Trying to choose a new tablet.

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Jun 27, 2012
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As the topic says. Basically, I've been having some trouble with my 2012 Nexus 7 as of late- the headphone jack doesn't want to work correctly. Sometimes it's fine, at others, I get mono-sound from one ear on my headphones. Or it's real quiet. Either way, it's annoying to try and adjust things to the point where I can hear music properly. So, with that little bit of background out of the way, here goes. I've also owned a Nook HD (which is the widest tablet I've owned yet, actually), and that worked just fine (just isn't in the same league as a Nexus 7, of course).

1. This isn't my first time buying a tablet, as you could probably tell from above. However, I do live in the USA, so this may impact my choices a bit. Also, I don't plan to be purchasing this immediately- just sometime before March, most likely. I've been doing some looking around as well, but I'm sure I haven't seen all the interesting tablets that may work for me.

2. I'd prefer Android. Just my preference at this point in time, because I can use my Google account with the device in question. No iOS, don't really want to pay that much for those. What I would prefer is a standard Android experience, rather than too much in the way of customized skin.

3. Screen Size. I'd like to get something in the 8" area with a resolution higher than 1280x800, if possible. I'd like a decent brightness for the screen as well (from my experience, I would say roughly 50% brightness on a 2012 Nexus 7 is at least decent for me, so there's a comparison to go by), and good color reproduction. Since I'm slightly colorblind as-is, let's just say that I don't mind so much if it's not perfect in this regard. For the tablet size itself, length and depth aren't big concerns. I'd prefer to keep the overall width of the tablet to under 130mm so it can be kept in a pocket.

4. I don't have any preferred brands per-say, but I'd like to stay away from off-name brands that I'm unfamiliar with. Samsung, Google, ASUS, LG, and others are the brand names I'm familiar with. Stuff like Coby or Pipo (though I hear the latter isn't bad)... Not so familiar with.

5. I'd prefer to spend less than $300, but I can range up to $350 if necessary. Definitely not above that. The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition is definitely the high-end choice for me.

6.The tablet only needs to be WiFi capable only.

7. It doesn't need to replace a laptop (it probably will, but I'm not buying it to do so outright).

8. Existing Apps range from Webster's Dictionary, Kairosoft games, Bejeweled clones, Moonreader+, and a few others. I don't really get into the ports of games from consoles, so nothing like Final Fantasy or whatnot.


The only other things to touch on would be that I would not want to get something that has only 8GB of storage. Considering the latest Android OS releases take up somewhere around 6GB, I'd prefer 32GB, or 16GB with additional storage via SD/micro SD card. I don't really care about cameras, on the device, I already have a digital camera anyway. Any assistance in determining a good tablet to get would definitely be great. I'd like to avoid the Nexus 7, since I'd like an 8" tablet, but that is my fall-back if I don't find anything within a good price-range that would work out better.
 
Solution
The following are all 1280x800 resolution 8" tablets. Don't know of any 8" Android tablet with higher resolution.

There's the Dell Venue 8 Android tablet starting at $180. Not to be confused with the Dell Venue 8 Pro which is a Windows 8.1 tablet.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/dell-venue-8/pd

There's the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 starting at $249. It is not your typically shaped tablet one side is rounded so that you can hold it better. The upside is that the shape allows for a larger battery.

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/ideatab/yoga/yoga-8/

There's the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 for $249

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-8-Inch-White/dp/B00D02AHEO


I too have a 2012 Nexus 7 and it serves it's purpose for now. However, when I am...
The following are all 1280x800 resolution 8" tablets. Don't know of any 8" Android tablet with higher resolution.

There's the Dell Venue 8 Android tablet starting at $180. Not to be confused with the Dell Venue 8 Pro which is a Windows 8.1 tablet.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/dell-venue-8/pd

There's the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 starting at $249. It is not your typically shaped tablet one side is rounded so that you can hold it better. The upside is that the shape allows for a larger battery.

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/ideatab/yoga/yoga-8/

There's the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 for $249

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-8-Inch-White/dp/B00D02AHEO


I too have a 2012 Nexus 7 and it serves it's purpose for now. However, when I am ready to upgrade I will simply switch over an 8" Windows tablet. Likely sometime between late 2014 and late 2015. Hopefully my Nexus 7 will not develop any problems.
 
Solution

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Jun 27, 2012
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The LG G Pad 8.3 has a 1920x1200 screen resolution, and I believe the Nook HD+ is something like 1920x1280. Either way, I'm not all that interested in the next step of Nook HD, it's just a bit too big for what I'm looking for. The G Pad 8.3 is pretty much what I'd like, but the price is a bit too steep compared to the 2013 Nexus 7. I'm really hoping for something noticeably better with a larger screen... without giving up the Google Play store. It's the main reason I haven't been looking at the Amazon-branded tablets.

(edit)

Now, after some consideration, I really don't mind 1280x800 resolution. Though I'd like higher on an 8" tablet, it's not really a prerequisite- having 720p available is just fine, I don't really need 1080p. As I said before, I'm seeking something that's notably better than the 2012 Nexus 7, preferably without massive amounts of bloatware.