What's happened to tablets ?

[Dazstoke]

You said it was almost 5 years old, I just pointed out it's under 4 years, 4 years in January to be exact as it was released in 2014.

It performs perfectly for you which is great, in the same way my colleagues 5 year old laptop works perfectly for him because all he uses it for is browsing the web and playing solitaire.

Prices have increased quite a lot over the last 4 years, you could buy a high end phone for £500-600 back then, now it's over £700-1000+

Also you never bought it new to start with so maybe comparing to used devices would be a better idea, maybe you just had an exceptionally good deal which you're unlikely to find again?

You can pickup a few Snapdragon 625 tablets for around £200 new, used Galaxy Tab S2 for around the same price, a little less if you're lucky.

No,I said it was launched nearly 5 years ago....you are correct it's only 4......I purchased mine NEW 2 years ago.

 

[IvanDobskey]

Never seen the point in tablets.

They are just bigger smartphones without the phone part.

I bought one once to try out, but it ended up gathering dust as I just used my phone instead.

 

[Kainz]

Apple embraced a vision and stuck to their guns. The iPad is a great testament to that. Years ago I told friends that I couldn't see the iPad continuing past the iPad 3 or 4 and Apple kept at it and only balls'd up now with iOS 11 being a bugfest. Meanwhile, Google suck at marketing and can't even make folks aware that their gear exists. Pixel C, Google Home, Clownbooks etc - ask a random person about it and they'll give you a blank look. Google need to embrace their products and build software around it but they never do.

Last night I sat down to watch a tv show on Amazon Prime with my Pixel C and realised that the device isn't on Amazon's 'HD Whitelist' so I was getting SD quality visuals.

 

[BMox81]

Apple embraced a vision and stuck to their guns. The iPad is a great testament to that. Years ago I told friends that I couldn't see the iPad continuing past the iPad 3 or 4 and Apple kept at it and only balls'd up now with iOS 11 being a bugfest. Meanwhile, Google suck at marketing and can't even make folks aware that their gear exists. Pixel C, Google Home, Clownbooks etc - ask a random person about it and they'll give you a blank look. Google need to embrace their products and build software around it but they never do.

Last night I sat down to watch a tv show on Amazon Prime with my Pixel C and realised that the device isn't on Amazon's 'HD Whitelist' so I was getting SD quality visuals.

Serious? I thought it was just a one off with the WWE Network app not being in HD.

Does the Netflix app run in HD do you know?

Guess I just always assumed that because it was the default on my iPad Air 2 that it would be the same with the C.

Wondering if I’ve made a bit of a bad choice going with the C if I’m never going to get HD video on it....

 

[FishLicker]

Hmm. I'll try Netflix on my Pixel C when I get home. Disappointed to hear about Amazon video. To be fair, the Pixel C was probably not going to be a long term device to me anyway, but it is still disappointing to hear that.

 

[Kainz]

I did some searching late last night as I was watching the latest eps of Luficer on Amazon Prime. Netflix also do the same according to a lot of reddit posts. There is the DRM Info app that can tell you what level of drm your device complies to (Pixel C is L3 compliant so complies with Whinevine drm or something) but it needs to be on the streaming source Whitelist and I guess they haven't heard of the device.

My Roku 3 media streamer displays HD on both apps just fine. If Google did it's job, then maybe android tablets would be in a better position then they are.

 

[Shocky-FM]

No,I said it was launched nearly 5 years ago....you are correct it's only 4......I purchased mine NEW 2 years ago.

That's still two year old tablet, the price probably plummeted after the Galaxy Tab S devices were launched.

Most users wanted the newer devices with AMOLED displays, it was just good timing.

I did some searching late last night as I was watching the latest eps of Luficer on Amazon Prime. Netflix also do the same according to a lot of reddit posts. There is the DRM Info app that can tell you what level of drm your device complies to (Pixel C is L3 compliant so complies with Whinevine drm or something) but it needs to be on the streaming source Whitelist and I guess they haven't heard of the device.

My Roku 3 media streamer displays HD on both apps just fine. If Google did it's job, then maybe android tablets would be in a better position then they are.

Is that really Google's fault? surely if they have the current certificates it should just work. Who's responsible for getting compliant devices on the list?

 

[Kainz]

Is that really Google's fault? surely if they have the current certificates it should just work. Who's responsible for getting compliant devices on the list?

Google are largely to blame for androids virtual lack of presence in the tablet market imo, though it would help if manufacturers in general didn't abandon their tablets so rapidly as they do too. My Samsung Tab S 8.4 iirc didn't even get an android OTA update and out of the box it was on Android 4.4. Android tablets could be so much more in this day and age, and its sad that Honeycomb was the last great tablet focused OS.

I'll look at the 'whitelist' issue tonight. I'm hoping both Netflix and Amazon Video apps have a 'feedback' option somewhere.

 

[Kainz]

Just found this - https://www.xda-developers.com/android-netflix-hd-amazon-prime-video-hd-drm/
Giving it a read now.

Edit: Yep, Netflix looks to be SD over here. Although I tried just one random film.

 

[NeedAUsername]

The iPad is still used a lot, if not for personal use, in business's, schools and universities. I still use my Air 2 for watching videos. Android tablets are dead though.

 

[wesley]

I was in market for a new tablet few months ago. I looked at almost every tablets I could find in stores.

No matter how much, android OS never felt 'right' for tablet experience.

I ended up bought apple iPad 9.7 32gb WiFi for £330 from John Lewis, with 3 years warranty. I carefully compared the iPad to the Samsung Tab S4. It was £600 and the iPad was better at every aspect.

Yep android tablets are dead and apple dominant the tablet market. All because Apple make a very good OS.

 

[FishLicker]

I was in market for a new tablet few months ago. I looked at almost every tablets I could find in stores.

No matter how much, android OS never felt 'right' for tablet experience.

I ended up bought apple iPad 9.7 32gb WiFi for £330 from John Lewis, with 3 years warranty. I carefully compared the iPad to the Samsung Tab S4. It was £600 and the iPad was better at every aspect.

Yep android tablets are dead and apple dominant the tablet market. All because Apple make a very good OS.

Must admit, I replaced my 2017 iPad with a Pixel C. I prefer the latter, but only really because I prefer Android to iOS. I couldn't really say that it is a better tablet though in all honesty. I'm certainly glad I didn't pay full price for the Pixel.

 

[GMac11]

In a nutshell phone (screens) got bigger and laptops got smaller and this has squeezed the tablet ground. I've owned a few tablets over the years mostly Samsung but the most recent was an iPad mini 2 2-3 years ago. Back then I had a Sony Xperia Z3 compact which as phones go was relatively small as well as a beefy Asus laptop. Since then I've had larger phones, S6 edge+, XL, 2XL and have a MacBook Pro 13 2017 which is very compact - in fact I owned a Samsung Note 12.2 for a while and the MacBook has pretty much the same footprint if not a little smaller when closed. By the time I added a keyboard case etc to the 12.2 Note it was bulky enough and of course the full Mac OS will achieve much more. I have often looked at getting one of the 2017 9.7 iPads but when I have to remember to pack it or carry it around in my bag I'd be just as comfortable carrying my MacBook now so I don't really see the point. A tablet was always useful to pull out on a train/plane/bus etc but I find having a big phone is much better for this as it's always on me and I don't need to specifically pack a tablet.

 

[FishLicker]

I don't mind remembering to take a tablet with me. My phone battery rarely ever lasts all day so if I wanted it for heavy use while travelling, I'd have to remember to take a charger, otherwise, the tablet can take the load off my phone battery, and in the bargain, I get a bigger screen.

I will be hugely disappointed if the Pixel C can only do SD Netflix and Amazon though, I have to admit.

 

[Bug One]

I think people just tend to hang on to tablets longer than phones. Tablets 2-4 years ago are still pretty decent now. We still have an iPad 1, which despite Apple completely dropping any support for - runs great (including Battlefield, Dead Space, COD Zombies type games).

I've just had to replace my Samsung Tab S, as I smashed the screen and a replacement screen would have cost more than a new tablet. I picked up a Huawei m3 8.4 which is virtually a clone (without the OLED). Having this has made me realise how slow my Tab S was.

I mostly use mine while travelling. Much nicer watching a film on an 8.4 screen than a 5 inch screen.

 

[Shocky-FM]

I was in market for a new tablet few months ago. I looked at almost every tablets I could find in stores.

No matter how much, android OS never felt 'right' for tablet experience.

I ended up bought apple iPad 9.7 32gb WiFi for £330 from John Lewis, with 3 years warranty. I carefully compared the iPad to the Samsung Tab S4. It was £600 and the iPad was better at every aspect.

Yep android tablets are dead and apple dominant the tablet market. All because Apple make a very good OS.

Rubbish, the Galaxy Tab S3 has better specs than the iPad 9.7 (Assuming 5th Gen) and you can pick them for up around £530 off Amazon. Is it worth the premium? considering the faster SoC, better display, twice as much memory, expandable storage and quad speaker, yes, depending on the user.

Apple's hardware is generally good but the designs are boring, the software is why I would never buy or even consider them, you can make Android devices your own and they're more flexible.

 

[wesley]

Hi

It's not about the specs. Better or higher spec doesn't means better.

Tablet is all about tablet experience.

If I want a full desktop desktop. I'd get a Windows laptop. Not iPad or android tablet.

Like I've said, I tried so many tablets in store for few months. For the value, iPad 9.7 is best buy.

The iPad I bought is the very first apple product. I always got the android phone. I'd never own an iPhone cos they are overpriced.

 

[Shocky-FM]

Hi

It's not about the specs. Better or higher spec doesn't means better.

Tablet is all about tablet experience.

If I want a full desktop desktop. I'd get a Windows laptop. Not iPad or android tablet.

Like I've said, I tried so many tablets in store for few months. For the value, iPad 9.7 is best buy.

The iPad I bought is the very first apple product. I always got the android phone. I'd never own an iPhone cos they are overpriced.

Maybe you should go back to Apple section, not everyone wants the iOS experience, I wouldn't use an iPad even if Apple were giving them away free.

 

[wesley]

That's your opinion which is fine.

I have my own opinion. The OP asked what happened to the tablet.

I was looking for a midrange tablet. No more than £350 and I couldn't find any android tablets better than £330 iPad 9.7.

I couldn't be happier with the iPad I bought. Excellent value tablet for £330 with 3 years warranty.

Hence my comment earlier that android tablets are dead

 

[Kainz]

Some people just want the plug into a PC and go flexibility that an Android device gives them. For me I'd like a tablet I can load up with media before I go onto a trip OR something I can dump a ton of images onto so I can show them to friends etc. Back when I used to use iOS 7 (may have been 8) the OS was dreadful for such things...sod that. My wifes iPad is a glorified FB tablet because I don't want bloated iTunes on my PC at all, and last I looked I still require that to add media to the device. This has been my only real bugbear about iOS - general uploading of content to the device where I want it - and I don't want all this needless syncing of stuff.

I can't see Google resolving Android's long term tablet issue anytime soon. They're too busy faffing around with overpriced Clownbooks now.