).

The only real benefit you get with the iPad 3 over the Android competitors is the App Store and the Apple Ecosystem but those two things are HUGE. Personally I didn't want either of those though so I decided to go out on a limb and try out something new (I like change) and I've been very happy with my Android tablet, as a matter of fact getting happier everyday...

So to answer the OP's original question: My android tablet purchase was a "success". I'm not sure about sales numbers or anything but I think someone posted up some percentages earlier in the thread. Anyhow that's my 2 cents on Android tablets.

 

[Irishman]

I actually enjoyed the 4.1 JellyBean experience so much that I sold my iPhone and bought a Galaxy Nexus. It has much more functionality. I'll consider another iDevice when I can download a file manager without having to jailbreak.

Much more functionality to do what exactly?

 

[kiltedthrower]

iPad mini doesn't exist as of this moment so don't worry about it.

But when it does come out and possibly doesn't outsell the Nexus 7, you'll admit it was a flop? Or are you that much of a brand fan?

 

[Technarchy]

But when it does come out and possibly doesn't outsell the Nexus 7, you'll admit it was a flop? Or are you that much of a brand fan?

Produce some Google provided Nexus 7 sales numbers and get back to me after this so called iPad Mini is a real product.

 

[TheMTtakeover]

Much more functionality to do what exactly?

Can you tether your iPhone with out it being jail broken? Can you download a file manager from the app store? If you can't figure out what you can do with those two features than idk what to tell you. I'm not saying android is better than iOS but it can do things that iOS can't. Hence more functionality. Maybe that doesn't matter to you but it does for me.

 

[Irishman]

Can you tether your iPhone with out it being jail broken? Can you download a file manager from the app store? If you can't figure out what you can do with those two features than idk what to tell you. I'm not saying android is better than iOS but it can do things that iOS can't. Hence more functionality. Maybe that doesn't matter to you but it does for me.

I'm not dismissing what you're offering, but why is that important to you, in practical use? What does it allow you to do?

And I guess hacking and tweaking for their own sakes is a valid answer.

 

[cynics]

I'm not dismissing what you're offering, but why is that important to you, in practical use? What does it allow you to do?

And I guess hacking and tweaking for their own sakes is a valid answer.

You weren't quoting me but those are two things I use. I tether my iPhone to android because my Verizon 4S doesn't have LTE and do data and voice at the same time.

File manager is just nice to have to organize files. Practical use for me for example would be using an emulators. It's nice to connect my tablet to my computer and drag roms over into a dedicated folder. Or for work I have about a 100 pdf's I keep in a dedicated folder plus a thousand or so work related *jpg's. I take these pics with a camera I connect via USB and download them into that folder.

 

[pragmatous]

I bought a game for my tablet and tried to download it from the google play market. Come to find out the game wasn't compatible with my brand new tablet with the latest ICS OS.

Android fail.

 

[petes67bird]

I own the Ipad, Ipad 2, Ipad 3, original Kindle Fire and now the Kindle Fire HD actually 2 of them as one is for my wife. I think each device brings its own benefits to the table. Apple products excel in certain areas, but then again so do Android products. I like each product for their own strengths. I have a business phone which I just upgraded to the Iphone 5. For my personal number, I use a Sony Xperia ION. To be honest, the free ION has a leg up on the Iphone 5.

Without getting into arguments, I like both technologies. I think both will be around for a long time, this isnt going to turn out like HD DVD or Blu Ray. But to answer the original question, a current market share analysis revealed that out of all the current devices in the market, 48% are android and 52% are Apple. I think that alone proves it was successful. I just dont get why some people have such hatred for a brand or a certain device.

 

[Irishman]

You weren't quoting me but those are two things I use. I tether my iPhone to android because my Verizon 4S doesn't have LTE and do data and voice at the same time.

File manager is just nice to have to organize files. Practical use for me for example would be using an emulators. It's nice to connect my tablet to my computer and drag roms over into a dedicated folder. Or for work I have about a 100 pdf's I keep in a dedicated folder plus a thousand or so work related *jpg's. I take these pics with a camera I connect via USB and download them into that folder.

So, with those ROMs, you're basically playing old Nintendo games and such, right?

 

[VFC]

I bought a game for my tablet and tried to download it from the google play market. Come to find out the game wasn't compatible with my brand new tablet with the latest ICS OS.

Android fail.

You did read the Google Play Store reviews before you purchased the game: correct?

I'm sure you are aware that on the review header there is an option to read just the reviews from users with your particular device; correct?

If not; End User fail.

 

[petes67bird]

You did read the Google Play Store reviews before you purchased the game: correct?

I'm sure you are aware that on the review header there is an option to read just the reviews from users with your particular device; correct?

If not; End User fail.

I was just about to inform him of the same thing. One of my brand new androids arent supported by Skype yet, so there is a loud chirp. There are many different versions of phone and 1 apple. You have to check to see if your device is compatible.