Do not upgrade to Tab S3!

[BahnStormer]

What is it with ALL manufacturers cutting back on tablets?!?

I had previously replaced my Nexus 2012 3G (32Gb) with a Nexus 2013 LTE (32Gb) as soon as it came out... which has been amazing for >3 years of heavy daily commuter use. Then even that started to fail (screen kept being unresponsive, SIM kept disconnecting then charging would fail and eventually wouldn't boot at all)... so time to get a new one and I was dismayed at the lack of quality LTE tablets in the 7" to 8" range!

I considered another Nexus7LTE as I was able to put LineageOS on that and then using SuperSUpro, completely UNroot it, so it would fully support Netflix/SkyGo/banking apps without any extra fiddling... but they're priced as if they're premium collectors items now!

I was looking for a replacement Nexus7 and my shopping list was: 7"-8", LTE, GPS, fingerprint reader, USB-C... I've been eagerly tracking and awaiting every rumour of a Nexus7 2016/2017, but nothing has appeared, so eventually went for the Galaxy S2 Tab, which only has a USB-B micro charger, so another fiddly cable and slow charger... but it really was the only option that I could find!

The consolation with the TabS2 is that I can put a 200Gb SD card into it and there is still Nougat OEM support (albeit only up to 7.0, so it doesn't bode well) and the last TabS2 (T719) doesn't have enough of a following to warrant decent LineageOS support (for the 8" LTE version).

Were there any other options that I missed?

The extra size on the 8" tab is nice on some web pages, but mostly wasted if I'm using it to watch videos (16:9) - having used the 8" tablet for a while, I'd prefer to go for another 7"... if somebody would just make one with LTE and USB-C!

 

[Masteryates]

What is it with ALL manufacturers cutting back on tablets?!?

I had previously replaced my Nexus 2012 3G (32Gb) with a Nexus 2013 LTE (32Gb) as soon as it came out... which has been amazing for >3 years of heavy daily commuter use. Then even that started to fail (screen kept being unresponsive, SIM kept disconnecting then charging would fail and eventually wouldn't boot at all)... so time to get a new one and I was dismayed at the lack of quality LTE tablets in the 7" to 8" range!

I considered another Nexus7LTE as I was able to put LineageOS on that and then using SuperSUpro, completely UNroot it, so it would fully support Netflix/SkyGo/banking apps without any extra fiddling... but they're priced as if they're premium collectors items now!

I was looking for a replacement Nexus7 and my shopping list was: 7"-8", LTE, GPS, fingerprint reader, USB-C... I've been eagerly tracking and awaiting every rumour of a Nexus7 2016/2017, but nothing has appeared, so eventually went for the Galaxy S2 Tab, which only has a USB-B micro charger, so another fiddly cable and slow charger... but it really was the only option that I could find!

The consolation with the TabS2 is that I can put a 200Gb SD card into it and there is still Nougat OEM support (albeit only up to 7.0, so it doesn't bode well) and the last TabS2 (T719) doesn't have enough of a following to warrant decent LineageOS support (for the 8" LTE version).

Were there any other options that I missed?

The extra size on the 8" tab is nice on some web pages, but mostly wasted if I'm using it to watch videos (16:9) - having used the 8" tablet for a while, I'd prefer to go for another 7"... if somebody would just make one with LTE and USB-C!

I'm totally with you BahnStormer regarding the lack of tablets. :highfive:

As I've said in other places, the door is open for someone like One Plus to take something like the One Plus 3, and just make it bigger, selling for around £300. This would wipe the floor with the Samsung Tab S2 and S3 with respect to performance.

 

[jshamlet]

Google dropped the ball on tablets such that they turned into these weird monster phones instead. The Galaxy Tab devices are a perfect example of this - they look and work just like a gigantic Galaxy S6. Then, on top of that, they get yesteryear's SoCs - which still managed to make them "premium". With the average size of Android phones now creeping close to 5.5" to 6", a 7-8" tablet with an older CPU/GPU doesn't feel like that much of an upgrade without tablet centric software to make up for it.

Unfortunately, Apple won the tablet wars by a long shot. Which is really a shame, because Google had made huge strides in Honeycomb years ago only to drop the ball later.

 

[Masteryates]

Google dropped the ball on tablets such that they turned into these weird monster phones instead. The Galaxy Tab devices are a perfect example of this - they look and work just like a gigantic Galaxy S6. Then, on top of that, they get yesteryear's SoCs - which still managed to make them "premium". With the average size of Android phones now creeping close to 5.5" to 6", a 7-8" tablet with an older CPU/GPU doesn't feel like that much of an upgrade without tablet centric software to make up for it.

Unfortunately, Apple won the tablet wars by a long shot. Which is really a shame, because Google had made huge strides in Honeycomb years ago only to drop the ball later.

In some ways, I understand why Google hasn't put any effort into tablets. If I look at my own tablet usage, its probably about 90% internet, which the 4:3 ratio Tab S2 is excellent at. Now that Google are so far behind apple, would there be enough benefit if they put in lots of resources to bridge the gap?

 

[jshamlet]

In some ways, I understand why Google hasn't put any effort into tablets. If I look at my own tablet usage, its probably about 90% internet, which the 4:3 ratio Tab S2 is excellent at. Now that Google are so far behind apple, would there be enough benefit if they put in lots of resources to bridge the gap?

Interesting question, because now it is all about the app ecosystems rather than the platforms. People who go with iOS tend to stay with Apple because they want to keep their apps, etc. Likewise for people who choose Android. So, in that sense, Android fans will continue to buy Android tablets (or not), but it probably won't make them switch. It's frustrating, but Google has apparently figured out that they can let tablets languish without it costing all that much.

On the other hand, by focusing on tablets and creating a thriving market for tablet apps, Google could steal some of the thunder from the iPad. There simply aren't Android equivalents for many iPad apps, which means that for those uses, the only reasonable choice is Apple. Apple practically owns certain art and pro-audio markets because there aren't any practical alternatives. It feels like Google and the Android OEMs are leaving money on the table by not taking tablets seriously.

 

[BahnStormer]

I think the main reason that the manufacturers don't constantly update tablets is the purchasing patterns more than the usage - the first time I started looking for a replacement for my Nexus2013 LTE was mid-2016... once the OS support dried up, that went away after I put LineageOS on my Nexus2013 and then UNrooted it (to allow banking apps, SkyGo, etc)... I've got the LTE version of the Tab S2 8" now, but my next tablet will be purchased almost entirely based on the AOSP/LineageOS support for the tablet, so I'm not at the mercy of the manufacturers to keep issuing the security updates for them. There was a time when Google devices came with that assurance of timely updates, but they've stopped supporting devices after 2 years and that simply isn't long enough - they're effectively saying that if you want your device to have security patches for the length of a 2yr mobile contract*, then you HAVE to buy it as soon as it is released... and you HAVE to replace it as soon as the contract expires....

*not that I'd ever buy a phone tied to a contract!!

 

[Masteryates]

I think the main reason that the manufacturers don't constantly update tablets is the purchasing patterns more than the usage - the first time I started looking for a replacement for my Nexus2013 LTE was mid-2016... once the OS support dried up, that went away after I put LineageOS on my Nexus2013 and then UNrooted it (to allow banking apps, SkyGo, etc)... I've got the LTE version of the Tab S2 8" now, but my next tablet will be purchased almost entirely based on the AOSP/LineageOS support for the tablet, so I'm not at the mercy of the manufacturers to keep issuing the security updates for them. There was a time when Google devices came with that assurance of timely updates, but they've stopped supporting devices after 2 years and that simply isn't long enough - they're effectively saying that if you want your device to have security patches for the length of a 2yr mobile contract*, then you HAVE to buy it as soon as it is released... and you HAVE to replace it as soon as the contract expires....

*not that I'd ever buy a phone tied to a contract!!

Pretty much same here Bahnstormer. Whatever Android device I buy has to have some sort of ROM support. Obviously, having Lineage is the best case scenario. Having been burn't by the Nexus 9, I wont touch anything with a Tegra chip.

 

[sqs1shu]

Interesting read, all.

After managed to ruin Nexus 7 LTE WiFi while trying to fix sensor problems , I got a S2 Tab 8. I agree that Ipad has fantastic battery endurance.

S2 Tab 8 is a pretty good size for reading. I need to get used to touching the edge when laying it down

Do you guys prefer Samsung Nougat or Lineage OS 14.1?

 

[Masteryates]

Interesting read, all.

After managed to ruin Nexus 7 LTE WiFi while trying to fix sensor problems , I got a S2 Tab 8. I agree that Ipad has fantastic battery endurance.

S2 Tab 8 is a pretty good size for reading. I need to get used to touching the edge when laying it down

Do you guys prefer Samsung Nougat or Lineage OS 14.1?

I use stock as the experience is very consistent. I wouldn't ever call stock quick, but I never feel its slow either. Would like to have a second S2 to load Lineage and do a side by side comparison.

 

[sparksd]

Interesting read, all.

After managed to ruin Nexus 7 LTE WiFi while trying to fix sensor problems , I got a S2 Tab 8. I agree that Ipad has fantastic battery endurance.

S2 Tab 8 is a pretty good size for reading. I need to get used to touching the edge when laying it down

Do you guys prefer Samsung Nougat or Lineage OS 14.1?

I've stayed with stock as I'm happy with the performance, plus I've kind of gotten kind of burned out on rooting, etc.