Do not upgrade to Tab S3!

[undertaker2k14]

Folks if you are thinking of upgrading to the Tab S3: do not do it, it has a massive power drain bug that is likely a hardware issue at this point:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-s3/how-to/wifi-power-drain-bug-please-report-to-t3624872

I miss my good old S2.

 

[penguinjoe]

Wouldn't touch it - don't like the available sizes. Happy with my 8" Tab S2.

 

[Bullwinkle J. Moose]

...........

I wasn't interested in it either. The breakable glass back totally turned me off, as well as the unimpressive processor. I don't think Samsung put the proper effort into it, except for designing the price tag, and my two Tab S2's are going good, and if the screen didn't break my older Google Nexus 7 would be too. What I have been ogling is the new Ipad Pro 12 or 10, tho I never owned an Apple product before.

 

[Masteryates]

Wouldn't touch it - don't like the available sizes. Happy with my 8" Tab S2.

Totally agree penguin. Battery isn't great, but ergonomically, the 8" is the best tablet you can get. You can hold this for ages and your wrist doesn't get tired.

 

[Bullwinkle J. Moose]

Totally agree penguin. Battery isn't great, but ergonomically, the 8" is the best tablet you can get. You can hold this for ages and your wrist doesn't get tired.

I have two Tab S2's, the 8 and the 9.7. For my purposes I now prefer the 9.7. The easiest to hold tho was my old Google Nexus 7, even though it was heavier it was narrower and my hand could grip it.

 

[Masteryates]

I have two Tab S2's, the 8 and the 9.7. For my purposes I now prefer the 9.7. The easiest to hold tho was my old Google Nexus 7, even though it was heavier it was narrower and my hand could grip it.

I agree that you could get your hand around a Nexus 7 but that was at the expense of screen. On websites, this was a pain. That's why I think the Tab S2 8" is the best of both worlds.

 

[sparksd]

I agree that you could get your hand around a Nexus 7 but that was at the expense of screen. On websites, this was a pain. That's why I think the Tab S2 8" is the best of both worlds.

I have both the gen 1 and gen 2 Nexus 7's and agree that while the size was nice for gripping, I much prefer the additional real estate and general quality of the 8" S2 display. I use a Moko case that has a handle to facilitate holding the S2 - I don't have big hands and I also kept hitting the screen with my fingers and palm when holding with one hand.

 

[Masteryates]

I have both the gen 1 and gen 2 Nexus 7's and agree that while the size was nice for gripping, I much prefer the additional real estate and general quality of the 8" S2 display. I use a Moko case that has a handle to facilitate holding the S2 - I don't have big hands and I also kept hitting the screen with my fingers and palm when holding with one hand.

Yes sparks. I find that because the S2 is so light, I don't need to hold as much of it to feel secure in my hand. I'd say I've medium sized hands. I think the 9.7" version would be a different proposition all together.

 

[Bullwinkle J. Moose]

...............

I have both the gen 1 and gen 2 Nexus 7's and agree that while the size was nice for gripping, I much prefer the additional real estate and general quality of the 8" S2 display. I use a Moko case that has a handle to facilitate holding the S2 - I don't have big hands and I also kept hitting the screen with my fingers and palm when holding with one hand.

I agree, and I like the real estate on the 9.7 even more. I've even been ogling the new 12" Ipad, but like I said I don't even know how to work them. I'll have to look into the Moko case. What I do now is use no case at all except for transport, but a glass shield to protect the screen. Seems to me that the added weight of a case defeats the purpose of these ultralight devices, but a case with a convenient gripping handle might be good...

PS It's a hassle posting on here: "the string you entered for image verification doesn't match"......huh? what string? It just says check box if you're not a robot and I did (and so would a clever robot!)

 

[sparksd]

I agree, and I like the real estate on the 9.7 even more. I've even been ogling the new 12" Ipad, but like I said I don't even know how to work them. I'll have to look into the Moko case. What I do now is use no case at all except for transport, but a glass shield to protect the screen. Seems to me that the added weight of a case defeats the purpose of these ultralight devices, but a case with a convenient gripping handle might be good...

PS It's a hassle posting on here: "the string you entered for image verification doesn't match"......huh? what string? It just says check box if you're not a robot and I did (and so would a clever robot!)

Two years ago I bought an iPad Air 2 even though I've never been a fan of Apple products - I've had a lot of Android devices and my home PCs/laptops are Windows. But I must admit I am very impressed with the iPad- very polished and very stable. The iOS ecosystem has a lot I don't like - the sandbox approach to file management for one - but a lot of the apps available are extremely well done and sophisticated. Look at "Complete Anatomy" for one - I tried it out of curiosity and didn't buy the full edition but it is absolutely amazing. My doctor saw it and said he wished he had it in med school. My last large Android tablet - an Asus TF700T - was a PoS that I only used for screwing around with custom ROMs; it was pretty but it's performance was terrible. My brother has the 12" iPad and it is very nice and could make a good work machine. But I'm a retired S/W Systems Engineer (started in '71!) so work is foreign to me ...

 

[Bullwinkle J. Moose]

Sparksd - Was it hard to learn to work the Ipad coming over from Windows and Android? I'm lazy and don't want to put a lot of effort into learning a whole new system...besides I' m already all tuckered out just from reading that 4-letter word you so rudely wrote...eek!...work! I don't see anyone else putting together such a nice tablet as Apple, though.

 

[sparksd]

Sparksd - Was it hard to learn to work the Ipad coming over from Windows and Android? I'm lazy and don't want to put a lot of effort into learning a whole new system...besides I' m already all tuckered out just from reading that 4-letter word you so rudely wrote...eek!...work! I don't see anyone else putting together such a nice tablet as Apple, though.

It was quite easy. In fact, what originally got me interested was when my 94 year-old Mom was given an older iPad by my nephew and she was able to use it on her own. I don't think I would have left her with an Android device or PC. The most difficult aspect to get used to and understand was the iOS file management philosophy but once I read up on it and got a couple of file management apps (FileBrowser, GoodReader, and Documents) I could deal with it.

And apologies for using the word for That Which Should Not be Spoken Of. Retirement is great!

 

[Bullwinkle J. Moose]

I may give it a try, Spark. If I do I'll buy it at Costco. I'll have 90 days to decide if I want to keep it then. Plus Costco extends the warranty by a year.

 

[jshamlet]

To be honest, unless you have an existing investment in Android or Android apps, or have a specific need that Apple doesn't support, the iPads are better tablets. They are built better, work smoother, and have much better battery life over all. I am the lone hold out in my family with a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Tab S2 (because the N7 is starting to get creaky)

The only issues I get from my family, who are uniformly Apple users, are that printing directly from apps doesn't work right (generally solveable by using the Brother print app), occasionally the bluetooth will glitch and cause the music player to start automatically, and Safari will crash under moderate load. Dolphin generally solves that latter issue, though I'm not sure how. Oh, and there are no obvious ways to block ads outside of the web browser. That's it - really. Otherwise, they love the things. We have upgraded through the iPad 2 to the iPad Air and now my wife is on an iPad Air 2.

Given Google's lack of interest in tablets and tablet software, the only thing keeping me on Android tablets is the fact that I own a lot of Android apps and games for them, and several reasonable firewall and privacy apps are available for it. Obviously, as an XDA member, I tend to prefer a higher level of control and modification of my devices, but if I were suggesting something for a non-technical user, I would point them at the new iPad 5. (unless they want to do art or technical work, then an iPad Pro 9.7")

 

[sparksd]

To be honest, unless you have an existing investment in Android or Android apps, or have a specific need that Apple doesn't support, the iPads are better tablets. They are built better, work smoother, and have much better battery life over all. I am the lone hold out in my family with a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Tab S2 (because the N7 is starting to get creaky)

The only issues I get from my family, who are uniformly Apple users, are that printing directly from apps doesn't work right (generally solveable by using the Brother print app), occasionally the bluetooth will glitch and cause the music player to start automatically, and Safari will crash under moderate load. Dolphin generally solves that latter issue, though I'm not sure how. Oh, and there are no obvious ways to block ads outside of the web browser. That's it - really. Otherwise, they love the things. We have upgraded through the iPad 2 to the iPad Air and now my wife is on an iPad Air 2.

Given Google's lack of interest in tablets and tablet software, the only thing keeping me on Android tablets is the fact that I own a lot of Android apps and games for them, and several reasonable firewall and privacy apps are available for it. Obviously, as an XDA member, I tend to prefer a higher level of control and modification of my devices, but if I were suggesting something for a non-technical user, I would point them at the new iPad 5. (unless they want to do art or technical work, then an iPad Pro 9.7")

I completely agree with your assessment. I do like the level of control and modification that Android gives but that's the engineer in me who likes to really play around with the settings, ROMs, etc. As a "tablet user" though, give me my Air 2. It just plain works well and as I mentioned earlier, the level of polish and sophistication in a lot of available apps is outstanding. I'll always have Android devices but my next tablet upgrade would be another iPad. The S2 is a big upgrade from my Nexus 7 (and it blows my Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T away) and is fun to use but my Air 2 is a better tablet. And this is from a guy who never thought he would buy an Apple device.

 

[jshamlet]

Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.

What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)

Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...

 

[sparksd]

Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.

What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)

Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...

It doesn't look good these days for the overall tablet-only market, with a greater emphasis on hybrid and detachable devices - look at the Surface and where Apple is going with their Pro line. I think Google sees their niche in Chromebooks, which leaves Samsung as the big Android player. And if I'm an app developer, I'd be focused on either targeting phones (Android or Apple) or Apple tablets, not Android tablets, making Android tablets even less desirable as an end-user device. (Regarding battery - charged my Air 2 last night and this morning it was still at 100% with Bluetooth, WiFi, and location all enabled. Usage drain is also better than any other device I've owned.)

 

[Masteryates]

Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.

What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)

Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...

I have to disagree Jshamlet. The thing that made me buy this tablet was the weight, and I notice how heavy any other tablet is when I holding. Maybe Samsung could attempt something like last years Motorola phones where there is a back plate which includes a battery, giving the best of both worlds?

---------- Post added at 11:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ----------

Yeah, I've been deeply disappointed by Google's lack of interest in tablets. I was hoping that after all the effort that went into Honeycomb they might actually reach parity with iOS, but nope. It is all still phone centric.

What is more baffling is that Samsung hasn't picked up the slack either, and despite being "Galaxy" devices, the Galaxy Tabs aren't really being treated that way. I still like my Tab S2, and it is at least as good as my wife's iPad Air 2 in terms of performance, but it isn't anywhere near it in terms of battery life. That last one is frustrating because it's a tablet. Make the thing a millimeter thicker and put a real battery in it. Our old iPad 2, despite being practically geriatric at this point, outlasts my Tab S2! (I keep it around as a Facetime client)

Same with my phone - I could tolerate an extra few millimeters if it meant the battery lasted longer. I really hope this thin fetish ends at some point...

I have to disagree Jshamlet. The thing that made me buy this tablet was the weight, and I notice how heavy any other tablet is when I holding. Maybe Samsung could attempt something like last years Motorola phones where there is a back plate which includes a battery, giving the best of both worlds?

Talking of picking up the slack, I'd love One Plus to put there foot in the door. Samsung have had there chance......

 

[mauricempc74]

Hi folks.
I was close to buy an iPad air 2 also, but:
- no GPS
- expensive
were the two reasons that I preferred the tab s2 instead. Also, I found it for a very good price.
I agree that for general usage the iPads are better tablets, I would never buy my mother an android, but for an engineer like me, with low budget, this was a better choice.
The alternative for me was to an even cheaper tablet, like Amazon fire, but the quality is even lower.

And I think the screen of the Tab S2 is amazing.

 

[Masteryates]

Hi folks.
I was close to buy an iPad air 2 also, but:
- no GPS
- expensive
were the two reasons that I preferred the tab s2 instead. Also, I found it for a very good price.
I agree that for general usage the iPads are better tablets, I would never buy my mother an android, but for an engineer like me, with low budget, this was a better choice.
The alternative for me was to an even cheaper tablet, like Amazon fire, but the quality is even lower.

And I think the screen of the Tab S2 is amazing.

Its funny that I bought my 65 year old mother a Nexus 4 back in 2012, thinking it would be too complex. She loved that phone and took an even bigger risk by replacing it with a Huawei P9 Lite. She's now an Android FanGranny and snaps at my sister whenever she suggests getting her an iOS device.