~£400 tablet device. What to choose?

[tokyoracer]

Hi chaps.

This isn't for me but I am wondering if any of you here might be able to give me some advice on what to get for my Dad.

Essentially, he's decided it's time to move with the times and get himself a tablet device and move away from the desktop PC.

I'm fairly certain it should be an Android device for it's value, support and storage upgrade ability. Though Microsoft and Apple products aren't necessarily out of the question. Nor does it have to be strictly new but needs to be as near new as possible.

Here's a rundown of what my Dad will likely be looking for :

• Large good quality HD screen (10 inches or more preferably)
• Good camera for photos and recording (Ex keen photographer)
• Plenty of storage space (or atleast support for large storage)
• A device with a up to date OS (and preferably still going to be supported for a while)
• Nice quality (likely to survive a small drop on carpet)
• HDMI capability would be a bonus
• Some kind of keyboard/laptop mode support would be a bonus too

I've been contacted by my phone company offering a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 for around £10 per month, seems a great deal but I'm wondering if he can do better for around £400.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[8bitplus]

I got a Galaxy Tab S2 last year. Its a big step up from original Tab S, or the Tab A 10.
Closer to £300 now. 9.7" screen, Very fast, SD card slot, thin and light, connects with almost any Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
I'd highly recommend it.

Oh yes, I also got the keyboard case, so it can function as a laptop if needed.

 

[fordav1]

If your parents are anything like most parents around 60-70, they won't use it that much and definitely don't need a premium item with all the bangs and whistles. You really won't need all those things you listed. If you do need all of that, you'd be better buying a laptop which can also be used for real PC-type work and it would still be well under your target price. Wow! For 400 pounds I could probably buy a top brand current model laptop from one of the big local chain stores. I got a Toshiba Satellite C60 a couple of years ago (i5+8GB+15.3"+1TB HDD) for AU$250 used on ebay, but in perfect condition which was maybe 1 year old. People tend to throw away things that are still plenty good enough for every day tasks just because they think they need something better. The laptop I use for everyday computing is a Toshiba Tecra A8 C2D 2GHz+1GB RAM+500GB HDD from about 2006 or something running W7 and it still does everything I need.
Just go to ebay and search 10" tablet and you will see 1000's of them, all looking like the most common big brands but coming out of China for as little as $50 (yes even for a 10"). All of them run Android and have all the features of any other Android brand and all run the latest OS and/or can easily be updated. Some of them even have dual SIM slots, 64GB or 128GB on-board storage, microSD card slot etc and those are only about $125-$150 or so.
I wouldn't go for a big brand name unless you need the features that it offers, and nowadays almost all, if not all the features of the big brands are present in the cheaper clones. It's basically the same thing that happened with PCs. People would buy the brands, then the clones came along and killed the market. Now no-one buys a brand name PC, it's all clones assembled from parts and the value for money and power is fantastic. Now the same thing has happened with tablets. Stay with 10". I have found smaller screen size is not that useful for reading small text, but with a 10" it's possible to read one page of a book or magazine without zooming.

 

[Sardine]

.
My father in law rings me now and then to ask hes forgot how to use the dvd player (turning the tv to the correct hdmi channel etc).


he wanted a tablet to check flight times (was ringing us nightly, hes a Taxi driver).

so we got him an Ipad with sim, he hasn't phone back since and hes even (wait for it) successfully face timed us.. (yes i was gob smacked).

cant use a DVD player but found the ipad easy to use.

so for peace of mind and no phone call hassles get an Ipad.

or get a windows / android tablet and change your phone number

 

[fordav1]

A friend gave me an ipad1+64GB+SIM version a couple of years ago. Probably cost $600 when new. Now it's worth $0. Sadly Apple force updgrades on you which eventually kills the device because the OS becomes larger than the memory available. That's what happened to the ipad1. Now it just crashes when running most programs and can't be updated or even downgraded to make it work with the old apps, and you can't get old apps for it anyway. It is essentially scrap. Most apps needs IOS6.something and the last update on ipad1 was 5.something. The actual user-differences between IOS5 and IOS6/7/8/9 etc are zero, it's just forced bloatware. If you want to be bent over and shafted by Apple go ahead and buy an ipad. If you want features and value for money buy a Chinese clone tablet. For the same money as an Apple you can buy 4 clone tablets and they won't be out of date in a year like the Apple version. For that same reason don't buy a Windows-based tablet either unless you want constant nagging from your parents to come over and fix it every week when it goes wonky.

 

[tokyoracer]

Cheers for the info.

The only reason why I ask it should be a decent one (and not a laptop) is because he intends on using the tablet on his Euro bike trips, so it needs to be portable and usable, and OFC, to take photos/video.

For the fact my Dad isn't one to replace electronic things so regularly, it makes sense to get one that will still be supported atleast a year or two down the line.

Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is definitely in budget and looks promising, however the Sony Xperia Z4 Tab is almost around the budget if you luck out on eBay. Not sure if there are any other makes and models I should look out for in terms of Android devices?

 

[fordav1]

All the clone Chinese ones have exactly the same features as any other tablet (latest OS, camera on front & back, OTG capability (so you can plug in a USB stick for example), extra microSD card slot (which Apple don't give you btw) and the same support as any brand name (i.e. almost zero).
If you buy any computing type device there is virtually no support, and even if there is you must pay additionally for it. nowadays companies expect you to know what you are doing when you buy something and they generally don't hold your hand. that's just how it is now. But even a clone has a minimum 1 year warranty so paying more for a big brand does not give you more.
You can buy a generic case that houses and protects virtually any clone tablet for just a few dollars. Many of them are made specifically for a model and fit exactly. For example you could buy a genuine Apple phone case for about $100, or a clone copy that is identical in function and quality (or sometimes even better) for 1/10th of the price. Portability/carrying is already factored into all tablet designs regardless of manufacturer. even if you buy a big brand name tablet it doesn't come with a protective case. I have a friend who bought a genuine case for his Samsung S4 for about $75 (which was actually plastic) and I bought a nice real-leather case for my phone that has more functionality and quality for $10. My friend has replaced his phone and case twice (now at S6) and I still have the same Samsung S4 and the phone and case are still in great condition and it still performs exactly the same as it did when it was new.
For the cheaper price of a clone tablet (or a low end one like a Samsung TAB2 etc) you can get a new one every 3 years and keep up to date if that's what you want or spend the money you saved on other things. or you can buy one Apple tablet that is 4X the price and becomes obsolete in a year when they do a few forced OS updates and it self-obsoletes itself (aka just like The Lightbulb Conspiracy)

As for other big brands, you should do your own research. The best review youtube channel for phones/tablets/laptops is this one....
https://www.youtube.com/user/MobileTechReview/videos
The reviews are *really* in-depth not just reading some B.S. off a spec sheet like most do.
In the past some of the things I've bought I researched for months or even years before I got what I wanted and research is the key to being informed and buying well. Go to that channel, find some products and watch the reviews and make your own informed decision.

 

[moijk]

I have had two android tablets now, my next will be an iPad - no doubt. Better software support, better software, easier to fix if you break something (everyone does it) and you can get extras for it everywhere. And not only that, it isn't that expensive unless you go for the pro.

 

[Thelemorf]

The wife has a iPad, every time I have to use the damn thing it ends with me wanting to throw the pos in the wall..
I can't for the life of me understand what's supposed to be so good and easy to use with ios..

 

[iainjh]

how much support will your dad need? Ipad =easier IMHO. android = yes does more but at a price of usability IMHO. TBH both platforms age at a similar speed. Ipads are simpler/more limited/ 'just work' to a point, and you likely wont need to fuss as much about supporting him or worrying so much about virus's, launchers, where his apps are, all those damn settings, or privacy. If I may also suggest get him gmail for email and contacts and look forward to a simpler life

the above are not asking for argument or counter argument, just experience from my own older rellies.

good luck!

 

[moijk]

The wife has a iPad, every time I have to use the damn thing it ends with me wanting to throw the pos in the wall..
I can't for the life of me understand what's supposed to be so good and easy to use with ios..

What's the problem? We have both an ipad and android tablets here. Even my 3 year old does handle the ipad with ease. Minecraft is dog slow on android compared to the two year older ipad though.