Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
I'm hesitant to get a Note 3 as my primary device, I prefer a smaller phone for everyday use. Still I highly miss the functionality of my Note 2 and wish I had something like it. Using a note as a "tablet" was too expensive to buy the phone, and I couldn't find a data only plan for it, and was not allowed to put it on an ATT mobile share, it pretty much required a voice and data plan and I don't want a double bill.

Does anyone know of a 6" tablet out there? Maybe a decent Chinese made one. I would love to have a stylus, but won't hold my breath. I just want something about the same size as the Note 2/3, but cheaper and a data only device. Don't care too much about the OS as I'll probably root it and put CM on there or something. I know there are plenty of 7", but that's just too big.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
Just get a nexus 7. There isn't a market for 6 inch tablet only devices.

Nexus 7 is just too large for me, they wasted way too much space with those HUGE bezels. It seems like a great tablet, but I just wish it was closer in size to the screen.
 

blackhand1001

macrumors 68030
Jan 6, 2009
2,600
37
Nexus 7 is just too large for me, they wasted way too much space with those HUGE bezels. It seems like a great tablet, but I just wish it was closer in size to the screen.

The top and bottom bezels are big but for a very good reason. It provides a great area to hold in portrait. That are also much smaller than they look in photos when you hold it in person. You are not going to find what you want, and I would avoid the chinese tablets, they all suck.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
The top and bottom bezels are big but for a very good reason. It provides a great area to hold in portrait. That are also much smaller than they look in photos when you hold it in person. You are not going to find what you want, and I would avoid the chinese tablets, they all suck.

Samsung has some 7" tablets which have very small bezels, I'm very impressed with them. But as I said, 7" is just a bit too big.
 

tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Samsung has some 7" tablets which have very small bezels, I'm very impressed with them. But as I said, 7" is just a bit too big.

The Galaxy Tab 3 is a bit smaller than the Nexus 7 but the hardware is crap in comparison. Asus just introduced a bunch of new tablets but I don't believe anything smaller than the Nexus. I don't think you're going to have much luck as there really isn't a market for your needs.

If you went wifi only you could of course use a Note II but I believe any cell carrier will detect the device if you try to use a data only sim and require a voice plan--I could be wrong.
 

Oohara

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2012
3,050
2,423
Can you use that as a data only device on ATT? They wouldn't let me use a Note 2 without a voice plan.

Ah sorry, I missed that part in your post. Don't know anything about US carrier plans, sorry :( But it sounds lame that they would limit your options like that. Perhaps you could get them to see the Mega as a tablet rather than a phone?
 

rillrill

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2011
843
654
New York
sony. its not cheap though. you can use anything as a stylus though...

whoops...missed the tablet only request....

kindle fire?
 

Southernboyj

macrumors 68000
Mar 8, 2012
1,694
69
Mobile, AL
You'll be hard-pressed to find any tablet under 7".

When we have phones that are 6.4", a 6" device isn't even considered a tablet.

The only real option I could see you taking is to maybe get a Family Share Plan, add your phone.. then also add on a phablet to use as a tablet.

Only problem with that to me, I don't like Android tablets currently.

I love Android, and I even love Android on a tablet.. but I wish third parties had more tablet optimized apps. This is the only reason I still have an iPad.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
You'll be hard-pressed to find any tablet under 7".

When we have phones that are 6.4", a 6" device isn't even considered a tablet.

The only real option I could see you taking is to maybe get a Family Share Plan, add your phone.. then also add on a phablet to use as a tablet.

Only problem with that to me, I don't like Android tablets currently.

I love Android, and I even love Android on a tablet.. but I wish third parties had more tablet optimized apps. This is the only reason I still have an iPad.

Mobile share still charges me $40 to add a phone/phablet. I kind of solved my problem though, I sold my ip5 and picked up a 5.2" LG G2 and so far I've been pretty happy with it as an in-between device, and I still have my 10.6" windows tablet for those times I need full power.
 

Southernboyj

macrumors 68000
Mar 8, 2012
1,694
69
Mobile, AL
Mobile share still charges me $40 to add a phone/phablet. I kind of solved my problem though, I sold my ip5 and picked up a 5.2" LG G2 and so far I've been pretty happy with it as an in-between device, and I still have my 10.6" windows tablet for those times I need full power.

Are you gonna put a ROM on that G2? I used one and the hardware was solid.. but I hated the skin.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
Are you gonna put a ROM on that G2? I used one and the hardware was solid.. but I hated the skin.

There are just a couple roms out, and they are mainly just roms that take ATT junk out. I like the LG skin a lot, but I'm currently playing around with Nova launcher on top of it. What didn't you like about the skin?
 

Southernboyj

macrumors 68000
Mar 8, 2012
1,694
69
Mobile, AL
There are just a couple roms out, and they are mainly just roms that take ATT junk out. I like the LG skin a lot, but I'm currently playing around with Nova launcher on top of it. What didn't you like about the skin?

I'm not a big fan of the over the top animations and what not. That being said, the only skin I even halfway like is Sense 5. So maybe I'm biased. I love stock Android though.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
The new Kindle Fire HDX just came out. Best hardware for any tablet on the market. I just made a new thread about it.

Meh, it's still 7" and has a humungous bezel. Somewhere down the line these guys have to stop concentrating on useless specs and start working on stuff like bezel and aesthetics. Making a device as small as it can be because the screen takes up most of the front is FAR more impressive to me than a cpu spec bump that no app will take advantage of anyway.
 

tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Yes. The Sony Zperia Z Ultra 6.4'

No, that's a phone. His carrier would treat it like any other phone, requiring a voice & data plan or an additional $30-40/per month to add it to a shared plan. It's also much more expensive (at least $650) vs. the $230-$270 that a Nexus 7 would cost.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.