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[Q] Concerns Before Purchasing 7 Plus

I am seriously considering getting a SGT 7 Plus. I was going to be patient and wait for the 7.7 but I fear here in the UK that it will release at a silly price. I'm thinking I should save some money and just get the 7+. I have a few concerns with buying the 7+ though. I keeping reading about the problems with the random reboots and also the poor WiFi strength. Am I right to be concerned? I have definitely narrowed my search down to a SGT, it's just a question of which one and if I have to keep waiting for the 7.7 then so be it.

Gunnzie said:
I am seriously considering getting a SGT 7 Plus. I was going to be patient and wait for the 7.7 but I fear here in the UK that it will release at a silly price. I'm thinking I should save some money and just get the 7+. I have a few concerns with buying the 7+ though. I keeping reading about the problems with the random reboots and also the poor WiFi strength. Am I right to be concerned? I have definitely narrowed my search down to a SGT, it's just a question of which one and if I have to keep waiting for the 7.7 then so be it.
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You are right to have some concern. But also consider that the 7.7 could come with its own host of little bugs too. We just haven't heard about them because its not out yet. At least the 7+ is a known quantity at this point. And fixes are being found for some of the 7+'s known issues.
As far as the two items you mentioned, I can say from my sample of two 7+ tablets (my wife has one too) that my tablet experienced occasional random reboots, whereas my wife's tablet did not. That issue went away, along with the tablet not waking up when the screen would go into sleep mode (aka Sleep of Death or SOD) when I was able to force the wifi to sleep when the screen is off. I have not noticed any issues with wifi strength with either tablet.
Ultimately the decision comes down to you. Is having the slightly faster processor and slightly larger AMOLED screen worth the extra price? Or can the 7+ do everything you need it to do within your budget and do it now?
Good luck on whichever you decide!

Thanks. Just out of interest, your post suggests there are other issues with the 7+. What are they? My worry at the moment is that Samsung price their devices at a premium without actually necessarily being a premium product. On the other hand, they provide what I am looking for (small, light, SD slot, and great battery life).
I suppose my decision would be easier if I actually knew how much the 7.7 was going to sell for here in the UK. I don't suppose anyone has any ideas?
Realistically, I need to wait for the 7+ to drop in price a bit anyway. £349 seems a lot for a device with only a 1024x600 screen when higher res tablets are now around and more powerful tablets are just starting to arrive (e.g. Tegra3 etc).

i have regular sized hands (what a way to start my post! haha). that's why a 7 inch is the best for me. Hardware wise, the GTab 7+ gives me comfort and stability. I haven't encountered any problems so far. Except that I have a P6200 and no one's currently developing anything for it. But i bet that weeks from now, our dev section would be full of Roms and Tweaks.
ALSO ICS is coming to the GTab+. 'Nuff said.
I had the same dilemma as you. I would've waited for the 7.7. But many said that Samsung would be selling it at a premium price! And I think that an upgraded screen and processor is NOT worth it.
And besides. I have "regular" sized hands. Who knows how a .7 inch would affect my comfort.

diospada11 said:
i have regular sized hands (what a way to start my post! haha). that's why a 7 inch is the best for me. Hardware wise, the GTab 7+ gives me comfort and stability. I haven't encountered any problems so far. Except that I have a P6200 and no one's currently developing anything for it. But i bet that weeks from now, our dev section would be full of Roms and Tweaks.
ALSO ICS is coming to the GTab+. 'Nuff said.
I had the same dilemma as you. I would've waited for the 7.7. But many said that Samsung would be selling it at a premium price! And I think that an upgraded screen and processor is NOT worth it.
And besides. I have "regular" sized hands. Who knows how a .7 inch would affect my comfort.
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Thanks for that. I feel the opposite though many ways. I think the extra .7 inch might be a good thing for me. I actually prefer the screen size of the 10 inch tablets by far. If it wasn't for the fact that I also want to carry it around too then I'd buy a 10 inch for definite. I thought the 8.9 inch would be a good compromise but they are ridiculously expensive in the UK and they have no SD slot built in. A 7 inch fulfills my requirements and will fit in my bag a lot easier but I do think I'll miss the screen size of a 10 inch at times. It's all about compromises I guess and what suits you best. In an idea world, I would own 2 tablets. One for on the road and one for home use.

The only other issue I have experienced is that I could not write to the external sd card unless I used the stock file manager. That was resolved by editing a permissions file. Other than that my 7+ has performed beyond my expectations.
As with any high tech device there will be some issues to contend with. None of the issues I've experienced would make me think that the Samsung tablet was less than a premium device. Considering it is a relatively new device that's been out for less than two months, the number of issues do not seem to be higher than normal for a new product, in my opinion.
Also be sure to remember that devices that are not functioning properly can usually be returned or exchanged, as long as you shop from a reputable retailer that has an exchange or replacement policy. As always, caveat emptor.

Considering A Xoom -- Advice Wanted!

Hey All--I'm considering getting a Xoom off craigslist at a decent price, but I was hoping for some advice first:
What I really care about is having a device that runs well, that the screen is pretty good on, and that has great developer support.
I will most likely run AOKP on whatever I get (it's what I run on my galaxy nexus).
Is this the tablet for me? What are the benefits, and perhaps more importantly, what are the drawbacks that you see to the xoom?
Thanks!

I really hate the screen on this Xoom, my Samsung fascinates screen at half dim is easier to see out side than my Xoom at 100.
I got mine cheap online also and wish I would have just saved a bit more and got a galaxy tab. Prob will be upgrading to galaxy tab 2.
Before I go, I would like to add that this tablet is a pain to hold, I would prefer a screen that is a bit closer to square such as gal tab or ipad, this Xoom is like widescreen, it's also kinda heavy, I do like a bit of weight but without a case on it, the shell on this thing is very slippery.
Id go hold some different devices to make up your mind on if it's worth saving 100-200 bucks on something you intend to enjoy and use often for some time to come.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

My only real complaint is battery life. I get about 8 -10 hours out of it continous use. Other complaint would be the backlight. If you plan on keeping it stock, there are better options. If you plan on rooting and roming it, there is allot of developmental support that will completely transform it. Add in hdmi port and expandable storage via external sd card slot(xoom can accept the sandisk 64gb micro.)
It really matters, what you will be doing with it, and where will you will be using it.. If out doors during day hours allot, check out other options before getting the xoom. Its glare can be bad and the backlight will barely make up for it... out in the sun, just about forget about it. If it will be indoors allot overcast days or in the shade, and/or very media oriented, the xoom is excellent. Someone else will have to comment on gaming.
If you like to use allot of apps, or a windows like experience of multiple apps or screens at once, there is the cornerstone rom(there is a youtube video.)
I personally am very happy with my xoom, I like music and love movies, price aside(xoom verizon lte, no contract) Resolution is good, tegra2 does everything I ask, on the eos nightly rom there are great customizing options. I have no reason at all to look for some thing else.... if i get sick with what I got, I just switch a rom, the only thing that stays the same is the case.
As for weight, yeah its a little heavier and thicker than most, do a couple pushups once in a while, you'll be fine

Owning both an N5 and N7 redundant?

So I have the original Nexus 7. Love it! But I'm about 99% sure I'll get a Nexus 5. I do love the 7" form factor, but in your honest opinion (and I'm asking those of you who have owned 4.5 - 5 inch smartphones) will the size of the N5 be good enough to justify getting rid of my tablet? They both run basically the same software. I like to read a lot and play some games.
I'll probably hang on to both until I'm sure, but wondered if anyone had an opinion or owned multiple devices and your thoughts. Thanks!!

ezzkmo said:
So I have the original Nexus 7. Love it! But I'm about 99% sure I'll get a Nexus 5. I do love the 7" form factor, but in your honest opinion (and I'm asking those of you who have owned 4.5 - 5 inch smartphones) will the size of the N5 be good enough to justify getting rid of my tablet? They both run basically the same software. I like to read a lot and play some games.
I'll probably hang on to both until I'm sure, but wondered if anyone had an opinion or owned multiple devices and your thoughts. Thanks!!
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Your question seems a bit vague to receive a solid answer. I can say personally, I use my wifi only Nexus 7 for reading books, watching youtube, browsing sites, research, etc., etc. when I know I won't be near a computer and don't feel like draining my phone battery. I use my Gnex as a phone, sms messenger, and all of the above items mentioned for N7. The N7 can't do what my phone does, and my phone isn't large scale enough for extended times spent doing all the things mentioned.
It really boils down to what you're using each for. Some people just don't need a phone but get big use out of a tablet, others don't have the lifestyle for a tablet and need a slightly larger phone.

As the owner of a Nexus 4, and 7, I have to say that I love having both. I like to be able to surf the web on my tablet in the morning and at night on the couch, and it's a lot easier to use than a 4-5" smartphone. A smartphone is alright when I'm out shopping, at work, etc, but in the comfort of my own home the Nexus 7 makes a lot more sense the way I use it. The bigger screen on the Nexus 7 makes web surfing a lot more enjoyable primarily. I can access a lot of desktop websites more comfortably since they fit the screen ratio of a tilted Nexus 7 better. No need to zoom in either since text is usually large enough to comfortably read.

Watcher07 said:
Your question seems a bit vague to receive a solid answer. I can say personally, I use my wifi only Nexus 7 for reading books, watching youtube, browsing sites, research, etc., etc. when I know I won't be near a computer and don't feel like draining my phone battery. I use my Gnex as a phone, sms messenger, and all of the above items mentioned for N7. The N7 can't do what my phone does, and my phone isn't large scale enough for extended times spent doing all the things mentioned.
It really boils down to what you're using each for. Some people just don't need a phone but get big use out of a tablet, others don't have the lifestyle for a tablet and need a slightly larger phone.
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That is helpful! I'm basically just wondering if someone who bought a smartphone let their tablet collect dust (since a phone does everything and more now). But you just said you still use your larger screen tablet for doing other things. Which is good to know. I'll probably keep both but man, I really need a phone and the Nexus 5 is looking great, just have to justify keeping my tablet which is only 2 inches bigger, but with lower specs and can't talk/text on it. Seriously, if phones start to become 6+ inches (like the Note) there is almost no reason to keep a 7 inch tablet too!
And thank you also Rarscaryfrosty! Very good advice! (N7 has crazy good battery life too).

I have a galaxy nexus and a Nexus 7 (2013). No they are not redundant. The Nexus 7 is much better for extended web browsing and reading ebooks than even a 5" phone would be (I suspect). And conversely it is nice to pull out your phone when you need to access info quickly or want to be less conspicuous about it. I bring both the Nexus 7 and GNex with me everyday and use both everyday. I will say that since my GNex is getting old it is kind of nice to have a back up device that has a longer battery. Back when I only had the GNex I would try to do all my mobile browsing on it (like 4hrs per day of straight browsing) and the battery barely held up. Now I do major browsing sessions on the Nexus 7 and I don't have battery life issues with either device because they share the burden.

I have an N4, my wife has an HTC One and we bought my son an N7. He is a little to young to play with it by himself so it is basically there for whenever we want to use it. I personally find no need for it and my wife never picks it up either.
We carry our phones with us in our house and that is our go to device. If you are into reading or watching movies then a tablet might be your thing and maybe even some games but for the things we do on a daily basis I always turn to my phone. If I need a good browser on a bring screen I just use my laptop in my home which is still a better browsing experience then a tablet.
If I did not have a child to buy the N7 for, I would not have purchased it for myself.

Not redundant at all. The n7 is a the best ereader there is. The n5 is a phone. Neither does the other's primary job well.

Caelrie said:
Not redundant at all. The n7 is a the best ereader there is. The n5 is a phone. Neither does the other's primary job well.
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I agree with this statement. A tablet is a great device to read books with. Otherwise I really don't see a need for it.

[email protected] said:
I agree with this statement. A tablet is a great device to read books with. Otherwise I really don't see a need for it.
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Yah, if I didn't read e-books, I wouldn't like my 7 as much as I do. It's good for gaming but my 10 is better. Same for Web surfing. It can be a phone but my phone is better. Reading ebooks, though... Nothing even comes close to a 7 for that and I read a LOT.

I have and s3, s4, note 2 note 3 and just ordered the N5.plus I have two laptops and several tablets of different screen sizes floating around lol.
Theres times for various reasons you may want or need to use a device with a certain size screen..nice to have options.
So speaking as someone who has a few devices lying around..keep them both
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using xda premium

Just got a tab and its very slow and sluggish.

some videos of its sloweness.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAy9pN-PyXk
http://youtu.be/443g1m2D9Us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Qofo_vybg
so slow its painful
Would a custom rom make this any better?

Had a look at those vids, looks to be about average for the stock ROM and is similar to the performance I was getting on stock.
Any of the custom ROMs will help with the sluggishness.

Gavin01 said:
some videos of its sloweness.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAy9pN-PyXk
http://youtu.be/443g1m2D9Us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Qofo_vybg
so slow its painful
Would a custom rom make this any better?
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Uncheck power saving mode, disable all animations at development tools menu
Sent from my SM-T211 using xda app-developers app

Flashed a custom rom and things are much better. 100%not worth its 270 price tag
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Samsung puts only 1gb ram and fills it with all kinds of it's own services that use all the ram and bug down the system:
Solution:
-Replace Touchwiz with Go Launcher HD.
-Root device and freeze all Samsung stuff that boot up with the system which you don't need such Samsung hubs(games, news etc), Yahoo services etc. Titanium backup can be of help to freeze.
-uncheck cpu in power savings option.
-reduce or stop animations in developer options.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
---------- Post added at 08:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:58 AM ----------
Don't forget to freeze Touchwiz after having replaced it with Go launcher HD. This will prevent it from loading again in the background and hugging your memory. See how your device becomes fast
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Dont mind trying that.but im not sure how to freeze things from start up?
Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

maybe u got defect tab 3 ,try antutu benchmark and see how much u get score?
I had tab 3 7.0 got so slow with only 8800 score, and its got RMA due to auto shut down motherboard,and they give me new tab3, now its score 12000-13000pts,more faster and smooth.

Root it. It is much faster with a custom ROM
Don't use the Facebook app. It's a bloated mess.
Don't use S-Voice. Worthless. Use Google Now. Much better voice search/assistant

Yup it sucks
I was going to start the same thread before I saw yours. The SGT3 is a horrible tablet, cheaply built, slow, antiquated resolution and overpriced. I bought one after my Asus Infinity 700T was stolen after a visit too a library. When I went into the store to buy a new tablet I asked the sales person what he would recommend, I had a budget of 300. He excitedly showed me the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, the demo unit unfortunately wan't able to start, an omen I should have realized. I was impressed by the size and weight, the cheap plastic feel was worrying but the latter two plus's were enough for me to pull the trigger. When I got it home, charged it, setup up all of the user credentials, the first thing I noticed was how cartoonishly big everything looked. I did however like the look of the keyboard, so I pushed on and installed all of my favorite apps, I started to notice a lot of lag when installing apps, okay maybe the Play Store just isn't optimized for the x86 CPU, I continued. When the tablet was finished installing, I rebooted, than the nightmare what is Tab 3 started. First I tried surfing with Chrome but when more than 6 tabs are opened, do to the lack of memory you will loose whatever you have typed in one tab after you switch to another. The system is very sluggish, typing with a Logitech Keyboard in QuickOffice, the screen can't keep up with my typing. I can spend all day going through all of my apps and describing to you how slow each one performed but you get the idea, SLOW. I wanted to comment on the screen, the resolution is ridiculously bad for a 300 dollar 2014 tablet, I am actually shocked as to how bad it is. It's bright enough but man, Samsung has gotten so cocky to think that they can shove this crap down our throats. Not to mention how easy it is to scratch, breath on it and it's scratched. I decided to try installing a custom ROM for giggles, I had already decided to return it, wow slim pickings in that arena. The two I found were also really bad, the tablet was a little faster, memory management improved a little, not sure why the developers thought that changing the look of the color scheme for the notifications tab was a good idea, the ROMs did nothing to improve the overall experience though, nothing.
I returned the Tab 3 after only two days of what I would call the worst experience I have ever had with a gadget and bought a Nexus 10. 100x the better machine, it even cost 30 dollars less and has built in HDML. Oh the HDMI, I forgot about the HDMI, Samsung charges 40 dollars for the HDMI cable, it however doesn't charge the Tab 3 when connected and because the battery is so bad you can maybe watch a movie and a half. It also doesn't output 1080P when your in the desktop, just 720P so everything is fuzzy. Stay away from this tablet people, it's bad, expensive and insulting to the consumer.

calden74 said:
Stay away from this tablet people, it's bad, expensive and insulting to the consumer.
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I'd have to heartily disagree with you on that. I've had mine for a few days now and it's everything I expected and then some. Even before I froze a ton of stuff it was lagfree for me. Yeah the resolution kinda blows but it's a tablet. If you want 1080p look at your monitor, 720 is more than fine for a mid-level tablet. As for the Nexus, well I'd have to say the Tab is better but my opinion is jaded because it has a SD Slot, that's a monumental dealbreaker for me when it comes to the Nexus. You talk about it being 2014 well in that case the Nexus should have an SD Slot, that's an archaic thing do by not including one. Not everyone wants to cloud everything. :good:
Regardless, this tablet is more than competent. There is a reason it has a huge community and such great ratings everywhere, it's probably one of the highest quality tablets for its price.

Se7enex said:
I'd have to heartily disagree with you on that. I've had mine for a few days now and it's everything I expected and then some. Even before I froze a ton of stuff it was lagfree for me. Yeah the resolution kinda blows but it's a tablet. If you want 1080p look at your monitor, 720 is more than fine for a mid-level tablet. As for the Nexus, well I'd have to say the Tab is better but my opinion is jaded because it has a SD Slot, that's a monumental dealbreaker for me when it comes to the Nexus. You talk about it being 2014 well in that case the Nexus should have an SD Slot, that's an archaic thing do by not including one. Not everyone wants to cloud everything. :good:
Regardless, this tablet is more than competent. There is a reason it has a huge community and such great ratings everywhere, it's probably one of the highest quality tablets for its price.
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There is some things about this tablet that really irks me but I guess I have high hopes for the KK update helping it out. I also agree with you on the SD slot, that is one main reason I did not buy a Nexus. I also must say that I love the IR blaster and the watchon app, its very convenient and I don't need to find my logitech harmony when I'm on my tablet to mess with the tv. I think I got a good tablet for the price I paid, if I had wanted better then I would of been paying $550+. But I am typing this on my laptop with the tab beside me and my Note 2 and a PS Vita,oh and the ipod touch. I think I have enough devices to connect to the internet and the tab fills its roll well.

Se7enex said:
I'd have to heartily disagree with you on that. I've had mine for a few days now and it's everything I expected and then some. Even before I froze a ton of stuff it was lagfree for me. Yeah the resolution kinda blows but it's a tablet. If you want 1080p look at your monitor, 720 is more than fine for a mid-level tablet. As for the Nexus, well I'd have to say the Tab is better but my opinion is jaded because it has a SD Slot, that's a monumental dealbreaker for me when it comes to the Nexus. You talk about it being 2014 well in that case the Nexus should have an SD Slot, that's an archaic thing do by not including one. Not everyone wants to cloud everything. :good:
Regardless, this tablet is more than competent. There is a reason it has a huge community and such great ratings everywhere, it's probably one of the highest quality tablets for its price.
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Click to collapse
I'm glad your happy with your purchase. The Samsung Tab 3 10.1 when compared with other tablets actually has one of the smallest followings at XDA. Just compare the previous versions forum with the new one, you have 2 custom ROMs versus 20 plus for the Tab 2. Every single review I have read says the same thing, laggy tablet, obsolete the second it came off of the assembly line. The SD card issue doesn't really bother me because I happen to like cloud storage but I understand your need for it. Can you tell me what you like about it, it's just so slow for me, my Motorola Xoom 1 that is 4 years old feels faster. In fact I get higher frame rates in almost every game that I play vs. the Tab 3. What about the problem of scratching, that doesn't bother you or only having 300mb of memory free for apps, the horrible battery life, 50 dollar HDMI cable that doesn't output 1080p desktop nor does it charge the unit while plugged in, oh my gosh the list goes on. I would have spent the extra 100 and gotten a Sony Xperia Z.

calden74 said:
Can you tell me what you like about it, it's just so slow for me, my Motorola Xoom 1 that is 4 years old feels faster. In fact I get higher frame rates in almost every game that I play vs. the Tab 3. What about the problem of scratching, that doesn't bother you or only having 300mb of memory free for apps, the horrible battery life, 50 dollar HDMI cable that doesn't output 1080p desktop nor does it charge the unit while plugged in, oh my gosh the list goes on. I would have spent the extra 100 and gotten a Sony Xperia Z.
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It's much slower than the Nook Tablet which has been given to my mom since I bought the Tab3 and frankly I've never wanted to go back. As far as speed is concerned if I can multi window a HD video and look at Facebook or the internet at the same time I'd consider the device high speed. Seriously, this guy has done very good for me so far and I'm a major techie(Should be evident by my existence on XDA). I don't really play 3D games on my Tab since i leave major gaming for my PC however FPSE(PS1 Emulator) runs like a champ on this tab. Scratching? All LCD screens have been known to be prone to scratching, if that concerns you so much you can get a case and a screen protector, on my old iPod I bought a infinicase and I took that thing EVERYWHERE, dropped it probably once or twice a day and it was never scratched, having a case that puts the screen at a lifted height from the ground guarantees safety unless it hits at an angle which in that case you're boned. If you're referring to key scratching or something then idk, I've never imagined putting my tablet near things that could ruin it. 300mb of free memory for apps? Taking a quick glance at my storage i have almost 10 gigs of free room on my system storage and plenty on my SD Card, after installing probably a dozen or so various applications. 50$ HDMI cable? I'm not surprised, those suckers ain't cheap. Honestly if you wanted to HDMI it to your TV I would've checked online for more information before making the purchase, the fact that it doesn't charge while being plugged into HDMI in no way surprises me, unless you wanted a charger+HDMI in one sorta thing. Once again I don't personally care about 1080p or 720, I can only see the difference on a monitor, on a TV it's serviceable at worst which is more than enough for a tablet hooked up to a TV.

felt like pitching in here to say that the OP didnt mention what size he got - if it was the 7" model, its specs are basically the same as the tab 2 7.0
my tab 3 8.0 was a lot faster than my tab 2 7.0, and a hella lot faster once it was tweaked/OC'd.
agreed with one users comment about the MHL HDMI being poor - the cable i have allows it to charge while it works, but due to the tablet being 16:10, i get black bars on my 16:9 HDTV. the built in movie app corrects this, but it doesnt make sense for it to not be 16:9 in the first place.

What are you running up there..top left corner...pls list out the apps running in the background
Sent from my SM-T211 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Mines a tab 10.1"
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Se7enex said:
You talk about it being 2014 well in that case the Nexus should have an SD Slot, that's an archaic thing do by not including one. Not everyone wants to cloud everything. :good:
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Gotta totally agree with you there on not wanting to cloud everything, so the good old SD card is a must IMHO.
But horses for courses as they say.
---------- Post added at 04:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:48 PM ----------
Forgot to add that I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab3 and think it's great and a lot nicer to use than my aging ASUS TF101

gonna just sell mine i think and take a £50 loss. I cant stand how slow it is even with a custom rom.

It can't be thaaat slow (under normal circumstances). I mean there must be something defective or something going wrong in the background. I know that benchmarks are not the most ideal way to measure performance but having a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for comparison which performs like 8800 on Antutu and Tab 3 10.1 is in the margin of 20000-22000 it's hard to believe that the device is not capable to offer atleast equaly good performance as the Tab 2 7.0 which is rather good (not the best, but not even near to what your Youtube videos show let's say). I plan to buy it brand new for 210 Euros (~289$) and I HIGHLY DOUBT you can find another tablet for that price with the same screen size and not be from a random Chinese brand or a rebranded Chinese product. My advice would be, wait for KitKat update to come out or try CM11 and then redo a review and if you consider it to be still that bad return it or sell it. Also you don't describe on what usage your were doing with it. I plan to get it for my mother just for surfing and stream some Youtube videos and I doubt it's going to be that bad but feel free to prove me wrong.

im getting 13149 score
it gets to 87% then says test is terminated.

Should I buy an amazing top tier phone? Or a good phone and a good tablet?

Hey all, new to the forum, but have been an Android user for a while. (if the read is too long, skip to the bottom few questions)
Ive been looking at newer phones and Ive been really really tempted the prospect of being a specs-***** that had the latest top of the line equipment. And while Ive been so indecisive about what resolution and screen size I really needed in a phone, I asked myself "why not get a tablet too?".
Ive always had modest phones...Pantech Pocket, Optimus F6, etc. Ive never had a 5 inch phone or a phone with HD resolution...but while I was out in the store yesterday seeing if I would like such phones, I really did like what I saw. I realized I much enjoyed 5 inch screens and that they will fit in pockets well, and I was amazed by 1080p video on the HTC One M8. I loved how it felt in my hand too. I didnt know a 5 inch phone could be so comfy and pocket-able as well. I even looked at the LG G3 and while I liked the 1440p content I saw...I couldnt say there was a significant improvement that I could detect over 1080p on screen sizes under 7 inches. That said, the LG G3 was also very comfy to hold and had great color reproduction that was better than the M8 (is that the screen tech or the QHD doing that?)
So I came home and did research into pricing. And I realized that high end GSM phones with 1080p or higher capability were pretty expensive to buy off-contract. I have Tmobile prepaid and dont want to enter into a contract just to save money on a phone (especially since my bill will go up a bit). Then I saw that many bigger tablets with good resolutions had attractive prices.
So i thought to myself..."what exactly do I need my phone to do when Im commuting, at work, or out on the town?" I know I need 4g speeds, a phone over at least 4.5 inches but still comfortably pocket-able in both dress pants and slim jeans, and I also need a phone that wont allow me to detect pixels in videos, pictures, or text when 12 inches from my face. Also, I do serious gaming on my pc...so any Android games I play will be stuff like Subway Surfers or emulators (N64, Genesis, etc)
That all said, I am still interested in watching HD video on a nice screen. But once I picked up phones that got close to or beyond 6 inches, my thumbs couldnt reach across the width of the screen, and I couldnt reach all of the icons comfortably with one hand without repositioning how I held the device. Nevermind how big this would look and feel in a pocket at work or in the bar.
I figured that given Im not going to be a huge power user on my phone, that instead of going for a top of the line big screen phone, that I could go midrange, but then also get a tablet if I really wanted to look at HD content on a larger screen. Im doing research at the moment, and seeing if I can get a really good phone and tablet for the price of a large flagship full HD or even QHD phone.
So I thought to get some advice here from people who have both tablets and phones;
1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?
2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?
3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?
Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.

jaycrewz said:
1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?
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720p is perfectly fine up to about 4.7" or so. At 5"+, the difference between 720p and 1080p is definitely noticable.
2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?
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Can't help you with that.
3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?
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For a 7-8.4" tablet FHD is fine. With 10" tablets FHD is alright too; perfectly useable. Going QHD though will definitely have a visible difference. Those QHD Samsung tablets are rather expensive though.
Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.
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Myself, I have a Nexus 4 and a LG G Pad 8.3. No data on the G Pad, but I can tether it to my phone either by hotspot or by bluetooth with PdaNet+. I don't know what you prefer in tablet size, but for me, the 8.3" is perfect. 7" tablets seem just a bit too small, and 10" tablets aren't comfortable to use with 1 hand. The G Pad 8.3 is as big as you can get and still be useable with one hand. It's also small enough that it isn't a burden to carry in a backpack.
If you could tell me what your total budget is, I could help you with some suggestions. For example, if you don't want to spend more than $650, you could get a Nexus 5 32GB from Google (don't buy from T-Mobile) for $400 ($350 for 16gb) and the LG G Pad 8.3 for under $250. The LG G2 can be had for $310, which is a great deal for a phone that's still rocking great specs.
The other option would be to just get a really big phone (phablet) like a Note 3 or a HUGE phone like the Sony Xperia Z Ultra (6.4" screen). The reason I suggest a phablet is that you're going to be far less likely to take your tablet many places. And over time, you'll probably be less and less likely to take your tablet along. I love my tablet, but it mostly stays at home. I took it with me to work all the time when I first got it, but these days I usually just don't bother, even though it's perfectly convenient for me to slip it in my backpack. There are definitely times where I wish I had the bigger screen, but it's usually not worth bothering getting out my tablet, setting up the hotspot, etc. If I commuted by train or bus though, I'd have the tablet with me every day. But with a phablet, I'd have a big enough screen for almost everything, and since it'd be my phone I'd always have it with me.
There's also the Nexus 6/S/Shamu that's about to be officially announced. It'll have bleeding-edge specs, including 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805, 3GB RAM, and a 5.9" QHD screen. Prices are expected to be $400/450, depending on storage options.
In the end, it really just depends on how much you expect to actually be using your tablet.

Just go for the M8 mate and forget the tablets.

Go for both.
If you are not too particular on brands, try to amazon or ebay or etc phones from China like Meizu, Xiaomi, ZTE, Oppo, Huawei.
Their prices are really good and some of the FHD, Quad Core phones can be less than $300.
That will leave you spare change for a QHD 8 inch odd Tablet. Same goes for these.
There are many China brands of phones and tablets that are known to be very good and comparable or better than the internationally branded counterparts.
You will be amazed how how some of these phones/tablets usage and feel are better than the internationally branded ones.
Of course I forgot to mention the Nvidia Shield Tablet for $299.

@Planterz - Thnaks for the informative reply. It was very helpful. Youve given me much to consider.
@Bink Feed - I considered getting just the M8 at first, but I just cant see myself paying over 450 dollars for one phone. Especially considering how I take care of my phones, the price is too offputting. I'd feel better spending much less money on a phone, especially in the case I have to repair or replace it. Plus, if I get a tablet I have something big to look at and Id save phone battery.
@marcusloke - Yeah Ive researched some Huawei, Oppo, and ZTE phones. Ive seen good reviews depending on the model. Ive seen great reviews on OnePlus phones...but you need an invite to buy from that company. And the waiting list is long. And 300 was the threshold I was trying to stay under for my phone and tablet, each. Ill take a look at the Nvidia tablet..thanks

jaycrewz said:
@Planterz - Thnaks for the informative reply. It was very helpful. Youve given me much to consider.
@Bink Feed - I considered getting just the M8 at first, but I just cant see myself paying over 450 dollars for one phone. Especially considering how I take care of my phones, the price is too offputting. I'd feel better spending much less money on a phone, especially in the case I have to repair or replace it. Plus, if I get a tablet I have something big to look at and Id save phone battery.
@marcusloke - Yeah Ive researched some Huawei, Oppo, and ZTE phones. Ive seen good reviews depending on the model. Ive seen great reviews on OnePlus phones...but you need an invite to buy from that company. And the waiting list is long. And 300 was the threshold I was trying to stay under for my phone and tablet, each. Ill take a look at the Nvidia tablet..thanks
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In October can you buy it without invite ( OnePlus )
November/December will my HTC One M8 arrive !

I was in a similar dilemma. I bought the OnePlus One 64gb fhd for £270 and whilst I was waiting bought a Nexus 7 and a chromecast. I love both devices and use both extensively through the day. Despite their relative closeness in size, both have their tone and place and both are portable enough to go in decent size pockets. The OnePlus is unlocked and it doesn't void your warranty by routing. You have to wait to get an invite, but the Nexus made waiting bearable. The pair provably go over your budget but are still leers than a top end phone, so I thought it worth sharing with you.

There are 3 threads devoted to discussions about devices, please repost your question in one of these three threads: The what should I buy thread or the The Device Suggestion Thread or the The Device Comparison Thread.
Thanks!