Hello AAA crew. I am writting this from my Galaxy Tab S6. I love the keyboard and the Dex functionality. I feel that most people have given up on Android tablets and it is only Samsung at this point pushing this form-factor forward. What do you think is needed for Android tablets to get the same recognition as iPads.
Love the show!
Cesar
Pretty good discussion going on in that thread.
But to answer your question: nothing. They lost the market, there are no manufacturers besides samsung that really have a dog in the fight anymore. Google has pretty much given up and turned that focus over to Chromebooks. It’s unlikely Android tablets will ever have the same recognition as iPads.
Chromebooks on the other hand seem to be doing quite well. They also fill that need for a small screen, ultra portable touch interface unit like tablets…while also being more useful and the apps whether they are Chromebook apps or Web Apps are much more tailored to the OS (as opposed to mobile apps that don’t size correctly on big screens).
I think Chromebooks are really the answer here.
I have an Galaxy S2 tablet. I bought it a few years back after getting sick of the iOS updates that sucked on the ipads. I will say that even after 3+ years - it is as fast as it was the day I bought it. No issues like the iPads have will gradual slow downs with OS upgrades.
I looked at getting the S4 - but damn, if they are not damn expensive. I then found that HP Chromebook X2. I had never heard of it for a while… HP really doesn’t advertise it clearly - when you first see it online, it’s hard to tell that it is actually a tablet with a detachable keyboard - just like the Microsoft Surface tablets. When you first look at the description - you think it is just a normal Chromebook.
Except - the detachable keyboard is included. You don’t have to spend about $100-$130 for the keyboard.
I got mine for $399 - at Best Buy. Unfortunately, Best Buy discontinued the model over the summer. But, a few places still sell them. I think they are $479 on Amazon.
It’s actually a full computer, with a keyboard and trackpad. You can also plug in a mouse, if you want to. I have a USB Type A mouse I tried - but I had to use a converter to turn it into USB-C. But, a blue tooth mouse would solve that issue. Anyway - it is a full Chromebook.
Or, do what I do… I never plug in the keyboard because I bought it to use as a tablet 100% of the time. You can use many Android apps on a Chromebook as well. It works fantastic.
The ONLY negative I see is that it is a 12" tablet. So, it is a bit bigger. And, there is only ONE case made for it - They sell it on Amazon. If you click on the link that @godfrey just posted - it will take you to the links of where the tablet is sold, and where the case is sold as well. I posted that info on that other $200-$300 Android Tablet thread.
I am VERY happy - and, I got it for less money than the S4 tab. And, I have the full version of Chrome - not the slimmed down android version. Plus, it has a real keyboard, if you ever need one. The S4 keyboard works - but is probably not that comfortable to type on.
I hear you, I have been an avid Android user since the beginning. But on the tablet side, there simply is nothing that could compete with a 6th Gen iPad for like $250-$300 on the Android side. I still use a Pixel for the phone and I would never give up Android on the phone, but on the tablet, the value of an inexpensive iPad is more than enough, especially now that I can get all my books and apps on the iPad from the Google Play apps on iPad OS.
I loved the Nexus 7 and the HTC Nexus 9 Tablet, but these are so ancient now with nothing to replace them. I can’t stand Samsung’s bloated UI, so unless there is a pure 10inch tablet put out by someone like Google or Motorola, I don’t think I could ever buy another Android tablet again.
I’m another that gave up on Android tablets. Once I bought an iPad, I’ve never looked back…and that’s sad but true. I still have three Android tablets but one won’t recharge unless I hold or tape the USB plug in juuuust the right way. They are getting so old and slow and I know the batteries are losing their charge ability.
For $329, you just can’t beat an iPad. For a bit more, you get a superb iPad that lacks nothing I need. I so wish there was better competition in the arena.
So you guys think it is a mistake to buy a Samsung Tablet instead of an IPad? I just have never been an Apple person.
Samsung tablets are good IMHO - I just wish they’d do updates more often. Nothing wrong with buying one - I too prefer Android.
I am leaning toward a Samsung.
I would still get the Samsung if you do not wanna go the Chromebook route. I still love my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.
I was a huge, huge, huge Ipad fan. I owned 2 or 3. But as I previously mentioned on another thread - they seem to do updates and change things - just to change them . There was 1 update with the browser that pushed me too far. I used the tablet mostly for internet usage.
A few years ago - Apple changed the browser bookmarks. Normally, when you select a bookmark, the bookmark menu goes away. They had an update where it stayed open, even after you went to the website you selected. You had to press it again to make the menu go away.
I’ve been told that they have resolved this issue. But it is annoying to keep changing the OS just for the sake of change… On minor updates…
After an entire day of that, for EVERY website, it was so annoying.
Between that, and the gradual slowdown of the ipad with every OS update - I had enough of the Ipad. I got the mini S2 on a great Amazon deal a few years ago.
The Samsung S2 tablet still works exactly like it did when I bought it - probably 4 years ago. No slow downs at all. No issues.
And, Samsung has gotten better with security updates. I got one recently on the S2 tablet. And, instead of once every 3 months on my S8 phone - the last one I got for Oct came at the end of October. Much better.
I personally will never buy an Ipad again. Now, I love their iPods for my car - but even that seems to be going away. They only make the iPod touch now.
Thanks for the information. I have a Samsung S9 phone and I am very pleased with it.
I know the S4, S5 and I S6 (I think that is out, or about to come out) are awesome tablets. But pricey. I have not tried the slightly cheaper Tabe A models. However, they are at various pricepoints. I think there are at least 3 or 4 Tab A models. The higher priced ones have better resolution/screens.
I am using the Galaxy Tab S6 right now and it is indeed very good but I also agree it is on the pricey side. When I have visited family in Latin America, I saw very little precense of Chromebooks. Instead I get the impression that cheap Android tablets are very common. But that’s the problem, only the cheap Android tablets are the ones being promoted 
. As a developer it is dishearting feeling in this chiken and egg problem. There are no apps optimized for tablets because there are no users and there are also no users because there are few apps optimized for tablets.
If you live in the Android ecosystem, and you decide to jump ship on the tablet side and go with an iPad, I’m pretty certain that you’ll be happy with the tablet experience (unless you already hate iOS for whatever reason)… iPads are solid tablets, plain and simple. Samsung does a better job than most Android OEMs when it comes to tablets. And what you get when you go the Sammy route is ALL of the apps and games you’ve bought over the years are installable on the tablet ie no repurchasing of anything. Your apps are in the Android ecosystem, and not have to buy things a second time because you’ve switched to a new OS goes a long way.
I go back and forth on what I plan to do when it comes time to replace my kid’s Android tablets. We aren’t there yet, but once we are I will think long and hard about possibly just springing for a $300 iPad cause I know its going to last. Apple devices simply last longer and tablets shouldn’t be the kind of device you replace every two years. /rambling