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[Q] need some help choosing

Hi guys,
Im looking to buy my first ever tablet but im having trouble choosing. I'm a university engineer student and need a tablet that can take notes(alot of typing), browse the web(flash must have), remote access desktop back home (must have) and possible play few games( nothing fancy). I had a laptop(windows 7) but it was big, heavy and ended up breaking when I was rushing from class to class. That's why I'm looking for a smaller tablet. I want to stay away from laptops and try something new (android). I do have a windows desktop at home, so i dont really need another windows laptop. My budget is about 400-700 Max.
After doing some Googling I found:
Asus transformer infinity tf700t (with dock)
Samsung galaxy note 10.1 (probably will buy a dock for it)
Windows surface (has cover/dock)
Ipad 2 (don't really like apple products because there is no customization to it, but still considering)
So far I'm looking at the Asus tf700t because of the dock but since I have never owned any android tablets I'm a little unsure if its the right choice for me.*
Any tips, suggestions or comments will be much appreciated.
Thank you

You can't really go wrong with an android device. On stock OS android is more stable than any other mobile OS. And that's without losing all the customization. Where as on the iPad or any other OS or tablet/phone you have to do some sort of hackery or something extra. But out of the box an android tablet runs circles around anything else available. I can't say however the tablet apps are as polished in iOS in android. That is just simple mathematics... there are so many more phones than tablets so fewer developers work on them. But don't let that discourage you. You will still find what you looking for and more with the tablet your most interested in.
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ÜBER™ said:
You can't really go wrong with an android device. On stock OS android is more stable than any other mobile OS. And that's without losing all the customization. Where as on the iPad or any other OS or tablet/phone you have to do some sort of hackery or something extra. But out of the box an android tablet runs circles around anything else available. I can't say however the tablet apps are as polished in iOS in android. That is just simple mathematics... there are so many more phones than tablets so fewer developers work on them. But don't let that discourage you. You will still find what you looking for and more with the tablet your most interested in.
Sent From My Toro+ via Tapatalk
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I have looked around asus transformer tf700 section and i found some good tips and everyone says its definitely worth the price, though some problems with battery life.
thanks for your comment btw.

I say go for the Galaxy Note 10.1. It's a bit newer and you also get a newer version of ICS. You may take a hit in the screen resolution, which is 1280 X 800. You do get a quad core CPU, with the Mali-400mp GPU, and 2 GBs of memory. Plus you get a pen with it ^__^. When looking at the Prime you may get a higher resolution screen of 1920 X 1200, you get a dual core CPU, the Adreno 225, and 1 GB of memory. In terms of GPU power both offer about the same performance wise. With all the other bells and whistles both have very comparable stats.
Here's a long and detailed review for the Galaxy Note 10.1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wf_PqPi2tw&lc
Here's a long and detailed review for the Prime Infinity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xvzgGOpUFA
Specs on Galaxy Note 10.1 http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_10_1_n8000-4573.php
Specs on Prime Infinity http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_transformer_pad_infinity_700_3g-4604.php
If you can wait for the Windows Surface tablet to come out to see what it offers, and I highly suggest not to get an iPad because it doesn't support flash lol, and has little to no customization. Plus it's the older iPad 2 which only has a comparable GPU the PowerVR SGX543 MP2. However, the screen res is even lower than the Note 10.1 (1024 X 768) , and it has only 512 mb of ram (which in some occasions isn't enough anymore), has no dock, and has no expandable storage either.

obscuresword said:
I say go for the Galaxy Note 10.1. It's a bit newer and you also get a newer version of ICS. You may take a hit in the screen resolution, which is 1280 X 800. You do get a quad core CPU, with the Mali-400mp GPU, and 2 GBs of memory. Plus you get a pen with it ^__^. When looking at the Prime you may get a higher resolution screen of 1920 X 1200, you get a dual core CPU, the Adreno 225, and 1 GB of memory. In terms of GPU power both offer about the same performance wise. With all the other bells and whistles both have very comparable stats.
If you can wait for the Windows Surface tablet to come out to see what it offers, and I highly suggest not to get an iPad because it doesn't support flash lol, and has little to no customization. Plus it's the older iPad 2 which only has a comparable GPU the PowerVR SGX543 MP2. However, the screen res is even lower the Note 10.1 (1024 X 768) , and it has only 512 mb of ram (which in some occasions isn't enough anymore), has no dock, and has no expandable storage either.
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Thanks for the great links and tip. I'm going to do a tryout of some tablets to see how easy and good they are at note taking. If the infinity it Samsung galaxy note 10.1 don't fit my list. I will wait for the windows surface pro to come out and buy it, that is if neither the infinity or samung note 10.1 satisfy my needs.

technewbie said:
Thanks for the great links and tip. I'm going to do a tryout of some tablets to see how easy and good they are at note taking. If the infinity it Samsung galaxy note 10.1 don't fit my list. I will wait for the windows surface pro to come out and buy it, that is if neither the infinity or samung note 10.1 satisfy my needs.
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You're welcome lol, and just after I posted those video from MobileTechReview, they posted this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y6m7ZLetMo Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Prime Infinity =).

Why I Chose The Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10 Over LG's New G Pad 8.3 Tablet

I Welcome Discussion..
Reasons why I felt the Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10 Tablet is a better investment for me vs the LG G Pad 8.3 Tablet..
Short Version..
1) Resolution is 1920 x 1200 on both: 10 inches is better than 8.3 inches
2) Dedicated HDMI Out: Slimport & MHL Technologies need a power source to work without fail.. HDMI Out does not.
3) 32Gb of Internal Storage On The FHD 10 vs 16Gb on the G Pad 8.3: This plus 64 Gb Micro SD Card support.
4) A True Tablet UI: Icon Dock does not get rotated vertically to the right side of screen in Landscape.
5) Price: The MeMO PAD FHD 10 32Gb Version is at least $20.00 cheaper than the 16Gb (only option) G Pad 8.3..
Disagree?
Please Explain why...
Long Version..
1A) Even though the MeMO FHD 10 has a lower Lux rating you would be hard pressed to tell unless you are sitting in the middle of a grass field at high noon and the sun is right over your head.. other than that you Can see the screen outdoors..
2A) I've owned the Samsung Tab 3 8.0 & Note 8.0 along with a Nexus-7 2013.. The Samsung's had Samsung's own MHL adapter that I ordered.. it claimed to be able to charge your device while sending a HDMI signal / Picture out to your Big Screen.. That was not the case. The Tablet's still drained with use.. you needed that AC power just to get the unit to work.. if you tried not using AC and just plugging into your Tablet's USB port, the HDMI Out signal from you device to your T.V. was a no go or spotty if you were lucky. Same case for the Slimport Device I order for the Nexus-7 2013.
True HDMI Out Eliminates all of that.
You can now use the AC power to keep your Tablet charged as normal.. Have a dedicated HDMI Signal sending out information.. And in my case, combining that with a Bluetooth Game Controller I now have a Fully Functional Gaming Console.. just as if it were an Xbox or Playstation but now I can get HD games for $7.00 max instead of $59.99 max... all day play on the Big Screen without having to worry about battery drain.
3A) There is no argument here.. 32Gb without tricks is 32Gb without tricks,, with 26Gb ready for ALL downloaded Apps & Media guaranteed to work if you never install an SD Card.. vs 11.6 Gb's Available on the G Pad 8.3.
4A) It may not bother you in the least.. but I personally cannot stand the way Sub-10 inch Tablets rotate the icon dock to a vertical stance on the right side of the screen in Landscape mode.. It looks hideous to me.. Yes, there are way around it by dis-figuring icons or having none.. but why go through that? True Tablet Mode eliminates this nagging issue for me.
5A) The soon to be released ( As of this writing ) Nexus-10 2013 I am sure will be at least $399.00 for 16Gb & $499.00 for 32Gb's of storage.. with NO SD Card slot as we well know.. Sharper Brighter Screen? Yes.. worth $200.00 more for a 32Gb version to "Me" ? Nope.
The LG G Pad 8.3 with it's Snapdragon 600 heart will ( and already does ) get lots of development.. ROM's a plenty! where my Asus MeMO FHD 10 cannot even get a Thread!! ( Joking.. Not Angry at all )
And you know what? I may be getting a little old but... I can live with that!
The Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10 is one of the most Lightly Skinned UI's out there.. Coupled with Intel's CloverTrail+ Technology, it's efficient and smooth without Lagg.
I thought long and hard about my decision.. even returning the first 16Gb $279.99 FHD 10 I had.. and just stayed "Empty Handed" for a few days to go over the Pro & Cons without bias..
My Conclusion was.. You cannot get more *Bang For The Buck* than the 32Gb Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10 offers.
If you are a Flash-A-Holic ,
Buy a Nexus-7 2013.

Very Nice.. To see everyone in 100% agreement..

RaiderWill said:
Very Nice.. To see everyone in 100% agreement..
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Like i've said in the other thread... i agree with you.
And have hope that x86 will see some adoption on the soft dev's part since it is a more "powerful" computer architecture (1 single core can do more calculus per second than a single core Cortex A15... and probably even more than the Cortex A57 cores)
Plus the Z2560 SoC its really a great chip... even with demanding games it never runs hot ... and the battery last a lot more time than the ARM based devices.
The next gen SoC's from Intel (Z3xxx) have the power to put ARM SoC's to shame (in terms of compute "power", and probably power consumption) except for the GPU (i really don't understand why they [Intel] are going to use their crappy GPU arch...)... Its going to be very interesting to see if Intel will gain a momentum in the mobile devices...
I just hope they both keep on the market, because the winner is the consumer (and computer science)... Would love to see some Power arch devices as well and some MIPS...

Exnor said:
Like i've said in the other thread... i agree with you.
And have hope that x86 will see some adoption on the soft dev's part since it is a more "powerful" computer architecture
Plus the Z2560 SoC its really a great chip... even with demanding games it never runs hot ... and the battery last a lot more time than the ARM based devices.
The next gen SoC's from Intel (Z3xxx) have the power to put ARM SoC's to shame (in terms of compute "power", Its going to be very interesting to see if Intel will gain a momentum in the mobile devices...
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Hey Exnor.. I just wanted to clarify, This thread was not addressing you personally..
But I agree with all your points. Especially the point of the MeMO FHD 10 NEVER running hot.. no matter what you throw at it... I Love That.
it's just icing on the cake.. And I've read several reviews of the G Pad 8.3.. Let's just say my bubble was busted.. It's a great Tablet but at $350.00+ Tax it's well overpriced in today's market just like the Note 8.0 is at $360.00+ Tax for an 8" Tablet.. I don't care what the modding community does with Root & Roms for those 2 Tablets.. And they bring less to the table than the Less Expensive Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10..

RaiderWill said:
Hey Exnor.. I just wanted to clarify, This thread was not addressing you personally..
But I agree with all your points. Especially the point of the MeMO FHD 10 NEVER running hot.. no matter what you throw at it... I Love That.
it's just icing on the cake.. And I've read several reviews of the G Pad 8.3.. Let's just say my bubble was busted.. It's a great Tablet but at $350.00+ Tax it's well overpriced in today's market just like the Note 8.0 is at $360.00+ Tax for an 8" Tablet.. I don't care what the modding community does with Root & Roms for those 2 Tablets.. And they bring less to the table than the Less Expensive Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10..
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Lol i know it was not address to me : ).
So u dint add the 32GB version? This tablet is a keeper: D

Exnor said:
Lol i know it was not address to me : ).
So u dint add the 32GB version? This tablet is a keeper: D
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Yes I did.. When I returned the 16 Gb I decided to step up to a 32 Gb this time around..
Have you tried a 64 Gb card? I have read conflicting reports that it support it... Either way I am cool having over 50 Gb's Minimum of storage onboard is just fine with me... but if it ends up being 26 Gb's available (Internal) + 60 Gb's (SD Card) available.. I won't argue with having over 80Gb's of storage onboard as well.. :good: and you are correct..
This Tablet is definitely a Keeper.. It just brings too much to the table and has an extremely light UI, Tremendous Batterylife, HD, HDMI, O.T.G... the list goes on and on...

RaiderWill said:
Yes I did.. When I returned the 16 Gb I decided to step up to a 32 Gb this time around..
Have you tried a 64 Gb card? I have read conflicting reports that it support it... Either way I am cool having over 50 Gb's Minimum of storage onboard is just fine with me... but if it ends up being 26 Gb's available (Internal) + 60 Gb's (SD Card) available.. I won't argue with having over 80Gb's of storage onboard as well.. :good: and you are correct..
This Tablet is definitely a Keeper.. It just brings too much to the table and has an extremely light UI, Tremendous Batterylife, HD, HDMI, O.T.G... the list goes on and on...
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Actually i did not tried any sdcard yet .
The internal flash is more than enough for me right now, because i only use it for OS and Apps... I stream all videos and audio from my NAS.
I would give it a try, but i don't have a 64GiB sdcard

Exnor said:
Actually i did not tried any sdcard yet .
The internal flash is more than enough for me right now, because i only use it for OS and Apps... I stream all videos and audio from my NAS.
I would give it a try, but i don't have a 64GiB sdcard
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Thanks for the response Exnor.. I know.. we have a Ton of Memory available I basically have 32 Gb card I've dragged from device to device that is the culmination of several years of stuff.. 1/2 a dozen Cutting Edge 3D Games 1/2 dozen Movies 90 average apps and I still have over 13 Gb's available internally and 16 Gb's of old stuff on my SD Card... So I'm not hurting for space either but I'm just curious if anyone has confirmed it working or not.. I may buy one if I spot a fair deal and give it a shot myself.. with so many new games in the works and everything now being in High Definition, It will not hurt in the long run to have a much space available as possible.. even though I also have 50 gigs of it free for the next 2 years I just cannot get into "The Cloud" for storage at all... I want my material kept locally..

RaiderWill said:
Thanks for the response Exnor.. I know.. we have a Ton of Memory available I basically have 32 Gb card I've dragged from device to device that is the culmination of several years of stuff.. 1/2 a dozen Cutting Edge 3D Games 1/2 dozen Movies 90 average apps and I still have over 13 Gb's available internally and 16 Gb's of old stuff on my SD Card... So I'm not hurting for space either but I'm just curious if anyone has confirmed it working or not.. I may buy one if I spot a fair deal and give it a shot myself.. with so many new games in the works and everything now being in High Definition, It will not hurt in the long run to have a much space available as possible.. even though I also have 50 gigs of it free for the next 2 years I just cannot get into "The Cloud" for storage at all... I want my material kept locally..
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Word of caution mate, dont buy cheap SDcards... they usually are below standard and have very poor compatibility and data rates. Best OEM so far i've experienced are Sandisk, Transcend and Samsung.
I don't use the "cloud" either. Its stupid to use a service that you need constant ISP service and a fair bandwidth... People will realize this in time (i'm talking of course of mass market products, not professional ones).
I use the Goggle "cloud" just to backup text files(Docs, PDFS etc...)... for that is very very usefull, BUT i have always a redundant copy on several computers or on my Backup HDD's (not networked... never put sensitive stuff on a network).
Changing subject, this week Intel announced that they will start to manufacture ARM based SoC's for other companies (since they have the best semiconductor facilities in the world along side with Samsung and Texas (?)).
No word if Intel will return to produce their own ARM based SoC.. (like in 2000-2003) but its unlikely since they are really pushing the Atom Z3xxx series SoC out there to tablets and low end laptops.
The new Asus phone pad already uses a Z3xxx (4 x86 cores... but a Intel GPU arch :/)... would like to see how they perform.

Exnor said:
Word of caution mate, dont buy cheap SDcards... they usually are below standard and have very poor compatibility and data rates. Best OEM so far i've experienced are Sandisk, Transcend and Samsung.
I don't use the "cloud" either. Its stupid to use a service that you need constant ISP service and a fair bandwidth.
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Not to worry Exnor.. Nothing but Sandisk for years now..
Give Intel until 2020.. they will be a Major Player and possibly the *Leader* in this industry as what is known as the " Laptop / Computers" of 2013 become the Dinosaurs of 2020.. Powerful Tablets will replace these bulky concepts in the next 6 years..

RaiderWill said:
Not to worry Exnor.. Nothing but Sandisk for years now..
Give Intel until 2020.. they will be a Major Player and possibly the *Leader* in this industry as what is known as the " Laptop / Computers" of 2013 become the Dinosaurs of 2020.. Powerful Tablets will replace these bulky concepts in the next 6 years..
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I agree... Intel have made huge progress in power consumption savings. And ARM does not have a processor arch that can rival head-to-head with currently available x86 arch...
But i hope they both stay in the market, because competition is what makes new tech to be produced and better prices for the consumer

Exnor said:
I agree... Intel have made huge progress in power consumption savings. And ARM does not have a processor arch that can rival head-to-head with currently available x86 arch...
But i hope they both stay in the market, because competition is what makes new tech to be produced and better prices for the consumer
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Exnor.. I am quite sure neither side is ready to relent this growing market.. but Intel has to take it.. Arm most certainly will not give it away..

Hi!
Sorry I'm a little bit off topic, but I am having a problem which is simmilar to yours RaiderWill. I am trying to decide which tablet to buy and after reading your post and comparing it to my opinions and prices in my country (Poland), I am sure that Asus FHD is the best tablet for me. The only thing that keeps me from buying it is the Note 10.1. It is the same size as the Asus, has lower resolution screen (but the image is good overall), but it has the SPen and in Poland it costs as much as the Asus.
Have you considered buying /or have you had/ this tablet? What do you think about it, is it worth considering?
Thanks

I just received mine the other day, and I don't know why people are trashing the tablet. So far every app I've tried has worked outstanding and out performs my other android tablets.
Now if more people would get one so xda would create a forum for it.

I've had both. I went with the Google play edition LG pad. I felt that the Asus tablet felt sluggish at times with just the dual core Intel chip. And I think the screen on the LG looked much better. But as far as price goes, yes its overpriced. Should be around $299

What is the hold up on development for this tablet do you think?

Turbojugend said:
What is the hold up on development for this tablet do you think?
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I read a post some guys in Germany were able to root and install 4.6.2 somehow.

Misfit7 said:
I read a post some guys in Germany were able to root and install 4.6.2 somehow.
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I have the latest software 4.7.3 rooted no problem, but I meant more or any custom roms, this device has been out for a while I think hasn't it? I am wondering since it is an Intel chipset that development won't happen at all on it.

Turbojugend said:
I have the latest software 4.7.3 rooted no problem, but I meant more or any custom roms, this device has been out for a while I think hasn't it? I am wondering since it is an Intel chipset that development won't happen at all on it.
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Your are correct it has been out for a couple of months. I just got mine last week and been searching like a maniac for roms. I'm thinking since it's still not as popular and the nexus it's going to take some time before we see anu development.

the Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10 is boring
The Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10 costs the same as the LG pad but it's a 10in tablet. That alone can sway you to it. However, when you look at the Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10, it doesn't blow you away. Boring

Samsung tab 3 8.0 or Samsung note 8?

Hello i guys i wanna buy a tablet for web browsing,listen music,youtube,emails and im between those two tablets ,they have 50euros different in my country and i'm think what to buy... i heard the tab 3 has better battery life and i really appriciate lonng battery life.Thank you for listening and hope you share your wisdom

I would find a store where I could compare them side by side.
I have the Tab 3 8.0 and it is a fine tablet. It does everything that you stated you like to do, and it does it well. The build quality is great...much better than the Nexus 7 I owned.
But like everything else, everyone has their own opinions and those opinions will vary greatly. You will have to decide for yourself.
Sent from my SM-T310 using XDA Free mobile app

Best buy has the new tab 4 series on sale. The 8" model for $240.
edit: you aren't in US. ?

NJ_RAMS_FAN said:
Best buy has the new tab 4 series on sale. The 8" model for $240.
edit: you aren't in US. ?
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so should i wait a bit for the tab4 to come out? . I'm more curious for battery life,how much battery life you got from tab3?

I also was choosing between the same two models a short time ago, and went with the tab 3 8.0. I would say for what you want to do with it go for the tab 3. I am very pleased with mine, and have even installed some very graphic intensive games and it handles them with no problem at all. And the battery life is great(not as much so while playing those high graphic games).
With the screen at about 30% brightness I have been getting almost an hour of screen time per 10% battery, while web surfing and email and the sutch.

NJ_RAMS_FAN said:
Best buy has the new tab 4 series on sale. The 8" model for $240.
edit: you aren't in US. ?
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I think tab 4 series are scam.What is the difference then tab 3 ? They are almost same devices.

wer11 said:
I think tab 4 series are scam.What is the difference then tab 3 ? They are almost same devices.
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I just saw the specs there are not so much differences over there.i found note 8 for 220 euros and tab 3 for 175 euros ,what should I go with at last for performance and battery life?

dimcreed22 said:
I just saw the specs there are not so much differences over there.i found note 8 for 220 euros and tab 3 for 175 euros ,what should I go with at last for performance and battery life?
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If I had to choose between the two, the Note 8 all the way, no questions. The Tab 3 8 even though it came out in 2013 has a CPU that is already 3 1/2 years old. Do you absolutely need too go with Samsng , have you looked at the LG G Pad, you can buy them now for 275 dollars, it has 2GB of RAM, 1080P resolution, Qualcomm 600 CPU and has Gorilla Glass 3, where as the Tab 3 8 has nothing and the Note 8 has the first generation. Just an idea, its your money, but I would defiantly choose the Note 8. A much nicer tablet in almost every way. I would also check out the EVGA Note 7, it also has an active digitizer pen, a Nvidia Tegra 4 CPU that lays waste to both the the Tab 3 8 and Note 8, built in HDMI, doesn't have the bloated TouchWiz that takes up 700MB of system memory and is probably the laggiest Android version on the market today, plus it will get updates much, much faster as they come direct from Nvidia, draw back is its only 7 inches.
I would maybe even think about waiting a little, save up some cash and buy the Samsung Pro 8.3, their dropping in price pretty fast and is probably one of the best 8 inch Android tablets on the market today.
Though between you and me, dump the idea of buying an Andoid tablet all together and buy a Dell Venue 8 Pro Windows 8 tablet. Only 250 dollars, have gotten incredible reviews from every tech site and magazine out their, 2GB RAM, 32GB or 64GB storage, USB 3 through OTG, Miracast, active digitizer, much, much better multitasking through multiple windows, can display a movie on your TV and still use the tablet, if you still want Android, developers are working on a dual boot option so you will have the best of both worlds.
Just check out some of the reviews yourself, Arstechnica has a really good article on the Venue 8 Pro.

calden74 said:
If I had to choose between the two, the Note 8 all the way, no questions. The Tab 3 8 even though it came out in 2013 has a CPU that is already 3 1/2 years old. Do you absolutely need too go with Samsng , have you looked at the LG G Pad, you can buy them now for 275 dollars, it has 2GB of RAM, 1080P resolution, Qualcomm 600 CPU and has Gorilla Glass 3, where as the Tab 3 8 has nothing and the Note 8 has the first generation. Just an idea, its your money, but I would defiantly choose the Note 8. A much nicer tablet in almost every way. I would also check out the EVGA Note 7, it also has an active digitizer pen, a Nvidia Tegra 4 CPU that lays waste to both the the Tab 3 8 and Note 8, built in HDMI, doesn't have the bloated TouchWiz that takes up 700MB of system memory and is probably the laggiest Android version on the market today, plus it will get updates much, much faster as they come direct from Nvidia, draw back is its only 7 inches.
I would maybe even think about waiting a little, save up some cash and buy the Samsung Pro 8.3, their dropping in price pretty fast and is probably one of the best 8 inch Android tablets on the market today.
Though between you and me, dump the idea of buying an Andoid tablet all together and buy a Dell Venue 8 Pro Windows 8 tablet. Only 250 dollars, have gotten incredible reviews from every tech site and magazine out their, 2GB RAM, 32GB or 64GB storage, USB 3 through OTG, Miracast, active digitizer, much, much better multitasking through multiple windows, can display a movie on your TV and still use the tablet, if you still want Android, developers are working on a dual boot option so you will have the best of both worlds.
Just check out some of the reviews yourself, Arstechnica has a really good article on the Venue 8 Pro.
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Thank you mate for the message really really helpful .The note 8 cost 220 euros in my country the pro 8.4 300euros and the lg g pad 270. I was thinking the GPad but the I read that the battery go for 4-5 hours the most and I was kinda disappoint. then I thought for 8.4 but it's kinda expensive right now for an android tablet. Do you think I should go with the note 8 for 220euros or with gpad or wait for 8.4 price go down?

dimcreed22 said:
Thank you mate for the message really really helpful .The note 8 cost 220 euros in my country the pro 8.4 300euros and the lg g pad 270. I was thinking the GPad but the I read that the battery go for 4-5 hours the most and I was kinda disappoint. then I thought for 8.4 but it's kinda expensive right now for an android tablet. Do you think I should go with the note 8 for 220euros or with gpad or wait for 8.4 price go down?
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Which country are you in, I'm in Switzerland and I know of a few really great shops that ship pretty much everywhere except the UK. If you absolutely need a tablet now I would go for the LG G Pad, the battery life is really not much different than the Note 8. The Google Play Edition model is defiantly the one I would go for as you will get frequent updates. You will absolutely love the 1080P resolution over the anemic 720P of the Note 8 and the Qualcomm 600 CPU found inside is extremely fast. It all depends if you need a tablet now though.
---------- Post added at 09:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 AM ----------
Check out digitec.ch, it's in German but you can use a translator, their selling the LG for 250CH (205 EUR) for that price you can't go wrong.

calden74 said:
Which country are you in, I'm in Switzerland and I know of a few really great shops that ship pretty much everywhere except the UK. If you absolutely need a tablet now I would go for the LG G Pad, the battery life is really not much different than the Note 8. The Google Play Edition model is defiantly the one I would go for as you will get frequent updates. You will absolutely love the 1080P resolution over the anemic 720P of the Note 8 and the Qualcomm 600 CPU found inside is extremely fast. It all depends if you need a tablet now though.
---------- Post added at 09:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 AM ----------
Check out digitec.ch, it's in German but you can use a translator, their selling the LG for 250CH (205 EUR) for that price you can't go wrong.
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I live in Greece and from what i saw today the LG gpad cost like 270 EUROS and we don't have here the playstore edition only the lg edition and the tab 8.4 pro cost like 300 EUROS . Thought the note 8 battery is much better than the gpad but if they are equal i see your point

wer11 said:
I think tab 4 series are scam.What is the difference then tab 3 ? They are almost same devices.
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Click to collapse
I guess.. but the Tab 4 is quad core. but other than that, i wouldn't upgrade. But if I didn't have one yet, I would get the Tab 4.

NJ_RAMS_FAN said:
I guess.. but the Tab 4 is quad core. but other than that, i wouldn't upgrade. But if I didn't have one yet, I would get the Tab 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't, in fact I would stay as far as way from the Samsung Tab line of mid-tier tablets as possible. Their just not worth it, the previous model, the Tab 3 had a Exynos 4212, the Exynos 4210 was showcased in November of 2010 and then released in Q1 of 2011 with the Tab 7.7. The two models have almost identical performance models. The Tab 4 follows the same line of thinking by inserting the bare minium of what the current market will except. There is absolutly nothing, nothing, that makes the Tab 4 8 a tablet that one would want to own when compared to others. TouchWiz now takes up an abysimal 800MB of memory so the 1.5GB of RAM is halved for for apps, there is no Gorilla Glass, Samsung claims that their alternative is just as good but experience with these tablets suggest otherwise, the SnapDragon 5 CPU is no match for their other budget friendly models like the 600 which can found in the LG G Pad. Resolution is an appaling 1280 x 800, when every other Android Tablet manufacture is making their 8" models with at least a 1080P panel. Samsung finially dropped the price of the Tab 8 to a managable level, the previuos model was just so outrageously exspensive for the level of hardware that was offered. I still wouldn't buy one though, at any price, your compromising just to much to save a few bucks. Save your money and when you have enough buy an LG G Pad, Kindle HDX 8.9, the Samung Pro 8.4, upcoming Nexus 8, Dell Venue 8 Pro, Lenovo ThinkPad 8, Asus Vivo 8, etc. Just don't paint your self into a corner by buying the absolute bare minium like a Tab 4 8, or any other Tab 4 model. This is a perfect example of Samsung's logic, right now on Amazon, the Tab 4 10.1 is listed for 320 dollars where as the Tab Pro is 400, an 80 dollar difference, you would have to be a complete idiot not to go with the Pro. Who put's a 720P in a 10.1 inch display nowadays, in a 8" was hard enough top swallow.
Tab Pro 10.1
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galax...8&qid=1399064818&sr=8-1&keywords=tab+pro+10.1
Tab 4 10.1
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galax...TF8&qid=1399064892&sr=8-1&keywords=tab+4+10.1

calden74 said:
I wouldn't, in fact I would stay as far as way from the Samsung Tab line of mid-tier tablets as possible. Their just not worth it, the previous model, the Tab 3 had a Exynos 4212, the Exynos 4210 was showcased in November of 2010 and then released in Q1 of 2011 with the Tab 7.7. The two models have almost identical performance models. The Tab 4 follows the same line of thinking by inserting the bare minium of what the current market will except. There is absolutly nothing, nothing, that makes the Tab 4 8 a tablet that one would want to own when compared to others. TouchWiz now takes up an abysimal 800MB of memory so the 1.5GB of RAM is halved for for apps, there is no Gorilla Glass, Samsung claims that their alternative is just as good but experience with these tablets suggest otherwise, the SnapDragon 5 CPU is no match for their other budget friendly models like the 600 which can found in the LG G Pad. Resolution is an appaling 1280 x 800, when every other Android Tablet manufacture is making their 8" models with at least a 1080P panel. Samsung finially dropped the price of the Tab 8 to a managable level, the previuos model was just so outrageously exspensive for the level of hardware that was offered. I still wouldn't buy one though, at any price, your compromising just to much to save a few bucks. Save your money and when you have enough buy an LG G Pad, Kindle HDX 8.9, the Samung Pro 8.4, upcoming Nexus 8, Dell Venue 8 Pro, Lenovo ThinkPad 8, Asus Vivo 8, etc. Just don't paint your self into a corner by buying the absolute bare minium like a Tab 4 8, or any other Tab 4 model. This is a perfect example of Samsung's logic, right now on Amazon, the Tab 4 10.1 is listed for 320 dollars where as the Tab Pro is 400, an 80 dollar difference, you would have to be a complete idiot not to go with the Pro. Who put's a 720P in a 10.1 inch display nowadays, in a 8" was hard enough top swallow.
Tab Pro 10.1
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galax...8&qid=1399064818&sr=8-1&keywords=tab+pro+10.1
Tab 4 10.1
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galax...TF8&qid=1399064892&sr=8-1&keywords=tab+4+10.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought a GPAD guys ,from what you told me i choose this one

dimcreed22 said:
I just bought a GPAD guys ,from what you told me i choose this one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, give us a small review when you get a chance.

also the tab 4 has higher screen resolution,
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app

calden74 said:
Awesome, give us a small review when you get a chance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will give a small review of my GPAD just to share my experience. I paid 240euros for this with a case with it lets go
9/10Screen:amazing colors and the best screen it terms of size I have work on,much better than nexus 7
9/10Build:reminds me iPad mini with a Samsung touch on it kinda stand in the middle
7/10Battery: not great not bad gives me like 7-8 hours on screen I'm ok with it
8/10Sound: the sound and the speakers are very loud
Overall I give it a 8.5/10 it's the most cool looking tablet I see,so fast in browsing or play 3d games ,I use it everyday and I haven't open my laptop the last 2 days. I wish u bought this before nexus 7 2013 ,between those GPad is miles away.

dimcreed22 said:
I will give a small review of my GPAD just to share my experience. I paid 240euros for this with a case with it lets go
9/10Screen:amazing colors and the best screen it terms of size I have work on,much better than nexus 7
9/10Build:reminds me iPad mini with a Samsung touch on it kinda stand in the middle
7/10Battery: not great not bad gives me like 7-8 hours on screen I'm ok with it
8/10Sound: the sound and the speakers are very loud
Overall I give it a 8.5/10 it's the most cool looking tablet I see,so fast in browsing or play 3d games ,I use it everyday and I haven't open my laptop the last 2 days. I wish u bought this before nexus 7 2013 ,between those GPad is miles away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great news I knew you would like it. The design is pretty cool, love the metal backing with the white body, very modern looking. Nothing beats the Qualcomm CPU's in an Android tablet, especially the 600 and 800 series. The Tab 3 8 just doesn't compare and I didn't want you making a mistake by buying one. I know the fellows here swear by them but for the price and the massive difference in speed and specs the LG is just a better buy all way around. It's such a neat feeling when you have so much power in such a small device. There isn't a game in the Play Store that the LG can't run like butter. You should also really think about buying a Miracast dongle or box for your TV, playing games and watching Movies or TV through the LG connected to a 1080P TV or monitor is simply fantastic. I recommend you installing ES File Manager, it's one of the best file managers around, it allows you to access all of you Cloud storage, local servers and other computers on your network from one app, it also contains a built in unzip and unrar function.
Anyway I'm glad you like it, check out the LG G Pad forum here, unlike the Tab 3 forum the LG G Pad Forum is very active and they have tons of custom ROMS, developers love the LG and it shows by the amount of ROMS available.
---------- Post added at 10:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 PM ----------
Batttie said:
also the tab 4 has higher screen resolution,
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it's still stuck at 1280 x 800.

calden74 said:
I wouldn't, in fact I would stay as far as way from the Samsung Tab line of mid-tier tablets as possible. Their just not worth it, the previous model, the Tab 3 had a Exynos 4212, the Exynos 4210 was showcased in November of 2010 and then released in Q1 of 2011 with the Tab 7.7. The two models have almost identical performance models. The Tab 4 follows the same line of thinking by inserting the bare minium of what the current market will except. There is absolutly nothing, nothing, that makes the Tab 4 8 a tablet that one would want to own when compared to others. TouchWiz now takes up an abysimal 800MB of memory so the 1.5GB of RAM is halved for for apps, there is no Gorilla Glass, Samsung claims that their alternative is just as good but experience with these tablets suggest otherwise, the SnapDragon 5 CPU is no match for their other budget friendly models like the 600 which can found in the LG G Pad. Resolution is an appaling 1280 x 800, when every other Android Tablet manufacture is making their 8" models with at least a 1080P panel. Samsung finially dropped the price of the Tab 8 to a managable level, the previuos model was just so outrageously exspensive for the level of hardware that was offered. I still wouldn't buy one though, at any price, your compromising just to much to save a few bucks. Save your money and when you have enough buy an LG G Pad, Kindle HDX 8.9, the Samung Pro 8.4, upcoming Nexus 8, Dell Venue 8 Pro, Lenovo ThinkPad 8, Asus Vivo 8, etc. Just don't paint your self into a corner by buying the absolute bare minium like a Tab 4 8, or any other Tab 4 model. This is a perfect example of Samsung's logic, right now on Amazon, the Tab 4 10.1 is listed for 320 dollars where as the Tab Pro is 400, an 80 dollar difference, you would have to be a complete idiot not to go with the Pro. Who put's a 720P in a 10.1 inch display nowadays, in a 8" was hard enough top swallow.
Tab Pro 10.1
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galax...8&qid=1399064818&sr=8-1&keywords=tab+pro+10.1
Tab 4 10.1
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galax...TF8&qid=1399064892&sr=8-1&keywords=tab+4+10.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if money is an issue, then I would. Specially if you can find it cheap. But if not, I go Pro 8.4

NJ_RAMS_FAN said:
if money is an issue, then I would. Specially if you can find it cheap. But if not, I go Pro 8.4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking too for the tab pro 8.4 but it was 60 euros more and the first models of the line always has some bugs or problems that the second lines doesn't so I had to wait for the seconds lines to come out. Plus I heard the battery is not strong at all so I pick the cheaper Gpad

[Q] which 10 inch android tablet with 2 GB RAM to buy ?

I need your help in figuring out which 9-10 inch android tablet to buy. I am looking for a second tablet via ebay or Amazon around $200. Based on past experience with multiple tablets, in spite of all the pronouncement about android memory management, I have found tablets with 1 GB RAM laggy. Of late, I have loved using the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet (on kit kat and lollipop) and now would like to get a bigger android tablet for reading PDF text books. I am not fussy about getting the highest possible screen resolution. Right now, ASUS MeMO Pad FHD 10 seems to have the right specs at a very reasonable price, although some people have complained about certain apps not working well with the Intel Atom Z2560 processor. Can you suggest a few alternative choices ?
Thanks
PeeAm

as for your question ,i am afraid i cannot suggest you which specific tablet models
you can buy .but i can suggest you where you buy with better price ,just some
cheap price china android tablets .and also where i often bought my electronic
devices .like banggood,kingsbuying,dx,chinavasion,tinydeal etc this website can be
good site to buy from.

peeam said:
I need your help in figuring out which 9-10 inch android tablet to buy. I am looking for a second tablet via ebay or Amazon around $200. Based on past experience with multiple tablets, in spite of all the pronouncement about android memory management, I have found tablets with 1 GB RAM laggy. Of late, I have loved using the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet (on kit kat and lollipop) and now would like to get a bigger android tablet for reading PDF text books. I am not fussy about getting the highest possible screen resolution. Right now, ASUS MeMO Pad FHD 10 seems to have the right specs at a very reasonable price, although some people have complained about certain apps not working well with the Intel Atom Z2560 processor. Can you suggest a few alternative choices ?
Thanks
PeeAm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please use the sticky in this forum for your question
THREAD CLOSED

Help choose a new Chinese Phone..

I'm currently using a Nexus 5, on stock android 5.1. I'm starting to have a few problems with it, the GPS is slow at best, battery life just gets me through the day, and i'm running low on space at 16Gb.
In my job I have been given a Windows phone for work, What i'd like to do is buy a Dual-Sim device so I can go back to carrying 1 device. I've been looking around and been quite impressed with the chinese offerings. The top phone on my list are the -
Ulefone Touch Be 2
Elephone P8000 (unable to post links)
So far, The features i'm looking for are dual sim (obviously) good camera, expandable storage & good GPS.
There are so many phones to choose from these days im just not sure what to choose.
Thanks In advance.

What model Huawei?

You can try one plus two 64gb.
Its the best. 25,000 rs. Better than nexus
Sent from my WT19i using XDA Free mobile app

I would really like that but its out of my budget.

Try one plus one. Nw u can buy for 15000-18000 rs range.
Sent from my WT19i using XDA Free mobile app

it has to be optimized!
Spardha said:
I'm currently using a Nexus 5, on stock android 5.1. I'm starting to have a few problems with it, the GPS is slow at best, battery life just gets me through the day, and i'm running low on space at 16Gb.
In my job I have been given a Windows phone for work, What i'd like to do is buy a Dual-Sim device so I can go back to carrying 1 device. I've been looking around and been quite impressed with the chinese offerings. The top phone on my list are the -
Ulefone Touch Be 2
Elephone P8000 (unable to post links)
So far, The features i'm looking for are dual sim (obviously) good camera, expandable storage & good GPS.
There are so many phones to choose from these days im just not sure what to choose.
Thanks In advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you buy a Ulefone, Elephone, Umi ... or any of these cheap Chinese brands. Please be aware that they do not optimize their Android OS!
This means, you may get worse performance as you had on your Nexus 5. I would say before you buy one of these brands, stick to your old Nexus 5.
If you want a good quality phone with optimized Android Rom on it, that offers good performance with a pretty good camera.
Get one of the following barnds only!
Oppo
Huawei
Xiaomi
Meizu
What is your budged btw? If a good camera is important to you, really stay away of not optimized Anrdoid!
All other small Chinese brands, put truly crappy not optimized Android on their devices!

TheUltrametricSpace said:
Before you buy a Ulefone, Elephone, Umi ... or any of these cheap Chinese brands. Please be aware that they do not optimize their Android OS!
This means, you may get worse performance as you had on your Nexus 5. I would say before you buy one of these brands, stick to your old Nexus 5.
If you want a good quality phone with optimized Android Rom on it, that offers good performance with a pretty good camera.
Get one of the following barnds only!
Oppo
Huawei
Xiaomi
Meizu
What is your budged btw? If a good camera is important to you, really stay away of not optimized Anrdoid!
All other small Chinese brands, put truly crappy not optimized Android on their devices!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info, I'm looking at about $200 - $250 Max.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Spardha said:
Thanks for the info, I'm looking at about $200 - $250 Max.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good price range, to start from.
You could check out the best prices if you want to at: kimovil . com
within this price range you could get, all of the following are dual sim:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 (only oppomart has it in stock right now) ~150$
Xaomi Mi4i ~220$
Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML ~200$
Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML ~260$
Meizu M2 Note 16GB ~150$
Huawei P8 Lite ~250$
I didn't list the following brand, but it's still a decent device:
Jiayu S3 (3GB version) ~180$
ZTE Nubia Z9 mini ~250$
The listed phones are just examples. All of them have their own downs and ups.
Meizu and Xiaomi are heavy skinned Android phones, they might remind you to iOS. I love my Xiaomi Mi4i, but it´s not for everyone.
I do assume that after using the true stock Android of your Nexus 5, you might want to stick to a phone that gets at least to close to stock Android.
So if you want the normal Android, you would have to go for the Asus Zenfone or the Huawei P8 Lite.
The Asus is more powerful but might not get an update, because it features an Intel SoC. The Huawei on the other hand has a weak SoC compared to the ASUS Zenfone 2.
It comes down to what you prefer, what would you use the phone for?
Do you want stock Android, do you want a phone that is at least as good as your Nexus 5 is, or are you willing to compromise just to have dual sim phone?
Within the price range of 200$ to 250$ there is a lot of good stuff to choose from.

That's some great info, thanks for taking the time to help me out. I was hoping someone in the know would be able to shed some light on this for me. I've been looking for a few weeks.
The idea is to replace my current personnel Nexus 5 and works Windows Lumia 635 (Rubbish), so thats what the Dual Sim is needed for. Then I like to use it to take photos on when I'm out with family and travelling for work, Im reasonably satisfied with the Nexus's camera so I'm not looking for a DSLR replacement but something competent. Then when I travel I use it for GPS to get around in Europe and the US. Next is to play music in the car so expandable storage for music and apps. 4G connectivity. Then for work emails etc. i think thats it really.

regarding good GPS signal you would have to stay to Qualcomm or Intel SoC's, those devices paired with a good brand are a save call.
For what you do the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 16GB chinese Version with dual sim and micro SD Card should be good enough. It's a big 5.5 inch phone.
It has the MIUI7 on it, it will be a completely different Android experience. There are no reviews about the GPS quality and the phone uses a fast MTK SoC, it is hard to say how good it is, usually Xiaomi places really good antennas in their phone, but as of now there is no review of it.
The battery is average ~3000mhA thing, paired with the Octa Core it will last for a day and maybe a bit more, should be better than the Nexus 5.
Advantage: it's cheap, it's Xiaomi so great quality with great support.
Downside: it has MIUI7 on it a very heavy Android modification.
You could get it for about 150$ from many different pages or straight from oppomart a bit more expensive.
The Asus Zenfone both version the 2GB/4GB is really good specification wise. The 4GB Ram version is just overkill, in my opinion.
The build quality is good, the performance is great. The only downside would be the battery life and the camera, neither is horrible bad.
GPS should be fine.
You could get the 2GB Version from pandawill for 210$ and the 4GB is at gerabest for 240$
Worth mentioning, not all dual sim phones support the full speed on both slots, as of now only the Xiaomi Mi4i has 4G net on both sim card slots!
The Redmi Note 2 and the Asus Zenfone 2 are 5.5" devices
If you want a pretty nice powerful device without a micro SD card extension, at 5" you could consider to get the Xiaomi Mi4i, the only downside of it is that a optical camera stabilization is missing. I don't see this as a problem, as I do make loads of pictures and it rarely bothers me, but it is worth to be mentioned.

I'm pretty sure i looked at the Redmi Note 2 previously, but didn't think it support expandable storage so dismissed it.
I understand most only support 4G on 1 sim this is fine. Also the size of 5.5 although is a little bigger than the Nexus I'm fine with it but would be the limit.
I also looked at the Zenphone but the camera put me off.

Spardha said:
I'm pretty sure i looked at the Redmi Note 2 previously, but didn't think it support expandable storage so dismissed it.
I understand most only support 4G on 1 sim this is fine. Also the size of 5.5 although is a little bigger than the Nexus I'm fine with it but would be the limit.
I also looked at the Zenphone but the camera put me off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Chinese 16GB Version has a microSD extension slot you just have to find one. I read on gearbest that they sell this version with 16GB and microSD slot, but it's hard to say if they provide the right information.
If you don't need the extra performance, the Zenfone might be the wrong phone.
You could also consider the Jiayu S3 3GB Version (or Jiayu S3 Advanced), some people like the phone! It is available for about 180$
It's a really good all-rounder with amazing GPS and a pretty good camera
Search on youtube for a review of the Jiayu S3 by ITXtutor, it should cover all you want to know about the phone.

If i could push the budget to $300 what could you recommend? Im from the UK too.
Meizu MX5? Just found out no SD and the 32gb is closer to $400..

Spardha said:
If i could push the budget to $300 what could you recommend? Im from the UK too.
Meizu MX5? Just found out no SD and the 32gb is closer to $400..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha yeah I would have recommended the MX5, I had the MX4 Pro for a bit and that was an awesome phone! But yeah the 32GB Version retails for about 390$
The Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90, has only a SD 615, an awesome camera dual Sim and a SD Card Slot. the 32GB is around 300$.
At leats in my Xiaomi Mi4i I have no trouble with this SoC, in daily use it doesn't get hot or anything, I am not a gamer so it's a great SoC for my needs.
The Huawei P8 Lite ships with the same SoC for 240$, it's worth a thought too. I would probably go for this one. The only downside I know about is the screen brightness, it could be better and I am not sure if it has Android 5 by now.

TheUltrametricSpace said:
Haha yeah I would have recommended the MX5, I had the MX4 Pro for a bit and that was an awesome phone! But yeah the 32GB Version retails for about 390$
The Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90, has only a SD 615, an awesome camera dual Sim and a SD Card Slot. the 32GB is around 300$.
At leats in my Xiaomi Mi4i I have no trouble with this SoC, in daily use it doesn't get hot or anything, I am not a gamer so it's a great SoC for my needs.
The Huawei P8 Lite ships with the same SoC for 240$, it's worth a thought too. I would probably go for this one. The only downside I know about is the screen brightness, it could be better and I am not sure if it has Android 5 by now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you recommend where to purchase the Lenovo Vibe from? its not on oppomart.

Ive been looking at the one+two and i think that is the phone i really want.. the OS is more what I'm used to the hardware is up there, the only downside i can see would be the price for the 64gb model. Im going to see if I can purchase via my work and if need be pay some towards it.

Spardha said:
Ive been looking at the one+two and i think that is the phone i really want.. the OS is more what I'm used to the hardware is up there, the only downside i can see would be the price for the 64gb model. Im going to see if I can purchase via my work and if need be pay some towards it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes that is the best thing to do!
There are two version of the Vibe Shot the Z90-3 and Z90-7, the -7 is more expensive, but supports the right bands to be used outside of japan/china!
aliexpress would have the Z90-7 for 330$, but it's always a bit risky to buy from aliexpress

TheUltrametricSpace said:
regarding good GPS signal you would have to stay to Qualcomm or Intel SoC's, those devices paired with a good brand are a save call.
For what you do the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 16GB chinese Version with dual sim and micro SD Card should be good enough. It's a big 5.5 inch phone.
It has the MIUI7 on it, it will be a completely different Android experience. There are no reviews about the GPS quality and the phone uses a fast MTK SoC, it is hard to say how good it is, usually Xiaomi places really good antennas in their phone, but as of now there is no review of it.
The battery is average ~3000mhA thing, paired with the Octa Core it will last for a day and maybe a bit more, should be better than the Nexus 5.
Advantage: it's cheap, it's Xiaomi so great quality with great support.
Downside: it has MIUI7 on it a very heavy Android modification.
You could get it for about 150$ from many different pages or straight from oppomart a bit more expensive.
The Asus Zenfone both version the 2GB/4GB is really good specification wise. The 4GB Ram version is just overkill, in my opinion.
The build quality is good, the performance is great. The only downside would be the battery life and the camera, neither is horrible bad.
GPS should be fine.
You could get the 2GB Version from pandawill for 210$ and the 4GB is at gerabest for 240$
Worth mentioning, not all dual sim phones support the full speed on both slots, as of now only the Xiaomi Mi4i has 4G net on both sim card slots!
The Redmi Note 2 and the Asus Zenfone 2 are 5.5" devices
If you want a pretty nice powerful device without a micro SD card extension, at 5" you could consider to get the Xiaomi Mi4i, the only downside of it is that a optical camera stabilization is missing. I don't see this as a problem, as I do make loads of pictures and it rarely bothers me, but it is worth to be mentioned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I access google play/google services on this phone if I purchase and use it in China?
I know my GF's phone cannot install google play store app (Huawei Ascend Y511).

NapoleonWilson said:
Can I access google play/google services on this phone if I purchase and use it in China?
I know my GF's phone cannot install google play store app (Huawei Ascend Y511).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes there are a lot of threads about this topic in the official Xiaomi MIUI Forum. Link: en.miui.com
Have a look there and you will find all you need to know
If they release the device globally or in India, it will get a ROM with google installed per default. Xiaomi makes no difference between their devices.
Rom download page: http://en.miui.com/download
Like I have the Indian/global version of the Xiaomi Mi4i and can install the official Chinese ROM or the global ROM, as I like.

Would you recommend any 5inch phones in the $150 dollar region?
5.5 is just a little too big for me.