Android Tablet Questions.

[Ellyidol]

Hey guys, I'm currently using an iPhone 4 and iPad 1 (iPhone I don't plan to change), but with the iPad 2 coming out I've been planning to get a new tablet.

Then I've been reading and hearing about how good the new android tablets would be, so I have a few questions:

1. Unlike iPad which is Apple, what android tablet brands do you recommend? I know there's a Samsung Tab, but that's because I've seen it more than any other brand.

2. Also unlike the iPad, I've heard Androids have hardware specifics, almost like a PC (Pentium, i3 i5 i7, etc). So what would I be looking for? How do I know what is a good tablet through its device etc?

3. I used an android before, Sony Xperia, but that was about a year ago and it was really bad then - I didn't like the interface as it was slow. Is there a difference between android phones and tablets?

4. If you were to convince me to switch from an iPad to an Android Tablet, what would you say? :)

I'm really not familiar with any of the Androids, especially when it comes to tablets. I also only found PL on iOS, so I don't know how PL would work in an android.

Your help would really be appreciated :D

Thanks!

[Sanatorium]

I currently have 2 Samsung Galaxy Tabs and 5 Motorola XOOM's and they're both GREAT.
The different between phones and tablets range on the tablet you decide to buy, for example I have a Galaxy Tab that I rooted and I messed with it a little and I can now make calls on it, it's pretty much like a phone, but the launcher may be a bit different.
You could always just get a launcher such as ADW.Launcher or LauncherPro ect.
Now if we were to compare the XOOM to a phone... sorry there's no comparison.
The XOOM is extremely nice, it's running Honeycomb 3.0 and it's literally like a computer in a tablet, it's just unexplainable.
I currently recommend the XOOM atm since it's extremely well done and very smooth.
To convince you I'd say only one thing... multitasking, haha no no I'm just playing, not sure really it's honestly your choice, try it out first and see if you like it then go ahead and purchase it if it's fun for you :).
I hope you venture more onto Android devices, it's always fun to meet iOS users :).

[Mr.Wallace]

I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab 1, really like to play PL with it. Main reason for me: with just seven inches screen size, i can still hold it like a phone and reach all buttons on screen, don't have to use any surface for it to lay on. But given you play on an iPad now, this might not be that important for you...

Looking at the OS, i think iOS is still a lot easier to use, although Android made big steps. In the end i think you should just test drive some devices to see which one is the best fit...

But for the questions,

1. I tested some tabs, liked the ones from samsung and motorola
2. There is a list which Android devices are "PL ready", those should be the faster ones
3. Sony puts a lot of bloatware on the Android phones, bqd first impression... and since last year, Android has inproved a lot.
4. Flash Videos!!!! Hahaha ;-)

[swedishMagic]

Im getting this when it's released
http://www.htc.com/europe/product/flyer/overview.html
looks oo freakin sweet..

[Necrobane]

Wow looks sweet, an actual gaming tablet, will have to look into this....any idea bout prices?

[Ellyidol]

Im getting this when it's released
http://www.htc.com/europe/product/flyer/overview.html
looks oo freakin sweet..

Looks really awesome, but yeah, any idea on price? If its as much as iPad 2 I might consider just getting an iPad 2.

[Necrobane]

Yeah same as elly, although I really like that size...Also 3gs yeah?

[KaotiicxDream]

Looks really awesome, but yeah, any idea on price? If its as much as iPad 2 I might consider just getting an iPad 2.

Price? (Just a guess) Apple iPad will cost the same as the old iPad maybe more the HTC Flyer will cost somewhere between 200-500$ less i think... HTC seems much cheaper that Apple (something with quality i think)

[Tengotengo]

I kinda assumed that the Android people would be making their devices cheaper. Apple's weak spot has been their prices.

[Tamino]

I am not sure price is the primary factor. I play on a Samsung Galaxy Tab, final price was similar to IPad - but I loved 7 inch form factor. Very good playing experience, but some annoying bugs: a critical crash every 6-12 hours of game, missing some sound FX in 30-60 min (need game exit and clean from memory).

[Sanatorium]

It's about 500-700 euros which ranges from 600-800 dollars USD.
It's not a confirmed price, but that's what some resources say, so it'll be a costly tablet.

[Ellyidol]

I see. Quite costly.

I'd probably only consider getting an android tablet IF the cost is low enough that I can afford to let go of all the apps I've gotten for my iPad =/

I've also posted another thread asking if anyone has gone from iPad 1-2 on PL, and the current answers say they aren't that much of an improvement :(

[WhoIsThis]

To be honest, if you want everything to work fine, I'd recommend that you skip the first generation of Android tablets - Google's strategy these days seems to be an imperfect start and then to refine it. These first generation tablets are going to be the "G1" equal of the tablet sector. The OS itself has a lot of potential, and as an Android fan, I will undoubtedly get one someday (especially if custom ROMs like Cyanogenmod get ported over or something just as good comes out), but just not yet. Today, the OS is incomplete, buggy, and imperfect. In a year, it will be something truly awesome (probably by the time Android 4.0 gets released).

Whatever else, I strongly recommend that you go to a store and take some time to play with an Android tablet (specifically the model that you are interested in). Honeycomb is well ... different. It bridges the gap between full desktop OS and embedded devices. At this point, don't expect either to save any money over getting an iPad 2 - it will be some time before that happens.

Truth be told, I'm not sure that it justifies spending the money to upgrade to an iPad 2 if you already have an iPad - I'm guessing that it is probably at least $700 Australian dollars (they sell for about $500 in the US and $550 Canadian). I'd recommend upgrading every second generation, when your current iPad will be like the iPhone 3G versus the iPhone 4.

[EternalHugo]

I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab 1, really like to play PL with it. Main reason for me: with just seven inches screen size, i can still hold it like a phone and reach all buttons on screen, don't have to use any surface for it to lay on. But given you play on an iPad now, this might not be that important for you...

Looking at the OS, i think iOS is still a lot easier to use, although Android made big steps. In the end i think you should just test drive some devices to see which one is the best fit...

But for the questions,

1. I tested some tabs, liked the ones from samsung and motorola
2. There is a list which Android devices are "PL ready", those should be the faster ones
3. Sony puts a lot of bloatware on the Android phones, bqd first impression... and since last year, Android has inproved a lot.
4. Flash Videos!!!! Hahaha ;-)


Im getting this when it's released
http://www.htc.com/europe/product/flyer/overview.html
looks oo freakin sweet..


Looks really awesome, but yeah, any idea on price? If its as much as iPad 2 I might consider just getting an iPad 2.

Samsung Galaxy tab (SGT) is not a good choice in terms of a phone, it IS supposed to be a phone as advertised:mad: constantly dropping calls and sometimes 'refuse' to dial out geeeeeez

Seriously, the SGT did give a quite stable performance when playing the PL, however, two things need to be brought to attention if you want to buy one
1) the screen of SGT is TFT which looks very blur when comparing to AmoLED or Super AmoLED, not to mention the mighty IP4 retina screen;
2) not sure if it is still due to the issue of using TFT, the touch experience is not very pleasant and accurate as to my former iPhone3GS, nor is the speed and smoothness when surfing the internet. Even with a 2X frequency CPU and 2X RAM, SGT feels quite 'bumpy', or maybe it is due to the imperfect design of Android 2.2 .

In terms of Xoom, I have to say I am very disappoint with Moto this time, just see the post here :http://www.anandtech.com/show/4216/apple-ipad-2-gpu-performance-explored-powervr-sgx543mp2-benchmarked
Xoom is 15.1 (millions of triangle per second), iPad1 8.67, iPad 29. and in detailed tests, Xoom just got owned....

so, ya, why not an iPad2? Android tablet probably need another year to become 'perfect'.


PS: do NOT, I repeat DO NOT buy anything produced by HTC released after the Desire HD, it simply follows Nokia's old technic ----- change the shell design of an old phone, and bang, there is a new phone with a new model name. Just search the quoted Chinese words "科技以换壳为本", you will see how the 'king of shell changing' goes from Nokia to HTC =.=:D

[Ellyidol]

I'd still prefer to get an iPad 2, but judging from what I've been reading, its more like a lighter and thinner version of an iPad 1. The speed improvements aren't that noticeable (especially in PL). I hope its wrong, I'd see when I get the chance to test an iPad 2 on display.

Another thing is the cost. If I'm spending as much for an iPad 2, and there's a better android tablet out there, I'd maybe consider getting one.

Seems the cost-benefit of an android isn't enough for me to actually switch from iPad, so I'll probably see how it goes with an iPad 2.

[Keohike]

Ipad 2 ftw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am also planing to get an ipad but i heard online that ppl say ipad2 is only good if you want, video chat or to connect it to tv. So ipad 1 should be sufficent enough.

[WhoIsThis]

PS: do NOT, I repeat DO NOT buy anything produced by HTC released after the Desire HD, it simply follows Nokia's old technic ----- change the shell design of an old phone, and bang, there is a new phone with a new model name. Just search the quoted Chinese words "科技以换壳为本", you will see how the 'king of shell changing' goes from Nokia to HTC =.=:D

In a way, the Desire HD is itself a different shell of the HTC Evo and the HD2. Hopefully HTC will be coming out with newer designs and better processors.

[WobbleTheHutt]

the nook color runs it great even on 2.1 and its nice and cheap for the quality hardware you get (250 usd) also its stupid easy to root to install it on, and due the nook color booting of the micro SD slot by default its nigh impossible to brick. also CM7 is now feature complete on it (DSP works etc they even got the latent BT hardware working!) its great bang for the buck for a tablet :)

[dashbones]

Yeah, nook colors are a great way to get a cheap android tablet. The downside is they're wifi only and don't have a camera, but that's a small price to pay considering how cheap they are, don't require a service plan and EASY to root and flash roms.

[Ellyidol]

A bit too late, I've gotten the iPad 2 :P

Don't regret the 6 hour queue one bit, it's (almost) perfect. :)

[WhoIsThis]

A bit too late, I've gotten the iPad 2 :P

Don't regret the 6 hour queue one bit, it's (almost) perfect. :)

Enjoy!

Out of curiosity, does PL run a lot smoother? I have heard complaints from iPad 1 users about it. I'm probably going to skip this gen and consider getting an Android tablet either late this year or next year.

[Ellyidol]

Enjoy!

Out of curiosity, does PL run a lot smoother? I have heard complaints from iPad 1 users about it. I'm probably going to skip this gen and consider getting an Android tablet either late this year or next year.

Definitely a lot smoother.

I came from an iPad 1 that didn't run it that well, so maybe it's a huge jump for me :)

The thing I love most is that it's not only better graphics, but just runs smoother altogether. Switching apps, etc.

Love the size too. :)