Android alternatives to 12.9" iPad Pro - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: vtwin@cox.net
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2019, 04:54:50 pm
content: Are there any Android tablet direct competitors to the 12.9" iPad Pro?I have a 1st gen iPad pro which is starting to show its age (principally, the battery doesn't hold a charge for more than a few days.)I'm reluctant to invest in a replacement battery... I did this on my iPhone 5 several years back, and the replacement battery lasted < 8 months compared to the OEM battery. Given the cost of replacing the iPad Pro's battery at a local shop, I thought I might invest in an Android tablet, as I've since switched to an Android phone (the iPhone interface has started to remind me of Windows 3.11 at this point, and I like the ability to add widgets to my Android phone's screen).I have not been able to locate a comparable Android tablet. I have grown to prefer the larger size (as I've gotten older). Largest I have found seems to be in the 10.5", which I would consider a sizeable downgrade. There's the View, but at 18", its too large as a portable tablet. My Pro is a nice size because it's about the same size as a 8.5x11 sheet of paper. Anything above 10.5" I've seen listed moved from Android to Windows, and I do not want another Windows laptop, I already have one.Has anyone encountered a 12.9" Android tablet? Does such a beast exist?

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2019, 06:43:55 pm
content: Why not get Apple to replace the battery? The cost is not unreasonable.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2019, 07:04:43 pm
content: You walk the same sad path I once did, I used to /love/ Android tablets, they were the perfect thing to use for multimedia, and as one does, I always sought out a really nice one.What I found out is that the Android tablet market is completely dead. The last amazing revelation is the Yoga Tab 4 series from Lenovo. I've looked high and low, and if you are to stay within a reasonable price range, that is as good as it will get. I do not believe those tablets get large enough for you, so there is (potentially) a second option.Surface tablets.Now I know what you're already thinking, I don't want another Windows tablet, but as an owner of a Surface Pro 3, I can tell you that Android x86 runs beautifully on it, with few problems. That doesn't mean it's free from problems, for example, unlike Linux/Windows, Android doesn't know how to suspend to RAM, and instead sleeps in a still running mode that will make the tablet warm to the touch and destroy the battery (at least on my i5-4300U model). It also will have major issues doing things like playing video, as there is no hardware accelerated video decoding, so whatever you watch will make the thing a noisy (fan) furnace, and also destroy the battery.These issues are not a problem on GNU/Linux, but many more are, like there being no decent OSK for Linux, and on Windows, well it's Windows, there's enough problem with that already. The benefit here is that you can pick up a decent Surface Pro tablet for around 300-400 USD, though I wouldn't get anything earlier than the Pro 3.Now I wouldn't blame you for not liking that option, I certainly am not entirely happy with my Pro 3 to replace my nVidia Shield Tablet, though I think it's currently the best tablet computer that exists. You might genuinely just have to accept that, unless you spend more money on Apple's garbage, or settle for a smaller screen size, you won't end up getting the tablet that you desire, ever, full stopIt's real sad too, but high end tablets isn't a market anymore, people only want to spend 100 bucks on a cheap thing that can watch YouTube, and if it dies or is forgotten, no big deal. I wish /someone/ would in some small numbers make a good Android tablet with modern hardware.

author: DIPLover
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2019, 07:15:02 pm
content: I'll second having the battery replaced. There is nothing in Android land that comes close to that tablet.

author: vtwin@cox.net
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2019, 07:49:26 pm
content: Quote from: Ampera on July 23, 2019, 07:04:43 pmThe Galaxy Tab S5e 10.5" was about the best I could find, which is substantially less in screen area than the 12.9 iPad.QuoteYeah. No. I'd rather pay the $100 to get the ipad battery replaced by apple. I know the cost is not unreasonable, it's more a matter of needing to go w/o the ipad for a week. I pretty much use it daily. I would have to dust off one of my ipad airs in storage to use in the interim. Not a show stopper just a real inconvenience. My Pro was the first first-generation 12.9" unit sold by the Apple store in the Natick Mall, on the day they were released.I am surprised there is no direct competitor to the 12.9" iPad Pro on the android side. But, I suppose, once people get up to that level, they're using surface tablets as a general rule.Its been a good workhorse and I've really had no issues with it, other than iOS feels extremely restrictive compared to what I can do on my android phone, and the iOS interface hasn't substantially changed since my iPhone 4 days and the icons are now starting to remind me of Windows 3.11.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2019, 07:58:51 pm
content: In the used market, perhapsSamsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Note_Pro_12.2However, it was released in 2014 so it too will likely require a battery replacement like sohttps://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Samsung+Galaxy+Note+Pro+12.2+Battery+Replacement/98666The Pro 12.2 looks like it can run the latest Android 9 at xdahttps://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-pro-12with some possible caveats. If you are not a DIYer, this option may be challenging?If I owned the 12.9, I would just get Apple to replace the battery for $100 USD. Backup everything first.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2019, 01:04:29 am
content: Quote from: vtwin@cox.net on July 23, 2019, 07:49:26 pmDo you still live near an Apple Store? I know they can do iPhone battery replacements within a few hours, I assumed it's the same for iPads.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2019, 01:12:55 am
content: I'm also trying to find a tablet to replace my old TF101, so far it seems like my best option is to DIY one with something like a Pi 4 or ODROID N2. What seems to be really difficult is finding a touchscreen with pen input. I plan to run some sort of desktop Linux on it.

author: Yellofriend
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2019, 02:12:57 am
content: I looked into exactly that issue late last year. My conclusion: there are no alternatives.There are no other 12" Android tablets after the Samsung 12" in 2014 or so - and that is way too old. Didn't see a single other >10" model on the market.So in the end I bought a 14" 2-in-1 Lenovo Notebook. It can flip the touch screen 360°, has Windows 10 and works perfectly! Ideal would by a 2-in-1 where you can detach the screen, can't do that though, some smaller ones can (MS Surface Book 2 is great, has detachable 13.5/15" screen, but the price...)

author: vtwin@cox.net
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2019, 08:55:35 am
content: Quote from: tooki on July 24, 2019, 01:04:29 amYeah, about a half hour or so away, depending on traffic. From what I read online they send the iPad out as replacing the battery involves removing the whole screen (heating and loosing the adhesive, etc.), somewhat more complicated than removing the battery in an iPhone, and the stores are usually not equipped to deal with replacing the screen on a 12.9 if their “genius” cracks it.Thanks for all the replies... everyone has confirmed what I pretty much already discovered on my own, but thought it best to ask in case I missed something apparent.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2019, 10:39:34 am
content: Do you *NEED* full-up Android or jut the capability to run Android apps?If the latter, then a Chromebook may be suitable. There are a couple of 12.3 inch screen, detachable keyboard models currently available that offer a large screen tablet form factor, see review here:https://chromeunboxed.com/hp-chromebook-x2-pixel-slate-best-detachable-chromebook/

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2019, 08:31:05 pm
content: Quote from: vtwin@cox.net on July 24, 2019, 08:55:35 amOh really? That sucks.I would have expected the iPhone screen to be, if anything, less forgiving, since the last few generations of iPhones are waterproof.