I can't find a tablet that checks all the boxes, is S4 the closest? - Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 Questions & Answers

1) headphone jack (has it)
2) at least 4G ram, modern processor, nice screen, 64 GB internal storage or more, 10" screen or more (has it)
3) waterproof/IP6x rating (doesn't have it)
4) Active XDA community (has it)
5) Is easy to root, unlock bootloader, flash custom roms, etc... (not totally clear, looks easier than my old Xperia Tabs).
Any feedback on #5 would be great, or if anyone wants to talk me out of getting one or getting a different one I'm listening. Would get the S5e if it were waterproof or had a headphone jack. Still annoyed that Sony apparently developed some new tablets and then shelved them at the last minute.

NexusLush said:
1) headphone jack (has it)
2) at least 4G ram, modern processor, nice screen, 64 GB internal storage or more, 10" screen or more (has it)
3) waterproof/IP6x rating (doesn't have it)
4) Active XDA community (has it)
5) Is easy to root, unlock bootloader, flash custom roms, etc... (not totally clear, looks easier than my old Xperia Tabs).
Any feedback on #5 would be great, or if anyone wants to talk me out of getting one or getting a different one I'm listening. Would get the S5e if it were waterproof or had a headphone jack. Still annoyed that Sony apparently developed some new tablets and then shelved them at the last minute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Tab S4 64GB LTE + Wifi Version (I wanted the 256GB but it was never released in my country) I would say go for it. I'm extremely happy with the Tab S4 and anxiously waiting for the Pie update (rumoured to be out by April) It performs great and I use it in my office daily. I plug the tab to an USB-c dongle that's hooked up to a monitor and use Dex on it. It may not be perfect but it gets the job done for me. It performs well and barely lags. The only thing I hate about it is how most Android apps aren't really optimized for tablets. There is no fingerprint scanner which is fine for me since the Iris and face unlock are quite reliable. This only becomes annoying for me with my password manager. It doesn't support iris scanning to log in, so I end up using a pin code.
The only advantage I see with the Tab S5e is the cheaper price, fingerprint scanner, option for more RAM (unless you can get a Tab S4 from Korea) and smaller body frame.
Not really related but I have tried the Tab S3, and that one was slow. Watching YouTube videoes were annoying; videos would stutter and the Youtube App would freeze and then crash. I never had any of those experiences with the Tab S4 and it is a definite improvement over its predecessor. I've had mine for 7 months and still runs smooth as the day I got it. I also have substratum running on mine and it works well!
Based on your requirements the I think you'll prefer the Tab S4 for the headphone jack. The XDA community is great. I'm just not too familiar with the rooting/unlocking bootloader on this device though so I can't say anything about that.
I hope you find the tablet you are looking for. Cheers.

Rooting is quite easy on my tab S4 WiFi. All needed to be done was follow the instructions. Be noticed that rooting procedure does indeed trip knox.
It is lacking when it comes to development of custom ROM. There are only a few available roms and they're all based off official Samsung firmware. I would love to see something like lineageOS on this thing but having my fingers crossed for now. My guess for this is the high price of this tablet which made it not as widely available as others for more active developments. The s5e pricing looks quite promising and I think once released it will prove to be more popular than S4. If you're more into custom ROM then I would recommend leaning toward the s5e instead. That said, the S4 is still the top performing tablet as of now and I absolutely loving this damn thing.
This tablet isn't rated for water resistance. It might survive a splash or two but not submerge in water.
Face and iris unlock work generally quite well but it's not as fast as finger scanner. I often alternate between glasses and it sometimes confuse the tablet. Doesn't work well in the dark either.

mintjustin said:
Rooting is quite easy on my tab S4 WiFi. All needed to be done was follow the instructions. Be noticed that rooting procedure does indeed trip knox.
It is lacking when it comes to development of custom ROM. There are only a few available roms and they're all based off official Samsung firmware. I would love to see something like lineageOS on this thing but having my fingers crossed for now. My guess for this is the high price of this tablet which made it not as widely available as others for more active developments. The s5e pricing looks quite promising and I think once released it will prove to be more popular than S4. If you're more into custom ROM then I would recommend leaning toward the s5e instead. That said, the S4 is still the top performing tablet as of now and I absolutely loving this damn thing.
This tablet isn't rated for water resistance. It might survive a splash or two but not submerge in water.
Face and iris unlock work generally quite well but it's not as fast as finger scanner. I often alternate between glasses and it sometimes confuse the tablet. Doesn't work well in the dark either.
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Click to collapse
Tab s5e will not support s pen as far as I'm aware. So not even in the same league as the s4

I just upgraded after patiently hoping for some sort of Dex equivalent for my Tab S3. Octa makes a big difference imo with snappier responses and I really love Dex so that i don't need necessarily need my bigger laptop when I travel.
I really wish Brydge made a keyboard for this device. So frustrating they only make it for the Pixel Slate (who in the world who would Chrome OS on x86)

Took the plunge today after 2 weeks of contemplation between the iPad Pro 11 and Tab S4. I don't know why it took me so long, given that I absolutely love it. I had my reservations having used the iPad Pro for the past 3 years. But the package (S-pen included, cellular model, expandable storage) for almost half the price of the latest iPad Pro, is just too good imo. Also, that display is absolutely stunning, I compared a 4k video on Tab s4 vs S10+ and preferred the tab Tab S4 screen (even though it could just be the size differential) . There are concerns chipset is old and ram is not enough, but for tablet I don't think that's an issue. I just hope it ages well, whether it'll still be as good in a year or two's time.

Related

[Q] Should i buy note 2014?

Hello everyone
I am searching for a new tablet to buy and am really intrested in note series (sPen!). I have few questions for galaxy note 2014 owners:
1. Is it comfortable for reading or is it too big for that? Thats my main concern- i need a tablet for my e- books, studying.
2. How much time it takes battery to drop to 0 (with +- energy saving settings)?
3. Do you find sPen useful or just a gimmick? Especially for note taking?
4. Is this tablet worth the money/ what other tabs you recommend?
I come from iPad mini. This tablet really hurt my eyes, so i think i need a tablet with greater resolution since i read a lot. And no, i dont want retina iPad, i prefer android. I am also thinking about note 8.0, it is a lot of cheaper option too, but i want a 9- 10 inch tablet, its resolution is lower.. ah help me >.<
gintariukeas said:
Hello everyone
I am searching for a new tablet to buy and am really intrested in note series (sPen!). I have few questions for galaxy note 2014 owners:
1. Is it comfortable for reading or is it too big for that? Thats my main concern- i need a tablet for my e- books, studying.
2. How much time it takes battery to drop to 0 (with +- energy saving settings)?
3. Do you find sPen useful or just a gimmick? Especially for note taking?
4. Is this tablet worth the money/ what other tabs you recommend?
I come from iPad mini. This tablet really hurt my eyes, so i think i need a tablet with greater resolution since i read a lot. And no, i dont want retina iPad, i prefer android. I am also thinking about note 8.0, it is a lot of cheaper option too, but i want a 9- 10 inch tablet, its resolution is lower.. ah help me >.<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also came from an iPad mini (the original one), so I'm right on the same page. The resolution on that device wasn't so hot.
1) I think it's perfect for reading. It really depends where you're reading, though. If you're worried about the size, just get a textbook or something of similar size, and judge it for yourself. For me, it works great for reading.
2) I haven't timed the battery myself. For the size, I feel like it has pretty decent battery life. I use it to take notes during classes, and in a 3 hour class, with the screen on the entire time, I see about a 100 to 70 percent drop. I'm happy with that.
3) The sPen is a LIFE SAVER! I use it all the time for taking notes. I use the Stylus Beta keyboard (on the Playstore) and it works exceptionally. With stylus beta and evernote, it's the perfect setup for me. Much faster than messing around with the onscreen keyboard.
4) It depends how much it is now. I haven't really looked recently. It has been out for awhile now, so I wouldn't pay full price now like I did when I bought it. Shop around, for sure. I've been really happy with my tablet though. It's a HUGE upgrade from the iPad mini in every way, shape, and form.
I've had them all ipad mini, air, note 8, note pro 12.2 and note 2014 10.1. The note 10.1 is perfect and I tell you why..
Ipad mini to restricted by Apple and I hate iTunes.
Ipad air, same reasons as mini.
Note 8, perfect portability, but s pen sucked because you had to write 45 degree angle or higher, plus s pen not good on small screen.
Note pro, loved it but portability sucked, to heavy, and not with $650.
10.1 perfect size and functions.
If you're smart buy a used one off ebay or Craig'slist. You can find them for $350
Sent from my SM-N900V using Xparent Green Tapatalk 2
gintariukeas said:
1. Is it comfortable for reading or is it too big for that? Thats my main concern- i need a tablet for my e- books, studying.
2. How much time it takes battery to drop to 0 (with +- energy saving settings)?
3. Do you find sPen useful or just a gimmick? Especially for note taking?
4. Is this tablet worth the money/ what other tabs you recommend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Very comfortable for me, I mainly use it for reading.
2. Without energy saving, I only charge it once every 3 days with my usage, but you can google for non-stop results. I think it's 11 hours for browsing and 4-5 hours for movies. Not sure.
3. I don't use it for anything.
4. If you buy on Amazon or Ebay, it's worth the money, but don't go to local shops if you live in EU, they have too high prices.
gintariukeas said:
1. Is it comfortable for reading or is it too big for that? Thats my main concern- i need a tablet for my e- books, studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's thin and light enough, with a screen that's big enough. you were on an iPad, so you understand tablet reading -it is what it is... Never quite the same as the real thing, but an acceptable compromise.
gintariukeas said:
2. How much time it takes battery to drop to 0 (with +- energy saving settings)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This really depends on what you've got running. If you let it idle, it will survive until day four. If you play some games watch some movies, browse some sites, it's possible to drain the battery in 5 hours. Generally speaking, on moderate to heavy use, you can get by on a charge per day.
gintariukeas said:
3. Do you find sPen useful or just a gimmick? Especially for note taking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somewhere between a gimmick and a handy tool. There are some apps that will let you take some advantage of the S-Pen's functionality, and Samsung has a few, especially if you're thinking of it as an alternate interface/input method (in which case it's superb). But if you're thinking this will replace your paper and pen; meh, I wouldn't throw away my notebooks and pencils just yet. The truth is the current technology (Wacom, N-Trig, etc.) will always lag behind your hand writing, and there will always be a glitch here and there (no matter how beastly the hardware you're using is). There will be people who swear by it. They are lying; most likely to themselves. This can be a tolerable compromise, but it will never match a [hardware] keyboard or a pen and paper -and it's not exactly the perfect amalgamation either. In a pinch it will certainly do, and for annotating PDFs and whatnot, it's tough to beat -but a real book and a real pen is just orders of magnitude superior. Where this compromise takes lead is in the fact that one book weighs several of these, while one of these can be multitudes of books, the internet, a gaming console, and so much more (which by now you understand -based on your iPad Mini experience).
gintariukeas said:
4. Is this tablet worth the money/ what other tabs you recommend?
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Click to collapse
Honestly? I really want to say yes, but the answer is no. Two reasons: 1 It's a Samsung. Samsung is shoddy workmanship backed by worse customer support. 2 At this price you're starting to encroach on surface pro price range, and the Fujitsu Stylistic Q584. Yes, these machines do cost a little more -but they also do everything you expect from a computer. And if you're thinking of the pen -OneNote is king among all. A [non-Windows] tablet is a consumption device with some communication and minimal productivity capabilities. At the price Samsung is asking, it's not worth it.
gintariukeas said:
I come from iPad mini. This tablet really hurt my eyes, so i think i need a tablet with greater resolution since i read a lot. And no, i dont want retina iPad, i prefer android. I am also thinking about note 8.0, it is a lot of cheaper option too, but i want a 9- 10 inch tablet, its resolution is lower.. ah help me >.<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So for question five [Do you recommend/would you do again]
I have a love-hate relation with android (especially Samsung). It promises so much, and the kicker is that it often does deliver... just not quite the way you'd expect. It's a little like "Bedazzled " where the devil grants your wish, but in a way that nearly renders it moot. I dislike iOS because of its limited functionality, general interface (lack of buttons and setting menus on apps themselves) -and quite frankly the active digitizer is a great tool. But iOS is consistent, robust and reliable. So, I will be forfeiting my Note 10.1 2014 in to an iPad Air [but I'll be forfeiting my iPhone 5s for a note 3 (or 4)].
If ever I do get another Android tablet -it will never cost this much again, because they're not worth it. I regret getting my note 10.1. You got to take that with a grain of salt, given my personal experience which is unlikely [yet possible] to be yours.
How do I reconcile paying nearly as much for a note phone? they're nearly everything the tablet ought to be in a much more wield-able form factor with an actual [good] usable camera. Who is going to tote around their tablet all day every day? Who is going to pull that behemoth out to snap a quick shot? Not I. But the Phablet? For me, it's just the right size to take everywhere every time; and it's smaller than most real cameras (or close enough).
How would I reconcile paying nearly as much for an iPad. Apple's customer service is a little more robust than Samsung. And limited though these devices are -they do what they are designed to do -far more reliably and consistently than most of the android devices I have owned. And like it or not, an Apple product is an Apple product. You take that out, and people around you know what's the deal. But when you unleash your Samsung Note 10.1 2014 people look at it, and know it's a tablet that wishes it could bear the prestige of an Apple product. True nerds will think "wow cool!" Everyone else will think "cheap knock-off wanna-be iPad". Who cares? You shouldn't. But I now realize, I do (a little), because for that price I prefer the prestigious ice-breaker, than trying to justify the awesomeness of my [now defunct, probably still working had it been an iPad] device. Last but not least, I was an early adopter of the Windows 8 tablets and I have a Sony Vaio 11 [regrettably -now that Q584 and Surface Pro 3 are viable options]; and thus it's going to have to be a while before I get another Windows tablet. (I'm inclined to wait until at least Windows 9+).
Maybe this is a little (or a lot) more than you asked for. But I wish someone would have warned me.
Lastly, on the note 8. Unless it's less than 1/3 the cost of the note 10.1 2014 -it's a bad move. Note 8 has all the shortcomings of the 10.1 plus the fact that it's inferior hardware (not least of which is the screen quality), thus amplifying all the pangs. Not to mention you just got done complaining about the iPad mini for being too small.
TLDR;
No. Don't get it. I'm sure there are tons of people who will tell you that it's a good get. I'm sure they have favorable experiences -and there is a lot to love there. But in the end it's not worth the price because it's Samsung and it's Android. At that price point you might as well spend a few bucks more and get Windows (but not RT!) especially if you're serious about it as a study tool: OneNote crushes everything that does and does not exists in the multi-universe. Otherwise pay less and get something else.
gintariukeas said:
1. Is it comfortable for reading or is it too big for that? Thats my main concern- i need a tablet for my e- books, studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think it's a great size and light to hold, fine for reading texts, pdfs, books (Kobo), websites. i was surprised to find it was smaller than my TF700 (piece of crap!) -- Sammy did a great job with the side bezels.
gintariukeas said:
2. How much time it takes battery to drop to 0 (with +- energy saving settings)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
depends on how much you use it. it's not my only tool for work/leisure, but i would charge between every one and two days. (also, for me it takes about 5hrs charge to go from 20% to 100%.)
gintariukeas said:
3. Do you find sPen useful or just a gimmick? Especially for note taking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very useful for me (print designer): making notes at meetings (sNote out of the box), marking up text and layouts and pdfs and images. doing revisions this way is much more efficient that printing out (or waiting for) a colour proof, marking that up, and then couriering it to a client — especially if i'm working remotely or in transit somewhere. i can't go entirely paperless of course, but for everything up to final colour proofs, it's works great.
scrapbook is also really handy when tripping through websites or videos. the one thing i've no use for is the windows function though. that said, the sPen really changed my perspective on what a tablet can/should do: i won't buy another tablet with out sPen or similar capability.
gintariukeas said:
4. Is this tablet worth the money/ what other tabs you recommend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you need sPen, want a 2K screen, and you like Android, this is THE ONLY tablet to get. i waited until KK came out and a bunch of the earlier bugs (software and hardware build) were addressed though. with Sammy, i find it's good to wait for a few months after launch for them to get things right. also, now being able to get Samsung's Remote PC functionality is great.
gintariukeas said:
Hello everyone
I am searching for a new tablet to buy and am really intrested in note series (sPen!). I have few questions for galaxy note 2014 owners:
1. Is it comfortable for reading or is it too big for that? Thats my main concern- i need a tablet for my e- books, studying.
2. How much time it takes battery to drop to 0 (with +- energy saving settings)?
3. Do you find sPen useful or just a gimmick? Especially for note taking?
4. Is this tablet worth the money/ what other tabs you recommend?
I come from iPad mini. This tablet really hurt my eyes, so i think i need a tablet with greater resolution since i read a lot. And no, i dont want retina iPad, i prefer android. I am also thinking about note 8.0, it is a lot of cheaper option too, but i want a 9- 10 inch tablet, its resolution is lower.. ah help me >.<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Biggest issue. It's a Samsung! Plastic piece of ****. Build quality from hell. Have to return mine for creaky body and the bezel start to come loose from the glas. 750€ tablet with quality worse than a 129€ tablet.
The screen is nice, very bright and res is nice for reading, s pen is good for drawing and if u like to take notes but the apps that support stylus is quite few and samsungs s note and action memo is quite crappy. Besides the screen and the stylus which is nice if u need it. But its mostly a gimmick, i just cant recommend this POS. Did i mention that it lags like hell on stock firmware. Had to root and run custom to get decent performance and it still runs worse than my s4 with cm. I regret every day that I wasted over 700€ on this crap. Check around and you will see i ain't the only one who is dissatisfied with it. Buy something else than Samsung. Dont lesrn that lesson the hard way
If pen is not your critical.
Standby and wait for new Tab S series it will come with AMOLED display !!! .
I had an iPad Mini1, it was cute but that's it. The screen is not great and the battery wasn't as good as people say it is.
I also had an iPad3 and the screen was nice but it was uncomfortable to hold and I think the aluminium casing is slippery without a case.
iOS just sucks even though there are really good quality apps.
I've had a ton of android 10" tablets from Xoom, Tosh Thrive, Asus Transformers TF101, TF201, TF300, TF700 and Padfone Infinity.
I still have the TF700 and the Padfone Inifnity. The TF700 runs like a POS, slow and stutters and freezes up. I have a feeling the 1gb RAM is crippling it. I don't understand it when the prime and Tf300 was no where as bad, but I like the form factor very much and use it like a laptop and for remote desktops access it is great.
The padfone infinity is pretty awesome and it runs very fast, quadrant score is about 3 times that of the TF700 and feels like it. If it had an active stylus and a keyboad dock, I'd be happy with that as my only device since it is also a phone. My only problem with it is no SD slot so I got the 64gb version. I'm keen on the Padfone Infinity 2 but haven't tried it yet.
I also have a Surface RT and it is great for MS Office and File Explorer with a desktop. As well as that, I have an Asus Vivotab smart ME400C which is atom based Windows8 tab and runs full windows desktop apps.
Before I got my Note10 (P605) I had a Note 8 5100 (wifi+3G) and it is a GREAT tablet. It is snappy and light and runs soooo good. The only thing is the screen is not even as good as an ipad mini but it ****s on every other tablet I have owned for usability. IT IS THAT GOOD! if Samsung made a Note Pro 8.4 like their tab pro 8.4, I'd be there in a snap.
This brings me to my Note 10.1 2014 (P605 with 4G). The screen is awesome, the size is awesome, the speed is great (not as snappy as Note 8 in a lot of ways believe it or not!). I'm still on 4.3 but then my Note 8 is on 4.2. The pen is better on the Note10 than the Note8 and if you only got the Note10 to run Sketchbook ONLY, it would be worth every cent on that sweet screen. I do a lot of reading on it and the screen is just awesome. I photo edit and preview on it and its great. I also use it to annotate PDFs and draw stupid things for fun.
I'm still grabbing the Note8 most of the time when I head out of the house, simply because I can jam it into my coat pocket and cargo pants pockets. but at home, I'm on the Note10 all the time.
I love the Note10 and if I had to live with just 1 tablet and my Note 3 phone, I would pick the Note10 without hesitation.
PS. With regards to the negative comments, don't try to find the perfect tablet, it doesn't exist! Everything has a compromise but this Note10 hits a VERY NICE sweetspot and I would recommend it for student use if running windows apps is not a neccessity. Even then, I would try and get away with that by remote desktop because the Note 10 does everything else soooo much better.
---------- Post added at 11:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:41 PM ----------
manhattan212;53168349: ...OneNote crushes everything that does and does not exists in the multi-universe. Otherwise pay less and get something else.[/QUOTE said:
Papyrus pen UI beats One Note windows for actual Notetaking. However One Note has better management, so the solution is to use Papyrus to take notes and then move it to One Note for storage and management thru Android OneNote.
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Click to collapse
warboat said:
I love the Note10 and if I had to live with just 1 tablet and my Note 3 phone, I would pick the Note10 without hesitation.
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Click to collapse
I'm sure Samsung must be proud to have such staunch supporters. But the key point isn't just how great the machine is. The keypoints are this, this, and this. And for every one of us that actually posts -imagine the countless others that don't go online to post questions in forums. The countless others who just take the loss in stride, because they have little or no recourse.
In short, the Note 10.1 2014 has great promise, but buying Samsung is like playing Russian roulette. The hardware has great probability of failing, and Samsung has no problem screwing customers over. So I for one feel it's wrong to not warn people against the Note 10.1 2014. Because chances are, the tablet isn't going to fail you in those first 30 days, when you can take it back to the store you bought it and get yoru money back -no questions asked. It's going to fail you 32 days in. And then you're relying on Samsung's warranty -which isn't just going to let you walk into a local Samsung shop and shove your defective tablet into one of their [non-geniuses] mouths and let you walk out of the shop with a new replacement in hand. Other companies do that, Samsung just gives you the runaround, and cheats you out of your money.
warboat said:
PS. With regards to the negative comments, don't try to find the perfect tablet, it doesn't exist! Everything has a compromise but this Note10 hits a VERY NICE sweetspot and I would recommend it for student use if running windows apps is not a neccessity. Even then, I would try and get away with that by remote desktop because the Note 10 does everything else soooo much better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When it comes to buying the Note 10.1 (2014)...
Harry Callahan said:
I know what you're thinking. 'Did the SM-P605 fire six shots or only five'? Well to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, i kind of lost track myself. But being that this is a Samsung, the most powerful tablet in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well do ya, punk?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard a lot about the good and bad points about the note 10.1 (2014) here but there is only one thing that puts me off getting one: the constant talk is lag and sluggish performance. I currently have a nexus 10 and I am wondering how the real world performance on this compares to the note 10.1? If anyone has any experience of both I would be really interested to hear their thoughts. Thanks in advance!
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
paddycr said:
I've heard a lot about the good and bad points about the note 10.1 (2014) here but there is only one thing that puts me off getting one: the constant talk is lag and sluggish performance. I currently have a nexus 10 and I am wondering how the real world performance on this compares to the note 10.1? If anyone has any experience of both I would be really interested to hear their thoughts. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no or very little lag on 4.4. I use my N10.1-14 probably heavier than most here because I'm a productivity user. I was just thinking to myself today what an amazing device it is (after owning it since October). I was working on a complicated Word document. I like to get the meat of a document done in Hancom locally and then finish it via RDP on my Windows desktop PC to guarantee the formatting's correct. Here's what I had open at the same time - Hancom (viewer and editor), Jump Desktop keeping a connection alive to my home PC with Word running, and two instances of Samsung's My Files in multi view to drag-and-drop files I needed between my device, home FTP server and Dropbox. On top of that I was watching Amazon Instant Video in a Pop-up-play window using PlayOn, connected to a BT keyboard and mouse, and listening to the audio via an AptX BT pendent. Also, so I didn't need to pull my phone out for calls or messages, I was using SideSync to display it on my N10.1-14 minimized. I have a 3G device so all this was being done over AT&T's HSPA+ network because the coffee house I was in had too many people on Wi-Fi. And that was all with little or no lag. Try that on another 10.1" tablet.
But as amazing as all that is to me, if you're purely a consumption user, you won't appreciate all the N10.1-14's features, the resources they take up, and Samsung's added UI clutter to get them all to work together. For consumption, stick to your N10, get an iPad, or consider the Teg4 Asus TF701 which is down to $299 new and has the same screen resolution as both the N10 and N10.1-14. The people *****ing about the N10.1-14 probably shouldn't have bought it in the first place based on what they use a tablet for.
Happy shopping.
BarryH_GEG said:
But as amazing as all that is to me, if you're purely a consumption user, you won't appreciate all the N10.1-14's features, the resources they take up, and Samsung's added UI clutter to get them all to work together. For consumption, stick to your N10, get an iPad, or consider the Teg4 Asus TF701 which is down to $299 new and has the same screen resolution as both the N10 and N10.1-14. The people *****ing about the N10.1-14 probably shouldn't have bought it in the first place based on what they use a tablet for.
Happy shopping.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. I have a note 3 and love s-note for taking notes at work. The problem is that the screen is too small to use it on a regular basis - I find myself frequently going back to pen and paper. So i'm thinking of ditching the note 3 and getting a 10.1. Good excuse for a new phone too
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
if any one looking for a good new open samsung note 10.1 2014 i got one for you for $449 if you would like two take a look in two it
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111380065860?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
paddycr said:
I've heard a lot about the good and bad points about the note 10.1 (2014) here but there is only one thing that puts me off getting one: the constant talk is lag and sluggish performance. I currently have a nexus 10 and I am wondering how the real world performance on this compares to the note 10.1? If anyone has any experience of both I would be really interested to hear their thoughts. Thanks in advance!
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have over a dozen Android devices and there is always some lag, somewhere in each of them.
As long as its not significant, you shouldn't get hung up about the lag.
The thing you want out of android is functionality and there isn't a better 10" weapon right now than the Note 10 2014.
In terms of raw potential, the Nexus 10 Mali 604 GPU will top out at 72gflops.
Note 10.1 2014 Exynos: 102gflops
Note 10.1 2014 Qualcomm SD800:130gflops
Ipad Air A7: 115gflops
Asus TF701 (Tegra4): 97gflops
You have 4 million pixels to push around. Gflops matter.
I'm not sure what your main use is, but if you are a student and you are in a major that requires a lot of math, BUY THIS TABLET. If you will not be using the stylus often, there may be better options. There is a noticeable amount of lag on the stock rom and stock firmware, which confused me because the specs seem great. After rooting the device and switching roms it is much smoother.
I literally bought this tablet to run LectureNotes for my math classes. I have had a big issue with lag specifically in that app (only that app - others had zero lag), but I finally got it down to probably <30ms response time in LectureNotes while writing. I had to find the OEM 4.4.2 firmware/rom and flash it prior to flashing a modded 4.4.2 rom. A bunch of tweaking was also necessary in the app's settings, but I actually found that the high resolution was my issue. I then lowered the resolution of my notebooks, turned fast rendering and page rendering OFF, used SetCPU to max out the CPU when the screen was on and LectureNotes was in the foreground. This significantly decreased my lag in LectureNotes. All of this only applies to that specific app. Nothing else had any lag once I was rooted and on a custom rom.
Would I recommend this tablet? It depends. If you are strictly going to use it out of the box, and keep it stock, my answer is no. I would get something with a lighter ROM out of the box. Possibly something AOSP. If you are a student and/or you plan on using the stylus often, it is worth every damn penny. My tablet replaced my math notebooks. Using LectureNotes to do math is SO much faster than pencil and paper, because of the custom tools that you are able to use. Constructing certain figures and graphs are so much quicker on the tablet than having to draw everything out.
warboat said:
I have over a dozen Android devices and there is always some lag, somewhere in each of them.
As long as its not significant, you shouldn't get hung up about the lag.
The thing you want out of android is functionality and there isn't a better 10" weapon right now than the Note 10 2014.
In terms of raw potential, the Nexus 10 Mali 604 GPU will top out at 72gflops.
Note 10.1 2014 Exynos: 102gflops
Note 10.1 2014 Qualcomm SD800:130gflops
Ipad Air A7: 115gflops
Asus TF701 (Tegra4): 97gflops
You have 4 million pixels to push around. Gflops matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you had a Nexus 10 and is it's overall performance comparable to the Note 10.1? I get a little paranoid about these benchmarks - I had a TF700T before my Nexus 10, which I recall benchmarked well. Even after unlocking, rooting and flashing custom firmware it was a completely unusable POS because of the lag.
xlemonhed1 said:
Would I recommend this tablet? It depends. If you are strictly going to use it out of the box, and keep it stock, my answer is no. I would get something with a lighter ROM out of the box. Possibly something AOSP. If you are a student and/or you plan on using the stylus often, it is worth every damn penny. My tablet replaced my math notebooks. Using LectureNotes to do math is SO much faster than pencil and paper, because of the custom tools that you are able to use. Constructing certain figures and graphs are so much quicker on the tablet than having to draw everything out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, my Note 3 flies now I have ditched stock. However, the only thing that worries me about this is the knox 0x1 issue. Has anyone reported getting warranty service with this flag on their Note 10.1 ? It is not an issue with my Note 3 because T-mobile couldn't care less...
Check out this item I found on eBay: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=321428263654&alt=web
Price is a big issue but you can get it factory refurbished for $299. For that price this device looks a lot better imo
paddycr said:
Even after unlocking, rooting and flashing custom firmware it was a completely unusable POS because of the lag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wasn't the SoC or even s/w. Asus is notorious for putting slow-as-crap bargain basement NAND in their devices.
Coreyc1123 said:
Check out this item I found on eBay: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=321428263654&alt=web
Price is a big issue but you can get it factory refurbished for $299. For that price this device looks a lot better imo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was about to tell OP for this link. haha.
I bought one for 299-39 bucks ebay cash so total came out to be 260 which is fantastic deal. Still waiting for it to be shipped.
I am original Note 10.1 owner so I can't comment on this 2014 ones but with my original 10.1 being my main notebook in college, I can't recommend enough. Everybody experience may varies depending on the usage and expectation. I took all of my notes using the tablet with the LectureNote app. Fantastic tool.
I expect nothing less from 2014 10.1 and can't wait to get it.

[Q] Galaxy Tab S or S2 ?

Hi Guys,
My 2012 Nexus 10 is showing its age and I am desperate for a new tablet. I waited so long for Galaxy Tab S2, but I am kinda disappointed with its spec. old 5433 SoC and 4:3 screen with downgraded ppi and resolution ! so I am thinking about Galaxy Tab S, what do you think about it after lollipop update ? I heard many users complained about its lags and underpowered SoC, would you recommend it ? also how is the custom ROM community for it ? I can see there are a couple custom ROMs but are there stable enough to for daily usage ? I remember exynos had very limited developer support, so there was not many great ROMs for exynos devices out there, what do you think ? Galaxy Tab S or S2 ?
The S1 is a masterpiece the S2 is a frankenstein monster, 4:3 spit, virtually mono sound spit, so looks plain jane spit, no camera flash spit, no if-red spit, portrait design spit, I though it was an Galaxy Tab A by the photo`s it looks so cheap.
Exynos version has loads of rom`s, snapdragon version hardly any, If you want stability stick to kitkat, if your fine with flashing have fun with different roms.
John
But what about the lags and stutters on kitkat ? I heard lollipop fixed that. is it true ?
I have had no lag or stutter on my 10.5" kitkat , I had it running continuously for 160 days, I never shut it down or restarted it, I only did a restart to re-calibrate my battery but i had no problems with the battery, it was just maintenance.
But i am not a gamer, I mostly watch video`s and browse the internet for at least an hour every day, but white on an oled display eats the battery, if you do a lot of browsing use night mode or get an lcd tablet.
John.
fifthelement said:
But what about the lags and stutters on kitkat ? I heard lollipop fixed that. is it true ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm. hard question. I personally would not get either right now. The s2 looks like a step backwards in the key areas, the darn screen.
the s has the lovely screen, but unless you can get a decent deal, its too long in the tooth to spend out a lot for.
its so irritating as there are no tabs which tick all the boxes. the experia z3 is good, but the res is lower, but everything else is up to speed.
dont get me wrong, I really do like my tablet, but who knows what is coming out in the next few months, or will be announced. I hope finally there is something which is progress in all areas.
The Tab S2 has a lower resolution screen than the Tab S (both resolution AND PPI), a significantly smaller battery and a marginally upgraded processor.
I'd wait for the true successor to the Tab S - which will likely a more upmarket SAMOLED tablet, priced higher than the Tab S with a full metal body (Like the Galaxy Tab A) and more of a competitor for the iPad.
I prefer plastic to metal, metal is cold and when bent or dented it does not spring back like plastic also it blocks radio waves so you have to have non metal sections to let the waves in and out, Samsung are masters of durable plastic, you can bend the battery cover of their phones almost in two and it will spring back without any damage try that with metal.
John
So I bought my Tab S around a month ago and I have to say I'm in love with it! After seeing the specs of the Tab S 2 I knew straight away the device for me.
The tab s in my opinion tick pretty much every box the only thing I wish was better is the GPU for gaming (not that it plays games badly - they play well enough) but I can be quite picky and if I'm not getting the max FPS from a game I feel upset! Everything else on the tablet is perfect and I'm the kind of chap that sells his devices every couple of months for the latest better version but this is the first device I've come across that I've not even looked at replacing, well worth the £300 I spent for it. The xperia z4 tablet is now out and it's specs are majorly impressive but it's thick bezels I think make it an ugly design, I love the thin sides of the Tab S, another tablet I've been looking at is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 but again after seeing it in the shop I think it's quite ugly and put a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and hancom fine with my tab s and it's replaced my laptop, which I'm selling on eBay at the moment as it hasn't been used since I bought my tablet.
I'm a network manager at a school and have used my Tab S for a hell of a lot including connecting to multiple servers and writing 30 page policies. It's a great little device.
I upgraded to Lollipop but I'm using IronRom instead of stock and I have to say it's very stable and very fast. No lag. On antutu I got around the 4100 mark with all my GPU and CPU over locked it's just as powerful as an S5 phone. I'd recommend it to anyone and already multiple family members and the girlfriend have ordered one after seeing mine.
Sorry this was long but I hope it helped
Comes down to a few questions:
Do you value performance. The Exnos 5420 is a 2 year old processor. The 5433/7410 is a 1 year old processor (though it is a 20nn version of the 7420 in the S6)
Do you value battery life. The Tab S2 8.0 has a battery that is 20% smaller than the original tab. It may be that the 20nn processor and smaller newer screen are more efficient but I don't expect better battery life.
Do you value longevity/updates: The Tab S2 is a year newer so it will have its updates discontinued later than the Tab S.
Does display ratio matter to you: If you mostly read, the Tab S2 may be a dream come true. If you mostly watch videos, it's a disaster.
Do you value internal storage: Other than a best buy limited edition model, the Tab S has 16gb storage. The S2 has 32GB.
It seems like the Tab S2 is a Galaxy Note 4 (international) turned into a tablet. The Tab S was the Galaxy Note 3 (international) turned into a tablet.
This is a tough question for me. I re-bought the Tab S 8.4 for 190 (ridiculous deal best buy had a few months ago) after leaving it late last year to try other tablets (The Xperia Z3 Tablet and the Venue 7840). I also bought the Tab S 8.4 on day 1 last year (great deal, $350 for the tablet, Samsung cover, and 16gb sd card) to replace my Tab Pro 8.4 that I bought on day 1. I'm leaning towards getting it if the same deal is in play.
I have asked basic maths for help:
smaller side of t800 is 5.87 inch and of t810 is 5.82 inch...
So I do not see any advantage for browsing in new generation...
rp3 said:
Comes down to a few questions:
Do you value performance. The Exnos 5420 is a 2 year old processor. The 5433/7410 is a 1 year old processor (though it is a 20nn version of the 7420 in the S6)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately yes he is right here as the Tab S processor is a year older, though I find it very quick and non-laggy when using IronRom on lollipop. As stated above the one thing I'd change is GPU performance but remember you always have over clocking when you root!
rp3 said:
Do you value longevity/updates: The Tab S2 is a year newer so it will have its updates discontinued later than the Tab S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best thing about android is that you can flash a custom ROM so updates never bother me as I can always flash a latest build of Cyanogenmod if needs be.
rp3 said:
Do you value internal storage: Other than a best buy limited edition model, the Tab S has 16gb storage. The S2 has 32GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 16GB internal storage on my Tab S including a 128GB memory card. Everything including apps is stored on my memory card thanks to the app "foldermount" you must be rooted though, I don't think the Tab S 2 has expandable storage but I could be wrong.
Good Point the S1 beats the S2 in both horizontal and vertical resolution, so the S2 is not really better for browsing, though you have to turn the S1 10.5" to portrait mode as it`s an landscape tablet while the S1 8.4" is an portrait style already.
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/co...ch,Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S-10.5/phones/9385,8662
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/co...nch,Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S-8.4/phones/9384,8663
John.
ivanox1972 said:
I have asked basic maths for help:
smaller side of t800 is 5.87 inch and of t810 is 5.82 inch...
So I do not see any advantage for browsing in new generation...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you all for your responses and opinions, I guess I would go for a Galaxy Tab S. but I will wait until S2 is released so I can get a good deal. I expect galaxy tab s gets a discount when s2 is released.
S1 - just bought my third for the household, was holding out for the S2 but so glad i did not wait for a iPad Air copy.
This morning I read that the S2 comes with Android 5.0.2 and started to laugh. Seriously 5.1.1 has been out for months including on a few Samsung devices. At the glacial pace that Samsung updates their tablet OS versions Android M will have been out for at least three months before the S2 gets v5.1.1, what a joke.
That on top of an older processor makes you wonder why they even bothered. I'm very happy to have bought my S 10.5 at almost $70 less retail, a few months ago, rather than this laughable new flagship tablet. Samsung's advantage of the best screen technology in the industry is getting sabotaged by very odd engineering decisions. It seems like the tablet division is run by their B team.
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Premium HD app
Frankly speaking, I would never buy an S2 over the Tab S. At the moment on the Tab S you can have Lollipop, Xposed, custom kernels with F2FS, and the tablet flies, literally.
Yeah, but with the S2 you have like errr emm eerrr nothing help!!!!
John.
stopa10 said:
Frankly speaking, I would never buy an S2 over the Tab S. At the moment on the Tab S you can have Lollipop, Xposed, custom kernels with F2FS, and the tablet flies, literally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P28m9cwa47E
Samsung tab s2 hands on and comparison with tab s. In English . According to this guy tab s2 has much more per and pricing will be matched to tab S.
ivanox1972 said:
I have asked basic maths for help:
smaller side of t800 is 5.87 inch and of t810 is 5.82 inch...
So I do not see any advantage for browsing in new generation...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the advantage is that is almost the same viewing area but in a smaller and lighter package. Also, much more natural than the awkwardness that 16:10 is in portrait on such a large tablet as the tab S IMO. YMMV.
yohandesilva1 said:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P28m9cwa47E
Samsung tab s2 hands on and comparison with tab s. In English . According to this guy tab s2 has much more per and pricing will be matched to tab S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That video sure did nothing to change my mind that the S2 is a step backward. Especially the comparison of reading the magazine which showed nothing visually while the video playback did demonstrate the smaller picture and unused screen black bars. Is Samsung going to pronounce, to video watchers, that the black bars on video playback is actually a way to extend your battery life? Which maybe needed as the thinner design and aspect ratio has reduced overall battery size. It is going to be tough to polish a turd and sell it at a flag ship price.
After reading the S2 details I'm still amazed that the OS is v5.0.2 and it does not have the same processor that the S6 phone uses. What were they thinking?
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Premium HD app

Best new phone after S4Mini ?

Hi Guys,
I'm a favorite user of our S4mini. But having it for almost 4 years now i'm starting to see it gets a bit old. I have used several custom ROMs, but in the end all are ending up a bit slow..
So i'm looking for a follow up device. Any tips? Right now I'm thinking on buying the Galaxy S7..
New phone should be;
- Fast, 'flagship' specs
- A great custom ROM community
- Good camera
- If possible, not to BIG (s4mini size is perfect, but hard to find i guess)
thats all
Wait for new Sony x compact. The current one is really good but I'm sure new one will be better.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Mascarponi said:
Hi Guys,
I'm a favorite user of our S4mini. But having it for almost 4 years now i'm starting to see it gets a bit old. I have used several custom ROMs, but in the end all are ending up a bit slow..
So i'm looking for a follow up device. Any tips? Right now I'm thinking on buying the Galaxy S7..
New phone should be;
- Fast, 'flagship' specs
- A great custom ROM community
- Good camera
- If possible, not to BIG (s4mini size is perfect, but hard to find i guess)
thats all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oneplus 3 or 3t
Here is my story...
Was looking for something compact and lightweight like s4 mini and also reasonably powerful (don't need flagship power. AMOLED and non stock Rom is also must. Bought a LENOVO P2. ...used for 2 months and sold it. Pros: Good battery life and ultra fast charging. What i didn't like was size and weight...too big for my hands. Also didn't like the Rom as it was close to stock.
Then i bought zuk z2. Liked nothing. Specially the LCD display. I will never buy anything if its not AMOLED and that too SAMSUNG calibrated. Device was thick and boxy....ergonomics were poor.
Moral of the story: only flagship cpu and very big bbattery don't make a good device. Its balance and optimisation of everything. And my opinion is SAMSUNG has mastered the art of making fantastic android smartphones. I hate stock,Los/based, miui etc. After trying everything....touchwiz(tweaked) and Flyme os are the top.
So far i have short listed GALAXY A5 2017. Though it is still large to my standards. ....after the recent price cut it seems the most viable option to me. Thanks for reading.
I started with trying to replace 2013 moto x. Tried the following :
Galaxy alpha
Galaxy a3 2016
Galaxy a3 2017
Sony z5 compact
Sony x compact
Oneplus x
Now running galaxy s5 and s4 mini both on RR and working pretty good. I prefer size of s4 mini but it is Lil under powered.
Wish I would have kept oneplus x. Now waiting for new Sony compact.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
I have decided on the HTC 10, now that the price had dropped to ~ 1/2 of the launch price. It is one of the better "ex-flagship" type phone that is not too big, still is plenty powerful even tho it has last year's Top SOC.
Unlockable bootloader & great ROM support, and solid build. Design is a bit dated, but I think it will be a solid phone for me. (Ordered on-line, awaiting delivery ....)
The S7 is my second choice - better screen, better camera. But I am leery of the glass back, and the use of micro USB rather than USB-C swayed me towards the HTC. Plus Samsung's update record is spotty, and you can only get ROM support if you get the G930F variant. And Sammy seemed to have added multiple hurdles to the bootloader unlocking process compared to the S4 mini.
I was pretty much in the same predicament as you. After first giving the new Nokia 6 a chance, I decided that the screen (5.5 inches) is too big for my liking, especially coming from a S4 mini with a 4.3 screen, so I returned it.
I then decided to get the S7 (flat; not the edge variant) a chance, and so far I'm happy with it. If you get one with an Exynos processor, there are enough different roms to choose from (https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7/development).
Plus, it's also Samsung so it's not something completely new. Yes, the screen is larger as well (5.1 inches), but with a nice back case to get a better grip on the phone it's still decent and not too big if you ask me.
BlackDontCrack said:
I was pretty much in the same predicament as you. After first giving the new Nokia 6 a chance, I decided that the screen (5.5 inches) is too big for my liking, especially coming from a S4 mini with a 4.3 screen, so I returned it.
I then decided to get the S7 (flat; not the edge variant) a chance, and so far I'm happy with it. If you get one with an Exynos processor, there are enough different roms to choose from (https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7/development).
Plus, it's also Samsung so it's not something completely new. Yes, the screen is larger as well (5.1 inches), but with a nice back case to get a better grip on the phone it's still decent and not too big if you ask me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What rom you recommend?
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
mario24601 said:
What rom you recommend?
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me first say, I don't consider myself an expert like that. I've only tested a few so far.
For example, Official LOS, which worked quite well. The only problem was that my S7 (SM-G930F) unfortunately has different camera sensors than most others. It looks like sometime in the last 1-3 months, Samsung has started to also use Sony camera sensors instead of the regular Samsung ones, which are not yet supported by LOS, so my camera isn't working when using LOS. It just stays blank.
The developers are aware of that and there might even be a fix for this issue, but I haven't researched it that thoroughly.
I wanted a rom with root, Xposed (Xprivacy, Gravitybox, and a whatsapp module) and all the main features, so I'm now using Helios 7.20 with Magisk and Xposed enabled. So far, everything I need is working, so no complaints on my part. I haven't updated to 7.21 yet, so I can't tell you how that version works.
Battery life is okay. No huge drain, but then again I have gps and all them location services disabled, but my data connection is turned on 24/7.

Pixel C v.s. Galaxy Tab S3

I have the Pixel C right now and been using it for the best part of a year and a half and it has been quite good, very smooth interface and probably not as silky as the Pixel phone but light-years better than my old Nexus 9.
Question is, as good as it has been, a few things are bugging me now. First is the age; it is almost 2 years old now and while it has been getting updated rather quickly the latest Oreo update seems to be stretching the limits of the aging hardware, because I've seen no absence of lags and stuttering on Oreo that weren't as noticeable or pronounced as it was on Nougat 7.1.2. In fact these performance hitches are enough for me to consider wiping all my important (but not too important, just a few apps and games) data and downgrade back to stock 7.1.2, since the YouTube app is just horrendous on Oreo, but I haven't gone around to it yet.
The more important thing is the Tab S3. The Android tablet market is all but dead with nothing but crappy budget devices released but the S3 seems to be a major contender for the best Android tablet, and I can see why. It does have a crap 2016 processor (given the release date of March 2017 you'd expect it to have at least 821 or 835, or better yet, a more optimized Exynos 8890 or 8895), but it still handily beats the clock speed (2.15 vs 1.9) of the X1 chip in the Pixel C and RAM (4 vs 3). But given the Pixel C's obvious advantage with the absence of any memory-hogging skin, I am having doubts on upgrading because of hardware. Speaking of which the S3 also has the quad-speaker advantage and the HDR capable AMOLED panel, not to mention the glorious S-Pen. So given all these clear advantages the S3 has over the Pixel C, is it worth the "up"grade? Or is the S3 just another crap tablet with a bunch of gimmicks like the S2 and still packed with all the useless junk that Samsung tends to cram into their devices?
Note that I use my tablet for purely entertainment purposes, I don't have the keyboard and I just use my Pixel C for videos, games, and web browsing (I reserve productivity for an actual Laptop). I generally value performance over everything else as a result.
pixel c has more rom and kernel development and it is very smooth and perfect for gaming thanks android stock and lineage based roms
tab s3 has touchwiz and as we know touchiz lags and has performance issue
it would be a best if google release a new tablet
but for now pixel c is best android tablet ( the display doesnt have hdr but is a quadhd ltps very good display)
And you'll get quicker updates than the S3. Samsung are woeful at updating their devices.
My nexus 9 crapped out and needed a new tablet and got the S3. I looked at the pixel c but since it's 2 years old ruled that out. You're right, there is no good android tablet now. The s3 is good but it's just a tablet. Nothing special. I haven't even rooted it yet because of the stupid knox and voiding the warranty if I trip it. I have no idea when it'll get oreo. My nexus 5x is running it now and it'll probably won't be until next year that samsung finally releases it. The samsung bloat is not that bad and most of it you can disable.
There's basically no development on it and very little activity in the forum. So if you're into that don't expect much.
If I had the pixel I'd wait and see if something else comes out, preferably from google. But I don't know how likely that is.
There's actually a good tablet on the market, but it's small. It's the Huawei mediapad M3 with kirin 930 and 4 gigs of ram. I tried it for two weeks and absolutely loved it; amazingly fast and fluid, super lightweight and a gorgeous hi-res screen. In the end I sent it back because the long 8.4" screen, resolution is superb but you have to hold it so close to your face because it's too small.
So it's no alternative to the pixel C but its fast and high end. I have hopes that Huawei will decide one day to make a 9.7 inch version, I would buy it immediately.
ASW1 said:
There's actually a good tablet on the market, but it's small. It's the Huawei mediapad M3 with kirin 930 and 4 gigs of ram. I tried it for two weeks and absolutely loved it; amazingly fast and fluid, super lightweight and a gorgeous hi-res screen. In the end I sent it back because the long 8.4" screen, resolution is superb but you have to hold it so close to your face because it's too small.
So it's no alternative to the pixel C but its fast and high end. I have hopes that Huawei will decide one day to make a 9.7 inch version, I would buy it immediately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the mediapad m3 used the kirin 950? it's hard to find out what's going on with the specs. The 32G model comes with 3G ram and the 64G with 4g ram. Where I live so far I only found the 32/3 model. I also would like the larger screen size... I have a Tab S2 and it's pretty good. There is no lag from touchwiz. I use Nova launcher anyway and it's lightning fast. And I get OTA updates on Nougat. Not every month but they are updating it. No complaints whatsoever.
So I am also trying to decide whether to go with the mediapad M3 (the T3 looks like a serious downgrade from every angle) or the Tab S3. There is a new google Pixel isn't there? But I guess it's like 1,000 dollars and probably not worth it.
midnightrider said:
I thought the mediapad m3 used the kirin 950? it's hard to find out what's going on with the specs. The 32G model comes with 3G ram and the 64G with 4g ram. Where I live so far I only found the 32/3 model. I also would like the larger screen size... I have a Tab S2 and it's pretty good. There is no lag from touchwiz. I use Nova launcher anyway and it's lightning fast.
So I am also trying to decide whether to go with the mediapad M3 (the T3 looks like a serious downgrade from every angle) or the Tab S3. There is a new google Pixel isn't there? But I guess it's like 1,000 dollars and probably not worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right it's the kirin 950. I tried the model with 4 Gb ram and its unbelievably fast and snappy.
Much more so than the pixel C that I finally bought.
The screen of the M3 is seriously small though, 8.4 inches diagonally which sounds ok but it's really narrow. Feels like you're just looking at a large phone.
That's why I decided in the end to keep the pixel C instead, even though it's older, slower and lacks a fingerprint scanner.
ASW1 said:
You are right it's the kirin 950. I tried the model with 4 Gb ram and its unbelievably fast and snappy.
Much more so than the pixel C that I finally bought.
The screen of the M3 is seriously small though, 8.4 inches diagonally which sounds ok but it's really narrow. Feels like you're just looking at a large phone.
That's why I decided in the end to keep the pixel C instead, even though it's older, slower and lacks a fingerprint scanner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree. The 8 inchers are dangerously close to an S7 Edge in size and how they feel and look. I may go for it anyway if I can find the 64G model. If not I'll probably buy the Tab S3 since I'm happy with the S2. I think the extra 1G of RAM will be worth it. Samsung has some nice addons over stock 'droid and almost completely non-bloaty.
---------- Post added at 10:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:17 AM ----------
Is nougat OTA available for the m3 btw?
I just purchased an S3 and I'm comparing it side-by-side with my Pixel C.
It's too soon to compare battery life, although I don't expect the S3 to last quite as long. The Pixel C lasts forever.
But so far I see a number of advantages on the S3.
- SD card (not that I care)
- S-Pen (not really my thing either, but great for Pictionary with a Chromecast)
- Fingerprint sensor
- Vibration
- GPS
- Slightly faster, but not night and day.
- Slightly more vibrant screen. It's capable of being more saturated with certain settings but only if you want to go blind. With tolerable settings the difference is minor.
- Camera flash. Everyone makes fun of tablet cameras but they forget about scanning documents. It's hard to do without casting a shadow.
- No 30-second delay when it's unlocked
- Easier to download drivers. I can't do ADB with my Pixel unless I find a Windows 7 computer.
Pixel C advantages
- slightly larger screen, although at these sizes it doesn't matter much
- higher resolution - again, side-by-side it doesn't jump out at me.
- Less customized, so it works like I'm used to
- Custom ROMs
- On-screen buttons that always rotate to the bottom of the screen
I think there will eventually be some ROM development for the S3. But if not, perhaps Oreo will let me apply some themes.
badwiring said:
I just purchased an S3 and I'm comparing it side-by-side with my Pixel C.
It's too soon to compare battery life, although I don't expect the S3 to last quite as long. The Pixel C lasts forever.
But so far I see a number of advantages on the S3.
- SD card (not that I care)
- S-Pen (not really my thing either, but great for Pictionary with a Chromecast)
- Fingerprint sensor
- Vibration
- GPS
- Slightly faster, but not night and day.
- Slightly more vibrant screen. It's capable of being more saturated with certain settings but only if you want to go blind. With tolerable settings the difference is minor.
- Camera flash. Everyone makes fun of tablet cameras but they forget about scanning documents. It's hard to do without casting a shadow.
- No 30-second delay when it's unlocked
- Easier to download drivers. I can't do ADB with my Pixel unless I find a Windows 7 computer..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see how screwgle can sell devices without an SD card. That's just insane. S2 doesn't have vibrate, cool to hear the S3 does. I wish the S2/S3 had a notification LED. Not having that is stupid. Yeah the screens on the Galaxy S2/3 are the cat's meow. Really great color and clarity. Battery life on my S2 is just meh. Used to be better, now it seems not to last very long. I noticed some charging issues with one of the Nougat updates. I blame software for this.
I like the Samsung addons and you get some freebies with it like 100G of Onedrive, MyKnox/Secure folder, and a cloud that isn't screwgle. Good encryption options for the device and SD cards. Not bloaty and runs great with Nova. Did not like the stock launcher. Nova is the first thing that goes on any Android device.
badwiring said:
Pixel C advantages
- slightly larger screen, although at these sizes it doesn't matter much
- higher resolution - again, side-by-side it doesn't jump out at me.
- Less customized, so it works like I'm used to
- Custom ROMs
- On-screen buttons that always rotate to the bottom of the screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of all that nothing seems important except for the ROMs and the buttons. I hate that the Samsung hardware buttons are friggin unusable in landscape. Dumb!
I guess the S3 is the best big screen tablet right now and maybe the Mediapad M3 is the best 8 incher. They can put 6 or 8G of RAM in a phone, why not a tablet? And bring back Exynos 8 bangers and leave the Qualcomms in phones where they belong
If I have one big gripe about the Samsung buttons it's that in addition to being where they aren't expected, they aren't lit. You have to learn where they are.
But today I picked up my Pixel C and i was looking for the Samsung buttons even though the onscreen ones were plainly visible.
The S3 battery has done reasonably well.
But it's the strangest thing that matters. As soon as I typed on the Pixel I missed the vibration. I have it set really low - 4ms - but it just makes typing feel more like typing.
Oh, I meant vibrate for notification. I turn vibe off on all Samsung devices because it can cause keyboard lag. I suck at typing though.
If you don't care about the s-pen, pixel C is still a better device especially for gaming. Look at some benchmarks, Nvidia's X1 process in pixel C is much better than Tab S3. I'd hold on to the Pixel C for now. There is no good android tablet on the market at the moment.
no absence of lags and stuttering on Oreo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Pixel c was terrible straight after the Oreo update, so laggy and slow. A factory reset followed by a restore from backup sorted it out and I've not seen any lags or stuttering since. It might be worth trying this before downgrading the firmware.
I made sure I wiped System Cache after I updated to Oreo. No issues at all for me.

Help Me Decide

Howdy, folks.
I'm in the market for a tablet, and not familiar with the Samsung lineup, so I could use some guidance here.
First, I'm not sure I understand the difference between the A and S series. I assume it's a CPU issue, and I seem to recall a Tab A that I played around with didn't have an accelerometer and/or GPS, which are both critical for me.
Then we get to the firmware. I need to run Xposed and Xprivacy. Obviously that means I'll need to be able to root the machine. Would I be correct in assuming that I'm stuck with getting an S2, or is it possible to downgrade an S3 so I can benefit from the better hardware specs?
My choices seem to be an S2 at $480 or an S3 at $550 except that the S3 ships with a pen and LP, if I'm not mistaken, which knocks me out of the box in terms of running Xprivacy unless I can downgrade the OS.
Anyway, your input here would be helpful, and any pointers on unlocking / rooting would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
I think since late 2014, the Samsung tablets were split into just two lines, the Tab S, the high-end line, and the Tab A, the low cost line. In my humble opinion, the Tab A line is utter crap and it hasn't been updated effectively since 2015. If you want a cheap low end tablet, you might as well just buy one of those sub-100 dollar Amazon Fire tablets. Their specs are in the neighborhood of those Tab A tablets, but Fire tablets are much cheaper. Quite sadly, I think Samsung's high end line Tab S has also lost its way. I mean, I certainly love the idea of a high end Android tablet, but not at 500-600USD, specially when it comes with outdated flagship SoC, like the Snapdragon 820.
I love my Tab S 10.5, but if I am forced to replace it tomorrow, I'll probably get the Huawei Mediapad M3. Its hardware specs are high end enough to check nearly every box, and it costs under 300USD.
Excellent suggestion. I was wondering about alternatives to Samsung.
How would you compare the M3 to the S3? Can it be rooted? The new Samsung got excellent reviews for both construction and performance, and I confess the pen has appeal. I also wanted a 10"-ish screen, and the Huawei comes in at 8, so while the price is right, you give up a fair amount of screen.
I can pick up the S3 32 gig with a keyboard case for $550, which was more than I wanted to spend, but i can live with it since I'm not the type to buy a new device every year. Or even every two or three years, for that matter.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
I have purchased 5 Tab A devices, 3 T280 and 2 T555. Me the missus and little one have the T280, my mother and I have the T555. Both have an accelerometer and GPS. I don't know of a Samsung tablet that doesn't unless you meant gyroscope?
The Tab A T280 is stuck on Lollipop and the T550 runs Nougat.
I don't have issues with either for how I use them.
I also own the Tab S, but I use the Tab A T555 far more as it's light, comfortable to hold and runs just fine.
BillTheCat said:
Excellent suggestion. I was wondering about alternatives to Samsung.
How would you compare the M3 to the S3? Can it be rooted? The new Samsung got excellent reviews for both construction and performance, and I confess the pen has appeal. I also wanted a 10"-ish screen, and the Huawei comes in at 8, so while the price is right, you give up a fair amount of screen.
I can pick up the S3 32 gig with a keyboard case for $550, which was more than I wanted to spend, but i can live with it since I'm not the type to buy a new device every year. Or even every two or three years, for that matter.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing I do when looking for a new tab is xda support, if you can't get a custom rom for it, forget it!
M3 support is thin to non-existant, they are just getting it to root, and no TWRP ( I think) , other than that its the best hardware for the price. Tab s2 is good, Tab A fair, s3 just starting.
Xposed is now officially on NU, the main framework has been released, modules compatibility varies.
For that amount of cash, your in ultrabook / chromebook territory.
A tablet that does not fit in a pocket, and costs the same as a dell ultrabook with 256 gb hdd and an i5, is a bad choice maybe?
I use my t705 as a pocket device, with the aspect ratio it just fits, and the fact that's its also a very cool phone makes it a nobrainer.
Also remember the folding screens are just months away, once they are out most of the current tabs will be obselete real quick.
I want something larger format (~10") for use when doing demos for customers, casual browsing or web work away from my desk or when traveling for short spans. An 8" screen is not of interest.
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