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Tablet questions
Party Animal
Posts: 1,372
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Hi guys
I have never used or even had a go on any tablet of any kind
these days my eyes are not the greatest and have been thinking of doing away with my mobile phone altogether as I hardly use it for calls so hence my interest in in a tablet
however which tablet allows phone calls as well if as an example I only make half a dozen calls a week the sheer size of using a tablet as a phone does not bother me at all for the few phone calls I make
i want one for mainly surfing and watching movies and picture viewing
so which models allow normal phone calling... and looking to the future 4G looks like the way to go in the next 18 months
and lastly my main concern is the text size I have read that the text on tablets is actually smaller than on the large screen smart phones and making the text bigger is quite problematic
must add I do currently have an Android smart phone which is out of contract at the beginning of January so I intend to sell the phone and get a tablet
so all advice will be much appreciated but must do phone calls
thanks
I have never used or even had a go on any tablet of any kind
these days my eyes are not the greatest and have been thinking of doing away with my mobile phone altogether as I hardly use it for calls so hence my interest in in a tablet
however which tablet allows phone calls as well if as an example I only make half a dozen calls a week the sheer size of using a tablet as a phone does not bother me at all for the few phone calls I make
i want one for mainly surfing and watching movies and picture viewing
so which models allow normal phone calling... and looking to the future 4G looks like the way to go in the next 18 months
and lastly my main concern is the text size I have read that the text on tablets is actually smaller than on the large screen smart phones and making the text bigger is quite problematic
must add I do currently have an Android smart phone which is out of contract at the beginning of January so I intend to sell the phone and get a tablet
so all advice will be much appreciated but must do phone calls
thanks
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Comments
Specifically, FB Reader and Cool Reader
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=fb+reader
Why two? Well, it enables me to have two (or more if I add more readers), books on the go at one time. These readers both allow me to change text to whatever size and font I prefer, adjust backgrounds, etc, and have splendid functionality such as night mode, whereby the screen can switch to black with white text. It's also possible - at least with the Sony Tablet - to run a finger down the side of the screen to adjust the brightness level. Really good for night time reading. Both readers also save your page, etc, so you can simply close them down and expect to pick up just where you left off, next time you load the app.
More and more people are using Skype or Icq to make voice calls. However, this type of audience is limited as not everyone uses them.
Iphone and Samsung Galaxy 3 are perhaps the best ones for voice calls to everyone out on the go and indoors.
Ipad is good for Skype or Yahoo Messengers calls. It also has Face Time which I prefer.
Blackberry Playbook needs an app called comwave to make and receive calls. This works over Wifi.
I reckon the more free Wifi grows, there will be more people using Skype.
I am not looking at the large screen smartphones as I want a larger screen with 7" being the minimum I will go for
so the S3 and other smartphones are not an option
the Samsung 7.7 does all the above but as its over a year old now I would like to know what other newer options I have now or upcoming
and must add that I wont be using Skype just want a regular 3g tablet reading the specs on some of them they dont make it clear if they can do this
hence me posting here getting first hand knowledge from real world users
thanks
It has a 5.5 inch display so tablet like and can make calls.
Well as you have found, it isn't easy. Companies have yet to embrace new technology and you often find the switch from sim phone to sim tablet going not how you would like it to go with sim messages saying "this sim only works on your phone".
They say Google Nexus 7 will soon be 3g and coming to 3.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/NATPC-Capacitive-Android-Tablet--built/dp/B008O828L4/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1352024259&sr=1-2-fkmr0
Thanks for the input but I have clearly stated 7" minimum I already have a large screen smartphone
I would like to know what current upcoming tablets will make calls like a normal mobile
not skype
not advice saying don't do it get a small phone,, I already have a number of handsets
so please... what is available now or upcoming
If you already have a phone why does the tablet need to act as a phone?
"These days my eyes are not the greatest and have been thinking of doing away with my mobile phone altogether as I hardly use it for calls so hence my interest in in a tablet"
The need for a bigger screen.
I want to sell my smartphone as I can still get a pretty good wedge towards something bigger and newer
I have various old handsets but I hardly use the my phone for calls these days
so hence my eyesight problems and saw a guy using a tablet and liked the look of it
so being able to answer a few calls each week on a tablet is just what I am looking for regardless of the price
but not interested in skype etc
but because I have been out of the loop for a while now I posted this seeing what is the latest offerings
I like Android but will buy what ever I like the look of and does have normal phone calling
I wont buy anything that wont do normal calls
the ipad mini looks like it will do calls and not sure if there is a 4g version coming out
I am open to any system
Thanks
Surely it would make more sense to buy a very basic mobile phone to take care of the calls - nothing small and fiddly but one that is a decent phone and then go shopping for the best tablet just to act as a tablet?
By your own admission you don't make many calls so why compromise on the tablet selection by looking for a half-and-between solution?
If i said i was in the market for a new tv but i watch some dvds now and again so i want a tv with built in dvd player i would instantly be told that its a bad idea, i see this as being a slightly similar scenario.
Exactly. Tablets of the size that the OP wants, are not designed to be phones.
What don't understand is I put in plain English in the best way I know how exactly what I am looking for featurewise
yet I am now been told don't get this or that and I am compromising my tablet selection
I have said cost is irrelevant to me as long as it has the features I am looking for and do not want to carry two devices with me everywhere or be swapping sim cards 3 times a day
does the Ipad mini or full blown ipad make normal calls??
all I asked was what is available with the features I want
so far Galaxt Note 2 Galaxy S3 or use two devices is what I have been told
perhaps if I asked for a Galaxy note or S3 I might actually get some info regarding Tabs of 7" or more
Tab info
minimum 7" screen
must do normal phone calls
would prefer Android but am open to any Tab suggestion
and does the text allow enlarging because My eye sight is not the best
so far I have not seen a single Tab suggested good or bad which has the features I want
so by saying I am compromising my selection presumably the ipad's are a non starter then
please excuse my little rant but I have said exactly what I want to hear about and the bulk of the replies are offering the opposite to what I want
Whats wrong with asking about the reasoning behind needing both functions contained in one device? It seems like a logical question, given that keeping them separate opens up a whole wider world of potential purchases to you unless there is a specific reason why this would not be suitable - hence the question.
Frankly buy what you want, i apologise for wasting your time by trying to help , you can rest assured it won't happen again.
if I see you asking advice on buying a TV I will advise you not to get it and advise you the benefit of buying a Radio instead
must add I am heartbroken you wont be helping me again
A radio performs none of the functionality of a TV. If i was asking for a TV with a built in radio i would expect people to ask why i didn't just buy a decent tv and a separate radio. Seriously, i really don't see why you have all this aggression to people who are ultimately just trying to help you get the best deal for your cash.
I own an iPad and would be happy to recommend it and explain why i think its great but it isn't a phone so i can't - hence the initial question about why the phone functionality was a must have. A simple answer explaining why would have saved this back and forth.
I hope you get the device you are after. As a tablet i can strongly recommend the iPad but its just a tablet.
On the Android side, I use an app which syncs text messages between my tablet and smartphone, but, well it requires a smartphone, and it doesn't do calls.
(I have some sympathy with the OP, if I could take calls on my Nexus 7, I'd be tempted to leave my phone at home a lot of the time)
So, Party Animal, what are your objections to Skype? You can set it up to get regular, audio-only calls from any phone (not just Skype phones) and use it to dial out to landlines/phones too. (not sure I see the practical difference between that, and a 'proper' phone tbh, Not sure about texts though.)
Google also have an alternative called Google Voice, I think its technically possible to set it up outside the US but very fiddly. You can make outgoing calls (only) through the Gmail interface, so I guess you might be able to do that with a tablet too.
I think the bit you have to solve is 'what software do I need to make and receive calls on a tablet". After that, you'll have a much better idea of which tablets will be suitable.
http://www.talkatone.com/
(also available on Android)
Paul
I must be really stupid but I know for a fact that the Samsung Galaxy 7.7 works exactly like a normal smartphone straight out of the box
and the ipad mini has version called cellular advertised which I presume is for making normal calls or is that meaning data only with no calls??
I may be wrong but I have nor really keeping up with the latest tech info and specs etc
so hence my starting this thread to see what is actually available.... or upcoming in the next few months
this link shows the samsung tab as a phone look at just before 4 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnGhOQyH13U
that tab came out about a year ago so I automatically assumed that other tabs would have the same - not all - but the higher end one's
moving on to Skype
I have a group of people that I phone and none of them use skype so for me it is not what I am looking for at this point
I would imagine for heavy users and people with familys all living away from each other it is probaly the best bit of software ever but that is not my scenario
so in essence so far the only current tab that does what I want is the said Samsung 7.7
You do realise that other people don't have to have Skype for you to phone them?
With Skype you can phone ordinary numbers just like using an ordinary phone.
As far as I know there is no other tablet than the Samsung Tab that doubles as a mobile phone.
Just get a decent tablet and use the phone for acting as a wifi hotspot or the odd occasion you need to use the phone for calls.
Just out of interest what sort of phone do you have?
As others point out the Galaxy note is probably the best option if you want a combined device but unless you want to hold some massive device to your ear or like using a headset then keeping a phone for emergencies is probably the best option
In most cases (including the ipad) a cellular connection on a tablet is used purely for data.
Neat, I was unaware of this. It appears to be a Samsung only feature, but one they do plug.
If you're reluctant to go down the Skype route, then Samsung tablets appear to meet your needs. Their official site confirms a voice dialler is available on the cellular versions of the
Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab2/7.0/features.html?type=find
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab2/10.1/features.html?type=find
Tab 7.0 Plus
http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab/7.0/feature.html?type=find
and the Galaxy Note 10.1 (not mentioned on the official pages, but this review confirms it)
http://asia.cnet.com/product/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-quad-core-processor-1-4ghz-10-1-inch-display-45869682.htm
Bluetooth headsets? Failing that, look for a Dom Joly type chap wandering down the road with a slab by the ear.
Regular phone plus a tablet is a way more practical solution.
Although likely way outside the budget, aren't there some of these "dockable" devices coming out where you have a tablet where you can dock a phone in a port on the back, and literally have the best of both worlds?
mmm....padfone 2 goodness...definitely a contender for my next phone.
http://www.asus.com/Mobile/PadFone2/
should add that to the list of tablets that can make phone calls. In theory, you need never remove the phone.
I think the days of carrying two devices are severely numbered. Either conventional phone calls as we know them will die out, or devices that have a changeable screen size will appear.
http://youtu.be/DuosLfc0zU8?t=1m