Even after IFA announcements still no perfect system - Galaxy Note 10.1 General

As most of people here are aware, IFA is going on right now and several new Windows 8 tablet were announced with major companies including Samsung, and ASUS. Sony also announced new Android tablet Xperia S. I had a hope that during this event, I will hear my dream system (at this moment) but unfortunately it didn't happen.
As this is Galaxy Note 10.1 forum, and I currently own one here are quick comparison of the new systems to Note 10.1.
ASUS Vivo Tablets series
- None of them have FHD screen.
- Higher price. *Based on other tablet, it is almost no doubt this system will be higher priced.
Given the lack of FHD screen, the only potential benefit would be that it is Windows 8 system rather than Android. But for the 10-12 inch tablet to be true power house of production is just not practical for me. So as far as for what I do, I don't see it neither benefit/weakness over android os.
Samsung ativ series
The pro edition actually comes with FHD display, which is phenomenal and in fact this was what I was looking forward the most; however,
- Battery life of 4-5 hours DVD playtime
- Weight of 800g+
- Price of $1000+
Its a bit too heavy to hold in one hand and continuously read ebook. Battery life of 4-5 hours dvd play time is actually major reason I hated my old windows tablet because it won't last actual day, and who knows with some additional multitasking it can easily go down further. In fact, transformer infinity has 9+ hours of video play time; however, with wifi browsing it goes down to 5 hours, and with games only 3 hours.
Xperia S series
- No FHD screen
- 1GB RAM
It's $100 cheaper but otherwise, pretty much inferior system in every respect.
My ideal system at this point is either
Galaxy Note 10.1 with FHD screen. OR
Transformer Infinity with longer battery life and stability that of iPad (I wouldn't ask that of Note 10.1 because that's too much to ask).

Related

Opinions moving from iPad to SGN 10.1?

So I currently own:
iPad 2- love the fact its so fluid
G-Note 5.3- Slow and I find the s-pen is not accurate off by 1/8 on an inch but loved the idea.
SGIII- Traded my Note for a SGIII and love the speed.
Previously owned:
SG 10.1- Returned felt Gingerbread is too slow and laggy. Just doesn't have the smooth of iPad.
Moto Zoom 10.1- Returned for the above reason as well.
As you can see I WANT an Android tablet but frankly they just have been as fluid as IOS. So anyone coming from the iPad to the Note 10.1. Since I never had the retina display I think I can safely give it up but I want fluid. And I want the S-pen but I want it accurate and responsive like paper.
So thoughts and opinions.
Just go down to your local brick and mortar and play with one for an hour and decide for yourself. Or, if you're incapable of deciding for yourself then head down to the Apple retail store and the geniuses will happily tell you what to buy.
S Pen is very accurate (I haven't seen anyone complain about it being off a little) and very responsive.
It's as not fluid as an iPad, but should be fluid enough. I actually returned Asus Transformer Infinity before buying this one, and I can say that Note 10.1 is ten time more fluid than Transformer Infinity. It addition, with Jelly Bean (with Project Butter) update coming within this year it will be much better. I don't think you will feel like you need Jelly Bean though because it already works smoothly as is.
Coming from iPad 2, the screen will look amazing with higher resolution. However, if fluidity is your priority, iPad is probably the best choice. But I have a feeling that you will be happy with this device.
My wife was fed up with her iPad 2 (it was free, though, a business gift) . When I had my SGN10.1 she played around with it for 1hr , got in her car and went to buy her own SGN10.1 ....... :good:
Earthdog said:
So I currently own:
iPad 2- love the fact its so fluid
G-Note 5.3- Slow and I find the s-pen is not accurate off by 1/8 on an inch but loved the idea.
SGIII- Traded my Note for a SGIII and love the speed.
Previously owned:
SG 10.1- Returned felt Gingerbread is too slow and laggy. Just doesn't have the smooth of iPad.
Moto Zoom 10.1- Returned for the above reason as well.
As you can see I WANT an Android tablet but frankly they just have been as fluid as IOS. So anyone coming from the iPad to the Note 10.1. Since I never had the retina display I think I can safely give it up but I want fluid. And I want the S-pen but I want it accurate and responsive like paper.
So thoughts and opinions.
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Click to collapse
Gingerbread??? Tab 10.1 was Honeycomb... That said it had a Tegra2, Tegras are notorious for being first on the market to bump up core count but horrendously poor performance per core, and oddly, some of the worst GPU performance which is odd considering that NVidia is a GPU company.
If you're happy with the I9300, you should be happy with the N80xx - Same resolution and exact same CPU/GPU.
In addition, once Jellybean hits, UI performance should be significantly improved... Assuming Samsung doesn't dork it up. Might want to look at how the I9300 Jellybean leak is performing.
Thank you all for the replies. And I stand corrected the original 10.1 was Honeycomb. I guess I will make the trip and give one a shot.
Earthdog said:
Thank you all for the replies. And I stand corrected the original 10.1 was Honeycomb. I guess I will make the trip and give one a shot.
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Click to collapse
Just return my Asus TF700 and bought my second Note(first one went to U of Iowa with my daughter) and couldn't be happier.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
This is not a hard choice. The iPad is a very different device if your into pen. If the question is about the pen being solid, it's solid.
Feel secure that your getting good pen from this.
I came from the iPad. I've been trying to switch to Android for over a year. Of the half dozen Android tablets I've tried, the Note 10.1 is my switching device. Don't get me wrong, I'm keeping the iPad mostly because my daughter uses it for some games and secondly because there are some games I like that Android doesn't have (Kingdom Rush!).
So yeah, my retina iPad has been reduced to sloppy seconds.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1
I just sold my (New) iPad and i want to switch to an Android tab, what i don't like about the Note 10.1 is the low resolution it dould of made my choice easier if it had a full HD screen, now i'm torn between the Infinity and the Note 10.1 is de res really bad on the Note in comparision with the Infinity or New iPad?
Blasted from the Galaxy S3 with Tapatalk
Mafiatounes said:
I just sold my (New) iPad and i want to switch to an Android tab, what i don't like about the Note 10.1 is the low resolution it dould of made my choice easier if it had a full HD screen, now i'm torn between the Infinity and the Note 10.1 is de res really bad on the Note in comparision with the Infinity or New iPad?
Blasted from the Galaxy S3 with Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't notice the reduced resolution at all - and as others have pointed out, excessive resolution causes problems. UI performance on Infinity, battery performance (the new iPad requires around 50% more battery capacity to achieve the same runtime) for iPad. This means the new iPad takes longer to charge and is heavier.
iPad and Infinity - making compromises for spec epeen and marketing
Note 10.1 - proper systems engineering, acknowledging that the benefits of a higher resolution display beyond 1280x800 (or was it 720?) are far less than the costs (need for much higher GPU fill rates, which means either worse framerates or more battery consumption).
I had the iPad1 the day it came out, and the iPad2 when it came out. The only reason I bought either tablet was that I wanted to use it for taking notes (without needing pen and paper) and reading PDF's (in a more natural way than on a laptop), and they only did one of those things. I sold my iPad2 a few months ago, and have just now picked up the Note 10.1. Me like!
The build quality is a little lower than I've been used to with the iPad, but feels acceptable in the hand.
The note-taking software is a little rough around the edges, as if Samsung doesn't realize they can tap into a HUGE education market with it.
In terms of taking notes in class, it's everything I ever hoped for -- the digitizer is very accurate, super rarely messes up.
Lack of high-res screen is disappointing, but it still looks a lot better than my iPad ever did!
The whole point of the Note 10.1 is taking notes and drawing. Hopefully Samsung will realize this at some point and polish up the rough edges and market it for education, ie. taking notes in class, but 'til then it's a fine tablet as is.
Entropy512 said:
I don't notice the reduced resolution at all - and as others have pointed out, excessive resolution causes problems. UI performance on Infinity, battery performance (the new iPad requires around 50% more battery capacity to achieve the same runtime) for iPad. This means the new iPad takes longer to charge and is heavier.
iPad and Infinity - making compromises for spec epeen and marketing
Note 10.1 - proper systems engineering, acknowledging that the benefits of a higher resolution display beyond 1280x800 (or was it 720?) are far less than the costs (need for much higher GPU fill rates, which means either worse framerates or more battery consumption).
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply, i will try to go to the store this week and test both of them and i will leave with one of them.
From what i have read, i think these are the main differences between the two.
Note 10.1
Likes- DAC, Speakers orientation, CPU/GPU/RAM, Design, S-Pen.
Dislikes- Screen resolution (I will try this at the store with websites and videos)
TF700 Infinity
Likes- Full HD res, Tegra 3 Gaming, Design, Dock, Stock Android.
Dislikes- Laggy performance/ I/O performance, Not so loud mono speaker with bad orientation, Build quality issues.
Mafiatounes said:
Thanks for your reply, i will try to go to the store this week and test both of them and i will leave with one of them.
From what i have read, i think these are the main differences between the two.
Note 10.1
Likes- DAC, Speakers orientation, CPU/GPU/RAM, Design, S-Pen.
Dislikes- Screen resolution (I will try this at the store with websites and videos)
TF700 Infinity
Likes- Full HD res, Tegra 3 Gaming, Design, Dock, Stock Android.
Dislikes- Laggy performance/ I/O performance, Not so loud mono speaker with bad orientation, Build quality issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With regards to the Screen resolution, I am very happy with it, maybe there are only a few users who genuinely dislike the display and others are just repeating what they have heard from other reviews.
Not sure if you will be fully able to test both machines in store for finding defects etc unless they are blatantly obvious as I have been using an Asus TF101 prior to the note and the defects usually show days/months later on the machines. I had to RMA my Asus once during its warranty period but I collected the faults over time and had them repaired in one visit, one speaker stopped working, battery drained very quickly and when it stopped charging I had to send it back.
I have not owned a Samsung tablet but have owned a few of their phones and currently own the phone version of the Note which I also love however it has not always been good. Previously owned their first galaxy S phone and had nothing but problems with it and the GPS issue was never really resolved on the phone which was poor even after updates. Samsung tend to release too many products too soon after the launch of a new product making the previous model obsolete and support/updates used to be very slow. Based on the above issues I moved back to HTC phones and am back now again to Samsung but this time it seems that they are focusing on quality and their latest product, the Note 10.1 really does seem to tick all the right boxes for for now....
HasC said:
With regards to the Screen resolution, I am very happy with it, maybe there are only a few users who genuinely dislike the display and others are just repeating what they have heard from other reviews.
Not sure if you will be fully able to test both machines in store for finding defects etc unless they are blatantly obvious as I have been using an Asus TF101 prior to the note and the defects usually show days/months later on the machines. I had to RMA my Asus once during its warranty period but I collected the faults over time and had them repaired in one visit, one speaker stopped working, battery drained very quickly and when it stopped charging I had to send it back.
I have not owned a Samsung tablet but have owned a few of their phones and currently own the phone version of the Note which I also love however it has not always been good. Previously owned their first galaxy S phone and had nothing but problems with it and the GPS issue was never really resolved on the phone which was poor even after updates. Samsung tend to release too many products too soon after the launch of a new product making the previous model obsolete and support/updates used to be very slow. Based on the above issues I moved back to HTC phones and am back now again to Samsung but this time it seems that they are focusing on quality and their latest product, the Note 10.1 really does seem to tick all the right boxes for for now....
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I know some people yell about specs that they only heard about without knowing what it adds, but it is not in my case, i usually browse a lot and i also hate seeing big pixels like for example on the iPad 2, this is what i liked about the New iPad the browsing experience was quitte good (with Chrome) and i could not see any pixels in normal use. That is why it will be the most important for me on a tablet.
I've had a lot of experience with Samsung and HTC in the past and it was the same as you HTC was a master, but if the Note 10.1 resembles the S3 that i own now than it will be the tab to beat. Samsung improved a lot since the Galaxy S in terms of software implementation and support at least this is what i experience now on my S3.
The only time you will notice the resolution difference with the Note is if you are trying to read really tiny text. Othewise this screen looks totally amazing.
That being said it all comes down to the s-pen. If you want a pen get the Note, if not get the ipad.
Sent from my awesome Note 10.1

Galaxy Note 10.1 Impressions and Weighing against Windows 8

I have had the Galaxy Note 10.1 since August 13th, so more than a month now and I have to say it's one of the best tablets I have ever owned.
Here are my impressions with some minor cons that need to be ironed out:
1) Amazing Screen, approaching Super AMOLED Plus levels (I owned a galaxy tab 7.7 that I sold to buy this one).
Minor Con: It does appear pixelated, especially the home screen folders and apps.
2) Amazing battery life (I have seen screen-on times upto 11.5 hrs and even with wi-fi always on and pulling in email from 4 accounts, it doesn't seem to consume any battery at all when the screen is turned off)
Minor Con: After an update pushed by Samsung it affected battery life slightly, although I am still getting 10 hrs of screen-on time with a lot of web browsing, videos, sometimes both at the same time using pop-up play.
3) Multi-tasking is powerful. Loving the ability to read a PDF/PPT and take notes in S Notes
Minor Con: S-Notes auto brightness increase after the latest update is killing my retina and is seriously annoying. Also, that giant scrolling/panning page makes S-Notes unusable in split screen mode. Hope these issues are addressed promptly through an update.
4) Brilliant S-Pen: I don't use notepads anymore. Seriously. I take notes everywhere, in meetings, jot down ideas, practice sketching. It has made me more productive in general. Coupled with its light weight and long battery life it's a god send. I will never buy any mobile computing device that doesn't have a Wacom pen functionality ever again. Once galaxy note 2 comes out on verizon I am replacing my galaxy nexus on launch day.
Here is the fly in the ointment though. Windows 8 is coming. And for anyone who has ever tried OneNote with a Wacom pen, knows its just unparalleled in terms of inking and makes S-Note, as powerful as it is, look like a hack job. Since Microsoft has had a long time to perfect it, they have taken it to another level that's just hard to touch for any new entrants.
Also, Windows OS will allow me to run my office software (I plan to get the x86 versions and have no interest in the RT version) and do programming (I write software as a hobby) while giving me much of the same multimedia functionality as Android OS. Granted Windows 8 won't nearly have as many apps or games as Android, but it has most of the essential things that I use and need from the get-go.
Currently, I am leaning towards the Samsung ATIV Smart PC as it will have S-Note also (apart from OneNote), so I can port all the notes that I have created on my galaxy note 10.1 to it, although it doesn't look as sleek as the Asus Vivo Tab.
What will I be sacrificing if I get a Windows 8 based convertible tablet like Samsung ATIV Smart PC or Asus Vivo Tab?
Cost is definitely a factor, but the productivity gain offsets that. What else?
Battery life: Not so much with Intel second generation Atom (both devices are rated for 13.5 hrs of battery life, 10 hrs of video)
GPU prowess: Galaxy Note 10.1 will definitely trump integrated Intel HD whatever in the Windows 8 devices. So if playing games are important, note 10.1 is a better choice.
Apps: Android OS has far more number of apps. Not much of an issue if you just want productivity apps, but fun apps are lacking in the Windows 8 store as of now. It might change when it actually releases, but it will definitely take some time to come up to parity.
Anything else?
Discussed ad nauseam here…
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1869148
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1869828
Bottom line is that until they’re in people’s hands all debate is rhetorical. And from early pricing reports, especially for non-RT devices, they better be good.
Thread Closed​
Thanks, but we dont need multiple threads on similar subjects.​

[Q] Note 8 or Nexus 10

So I'm trying to decide between purchasing a note 8 or a Nexus 10. I'm coming from a Kindle Fire 8.9 rooted with cm10.1 installed on it. That said, I've had TONS of tablets. Original galaxy tab 7, hp touchpad, galaxy tab 10.1, nexus 7, original transformer, xoom 2, xoom 1, and the transformer pad. I'm a tech junkie(as a profession) so I know my stuff. The problem I'm facing between the two is that I love the 8" screen, the quad core processor, sd expandability, and the ability to use hspa+. However the nexus 10 offers much more developer support, had that amazing high res screen, really good speakers, and stock android. Ish if anybody has had both and has preferences...or any arguments either way? If so it would be a HUGE help. THANKS!
Additionally I would make use of the spen because I do a lot of note taking on my tablet. But currently I just type everything out. That said, the Motorola xoom 2 uses a pointed stylus I believe the nexus could use if I wanted to.
Do you have a link to that stylus?
It all comes down to pen or no pen, is what it is. Do you want to draw and/or handwrite on it? If so, go for Note. If not, then keep what you have.
lp894 said:
So I'm trying to decide between purchasing a note 8 or a Nexus 10. I'm coming from a Kindle Fire 8.9 rooted with cm10.1 installed on it. That said, I've had TONS of tablets. Original galaxy tab 7, hp touchpad, galaxy tab 10.1, nexus 7, original transformer, xoom 2, xoom 1, and the transformer pad. I'm a tech junkie(as a profession) so I know my stuff. The problem I'm facing between the two is that I love the 8" screen, the quad core processor, sd expandability, and the ability to use hspa+. However the nexus 10 offers much more developer support, had that amazing high res screen, really good speakers, and stock android. Ish if anybody has had both and has preferences...or any arguments either way? If so it would be a HUGE help. THANKS!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was looking at the Note 8, especially because of that 3G radio, but that WXGA 189 ppi screen resolution killed it for me. Let me explain. I picked up a Zenbook Prime ultrabook with a 1080p 165 ppi screen last summer and was blown away by how great it looked, particularly with the matte screen. Then I got my first tablet, a Nexus 10, in January and its screen soon made me look down on the Zenbook's screen by comparison, that's how great the WQXGA 300 ppi screen is. :highfive: Once you step up to retina-level ppi, it's tough to go back.
That said, you've pretty much summed up the strengths of each tablet. It really depends on how mobile you need your tablet to be and how much you'd use the stylus, I only use my Nexus 10 around the house so it works better for me. That beautiful screen is also its weakness, as it sucks power like crazy. I always keep it on the low end of the brightness scale (lowest brightness setting allowed, which is still surprisingly bright, in a dark room, maybe 35% setting during the day) and the screen still consistently eats 60-70% of the power for me, according to the battery stats. It goes about 6-6.5 hours of continuous use on a single charge, best case (holds charge fantastic, kept using it sporadically for almost two weeks on a single charge one time).
I estimate that the Exynos 5 Dual in the Nexus 10 pulls about 5 W on average, up to 9-10 W max, which is a lot, even with a 33.75 Wh battery. I'd check the Note 8's reviews to see if it does any better, here's one you could read. The Nexus 10 can get pretty hot up top where the logic board is, though not as bad as some of the hottest devices, and you're not going to hold it up there anyway. I was surprised at how heavy 603 grams felt in my hands, I suggest you try holding one before you decide. At 338 grams, the Note 8 is almost half the weight.
The front-facing speakers are good on the Nexus 10, but the maximum volume is not as high as I'd like. You never know how high the volume is going to be on various videos and not being able to compensate by turning the volume up enough can be annoying. The camera may be the weakest link, just mediocre. I'd expect the Note 8 to have a better one on the back, though the front camera on the Nexus 10 has 50% more megapixels.
If I were you, I'd wait for the next Nexus 7, which is supposed to launch with a Full HD screen in a month or so. If you really need a good stylus, the Note 8 has a Wacom digitizer built in, so it can't be beat. If you want the gorgeous screen and don't mind the stuff I pointed out, Nexus 10. For all the flaws I've listed in the Nexus 10, I'm very happy with it, only big complaint is with Android web browsers generally, but that's a whole different Android software issue.
The other thing...is that I can get the nexus 10 for $260 (16gb model...used of course but in new condition), and the note 8 for $300. Makes it a bit of a tougher choice seeing as how I can get either relatively inexpensive lol. I'd wait for the next Nexus 7 but I had it right before I got my Kindle fire 8.9" and 7" just doesn't do it for me. Thing is...idk if that 8" will do it for me either(that sounds iffy LOL!) thats why I don't want the next Nexus 7
lp894 said:
The other thing...is that I can get the nexus 10 for $260 (16gb model...used of course but in new condition), and the note 8 for $300. Makes it a bit of a tougher choice seeing as how I can get either relatively inexpensive lol. I'd wait for the next Nexus 7 but I had it right before I got my Kindle fire 8.9" and 7" just doesn't do it for me. Thing is...idk if that 8" will do it for me either(that sounds iffy LOL!) thats why I don't want the next Nexus 7
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Click to collapse
Have you considered the Galaxy Note 10? It's pretty much the same thing, just stretched out to 10" with a battery that holds 50% more juice. Other specs might be slightly worse since it's older, for example, the same CPU but at a lower frequency, but it has a 3G radio and the stylus/digitizer that you wanted. I suggest you go to a store and handle these tablets before deciding, if you're not sure if 7-8" will do it for you.

Note 8 still worth getting after 2 years?

Hi,
I can get a brand new Note 8 for $200 CAD. Do you think it is still worth it to get? Is the $200 asking price reasonable for a two year old technology? Can $200 get a newer technology? I will mainly use it for web browsing, email, and stuff like that. I was planning to get the Tab S 8.5. Bestbuy has it on clearance for $329. What do you think?
I can tell you that I was surprised to find that there Isn't anything out there right now from Samsung worth replacing my Note 8 with. Although I've grown kinda restless with it the screen is better than some of the new offerings. The Tab A 9 inch tablet has a screen that's of way worse quality. The Note 8 is actually pretty stout. Check out some benchmarks on it, I'm sure it holds its own with some of the newer tablets. The screen is also nice, it's not killer by today's standard but still better than 70% of what's out there even now.
God no, this tablet is around 3 years old now, and is running 3 year old tech. Screen is not great (for today that is), battery life is poor (again for today), and it doesn't seem like you'll have any use for the pen, which is the only real purpose for this tablet, and what differentiates it from the rest. And with that, pen support is poor, S-Note is a worthless app, and 3rd party support for the pen is poor. Paying $200 for it is beyond insane.
Still rocks
My Note 8 3G on TouchWiz 4.4.4 still gives me 16+ hrs screen time (mostly book reading & writing) even after two years (obviously after de-bloating & tweaking). It's pretty solid with no issues whatsoever. This may not be the thing for those who always need the latest this or that, but I wouldn't change this tablet for anything yet -- is there any really worthy replacement?
I'm going to get right to what you want to hear. No, for $200 the Note 8 isn't worth it nowadays. You'd be better off taking that same $200 into a pawn shop and buying a decent laptop. You're just using it for browsing the web and checking email. Plus you can do so much more with a PC than you could on a tablet.
If you want web browsing, etc. Spend the $200 towards a Chromebook. Best browsing out there. Dell & HP ones are really great.
AkiOrpheus said:
My Note 8 3G on TouchWiz 4.4.4 still gives me 16+ hrs screen time (mostly book reading & writing) even after two years (obviously after de-bloating & tweaking). It's pretty solid with no issues whatsoever. This may not be the thing for those who always need the latest this or that, but I wouldn't change this tablet for anything yet -- is there any really worthy replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you didn't answer his question. Would you, now, pay $200 for it. Forget tweaking, most people don't have the time, knowledge base, or desire for that, evaluate the stock device, as is. Is it worth $200? IMO, no way. I would rather pay $500 for a modern device that doesn't require any tweaking and debloating, to get acceptable battery life or performance, than spend days or weeks tweaking something. My time is more valuable than that. And I will argue that in real-world usage (browsing, videos, etc), your device will not come close to the 16 hours you claim. Book reading and writing is not typical usage, and any modern device will likely beat your battery life with zero time invested in modifying it. My 1+ year old iPad Mini Retina absolutely destroys my Note 8 in battery life. It's not even close. Not that it's without it's share of issues, but overall, it's a much better tablet than the Note 8. Of course, it's much newer, so that's expected.
sputnik767 said:
Well, you didn't answer his question. Would you, now, pay $200 for it. Forget tweaking, most people don't have the time, knowledge base, or desire for that, evaluate the stock device, as is. Is it worth $200? IMO, no way. I would rather pay $500 for a modern device that doesn't require any tweaking and debloating, to get acceptable battery life or performance, than spenda days or weeks tweaking something. My time is more valuable than that. And I will argue that in real-world usage (browsing, videos, etc), your device will not come close to the 16 hours you claim. Book reading and writing is not typical usage, and any modern device will likely beat your battery life with zero time invested in modifying it. My 1+ year old iPad Mini Retina absolutely destroys my Note 8 in battery life. It's not even close. Not that it's without it's share of issues, but overall, it's a much better tablet than the Note 8. Of course, it's much newer, so that's expected.
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Click to collapse
I'm not at all an Apple fan -- no SD Card support & a Mini 4 (16GB Cellular) costs $529! Also, Apple is nothing compared to the Android customization. I wonder if we were to put all the 431 Samsung stock apks on iPad Mini, how it would be on battery.
Regarding Note 8: Compared to the initial $499 price, $200 is a good price for me personally. According to the reviews Samsung Tab 3 not that good, I'll surely buy a Note 8 for $200, if I need one again. Tweaking is very easy due to Boeffla kernel and it's own apk with pre-made profiles. The only thing taking an hour is deleting unnecessary stock apks with Titanium. Obviously my tweaking did not take days or weeks (people spend more time on unnecessary things ). Since, I'll be using tablets or smartphones till I die, knowledge base is very useful in the long run rather than be a noob always . I do some browsing on the tablet during my lectures but I prefer big screen laptop for that, and movies definitely on laptop, not on an 8".
This tablet never gave me errors (even a FC) except when I mistakenly erased certain partitions about a year ago due to my noobness.
Thanks for the reply. I have decided to get the Tab S 8.4. Now is $329 a good deal? I know I can wait til Black Friday. But that is 1.5 months away. By that time the Tab S will probably all gone. I like the Tab S for its screen. Should I go for it?
Haha thats funny, thats the exact tablet I was looking at to replace my note. The screen on it is gorgeous I just wish the back was that faux leather like the Pro 8.4 has. Also you may want to look at the pro which has the same ppi its just Super lcd not oled like the Tab S. Anthet thing to consider is at least on Android Central theres a few people complainiing of lagginess o the Tab S. Best Buy has Tab S's open box for about $280. I had one in my hand, just couldnt justify getting over my Note and losing the S Pen. Plus although the screen is nicer its not $280 nicer so I couldnt justify it for me.
Tab S 8.4
jtcb said:
Thanks for the reply. I have decided to get the Tab S 8.4. Now is $329 a good deal? I know I can wait til Black Friday. But that is 1.5 months away. By that time the Tab S will probably all gone. I like the Tab S for its screen. Should I go for it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go for Tab S 8.4, don't upgrade to stock Lollipop 5.0.2 -- friends told me it's pretty bad -- just keep the original KitKat. Especially, the Tab S battery is 300 mAh higher than Note 8, so does screen resolution (170 dpi more) -- almost double. Hence, the Tab S will use more battery. No proximity sensor in Tab S, which is very useful in Note 8 to wake the screen without using consuming HW buttons. No S Pen, which is bad if you like to use the tab as a handwriting notepad (Note 8 is pretty good at it). Also, Tab S 8.4 isn't a cellular tab.
However, in the end it's upto the person who spends the money!
Edit: If you can afford $100 more, this latest Samsung Tablet is definitely a winner >>> Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
Tab S2 review
I have a note 8. I wouldn't pay 200$ for one because of the screen and lack of support from Samsung. You'll have to use a customized rom to get newer version of Android. You lose most of the pen functionality when you do that. That said, I would not opt for the tab s at $330 either. Limited support from Samsung and from what I've read, not a stellar performer based on the software.
Couple questions - are you stuck on Samsung? And do you have to buy new? A better Samsung option might be the tab A that has stylus. Not as much ram as the Note 8, but newer OS and I "think" samsung even announced another update for it.
Best option IMO would be to find a used Nvidia Shield. Can be found for the same $200 and its gotten the latest updates for Android and when it does get them they're timely.
dr_pepper said:
I have a note 8. I wouldn't pay 200$ for one because of the screen and lack of support from Samsung. You'll have to use a customized rom to get newer version of Android. You lose most of the pen functionality when you do that. That said, I would not opt for the tab s at $330 either. Limited support from Samsung and from what I've read, not a stellar performer based on the software.
Couple questions - are you stuck on Samsung? And do you have to buy new? A better Samsung option might be the tab A that has stylus. Not as much ram as the Note 8, but newer OS and I "think" samsung even announced another update for it.
Best option IMO would be to find a used Nvidia Shield. Can be found for the same $200 and its gotten the latest updates for Android and when it does get them they're timely.
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I always prefer new so yes I would buy new. I have considered Tab A but the screen resolution is the worst in all tablet I have seen. I like the stylus in the Note 8 and A. But I can always get a separate stylus. I also consider Nexus 9 just for the frequent update.
jtcb said:
I always prefer new so yes I would buy new. I have considered Tab A but the screen resolution is the worst in all tablet I have seen. I like the stylus in the Note 8 and A. But I can always get a separate stylus. I also consider Nexus 9 just for the frequent update.
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shield has a stylus as well
AkiOrpheus said:
I'm not at all an Apple fan -- no SD Card support & a Mini 4 (16GB Cellular) costs $529! Also, Apple is nothing compared to the Android customization. I wonder if we were to put all the 431 Samsung stock apks on iPad Mini, how it would be on battery.
Regarding Note 8: Compared to the initial $499 price, $200 is a good price for me personally. According to the reviews Samsung Tab 3 not that good, I'll surely buy a Note 8 for $200, if I need one again. Tweaking is very easy due to Boeffla kernel and it's own apk with pre-made profiles. The only thing taking an hour is deleting unnecessary stock apks with Titanium. Obviously my tweaking did not take days or weeks (people spend more time on unnecessary things ). Since, I'll be using tablets or smartphones till I die, knowledge base is very useful in the long run rather than be a noob always . I do some browsing on the tablet during my lectures but I prefer big screen laptop for that, and movies definitely on laptop, not on an 8".
This tablet never gave me errors (even a FC) except when I mistakenly erased certain partitions about a year ago due to my noobness.
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I tried that kernel, and all it's tweaking options. I have tried debloating, overclocking, undervolting, etc. Nothing gave me any appreciable improvement in battery life or performance, and many "tweaks" gave me stability issues. In regular usage, I would be lucky to get 7 hours on the Note 8, stock or otherwise. But like I said, that would be expected for a tablet that came out over 2 years ago.
The reason why I brought up my iPad was not because I am an Apple fan, but because it's a much more modern device with easily 3 hours more battery life in real-world use. Modern Samsung tabs get similar results, but my iPad was provided to me by my job, so that's what I have. This device's only selling point is the pen. If the OP needs one, this tab is for him, regardless of the price. If not, $200 is way too much to spend on almost 3 year old hardware. And I have a feeling that he is like 99% of people out there, in that he has no interest in investing (read: wasting) the amount of time necessary to learn tweaking, flashing, debloating, etc, and there are better choices than this one out of the box.
sputnik767 said:
I tried that kernel, and all it's tweaking options. I have tried debloating, overclocking, undervolting, etc. Nothing gave me any appreciable improvement in battery life or performance, and many "tweaks" gave me stability issues. In regular usage, I would be lucky to get 7 hours on the Note 8, stock or otherwise. But like I said, that would be expected for a tablet that came out over 2 years ago.
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That's strange sputnik767, because out of the box, Note 8 gave me minimum 12 hours with all the factory junk running. That time I knew nothing about tweaking or de-bloating. I heard some Note 8s had hardware issues since the factory; that may be your case.
sputnik767 said:
This device's only selling point is the pen.
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That's the reason I went for Note 8 + multi tasking, which are tremendously useful for me. However, judging a tablet just by specs is a difficult thing. Hidden hardware issues, OS issues, and battery issues only can be known after usage (sometimes user may never know ).
200... Yes yes and yes
Big screen... Yes
3g and calling ... Yes
Upgradeable to 5.1.1... Yes
And most important is the pen. Microsoft onenote is THEE industry leader to pen notes (sorry google keep).
Many people don't know what they want until they have it. And nothing on the market has this size screen with calling and a pen
FIN
Do you use the S-pen? I've used it for designing and drawing, including professional work, and then @$200 it's absolutely worth it. Which version is it the 4G LTE or the regular one? Could you link it here? I can say this is the best tech investment I've ever made. To me the size is perfect, and I use it as the GPS in the car, the kids watch movies on it, use it to draw manga and what have you, and it is still pocketable in a jacket, and I bring it with me everywhere. It's also the home modem hotspot for all computers. Too bad Samsung didn't sell enough of them, so there's no new version.
You can find one cheaper
I was able to get one for $75 a few months ago. Bought it off someone from a Facebook group. I am always looking at these groups in my city for all sorta deals form electronics to tools. If you really want something like the Note 8.0 take a look, there has to be someone out there selling one.
I recently switched from my Note 8.0, which I owned for about 2 years, to an Asus Zenpad 8.0 S (4Gbyte Ram, 64gb flash) and it works great with the z stylus from Asus. I can highly recommend it.
All together it cost 330 Dollar and you get a modern thin, light tablet. I use the tablet mainly for taking notes (LectureNotes), surfing and email. I also owned a Note 10.1 (2014 edition) for a few months, but that one was too heavy and big (and not cheap, otherwise a great tablet though).

Any other Nexus 9 owners considering an upgrade?

Seems like currently (August 2018) the options are Huawei Mediapad M5 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4.
I still use my Nexus 9 a lot but the speed and deteriorating battery life is starting to become a daily frustration. I still like the tablet and always did, but it's time to upgrade. Four years is reasonable enough considering the price I bought it for in 2014. I really considered the Galaxy Tab S3 last year but decided to hold out.
The Tab S4 is clearly the best Android tablet right now but £600 for the lowest model feels obscene considering the Nexus 9 was half that.
So enter the Mediapad M5 (either the 8 or 10 size), which is a more realistic price but I'm not sure how good the community will be long term now given recent Huawei controversy. Also the Kirin 960 is slower than the Tab S4's Snapdragon 835 (which should have been 845 but whatever). Also no headphone jack.
Anyone else in a similar position?
I recently bought the xiaomi mi pad 4 to replace my Nexus 9. Nice little tablet and cheap as the same time.
I have tried many Android tablets and never considered an iPad. But now I have got an iPad 2017 since I need an iOS device for work. I must admit I was wrong about the iPad. Absolutely the best tablet I have tried. So smooth UI and web browsing. Google's apps work really good and other popular apps are more tablet optimized than on Android. Outstanding battery life. For it's price I think the iPad is hard to beat.
And I think it's amazing that the iPad Air that launched with iOS 7, soon five years ago, will get iOS 12.
dape16 said:
I have tried many Android tablets and never considered an iPad. But now I have got an iPad 2017 since I need an iOS device for work. I must admit I was wrong about the iPad. Absolutely the best tablet I have tried. So smooth UI and web browsing. Google's apps work really good and other popular apps are more tablet optimized than on Android. Outstanding battery life. For it's price I think the iPad is hard to beat.
And I think it's amazing that the iPad Air that launched with iOS 7, soon five years ago, will get iOS 12.
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Click to collapse
The iPad just won't do what I want a tablet for unfortunately. I usually throw a bunch of movies on a USB stick and watch on the road. But other than that, they are pretty nifty.
I'm planning on waiting for me Chromebook Tablets. Currently I'm eyeing the HP x2 .. but we will see what comes out. ChromeOs but able to run Android apps.
madbat99 said:
The iPad just won't do what I want a tablet for unfortunately. I usually throw a bunch of movies on a USB stick and watch on the road. But other than that, they are pretty nifty.
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Ipad/iphone are able to use specific usb stick just like OTG.
Or did i get you wrong?
ronald_loulan said:
Ipad/iphone are able to use specific usb stick just like OTG.
Or did i get you wrong?
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You're right, I forgot about that. Expensive sticks though.
madbat99 said:
You're right, I forgot about that. Expensive sticks though.
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Click to collapse
Actually is not that expensive, at least i got mine around 20usd.
It have micro sd/ sd card as storage so you can expand it up to 128GB if not mistaken.
Mine have Lightning,micro usb and usb port, quite good as it can be use for android and IOS too...
I am still trying to decide what to do.
I like the HP X2 Detachable chromebook, but felt it should have more than 32Gb of storage, and I'd also prefer a 10" screen rather than 12.3"
The S3 was ruled out last year due to no real development for it. Plus those backwards Samsung buttons.
S4 is really pricey and you have to deal with the samsung lock down on the bootloader.
Currently I've supported this on Indiegogo
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/...ntertainment-bluetooth-computers/x/19180545#/
It's not the best spec wise but it's got the same screen as the S4 and at $219 it's hard to beat Plus XDA say that they are working with Alldocube to ensure it's developer friendly.
https://www.xda-developers.com/alldocube-x-10-5-inch-android-8-1-oreo/
Of course I'm also waiting to see what happens with the upcoming ChromeOS tablets. Rumors point to 3 coming out in the fall.
I still use my N9 almost every day. I love the form factor of it and the 4:3 ratio screen is great for ebooks or magazines.
And if you don't mind not having youtube the latest 8.1 builds are pretty nice for it. I'm using AICP at the moment.
NaterTots said:
I am still trying to decide what to do.
I like the HP X2 Detachable chromebook, but felt it should have more than 32Gb of storage, and I'd also prefer a 10" screen rather than 12.3"
The S3 was ruled out last year due to no real development for it.
S4 is really pricey and you have to deal with the samsung lock down on the bootloader.
Currently I've supported this on Indiegogo
alldocube-x-tablet-for-high-quality-entertainment-bluetooth-computers
I still use my N9 almost every day. I love the form factor of it and the 4:3 ratio screen is great for ebooks or magazines.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear ya, I've looked into the Alldocube as well, but the CPU is too inferior to consider. Plus the battery life may not be very good with that CPU. They only claim 8 hours [so realistically looking at 5-6]. Everything else sounds good.
Mi Pad 4 Plus was just released last week. It is looking pretty good. Has a fingerprint reader which the non-plus didn't have. Xiaomi has good software support, I owned a Redmi Note 4 and really enjoyed it.
10" screen, at 1920x1200. But the battery has been tested for 19+ hours, which is pretty spectacular. CPU is decent.
Right now the price is a bit higher than it should be, retails for $279USD in china, china dealers are at $359USD right now, but I expect it to drop in the coming months. At MSRP price I would buy it.
I picked up a refurbished HP Pro Slate 8 a few months ago. At this point I only care for 4:3 or 3:2 screens and I want them to be pocketable. 8" 4:3 fits in my back pocket. And I like buying second hand so they are cheap and essentially disposable. Because lets not kid ourselves - these things are worthless / failing in a few years no matter what.
Otherwise for anything bigger I would strongly suggest a second hand Surface Pro 4/5. You can get real work done on those and they are super fast.
heywtf said:
Seems like currently (August 2018) the options are Huawei Mediapad M5 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4.
I still use my Nexus 9 a lot but the speed and deteriorating battery life is starting to become a daily frustration. I still like the tablet and always did, but it's time to upgrade. Four years is reasonable enough considering the price I bought it for in 2014. I really considered the Galaxy Tab S3 last year but decided to hold out.
The Tab S4 is clearly the best Android tablet right now but £600 for the lowest model feels obscene considering the Nexus 9 was half that.
So enter the Mediapad M5 (either the 8 or 10 size), which is a more realistic price but I'm not sure how good the community will be long term now given recent Huawei controversy. Also the Kirin 960 is slower than the Tab S4's Snapdragon 835 (which should have been 845 but whatever). Also no headphone jack.
Anyone else in a similar position?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I replaced my battery and its good as new.
Bought recently Huawei M5 10.8 for about 300€ - nice new tab, not sure what to do with my N9 now but I feel your pain, its slow and sluggish.
I went ahead and purchased a Mi Pad 4 Plus. It is pretty darn good!
Took a little bit to get everything setup [this being XDA, installing the google services shouldn't be hard at all].
Screen is great, performance is great. Battery life is outstanding. Having a fingerprint reader is essential for me, have read lots of complaints how face ID unlock is terrible for tablets. Fingerprint works flawlessly on this.
The speakers are a bit tinny, but they are very loud.
Overall, 2 days in and I have nothing bad to say about it. Oh, and it cost less than half the price of a Samsung Tab S4! MSRP is $279 USD. Is still selling above that right now, but it is still worth it!
Lumberjack_Plaid said:
I went ahead and purchased a Mi Pad 4 Plus. It is pretty darn good!
Took a little bit to get everything setup [this being XDA, installing the google services shouldn't be hard at all].
Screen is great, performance is great. Battery life is outstanding. Having a fingerprint reader is essential for me, have read lots of complaints how face ID unlock is terrible for tablets. Fingerprint works flawlessly on this.
The speakers are a bit tinny, but they are very loud.
Overall, 2 days in and I have nothing bad to say about it. Oh, and it cost less than half the price of a Samsung Tab S4! MSRP is $279 USD. Is still selling above that right now, but it is still worth it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mipad4 outstanding tablet but the biggest drawback is sound speakers. It's bottom of the tablet not front Like Lenovo Tab 4 or Huawie Media Pad 5 or Samsung A 10.1(2018).
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
sheenswizner said:
Mipad4 outstanding tablet but the biggest drawback is sound speakers. It's bottom of the tablet not front Like Lenovo Tab 4 or Huawie Media Pad 5 or Samsung A 10.1(2018).
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
If one were to buy mipad4 plus or m5, i would strongly recommend m5 pro with comes with 4 speakers, bigger battery, mpen and desktop mode..
been nagging oneplus to make something to replace my N9 every time I catch em posting on twitter
Just got a Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4 yesterday. Unlocked the bootloader but will stay on stock until they stop OTA's. Overall size much more akin to my Nexus 7 which I had replaced with the Nexus 9. Sadly never did think the 9 lived up to expectations.
M5 has great build quality and while I have not had it for very long it leaves the N9.......in....the.....dust.
N9 will be heading over to SWAPPA once I am sure M5 rocks.
I picked up an Amazon Fire 10" (current model) a year ago when they were on sale for $100. After enabling Google Play Store on it, I ended up using it and ignoring my Nexus 9 for a year. The Fire was inexpensive and therefore not as big a risk at the gym, and it did everything I needed. I even stuck with the Fire launcher and found it usable. Recently I picked up the Nexus 9 again and found the two reasons I had set it aside -- reduced but still reasonable battery life, and inexplicable "lockups" where the tablet stopped responding despite the screen still being on, requiring a long power button press reboot. I like the slightly smaller size factor (fits my man bag, the Fire doesn't). Thinking about rooting and putting a new ROM on board. But the Fire 10" is surprisingly usable and not much of a compromise for me.
This thread is literally my thoughts. I've been looking to upgrade for a while.
As echoed above though, replacing the battery the other day has vastly improved it and given me another year out of this old knockabout
It's an easy swap too.
I was on here looking for a new ROM.

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