Tab(let)? I can't give you a tab(let) unless you order something!
April 26, 2020 12:21 PM Subscribe
What's the best 100-200$ 7-10" tablet that I can root?
Hiya folks, I have a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 bought in 2014(!) with TWRP and some custom ROM that works juuuust enough to get by. It can do the following:
-Read articles on Chrome from RSS feeder
-watch YouTube videos
-surf most webpages with AdAway installed
-maintain battery life like a champ (recharge every ~3+ days)
-Watch videos on VLC Player
-Be a rooted tablet
It cannot, and I wish it could:
-Stream Hulu + netflix
-be stable enough surfing the web that the browser doesn't crash regularly
-be loud enough so that I don't need to play audio in a very quiet room or with headphones
-who knows, play a game or something?
I would like to buy a tablet that does all of these things.
I use my phone a lot, but it isn't as comfortable to hold as a bigger tablet and I love the bigger screen so my tired, tired eyes can read articles with big text, and I can watch stupid TV shows with my beloved wife sometimes. It seems like the big companies aren't willing to meet this price point, so I'm left with the 2nd+ tier of manufacturers.
My current notion is to buy the Vankyo MatrixPad Z4 10 inch Tablet but I am absolutely not married to the idea.
Do you, dear reader, have the perfect tablet for me?
Hiya folks, I have a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 bought in 2014(!) with TWRP and some custom ROM that works juuuust enough to get by. It can do the following:
-Read articles on Chrome from RSS feeder
-watch YouTube videos
-surf most webpages with AdAway installed
-maintain battery life like a champ (recharge every ~3+ days)
-Watch videos on VLC Player
-Be a rooted tablet
It cannot, and I wish it could:
-Stream Hulu + netflix
-be stable enough surfing the web that the browser doesn't crash regularly
-be loud enough so that I don't need to play audio in a very quiet room or with headphones
-who knows, play a game or something?
I would like to buy a tablet that does all of these things.
I use my phone a lot, but it isn't as comfortable to hold as a bigger tablet and I love the bigger screen so my tired, tired eyes can read articles with big text, and I can watch stupid TV shows with my beloved wife sometimes. It seems like the big companies aren't willing to meet this price point, so I'm left with the 2nd+ tier of manufacturers.
My current notion is to buy the Vankyo MatrixPad Z4 10 inch Tablet but I am absolutely not married to the idea.
Do you, dear reader, have the perfect tablet for me?
Agreed on the iPad, I am a hardcore Android fanboy, had the Nexus devices, and loved them. But my iPad (Air 2019) is just the best thing to consume media of most kind.
I frequently get frustrated that I can not move files around and access them from every app just like in Android/Win, but besides this . . . Love it! Maybe get a used on off Craigslist to test it out?
posted by nostrada at 1:25 PM on April 26, 2020
I frequently get frustrated that I can not move files around and access them from every app just like in Android/Win, but besides this . . . Love it! Maybe get a used on off Craigslist to test it out?
posted by nostrada at 1:25 PM on April 26, 2020
(nice title!)
posted by slidell at 2:36 PM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by slidell at 2:36 PM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
Can you clarify why rooting is important to you? You're asking a lot from very cheap hardware. I don't have firsthand knowledge of the Z4 but from looking at the specs I don't believe it's going to be able to do things like be a stable tablet with a long battery life.
It seems like the big companies aren't willing to meet this price point, so I'm left with the 2nd+ tier of manufacturers.
There's a reason for that. The Kindle Fire is pretty much the king of low end tables and that's mostly because Amazon is willing to sell it as a break even or loss leader to sell more stuff through it. The really cheap stuff is going to have stiff tradeoffs.
posted by Candleman at 2:56 PM on April 26, 2020
It seems like the big companies aren't willing to meet this price point, so I'm left with the 2nd+ tier of manufacturers.
There's a reason for that. The Kindle Fire is pretty much the king of low end tables and that's mostly because Amazon is willing to sell it as a break even or loss leader to sell more stuff through it. The really cheap stuff is going to have stiff tradeoffs.
posted by Candleman at 2:56 PM on April 26, 2020
You do know you can sideload the Google Play store onto Kindles very easily to do all the things you want to do without rooting it, right?
posted by notjustthefish at 3:11 PM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by notjustthefish at 3:11 PM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
If it's at all helpful, I'm typing this right now on a 5 year old Samsung Galaxy Tab. It's actually a Nook 10 inch model from way back, but it's got a Samsung badge on it, and the Nook parts are just built-in apps you can ignore. Add the Kindle app and now it's a Kindle. Add Overdrive and now it does library books.
It can do everything you list, dead stable, stock and unrooted, except for the 3 day (!?) battery life. Paired to a tv/monitor with speakers via Chromecast, it can be your whole streaming media consumption setup, if you're going minimalist and are not Google-avoidant.
But maybe you want to root your device because you _are_Google-avoidant. In that case, there are a ton of resources out there from people rooting Nooks, because hey, they're $200 10 inch Android tablets and there are a bunch of used ones out there.
I can't say anything about the new models, either Samsung direct or Nook rebranded. Maybe the build quality has tanked in recent years? But a quick check shows Samsung is still making Galaxy Tab 10 inch models at this $200 price point. ~shrug~ I'd buy another one?
[vs iPad: the aluminum backplate vs the plastic back of the Galaxy/Nook makes the iPad thicker and heavier, but also sturdier. I appreciate the lighter weight when reading in bed, but I do sometimes worry that I'm going to accidentally sit on it some day and it'll fold like a taco.]
posted by bartleby at 1:22 AM on April 27, 2020
It can do everything you list, dead stable, stock and unrooted, except for the 3 day (!?) battery life. Paired to a tv/monitor with speakers via Chromecast, it can be your whole streaming media consumption setup, if you're going minimalist and are not Google-avoidant.
But maybe you want to root your device because you _are_Google-avoidant. In that case, there are a ton of resources out there from people rooting Nooks, because hey, they're $200 10 inch Android tablets and there are a bunch of used ones out there.
I can't say anything about the new models, either Samsung direct or Nook rebranded. Maybe the build quality has tanked in recent years? But a quick check shows Samsung is still making Galaxy Tab 10 inch models at this $200 price point. ~shrug~ I'd buy another one?
[vs iPad: the aluminum backplate vs the plastic back of the Galaxy/Nook makes the iPad thicker and heavier, but also sturdier. I appreciate the lighter weight when reading in bed, but I do sometimes worry that I'm going to accidentally sit on it some day and it'll fold like a taco.]
posted by bartleby at 1:22 AM on April 27, 2020
The fire 2019 10" is listed as supported by the fire toolbox which will get you temporary root.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/hd8-hd10/development/official-amazon-fire-toolbox-v1-0-t3889604 .
The dangerous thing about random tablets from china is the support. Sure, in 30 days you can return direct to amazon. What about 6 months later? Have you checked up on shipping rates to china. And the round trip time there and back to china to not have a tablet if there's an issue? Back in 2011 I had such a tablet, which then became a paper weight.
Possibly evaluate what you want/need root for (your needs didn't specify what you need root for), but if temporary root is sufficient, then I'd grab the fire 10" either now ($199 CDN), or during the next sale (about every 2-3 months), just because of known good warranty support.
I'll note that while I never had browser crashes with my 2018 fire 8" tablet, the sheer slowness of it got to me and I just recently upgraded. Even just switching from plex to home screen to netflix (one video app to another) would take about 10 seconds for resources to load and be usable. Loading anything on the web was a horrible pain.
When I was looking to upgrade I was considering a reasonable step up (the huawei mediapad M5 lite), against a big step up (the Samsung S5E (benchmarks almost 2x as fast, amoled screen, 2x base storage, 50% more RAM)). Due to a $100 CDN sale on the S5E I chose that and I'm quite happy. This is the first tablet I've owned that had benchmarks above the phone I had at the time (2018 Galaxy A8). The amoled screen on a tablet is so nice to watch.
With the sale, the S5E was "only" about 2x what the Fire 10" would have cost in Canada. Considering how much happier I am with my current tablet versus the fire 8", I think that was ultimately a good buy. With the announcement of the S6 Lite, the S5E will likely see sales/discounts. Netflix supports/plays 1080p on this tablet.
One of the better things towards a more mainstream tablet is XDA has a lively community for the S5E, with root instructions and multiple roms. The Vankyo MatrixPad Z4 does and will not have that.
The downside (beyond the price) of a more premium tablet, is I felt safe to just toss my Fire a few feet onto the bed, and never really "feared" for it getting broken/damaged. I *really* felt afraid for this delicate tablet until I got a folding stand/case. While I now am not really afraid to bring it out of a storage drawer and it's getting used in the kitchen while I cook/clean, I doubt I'll ever toss it a few feet to the bed.
posted by nobeagle at 8:24 AM on April 27, 2020
https://forum.xda-developers.com/hd8-hd10/development/official-amazon-fire-toolbox-v1-0-t3889604 .
The dangerous thing about random tablets from china is the support. Sure, in 30 days you can return direct to amazon. What about 6 months later? Have you checked up on shipping rates to china. And the round trip time there and back to china to not have a tablet if there's an issue? Back in 2011 I had such a tablet, which then became a paper weight.
Possibly evaluate what you want/need root for (your needs didn't specify what you need root for), but if temporary root is sufficient, then I'd grab the fire 10" either now ($199 CDN), or during the next sale (about every 2-3 months), just because of known good warranty support.
I'll note that while I never had browser crashes with my 2018 fire 8" tablet, the sheer slowness of it got to me and I just recently upgraded. Even just switching from plex to home screen to netflix (one video app to another) would take about 10 seconds for resources to load and be usable. Loading anything on the web was a horrible pain.
When I was looking to upgrade I was considering a reasonable step up (the huawei mediapad M5 lite), against a big step up (the Samsung S5E (benchmarks almost 2x as fast, amoled screen, 2x base storage, 50% more RAM)). Due to a $100 CDN sale on the S5E I chose that and I'm quite happy. This is the first tablet I've owned that had benchmarks above the phone I had at the time (2018 Galaxy A8). The amoled screen on a tablet is so nice to watch.
With the sale, the S5E was "only" about 2x what the Fire 10" would have cost in Canada. Considering how much happier I am with my current tablet versus the fire 8", I think that was ultimately a good buy. With the announcement of the S6 Lite, the S5E will likely see sales/discounts. Netflix supports/plays 1080p on this tablet.
One of the better things towards a more mainstream tablet is XDA has a lively community for the S5E, with root instructions and multiple roms. The Vankyo MatrixPad Z4 does and will not have that.
The downside (beyond the price) of a more premium tablet, is I felt safe to just toss my Fire a few feet onto the bed, and never really "feared" for it getting broken/damaged. I *really* felt afraid for this delicate tablet until I got a folding stand/case. While I now am not really afraid to bring it out of a storage drawer and it's getting used in the kitchen while I cook/clean, I doubt I'll ever toss it a few feet to the bed.
posted by nobeagle at 8:24 AM on April 27, 2020
I just got a 2019 Galaxy Tab A from Best Buy for $199. A quick Google shows it can be rooted. I don't have Netflix or the like, so I can't speak to that. Games, yes. Web browsing, yes. The volume is fine for me, but I have sensitive ears. I keep it pretty quiet. I'm not sure about battery life since I put it on the charger at night. I'm happy with it.
posted by kathrynm at 8:54 AM on April 27, 2020
posted by kathrynm at 8:54 AM on April 27, 2020
Best answer: So, I decided to ignore all the well-intended advice given here, and I purchased the Dragon Touch Max 10 - I bought a reconditioned tablet for about $85. For that price, it's a steal. Here's a quick review:
Good:
-The screen is bright and vivid - an immediate and obvious improvement over my old one
-The sound is juuust loud enough. The speakers are in a better position on the bottom of the tablet in landscape position, so at least I'm not covering up the source of the sound when I'm watching Netflix. The old 1/8" receptacle is right there for headphone use.
-Speaking of Netflix, the video streaming is great! There is a hangup with running the 'choose-your-own-adventure' content on Netflix, but I really don't care.
-The build is good, with the aluminum case feeling solid. I hear there are some issues with the SD Card cover breaking easily but I haven't had to deal with that yet.
-Overall interaction with apps is good, with clean transitions and no noticeable stuttering
Bad:
-This is almost a dealbreaker for me, but I'm wondering if it might be a software issue, but scrolling on this tablet is weeeeeeird. Scrolling in Firefox for Android is extra-weird. When I start to scroll in Firefox, there is a large dead zone where nothing happens and I have to drag for at least 1/8 inch before things get moving. Less noticeable in Chrome, almost unnoticeable in Opera, which I've switched to due to an overall better performance. Like I mentioned, I think this is more of a software/driver issue or maybe even a 'feature' in Firefox then a limitation of the tablet. I wonder if this tablet would do better in Android 8 and the implementation in v9 is rough. It's funny that they can get scrolling wrong on any tablet with technology that has to be 2x-4x faster than my old one.
-It's a little heavy. It's not a dramatic difference, but noticeably heavier and thicker than the Fire Tablet. Those extra ounces do add up when it's not propped against something and I'm holding it using my human arms.
-Battery is just OK. I'd think with the extra thickness they'd be able to cram more battery life into the thing, but it's totally reasonable. It can handle a solid day of use with no problem.
-I don't understand the logic of why the charging port is located where it is. Just a small nit, but it's a confusing location.
-Some of my legacy apps aren't supported in Android 9 (the RSS reader app availability is BLEAK)
Overall it's great for the price. I assure you that there are better ones out there, but at a cost of 2x-3x I don't consider it worthwhile. I'm surprised and disappointed that the far superior hardware can have issues with the responsiveness to scrolling, but I do strongly suspect it is a software issue.
posted by Dmenet at 10:30 AM on May 27, 2020
Good:
-The screen is bright and vivid - an immediate and obvious improvement over my old one
-The sound is juuust loud enough. The speakers are in a better position on the bottom of the tablet in landscape position, so at least I'm not covering up the source of the sound when I'm watching Netflix. The old 1/8" receptacle is right there for headphone use.
-Speaking of Netflix, the video streaming is great! There is a hangup with running the 'choose-your-own-adventure' content on Netflix, but I really don't care.
-The build is good, with the aluminum case feeling solid. I hear there are some issues with the SD Card cover breaking easily but I haven't had to deal with that yet.
-Overall interaction with apps is good, with clean transitions and no noticeable stuttering
Bad:
-This is almost a dealbreaker for me, but I'm wondering if it might be a software issue, but scrolling on this tablet is weeeeeeird. Scrolling in Firefox for Android is extra-weird. When I start to scroll in Firefox, there is a large dead zone where nothing happens and I have to drag for at least 1/8 inch before things get moving. Less noticeable in Chrome, almost unnoticeable in Opera, which I've switched to due to an overall better performance. Like I mentioned, I think this is more of a software/driver issue or maybe even a 'feature' in Firefox then a limitation of the tablet. I wonder if this tablet would do better in Android 8 and the implementation in v9 is rough. It's funny that they can get scrolling wrong on any tablet with technology that has to be 2x-4x faster than my old one.
-It's a little heavy. It's not a dramatic difference, but noticeably heavier and thicker than the Fire Tablet. Those extra ounces do add up when it's not propped against something and I'm holding it using my human arms.
-Battery is just OK. I'd think with the extra thickness they'd be able to cram more battery life into the thing, but it's totally reasonable. It can handle a solid day of use with no problem.
-I don't understand the logic of why the charging port is located where it is. Just a small nit, but it's a confusing location.
-Some of my legacy apps aren't supported in Android 9 (the RSS reader app availability is BLEAK)
Overall it's great for the price. I assure you that there are better ones out there, but at a cost of 2x-3x I don't consider it worthwhile. I'm surprised and disappointed that the far superior hardware can have issues with the responsiveness to scrolling, but I do strongly suspect it is a software issue.
posted by Dmenet at 10:30 AM on May 27, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
No idea if it can be rooted, but it sounds like it's pretty much stock Android Pie.
Also, I'm not trying to change your mind, but as someone who used to be a tablet enthusiast (I currently have 9, but only 5 in semi-active use, and only 2 in daily use. Used to have more...), for everything you listed except rooting, an iPad is so much better that there's almost no comparison. At $329 it's in a different price category but not completely outlandish for what you get and it will be well-supported long after the Android tablet. The screen alone is worth the additional price, and if you're at all interested in anything artistic the ability to later buy an Apple Pencil and the choice of really awesome software like Procreate is great.
BTW: My two daily drivers are the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" for my bathroom. It's old, but has a great display and exactly the right size for that use. For most everything else I use the 9.7" iPad Pro.
posted by GoldenShackles at 12:49 PM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]