Would you recommend galaxy tab s2

Flaccus

Want a tablet for netflix, plex, browsing, and gaming. As I already have an s7 edge, am thinking of s2. The 9.7 inch 32gb is 449 in local samsung store and giving it serious thought. I know its running the SOC from the note 4 so not a great gpu but then again is there any android games out there that require top specs. My only concerns are whether touchwiz is toned down so it doesnt lag like on the s7 ,whether samsung will continue to support it as i suspect the s3 id due soon. Also wondering if the version of android allows you to move supported apps to sd card like on s7.

Alternative is pixel c for 509 but with no sd card support, it would have to be the 64gb version bringing it up over the 600 mark.

And of course the air 2 128gb which is now under 560. While I find iOS apps run smoother than android, you can only easily download from appstore.

Any suggestions welcome.

_Whimsical_

Flaccus wrote: »

Want a tablet for netflix, plex, browsing, and gaming. As I already have an s7 edge, am thinking of s2. The 9.7 inch 32gb is 449 in local samsung store and giving it serious thought. I know its running the SOC from the note 4 so not a great gpu but then again is there any android games out there that require top specs. My only concerns are whether touchwiz is toned down so it doesnt lag like on the s7 ,whether samsung will continue to support it as i suspect the s3 id due soon. Also wondering if the version of android allows you to move supported apps to sd card like on s7.

Alternative is pixel c for 509 but with no sd card support, it would have to be the 64gb version bringing it up over the 600 mark.

And of course the air 2 128gb which is now under 560. While I find iOS apps run smoother than android, you can only easily download from appstore.

Any suggestions welcome.

I have the S2 tab and it's great. No lag what so ever, very fast and efficient. The only problem I have with it is that I like to plug my devices into the TV to watch android based stuff that way. The aspect ratio of the s2 tab is not very compatible with the tv and despite trying lots of settings on the tv it never plays full screen, only as a box the size of an A4 piece of paper inside a black boarder. I've checked over on xda and other forums and this is just the way it is, nothing can be done. That's the only downside. For me it's a big enough one but I can just use my phone instead for that purpose.
Otherwise I'd say go for it though.

Venom

If I was in your shoes given what you wrote, Id go for the Pixel C due to the combination of better hardware, software and long term support. Samsung make awesome hardware but their OS sucks balls and their software upgrade policy is utter crap unless you buy a top tier flagship device.

I own a Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and its a great bit of tech mired down by a ****ty OS with zero updates to the OS from Samsung since day one. It came with Kitkat and has stayed on Kitkat as Samsung couldn't be bothered to update it to Lollipop. Unless you plan to root and replace touchwiz with a different OS, you can look forward to tons of bloatware you cant remove that seems to update themselves non stop.

Nivida make an epic 8" tablet, Asus have a new 10" Zenpad coming out this month (wait for review) and Huawei have a new 7" Nexus/Pixel due before the end of the year. Lots of options out there so easy to avoid Samsung.

Flaccus

Thanks guys. I think the s2 is now on android 6. I actually like android 6/ touchwiz on the s7. Prefer it to stock android. Only question is whether its the same lag free experience on the s2. From what i have read it is, but no doubt the pixel c is superior in many ways.

One thing that concerns me is lack of apps that work in landscape mode on android tablets. Not sure if this problem is mainly on pixel c or on android tablets in general.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/09/one-year-later-can-android-7-0-nougat-save-the-pixel-c/

"Of the top 200 apps:

Nineteen were not compatible with the Pixel C
Sixty-nine did not support landscape at all
Eighty-four were stretched-out phone apps
Twenty-eight were, by my judgment, actual "tablet" apps"

_Whimsical_

Flaccus wrote: »

Thanks guys. I think the s2 is now on android 6. I actually like android 6/ touchwiz on the s7. Prefer it to stock android. Only question is whether its the same lag free experience on the s2. From what i have read it is, but no doubt the pixel c is superior in many ways.

There definitely is no lagging issue on the tab S2. It is a very smooth and extremely snappy experience. I've had a few different devices including ipad, this is by far the best user experience in terms of speed.
It is on Marshmallow 6.0.1 now.

Flaccus

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

There definitely is no lagging issue on the tab S2. It is a very smooth and extremely snappy experience. I've had a few different devices including ipad, this is by far the best user experience in terms of speed.
It is on Marshmallow 6.0.1 now.

Excellent. Have you compared it with the iPad air 2 by any chance ?

_Whimsical_

Flaccus wrote: »

Excellent. Have you compared it with the iPad air 2 by any chance ?

I don't own one but I have tried one. Definitely didn't notice any lesser performance when compared. I was browsing and giving the ipad the once over, I wasn't testing it to the nth degree or anything, but as a normal user I noticed no difference in performance.

You could probably give both a side by side test in Curry's or PC World if you wanted. I think they usually have them on display.

Flaccus

Thanks. Have used an iPad Air 2 before but never an Android tablet. Not 100% liking iOS, though my biggest concern is all the talk about how iOS has much better tablet app support while Android apps look like stretched out phone apps, and may lack landscape support and only work in portrait mode. I guess I will give an S2 a go in the store.