I'm going to be attending one of the biggest blogging conventions next week BlogHer 11 in San Diego. Samsung reached out to me with an offer to test drive the Galaxy Tab.Fedex delivered the Tab a couple hours ago. The Tab will be returned after testing,I purchased my TF on my own so my impressions and review will be objective.Looking forward to comparing the 2 in real life working situations and sharing my findings with you all.
Initial impressions? Galaxy Tab is light,very slim,build quality is excellent,charger goes together easily,cable is long. Screen quality is good but colors are somewhat oversaturated to my eye.
You can get a USB adapter from Samsung website, $20 USD. Interesting to see what can be connected to Samsung 10.1 using this accessory.
Unfortunately, the 7 inch Samsung will never be compatible with the USB adapter accessory. My Verizon Samsung 7 inch tablet is still Android 2.2 and I am very disappointed. Verizon is not doing anything to *encourage* Samsung tablet purchases with a data plan.
ASUS TF101 has the USB feature in the dock, e.g. two USB ports plus SD card slot. ASUS has not started shipping their USB adapter accessory for the tablet only.
Bob Smith42 said:
You can get a USB adapter from Samsung website, $20 USD. Interesting to see what can be connected to Samsung 10.1 using this accessory.
Unfortunately, the 7 inch Samsung will never be compatible with the USB adapter accessory. My Verizon Samsung 7 inch tablet is still Android 2.2 and I am very disappointed. Verizon is not doing anything to *encourage* Samsung tablet purchases with a data plan.
ASUS TF101 has the USB feature in the dock, e.g. two USB ports plus SD card slot. ASUS has not started shipping their USB adapter accessory for the tablet only.
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Evaluating both devices fairly,without fanboyish bias, doing the kinds of real work I normally do will be interesting. I love my TF but must admit my out of the box impression of the new G Tab is pretty favorable in terms of it's looks,weight and build quality.
The difficulty I would have is comparing them as tablets isn't quite right.
The Galaxy looks to have the advantage on the physical side with it's build quality and profile but the TF was always a "hybrid" concept and sacrifices have been made to make it a cheap dockable netbook replacement. So the TF is an incomplete package with out it's dock.
The Galaxy is not intended for the same use cases as the TF and it's seems unfair to compare it with a device that has a whole extra appendage.
So it's not quite comparing apples with apples. As a pure tablet the Galaxy looks to be the better of the two but does that make for a better overall experience or value for money proposition? I can't say.
At least we have choice in the market place
P.S - Cool job! Have fun with your review!
Yes, I am not bothered with looks.... It is how the two operate and run which what I am interested in.
I was going to purchase the 32GB Galaxy 10.1 here in the UK when released (early Aug) but no MicroSD made the decision to try the TF with Keyboard Dock.
Initially I am impressed with the fact the TF has more scope for hardware use and this is where the Galaxy 10.1 will have to come back in the running.
If you can show the Sammy as being the better of the two I will hand the TF over to my Wife and either take the 32GB or 64GB Sammy.
I have both a TF with keyboard dock and a 16gb Tab 10.1. I agree they are different animals, nothing beats the Tab for true portability in a tablet form factor. But if I'm going to be doing a lot of work (i.e. emails/docs/spreadsheets/etc.) the TF with the keyboard is my preference since I can type way faster and be more comfortable with the physical keyboard. The Tab 10.1 is the best pure tablet I've ever used, even like it better than my iPad.
eli.kennedy said:
The difficulty I would have is comparing them as tablets isn't quite right.
The Galaxy looks to have the advantage on the physical side with it's build quality and profile but the TF was always a "hybrid" concept and sacrifices have been made to make it a cheap dockable netbook replacement. So the TF is an incomplete package with out it's dock.
The Galaxy is not intended for the same use cases as the TF and it's seems unfair to compare it with a device that has a whole extra appendage.
So it's not quite comparing apples with apples. As a pure tablet the Galaxy looks to be the better of the two but does that make for a better overall experience or value for money proposition? I can't say.
At least we have choice in the market place
P.S - Cool job! Have fun with your review!
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I
I agree whole heartedly with your thoughts,I would love to get my hands on the dock/keyboard for the Galaxy to make the comparision more of an orange against orange review. I think it will come down to what each user needs the tabletfor.I also think Kal-El being on the horizon should influence a lot of purchasing decisions.
Am enjoying the Galaxy Tab 10.1 as an e-reader, it's really light so holding the tab in one hand is not straining or uncomfortable. Also noticing that the sound quality is surprisingly good
I was bummed to discover that the Samsung Gear VR headset only works with variations of the S7, of the S6 and the Note 5. I'm hoping to find some sort of hack, maybe how the phone is identified or a change in settings, that would enable my rooted S5 to work with the Gear VR. I've looked around pretty good and not found anything but I'm hoping such an adjustment exists and I just missed it.
Interested too!
sadly no
Samsung vr is only compatible with certain devices because those devices have certain hardware that the s5 doesn't have. if you can possibly get the vr on the s5, there is no guarantee that it will work at all because of the hardware
I noticed this past December that my unrooted stock Nexus 6P battery life was unacceptable the colder it was outside but now 6 month's later in summer the battery life lately has become unacceptable regardless of temperature. In December just past my 1 yr warranty, I called https://www.ubreakifix.com/google-repair/nexus-6p-repair/nexus-6p-battery-replacement & was quoted $89.99 for a new battery replaced by them (90 day warranty), is that my best option?:good:
I'm backing up its data now via AirDroid to my pc, is that the best way to copy data from an unrooted stock N6P or what do you prefer?
Regarding 2017 device upgrade options, device maker's even the new essential phone which claims to be a consumer oriented company from Android founder Andy Rubin doesn't seem to care anymore about user replaceable batteries for consumer+environmental friendliness. I still have a Samsung Note 4 which is so easy to battery swap so it's frustrating to see so few options for new smartphones with user-replaceable batteries. I did consider the LG V20 with its easy battery swap which can be bought for so much less now than when released which I would have bought if it had front facing stereo speakers like my Nexus 6P & Motorola X Pure that new flagship phones also no longer seem to care about with the bezel-less trend but stereo speakers may still show up in at least one of the next Pixels or Samsung Note 8. I also checked out the Samsung S8+ when it first came out but wasn't blown away yet may take another look if Essential Phone, Pixel 2, Samsung Note 8 reviews underwhelm.. I also checked out the Huawei Mate 9 but wasn't convinced it was enough of an upgrade over the Nexus 6P. I'm almost tempted to buy an inexpensive LG V20 largely for the user replaceable battery but not sure that's enough of an upgrade over my Samsung Note 4 or my Nexus 6P with a new battery..
Thoughts on 2017 device upgrade options for those who still value user-replaceable batteries ideally with front facing stereo speakers or should those be considered features of Android's past?
Appreciate any helpful replies,
I've been using a Galaxy Tab S 8.4 for a couple of years and I've been mostly happy with it. My tab has developed hardware problems and now crashes a lot. I'm thinking of switching to a different 8" pad with more recent firmware. Did anybody switch from a Tab S to an M3? Can you tell me the pros and cons off the M3 compared to the Tab S?
The Galaxy Tab S is the best tablet I've ever had. The only cons that I had with it is that the Exynos chip, unless you got the better Snapdragon variant. What largely disappointed me with the M3 is how the screen was calibrated, this is a bit subjective but I prefer the look of the basic mode on the Galaxy Tab S. If you've been in the adaptive mode then I doubt you'll dislike how the display looks. The M3 has bit of heft on weight in comparison to the Galaxy Tab S. The OS is purely disappointing and the DPI isn't similar to a tablet, so the UI of the M3 looks like it's a big phone. GPU performance isn't that big of a leap. What's really great on the M3 is its speaker. It's an absolute bliss listening to it. Also, build quality is a lot premium than the Galaxy Tab S. In my opinion the only route you'll have is to purchase the expensive Galaxy Tab S3 or a cheaper 1080p tablet from Lenovo, the Lenovo Tab 4 8 plus which has a snapdragon 625. You probably have the same dilemma as mine, I was spoiled by the 16:10 aspect ratio of the Tab S that I couldn't purchase any tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio or I could be wrong.
Thanks, that's just the kind of information I was looking for. You're right, I like the aspect ratio on the Tab S and I don't want to switch to a tablet with a 4:3 ratio. It's really a shame that tablets don't seem to get much attention and that there are so few to choose from. I couldn't get by without my tablet.
Guess I'll have to compromise one way or another.
I loved my Tab S and when it took a nose dive off the kitchen side I instantly went to buy the same model for two reasons. Firstly, tablets haven't evolved much in the past couple of years and I didn't like the ratio of the Tab S2 and S3. However, when I saw that the Tab S was still north of £200 and not far south for second hand I decided to research into something newer. Main requirement was the screen ratio of the Tab S
Agree with everything mentioned above but will also add that the bonus of the bulk is 3 days battery versus 1 day on the Tab S along with a premium feel.
Overall I am really happy with the M3. The Nougat update removes the over sized phone GUI and improves the feel of the tablet massively. That said if I'd bought the M3 as an upgrade to the Tab S if think I would have been disappointed as it's not a marked improvement but certainly didn't want to return it once I started playing. BTW if you leave it in phone mode Google Assistant apparently !!
Development is limited but the Firmware Finder app does a pretty good job of releasing beta firmware and providing tools to install them.
Got a decent screen protector, case (although, dodgy colour) and hard tip stylus if you need recommendations
Tough call. I'm still hoping I can get my Tab S working well again, but if I can't, I may give the M3 a try. Thanks for the suggestions. I may be back soon.
I never had a Tab S but i did and still have a Tab Pro 8.4. The M3 is a great replacement honestly. The screen is bright and responsive. The speakers are a huge upgrade. The new UI 5.0 is decent. I wish there was more development for linage or similar builds, but you can still root this tablet if you want. I currently don't have mine rooted, and only reason I would right now is to enable the 5mhz AC band in the US. Otherwise, the original build is fine. Compared to the Pro 8.4 the finger print access is huge and the overall speed of the tablet make it night and day. I was able to get the 64gb internal storage one on sale from Amazon for a little over $275 so feels like a huge value to me compared to similar samsungs. I would wish there was not only more development but more 3rd party cases and such. Otherwise it is an amazing tablet and the only real option in the 16:10 situation. The new tab pro 8 4 has been gimped for all us models with only 16gb and 2 gb of ram.
oh hey
I'm in a similar position - I've had my Tab S 8.4 since it launched 2014, and since the S2 came out as 4:3 I've been looking for a "better" tablet, and not been able to find one.
(Why do Samsung always do this - First Galaxy Note 16:10, everything else 16:9, first Galaxy Tab S 16:10, everything else 4:3, why, why, WHY)
Reading a lot of reviews and opinions on this M3 when the S3 came out, didn't leave me overly impressed. But it's nearly 2018 and there STILL isn't a better tablet (eye heart amoled), and this is the closest it comes if you want an 8.4 inch, 16:10 Tablet that takes SD cards. 32GB & 3GB RAM is starting to ware thin so I'm going to take the plunge. Wish me luck.
EDIT: Actually, scratch that. I'm used to (circa-2010) HTC and current Samsung forums full of roms and changes - there doesn't even seem to be any customs ROMs for this tablet? If we hit Jan 2019 and this is still the only option, then I'll go for this. I seriously hope not.
Samsung loads useless software you can't disable. Huawei is a much cleaner. I stay away from Samsung now. Had a galaxy tab pro, yes the big one. Samsung makes good hardware, just buy the package disabler on play store. I like the Huawei, I can hold in one hand & read easily.
I had and still have the Tab S, well my daughter and son-in-law use it now. Development on this tablet is the only negative that I see. That and I am not a fan of the UI, but I just load Nova and bam, best tablet ever. I used to Root and Rom all the time, but android mostly does everything I want now, and you can remove most of the programs you don't use anymore. I was waiting to see if Google was going to release and 7 or 8 inch tablet and they didn't so this is perfect for me. Powerful, good battery and fits in my back pocket when I head to Starbucks.
I originally bought the Tab S to use as a light-weight alternative to a laptop while traveling, but then I found that with the long battery life, I was using it every day. I'm traveling now, but I'm going to take the plunge and get an M3 when I'm back home.
woody1 said:
I originally bought the Tab S to use as a light-weight alternative to a laptop while traveling, but then I found that with the long battery life, I was using it every day. I'm traveling now, but I'm going to take the plunge and get an M3 when I'm back home.
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Do it do it!! BTW I wanted the LTE version but Amazon only had it from 3rd party resellers in Spain. Amazon Germany have it sold by Amazon and will ship to the UK (providing that's where you are based)
telsims said:
Do it do it!! BTW I wanted the LTE version but Amazon only had it from 3rd party resellers in Spain. Amazon Germany have it sold by Amazon and will ship to the UK (providing that's where you are based)
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No, I'm in the US. I'll have to see where I can buy it here.
woody1 said:
Tough call. I'm still hoping I can get my Tab S working well again, but if I can't, I may give the M3 a try. Thanks for the suggestions. I may be back soon.
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Seriousle, the M3 is the best tablet that I had. I also have the Samsung Tab S3 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014. The M3 is much faster than the Tab S3, by a substantial margin. Both are excellent tablets, and the Tab S3 targets different uses and users but for sheer compatibility and speed, the MediaPad M3 cannot be beat.
I also have a Tab S 8.4 and I love it. But it's a 2 years old tablet and the battery capacity is not as good as the first times.
So my first choice is M3. But I also have a OnePlus 3. I don't want to carry 2 charger so I'm looking for a type-c tablet. M3's micro usb charging slot is the only negative thing for me.
I'm also looking for a tablet that will go for 2-3 years at least.
kamajikaciya said:
I also have a Tab S 8.4 and I love it. But it's a 2 years old tablet and the battery capacity is not as good as the first times.
So my first choice is M3. But I also have a OnePlus 3. I don't want to carry 2 charger so I'm looking for a type-c tablet. M3's micro usb charging slot is the only negative thing for me.
I'm also looking for a tablet that will go for 2-3 years at least.
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Can't you just use the same charger with a different cable? I use a dual USB charger that I use to charge multiple devices. I can charge either my Android devices or my wife's Apple stuff just using the appropriate cable.
Helllo !
My previous tablet was a tab S 8.4. Media pad M3 is much better but I only miss the amoled screen .
woody1 said:
Can't you just use the same charger with a different cable? I use a dual USB charger that I use to charge multiple devices. I can charge either my Android devices or my wife's Apple stuff just using the appropriate cable.
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I cannot use the Dash Charger (DS) with my Samsung TabS 8.4
I tried many different cables but DS do not charge it. I'm not sure if I'll be able to charge any other devices with DS bye th way.
My main reason for switching away from the Tab S 8.4 was the internal storage. Since it was upgraded to Marshmallow, updating apps became a pain because of the low space. Apart from the faster CPU, I thought the S2 & S3's were more of a downgrade. I've since switched to the Mediapad M3 64GB version and love it. I rarely travel with my laptop nowadays.
I like the fact that Huawei allows you to unlock the bootloader and rooting wasn't very hard. I haven't upgraded to nougat yet. I wasn't sure if the rooting procedure changed but mostly because Xposed wasn't available for Nougat yet. Now that Xposed is now available (https://www.xda-developers.com/official-xposed-framework-android-nougat/), I'll look into upgrading.
One caveat about the US version. For some reason, the 5GHz wifi radio was disabled. However, I was able to re-enable it via a tweak to a configuration file but it required root to do it. I'm not sure if it's still disabled with Nougat.
I made the jump and got the Mediapad a few days ago. One of the reasons I decided on the Mediapad was that I read that Huawei allowed the bootloader to be unlocked. As I've discussed in some other threads, I've been unable to get an unlock code from the Huawei website. Yesterday, I sent Huawei an email requesting an unlock code and I got a reply back saying that Hauwei US does not provide unlock codes and that unlocking would invalidate my warranty. WTF? They have a website to provide unlock codes, but they say that they won't allow it? Does anybody know what this means?
woody1 said:
I made the jump and got the Mediapad a few days ago. One of the reasons I decided on the Mediapad was that I read that Huawei allowed the bootloader to be unlocked. As I've discussed in some other threads, I've been unable to get an unlock code from the Huawei website. Yesterday, I sent Huawei an email requesting an unlock code and I got a reply back saying that Hauwei US does not provide unlock codes and that unlocking would invalidate my warranty. WTF? They have a website to provide unlock codes, but they say that they won't allow it? Does anybody know what this means?
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Solved?