Poll: are you still using an Android tablet?
Despite multiple attempts, some more successful than others, it seems that Android tablets never really took the market by storm. No single Android manufacturer, be it Samsung, Huawei or Lenovo, has been able to dethrone Apple's iPad since 2011. Now with foldable phones on the horizon, it's time to ask - do you still use an Android tablet? Is their time over?
I rarely reach for my own tablet anymore and I almost never take it with me on the go. Tablets have become a rare sight on my commute as well. In 2011-2012, I could spot Galaxy Tabs and iPads everywhere, but now it seems with the ever-growing sizes of smartphones and phablets, most people are content to use their phones for reading on the subway.
It's not just my imagination either. According to an IDC industry report, tablet shipments have been on a downward spiral for 15 straight quarters. Only Huawei and Apple have seen minimal growth. Google isn't helping Android's market share either. Their highly anticipated Pixel Slate will run on Chrome OS, which could put the final nail in the coffin for Android tablets.
The end is nigh?
This is why we have to ask what the future holds for Android tablets and what is limiting their potential. Is there a missing feature which could help them reach peak popularity? One thing is for sure - with foldable phones on the horizon, manufacturers have to step up their game. There hasn't been much enthusiasm for folding devices so far, but that is to be expected with clunky early prototypes. In the future, however, they could spell disaster for the tablet market.
Of course, as usual, we would like to hear your opinion. Do you still use an Android tablet? What is your preferred brand? Or do you think tablets, in general, will become obsolete in the near future? What features do you need in a tablet? Let us know in our poll and in the comments below.
For a change how about thinking about the older generation. They need tablets rather than stupid little keys on mobile phones. Mobile phones are far to complicated and with their arthritic hands impossible to hit the tiny keyboard. Older generation want to keep up with the world as well. LONG LIVE THE TABLET. ππ»ππ»ππ»ππ»
Sure, the Note 8 is an easier carry . . . for quick reads . . . and of course phoning and 4G access . . . But, then, for serious reads, note-taking, highlighting pdf's, sharing docs . . . I transfer links or documents themselves from phone (or desktop for that matter) via Telegram or Firefox sync to the 10" Samsung Galaxy -- WITH the pen! The pen is what makes it work as a genuine business tool.
It's much more comfortable to read, write and share extended documents on the tablet on my lap, sitting an easy chair (on a bus, train or plane), almost like a book (remember those?) than staring at the vertical desktop screen or peering into the Note8, as great as it is for what it does, but not in asking me to read a professional paper on a page the size of playing card.
Viva my Tablet!
Samsung Note 8 tablet with S pen is most useful device when on the move everyday and as entertainment device. I used it a lot
R
I also own and use a Samsung Note 10.1 used on a daily basis for 4 years now. Previous to that I had a Note 8.0.
Got my Surface Pro.
I use my tablet almost constantly and I often leave my phone at home or forget it. I recently replaced my old laptop with a desktop because when I want something portable, my Samsung S3 beats any laptop I've tried. The MS Office aps for Android are extremly good, Google Docs has better voice-to-text for free than Dragon does at an expensive $14.99/month, and the screen is big enough that it is far more comfortable for viewing videos than any phone.
Pixel Slate is not a tablet and I predict won't appeal much to tablet owners, it is a laptop. Its success or failure will say next to nothing about the tablet market and is much more relevant to the "ultra-portable" computer segment.
What we need is Xiaomi to continue copying Apple and to make a real, high-end hardware 12" Android tablet with the same combo of specs and cost as they used on the Pocophone. That fantasy product's success or failure would accurately say whether or not there is a future for Android tablets.
My phone is my "tablet". For everything else, I use my laptop. (heavy photoshop user)
Still using my Nexus 7 2013. It's on Android Oreo custom rom. About now it's time to replace it and i'm thinking about a Huawei Mediapad. But no rush here.
I use my Galaxy 3 tab for some notes that I want to keep and to keep them organized. I have a small 7" Samsung that I read from because is it so much easier to hold yet larger than my Note 8
Yes I 100% still use my Tablet.
I have just upgraded from the great Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 to the fantastic Galaxy Tab S4.
I use my tablet for my music collection and movies, all my catch up TV is via the tablet using Chromecast or Samsungs WiFi direct.
I use it for the majority of online shopping. It just makes it all a bit easier.
The excellent Tab S4 has Dex included so can easily swap to a windows set up for office related activities.
I use it as the main hub for all my connected devices, I have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse which enhances the UI.
I've not had a laptop or PC for the last few years & have never had a situation where I have needed one.
I've yet to subscribe to voice activated "home/hub" devices, again I can't think of a situation where my fantastic Galaxy Tab S4 would be not as good as these devices. I have Samsung Smart Things to connect to IOT devices with voice or touch screen UI.
I could of course do the majority of the above with my Samsung S7 (S9 within the next few days) but it's not the same and overall the tablet is easier and more productive.
Phones may be getting bigger, but my eyesight is also getting worse! Away from home, I use my phone out of necessity, but when I'm at home my tablet is my constant companion, and my desktop computer is only for serious tasks. Each one has its own usefulness.
I am much the same, David, I don't get out much as others, I got 10" Samsung Tablet never had problem not bound to the laptop or phone while at home the battery is not great I do most work in chunks of 4 hours while in bed I plug it in an it's full when I get up. Wife has Samsung 9, I got 5 waiting for 10 lookout X Y Z you can have all the Xxx's they will not beat the 10. Close your mines eye and get a Samsung 10 tad expensive but an't I going to have loads of fun - with no hangups.
I am using a Windows tablet and I am very happy with it. Using it mostly as a reader and for some light browsing and mails or taking it with me if I travel.
I got into the iPad when I got an iPad mini for free. Then I got one for my wife, but our daughter has a Samsung tablet and loves it. My worry with Android tablets are whether or not they will receive any OS updates which is a problem with some Android phones.
My tablet is my most heavily used tech item.
I have a Samsung Note 10.1 from back in 2014 and it still runs great, just wish Samsung had shown it a little love. Seems most Android manufacturer's don't due much for their tablets, maybe 1 major update and that's it.
I do not understand why tablet are not more popular. I Love mine, at home I use it as much as my PC. I will only use my phone for calls.
Very well said "tablets are not so popular anymore", the interest for them has fallen a lot. It is true that the diagonals of the phones have increased, but they do not compare to tablets. Personally, I'm using a 10.1 "Samsung S3 tablet and is very convenient to use, almost like a laptop. Even though Android does not offer all the features of a dedicated operating system such as Windows or the newer Chrome OS, bigger screen, I mean the 10 "diagonal, it's much easier to read information (web pages, books, even drawing, etc.).
I can not say for sure about camera capabilities on tablets, which are inferior to camera phones on phones, but the advantage of the tablet is the ability to edit photos, easier to process on a tablet than "no matter how diagonal ( !) "of a phone.
And for the educational field, for scholars and students, this modern learning tool is essential in the informational era of today.
I hope that interest in tablets will return, so that performance improves. As an idea, cameras that shoot at 8K are starting to appear, so a new field of exploration, the 4K field being fashionable now. Or for such high resolution, diagonal and phone performance (no matter how performant) is not enough.