It’s not only with Black Friday. The Android tablets market is flooded with absolute expensive stinkers for devices. You will notice this in any physical electronic store.
Not to mention fakes. I bought and Android 12 tablet on Amazon as new not long ago, the version string said 12, but the actual API level was 24 (Android 7) and the UI wasn’t android 12.
If you don’t think that’s a big deal on a cheap tablet then you’re not considering what else could have been done to it that you can’t see. They’re already lying after all.
Isn’t not buying anything on Black Friday generally a good advice?
Some of the crap being pushed out cheap is made just for Black Friday. Weird TVs with one HDMI port, or the guts of it are leftovers from three years ago, stuff like that.
I mean sure, buy a PS5 or whatever because there’s no cheapo version of that with a PS4 Pro in it, but for things like TVs, tablets, or things with a million different model numbers? Buyer beware.
They’ve already been shamelessly doing the exact same thing with outlet malls for ages: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/outlet-stores-quality-1.3392279 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8cyvpJYZlk
So we really shouldn’t be surprised, unfortunately.
Yeah, title should just be:
Don’t waste your money
on an awful Android tableton Black FridayI bought two 4TB USB SSDs half price, they seem well built and were brand new. I think I did pretty well.
Broke my phone 2 days ago. Samsung S23 has a black Friday promotion on its official website, the 256gb model is cheaper priced than the 128gb model. I think it’s a good deal. Buy things you really need, and you might save some money. But of course don’t buy stuff you don’t need just for the sake of discount.
Online? Because I’ve been looking for some good external data storage solutions today if you’ve got a link lol.
I’m also considering springing for a Synology NAS if I can find a good deal, but I’ve already dropped a lot on a laptop.
I got it from Amazon, but I’m not in USA so for some reason the discount seems much larger on my Amazon which is the complete opposite of how sales usually work here. It’s the Samsung T7 Shield 4TB, it seems pretty nice.
Thanks!
Hope they weren’t WDs. Those aren’t even worth 1/10th their price.
They are Samsung T7 Shields, I have a couple 2TB variants of the T5 and they have held up very well.
Or SanDisk..
When is a good time to buy then?
Whenever there’s a real sale on them and not just marking them up to MSRP then back down again. Aka any time before November or after December.
Use websites like camel camel camel to track prices on something you want and see if it’s actually a good deal.
I’m not sure if there is a “good time” to buy - not as a blanket timeframe for all things. If you want to save money, use camel camel camel and patience.
However - it all depends on how much you’re talking about trying to save, how substantial that amount is to you, and how much your time is worth - because if you make $20/hour and you spend 16 hours in order to save $5, that’s not a great investment.
Black Friday is almost always a scam. Maybe once upon a time it wasn’t, but, capitalists gotta capitalize.
Even better tip : Don’t waste your money
on an awful Android tablet on Black FridayAnd enjoy the moment
When it comes to tablets, if it is not an iPad, Galaxy Tab S, or Pixel tablet don’t waste the money period. Everything else is pushed out the door and forgotten about by the OEM before the delivery truck leaves the warehouse.
This is literally terrible advice and incorrect. Lenovo and Xiaomi are at just 2 examples of brands whose midrange and high end tablets get supported with updates for years.
Proud owner of a Xiaomi Pad 5, still works like the day I got it. Also got my oldest child (who, like me, is into emulation) a Pad 6.
I have a Lenovo tablet, bar being useless to me as piece of tech it is very functional and continues to get updates.
Pixel
After getting burnt by both the Google endorsed Xoom and the Google branded Nexus 10, I don’t trust them at all when it comes to tablets.
With both, Google released good products, and then proceeded to ruin them with abhorrent changes to the software. They made the Nexus 10 dump it’s tablet interface in favor of a big phone UI ffs.
Still waiting for something that uses those pogo pins or the removable backplate…
And this also reminds me I have to check the battery in the one I have in storage. The Nexus 4 I had swelled up and pushed off its glass back while charging.
What about Lenovo tablets?
No matter how much Lemmy hates Apple, iPads are by and large the best tablets out there for the money, especially for art. The fact that I can use “Apple” and “best for the money” in the same sentence is funny. I don’t hate apple, I love iOS, but ya usually really do pay for it.
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I already have an iPad Pro and a pencil thingy and they’re amazing, but thanks. Procreate is stellar and mega cheap.
Don’t buy cheap tablets, they’re never worth your time. Shop fleaBay for a Samsung Tab S6, S7 or S8 depending on your budget instead - you’ll be much happier with the outcome.
I’m still using my 2019 Tab S6 for Netflix, Reddit, PDF reading and annotation, comics and occasionally ebooks via KOReader. Great device, absolutely worth the ~$400 I spent on it on fleaBay ~3-4y ago.
If AMOLED is a must for you the Tab S6, Tab S7 Plus, Tab S8 Plus or Ultra and any Tab S9 model are where you want to start. I’ll replace my Tab S6 when the 11in Tab S9 drops below ~$400 secondhand.
In 2017 I got myself a lenovo tab 8", Android 6, 3GB of RAM for less than 120€. Thanks to AOSP, I got it on Android 10, and it’s still kicking 6 years later. Get tablets that you can own! (ie Unlock bootloader).
I wish LineageOS would support more tablets. I’ve got it running on an old OnePlus 6 I use as a Plex client and not much more and it just works, and I get all of the latest security updates etc. I know there are other ROMs out there, but none of the big ones support semi-modern tablets.
I have the same as a secondary device. It’s getting slow tho. :)
I needed a “tv” for my camper van. Cheap Lenovo M10 works fine in that role, mostly as a Plex client. The big complaint is I can’t get rid of their stupid app bar and can’t find a custom ROM. But for what it does and what I paid, it’s fine.
This whole thread smells like a Samsung ad…
s/Samsung//
This is SEO foam of the sea of e-commerce.
No mention of Lineage OS or Replicant. This article is definitely some commercialized trash. An “awful Android tablet” is any tablet that runs its stock operating system.
Just avoid any no name 16core 12gb ram 512gb rom device that’s a £100 it’s all junk and most likely loaded with malware
Half a terabyte of read-only memory would be pretty useless anyway
Yet that’s what the scsmmy tablets call storage for some reason maybe a bad translation or something
Can’t we load a lineageos gsi in these tablets?
In theory yeah but many of so shite why bother
On that note, what are GOOD android tablets for different price ranges?
Samsung’s are generally regarded as pretty good. There’s also that OnePlus tablet that MKBHD liked because it has features similar to iPads
I picked up a xiaomi Redmi Pad earlier this year. Seems pretty decent. Runs games like Nikke pretty well.
samsung s series is top tier
dare i say better than the ipad
The Alldocube iPlay 50 Pro is the best tablet I could find for under $250CAD with 8GB ram, 128GB storage, microSD, and a good processor.
Edit: For software updates to the latest Android version, you can install LineageOS or any other GSI ROM.
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I don’t know about tablets, but if you want to go big on general purpose android smartphone:
Samsung flagships for the best hardware and Google flagships for the best software.
I assume the same rule might still hold for android tablets.
I just need a cheap tablet that can be rooted (hopefully) with an FHD+ display to watch a few episodes on. Which one do you recommend?
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I’d like a decent Samsung tab but I can’t unlock their bootloaders in the US
I had no problem unlocking my secondhand Tab S6. There usually aren’t 3rd party ROMs or recovery images available though, software modification is limited to grabbing the factory Samsung ROM and installing magisk on it.
Whatever you can get second hand
What about battery life for used devices?
Not as bad as you’d think, especially if you buy from a place that tests the devices or know the person selling isn’t hard on their devices.
If you are going for a model thats a couple of years old, I would recommend going an alternative OS and no google apps. The analytics they run run does make a considerable difference to battery life. You could use something like microg if some banking apps don’t like not having google (the ones I use don’t have this issue YMMV)
I’d also recommend simplifying how you use you’re device. Ie, don’t have apps that run in the background like Facebook, try and keep to using those sites in the browser.
Don’t stream stuff over the mobile network(applicable to some tablets), as its a large battery drain. It’s designed to blast a load of data and then go inactive to save battery.
You could start doing some of these things on your current device and see if you get much of a change in battery life.
The best device is the one you already have.
Yeah I’d like to run custom ROMs too but do devices like these even have custom ROM support? I’m OK with patching the image manually with Magisk every now and then but doing that for every security update is a PITA. If only there could be a way to automate the patching, backup and flashing process
Check out XDA forums or if you want an easier time, check out the lineage OS devices page. If its on the lineage site there’s a good chance other OS’s are available as well.
Any tablets you recommend that have Lineage OS support?
Sadly not haven’t had a tablet for like 8 years
I think the Galaxy Tab A8 may be a good option. While I’ve only flashed a custom ROM, there are root guides at XDA.
Unfortunately, Samsung devices in the US come with locked bootloaders that can’t be unlocked (even if bought directly and not from a carrier)
I unlocked my US variant WiFi A8.
I’ve unlocked my US Tab S, Tab S2, Tab S5e and Tab S6. I’ve never had trouble unlocking one.
Is the problem just with mobiles then? I have never had an S series mobile but I’ve heard about how Samsung devices can’t be unlocked even if they are not bought from a carrier
No idea. I avoid their phones but their tablets are the best option for solid performance and AMOLED so I buy them periodically on fleaBay. I suspect it’s just a phone thing, I’ve unlocked every tablet I’ve owned.
Hmm, I suppose so, since carriers don’t sell close to as many tablets. I too really like Samsung tablets but never considered them because I thought they’d be locked. Thanks
Just be aware that there’s not much to flash on most models. There’s not a large enough community to support an active ROM scene so you’re often limited to just unlocking the device and patching the factory image with magisk, occasionally there’ll be a non device-specific GSI treble ROM or something but that’s about it.
System updates are a pain with a patched device too, it’s all by hand work every firmware release. I usually use Frija to grab and decrypt the image and patch it with magisk before updating with Odin.
You don’t need to root a tablet to watch videos on it.
You don’t need to not do it either!
Yes
I have one of those Lenovos for reading comics, and they’re great. Nothing amazing but you can’t beat the bang for your buck.
I got the newer Lenovo M9 and it’s great for the price. It can stutter at times, but comics, books, and stremio - no problems.
Pixel Tablet with GrapheneOS is the best choice
That depends, of course. For media consumption you might want a bigger screen. For reading you might want a smaller screen. Many will want a more mainstream OS that plays better with all their apps and various DRM. Some will want a more capable OS, like Linux or Windows. Some will want iOS, for some unfathomable reason…
For me, a big portion of what I want a tablet for will be covered by the Pixel Tablet on Graphene. That is multiple profiles, for work, play, and banking.
- Most of my banking apps are available, and most importantly so is YNAB. My phone is kept with a very minimal app footprint, and no Play Store in any capacity, and I don’t particularly like budgeting in my browser either on my phone or laptop.
- I don’t let work anywhere near my phone, but occasionally I do want to check Outlook or Teams without jumping into my work laptop. I also need to monitor some things actively for hours on end, so it would be nice to be able to do that from the kitchen, living room, or patio without having to go through the nightmare that is un-docking and re-docking my work laptop that runs Windows. Luckily work lets me Intune join a tablet so long as it’s not rooted, others may have stricter OS limitations though.
- Sometimes I just want to chill out on the couch and watch a movie or TV show. I don’t have a TV, and if I’m on my laptop I tend to put the video in PIP and divide my attention. A tablet makes me far less likely to do this.
I prefer Calyx on my phone, for the sake of the extra privacy of Micro-G vs sandboxed Google Play Services. But most of my tablet use case tends more towards mainstream, so I think the compromise is worth it for the more robust multi-profile support in Graphene. But hey, Calyx supports the Pixel Tablet, too.
But… part of me still wants a tablet with a full Linux distro on it, so I’m tempted by stuff like the Starlabs Starlite, and the upcoming Minisforum Ryzen 8000 tablet. But I won’t have a streamlined OS that minimizes distractions, and unless I run Ubuntu LTS I wouldn’t be able to use it for anything work related. There are also a lot more DRM limitations in regards to streaming video.
Point is, everyone is going to have their own special use case. I’m just glad we’re finally getting some FOSS capable tablets into the market, be they running AOSP or Linux.
I prefer Calyx on my phone, for the sake of the extra privacy of Micro-G vs sandboxed Google Play Services.
You should give DivestOS a try tbh if you prefer microG to Sandboxed Play Services, since Divest’s implementation of microG is sandboxed/unprivileged unlike Calyx’s, which is a massive privacy and security benefit. Divest in general is a lot more private and secure then stock or Calyx, since it includes a lot of hardening and patches from Graphene, so I’d recommend it as the second best option to Graphene in general, and definitely by far the best option for using microG. Divest also covers most of the same phones Calyx and Graphene do, unfortunately no Pixel Tablet support though.
(I’m not trying to shill Divest or anything btw lol, I just think its a great underrated project that deserves a lot more recognition and support than it has, and seems to fit your use case)
Thanks, I’ll have to remember to check it out when they add Pixel 8 support.
The thing holding me from GrapheneOS is mostly Hub Mode on my tablet.
I’ve hated tablets since they first came out and never really changed on that. It’s just a miserable way for me to do anything when I have a phone and computer already. I would be into a Kindle for reading on eink, but outside of that I can’t stand tablets.
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Most --> moet autocorrect suggests you are a combination of French, a drinker, or rich
I have no dog in the tablet trace however
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Sorry for your election :(
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because they don’t need space for a keyboard.
You know, that is fair, but the lack of a physical keyboard on a tablet is what hinders my good experience with them.
Yeah, I like to browse or read comics/manga on my iPad, but sooner or later it is gonna be time to type, and I can’t do it in a natural way just like I can from my phone (which should be the device I use to type the most).
Sure, you can use a BT keyboard or some other attachment, but that kinda breaks the portability of it.
If small phones were still a thing I could see myself getting a 7 or 8" tablet again (RIP Nexus 7) but with 6+" screens being the norm there’s no point.
I do love my kobo libre 2 for reading but also wish it was smaller.
I both agree and disagree. I definitely want a small phone, and the small size would limit the use case of the phone itself. But some of us artificially limit the capability of their phones in order to minimize distractions, and some use dumb or feature phones to accomplish similar goals.
Then there is further segregation of use case between devices. Just because you can do something on a phone, doesn’t mean you choose to. I want work nowhere near my phone, but I’ll put it in a work profile on my tablet.
One might choose to consume various media on their tablet instead of phone. Sure, you can watch movies on your phone, but it’s a lot better on a 10-12" tablet. Sure you can read ebooks on your phone, but it would be a lot better on a smaller tablet that unfortunately hardly exists in the Android world these days.
Btw, you might want to check out Onyx for some smaller readers. Particularly the Palma and Nova Air 2. There are definitely some privacy questions with them, though.
e-ink isn’t (edit: good) color.
Tablets are the ideal form factor for things that would traditionally require a large, full-color book. That is: passing around a photo album, reading magazines, textbooks, comics, playing turn-based games like board-games and strategy games. If you use a stylus they’re excellent for things that require free-form pen-and-paper like math homework and creating art.
Now, when they were a $600 luxury item that didn’t really make sense as a product. But now that they’re like $150 for a solidly good tablet they’re absolutely a worthwhile purchase for those use-cases.
I specifically said for reading???
Ahh, yes, well I suppose if you’re mostly reading comics that were made in the '70s and you really want to capture that faded 32-colors-Ben-Day-dot-printed-on-newsprint feel, that’ll be just perfect.
It’s limited for sure, but there are most definitely color e-ink displays now.
But the bigger limitation is still refresh rate, and lifespan of the display in devices that try to force more frequent refreshes.
Fair point. Will correct my above post. But either way: unless you find screens particularly eye-straining or have extreme battery-life desires, I don’t really see e-ink tech as worth the downsides at this point, at least for non-text content. For a watch where I want an always-on screen and endless battery and I’ll never watch video on it? Yes, I want more e-ink and low-power LED tech and the like. But for tablets? I’m good with the vibrant colors of a glowing LED screen.
Watches sound great on e-ink, but last I looked into it, the displays couldn’t support the frequency of refreshes over a reasonable life time.
I’m with you, by the way. I do like having a compact e-ink reader, but I really don’t want to do anything but that with it.
Huh, that’s disappointing. It’s funny how everybody keeps experimenting but nobody seems to have topped the Pebble for watch form-factor: low-power gameboy-ish LED screen and more of an old-school micro-controller chip instead of a phone-like chip and just use the “shake to wake” functionality to brighten the backlight.
Pebble might not have been the smartest smartwatch, but it was definitely the watchyest smartwatch. Always-on screen and week-long battery.
tablets are best for drawing
Back in 2014, I had a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, a 4-inch phone, and a 15.6" Dell laptop. That size of phone was difficult to do anything important on especially with no slide-out keyboard. There just wasn’t a lot of real estate for texting and emailing but it could do it. And laptops…you need to set up a station to use a laptop. Find a table or chair or something and spend a minute settling in. My tablet had a larger screen, louder speakers, it was easier to hold because it actually had some bezel, and the battery was excellent.
Now that I have a 5+ inch phone, whatever a Galaxy S10e is, a tablet is less useful.
rocky linux tablet when
https://us.starlabs.systems/pages/starlite
Rocky isn’t one of the distros you can get preloaded, but it’s probably fairly trivial.
Yeahhhh ! But the price… PS : I don’t bought ever a Samsung pricing is too high… I got a Lenovo it works fine except the crappy battery
People keep saying this, but it’s pretty reasonable as far as tablets go. Its base is 16GB and 512GB, and it MSRPs for $713 USD with a sale to $655 for quite awhile now (though out of stock). The Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ with 12GB and 256GB is $700 on sale for $650. Considering the nature of the OS, maybe the standard FE is more equivalent with 8GB and 256GB at $520 on sale for $470. But you still have half the storage, and the Starlite is upgradable with standard M.2 NVME drive.
Even then, you’re getting a full Linux OS if that’s what you’re after. That’s a very niche market right now, to get a fully Linux capable tablet, much less one where the manufacturer supports and encourages it. Hell, it uses coreboot firmware. Considering the niche market, I’d say that’s a pretty damned good price. But if you don’t want full Linux support, and are happier with AOSP or Google’s Android, you can get a Pixel tablet for $400, or $500 with 256GB.
Sure you can get tablets for significantly less, like the Fire stuff from Amazon and a last-gen, base model iPad. But all of those have severe disadvantages as far as software and/or privacy. The N200 CPU in the Starlite isn’t going to set any records, but the ability to run full fat Linux puts it in a segment with the Surface and other Windows tablets. That’s something that the iPad Pro can’t even compete with, despite Apple fans begging for MacOS on those models for years.
I had bought a P11 Pro Gen 2 because I wanted an Oled tablet for reading, and outside of buying a very old Samsung S5e, it’s basically the cheapest option for oled along with its Chinese counterpart (Xiaoxin Pad Pro). Samsung Oled tablets are all of the # Plus tablets, which usually retail for more than the p11 pro gen 2.
I actually use a Samsung tab S5e and am considering upgrading. How is the P11 Pro Gen 2?
i bought it on wednesday, so I wouldn’t even be able to give you a fair assessment. hasn’t even arrived yet.
Ah ok. Well congrats on your new purchase! Whenever you feel you’ve got a good handle on it, would love your thoughts.
Are there any of these cheapshit 7" tablets that will take something like LineageOS? Because that’s the first thing I’d do before I put a spyware laden thing like that on my network.
Guest network only, bro 😁
