Tablet buying recommendation

[v1ru5879]

My son who is 4 took over my Galaxy tab pro 8.4 so I guess I have to get myself my own lol. So I am looking for some recommendations on what to get. Not looking to buy a flagship or something brand new, actually am going to get one from swappa. Just looking for something that's equal or better than the tab pro. Looks like carrier tablets seem to be priced lower than wifi. Would love to hear some input

 

[B. Diddy]

What's important to you for a tablet? Performance? Internal Storage? Quality of screen/speakers (for media)? Overall value for the price?

 

[v1ru5879]

I would say over all value for the price. Pretty much at this point the minimum specs are gonna be anything equal to the tab pro and obviously anything above is gonna be ideal. Not really looking to spend more than $150 used since I will mainly be using it in my garage along with the torque pro and Bluetooth obd scanner for vehicles and videos along with with forums. So nothing too high demanding

 

[B. Diddy]

I customarily recommend the Lenovo Tab 4 8", which retails for $129, but can often be found as a refurb for around $90 (like here: computers.woot.com/offers/lenovo-tab-4-8-16gb-wifi-tablet?ref=w_cnt_lnd_cat_pc_6_15). Decent performance, microSD slot (which supports Adoptable Storage), nice bright screen (only 720P, but not a big deal on an 8" screen), surprisingly good front-firing stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos), and unexpected software update support (got updated from Nougat to Oreo last fall, and got a couple more security updates since then). The only weak point is the internal storage -- only 16 GB. As I mentioned, you can expand it with an SD card, but I'm always wary of using Adoptable Storage, given how unreliable most SD cards are.

 

[v1ru5879]

Sounds like that would be perfect for my intended use. Would you recommend paying a little more for the plus version?

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm not too familiar with the Plus version. From what I can tell on the site, the main difference is the full HD screen (which, on an 8" screen, probably doesn't make a huge difference compared to 720P) and the somewhat better CPU. It also has a SIM slot, if you want to use it on a mobile data plan on any network except for Sprint. Personally, I'd stay with the regular version if you want the best value.

Also, be aware that the Lenovo Tab 4 10" Plus didn't get Oreo (although the regular 10" version did): https://www.xda-developers.com/lenovo-tab-4-10-plus-wont-get-android-oreo/

 

[v1ru5879]

Yeah that's the same I was able to come up with comparing the two. What do you think about the Asus zenpad z8 plus? That's right in line price wise with the Lenovo

 

[B. Diddy]

Are you talking about the Z8s? Probably pretty comparable. I'm not sure if the base Z8 model got updated to Oreo, but it looks like the Z8s did. One potential drawback is that the Z8 is closely associated with Verizon, so if you have a Verizon version, it will likely have a ton of preinstalled Verizon bloat. If you can find a version that isn't associated with a carrier and gets updated to Oreo, it'd be a good option. I like ASUS devices -- they're generally pretty good quality.

 

[tube517]

I like the Lenovo 4 8 as well. Solid tablet and handles what I want it to do. Netflix, browsing forums, book reader. And Dolby for music (and streaming w/headphones) is just a big plus.

I didn't have a good experience with Asus. I had a memopad and it went dead after a year.

 

[v1ru5879]

I think I will go with the Lenovo from what I have heard and read. Looks fairly easy to replace a battery if needed. That is one plus on the tab pro is that it's not glued together like most new devices

 

[technomom]

The snarky response would be the iPad.

Seriously, I'm Android through and through, but I keep getting disappointed in the Android tablet offerings because too many apps seem to just treat the tablet like a big phone.

I am not an Apple fan but the recent changes to iOS (widgets, actually accepting USB connected devices, better swipe typing support) have me at least glancing in that direction.

Bottom line is that Google REALLY has to make a move here.

And yes, the Lenovo tablets are actually the best of breed for Android right now.

 

[C5Longhorn]

I would check out the Huawei Mediapad M5's. I have the 8.4 in. version and I'm happy with it.

 

[King_sr]

I have to say the Samsung Tab A with Spen is still my everyday tablet for work. It has a 3gb of Ram and can compete in performance with the Tab s4. It has an spen which is stored internally and is compatible with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse! I have been using this for work on construction sites everyday for the past 2 years and it still working great. The only downer is that it has a budget screen and doesnt support the newest DeX and fast charging. But for the price, it cannot be beat. I think it's still going for around $300 at bestbuy...

I have to agree with you. If Samsung doesnt step up with something soon, I'm going to be switching.

 

[gballing]

I have been pleasantly surprised by the new ONN 8in tablet from Walmart. I think it was $64 and a surprisingly capable great for reading and simple surfing. I haven't used it for much streaming media so I don't know how it stands up for that - it's fine for an occasional YouTube video. It's head and shoulders above the Kindle fire 7-inch tablet and Barnes & Noble nook tablet.

 

[v1ru5879]

Just set my alerts for a Lenovo 4 8 plus on swappa. Do not want to spend over $120 at the most on a tablet for my use. I would love a higher end one if I was going to be using it more than what I plan to

 

[tube517]

Just set my alerts for a Lenovo 4 8 plus on swappa. Do not want to spend over $120 at the most on a tablet for my use. I would love a higher end one if I was going to be using it more than what I plan to

In addition to Swappa, check Slickdeals, Woot, and Thrifter. Sales "sneak" in when you are least expecting it. There might be other tablets that may interest you as well.

 

[B. Diddy]

Just set my alerts for a Lenovo 4 8 plus on swappa. Do not want to spend over $120 at the most on a tablet for my use. I would love a higher end one if I was going to be using it more than what I plan to

Did you check the Woot.com I previously linked? $89 for a refurb (I think with $5 for shipping). All 3 I got were refurbs, and they've been working just fine.

EDIT: Never mind, I just saw that they're sold out. Let me look for some other deals ...

 

[B. Diddy]

Here's a grade A refurb at Groupon for $95: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ifi-tablet-refurbished-a-grade&token=ugU0IEon

 

[v1ru5879]

I will definitely keep an eye on the mentioned above. I think my aim is gonna be on a 4 8 plus as they can be had for just a little more than the regular 4 8

 

[B. Diddy]

I will definitely keep an eye on the mentioned above. I think my aim is gonna be on a 4 8 plus as they can be had for just a little more than the regular 4 8

If you still haven't gotten a new tablet yet, woot.com has the Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus (refurb) for a measly $79. This is better than the regular Tab 4 8 because it has the Snapdragon 625 (not 425), and the screen is full HD 1920x1200. Everything else is pretty much the same, and it also was updated to Oreo. At this price, I couldn't resist -- I ordered one!

computers.woot.com/offers/lenovo-8-tab4-8-plus-16gb