Worth buying a Samsung Tablet?

July 23, 2016 4:59 PM

I am thinking of buying a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, but with new ones coming in September, should I buy this?

My question is two-part- 1) Would you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet now knowing that Samsung is coming up with new ones in September? This tablet is pricey but I may get one for around $300.

2) It has Android Kit Kat on it, does anyone know if this specific tablet can be updated to Lolipop?

posted by metajim to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

Google is also likely to drop a new Nexus 7" device by Huawei in September. If history is anything to go by, those are by far and away the best supported devices in terms of OS.

I'm in the same boat, considering replacing an aging tablet with a failing battery. But I think I'm waiting a couple of months more.
posted by bonehead at 5:47 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have a Samsung Tab A with stylus pen. As a writer, that stylus is a thing of beauty. Write by hand, input as text.
posted by New England Cultist at 6:14 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'd wait because prices at about to change rathet dramatically.

I'm pretty set to update my phone once the note 7 chimes out in august.
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:29 PM on July 23, 2016

Google Nexus, hands down. I've owned both.
posted by wwartorff at 7:56 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Samsung is pretty terrible about updates. Not only does Samsung have new devices coming out here, but Lollipop isn't the most recent one. Marshmallow is. And Nougat is due by the end of September. Just think, here, about the fact that you're considering purchasing a new device and the question you're asking is whether it supports an OS that was released in 2014. I think it does, but I'm also pretty sure that's as far as it's going.

If you really love a stylus, you need a Note, not a Tab, and they're markedly more expensive. They are good, but again, the updates are terrible. I own a Note 12.2 Pro, and had to switch to CyanogenMod, which is not a newbie-friendly thing to do, after a Samsung update broke most third-party Bluetooth keyboards and they didn't release a fix for like two months. Their stylus stuff is good, their battery life is good, but I still would not buy another one. If I was going to buy one, I would not buy one right this moment; I'd buy the latest thing when it drops so you at least maximize the lifespan of it. But having had both Samsung and Nexus devices--my next tablet is going to be a Nexus.
posted by Sequence at 9:05 PM on July 23, 2016

To see if a tablet or phone can be updated to a newer OS, check the XDA forums. Most can, but unlocking the bootloader, rooting and flashing takes patience and is not simply an OTA update. I did it as a newbie by following the instructions on XDA in conjunction with a YouTube video. If you can follow directions and have patience you can too.

With my phone experience, I would echo those above to get a device that runs as close to stock Android as you can. A Nexus or one that can run Cyanogen or any other close to stock ROM.

As for price, if it were me, I would wait to buy the new version in September or buy last year's model in September when the sellers mark them down to take the one year depreciation into account.
posted by AugustWest at 11:05 PM on July 23, 2016

I also have the Tab A with a stylus. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
posted by Amalie-Suzette at 3:55 PM on July 24, 2016