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

sk1wbw

Suspended
Original poster
May 28, 2011
3,483
1,010
Williamsburg, Virginia
So what's the state of apps on a tablet these days? I haven't had an Android tablet since that piece of **** Nexus 7. Just ordered the new Tab A with the S Pen.

So what's everyone using these days and do you like it?
 

Finchly

macrumors member
Feb 2, 2017
35
15
Have an oldish Amazon Fire that I gave to my kids. It's great value depending on what you need one for. They mainly use it for gaming and web browsing which it's perfect for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hastings101

Hastings101

macrumors 68020
Jun 22, 2010
2,355
1,482
K
Have an oldish Amazon Fire that I gave to my kids. It's great value depending on what you need one for. They mainly use it for gaming and web browsing which it's perfect for.

I bought a Fire HDX 2nd Gen when they first came out. Amazing display, battery, and speakers for web browsing, youtube, movies etc. but not really for anything else. Some update killed the software and after that I just bought an iPad lol.

I would imagine that the "app situation" is just fine on Android tablets, but they're dying off (all tablets) imo so all of the tablet-specific UIs that one would see on the iPad might not be there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Finchly

SigEp265

macrumors 6502a
Dec 15, 2011
953
881
Southern California
I have a Galaxy Note 10 and 12. Along with a Sony Xperia Z2 and iPad... What kind of apps are you looking for and maybe I can shed some light on it.
 

admob71

Suspended
Feb 13, 2014
903
538
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.
I have a tab S , stunning screen, still. Super fast aNd responsive and very lean OS, . So the actual hardware/sodtware is great.
I game, surf, YouTube, watch video etc and it works effortlessly. If you want to do really specific tasks, there is million apps in the play store, fill your boots.
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
Tab S2 is still the best tablet. Soon to be replaced by the Tab S3.

That said, why buy a tablet when you can buy a new Chromebook which has everything an Android tablet has and more? For roughly the same price too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hastings101

sk1wbw

Suspended
Original poster
May 28, 2011
3,483
1,010
Williamsburg, Virginia
I have a Galaxy Note 10 and 12. Along with a Sony Xperia Z2 and iPad... What kind of apps are you looking for and maybe I can shed some light on it.

Well, I have a ton of apps from my Note 5 days but when you look at the store, it doesn't say specifically if the app is formatted for a tablet and there aren't screenshots that show the app running on a tablet. Hopefully my Tab A gets here on Monday or Tuesday and I'll find out. How does a person know just by looking at the Play Store?
 

admob71

Suspended
Feb 13, 2014
903
538
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.
Tab S2 is still the best tablet. Soon to be replaced by the Tab S3.

That said, why buy a tablet when you can buy a new Chromebook which has everything an Android tablet has and more? For roughly the same price too.
I disagree, bizarrely they have lowered resolution and battery size on the s2, taken flash off the camera, and changed to a naff ratio so you get black bars watching videos. Tech times agreed in their review. It's a tad thinner, but wow, it wasn't exactly a fatty before. So consider the lower price of the original S model, no brainer.
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
I disagree, bizarrely they have lowered resolution and battery size on the s2, taken flash off the camera, and changed to a naff ratio so you get black bars watching videos. Tech times agreed in their review. It's a tad thinner, but wow, it wasn't exactly a fatty before. So consider the lower price of the original S model, no brainer.
LOL. You make it sound like the S didn't have black bars at all when watching videos, when in fact it did, they just weren't as wide as on the Tab 2.
And while the resolution did go down a very small amount (359ppi vs 320ppi), this was because of the change in aspect ratios (16:10 vs 4:3). Both are still 2k screens.
The Tab S2 came with the fingerprint scanner, while the Tab S lacks this feature all together. One of the reasons why I bought the Tab S2 over the S.
As for your comment on a flash for the camera on a tablet. :rolleyes: Talk about reaching. If you are using a tablet to take pics, you have more serious issues to deal with.
 

admob71

Suspended
Feb 13, 2014
903
538
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.
LOL. You make it sound like the S didn't have black bars at all when watching videos, when in fact it did, they just weren't as wide as on the Tab 2.
And while the resolution did go down a very small amount (359ppi vs 320ppi), this was because of the change in aspect ratios (16:10 vs 4:3). Both are still 2k screens.
The Tab S2 came with the fingerprint scanner, while the Tab S lacks this feature all together. One of the reasons why I bought the Tab S2 over the S.
As for your comment on a flash for the camera on a tablet. :rolleyes: Talk about reaching. If you are using a tablet to take pics, you have more serious issues to deal with.
So a finger print scanner is the be all and end all. Something doesn't actually impact on the usage of the device. And you say I'm reaching lol
[doublepost=1486216307][/doublepost]
Yeah, don't be that guy using a tablet to take pictures. No one needs that kind of friend. lmao
Lol, I actually agree, pics on tablets are naff, the point more being that the spec on the s2 was actually less than the s1. Which is still valid..
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
So a finger print scanner is the be all and end all. Something doesn't actually impact on the usage of the device. And you say I'm reaching lol
[doublepost=1486216307][/doublepost]
Lol, I actually agree, pics on tablets are naff, the point more being that the spec on the s2 was actually less than the s1. Which is still valid..
Didn't say the fingerprint scanner was the be all and end all. I simply said it was the reason I bought the S2 over the S. After using fingerprint scanners on my phones, I found it to be one of the main features that I want in a device. (Notice in all my replies that the word "I" was used?) I hate using pins and swipe diagrams to log on to my tablet and I enjoy the simplicity of using my fingerprint instead of passwords for making purchases or logging in to sites online. Having a fingerprint scanner actually does impact the usage of my device. But you wouldn't understand because you are using an outdated tablet without this feature. :D
 

admob71

Suspended
Feb 13, 2014
903
538
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.
Didn't say the fingerprint scanner was the be all and end all. I simply said it was the reason I bought the S2 over the S. After using fingerprint scanners on my phones, I found it to be one of the main features that I want in a device. (Notice in all my replies that the word "I" was used?) I hate using pins and swipe diagrams to log on to my tablet and I enjoy the simplicity of using my fingerprint instead of passwords for making purchases or logging in to sites online. Having a fingerprint scanner actually does impact the usage of my device. But you wouldn't understand because you are using an outdated tablet without this feature. :D
The galaxy edge model currently in my hand suggests that you are talking out of your posterior . ;-) , I tried the fingerprint, didn't think it was as reliable or quick as the pattern swipe. Just my two cents.. notice the word "i" ...
 

sk1wbw

Suspended
Original poster
May 28, 2011
3,483
1,010
Williamsburg, Virginia
I can't stand the pattern unlock. On my iPhone, I don't even have the PIN unlock set, just the fingerprint. Which is blazingly fast. I didn't even use the pattern unlock on my Note 5.
 

nviz22

Cancelled
Jun 24, 2013
5,277
3,071
Almost got a Tab S2 for $210 last December. I think it's the best android one out for the price. The Nexus 7 2013 is my favorite Android Tab ever though.
 

admob71

Suspended
Feb 13, 2014
903
538
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.
Almost got a Tab S2 for $210 last December. I think it's the best android one out for the price. The Nexus 7 2013 is my favorite Android Tab ever though.
If you enjoyed the nexus you will be blown away by any of the galaxy tab 's models. I had the 2012 nexus 7, it was a pos, slowest device I've ever had, like a win 95 machine.
 

Phil A.

Moderator emeritus
Apr 2, 2006
5,800
3,100
Shropshire, UK
I've got a tab S 10.5 (and it definitely does have a fingerprint scanner), but found it to be very slow and clunky. I've just got it running as a photo-frame now as it was pretty useless at anything else.
 

nviz22

Cancelled
Jun 24, 2013
5,277
3,071
If you enjoyed the nexus you will be blown away by any of the galaxy tab 's models. I had the 2012 nexus 7, it was a pos, slowest device I've ever had, like a win 95 machine.

The Nexus 7 2012 was a joke. I got a refund for mine because it had the ghosting issue. Laggy as hell too. Tab S2 was solid when I played with it, it's just the value I felt with the 2013 model made a night and day difference between the N7 2012. My favorite tablet I ever owned was the Surface Tab 3. It's discontinued now, so I can't rebuy it now that I would've preferred for one over the iPad Mini 4.
 

admob71

Suspended
Feb 13, 2014
903
538
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.
I hate using pins and swipe diagrams to log on to my tablet and I enjoy the simplicity of using my fingerprint instead of passwords for making purchases or logging in to sites online. Having a fingerprint scanner actually does impact the usage of my device. But you wouldn't understand because you are using an outdated tablet without this feature. :D

Just checked and my tab s does have a fingerprint scanner, the door marked zero credibility is over there, please close it on your way out, I thank you.
[doublepost=1486241019][/doublepost]
I've got a tab S 10.5 (and it definitely does have a fingerprint scanner), but found it to be very slow and clunky. I've just got it running as a photo-frame now as it was pretty useless at anything else.
I would suggest you had a duff one, mine is lightening fast, from day one to today. , I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
 

Badrottie

Suspended
May 8, 2011
4,317
336
Los Angeles
I have a LG Pad F 8.0 with awful hardwares and Android 5.0 also I installed 128GB microSD I can't seem to move apps to external card. I'm forced to give up some apps to make room for internal 16GB! :(
 

elf69

macrumors 68020
Jun 2, 2016
2,333
489
Cornwall UK
until recently I was using a samsung tab s 8.4. I replaced it with an ipad 3.

It still a great tablet with better res than the newer tab s but lesser specs behind it though.

I got it on contract with a data plan.

I use it mainly hooked up to my tv with MHL and a bluetooth air mouse/keyboard combo and watch youtube etc in bed.

the ipad screen just much better and use the ipad more now although the ipad can stutter playing boom beach at times where the tab s does not.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.