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Galaxy tab s or ipad air

I have ipad air and it is not so bad but I hate ios limitations as Iam an android fan ( I have note 3 ) and since the galaxy tab s is announced I was taken by its screen
The only concern i have is it worth to sell my ipad and buy a tab s or not , also the ipad build quality is a beauty does the tab s will satisfy me in its build quality or I will regret giving away my ipad ?
Last thing is the exynos processor coming with it will be good or we will suffer lagging?
Thanks

I wonder if any tablet is worth it now. What are the benefits of having our carrying a tablet?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app

There is a 10.5" and 8.4" since OP didn't say which one, I'd take it the 10.5". I'd sell the Air for the 8.4 and/or 10.5". My bro has the iPad Air, very good tablet, but can't do much without jailbreaking it. Tab S specs is beastly! The exynos will not lag. Air has better built quality. Go to the store and check out the Tab S yourself. Good luck!
I might buy the 8.4" since my budget max is $400, but 10.5" Amoled is epic as hell! Wish I had $499 for it.

You buy Apple for the ecosystem, not for the hw/OS specs, which are behind Samsung/Android. If you don't have a must-have app on the iPad, go with Android. Better value for the $ and freedom to make changes as you wish.
The only issue I have with Samsung Tab S is that it's 16:9 screen ratio. I need the 4:3 for portrait eBook reading. For media consumption, I have a laptop & HT system.

I certainly talk about 10.5 model and the budget is not abig problem since I will sell the ipad and I mostly use my tablet for media like movies or tv series and I love android so go for it or wait for better processor and better build quality

Well the clear advantage of the 8.4 over the 10.5 is physical size and portability. While you can easily zoom small text on the 8.4 you cannot easily make the 10.5 physically smaller. The 8.4 is far easier to hold in one hand and read like a book. The 10.5 is more of a two handed affair.
Based upon people who own the Pro model and have seen the S in person, the reporting is the amoled screen is not sufficiently better or different to justify the $120 price premium over the current Pro model discounted pricing.
Rumor is Best buy may be offering a $100 trade in for any older working tablet when buying a S which could be a difference maker as the S will be thinner, lighter and have longer battery life.

mitchellvii said:
Well the clear advantage of the 8.4 over the 10.5 is physical size and portability. While you can easily zoom small text on the 8.4 you cannot easily make the 10.5 physically smaller. The 8.4 is far easier to hold in one hand and read like a book. The 10.5 is more of a two handed affair.
Based upon people who own the Pro model and have seen the S in person, the reporting is the amoled screen is not sufficiently better or different to justify the $120 price premium over the current Pro model discounted pricing.
Rumor is Best buy may be offering a $100 trade in for any older working tablet when buying a S which could be a difference maker as the S will be thinner, lighter and have longer battery life.
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Click to collapse
I just recently bought the 8.4 "Pro" and have been using it for at least 5+hours a day since I got it. I visited my local Best Buy and took a look at the new "S" model as I am still within my return policy. The first thing you will notice is the screen. The amoled screen is very nice but like mitch said I would not buy it just for that.
What I would buy it for, and the reason why I am returning the "Pro" for it, is a number of things. The battery life is better and there is a software feature included that will extend the time of the charge.
The speakers are on alternate sides... this may not sound like much to most but being a guy with big hands I have to hold the "Pro" awkwardly in order to not cover one of the speakers. Having them to one side allows me to hold it like I should and hear what I am supposed to.
The "S" model is smaller and lighter. Now looking at the specs it doesn't look like much until you actually get it in your hand. It is a significant difference and makes it easier to hold and hold for longer periods of time.
The "Pro" functions just as well as the "S" until you start going nuts with the multi-tasking, which I use extensively. The extra 1gb of RAM that you get in the "S" makes a huge difference in what you can have open and how many. Play Order and Chaos with the music player while surfing the web is a wonderful thing.
So to sum it up, the screen is very sexy on the "S", but by itself I don't think "Pro" owners should really worry about that. For those of us that still have opportunity to swap them out, like myself, its all up to you but the rose gold trim on top of the changes I mentioned above are what convinced me to swap.
-Grev

One important point , this topic was created to compare the tab s with the ipad air not with pro and is it worth it to swap from the ipad to the tab s
Thanks

I cannot stand iOS. Just too limited and over simplified.
People for years have been touting the apps but when I tried an iPad mini for a while the app situation was Way worse than android.
The stupid x2 zoom was just totally unacceptable. Android scales everything very well. I don't care if the apps are all totally redone for tablet size or not.
The iOS ecosystem seems like everyone is trying to reinvent the wheel with form over function. Get some buzz with something cool that is less usable than it was. I think it suits the uber hipsters perfectly. But not me at all.
You're going to love holding the Tab S 8.4 at 300 grams, very thin and a nice grippy back.
The Screen..
Battery life, especially if you use a browser with Night mode, darker theme.

I think it has more to do with which OS you like better or which architecture you are invested in at this point as prices are similar. IMO the Tab has some advantages like SD card availability, weight, and size but they are not huge, except the SD thing. Personally I have a deep rooted dislike of Apple from the days when the DRMed music so you couldn't put stuff you purchased on different devices.

salahfathi said:
I have ipad air and it is not so bad but I hate ios limitations as Iam an android fan ( I have note 3 ) and since the galaxy tab s is announced I was taken by its screen
The only concern i have is it worth to sell my ipad and buy a tab s or not , also the ipad build quality is a beauty does the tab s will satisfy me in its build quality or I will regret giving away my ipad ?
Last thing is the exynos processor coming with it will be good or we will suffer lagging?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a steal on the Mini 2 64gb way under $400 and new. Got it in Feb this year just before 7.1 ios came out. So its jailbroken. The ONLY reason I bought it like so many others say jailbroken is the only way to go. I would never buy one with out it. I can put different icons widgets blah blah. If it was not jailbroken I might sell it for a Tab s.
Yet I didnt and bought the Tab s anyway. For ME there is just more freedom.

Zeblade said:
I got a steal on the Mini 2 64gb way under $400 and new. Got it in Feb this year just before 7.1 ios came out. So its jailbroken. The ONLY reason I bought it like so many others say jailbroken is the only way to go. I would never buy one with out it. I can put different icons widgets blah blah. If it was not jailbroken I might sell it for a Tab s.
Yet I didnt and bought the Tab s anyway. For ME there is just more freedom.
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Click to collapse
My ipad is jailbroken too but enough lies on ourselves android alone without root has much more freedom than jailbroken ios

salahfathi said:
My ipad is jailbroken too but enough lies on ourselves android alone without root has much more freedom than jailbroken ios
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I 100% agree.

Update to my prior post. With the $100 trade in offer I went ahead and got the 10.5 Tab S. Glad I did. Colors amazing on this and like the extra size in portrait.

Get the S 10.5 and stick a 128 Gb sd card in it and save all of your music, videos etc on it so that you always have access to them wherever you go and if you need to do a factory reset then they are still available on the device.
Because the iPad has no sd card is a deal breaker for me.

IPad has a slicker, smoother os and a slightly better app store, but that's about it tbh. You can't use otg usb devices, no sd slot and a more restricted os. I have an ipad3 which I still use, but love the fact I can just plug my usb stick into my tab s and watch a movie or tv episode. Also the amoled screen is amazing. No iTunes to worry about either.
Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk

I only got the tab S 8.4 less than a week ago, was deciding whether to get the ipad mini retina, I wanted the ipad to play one game from teamlava called dragon story, but the developer was more hunger for money with their games which makes player spend alot of money, so I have slowly grown off the game.
With the 8.4 there is more freedom to customize the tab, and with less limitation, and cheap to buy.

You won't be disappointed

bigbrown said:
You buy Apple for the ecosystem, not for the hw/OS specs, which are behind Samsung/Android. If you don't have a must-have app on the iPad, go with Android. Better value for the $ and freedom to make changes as you wish.
The only issue I have with Samsung Tab S is that it's 16:9 screen ratio. I need the 4:3 for portrait eBook reading. For media consumption, I have a laptop & HT system.
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HW isn't behind with the exception being the OLED panel itself. The CPU in an iPad Air is much faster then what Samsung uses.

HughesNet said:
HW isn't behind with the exception being the OLED panel itself. The CPU in an iPad Air is much faster then what Samsung uses.
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Click to collapse
Another exception is running two apps simultaneously on the S 10.5 splitting it's 16:10 screen which is great and would not work on the ipad with it's 4:3 aspect ratio screen.

[Q] Pro 8.4 vs S 8.4. Worth the price difference?

I'm looking to buy 8.4 inch tablet. From what I read, both are very good tablet. The difference of price here is about 70 AUD.
I don't really care about AMOLED vs LCD- both are fine.
I'll most probably run it on custom ROM. Tab Pro already has official CM support and established community. I'm not sure about Tab S, it's is too early to tell at this stage. I also notice Tab S is slightly thinner and lighter. Tab S runs on 3GB ram compared to 2GB of Tab Pro.
Probably you guys can give an opinion whether the price difference is worth it. Is there any other factor that makes one better than the other?

In regards to custom ROM support, I would think the Tab Pro 8.4 would get more support because of the Snapdragon 800 processor. In America that processor is very popular and used by different manufacturers, so developer support is strong. The S 8.4 has a Exynos processor, which I'm not sure of developer support.
This video compares the Pro 8.4 vs. S 8.4

In addition to the above answer, if you are not going to root and will need Knox for security, go for the Tab pro. If you will root the device, get the Tab S because it has 3gb memory and it will certainly help.
I prefer the screen of the Tab Pro S. It is brighter and I have not had any problem with the 2 units I have used. I have also bought the Tab S 8.4 and the 10.5. Their screen were pinkish when viewing webpages with white background. I can also see purple fringing on top of icons and letters, while I see green fringing at the bottom.
I suggest go to a local store and try them both, only you can really make the best decision for yourself.
Good luck

If you actually don't care about the screen I would 100% get the tab pro 8.4. The snapdragon 800 is a better SOC than the exynos in the tab s. Your tablet will be quicker and developer support will always be more active with the snapdragon compared to the exynos. I currently have the tab pro 8.4 and it's perfect in every way except for the screen. I got spoiled with my note 3 and now I'm not sure I can stand reading off the tab pro in bed at night.
tl;dr if you don't care about the difference in screens, save your money and get the better performing tab pro 8.4

superkevx said:
If you actually don't care about the screen I would 100% get the tab pro 8.4. The snapdragon 800 is a better SOC than the exynos in the tab s. Your tablet will be quicker and developer support will always be more active with the snapdragon compared to the exynos. I currently have the tab pro 8.4 and it's perfect in every way except for the screen. I got spoiled with my note 3 and now I'm not sure I can stand reading off the tab pro in bed at night.
tl;dr if you don't care about the difference in screens, save your money and get the better performing tab pro 8.4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use lux lite from google play to reduce the brightness at night.

Thanks for the heads up regarding the Qualcomm vs Exynos thing, guys!
I love to customize my gadget and an active development community means a lot to me
I was leaning to tab S and now reconsidering my decision on tab pro.
If you own both device, I'd like to know your opinion about how it feels at your hand. I cannot try Tab Pro 8.4 at my local store (samsung decide not to sell it here) so I can only get it from grey imports. Does the difference in weight & dimension a significant one?

Hey I'm in the same position, can't decide what Tablet to get, I have however tried both of them in the shop and can say the Faux Leather plastic of the TabPro is not nice however won't we all be having a case on it anyway? As for the size difference is noticeable however in daily use I doubt it'd really effect anybody.
The price difference is £100 so that also plays a part idk how much cheaper the TabPro is for you. I'm also looking at the Nvidia Shield Tablet - let me know what you think to that compared to the Samsung tablets

acasserole said:
Hey I'm in the same position, can't decide what Tablet to get, I have however tried both of them in the shop and can say the Faux Leather plastic of the TabPro is not nice however won't we all be having a case on it anyway? As for the size difference is noticeable however in daily use I doubt it'd really effect anybody.
The price difference is £100 so that also plays a part idk how much cheaper the TabPro is for you. I'm also looking at the Nvidia Shield Tablet - let me know what you think to that compared to the Samsung tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nvidia shield is a gaming tablet and Samsung's tabs are casual tablet. It depends on your use case; for me, I'd rather play games on my pc instead of tablet.
What do you think about the weight? does Tab S feel more comfortable? It is very light for an 8.4 inch tablet.

Prokeke said:
Nvidia shield is a gaming tablet and Samsung's tabs are casual tablet. It depends on your use case; for me, I'd rather play games on my pc instead of tablet.
What do you think about the weight? does Tab S feel more comfortable? It is very light for an 8.4 inch tablet.
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Click to collapse
The Nvidia shield is close to stock android and has the best chipset out atm? and at a competetive price, the only thing is the weight of it...
And The tab was lighter though it's hard to tell when they have the security attachment things on the back. I tried bending it and it felt pretty solid considering how thin and light it was

acasserole said:
The Nvidia shield is close to stock android and has the best chipset out atm? and at a competetive price, the only thing is the weight of it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: I thought it runs on Tegra 4. It turns out to be Tegra K1 which is a better processor.
I'm not sure about the best chipset. Snapdragon 800 has better clockspeed and only one less core. Exynos 5 has 8 core but a little less clockspeed.
While it might be true that it is close to stock android, Nvidia is famous to keep the source of their SoC, making it harder for devs to develop things. I own LG optimus 2x with nvidia tegra 2 chipset and familiar with frustated devs blaming nVidia for it. Also, You can see that there is little to no development going on Shield's forum.
Qualcomm on the other hand is more developer friendly.

Another difference to note is the finger print scanner on the Tab S

I tested the Pro 8.4 and S 8.4 at a store. The S is noticeably lighter and thinner, but it doesn't matter to me since I always uses cases that add some bulk. I really don't like the Pro's extra height, which makes it a little awkward to hold in portrait mode. Its also harder to find sleeve cases that fit the height, without resorting to a sleeve made for a 10" tablet. The Pro is modeled after the Galaxy Note 3, while the S is modeled after the Galaxy S5. The Pro/Note 3's faux leather back is just matte plastic. The S/S5's back has a rubber-like coating thats soft and grippy. Getting the Pro 8.4 was an easy decision, especially due to the lower price. I can't see the difference between LCD and AMOLED screens.

xdm9mm said:
I use lux lite from google play to reduce the brightness at night.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have tried that. Looks like you have a note 3 also. Try reading something in the dark with the note 3 and black background with grey text. Like google play books with night mode turned on or any app with an amoled option. Then try the same with the gtab pro in the dark and you'll notice a huge difference!

I prefer the pro 8.4 against the s 8.4. Its cheaper by a lot and has a more widely used SoC hence more awesome ROMs to choose from.

superkevx said:
Yeah I have tried that. Looks like you have a note 3 also. Try reading something in the dark with the note 3 and black background with grey text. Like google play books with night mode turned on or any app with an amoled option. Then try the same with the gtab pro in the dark and you'll notice a huge difference!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I know what you mean. It (ASAmoled screen) is nicer when reading at night, but I can't stand looking at it during the day time. I have already returned the Note 3. I only have S4 and Tab pro 8.4 now.

[Q] I'm losing it. Can't decide.

I've been a flight crew member for 35 yrs. so obviously I am a decisive kind of guy. This decision has stumped me. Do I acquire the 8.4 or 10.5.?Seems pretty simple, right, WRONG. I have ordered then cancelled both models numerous times. I commute to work. If not on a jump seat, I may end up in a middle seat if I can't get into business class. I use my note 3 now and it's perfect so I think the 8.4 would be the perfect size for confined spaces. However, I want that big screen but concerned I won't use it and reach for my note when in a confined space.
I went to best buy and played with both but to no avail. I assume maybe some on here have had both and may be able to offer their enlightenment. I have read about the 10.5 being sharper do to the difference in the pixals in the screens. I have to admit I did notice this when playing with them and did find the 10.5 screen just seemed brighter and clearer. This was before I even read that some saw a difference. I'm new here as I just found this site and would like to thank all those who take the time to offer their opinions on these tabs. It has been a great help to me and I am sure others as well. Bill

Get the 10.5. In a confined space you will want to read in portrait and the 8.4 is too small for that. Also 10.5 seems to be having a better amoled screen experience than the 8.4. I owned the 8.4 Pro model and after a while I started to have a "big phone" experience. You want a tablet? Get a proper tablet, not a big phone.

mitchellvii said:
Get the 10.5. In a confined space you will want to read in portrait and the 8.4 is too small for that. Also 10.5 seems to be having a better amoled screen experience than the 8.4. I owned the 8.4 Pro model and after a while I started to have a "big phone" experience. You want a tablet? Get a proper tablet, not a big phone.
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Click to collapse
Great point Mitch, I actually never thought of that. I do read quite alot on my current tab and phone, finding the phone too small so rarely do so any longer. I read another post of yours where you mentioned the"big phone" experience and I can see that happening to me especially since the note 3 already as an over 5" screen.

ibill1 said:
Great point Mitch, I actually never thought of that. I do read quite alot on my current tab and phone, finding the phone too small so rarely do so any longer. I read another post of yours where you mentioned the"big phone" experience and I can see that happening to me especially since the note 3 already as an over 5" screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are looking for the best possible media experience, get the 10.5. The 8.4 will feel redundant with your Note 3.

I just got the 8.4 and for me it is the perfect size. Reading even in portrait is not a problem at all, text seems plenty big. I really love that I can hold it in one hand easily, it's the perfect size to grip securely with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other. Honestly it's all up to your personal preference, and budget. Personally I lean on the smaller screen size, my phone is the Galaxy S3 and the 4.8" screen on it is about as big as I want on a phone. A big screen is nice and all but you also have to think about convenience and how your going to be using it. I really expected the 8.4" screen to be smaller than it is, I was looking at the nexus 7 and even the Note 8.0 and thought those screens are a little small for a tablet(the big phone effect), but when I got the Tab S 8.4 and started using it I was like this screen is nice, seems really big especially since I'm used to the S3.

Loving the 8.4 since its more suitable for outdoor usage. Bigger sized is for home use.

Sell my Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and buy Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 !!?

Should I sell my Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and buy Nvidia Shield Tablet K1? I'm doubting.. one side light, thin, Amoled and screen resolution. other side Nvidia K1, marshmallow update!! front stereo speakers and mini HDMI. Really difficult choice.. HELP!

I had the Nvidia K1, and it gots random crashes. The shop send me another unit but it had the same problem.
I bought the tab s 8.4 and it's far better for me (maybe not as fast as the K1), but is more comfortable in the hands and has better screen. I prefer physical buttons as well, so if I were you, i'll keep the tab s.

In my opinion, there are no truly compelling alternatives right now. Each android tablet seems to be good at one thing, but bad at something else. If you switch to another tablet, you gain something but also lose something. Plus, the whole market is pretty stale because just take a look at how many 2014 tablets are still sold today unchanged. So I personally intend to use my Tab S until it falls apart, and then I'll look at the newer tablets when that happens. Samsung already made its move with the Tab S2, and to many the S2 did not meet the expectations, so I'd be willing to wait for something like the next generation Nexus 9 or Nvidia Shield tablet replacements.

No.

Do it. You'll be so happy you did.

still worth it in 2020?

I bought this tablet a few days ago, I have a galaxy tab s2 with snapdragon and linage os and works pretty well for read the form and weight and size display are perfect on tab s2 to read but lacks of batery and do not have pencil. I bought tab s4 for 300 euros with cover keywoard it looks a good deal but I am worried about tab s4 only will have one more update to android 10 and I can see any good rom for it and scene looks dead, so extrange because tab s2 at least still have some good roms. The size and weight of tab s2 is perfect for me and the most concern me is about updates and no scene. The pencil on s4 also is easy to lost it is not magenetic and place on cover is very bad place to keep it save.
Should I return it and buy a s6 litle? similar cpu power as tab s4, better pencil, better weight, thinner. Do you think scene on tab s4 is gonna be better¿ If at least lenage os will be support.

I don't think there will be any real rom support for either tablet. Seems you have to go with the S5e or something like that if you want more custom.
I still use two older Note 10.1 models as this thing is still pretty worthless for me with the horrible stock samsung.

pibcs81 said:
I bought this tablet a few days ago, I have a galaxy tab s2 with snapdragon and linage os and works pretty well for read the form and weight and size display are perfect on tab s2 to read but lacks of batery and do not have pencil.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How well does your tab S2 working with day to day usage? I'm thinking of getting one for Netflix and YouTube mainly.

ceanth said:
How well does your tab S2 working with day to day usage? I'm thinking of getting one for Netflix and YouTube mainly.
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with linage os works pretty well and is very very light and thin, aspect radio 4:3 is just perfect to read but not for video, if you are looking for a multimedia tablet is better 16:9 also I have a lenovo yoga tab 3 plus and for video is really good, good speakers, nice screen is an older model but still works great. Is much more heavy than s2 but the base that it has is amazing seems like useless but its just amazing invent for a multimedia tablet.
I still wondering if return galaxy tab s4, it is ok with keywoard, good screen, nice spen, good batery but it is more heavy than s2 to read it is not the best and without scene, no roms no party in the future.
Should I buy tab s6? I need a tablet to read an keep notes. If s2 had a good batery I also remaining with s2 but batery now is awful when it was new also was awful

pibcs81 said:
with linage os works pretty well and is very very light and thin, aspect radio 4:3 is just perfect to read but not for video, if you are looking for a multimedia tablet is better 16:9 also I have a lenovo yoga tab 3 plus and for video is really good, good speakers, nice screen is an older model but still works great. Is much more heavy than s2 but the base that it has is amazing seems like useless but its just amazing invent for a multimedia tablet.
I still wondering if return galaxy tab s4, it is ok with keywoard, good screen, nice spen, good batery but it is more heavy than s2 to read it is not the best and without scene, no roms no party in the future.
Should I buy tab s6? I need a tablet to read an keep notes. If s2 had a good batery I also remaining with s2 but batery now is awful when it was new also was awful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't consider the Lenovo yoga tab 3 plus. From a performance point of view, is the Lenovo better in your experience?
Looks like there is a good custom ROM scene for Lenovo yoga tab 3 plus which is great

ceanth said:
I didn't consider the Lenovo yoga tab 3 plus. From a performance point of view, is the Lenovo better in your experience?
Looks like there is a good custom ROM scene for Lenovo yoga tab 3 plus which is great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Performance for multimedia is still good similar to s2 with snapdragon from 2016 with linage os but with better display for video, I use it like small tv with iptv and amazon prime video and is ok is not the fastest tablet and the stand for the tablet is amazing you can put in any position and speakes are very good as well nice for multimedia.