Apple and their magic...

V4NT0M · 13 Dec 2013 at 13:37

I was reading an ipad mini 2 review and came across this phrase:

manufacturers still can't get the tablet experience on Android right

http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_ipad_mini_2-review-1015p12.php

I just don't get it, since Honeycomb and devices shortly after Android's "tablet experience" has been ahead of Apples imo...

Even if you ignore that, this sentence clearly seems to think that the fantastic Nexus 7 2012's experience is "wrong"... I just can't reconcile how someone could make that statement in a professional environment.

I see these kind of sweeping statements all the time and just don't understand why people are so taken with Apple.

The same with T3 and their "tablet of the year" award, the original ipad mini? Wut?!

/rant

Trifid · 13 Dec 2013 at 13:50

I don't own a tablet, not a huge fan of the iPhone (always had Android smart phones) and have recently tried a variety of tablets at work, my order of preference was:
Windows 8 Pro
iPad Mini
ipad retina
Samsung Android thing
some other android tablet

As you can see, I didn't like the Android ones. I really did like the Windows ones. The Dell had a dock connected to a monitor as well as a keyboard and mouse. Very impressive bit of kit and would very much like to have one.

Mekrel · 13 Dec 2013 at 14:17

Skyfall said:
I was reading an ipad mini 2 review and came across this phrase:

http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_ipad_mini_2-review-1015p12.php

I just don't get it, since Honeycomb and devices shortly after Android's "tablet experience" has been ahead of Apples imo...

Even if you ignore that, this sentence clearly seems to think that the fantastic Nexus 7 2012's experience is "wrong"... I just can't reconcile how someone could make that statement in a professional environment.

I see these kind of sweeping statements all the time and just don't understand why people are so taken with Apple.

The same with T3 and their "tablet of the year" award, the original ipad mini? Wut?!

/rant

The Android tablet experience is still disjointed, Google have actually highlighted this even more since the launch of KitKat and not providing (officially) the Google Experience Launcher for the N7 and N10 tablets.

The 10" experience is very poor, speaking from experience with my Nexus 10, especially after they moved the soft keys into the middle of the navigation bar where your fingers can't reach when the tablet is being held in landscape mode.

They're making great progress with getting developers to provide tablet specific layouts with the launch of Android studio and having the Play Store give greater presence to apps that have proper tablet support.

Brenn47 · 13 Dec 2013 at 14:35

Apple pay for *reviews* and they punish companies that give them bad reviews. Samsung have also been caught doing this.

V4NT0M · 13 Dec 2013 at 16:54

Mekrel said:
The Android tablet experience is still disjointed

Can you explain how compared to IOS?

Mekrel said:
The 10" experience is very poor, speaking from experience with my Nexus 10, especially after they moved the soft keys into the middle of the navigation bar where your fingers can't reach when the tablet is being held in landscape mode.

I don't know, I've had 6 10" android tablets and none of them have felt poor. I guess if you have small hands it could be a problem reaching the buttons.

For the most part, I just don't see where people are seeing these problems.

I can browse pretty much the same on Android vs IOS, if I download NFS most wanted it plays the same on both, if I want to I can completely emulate the basic icon layout of IOS with no widgets or customisation.

What is it that is apparently "wrong" about the nexus 7 and it's os that apparently is so right with the ipad mini? Sticking on that point as it's the reason I made the thread.

Plenty of people buy 7 inch nexus tablets, are they all having a bad experience?

Skully · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:00

I have a Nexus 10 and my wife an iPad mini.

Out of the two I prefer browsing on the iPad. It feels smoother and more responsive.

I like my N10 but frequently find myself using the iPad instead.

loltim · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:12

Prefer my ipad mini to any other android tablet too. Wouldn't change my Nexus 5 for an iphone though.

Sho · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:16

I've only got a iPad Air at home. And love using it me. I have used a Samsung note 10.1 nexus 7 and a Tab 3. They where good on their own rights. But just didn't cut it out.

I still find my iPad superior to other tablets that i have used.

Hades · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:19

My kids have iPad mini's and I hjave a Nexus 7 2013. As a general tablet the iPad is better I think. It feels smoother and the screen aspect ratio is better, particularly for games and browsing.

But... my N7 is faster, better screen, more open, fits into a large coat pocket for commuting, has twice the memory for almost a third less money and for what I use it for is better.

If I could only have one I'd probably go for the Mini but I do prefer my N7 for what I use it for.

VaderDSL · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:22

I love my iPad Air mainly for the Apps and media content (the iPad for me is a media consumption device)

Compared to my Lumia (different device I know) I often find myself sorely let down by some apps or lack thereof on the windows phone platform.

Not had any experience on the tablet side of things with WP8 but I'd be hard pressed to give up my iPad for media consumption.

Rroff · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:25

While I wouldn't say android have the tablet experience wrong as such its certainly somewhat disjointed and far too often just ports of the mobile software - quite dissapointed with 4.2.2+ in that aspect as it feels just a little too much like an oversized phone.

Ryan-3 · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:29

Brenn47 said:
Apple pay for *reviews* and they punish companies that give them bad reviews. Samsung have also been caught doing this.

But to me this makes no difference. I still find that Apple's products not only have excellent build quality, but are effortless to use.

Currently what is annoying me with my HTC One are the small things to do with the OS (and possibly Sense). Stupid location options to track every move and drain the battery, along with the small tedious bits like the Facebook app. It simply cannot load a friends list without making it a total mess first. Then every so often it decides to tick additional boxes on my phone book, so I end up with hundreds of useless contacts dragged in from various places. The inability to control your phone better with headphones annoys me too, it can't be that hard to integrate unless there could be some infringement rubbish? These might be small things, but they weren't there with my iPhone.

snitcher · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:29

Trifid said:
I don't own a tablet, not a huge fan of the iPhone (always had Android smart phones) and have recently tried a variety of tablets at work, my order of preference was:
Windows 8 Pro
iPad Mini
ipad retina
Samsung Android thing
some other android tablet

As you can see, I didn't like the Android ones. I really did like the Windows ones. The Dell had a dock connected to a monitor as well as a keyboard and mouse. Very impressive bit of kit and would very much like to have one.

i prefer windows too. i think apple and android experiences are both the same. same logos etc on a larger screen expect no way to make phone calls.

Steve_bullockuk · 13 Dec 2013 at 18:33

I have to agree that the "android just doesn't work right on tablets" argument has been overplayed in the same way as the "Android doesn't run as smooth as iOS" argument, however from my own personal experience of owning both a Nexus 7 and an iPad Mini, the mini is the more functional of the 2 devices mainly down to the wider range of tablet specific apps and the pretty astounding power management of the iPad. It just doesn't use power when its asleep unlike the Nexus 7 I had.

Rich_L · 13 Dec 2013 at 20:38

Having used both WinRT (XPS10) and now a full Win8 tablet (Venue Pro 11), I feel that in a way Android missed an opportunity to develop Honeycomb into a fully-fledged tablet OS that was more optimized for tablets. I can see why as at the time the iPad was cleaning up with basically a bigger phone OS and so that was what Google did also.

With the Windows tabs though I'm finding the swipe interface to be very easy to use when holding the tab and also the side-by-side multitasking is immensely useful on a tablet with the extra screen space. The more I use it to shunt a slow-paced game to the side while I browse, or having a music playlist while working, or push a video to the side while I check my e-mail etc I think I'd struggle to go back to a 'dumb' tablet OS.

I'm starting to see it noted by reviewers questioning why tablets from Apple/Google aren't pushing on more in terms of functionality. Reckon it's almost guaranteed that Android 5.0 will have split-screen functionality, will be interesting to see if Apple are forced to follow suit.

pepp77 · 13 Dec 2013 at 21:42

I have an Android phone and an iPad Mini and that is how to me they work best, I have tried several Android tablets and just never really used them enough to warrant having them but the iPad I use all the time (I can't say exactly why, but one reason is definitely that the iPad is 3G and the Android tablets were not), whereas I cannot stand the iPhone user experience but loved my S3 and now my Nexus.

mrgubby · 13 Dec 2013 at 21:59

I bought an iPad when they first came out and found the experience so frustrating I gave it to my Wife.

I've now got an Asus TF300 & Nexus 7, the only time I touch the iPad is when it goes wrong ........

Em3bbs · 14 Dec 2013 at 08:51

I'm lucky in that I have most tablets available to me, I currently use a Sony Tablet Z as I think it's the perfect weight plus I can watch football in the bath without worrying (as the father of two youngish kids this in the only 'me' time I get!). I used to use my iPad for Sky Go but now there is a decent Android tablet version I now only use the iPad for work testing.

Nexus 7 is my 'portable' tablet of choice.

Rusty! · 14 Dec 2013 at 09:31

Mekrel said:
The Android tablet experience is still disjointed, Google have actually highlighted this even more since the launch of KitKat and not providing (officially) the Google Experience Launcher for the N7 and N10 tablets.

They haven't provided it for the Nexus 4 either.

Kreeeee · 14 Dec 2013 at 10:05

Rich_L said:
With the Windows tabs though I'm finding the swipe interface to be very easy to use when holding the tab and also the side-by-side multitasking is immensely useful on a tablet with the extra screen space. The more I use it to shunt a slow-paced game to the side while I browse, or having a music playlist while working, or push a video to the side while I check my e-mail etc I think I'd struggle to go back to a 'dumb' tablet OS.

Erm... I do this on all my Android devices.