Mobile phones & tablets thread

[BleAivano]

I am not a fan of the Kindle Fire as Amazon modified the Android OS heavily with their own UI, and whenever a manufacturer does that, the results are not so favorable, for example Motoblur.

Google's Nexus with Android JB is a much better alternative with a higher resolution, better hardware and comparable features, and is almost $130 cheaper. What's incredible is that Apple can charge up to $150 more for lesser resolution and lesser features in the iPad mini, and its fans have no problem gobbling it up without even thinking twice.

You're not gonna get any serious work done with a 7 inch tablet. What you use it for is basic stuff like reading books or magazines, playing a few tap-tap games (where better hardware always helps). And any of the 7 inch tablets can do that work very well, and comparatively close to one another.

As a consumer who looks at a product's bang for the buck, what is Apple offering extra in the iPad mini for $130? It's not just a gripe of mine, but many other unbiased tech review websites all over the internet.

Actually from what i have read on various aviation forums, tablets are actually used by pilots in their everyday work.
They use it to store/view the type documentation that is not required to be in physical paper format.

FAA lets American Airlines pilots replace 35 pounds of paper with iPad tablets | Airline Biz Blog
Airlines and Tablets? [Archive] - Airline Pilot Central Forums
American Airlines Expands Inflight iPad Program for Pilots | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
Tablets in cockpit: Pilots use gadget to get a hang of route, weather and destination - Economic Times
Airlines and Tablets? - Airline Pilot Central Forums

[CaptainRaiden]

You've admitted yourself on here that you are biased against Apple products so poor use of wording there.

I didn't call myself unbiased, henners. Perhaps reading twice may improve comprehension.

Yes iOS is worth $130 more IMO or the inflated figure below of $150.

I'm sorry that $20 is bothering you. It is between $130 to $150 more expensive in different markets. Apple's price fluctuates in different markets, henners. I thought you knew that.

You pay for hardware and some pay for software. I think iOS is alot nicer to use than Android so all the spec in the arsenal isn't going to make much difference to my choice right now. Should Android improve in future then maybe I will consider returning. Until then its a hardware race missing the key element.

Did you read the link I posted above? No? Let me put it here again and quote the conclusion from Business Insider to make this easier:

Android Jellybean vs iOS 6 - Business Insider

So what's the score?

Final Score:

Google: 7

Apple: 4

So there you have it folks. I bet you didn't expect the outcome to end up like it did.

Overall Google's Android OS is much more robust and feature packed than Apple's.

Jelly Bean's updates are focused around speed. Google wanted to drastically improve the performance throughout the system and for the most part they achieved that.

Apple has polished its operating system and added a lot of nifty features but it is still struggling to keep up with Android.

So, there you have it, an unbiased source, Business Insider. And it's not just them, but universally Jelly Bean is rated higher than iOS, you can check. Techradar.com would be another good source. As I have just proved, Apple doesn't even have the undisputed better software anymore. In the past, maybe, yes, but not anymore.

One thing Apple have going for them is better look, feel, all that aesthetic manure. But is that worth the extra $150? Not in my opinion.

So, inferior hardware, much lesser resolution (not resolutionary anymore? ), crap-de-la-crap Apple Maps, and now an aging and under-performing software. All worth $150 more? Yep, makes perfect sense.

However, if Apple fans believe Apple is justified in asking such price, and they'll pay willingly, then I guess good for them!

[CaptainRaiden]

My iPhone isn't under-performing and doesn't feel dated in the slightest. I'm happy to pay the extra for something I enjoy using and Apple's figures suggest I am not alone.

Well, then good for you, like I said in the last line of my previous post. Be happy with your purchase and your favorite brand and ignore the criticisms.

As I keep saying, if there are better alternatives on the market then people will buy them surely? Android is out selling Apple so what's the big deal? You are happy with your devices so why the constant quest to rubbish Apple every chance you get? We don't have people here constantly posting pro Apple material in an attempt to sway peoples opinions so I really don't get it, sorry. The only issue here is you not being able to accept that others will willingly pay a little bit more for an Apple device. They don't buy under your criteria and you are miffed about that. Just let it go dude

As I keep proving, Apple has nothing that is the undisputed best compared to its competitors anymore, so people are getting swayed by flashy marketing surely? Android is out selling Apple, which is only normal. You are happy with your devices, so why the constant quest to defend Apple every chance you get? We don't have many people here constantly being able to see past Apple's crap, so I really don't get it, sorry. The only issue here is you not being able to accept that others don't agree with Apple's exorbitant prices, and are perfectly under their rights to post about it on a forum without the resident Apple fans getting butt-hurt about it. They don't share the same enthusiasm of throwing money at overpriced products and you are miffed about that. Just let it go dude.

[Mark]

I think we can all agree the device we chose is best, that's that then

[CaptainRaiden]

If anyone is lacking imagination and struggling to structure their posts, I have cracking range of templates I am willing to share. PM me for more details

No thanks. Not interested in overpriced, under-performing templates.

[CaptainRaiden]

I wouldn't by providing content so there may still be value for money. You nicked one already so you've shown some interest. Come on I know you love a bargain.

The answer is still no. I can get a better performing template for lesser elsewhere. Besides if I buy a set now, you'll release a slightly upgraded version next week and then I won't look cool in front of my friends anymore.

[CaptainRaiden]

Desktops, Tablets now a thing of the past?


Samsung Galaxy Note 2 now transforms into desktop PC | News | TechRadar

It's certainly loaded enough to do the task, but the phone/tablet compromise is still a bit inconvenient.

On a second thought, it doesn't look that big when the reviewer is holding it:

[youtube]zIWCXNMZSLo[/youtube]

Still a bit too wide for me, but then again, I'm guessing it will appeal to those select individuals for whom the pen functionality will really be essential.

[Malbec]

I am not a fan of the Kindle Fire as Amazon modified the Android OS heavily with their own UI, and whenever a manufacturer does that, the results are not so favorable, for example Motoblur.

Google's Nexus with Android JB is a much better alternative with a higher resolution, better hardware and comparable features, and is almost $130 cheaper. What's incredible is that Apple can charge up to $150 more for lesser resolution and lesser features in the iPad mini, and its fans have no problem gobbling it up without even thinking twice.

You're not gonna get any serious work done with a 7 inch tablet. What you use it for is basic stuff like reading books or magazines, playing a few tap-tap games (where better hardware always helps). And any of the 7 inch tablets can do that work very well, and comparatively close to one another.

As a consumer who looks at a product's bang for the buck, what is Apple offering extra in the iPad mini for $130? It's not just a gripe of mine, but many other unbiased tech review websites all over the internet.

I think you're missing the point.

While I agree that the iPad mini lacks spec compared to its Android competitors it fits in very well within the Apple range (and finally the small screen size for the iPhone 5 makes sense too). The iPad mini is there to offer a presence in the 7 inch market without threatening its 10 inch more profitable bigger brother.

But the main point is that I don't really believe consumers are going to be that bothered about technical specs. After all, why would they be buying a tablet in the first place if that was the case? I'm thinking vaguely about buying a tablet and I skip over the technical bits, reading reviews more on how easy they are to use and how they feel.

I think the whole ecosystem around the tablet is extremely important. Amazon provides this with their Kindles essentially being portable portals to their online paid for content. Google is trying something similar with Android tablets. Apple also already provides this with their iTunes system and loads of apps available too.

What sets Apple apart is that they are the only company that can charge a premium for the hardware and software too AND they have over 50% of the market still DESPITE their iPads not being the most technically advanced systems available. That gives them a significant advantage over their rivals who take the old-fashioned business model of selling hardware at cost price or a loss and hoping to make the money back on software.

[Malbec]

Actually from what i have read on various aviation forums, tablets are actually used by pilots in their everyday work.
They use it to store/view the type documentation that is not required to be in physical paper format.

FAA lets American Airlines pilots replace 35 pounds of paper with iPad tablets | Airline Biz Blog
Airlines and Tablets? [Archive] - Airline Pilot Central Forums
American Airlines Expands Inflight iPad Program for Pilots | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
Tablets in cockpit: Pilots use gadget to get a hang of route, weather and destination - Economic Times
Airlines and Tablets? - Airline Pilot Central Forums

The same is increasingly true in medicine too.

[CaptainRaiden]

I think you're missing the point.

I'm guessing all the major tech reviewers around the globe are missing the point as well. It's not just me bringing up this point, but almost everyone who knows anything about computers or tablets. Just one of them here:

The iPad Mini Seems Crazy Expensive | Gizmodo Australia

The 16GB Wi-Fi iPad Mini costs $369, which is more than a whopping $130 more than the equivalent Kindle Fire HD. That’s a 65 per cent premium for a device that’s not decidedly better in any way other than size and apps. It’s only 32 per cent pricier than the 16GB Nexus 7, but that may be for a limited time; Google’s expected to cut prices drastically next week.

There’s a temptation to say that it’s just Apple charging Apple prices, but that instinct is dated. The real genius of the original iPad wasn’t just that it was first — it was also cheapest. It took competitors a full year to come up with a tablet that could even remotely compete at $500. Ditto the MacBook Air of the last several years; it set a price so low for ultrabook-style computers that Intel had to start a $300 slush fund to help PC manufactures hit that price point. The Apple of the last two years, thanks in large part to its Apple Store retail dominance, has been simply unbeatable. Until now.

At best Apple’s iPad Mini pricing is misguided; at worst, it’s arrogant. Most of all though, it’s surprising, especially given how important smaller tablets are going to be for schools and kids, the trenches in which Amazon and Google are fighting for an entire generation of loyal users.

While I agree that the iPad mini lacks spec compared to its Android competitors it fits in very well within the Apple range (and finally the small screen size for the iPhone 5 makes sense too). The iPad mini is there to offer a presence in the 7 inch market without threatening its 10 inch more profitable bigger brother.

But the main point is that I don't really believe consumers are going to be that bothered about technical specs. After all, why would they be buying a tablet in the first place if that was the case? I'm thinking vaguely about buying a tablet and I skip over the technical bits, reading reviews more on how easy they are to use and how they feel.

You couldn't be more wrong here. In case you hadn't been paying attention, over the last 2 years there was global criticism of the first iPad and the iPad 2. So much so that Apple were forced to rush iPad 3 into the market with MUCH improved technical specs, almost two to three times better than its predecessor. They have addressed the hardware issue with the iPhone 5 as well, after widespread criticism of low tech specs of the 4S. So, yes, consumers are bothered by technical specs, and it has become important to the point that major manufacturers are now addressing that and keeping a close eye on consumer forums. Both Apple and Samsung are reported to have been lobbying benchmark testing websites to show a higher score in their flagship device's favor. Why would they do that if consumers are not interested?

Ease of use and feel are no longer major pluses in Apple's favor, as Android is closing the gap rapidly, as you can see from the higher rated jelly bean in the link I posted in one of my earlier posts. There's also a heavily tablet optimized version of jelly bean in the upcoming Nexus 10 tablet.

What sets Apple apart is that they are the only company that can charge a premium for the hardware and software too AND they have over 50% of the market still DESPITE their iPads not being the most technically advanced systems available. That gives them a significant advantage over their rivals who take the old-fashioned business model of selling hardware at cost price or a loss and hoping to make the money back on software.

They can charge that premium, because the marketplace consisting of Apple fans lets them. Because of widespread criticism, Apple addressed the hardware issue. In fact, I don't have a problem with the tech specs of the last two iterations of the iPad. Apple are FINALLY taking notice. And if enough criticisms continue, and consumers start to care about the bang-for-buck factor, which they ultimately will as better competition ups their game, Apple will be forced to slash some of their arrogant pricing too.

Yes, your average crowd doesn't bother about tech specs as long as they get their hands on the hottest product "marketed" in the usual neat, simplified Apple style, and I'm sure they won't worry about how their mini tablet is pushing 200 lesser ppi being $130 more expensive either. They will still add to Apple's mega profits, and frankly I could give a flying rat's a$$ about that. Apple's arrogant pricing still bothers me though and I can have a good old whinge about it wherever I want.