android tablet

martinkeown

im heading to south america for 5 weeks and was looking to buy some form of android tablet or some form of device with internet access as ill need to keep up to date with my work while away..im looking for something reasonably priced(just in case it gets stolen)maybe something about 7 inch.Not looking for a phone just the internet and is it possible to buy some form of device that works without wi fi,just turn it on and theres the internet..cheers:)

AlmostCared

This really all depends on your price range. But, if I was you I would choose the HTC Flyer (€289.99), it's on the cheaper end of the market yet it's still highly functional and HTC is renowned for their software. You could also opt for the slightly cheaper Blackberry Playbook (€259.99) but it's rather outdated and generally frowned upon due to the lack of decent software available for it. It will still manage emails and browsing perfectly though. If you are a heavy email user you should probably choose this. Blackberry always have very good emailing applications. Finally you could try the super cheap Archos 7 v2 (€109.99), definitely not going to win any prizes but it will just about manage the basics. HTC is definitely the stand out for me and it's excellent software will aid you in many different ways. All these prices are from Expansys.ie Let me know how you get on and if you have any further questions feel free to ask. Hope this helped.

martinkeown

cheers mate thats great.and do all of these work with out wi fi or do you have to top them up with some sort of credit system?

AlmostCared

The HTC Flyer comes in a Wi-fi + 3G version which would enable you ti access the internet anywhere as long as you get a sim card for the tablet on one of the local network providers, but that will end up costing you extra money, depending on how much you use the 3G. But that HTC Flyer Wi-Fi + 3G model will cost you €468.99. A huge increase. Neither the Archos or Blackberry have 3G versions. I would probably just stick to the Wi-Fi only models. If 3G is an absolute necessity, you could opt for the cheaper, but less functional, Huawei S7 for €239.99 (on Expansys.ie) this includes Wi-fi. For what and how often would you be using the tablet? How long are you planning to spend in South America?

Overheal

nobody is bothering with much development for built in cellular service. not anymore. In the last year, Aircards/Hotspots have been a killer item for the carriers: a dedicated tethering card that creates a Wi-Fi area for up to (normally 5-8) local devices, on one Line/Contract/Plan. I would save your money and avoid buying something with built-in 3G/4G. Wasteful.

martinkeown

im going for 5 weeks and will need to use almost every day

AlmostCared

Will you have access to Wi-fi most of the time?

martinkeown

most of the time..i hope.

AlmostCared

I'd probably just stick to the Wi-fi tablets then. Maybe a Samsung Galaxy Note would suit you better? It has a 5.3" screen so it's almost like a small tablet. Yet, it still remains a phone. Very handy as it's compact and really easy to use. Just pop in to one of the local mobile operators and get a sim card that enables 3G connectivity. The Galaxy Note is around €400-€500 unlocked to all networks. But it doubles up as a phone so that's why the price is slightly higher. An iPhone with a 3.5" screen costs the same amount so the Note is actually value for money. Think of it as a phonepad or something :P Stick with one of those first few tablets i told you about earlier on in the thread, but don't bother with 3G ones. (The Samsung Galaxy Note only has 3G because it's a phone) Look up a few videos of it on their official website if you have any more queries about the Galaxy Note.