Inexpensive (well, cheaper than premium at least) tablet?

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

I'm looking for a tablet. I know I don't want to the latest and greatest from Samsung or Apple, I want something cheaper. I don't know how low I can go though, I have no idea where the dividing line lies between junk and the middle range.

Basically my sister got a tablet from UKZN (2 years ago) and this tablet is utterly junk. I have no idea what it is, can't find specs anywhere, I'm guessing it's a 7" tablet (based on it being being bigger than my 5" phone and yet smaller than 10" tablets) but other than that I don't know. What I do know is that it's utterly junk. Touch response is weak and laggy, screen contrast is awful and extremely blue and unsharp, and the battery is abominable, by far the worst part of the device as any raising of brightness above zero drains 1-2% a minute. However this terrible tablet has taught me that I do want a tablet.

Now unlike usually I don't need tons of power so I don't want to spend top-dollar in getting one. All I want is decent battery life and a decent screen, and something larger than 7" would be nice, as well as something that doesn't take 10 touch attempts to activate a command. A front light-sensor would also be nice so that I can use Lux auto brightness app to control the brightness.
Main use will be mainly to read e-books (but I don't really want a Kindle), so it doesn't need a ton of power but at least enough to accomplish that task and maybe some basic browsing.

So given those wants what tablets am I looking at and in what price range? Lesser brands are fine providing they can accomplish those wants and won't be the same trash as I already have. I'm looking at retail pricing and it can be WiFi only because I'm not even sure I'd stick a SIM in even if has 3G.

 

[Hemps]

Having the same issues with my Galaxy Tab 3 Lite, I can watch the battery drain away and its horrendously slow.

This had my eye for a moment - http://mia.africa.com/za/mi-pad

 

[supersunbird]

https://secure.telkom.co.za/today/s...mediapad-t1-8-inch-pro/#!k=device-slider-6195

Huawei MediaPad T1 8 inch Pro with SmartInternet - 1 GB

R99.00PM x 24

Device Features
+Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 4800 mAh battery
+Camera: 2 MP
+Camera: 5 MP, 2592 х 1944 pixels, autofocus
+Display: 8.0 inch
+Platform: 1.2 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon
+Platform: Android OS, v4.4 (KitKat)
+Storage: 16 GB, 2 GB RAM
+Voice & Data: LTE/HSPA/GSM

So the cost is like R2400 spread over 2 years and you get 1GB of data per month (no OOB shark)

 

[Hamster]

LG G8

I own one. I love it.

Also it has an 8" which I can hold with one hand but is still big enough. It's like the perfect size.

As for price, well I won that one here on MyBB but I can't see it costing that much.

And for reference: I own an iPad2 which became obsolete when I bought a Asus MeMo 7" tablet (both lying in my closet doing nothing). I also won a Lenovo 7" tablet which I gave to my girlfriend. Looks nice, she is happy but it doesn't touch the LG.

That said, if I was going to buy a tablet I'd be looking at a Nexus or Motorola or something without any crapware on it.

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

https://secure.telkom.co.za/today/s...mediapad-t1-8-inch-pro/#!k=device-slider-6195



So the cost is like R2400 spread over 2 years and you get 1GB of data per month (no OOB shark)

Hmm, good suggestion but I forgot to mention I'm looking for something retail. And it can be WiFi only. I'm not even sure I'll stick a SIM in even if it's 3GB capable (though I guess having the option never hurts).

 

[falcon786]

Hmm, good suggestion but I forgot to mention I'm looking for something retail. And it can be WiFi only. I'm not even sure I'll stick a SIM in even if it's 3GB capable (though I guess having the option never hurts).

Hifi corp used to sell the only decent budget tablet that was an 8 inch with high res screen with good contrast etc called the Hisense sero 8 pro,unfortunately they seem to have discontinued it,apparently Hisense were not making enough profit on it.:erm:

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

Hifi corp used to sell the only decent budget tablet that was an 8 inch with high res screen with good contrast etc called the Hisense sero 8 pro,unfortunately they seem to have discontinued it,apparently Hisense were not making enough profit on it.:erm:

*Sigh* That'd be just like my luck.
Thought I don't really want higher than 1080P res, I'd rather have slower battery drain.
In fact I think I'd be ok with 720P or 1280x800?

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

So after looking at a whole bunch of tablets my conclusion is that unless I buy Samsung's cream of the crop that tablets are in general crap and well behind smartphones when it comes screen clarity. Guess I'll have to wait a few years for viable "cheap" 1080P tablets to become the norm. In fact as it turns out, on paper the tablet I've got is on par with most other tablets on the market so other than better battery life I've actually got zero guarantee I'd be getting something better regardless of how much I spend.

Also why the hell did 1024x600 become the norm? Why not 720P or 1280x800?
And what the hell is up with everything claiming to have an IPS display? why not standard TN LED? Besides these supposed IPS displays don't even behave a quarter as much clarity and contrast as both my Sony Z3 and my 1920x1200 ASUS IPS desktop monitor.

Bah, utter crap. Guess I'll wishlist the Samsung S2 9.7" tab and hope for a 40-50% special on Takealot at some point.

 

[Hemps]

http://www.takealot.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-8-4-s-lte-16gb-titanium-bronze/PLID40904400

R4400 unboxed though.

 

[ambo]

I've noticed the same thing and it frustrates me. Everything that Vodacom has in stock at the moment is equivalent or lower spec than the Nexus7 that I bought 2 years ago. Not even a bigger battery - just newer.

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

http://www.takealot.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-8-4-s-lte-16gb-titanium-bronze/PLID40904400

R4400 unboxed though.

Nah, unboxed ain't gonna happen. Thanks for the suggestion ....I wonder why it's not available standard though, it certainly looks new/strong enough to still be around.

 

[Exaelea]

If your into windows tablets:

https://www.makro.co.za/computing-and-mobile/lenovo-8-miix-2-windows-tablet-3g-64gb--299790EA

Has the faster atom in it, not that z2xxx crap, 2gb ram, 64gb storage, sd slot, sim.
Can be upgraded to Windows 10 too, battery on standby lasts a good week, usage.. around 8-10hours. Only advise i'd give, drop the brightness to 0% as its brighter at 0% than most new flagship cellphones at 80-100% There are apps you can download to drop the brightness even lower to increase battery life if needed.

edit: Dionwired has it too if makro gets sold out.

 

[Hemps]

If your into windows tablets:

https://www.makro.co.za/computing-and-mobile/lenovo-8-miix-2-windows-tablet-3g-64gb--299790EA

Has the faster atom in it, not that z2xxx crap, 2gb ram, 64gb storage, sd slot, sim.
Can be upgraded to Windows 10 too, battery on standby lasts a good week, usage.. around 8-10hours. Only advise i'd give, drop the brightness to 0% as its brighter at 0% than most new flagship cellphones at 80-100% There are apps you can download to drop the brightness even lower to increase battery life if needed.

edit: Dionwired has it too if makro gets sold out.

If it had Full HD display it would be ideal buy but seems to get HD you need to add extra 4k.

 

[Suspect99]

I've got this. Hisense sero 8 pro.
Awesome screen for the price. Really good value for money. Battery life is decent as well.

http://www.hificorp.co.za/hisense-sero-tab-8-pro-7-9in-android

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

I've got this. Hisense sero 8 pro.
Awesome screen for the price. Really good value for money. Battery life is decent as well.

http://www.hificorp.co.za/hisense-sero-tab-8-pro-7-9in-android

Awesome screen which I know absolutely nothing about because it's not mentioned. I hate lack of info on tech devices. And again I've got no clue about the battery either...at that size it should be larger than 4000 mAh but I'm not being given that info. Rest looks really good though.

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

If your into windows tablets:

https://www.makro.co.za/computing-and-mobile/lenovo-8-miix-2-windows-tablet-3g-64gb--299790EA

Has the faster atom in it, not that z2xxx crap, 2gb ram, 64gb storage, sd slot, sim.
Can be upgraded to Windows 10 too, battery on standby lasts a good week, usage.. around 8-10hours. Only advise i'd give, drop the brightness to 0% as its brighter at 0% than most new flagship cellphones at 80-100% There are apps you can download to drop the brightness even lower to increase battery life if needed.

edit: Dionwired has it too if makro gets sold out.

Kinda want to stick to my touch-only devices being Android. That's some really nice storage capacity though...absolutely slaughters the (Android) competition.

 

[Hemps]

http://www.hisense.co.za/product/hisense-sero-8/

Not bad actually

Type: Retina IPS
Size: 7.85″
Resolution: 2048 x1536
Multi-Touch: Yes – 5point

 

[Suspect99]

Awesome screen which I know absolutely nothing about because it's not mentioned. I hate lack of info on tech devices. And again I've got no clue about the battery either...at that size it should be larger than 4000 mAh but I'm not being given that info. Rest looks really good though.

I was on my phone. Effort to post links. There you go. 2048x 1536 screen. 4400mAh battery.

http://hisense.co.uk/electronics/tablets/sero-8-pro

http://www.stuff.co.za/hisense-sero-8-pro-a-good-8-inches/

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

XD My mistake, I didn't realize HiSense was so reputable...for some reason I thought it was a house brand or a crappy local only (chinese) brand.

That actually sounds fantastic. Certainly I don't see myself getting better without spending over 5K. I think my search is over, now I just need to take the plunge.

 

[K.J]

^ I've just went to a HiFi Corp to look at this Hisense Sero 8 Pro, it looks good, very nice screen, although not too happy with the touch sensitivity, being a bit laggy or not registering some times, little bit of a hit and miss, suppose need to get used to it.

Had a Huawei MediaPad T1 last year some time and the Huawei's touch sensitivity was way worse and really frustrating. Suppose I'm used to my Samsung Note, and something you can adjust to.

Reviews on the Hisense actually look quite decent, really considering this myself. Local reviews by Stuff & Techsmart indicate pricing of R3k, so pretty good pricing at HiFi Corp.

The salesperson at HiFi Corp (Greenstone) says they out of stock, only 1 left at the Boksburg branch, and they haven't received any more from December.