So to buy or not to buy, that is the question - Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Questions & Answers

I have a B&H S3 and keyboard cover on order for $499 total. What is the consensus, is the S3 a good tablet or should I just get something else? There were some significant wifi drain issues and few others.
Thanks in advance.
Gary

Wait for a few months, price will drop even more and hopefully the situation around the wifi bug will become clearer.

libergm said:
I have a B&H S3 and keyboard cover on order for $499 total. What is the consensus, is the S3 a good tablet or should I just get something else? There were some significant wifi drain issues and few others.
Thanks in advance.
Gary
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Click to collapse
That sounds like a good deal, I paid $500 just for the tablet. As for the wifi battery drain issue...that is only an issue to those hypervigilant for that kind of thing. I guess if instead of actually using the tablet you just sat around waiting to check how much the battery drained while in sleep mode, then it would be a problem. I actually use the tablet rather heavily and the charge lasts about two days on average which is impressive.

libergm said:
Is the S3 a good tablet or should I just get something else?
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What are you buying a tablet for? If it's just for e-mail, social, Internet, and media there are a lot of cheaper alternatives including the Tab S2 which can do all those things just as well. I bought it because I wanted S Pen for note taking (I'm a long time S Note user) and to be able to use it for portable productivity with a mouse and keyboard. It's a great tweener in that when it comes to multimedia and the above things I mentioned it performs really well but it also functions really well as a slim and light laptop alternative. It's the only Android equivalent to the iPad Pro so if you're in the Android camp and want a high end tablet it's a no brainer. If you're just looking for "a tablet" you have more choices.

Thanks, was looking for highend android to replace tablet/laptop i take on travel to lighten load. Not impressed with keyboard case even with good deal. Currently use Samsung Tab A 10.1 for content with asus laptop for work.

Ps canceled order will wait and see.

Related

To dock or not to dock...

That is the question. How many of you are just purchasing the tablet and why?
The added benefits of the dock are self explanatory but are they worth the additional 150 dollars to you?
I wonder if working professionals would find the dock as more of a necessity? I may eventually purchase the dock due to the fact that it would work very well in my current job functions.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I'm a student and the dock and tablet combo is a must-have for me. had the xoom, but taking lecture notes on a touchscreen is too difficult. Used the og transformer w/dock all last year, and it was awesome combo. used as just a tab when couch surfing, and used as netbook when at school.
The tablet + dock combo works way better than a laptop for me for a couple reasons, my laptop is heavier, and battery life sucks, so i constantly have to find an outlet at the library which are always taken up.
PS: In the future please put any questions in the Q + A thread. i noticed u used the xda app, and like me when in favs u never noticed the QA section was made. U have to log in/out and redo the favs to get it to show.
I've pretty much decided that if it weren't for the dock, I'd probably get an ultrabook and a Kindle Fire. The things I'm using a tablet for would be well enough served by a smaller/cheaper tablet, while I need something light with good battery life and physical keyboard for writing. The Prime+dock works well for that, but an ultrabook would work well enough (albeit so for for about $1100).
Note that the writing I'm talking about is draft copy, so I tend to just put words into Evernote and then copy/paste to Word on the desktop for formatting/finishing work. If I needed something to produce finished work with, the Prime+dock wouldn't work.
Actually, The price is just perfect...
think of it this way:
1- If you wanna buy an external battery pack it will cost you around 40-50 $
2- Bluetooth keyboard 30-50 $ minimum
3-USB dongle for USB host 15$ (still not available btw)
4- a stand for the tablet 5-10$
5-adding to that the SD Card slot
All in all you will end up paying around 120$ for much worse quality & convenience for the same functionality. It just makes the prime so much better.
I just want the tab, already have a laptop complete with keyboard. A thought comes to mind, why not a sliding kb like the phones which can be slipped on/off, less footprint. If some smart hacker can figure out how to exploit the theremin effect, a touchless keyboard with aural feedback come become reality. We need new technologies and innovation folks, push the envelope!
ravizzle said:
I'm a student and the dock and tablet combo is a must-have for me. had the xoom, but taking lecture notes on a touchscreen is too difficult. Used the og transformer w/dock all last year, and it was awesome combo. used as just a tab when couch surfing, and used as netbook when at school.
The tablet + dock combo works way better than a laptop for me for a couple reasons, my laptop is heavier, and battery life sucks, so i constantly have to find an outlet at the library which are always taken up.
PS: In the future please put any questions in the Q + A thread. i noticed u used the xda app, and like me when in favs u never noticed the QA section was made. U have to log in/out and redo the favs to get it to show.
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Ohh yeah, thanks! I didn't see that forum. Just re added to faves and im good to go!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Dr.Mcq said:
Actually, The price is just perfect...
think of it this way:
1- If you wanna buy an external battery pack it will cost you around 40-50 $
2- Bluetooth keyboard 30-50 $ minimum
3-USB dongle for USB host 15$ (still not available btw)
4- a stand for the tablet 5-10$
5-adding to that the SD Card slot
All in all you will end up paying around 120$ for much worse quality & convenience for the same functionality. It just makes the prime so much better.
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Click to collapse
Great points!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
tedr44 said:
I just want the tab, already have a laptop complete with keyboard. A thought comes to mind, why not a sliding kb like the phones which can be slipped on/off, less footprint. If some smart hacker can figure out how to exploit the theremin effect, a touchless keyboard with aural feedback come become reality. We need new technologies and innovation folks, push the envelope!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
asus makes a sliding keyboard version of the OG transformer, i'd guess it's only a matter of time so long as that model did well in sales.
personally i found it to be kind of awkward when i played with it at the store, the dock at this size makes more sense to me and has the added functionality of ports and battery.
The only reason I'm getting a Prime is damage to my TF101.
The only reason I got the TF101 was the dock.
I use it like a netbook was originally intended to be (and like modern tablets excell at), not like a laptop or desktop.
I like the battery gain.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
For me, it was the only reason I bought the prime.
Keyboard+Battery+USB+Full size SD, Worth the $150 for me.
achuong08 said:
For me, it was the only reason I bought the prime.
Keyboard+Battery+USB+Full size SD, Worth the $150 for me.
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Same here. I wouldn't buy a tablet that didn't have this functionality
I cant justify the cost of the dock. I got the tp mostly as a textbook reader and something to carry around the hospital where i work. Screen quality + thinness + good battery was most important for me.
Ironically I purchased a tablet so that I get less distracted and limit my typing speed so that I am forced to read. I have a 3.2lb ultraportable full voltage i5 Toshiba R835 laptop already with 8 hour battery, but I get too distracted because its just so fast and easy to use. I browse around aimlessly, so i have been using tablets to take away the bad habit. I cant switch between pdf book to webbrowser with 5+ tabs as easily and I cant chat too quickly so in the end I get smarter from these limitations.
I originally bought the TFP because of the dock to ween myself off of laptops.Ive had it almost three weeks now and am still trying to get hold of a KB...Guess what??..not sure I want one now..I love my Prime and have been very comfortable bed/couch/patio surfing etc..I am interested in gaming with a controller but not sure if thats worth the $150 now..
Dock is the only reason I'm buying Prime. I would not buy a tablet with weak WiFi, non-existent GPS and just 1GB RAM otherwise. I'm using it to replace my netbook that I mainly use for movies, internet browsing and casual note-taking. Battery life is also a huge factor to me in comparison to my current netbook.
I picked up the Prime mainly due to battery and dock. I needed something cover conventions such as E3 and CES without having to worry about plugging it in halfway through they day.. It's the reason I had the original one as well.
I"m debating on ordering one now too. But I mostly surf and game but it would be nice to be able to type faster with a dock when I'm on the forums. What I'm wondering if once docked will I be able to play games just as well or would it just get in the way?
I got the Prime because I could get a Dock for it. I like the Extra Battery and the USB port that the Dock offers
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Pulled the trigger then cancelled. Is it true that's it'll be too top heavy with the tablet docked? I usually use the tab on my lap or sitting on my abdominal area when laying down. There are times its on my bed when I'm sitting up so for the most part the screen will be tilted back a little. I think the dock will end up just getting in the way or annoying me since the entire thing will fall on its back a lot.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
110% worth it!!!
Sent from my transformer prime which is currently transformed into a small bowl of petunias
aznmode said:
Is it true that's it'll be too top heavy with the tablet docked?
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It' really isn't top-heavy to the point where it's impractical or falling over all the time. I spend a majority of my work day with it on my desk opened up in laptop form and the screen tilted back. There's enough weight in the dock to hold it down, and it still takes quite a bit of force to push it to make it fall over.

[Q] Deciding on an ASUS Tablet - help appreciated

I am having hard time deciding which ASUS Tablet I should get. Mainly debating between the TF-201 and the TF-300.
I really need some second opinions about this, as I have been on the line of which tablet version to purchase.
I plan on using my tablets to read books, watch a movie every once in a while (say if I am flying or in a car), Remote access my desktop at home using VNC Viewer or RDC, browse the web, do e-mail, take notes in class/type small papers, etc.
I am not sure about the whole rooting thing with the tablet yet, I haven't looked into that, partly why I am on these forums right now.
The biggest reason why I am on the line, is the price point versus the capabilities. They are almost the same tablet with a few differences (battery life, screen panel, camera, wifi and gps, metal vs plastic feel). According to some review sites, the wifi and gps seem to be resolved in the TF300.
One of the biggest reasons I am wanting the ASUS tablets is for the docking station, as I plan on using this into my college year to take notes, as well as just be my psudo-laptop.
What are you guys' opinions? Is the TF300 better for the money or should I just go with the TF201, or just possible wait for the TF700 series to come out in June?
thats going to have to be your call. if you not concerned with having the highest specs or display or whatever, get the 300. its lower priced and still has a dock. if you want all the best features and display and have the extra cash to burn, go with the Prime aka tf-201. if you can wait a few months, wait to see what the Infinity pad aka tf-700 is about.
if i were in your position and had the money, id still get a prime. its higher spec, longer lasting battery life, thinner and lighter, superior display and already has a head start on xda developement. we have like 13 roms or so for the prime so far. check out the rom directory in developement section.
its really your call though. don't let anyone decide for you. you compare features n price and see which best fits your needs. good luck. if anything, stay within the Asus line as their tablets are coming out as the best ones for android at the time being.
demandarin said:
thats going to have to be your call. if you not concerned with having the highest specs or display or whatever, get the 300. its lower priced and still has a dock. if you want all the best features and display and have the extra cash to burn, go with the Prime aka tf-201. if you can wait a few months, wait to see what the Infinity pad aka tf-700 is about.
if i were in your position and had the money, id still get a prime. its higher spec, longer lasting battery life, thinner and lighter, superior display and already has a head start on xda developement. we have like 13 roms or so for the prime so far. check out the rom directory in developement section.
its really your call though. don't let anyone decide for you. you compare features n price and see which best fits your needs. good luck. if anything, stay within the Asus line as their tablets are coming out as the best ones for android at the time being.
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Click to collapse
Well, I am not wanting to let anyond decide for me, this morning, for a good four hours, all I did was look up reviews on the TF-300. It's just difficult to spend the money and not use/play around with a device before I use it.
Though, I don't plan on venturing out from using an ASUS tablet, mainly due to the docking station, the hardware, and a couple of other things.
As far as my only dispostion with the Prime tablet, is the WiFi and GPS. I know there is a GPS Dongle, but I don't exactly want to use a obtrusive dongle for GPS.
In my inexpert opinion, its all about whether you want to use it outside and if looks are a big deal. If yes to both, get the Prime. If no, then get the 300. The performance to price ratio is in the 300s favor.
GH0 said:
Well, I am not wanting to let anyond decide for me, this morning, for a good four hours, all I did was look up reviews on the TF-300. It's just difficult to spend the money and not use/play around with a device before I use it.
Though, I don't plan on venturing out from using an ASUS tablet, mainly due to the docking station, the hardware, and a couple of other things.
As far as my only dispostion with the Prime tablet, is the WiFi and GPS. I know there is a GPS Dongle, but I don't exactly want to use a obtrusive dongle for GPS.
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Click to collapse
wifi works fine on most prime tablets and the dongle isn't obtrusive..lol
no one here owns a 300, as its not in the wild yet, so currently, no one can give you user experience opinions on the 300.
best bet would be to wait a lil while after it releases and play around with it in the stores. Being an early adopter does have its drawbacks. Being an early adopter is not for the faint hearted or people who cant work with early production issues and bugs.
Though, I don't plan on venturing out from using an ASUS tablet, mainly due to the docking station, the hardware, and a couple of other things.
In case you did forget it, Best Buy and Amazon have a very good return policy.
You have thirty days after the date of purchase to return it and get your full money back if the tablet does not meet your requirements or for any other reasons.
As far as I am concerned the Prime is a very good tablet, better than very good since the GPS issue is not anymore an issue: I returned mine too early (before the solution for the GPS).
But I will get the Infinity 700 probably just before the Olympic Games

Nexus 7 Review - Upgraded From Tablet S

I got my N7 in the mail yesterday and had about 24 hours to play with it. Just thought I'd share my experience thus far for anyone else in here thinking about upgrading from the Tablet S and getting it.
PROS:
-Loving the smaller size. I found quite a few games unplayable on the tablet s. Dual stick games being the main ones. Some buttons are just too hard/uncomfortable to reach.
-Micro USB charger. Plus the location of the charger makes it easier to use while charging.
-Ablity to play the Tegra 3 exclusive games.
-There will be MUCH better accessory support. Choice of add-ons for the tablet s was crazy bad! I never could find a better case for it than the sleeve it came with.
CONS:
- Not a significant performance jump (surprisingly! I found 4.1 was a fantastic jump over 4.0.4 on my galaxy nexus alone)
- Many games do not work on it (Ctulthu saves the world, machinarium, running fred so far)
- I noticed the touch screen seems to miss some of my touches every now and then. I checked online and it's apparently a known issue.
-The battery does not last as long. I always check the battery stats on nearly every charge to see what I get. The tablet S had about 6-7 hours of screen on time with loads of 3D gaming. The n7 is getting a bit less than that.
ALL IN ALL
I really don't regret getting the N7. A 7 inch screen is definitely the way to go, especially if you play a lot of games. Also, concerning the smaller battery life: this matters less as it's much easier to be around a charger now. I can charge Micro USB in my car, more people readily have micro usb chargers in their houses OR I can just easily take a charger with me. The tablet S plug was pretty large to be carrying around.
I think that when some updates start rolling out, I'll be much happier with the N7...but it certainly isn't the massive leap I was expecting. New Tegra 3 games will definitely add to the value as well. I think I'd still have to recommend getting it....but no rush! Definitely still a couple kinks to get ironed out
****Oh, and one little interesting tidbit of info for the curious. I was wondering how the $25 Google play credit would get applied to your account. What happens is that when you go to make a purchase, it asks how will you pay for this? Then displays a box showing:
-Your Credit card ending in XXXX
-Your google play credit ($xx.xx remaining)
-Add a new credit card
It's actually pretty cool
Would you recommend buying it though, for £155?
NEXUS 7 worth the price..
sent from seXperia S
SWFlyerUK said:
Would you recommend buying it though, for £155?
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It definitely comes down to this : 7 INCHES! lol There's a huge number of differences offered by that alone.
I think I can safely say that if you wanted a smaller device...it's the best thing we'll see in quite some time. Thus far my computer desk looks about 50% cleaner, I was able to play it for about 4 hours straight last night without being forced to put it away due to wrist pain, and I can easily take it to work tomorrow in my jacket's inside pocket (With the charger too if I needed it!). The size (and plug size) is a MASSIVE benefit to me.
In comparison to the Tablet S, the smaller size and Tegra 3 are the reasons to get it. If none of those items interest you, then do not buy! I find that all other functionality (web browsing, videos, most games) are pretty much the same as with Sony's tab.
(well, that is to say until we see updates. Google will probably roll out 20 updates within the next year for it.....whereas we'll be lucky to see one more update for the S. Depending on what software changes occur, the N7 may destroy the S hands down! We'll see what happens with that tho )
Prefer Nexus to Sony S tablet.....
MarkB709 said:
It definitely comes down to this : 7 INCHES! lol There's a huge number of differences offered by that alone.
I think I can safely say that if you wanted a smaller device...it's the best thing we'll see in quite some time. Thus far my computer desk looks about 50% cleaner, I was able to play it for about 4 hours straight last night without being forced to put it away due to wrist pain, and I can easily take it to work tomorrow in my jacket's inside pocket (With the charger too if I needed it!). The size (and plug size) is a MASSIVE benefit to me.
In comparison to the Tablet S, the smaller size and Tegra 3 are the reasons to get it. If none of those items interest you, then do not buy! I find that all other functionality (web browsing, videos, most games) are pretty much the same as with Sony's tab.
(well, that is to say until we see updates. Google will probably roll out 20 updates within the next year for it.....whereas we'll be lucky to see one more update for the S. Depending on what software changes occur, the N7 may destroy the S hands down! We'll see what happens with that tho )
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I have both devices too, I much prefer the Nexus, a whole better experience, anyone want to buy a mint Sony S?
Horse Trader said:
I have both devices too, I much prefer the Nexus, a whole better experience, anyone want to buy a mint Sony S?
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Oh don't get me wrong! I definitely like the N7 better. I just expected everything to be 100x better and smoother than my Sony unit. You can't realistically say it's that much lol.
I really wanted to leave that review for others looking to get one. Some people are easily disappointed when things don't meet their expectations...I was just hoping to put a realistic Image in everyones minds

Tired of waiting... Is the Nexus 10 still one of the best tablets to buy?

I keep seeing these great deals on the Nexus 10. Although it's an old tablet it is well received and still seems to be among the best available. After deciding to wait for the new version, it keeps getting pushed back and who knows when it will actually be available? I think I may just go with the original N10 as my Asus TF300 is absolutely driving me nuts. It's nearly unusable at times... if it's doing any kind of app update or sync, forget it, it's unusable. I am rooted and on a custom ROM and still have issues. I was fed up and need a replacement now. Should I stick with the N10 or maybe look into some other tablets... Budget is around $300...
Yeah its still a good tablet if you can get it for a decent price. I love mine, although it does have its flaws for sure. But if my tablet suddenly turned into a stack of $300 bills I am not sure I would buy it again. I would probably look at maybe a Sony Tablet Z.
The reason i say this is that the N10 is not a perfect device. For a start the battery is not the best. On 4.3 I would eek out 8 hours with very conservative use and low brightness. On 4.4 that has dropped to 6-7 hours on a very good day. The battery issue is mainly due to the chipsets used, which is a dual core A15 and Mali T604 graphics. Both of these are pretty power hungry compared to newer chipsets. Newer CPU's have lower powered cores which handle mundane tasks and conserve power. Also, the graphics use up 1GB of the system memory, so really you only get 1GB for system RAM and not 2GB like most tablets. Kitkat 4.4. had to be gimped on the N10 mainly due to the N10 not have enough grunt to run certain aspects of 4.4 like the translucent bars and ART without stutter. Another thing is its not a tablet to be held in portrait mode due to the design. It should be held in landscape mode at all times. It just feels way better held like that.
Don't get me wrong I love my N10, especially the design. Its definitely the best tablet in terms of ergonomics I have used. The screen is still fantastic and the speakers being on the front are really great and go to a decent level. Performance is also really good being vanilla android and all with no bloatware.
So I do love my N10 but its not perfect, but I can live with its faults. But if I was to buy another tablet tomorrow I would definitely look around at the competition.
Warren_Orange said:
Yeah its still a good tablet if you can get it for a decent price. I love mine, although it does have its flaws for sure. But if my tablet suddenly turned into a stack of $300 bills I am not sure I would buy it again. I would probably look at maybe a Sony Tablet Z.
The reason i say this is that the N10 is not a perfect device. For a start the battery is not the best. On 4.3 I would eek out 8 hours with very conservative use and low brightness. On 4.4 that has dropped to 6-7 hours on a very good day. The battery issue is mainly due to the chipsets used, which is a dual core A15 and Mali T604 graphics. Both of these are pretty power hungry compared to newer chipsets. Newer CPU's have lower powered cores which handle mundane tasks and conserve power. Also, the graphics use up 1GB of the system memory, so really you only get 1GB for system RAM and not 2GB like most tablets. Kitkat 4.4. had to be gimped on the N10 mainly due to the N10 not have enough grunt to run certain aspects of 4.4 like the translucent bars and ART without stutter. Another thing is its not a tablet to be held in portrait mode due to the design. It should be held in landscape mode at all times. It just feels way better held like that.
Don't get me wrong I love my N10, especially the design. Its definitely the best tablet in terms of ergonomics I have used. The screen is still fantastic and the speakers being on the front are really great and go to a decent level. Performance is also really good being vanilla android and all with no bloatware.
So I do love my N10 but its not perfect, but I can live with its faults. But if I was to buy another tablet tomorrow I would definitely look around at the competition.
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Almost Everything Warren_Orange has said is true to certain degree. The screen is still fantastic compared to newer tablets even though it may not be #1 anymore in terms of quality. Yes, ram on the nexus 10 is a little scarce due to the high screen resolution but its not a deal breaker by any means. KitKat has vastly improved ram management on this device and it is a night and day difference. Battery life could certainly be better and don't even get me started on the insanely long charging times lol.
A few things I would kindly disagree with is that "the processor in the N10 doesn't have enough power for 4.4." I think the features missing from 4.4 on the N10 has more to due with fact that its using an exynos processor and not snapdragon or some other mainstream chip. Exynos chips tend to be more locked down with their drivers and less compatible than other popular chipsets. I haven't come across one app or game that my n10 couldn't run or struggled with. If anything it seems like Google hasn't totally optimized this tablet to its fullest potential on the software end. Also I think the N10 is fine held in portrait mode. It just feels little odd at first if you're not used to a 16:9 tablet.
Like Warren_Orange said, the N10 isn't prefect but its still a great tablet. One thing I would recommend if you decide to purchase it (and are comfortable with) is root it, install a ROM like SlimKat Official build 3 and over clock the CPU and GPU (overclocking the gpu will be the most beneficial to help cope with the screen resolution while overclocking the cpu is totally optional as it already has two powerful A15 cores) while at the same time undevolting. This helps tremendously with the overall performance of the device and other gripes associated with it.
Good luck with your decision! And if you get the chance, please post back and let us know what route you decide to take. We're more than happy to help with more questions that may arise.
Well I love my N10! The battery life isn't that bad. I can usually get close to 10 hours with apps that don't tax the gpu. The charging time does stink... 5 hours is too long. All in all, I've been enjoying mine since last May. Just buy an N7 for now to hold you over to the next 10 incher is released. Purchased one for my wife and she loves it.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
I would definitely buy again, no questions asked.
I don't know what everyone else's problems with the battery life are, I get 1.5-2 days worth of use with mine including leaving it on all night unplugged. Even if the battery life is a "problem" for some, just plug it in each night anyhow and you're good to go.
The screen is phenominal on this thing, the front facing speakers are great as well. There's also plenty of developer activity, and a somewhat minimal amount of people having issues with their devices. The two biggest weak points that people seem to have in terms of having to return it are screen light leak, and the battery occasionally going from ~20% suddenly to 0%. Both of which, are fixed easily by Samsung via a return.
Outside that, I still really like mine, so I say buy one. Especially if you're going to be paying $200 less than what I paid for mine ($499?)
No complaints on battery life from me. The high-res display is what sells this thing, and as an added bonus it has front-facing speakers and is super lightweight. My only complaint is the finicky Wifi; depending where I am in the house, the Wifi becomes dog slow despite a strong signal.
If you can find a good deal on Nexus 10, then yes it's a worthy purchase.
I just got the Nexus 10 as a gift yesterday. So far I am liking it. I have had a rooted nexus 7 32gb first gen since it came out and I love that one. I am trying to decide whether to root the nexus 10 or not. I am sure that the other roms are better for battery life than stock.
Joe
Get a case with the magnet deal allowing it to sleep. Then set wireless to shut off when in sleep mode. This will help allot with battery life. I always charge mine when powered down (mostly overnight) that helps with charging speed some.
I have had the N10 awhile now, running ThunderKat 4.4.2 ROM and Kernel. No complaints here.
jfed said:
I just got the Nexus 10 as a gift yesterday. So far I am liking it. I have had a rooted nexus 7 32gb first gen since it came out and I love that one. I am trying to decide whether to root the nexus 10 or not. I am sure that the other roms are better for battery life than stock.
Joe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root it add the recovery of your choice then install Viper4Android, Onandroid, Xposed framework and at least it's Gravity box module. All of which can be found by searching XDA.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
I have been a flash whore with the nexus 7 so I thought I knew what I was doing but what you just suggested to me I have not clue about the other stuff other than the recovery lol I will have to look it up and learn how to do all that.
Thanks.
Joe
ObsoleteSoldier said:
Well I love my N10! The battery life isn't that bad. I can usually get close to 10 hours with apps that don't tax the gpu. The charging time does stink... 5 hours is too long. All in all, I've been enjoying mine since last May. Just buy an N7 for now to hold you over to the next 10 incher is released. Purchased one for my wife and she loves it.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
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With PoGo charger it only takes 2 hours, they are really cheap too. Also charges while you use it as well.
I love this tablet. I'm starting to think some people have N10s that were shipped with lemon batteries or something, if I use it occasionally I can go 3-4 days before charging with about 6 hours screen on time. Today (NCAA tournament baby) I abused the tablet all day and still got over 18 hours with 7 hours of screen on time, and it's sitting here hovering around 15%. Virtually all of those 7 hours were with the brightness at about 50% streaming video. Having said that, I got mine in November 2012 and am pretty anal about charging habits. This IS my first tablet, so maybe I'm not expecting as much out of my battery as other users?
I don't think I'll be purchasing the 2014 Nexus 10 (if it ever arrives), the current gen is every thing I need from a tablet and more. I suppose there are now newer tablets with better specs, but would it affect the utility it provides me? I think not.
If you are a spec whore, don't get this tablet. If you are looking for a top notch tablet with decent development that is currently selling for a relatively cheap price tag, GET IT!
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
I read that Google is dropping the 10" for a new 8".
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
Go for it. Even though i have an android phone or a pc when i get to home my nexus 10 is the only device i use, except for texts and alarm If you know what you can expect from a tab and you consider buying a nexus 10 i can tell you wont regret.
3DSammy said:
Root it add the recovery of your choice then install Viper4Android, Onandroid, Xposed framework and at least it's Gravity box module. All of which can be found by searching XDA.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
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Thanks for the post, will look into those two as been running pretty vanilla here for awhile.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
Lamski said:
I keep seeing these great deals on the Nexus 10. Although it's an old tablet it is well received and still seems to be among the best available. After deciding to wait for the new version, it keeps getting pushed back and who knows when it will actually be available? I think I may just go with the original N10 as my Asus TF300 is absolutely driving me nuts. It's nearly unusable at times... if it's doing any kind of app update or sync, forget it, it's unusable. I am rooted and on a custom ROM and still have issues. I was fed up and need a replacement now. Should I stick with the N10 or maybe look into some other tablets... Budget is around $300...
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If you're still interested, there's a seller on ebay that is listing a brand new 32GB N10 for $300: http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/116766/ebay---32gb-samsung-nexus-10-10-android-tablet
I've had N10 for 4 months, it goes alongside my N4 of 14 months and N7 of 20 months.
I use my N7 on long haul flights for space and battery reasons, N10 in hotels and home, N7 when really moving around a lot like on a bike and when going between meetings as it fits in a trouser pocket. My N4's with me all the time.
The N10's battery life really sucks, battery charging is slow, BUT I just use it in proportion to my other devices and I got the Pogo cable, when its not moving around its connected to the Pogo cable, that keeps on top of demand and I've NEVER had flat battery turn off problems. When I'm in situations with high mobility and not expecting much plug-in time I'm using my N7 which lasts longer and charges faster. N10 does say a trans-continent 5 hour flight fine but say California to Europe it can't but a N7 can with possibly an external USB slim battery top-up.
The N10 and N7 bluetooth tethering seamless flawless reliable to the N4 so I got phone and tablet online all the time when on the go.
The N10 absolutely best features are it's display 1st, outstanding, and then its speakers being stereo and forward facing so you can actually sit on your laptop or on desk, etc and sit and watch it would headphones and its just a pleasure.
My N10 crashes in certain situations, so I simply avoid those situations. Its camera doesn't work reliably for say Skype... so I use my N7 or N4 for that.
Just so long as you don't have too high an expectations, don't expect perfection, and use it in contexts which fits its limitations, then for the <$300 figure use it and enjoy. If you limit its use to contexts it should last enough years and betya you can replace its battery with a guide in a couple of years to re-life it if you wanted.
You can spend as much $ buying 1 device which aims to be better but 2 or 3 devices are better, particular as if say you're watching Hulu on you N10 and when annoying commercials (who needs a car anyway) come on just pick up your N7 and check your email, so "multi-window" by other means.
Notice how my N7 is coming to 2 years and still used? Because the big-screen graphics stuff is on the N10 and the battery-hog situations avoid the N10 and go to N7. I think that's the way to go. The idea of one perfect tablet never happens, plus it sucks if it breaks and its all you got.
I got one of these dual USB chargers and the Pogo cable makes all the difference.
Good stuff guys, thanks for all the great info. I did decide to get one as there was a good deal last week. however the 32GB model for $300 is a great deal and if I knew it was coming I would have waited one more week. I received it yesterday and so far so good. Everything I expected so far except the stock email client's hyperlinks aren't clickable. I had to switch to another email client app. I will look into the pogo plug but I'm not sure if I really need it.
I'm still playing with it but the performance so far is as expected and far exceeds the TF300 it is replacing.
Lamski said:
Good stuff guys, thanks for all the great info. I did decide to get one as there was a good deal last week. however the 32GB model for $300 is a great deal and if I knew it was coming I would have waited one more week. I received it yesterday and so far so good. Everything I expected so far except the stock email client's hyperlinks aren't clickable. I had to switch to another email client app. I will look into the pogo plug but I'm not sure if I really need it.
I'm still playing with it but the performance so far is as expected and far exceeds the TF300 it is replacing.
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How is the light bleed on your unit mate?
Cheers,
M
mark.m.moran said:
How is the light bleed on your unit mate?
Cheers,
M
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I didn't notice any obnormal light bleed when playing with various brightness settings. Where are you typically seeing the light bleed?

Upgrading from Mediapad m5 pro to S6... worth it? Or even a Surface Pro?

I bought the Mediapad without much research to replace both my laptop and Galaxy Tab s3 and I'm not very happy about small things:
1. Keyboard operation is bad, it just places in the screen while I'm typing. I believe it is the track pad but also bad integration and problems with operation in landscape mode.
2. Again keyboard. There is no Portuguese official keyboard but some Chinese clone that already broke the hooks that grab the tablet. Not detachable, no decent 3rd party alternatives.
2. No more updates to correct issues: besides no more google android updates, Huawei seem to have dropped support for what was a flagship tablet. Went from 9.0 to 9.1 and that was that.
3. I use educational apps and, again, they have a hard time in landscape mode. It might be the apps but behaviours are similar and I don't see other people complaining about my issues.
4. I rarely need to use Office stuff but I find Android Office suit very poor. The Mediapad comes with WPS Office and that works a bit better, that's why the Surface Pro crossed my mind while I was writing this.
5. Desktop mode feels like some beta product that was being developed and now will not be finished.
6. This is more personal and subjective but I really feel bad about being supporting Huawei. I also don't feel comfortable with all the data gathering and services running in the back.
There are things I wouldn't want to give up though....
1. Screen is IPS but it's very good.
2. Battery life is great, with almost 0 drain when the cover is closed. I can have it away for a week and battery will have dropped 3% or something.
The Tab s6 is a lot of money, especially after adding the stylus and keyboard. I could sell the M5 and soften the blow a bit but at this point it would have to be really worth it...
Would you upgrade to the S6? Would you seriously consider a Surface Pro instead (I know virtually nothing about these)?
I also though about an iPad, I know that IOS is much better developed for a tablet form factor but I really deslike Apple's prices, software (I have 0 experience with IOS) and I would have to run around with duplicated cables.
Opinions would be appreciated! :good:
I own both. Bought the m5 a few months after it came out. Have had the S6 since a few days after it first came out. I can't speak to keyboard issues (I've never used a physical keyboard with any Android device), but as far as the "is it worth it" question, definitely! Coincidentally, I was messing around with my m5 (rooted/LOS15 in part to rid it of Huawei spyware) a few days ago and was shocked at how what I was once fully impressed with was now a slow, unresponsive piece of junk—relatively speaking, ofc.
If your budget permits I *highly* recommend the S6, but just read a few minutes ago that there is, or soon will be, a S6 Lite.
Samsung has it's own suite of, imo, highly objectionable software, but their tablet hardware is the best, and there are are methods to disable Samsung crap, just search this forum.
I defer to others about the battery, as I use my S6 exclusively at home, and almost always have it plugged in via a 6 foot long cable; I have it set to charge to only 80%, btw.
TiTiB said:
If your budget permits I *highly* recommend the S6, but just read a few minutes ago that there is, or soon will be, a S6 Lite.
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Saw that too after posting the thread and it caught my eye by being a full size tablet. Thanks!
Kutusov said:
The Tab s6 is a lot of money, especially after adding the stylus and keyboard. I could sell the M5 and soften the blow a bit but at this point it would have to be really worth it...
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The Stylus (S-Pen) is included with the Tablet, so no extra cost to give there. Keyboard is a considerable sum though.
The Tab S6 is definitely worth it - That said I've come straight from the Tab S 10.5, it's 5 generations newer than what I'm used to, so the speed of the Tab S6 was always going to impress me. The battery life is surprisingly good though, I'll charge it once a day, granted, but I'm using it a lot and never seem to desperately need to charge.
There's quite a few people around here complaining about the screen on this, but mine is great. There are some issues when it's blending colours in video, some pixelation and noise can be seen, but overall I don't notice that much. And it's only with videos for me, not static images. But some people seem to have gotten pretty unlucky, so worth bearing in mind.
I don't use DEX mode (Samsungs desktop mode) but I've taken a look around it, and it seems pretty decent.
For me, I've no regrets about buying the Tab S6 ( I got it cheap on eBay though, £450 a brand new and sealed 256gb wifi model) but I guess the worthy question is something only you can really answer. No buyers remorse from me though, for what it's worth.
bartleby999 said:
For me, I've no regrets about buying the Tab S6 ( I got it cheap on eBay though, £450 a brand new and sealed 256gb wifi model) but I guess the worthy question is something only you can really answer. No buyers remorse from me though, for what it's worth.
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Thanks for that! I've been reading some horror stories here, especially about stand by time. 50% drain over night I guess one would read about the bad experiences and not so much when everything is ok though...
The Surface is off my list though, too big and heavy and I could get a laptop for less, for my sort of use there doesn't seem to be a point.
I'll just wait, the M5 is still usable, it's a shame they won't be fixing what needed to be improved.
Kutusov said:
Thanks for that! I've been reading some horror stories here, especially about stand by time. 50% drain over night I guess one would read about the bad experiences and not so much when everything is ok though...
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Battery drain is often attributable to misconfigured apps, or stuff running that you never ever consider even using. These problems are easy to fix. Just something to keep in mind.
Kutusov said:
Thanks for that! I've been reading some horror stories here, especially about stand by time. 50% drain over night I guess one would read about the bad experiences and not so much when everything is ok though...
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Click to collapse
I don't see how people are getting 50% battery drain over night - That's a ridiculous amount to lose when just idling. I switch mine off at night, but I've had it on today since about 9am, I haven't used it much except some very light browsing for maybe 30minutes, and my battery has decreased to 91% it is now 5PM. So, I've lost 9% battery in 8 hours threw idling with a little use thrown in.
Anyone losing 50% overnight needs to return their tablet for a replacement. Or optimizes their apps.
TiTiB said:
Battery drain is often attributable to misconfigured apps, or stuff running that you never ever consider even using. These problems are easy to fix. Just something to keep in mind.
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I will. Just saw on your sig you also own a S5e. How's that one?
bartleby999 said:
I don't see how people are getting 50% battery drain over night - That's a ridiculous amount to lose when just idling. I switch mine off at night, but I've had it on today since about 9am, I haven't used it much except some very light browsing for maybe 30minutes, and my battery has decreased to 91% it is now 5PM. So, I've lost 9% battery in 8 hours threw idling with a little use thrown in.
Anyone losing 50% overnight needs to return their tablet for a replacement. Or optimizes their apps.
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Something very wrong there, yes! The M5 still sounds better in that aspect though, I never turn it off and I think it drains quite a lot less than that. Probably because it is very aggressive with RAM, radios and app management, one opens 3 apps and when returning to the first it has to refresh, the thing is just gone. I wouldn't trust it with more than 2 apps open.
I guess one could tweak the S6 to something similar...
Kutusov said:
Something very wrong there, yes! The M5 still sounds better in that aspect though, I never turn it off and I think it drains quite a lot less than that. Probably because it is very aggressive with RAM, radios and app management, one opens 3 apps and when returning to the first it has to refresh, the thing is just gone. I wouldn't trust it with more than 2 apps open.
I guess one could tweak the S6 to something similar...
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Click to collapse
I think you can do that with Android as standard, if you enable Developer Options - There's an option to limit background apps and kill processes as soon as user leaves - Sure that would give the same effect.
I think battery life on the Tab S6 could be better optimised than what I have - I mean, Samsung bloat is going to take a lot, so a debloat could probably give an increase in longevity. It's fine as is for me though, I only use my Tab at home, and the battery lasts all day, even with heavy YouTube usage. I'm down to 74% now and I've been playing games and web browsing - 5 1/2 hours have past since my last post. I consider that pretty good.
I recently bought a Surface Pro 7 i5. I used it for a few weeks and decided it was junk. For one thing, Windows 10 was a nightmare to configure to my liking, and I've always been a Windows guy. There's like a baby settings menu and then the traditional control panel behind it, and they do not mesh well and there are just tons of bugs, especially with the power options. The battery life was abysmal.. I was getting about 2 or 3 hours of use. I spent hours disabling services and messing around with Throttlestop to undervolt it and that helped the battery a bit, but it was still pretty awful if you want to use it at full speed. I also wanted to dual boot linux and I wasn't able to do it properly, as the 7 is too new to really be supported. And there's no gallery app of any kind for Windows comparable to something like Quickpic, which just amazes me. Android emulators for Windows don't really work either unless you are purely interested in gaming. There were so many headaches and it wasn't passing as a tablet for me, just an undersized and overpriced laptop.
I sold it and bought a tab S6 with the money left over, and I'm much happier now. I miss the raw processing power and the flexibility of x86 for running full versions of certain programs, but I can do 95% of what I want to do on Android 9, plus many things I couldn't do on the Surface, and it's by far a more pleasurable experience. I haven't had the problems people are talking about.. screen looks great, battery life is great, theres no drain. I used to be hardcore about rooting and removing bloat, ads, etc, but theres no need to with this device, it's pretty perfect out of the box.
I don't have the keyboard and I haven't even tried Dex mode, but for general tablet use, media, and emulating games, the S6 blows away the SP7 in my view.
Is it worth the money? Meh...
Is it very good? Hell yeah.
The huge plusses for me are form factor, stylus/writing, android, keyboard cover WITH trackpad, high end tablet.
I DO think it's too expensive, especially with the keyboard cover. But unfortunately there were no real alternatives for me (bought it 4 months ago or so)... Was thinking about the surface pro as well but first, that one is also hella expensive, but I also find it too big for my use. The Tab S6 is such a nice package to take along, very comfortable to write with/on (I use it a LOT for note taking mainly).
Android is a plus because my phone's also android and my experiences with windows laptops is less positive when looking at the battery.
But it's not a full desktop/laptop replacement... Dex does not support 4k so when connected to my monitor it looks bad. Also, some specific apps don't have proper alternatives for me on android (programming, music transcribing). For general tasks as browsing, mailing, documents, even basic work related stuff (terminal work) it is perfectly fine, but just not good enough at everything.
So yeah, it really depends on your use-case. The apps you have issues with on the mediapad will most likely have the same issues on the tab s6. For me the keyboard works just fine (coming from a tab s4, which had more issues) and is a nice option though I use the stylus most of the time. It is fast, lasts quite a bit (no standby issues here as far as I can tell, but it does use a reasonable amount of battery when I actively use it).
schoolpizza said:
The battery life was abysmal.. I was getting about 2 or 3 hours of use. There were so many headaches and it wasn't passing as a tablet for me, just an undersized and overpriced laptop.
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That's that then. It ends up pretty much being my thoughts every time I look at the Surface, I really don't get it... It's a very expensive laptop, maybe with a bit different form factor... But there are more interesting things like the HP Spectre Folio, x360 etc.
Well, I've decided to keep the M5 for a while longer. Was just playing with it in a store and it is definitely better than the M5 but, for my sort of use, I really don't see much of an upgrade there considering how much I would had to spend.
Thanks for your thoughts guys!
Kutusov said:
That's that then. It ends up pretty much being my thoughts every time I look at the Surface, I really don't get it... It's a very expensive laptop, maybe with a bit different form factor... But there are more interesting things like the HP Spectre Folio, x360 etc.
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Click to collapse
In addition to not really working as a tablet, I was also surprised by how locked down the hardware and UEFI is. It really lacks the customization you would expect from a system running a full PC operating system. Like an Apple product, you can't get the most out of the hardware you paid for.
I spent 800 dollars on the thing and really wanted to like it, but after a few weeks it dawned on me that I'm spending all my time troubleshooting annoying problems and I should just cut my losses and ditch it for the S6. The Surface Pro has power and can manage some technically amazing stuff as a tablet (I was running GTA 4 and 5 on it after a lot of research into optimizing performance) but it's so caveated by the system wide issues, hardware lockdown, and lack of tablet functionality that the extra power didn't mean all that much anymore.
Your M5 may serve you well but I can't recommend the S6 highly enough.. it's a very sleek, handy, and impressive device that is limited only by the lack of Android software development in certain cases...a full desktop-like web browser and a good PS2 emulator being at the top of my wishlist.
schoolpizza said:
In addition to not really working as a tablet, I was also surprised by how locked down the hardware and UEFI is. It really lacks the customization you would expect from a system running a full PC operating system. Like an Apple product, you can't get the most out of the hardware you paid for.
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What you wrote made me remember I used to own an HP Spectre 2 in 1 laptop. I could never get the "tablet" mode thing because it behaved nothing like what I would expect from a tablet.

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