[Party Animal]

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

[nathanbrazil]

I can tell you that with reference to text size, this is no problem at all when using free software for Android . I have a Sony Tablet S (same screen size as iPad) and have added a couple of freebie e-book readers from the GoolgePlay site.

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.

[stud u like]

There are quite a few different ways to get in contact with people via voice.

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.

[Party Animal]

Thanks for the input guys but just looked at the Sony S and it appears it does not do normal phone calls in the same way that the smart phones do

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

[Cantona07]

I would suggest keeping a mobile just for phone calls and buying a tablet based on it being the best tablet rather than having phone capabilities.

[Anika Hanson]

The Samsung galaxy note 2 ?

It has a 5.5 inch display so tablet like and can make calls.

[stud u like]

Originally Posted by Party Animal

Thanks for the input guys but just looked at the Sony S and it appears it does not do normal phone calls in the same way that the smart phones do

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

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-Capaci...9&sr=1-2-fkmr0

[Party Animal]

Originally Posted by Anika Hanson

The Samsung galaxy note 2 ?

It has a 5.5 inch display so tablet like and can make calls.

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

[Cantona07]

Originally Posted by Party Animal

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?

[stud u like]

Originally Posted by Cantona07

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.

[Party Animal]

Originally Posted by Cantona07

If you already have a phone why does the tablet need to act as a phone?

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

[Cantona07]

Originally Posted by stud u like

"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.

Originally Posted by Party Animal

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.

[nathanbrazil]

Originally Posted by Cantona07

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?

Exactly. Tablets of the size that the OP wants, are not designed to be phones.

[Party Animal]

Originally Posted by Cantona07

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?

.

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

[Cantona07]

There is absolutely no need to take that attitude. People are taking the time to offer opinions and advice.

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.

[Party Animal]

Originally Posted by Cantona07

Frankly buy what you want, i apologise for wasting your time by trying to help , you can rest assured it won't happen again.

Thanks for that
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

[Cantona07]

Originally Posted by Party Animal

Thanks for that
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.

[paulbrock]

OK, so, neither Android tablets nor iPads can make *phone calls* out of the box, nor is that likely to change. That leaves non-Android tablets/ipads which I know v little about, or 3rd party software.

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.

[paulbrock]

here's another one to look at
http://www.talkatone.com/

-Turn your iPad or iPod touch into a phone

(also available on Android)

[Party Animal]

Originally Posted by paulbrock

OK, so, neither Android tablets nor iPads can make *phone calls* out of the box,.

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

[paulbrock]

Out photographing fireworks right now so can't watch video but will later. I will reiterate though that Skype (or competing services) allow you to call ANY phone, not just other people on Skype

[Schadenfreud]

Originally Posted by Party Animal

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.

[Rodney McKay]

Originally Posted by Party Animal

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

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

[paulbrock]

Originally Posted by Party Animal

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??

In most cases (including the ipad) a cellular connection on a tablet is used purely for data.

this link shows the samsung tab as a phone look at just before 4 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnGhOQyH13U

Neat, I was unaware of this. It appears to be a Samsung only feature, but one they do plug.

so in essence so far the only current tab that does what I want is the said Samsung 7.7

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/micros...html?type=find

Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
http://www.samsung.com/global/micros...html?type=find

Tab 7.0 Plus
http://www.samsung.com/global/micros...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...y-45869682.htm

[clonmult]

Originally Posted by Rodney McKay

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

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?