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Hi peeps been looking around at the android tablets on the market and wondering if i should take the plunge?.Thought i would ask here as you guys probably have more experiance than most.Can you recomend a couple?, i'm not looking to spend a fortune just want something that covers most bases and doesnt struggle to run the usual suspects.HDMI out would be a plus but any ideas you can offer or just give me ideas on what not to buy.Any helps good, thanx in advance.
I have a smoldering interest in a tablet as well but I will continue to hold off as my Lenovo X61t and Windows Phone compliment each other pretty well and I don't "need" one.
However, I have taken note of the Archos' that were just released. The general feeling is that they feel cheap in build quality but the price and performance is right there. This is engadgets take on the two tablets they have.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/
I have used the Samsung Galaxy S and it is a nice device. Gotta be honest though, nothing seems to be "more complete than the ipad", just in terms of docks, jailbreaking, best apps, etc.
There are so many 'knock offs' in this category, let us know what you find!
I agree in the upset front, it's a great piece of kit but I refuse to spend that kind if money. Have found plenty of cheap ones, and I don't mind the price tag but most are just a bit gutless lol. But yeah likewise bring the info if you find something good.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Back again, on the subject off cheapo knock off tablets have you seen the a-ok pad lol now don't laugh. I could be persuaded to gamble on something as (shall we say rough) if it ticked the right boxes. Anybody heard if them? Any horror stories?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Buying a new tablet
I'm in the market for a tablet, and have taken my sweet time for the last 3 months researching and looking for the best one to buy. I've done my fair share of research and now i'm asking you: Should I buy the ASUS Transformer Prime with the dock, od should i wait for samsung/htc/moto/lenovo/acer... next-gen tablet? My fear is you see, that I'll buy The Prime, and that it won't be supported by some software develeopers, and left out in the cold with some apps, or not on par with the next-gen 2012 tablets. I want the best hardware specs, possible future windows 8 compatibility, preferably tegra device, 3g isn't a must, nor GPS but preferred. I don't mind waiting for a few more months since this would be my first tablet, wich i don't really need. NO IOS/IPad talk please, android tablet only (but like i said, with a possibility of win8 in the future). Any reasonable advice is more than welcome, and thank you all very much in advance!
IIRC Asus Prime will begin getting ICS/4.0 Jan 12th.
With that said, I would definitely play around with one before buying. Numerous reported issues that can't really be fixed through OTA's or software. (GPS, WIFI, light bleed, glass/screen loose from rest of tab).
Typical Asus if you ask me, crapshoot on quality.
Also depends on what you want in a tab. If you don't really want to play around/mod/customize then I think the Ipad 2 or hold out a couple of months for an Ipad 3 would be your best bet.
If you have to have an Android you have one of two options. Wait for more quad core tabs to be released, or start looking at what's available now.
Samsung 7.0 Plus is probably the best out for 7"ers.
For the 10"ers it's a toss up right now. Galaxy Tab 10.1 has good support, decent performance, light, easy to hold, good screen, great speakers (for a tab). It's cons to me are the Tegra 2 isn't up to snuff with Honeycomb OS.
The HP Touchpad is a great buy for the OS and specs, and can also be ported to Android (Still need to play with one)
Asus Transformer TF101 is also a good buy but again a crapshoot on quality but can be had for a good price.
The new Moto Xyboards are getting good reviews but they are overpriced for what they are, are only sold through VZW and were "technically" outdated before they were even released. Also locked bootloaders are never fun if flashing kernels are your thing.
Right now I'm looking at getting another tab so I guess you could say I'm in the same boat as you. I have an OG Galaxy Tab 7 on the way b/c I got it cheaper than cheap and just wanna play with it.
Considering picking up an 8" Xyboard also.
ETA: I probably won't pick up a Xyboard however until they come down in price or a WiFi only version is offered.
The SGT 7.7 also sounds promising. Decisions decisions.
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like I said I never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The things I'm worried hardware-wise are: the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
Now you may laugh at this seeing your sig, but in my mobile history (25+ phones) the worst were accually motorolas (v3 being the worst of the lot, but than again A925 was more than excellent) I'm not so fond of HP either, last month i sold my DV6 3020em, (that's the i7 touchscreen version for Europe since i'm european), and i can say it was utter rubbish, overheating, shoddy build quality, squeaky, noisy fans, you name it... That's why I sold it, but it had a touchscreen which was more than handy, and that's why i want a tablet, I just might look a bit more into the HP touchpad after all.
Acer is great quality for it's price, really great. But I only had Acer's laptops, and the Iconia tablet is as ugly as a bullfrog from chernobyl, so I wouldn't want one.
Tf101 is ugly too by my standards, too big as well, but the looks aren't so important if it was an excellent performer, which none of the now available androids are compared to The Prime (at least not on honeycomb).
I played with samsung 8.9 a few days ago and I can report is't a great little device, thin, capable, satisfying all in all, but i'd like a bigger screen, and a real keyboard and it's not a tegra device (I play a lot of games so i'd like the tegra zone, as chainfire's plugins don't support all tegra tweaked games)
Now I do like to install a new ROM every few weeks on my SGSII but i srsly don't think that will be the case on a tablet (except Win 8, when it comes out).
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
cavkic said:
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like i said i never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The only thing I'm worried hardware-wise is the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
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Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
littleemp said:
Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
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Tnx for the reply, and I have to say I think you misunderstood me. I don't think I said anything bad about acer's or asus's build quality just HP's (and only the perticular model of the DV6 I had), just that they're a bit on the ugly side, but that's totally a subjective stand, and irrelevant to anybody else.
As far as Prime's price goes, it should be available in Croatia, about 2hrs drive from my home in 10days for less than 700$ with the dock for the 32gig version, which is not a bad pricetag considering where I live, and I'm ready to give that kind of money for it. The dock is accually something i like about the Transformer, and it would probbably be a dead heat between TF101 just because of the dock) and the Sammy 10.1 if it weren't for the prime.
GPS, like I said, I don't mind. The SGSII has a great GPS reciever which i hardly ever use, maybe 6 times since i got it in july.
As far as ARM windows goes, I know what to expect from it , nothing special, but it would be nice to have that option when it's available
So you are happy with the TF101 and the Iconia? But would you recommend buying now the Prime if I'm happy with the price? I should mention I probbably won't buy it before ICS, and I'll try to get a hold of a stock ICS one when it's out after Jan. 12. because I want to make sure i missed the first version shipment
I believe you about Motorola. Until my Droid X I have ALWAYS hated Motorola. I never had a phone that worked right after some wear and tear and always had problems. From before smartphones thru the Droid 1, 2, and 3. (Went through multiples of those). I'm also a Samsung and HTC fan.
I've never had a problem with Asus computer components myself, w/ that said, there are quite a few complaints when it comes to the TF201 on quality. With that said, you, as I'm sure you do, have to take into account the dissatisfied ones are always going to moan and groan much more and louder than the happy customer.
I guess I just wish it was like cars when it comes to Tablets and would love for them to let me take the exact tab I'm looking to buy for a test drive. (Not leave the store but just open the box and get a good look at it and test everything to make sure I'm getting what my hard earned money is paying for).
I really want a TF201, but I'm going to wait til a few more Tegra 3 tabs come out. I really think Motorola would have hit a homerun if they would have put a quad core in their Xyboards and kept the price what they're charging now.
The three tabs I'm really torn between right now are the Xyboard 8.2, TF201, and Samsung 7.0 Plus. But man we are so close to seeing quad core as the new standard for tabs so the other part of me just wants to sit it out and wait.
So true what you said about the sitting and waiting for the quad core as the new standard, but on the other hand, HOW BAD DO WE WANT ONE!?!
Personally for me it's no competition between the Prime and other tablets, the Prime is just on another planet.
This morning the store answered my email saying that the Prime will be available mid january (in about 10 days) and said that maybe they could reserve one for me because of the small supply, but said the price may be different depending on the usd/euro stocks, but under 700$ for the 32gig version with dock...
Still I'm not planning on buying one before a test drive like you said (mostly to check for screen bleed). And yes, I took into account the moaners which is true like you said again...
I think I wathched every single review/comparison of the tablet on youtube, and read at least 10 reviews online, and it's all mostly positive.
I'll update as soon as i get my hands on a test one, hopefully in about 10 days.
Hey all i am going to purchase a tablet tommorow and just wondering now which one of the tablets are more superior then the other
Motorola xoom 32GB - $400
Asus Transformer 16GB (no keyboard) - $400
Acer Iconia 16gb - $440
i was leaning towards the asus but now i am seriously considering the xoom. i dont need the keyboard dock for the asus i just want a tablet that will Keep updating and a decent performance and screen
Thanks help will be appreciated
Asus with a keyboard is really cool
Get the Motorola Xoom. It is an awesome, compact device, it is a tad heavy (judging by your other two options I don't feel this an issue for you), but I do like the heft. It has a solid build quality, and I think it is the cheapest out of the bunch. If you live in the U.S., Best Buy has a family version that is less than $400.00, it has 16GB of in built storage and is the Wi-Fi only version. I've seen 32GB Wi-Fi go for $400.00-$450.00, this is the version I have, my friend sold it to me for $300.00, so I lucked out there. Not sure of the other two, but the Xoom can be rooted and there are sizable amount of custom roms available (though I haven't felt the need to root it yet), Xoom also has a mini-hdmi out port. Front and back cameras are okay though the dual led flash on the back camera is nice to have. The tablet is speedy, the touchsreen is bright (1280 × 800) and responsive, color saturation is good though not as vibrant when compared with my smartphone's qHD display, but that is a bit unfair, the Xoom's screen can holds it own very well and I have no major complaints at all. The battery life on this thing is incredible. I bought it from friend at around 3PM and he forgot the charger, it was at 62% battery life, through using the device and using the Wi-Fi to download and install my apps/Widgets, it lasted me into the early morning hours the next day. Of course heavy media playback will reduce the battery life, but still out of all the mobile devices I have owned, I was very impressed with battery life. In the end I feel the Xoom is an all around great tablet especially for the when you factor in the features and cost, you certainly won't regret purchasing it, after owning one I can now understand why the Xoom was one of Cnet.com's Best of CES 2011 Winner.
Hope this helps
-
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium
Xoom was one of Cnet.com's Best of CES 2011 Winner
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Xoom was the winner of CES, but will it be the winner in the end of 2011?
That's the place of the Transformer.
I can be 100% sure that before the Prime showed up, the first Transformer was the best Android tablet. So don't be hesitate
I was just about to ask the same question as the original poster. The only difference being, the acer iconia a500 being cheaper (16gb version, 32gb version costs the same as xoom and transformer). If there was a big price difference the choise would be much easier, but now I do not know what to do. I was leaning towards xoom, because it's the smallest of the bunch, has 32gb and is considered well built. Iconia is the cheapest and would make the most rational buy (plus the standard USB is a big plus) but does not look as good as the other two. And transformer - the biggest advantage is the dock for those who want it and I don't. What else is going for it, except the screen (is it really so much better comparing to let's say xoom)?
What do you think of iconia - built and functionality wise when comparing to the other two? Would you rather go for xoom or transformer when the price is identical (transformer is 16gb without the dock and xoom is 32gb)?
thx guys i ended up choosing the asus just for the screen and i have no doubbt i made the right choice the asus is well supported and there a few roms for it so yeah couldnt be more thrilled
Just as a sidenote, and I have no idea whether you even considered this one or not, but the Viewsonic GTab is the same basic hardware as the Xoom save for the fact it has but 512mb RAM. Mine is fast, smooth, EASY to root and has several stable ROM's along with the fact that a person almost has to TRY to brick the danged thing. At about $250 it is, IMHO, an underrated STEAL.
So my mother in law got my 7 year old a tablet for christmas this year. Nice, only it was the horrifyingly worthless Sylvania that Toys R Us and CVS were giving away on black friday. So my boy thinks he's got a tablet just like dad's Galaxy Tab 10.1, but not so much. It's the thought that counts, right?
I thought maybe it had been rooted and could run CM7 or something, but no such luck. Locked down and it doesn't have the enthusiastic dev community around that I am used to with other devices... to say the least. Compile that with the substandard hardware and it's a paperweight. This is the type of device that gives android tablets a bad name.
He's disappointed, it's a brand new tablet, and to him should work like the others he's used, but of course doesn't. I'd planned on handing down my Incredible when I upgrade and setting it up as a wifi only device for him, but am considering just purchasing an inexpensive tablet that is decent quality and fully enabled (or can/will be).
I'm perfectly comfortable with rooting and flashing roms. I would like something with either current or expected support from CM. I'd like something that could run things at least as smoothly as the incredible can.
Right now I'm looking at a few different options:
Nook Tablet - Pros: nice hardware, should run CM9, expandable storage Cons: No camera
Kindle Fire - Pros: works out of the box with the Amazon app store, should run CM9, $199. Cons: only 8GB storage, not expandable, hardware not quite as good as the Nook Tablet, No camera
Acer Iconia A100 - Pros: Out of the box it is complete. Tegra 2. Expandable storage. dual cameras. except for the shorter battery life it compares to my Galaxy Tab. Cons: over my price range of $300.
Opinions? Am I wrong for dismissing Velocity Micro, Archos and the like without giving them a shot? Any good deals I'm overlooking?
CM9 on the Nook Tab? Doesn't it have a locked bootloader. I'd stay away from it.
Kindle Fire is nice but I think it lacks Bluetooth and cameras (which are becoming important for tabs)
Try to get a TouchPad
Yes, get an TouchPad - you can find it at very low price - and install CM.
c0x91 said:
Yes, get an TouchPad - you can find it at very low price - and install CM.
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This. You can get a TouchPad for $200 and it's worth more than that. You can't find a better deal.
bleach168 said:
This. You can get a TouchPad for $200 and it's worth more than that. You can't find a better deal.
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I triple that.
Currently running Xron b2.9 on mine.
Agreed if you can get your hands on a touchpad. Or maybe pick up a 16 gig playbook (199) it's only a matter of time till a developer on here gets android up on it and the hardware is pretty solid
TouchPad +1
Awesome hardware (for the going rate of $225), 10" screen, and big following here. webOS is nice, elegant, simple, and stable. But, there are very few apps. I'm not a fan of Gingerbread on a 10" screen, but ICS is coming along, and GB should fill the android and app craving until its here.
I almost got a Vizio tablet ... but as you said a cheap tablet with poor popularity here is a bad combo. I don't regret for a second spending a little more a getting the TouchPad over the Vizio tab, or Fire.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
OK, some questions about the Touchpad...
The 4:3 screen, most android apps are developed with 16:9 screens in mind. I can see this not being an issue with an app which uses a dynamic layout, but with games which have static assets how does this work out?
This tab will be used primarily for games and children's books, how is compatibility running CM7, any issues?
Once CM7 is installed is it seamless? WebOS holds no interest for me because of the lack of apps.
If I go the ebay route, I can likely get an A100 for the same price as a touchpad, does the TP still hold up?
Ok, newbie here.... Who makes the touchpad? How are the tablets from China? Are they just a waste of money?
I think the Touchpad recommendations are spot on, but I'll tell you that the Acer A100 is a good device. I got one for my daughter (same age as your kid) and have been happy with it. No rooting, running both Android Market and Amazon Appstore. Found it for around US $250 on Amazon.
Good luck on your purchase.
I will buy a kindle fire and install cm9..
Ok, figured out the touchpad is HP Still curious about the tablets from China if anyone has insight.
4yo
I've had a similar tale. Currently my 4yo has confiscated my HD2 running a CM7 ROM be hes practically taken over his mothers transformer. Needless to say she's not happy about that and he doesn't get his hands on my flyer without supervision so I've been thinking about getting him his own tablet.
I have an old 7 inch tab that i've had since the dawn of time it seems and and it worked well with the help od slatedroid before XDA opened up to tablets. Once we upgraded it was his defacto tab, until he broke the power switch.
My boys has had a lot of exposure so hes good with technology but hes young and not always as aware of the value of things as I'd like. I'd love to get him something to save wear and tear on his mothers tablet but id like something that he can load his existing android apps on and just enjoy.
I'll be watching this thread closely for any suggestions that aren't a touchpad.
I would also recommend the Touchpad. I also have a kindle fire and the form factor does not lend itself to the comfortable web browsing experience that you get with a Touchpad + CM7 and Maxthon/Dolphin/Boat.
It is good for reading books, and checking the web/email in a bind - but screen real estate is limited and the lack of hard keys is at times annoying.
Kindle Fire, enough said
I am running cm7 on my wife's nook color. Works well for when my boy wants to play games, but for reading, the original nook software is better, so I just have a dual boot setup... it just runs cm7 off the sd card. I like the setup.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App
Kindle Fire is a really nice tablet in hand, I know your complaints were technical ones, but out of those cheap tablets I still vote for the Kindle Fire.
I vote for an HP Touchpad w/ dual boot to webOS or Android or an original Samsung Galaxy Tab 7"er
withoutname90 said:
I will buy a kindle fire and install cm9..
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I think c9 will be a good option down the road on a kindle. It is not ready for prime time yet.
Great to play. Not a daily driver.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/9/2695314/asus-eee-pad-memo-me370T-tegra-3-price
The new standard of low price tables. Ics out of box, camera, tegra 3, and other good stuff. best of all its $249
Its phone upgrade time for me here in the UK.
I thought I'd share my recent thoughts on the current mobile environment from my perspective. I have got myself thoroughly confused looking for info on this so I hope I can gain some insight from the tech aware users of XDA.
I have a good handle on HTC and Asus but that has taken about a week of digging and I'm tired so I thought I'd post here.
Currently I do not own a laptop (just a gaming PC) and i have a Desire original.
I use the web enough on my phone when at home instead of my PC to now be annoyed by the screen size so I think its time for a tablet.
So I need a new mobile contract, a phone and a tablet and as usual I want the best spec for the least money.
I'll start with phones.
My desire is wicked but its been over two years of married bliss and I've dropped it so many times its bound to go wrong the minute I rely on it.
For a replacement I think 4.7 inches is too large for a phone, especially when most domestic browsing can be done on a tablet/laptop/PC.
Now the next level of power is available with the Tegra3 and S4 CPUs. I don't think content developer have fully utilised the dual core chips so I'm almost sure the next 2 years of content will not really push the capabilities of the Dual core chips into obsolescence.
The Sg2 has been the best handset out there but is now a bit common and 4 of my friends have one. (I shun the herd)
Latest CPUs seem to come with 4.3 or 4.7 screens.
So I guess I'm looking at the 4.3 range.
OPtions
HTC One S
Padfone
other - will the Sg3 be 4.7 as rumored?
Have I missed a diamond of a dual core phone released in the past 12 months that will provide joy for the next 2 years?
Now tablets.
I'm not planning on watching hour after hour of film on it as I have a TV.
But I will watch a bit and I'm sure the odd long journey might use it a bit.
Current champion is the Transformer prime - best so far. (or the TF101 for the real bargain hunter)
BUT
Asus are bringing out the transformer infinity to fight the ipad 3 in the high resolution stakes
the pad300 for the lower end.
and the padfone.
What are the rumours form other companies.
I think I can cope with 720p video and I'm not much of a mobile gamer (thats why i have a PC)
How much to pay?
I can get a sim only contract that services my needs for £10.50/mnth
So thats £252 over 24mnths
HTC One S with probbly be £430-450 sim free
SG3 will be similar
The Transformer infinty costs £600 - too much
Pad 300 a mere £250
So sim (252), phone(450) and tablet(250) can be done for approx £950 over 24mnths
or
Carrier will give me phone and contract for £642 + £250 so £892 over 24mnths
or
Sim only (252) and a padfone (£530) £782 over 24mnths
So the padfone is the cheapest way to get a reasonably sized modestly powerful phone that is not the 'norm' and a tablet experience.
But what can the Pad 300 or a Transformer Tf101 offer that a padfone can't?
THe HTC one S and padfone are equally matched (apart form the sense UI that i am very at home with vs lack of SD slot and integrated battery issue)
What are the other options?
Have I missed any gems?
What would you do?
i wanna
i wanna upgrade my android guys
how to install ics???
pushkardua said:
i wanna upgrade my android guys
how to install ics???
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Hush! If those android guys hear you they will revolt and melt you down with their laser eyes!
@olly230: I am in a somewhat similar situation with my Galaxy S. I need a new phone and I want a tablet. A Padfone gives you something very near to a full combination, just blocking you from simultaneous use of course, which might not matter at all if you are single. Besides, I like the design and features.
So I came to much the same conclusion - the only problem might be: it is getting delayed in Taiwan (3 weeks into May) and probable in Europe accordingly. Hopefully it is in stores by June, which is where my contract ends.
My contract is june as well!
(I'm not single though)
I'm the target market for the padfone but what if its sh1t?
I've been on sense UI for so long will asus android be horrible?
I could spend an extra 150 but I am a bargain hunter.
I could just get a desire S and a TF101 but I think the savings are not worth the loss of product longevity.
olly230 said:
(I'm not single though)
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Me neither, guess I might have to share my Padfone with the kids now and then.
I'm the target market for the padfone but what if its sh1t?
I've been on sense UI for so long will asus android be horrible?
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It very probably won't be outright "sh1t", but especially for you it might take some getting used to. Stock UI has improved a lot with ICS, and you can always install another launcher and a bunch of widgets to recreate many of the things you might expect but arent' there or different.
I was happy to get rid of Touchwiz completely, running a somewhat stock ICS now on my SGS. But I don't like the stock launcher too much, been using Go Launcher EX (free in Play Store) for quite a while and very happy with it. I don't use many widgets, because RAM is already tight and I don't really need them.
I could just get a desire S and a TF101 but I think the savings are not worth the loss of product longevity.
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If you go that way, you should probably wait for the TF300, it will be a worthy successor and also quite cheap.
these 1st world problems eh?
Got clean water, food and safe roof over my head and I can still find ridiculous things to make me unhappy.
Couple things:
1) Unless you spend a lot of time HD gaming on your phone/tablet, the Padfone's S4 chip is actually stronger than the quad-core chips.
2) Asus is very very good with updates, they stick with stock OS, and their "bloat" consists of a few very useful apps like "OneNote" and "Library".
3) All batteries in all devices in the Padfone system charge the phone at the core.
4) It comes with the coolest stylus in existence. ^_^
Closed, please post in proper section
this thread is now not closed (thank you mr ORb)
I'm still interested in others opinions on this situation.
After a few days thought and calculation I think i'm going with the new kid on the block , the padfone
Although i will still probably change my mind a million times between now and mid june
I bought the tf700 about 2 weeks ago from best buy using the 50$ coupon that best buy messed up on. I actually bought it for 419 w/ tax going up to 450 which also includes the dock. Is this a good price for this? Well I have 2 weeks left for a full refund and I'm still debating if I should get a refund and wait for tegra 4 tablets or just keep it. There is slight flex on the screen which makes a clicking noise when I press on it but it doesn't really bother me. At first I was looking into ultrabooks but I gave tablet a try. Besides it's hard to find i5 ultrabooks for under 500. Help me decide!!
odorfreedk said:
I bought the tf700 about 2 weeks ago from best buy using the 50$ coupon that best buy messed up on. I actually bought it for 419 w/ tax going up to 450 which also includes the dock. Is this a good price for this? Well I have 2 weeks left for a full refund and I'm still debating if I should get a refund and wait for tegra 4 tablets or just keep it. There is slight flex on the screen which makes a clicking noise when I press on it but it doesn't really bother me. At first I was looking into ultrabooks but I gave tablet a try. Besides it's hard to find i5 ultrabooks for under 500. Help me decide!!
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That is a good price IMO.
I'd say this is a factor of your budget and how much you use your tablet. I got the first Android tablet, a Motorola Xoom, on launch day. I had it for a few months and used it a lot then decided to sell it prematurely in order to wait for the next best thing which in my eyes was an HD screen. Well I ended up having to wait almost a year before I got my next tablet, a TF700. That entire year I was kicking myself for not holding on to the Xoom until I actually had another tablet in my possession.
So I guess you have to ask yourself how important to you is having a tablet? At that price I'm guessing you could probably sell it for a ~$100 loss a few months down the road. Who knows though the next generation of tablets might take longer to come out, like the delay we had on the 1080P tablets. With that in mind, if I were you, I'd keep it!
$450.00 for tab and dock?
I'd say that's a good deal.
If the click bugs you trade that in for one that doesn't click.
Just picked up a TF700 myself and I was literally asking myself the same question. I've got a little less than 60 days to return this to BBY if another tab is announced for release soon.
I guess, there are a few things to consider.
1) Is the better performance/battery life of the new device going to be significant? If they jack up the resolution like the N10, it will probably be closer to par with the TF700.
2) Will a new tablet have any hardware issues (e.g. TF-Prime GPS & Wifi problems)? The TF700 is a mature product and it's limitations are well outlined. If you buy a TF700 now, you know exactly what you are going to get.
3) What new features will be on this Tab, and are they worth waiting for? TF700 has SDXC, mini HDMI, a dock with full USB, Full HD, etc. It's a good feature set. TF700 is a bit low on ram with only 1GB, I'd rather have 2GB. It's missing an integrated LTE modem that is said to be in T4, but TBH, I would always buy the wifi version anyway. Better battery life, I wouldn't pay for the extra data plan, and my phone is now tethering fine (thanks TrevE). N10 like resolution looks impressive on paper, but not so in person. I have good eyesight, and the difference isn't noticeable. It's an advertising point over the ipad. Google needs to stop chasing Apple and build more hardware features into their tablets that Apple didn't already do a year ago, but I digress.
4) Are there any applications you cannot run on the TF700 that a new tab would fix? I picked u the TF700 because my Touchpad (running CM9) keeps crashing skype; which I use daily. I run a somewhat recent nightly, and since the Camera fix (thanks for that Dorregaray) being able to use skype at all is awesome. However, having to reboot the tablet 6 times in a night and constantly mucking up the conversation is real pain. Since using the TF700, I haven't had one hiccup in skype. That is worth a lot to me, but a newer tab won't make it better.
Anyway, those are the things I've been mulling over. I will need to see what the new Transformer will look like before I make any kind of decision.
Edit: FWIW, I paid $468 for the tab & a 32GB micro sdxc card. I think you got the better deal.
Have they given a release date for any Tegra4 device? I thought one was shown at the last electronics show but it was still a development model and didn't mention anything about release times or price. You could be waiting awhile and in meantime if you keep the TF700 start stashing away some money monthly for the next wave of tablets. That could help on any loss you take or cover the difference to a model with more storage.
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1 - I don't think anyone can tell what the performance and battery life will be like right now. New devices and cpu's are marketed as more performance while reducing energy needs but the tech community needs products to test before accepting what is said as fact. Are Tegra4 chps supposed to run at the same power that today's Tegra3 chips do but have the better performance? That is a performance improvement while reducing the power needed if they were to make a Tegra3 to equal that performance. Someone may have a better answer regarding power saving but remember a bumped up screen size will probably draw more power anyway.
2 - Again probably hard to answer. Until the product hits the market we really won't know how it performs and what problems it may or may not have. It is a risk you take by buying the next and greatest device. Prime was the next and greatest device and we know how that turned out. We can only hope they get the message after 3 devices that they need better I/O components.
4 - As far as applications I think many people have issue with games that are released or already out and "not supported" by our device. It will take some time once a new device comes out for companies to tweak the code or whatever they do to have the games run on the device. That is done on their whim. Why some haven't not done now on the TF700 (Gameloft and EA) is a question I don't think anyone truly knows. Some guess it's screen resolution and they don't want to change the code to render the graphics properly for our device.
But really you can wait and wait and still not be satisfied because something else is a few months away. This technology is moving fast.
fsured said:
But really you can wait and wait and still not be satisfied because something else is a few months away. This technology is moving fast.
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Well, I had really wanted a "Wayne" (Tegra 4) device, and was waiting for that to launch to replace/augment the touchpad. The marketing slides showing kepler tech integrated into the SoC is actually a little bit exicting to me. However, I took advantage of a time limited offer to get the TFI at a reduced price. I use google docs for invoicing clients, and the Touchpad wasn't handling that well enough for me to do it on site. I found myself just waiting to get home to do it & emailing an invoice back. The TFI with the keyboard dock provides an excellent solution, and I had considered getting an ultra book for this purpose, but at about half the price of the ultrabook I was looking at, while fulfilling essentially the same purpose, having the same size profile, and better battery life, well it seemed like the better bargain.
That said, if I could get my hands on a next gen transformer within the next 60 days, I'd likely trade this in, in a heart beat.
My opinion the TF700T is viable for a while longer.
Glad the FHD tabs didn't shoot of into a numbers game as quick as I thought they would.
All I can say is after the "lobotomy" lol...my tablet has been a satisfying adventure.
It's smooth no jitters, games well (light gaming), plays my Xfinity downloads without a hitch, wifi connects stays connected, gps is quick,
browser is hanging in there...etc.
Just for a bit of comparison:
I've side by sided the tablet with my 2 year old HP AMD A6 notebook, and for what it is the tab has about the same amount of annoyance that a Win7 notebook has.
Not comparing Windows to Android just noting all devices big and small can of course suffer glitchiness.
Once the system settles in and with a little restraint as far as collecting\installing poorly written apps the Infinity remains a buy at least for me.
Hopefully when the newer tabs start popping perhaps some of us hold-outs will benefit from a much better selection of HD tablet applications.
Toastysoul said:
Just picked up a TF700 myself and I was literally asking myself the same question. I've got a little less than 60 days to return this to BBY if another tab is announced for release soon.
I guess, there are a few things to consider.
1) Is the better performance/battery life of the new device going to be significant? If they jack up the resolution like the N10, it will probably be closer to par with the TF700.
2) Will a new tablet have any hardware issues (e.g. TF-Prime GPS & Wifi problems)? The TF700 is a mature product and it's limitations are well outlined. If you buy a TF700 now, you know exactly what you are going to get.
3) What new features will be on this Tab, and are they worth waiting for? TF700 has SDXC, mini HDMI, a dock with full USB, Full HD, etc. It's a good feature set. TF700 is a bit low on ram with only 1GB, I'd rather have 2GB. It's missing an integrated LTE modem that is said to be in T4, but TBH, I would always buy the wifi version anyway. Better battery life, I wouldn't pay for the extra data plan, and my phone is now tethering fine (thanks TrevE). N10 like resolution looks impressive on paper, but not so in person. I have good eyesight, and the difference isn't noticeable. It's an advertising point over the ipad. Google needs to stop chasing Apple and build more hardware features into their tablets that Apple didn't already do a year ago, but I digress.
4) Are there any applications you cannot run on the TF700 that a new tab would fix? I picked u the TF700 because my Touchpad (running CM9) keeps crashing skype; which I use daily. I run a somewhat recent nightly, and since the Camera fix (thanks for that Dorregaray) being able to use skype at all is awesome. However, having to reboot the tablet 6 times in a night and constantly mucking up the conversation is real pain. Since using the TF700, I haven't had one hiccup in skype. That is worth a lot to me, but a newer tab won't make it better.
Anyway, those are the things I've been mulling over. I will need to see what the new Transformer will look like before I make any kind of decision.
Edit: FWIW, I paid $468 for the tab & a 32GB micro sdxc card. I think you got the better deal.
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How did you get the 60 day refund period? On my best buy receipt it states 30 days hassle free returns. Also it's a little weird that my tf700 freezes and randomly reboots. It doesn't do it frequently but once in awhile it does that.....very weird. This is actually my second tablet because the first one had slight flex but the current one actually makes a small clicking noise too. Honestly it doens't really bother me but ASus def needs to work on their quality control
Personally, waiting for the next tablet from ASUS (I assume you want a Transformer tablet) will be a very painful experience. Our tf700 was announced at CES 2012 (in January 2012), but only became available for sale at least 4 months later (depend on your location). Given the fact that ASUS has not announced any successor to our Infinity yet, I am inclined to believe if there is a Tegra 4 tablet from ASUS, it will only be available to us on the second half of the year. I have been waiting for the Transformer Book for many months but it is still not available. To me, waiting for something that is not even announced yet is a waste of time and effort.
I would strongly reccomend this tab to anyone who needs something with similar functionality to a netbook or ultrabook but I am looking forward to see what will come next. I would love to see something with a little more power hit the same nitch and with about the same price point... I'm actually waiting on the razer edge tablet to see what it turns into. anyways, I plan on hanging on to my TF700 even if I do get an ultrabook or the edge.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD
odorfreedk said:
How did you get the 60 day refund period? On my best buy receipt it states 30 days hassle free returns. Also it's a little weird that my tf700 freezes and randomly reboots. It doesn't do it frequently but once in awhile it does that.....very weird. This is actually my second tablet because the first one had slight flex but the current one actually makes a small clicking noise too. Honestly it doens't really bother me but ASus def needs to work on their quality control
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Premier Silver. Drop enough cash at best buy and you get side benefits, like a doubled return period. Most of the the other benefits are less useful. I don't bother with the complimentary Geek Squad services, for example. Even if I wanted or needed their services (I don't), I still wouldn't use it. Mostly, that's just an opportunity for them to come into your home and look for things they can sell you.
Honestly. ...maybe a extra gig of ram would make this tablet perfect for me. The resolution is ideal for me and the speed is great (running CleanRom) and it does what I hope to get from it. And I use my note 2 for the extra stuff (multi window, nfc sharing etc). And to top that, the mobile giants still have not made 100% use of the quad core as it is and until then, asus infinity is a keeper.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Tegra-4-Wayne-Project-Shield-Nvidia-Grid-Fiscal-2013,21082.html
Tegra 4 isn't shipping until QTR 3 2013. Given that time frame, I'm reasonably happy with my purchase. If the SoC isn't even shipping until then, you won't see devices until QTR 4, and that's nearly a year away. No doubt there will be better performers from Qualcomm sooner than that, but even so, I'm happy with the device I have for now.
searched but haven't even found rumors on a successor - had the TFPrime before and since it got nicked I am waiting for sth new to play with.
Have started considering the Samsung Tab Plus (whenever announced) given the higher res. Still seems that the TF700 has enough muscles and the add keyboard (+battery) is clearly a plus...
Anyhow - have there been any news on the TF700 successor that I missed
Its becomming a bit rusty given the time its already in the market :laugh:
nellycruzz said:
Honestly. ...maybe a extra gig of ram would make this tablet perfect for me. The resolution is ideal for me and the speed is great (running CleanRom) and it does what I hope to get from it. And I use my note 2 for the extra stuff (multi window, nfc sharing etc). And to top that, the mobile giants still have not made 100% use of the quad core as it is and until then, asus infinity is a keeper.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
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I have to agree about the extra gig of ram. But in response to the OP's question, yes that is a very good price. You could always dualboot it with rabbits' linux so as to gain some of the functionality that you would get with an ultrabook. The infinity will not become redundant for a while yet in my opinion so I say go for it.
For tablet with awesome dock integration the tf700 cant be beat. You also got a great deal on both. As far at Tegra 4 devices in particular Asus ones, no one knows yet when they will actually release one so you will have to play the waiting game. Vizio is the only one I know of that is coming out with one but not sold in the U.S. and doesn't have a keyboard dock option.
As someone mentioned the tf700 is a good laptop or netbook replacement. So if you're not going to play high graphic games on it like gameloft games then its a good tablet. But I do recommend you unlock and install custom rom on it as it lags quite a bit in stock form.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
The price is good, considering you got the dock with it.
Toastysoul said:
Just picked up a TF700 myself and I was literally asking myself the same question. I've got a little less than 60 days to return this to BBY if another tab is announced for release soon.
I guess, there are a few things to consider.
1) Is the better performance/battery life of the new device going to be significant? If they jack up the resolution like the N10, it will probably be closer to par with the TF700.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless the device has a battery-powered dock, I'd suspect battery life is going to be on par at best -- expect it to be worse. This may not apply if the new device carries one of those funky new battery design which last for a week and are charged in 10 minutes, but those will only get on the market in about two years, they reckon.
2) Will a new tablet have any hardware issues (e.g. TF-Prime GPS & Wifi problems)? The TF700 is a mature product and it's limitations are well outlined. If you buy a TF700 now, you know exactly what you are going to get.
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Obviously true, and very significant remark. Any device will have its issues, and given the fact that the TF201 suffered from some of these as well, I'd not expect the next Transformer to be faultless either. :S
3) What new features will be on this Tab, and are they worth waiting for? TF700 has SDXC, mini HDMI, a dock with full USB, Full HD, etc. It's a good feature set. TF700 is a bit low on ram with only 1GB, I'd rather have 2GB. It's missing an integrated LTE modem that is said to be in T4, but TBH, I would always buy the wifi version anyway. Better battery life, I wouldn't pay for the extra data plan, and my phone is now tethering fine (thanks TrevE). N10 like resolution looks impressive on paper, but not so in person. I have good eyesight, and the difference isn't noticeable. It's an advertising point over the ipad. Google needs to stop chasing Apple and build more hardware features into their tablets that Apple didn't already do a year ago, but I digress.
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And the N10 has both QA and availability issues, for example.
Following your digression for a bit: Apple had already lost the innovation game in the tablet and smartphone worlds a few years ago. All they have done is increase screen size, and (sometimes) resolution.
4) Are there any applications you cannot run on the TF700 that a new tab would fix? I picked u the TF700 because my Touchpad (running CM9) keeps crashing skype; which I use daily. I run a somewhat recent nightly, and since the Camera fix (thanks for that Dorregaray) being able to use skype at all is awesome. However, having to reboot the tablet 6 times in a night and constantly mucking up the conversation is real pain. Since using the TF700, I haven't had one hiccup in skype. That is worth a lot to me, but a newer tab won't make it better.
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If anything, the older device will probably support more apps altogether -- if you have experienced the transitions from Froyo to Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich to Jelly Bean, you have noticed that we lost a lot of apps along the way that were pretty good in themselves, but just weren't given the TLC to update them to function on the new version. Backward compatibility is less of an issue when the programmer takes it into account when developing his/her app, but too often an app is just hacked together and subsequently, essentially, abandoned.[/QUOTE]