Tab S4

[ehurleyrobert]

Anybody know if the new Tab S4 from samsung is worth it?

[mymande]

it is surely a good tablet and even tho i don't like the samsung version of android the samsung ecosystem offer a lot of cool features such as the samsung dex

[ehurleyrobert]

I do think that with this tablet samsung is inching toward Ipad territory which is good

[kirashi]

8 minutes ago, ehurleyrobert said:

I do think that with this tablet samsung is inching toward Ipad territory which is good

Agreed. However, my tablet recommendation still remains with the iPad Mini 4 or iPad Air 2 because of the laminated screens as well as the App Ecosystem. You heard right - I recommend an iPad for a tablet, and I use Windows and Android daily. Why? Because if there's one thing Apple has going for them, it's the developer support backing the catalogue of decently designed apps. I've tried the Motorola Zoom, various Galaxy Tab & Tab Pro's over the years, and still have an HP Touchpad running Android Nougat that works, albeit slowly.

 

All of them were either sold within 3-6 months of ownership or repurposed as family tablets because of the same reason: lack of decently designed and supported apps. I ended up snagging an iPad 4 128GB in 2015 and kept it for 2.5 years, despite it becoming sluggish over time because Apple doesn't understand the concept of providing enough RAM for actual multitasking. I'm currently without a tablet because I'm waiting for the iPad Mini refresh, which may never happen at this rate.

[ehurleyrobert]

I agree with you. Samsung is doing well by kinda reintroducing themselves to the tablet market but they have a long way to go to reach apple quality. They could speed up that process by introducing new features to their tablets that apple doesn't have on the ipad, like wireless charging for example.

[Darkseth]

i wouldn't recommend the iPad Air 2 anymore. maybe used, if its cheaper than an iPad 2018 new. Why? Because it already has several years behind, and support won't come much longer.

And iPad Mini 4? No. For most too small (most phones are almost as big) and pretty damn old hardware. For that, it costs WAY too much.

And both don't support the Apple Pencil, so i would always recommend iPad 2018 > iPad Air 2, no matter what.

 

The alternative for the Tab S4 will be the iPad Pro 10.5", but i would wait the iPad Pro 3rd gen, and either get this one next month, or the 2nd gen cheaper.

 

 

@ Thread: I think the Tab S4 is one of the best Android tablets, probably THE Best hands down.

But what holds it back is... running on Android, instead iOS. Android is dead, and Samsung/Huawei keep it alive with machines. That's not an ideal state. There are not many really "good high quality" Apps (looking at you, ProCreate, Affinity Photo/-Designer, Note taking Apps like GoodNotes, Notability, etc), that are also optimized for the Size. Most Android Apps are just "blown up" to the size.

And also, the OS. Even if Samsung has the better Android than Google, when it comes to Tablets (they give it at least some optimizations, but it's still not really ideal), while iOS is pretty damn well optimized for Tablets.

 

It really depends what you do, and HOW you want to do it. Android does have some abilities, that iOS simply doesn't have. A real file system which you can work with, third party Apps (almost only Manga reader apps come into my Mind, or Anime  Streaming Apps. on iOS they either don't exist, or only without licensed content. Can't read Naruto on Manga Rock, while you can on the Android version you can download from their website). But for most productive stuff, handwriting, semi-professional work, you're better off with a 1.5 Year older iPad Pro 10.5", instead Tab S4. And despite Tab S4 does offers nice multitasking options (Split view, even Apps in Windows in a semi-desktop like Mode etc), it sadly ends with the App Ecosystem.

 

And then there are the Updates....

Let's go back to the Tab S2: It came out April 2016, launched with  Android 6 (which launched august 2015).

Now comes the sad part:

Half 5 Months later, Android 7 launched in August 2016, and it took them untill April 2017 (8 Months!!) to bring it to the Tab S2. The "brandnew" High End Tablet from Samsung, that was not efven 6 months old, was updated 8 Months later.1 Year after it launched, it got too late the Update. But then, that's it. No More updates. Android 8.0, which launched only less than 1 1/2 Years after the Tablet Launch, did NOT made it on the Tablet at all. It got 1 major update, then it got ditched.

Wonder if that's the case with the Tab S3 too.

 

Or the Tab S4? It launches with Android 8.1, after 9 is already out. It will probably be updated.. maybe in 1-2 months, maybe in 4 Months.

Maybe, the Tablet will get Android 10 a half year too late, sometime 2020. Then it will stop.

An iPad Pro 2018 (launch next month probably) will get Updates untill 2022 at least, most likely even 2023 as a last Update. iPad 2017, that exists for 1.5 years (a Samsung this old would already be outdated) will still get updates untill 2021-2022.

 

And this is a huge point. iPads get updates for so long, they stay perfectly relevant and useable for 4-5 years at least, and even after they can still get things done.

On Android? Soon outdated, it tends to get slower over time, etc..

 

I think, the Tab S4 is a really competetive device, on Paper only (the OS / App Optimizations are killing it). But it't no competition for an iPad Pro, especially for productive working, if you want to keep it for a longer time. Tab S4 needs to drop down to 499, instead 649. Then, with 150-200 bucks lower price than a modern iPad Pro, it might be a cheaper alternative. Cheaper, but worse OS for the Tablet. That might make up for it. But for same price? i would blindly go with the iPad. Even as an Android Guy.

 

 

Edit: Like i said, it depends what you want to do with it, and how.

Only youtube, Netflix, and basic webbrowsing? Won't make a difference with either. Even an 5 year old Android device like a Note 10" Tablet, with a 3 year old OS version, will have no trouble playing youtube videos, or looking something up on Wikipedia or Facebook.