Android Tablets without a SD memory card – whats your view ?

[Once Bitten]

May be a silly question , but here goes .

I want to buy an Android Tablet to watch videos in bed so it needs to be the thinnest and lightest model I can find at a reasonable price , with a  7 – 8 inches screen size .

 

So Ive come across the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 , (  2GB/16GB – 7,999 Baht  )  it seems to have a fairly good specification .

 

http://www.siamphone.com/spec/en/xiaomi/mi_pad_2.htm

 

The question …..

So is any one here using  / has in the past used an Android  Tablet device   '' without ''  a SD memory card option,  if so how did things work out , were you happy or did you come to realize  you had made a mistake and should have bought one with the SD memory card option .

 

Any thoughts , comments or suggestions please.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sumrit]

Have a look at https://www.lazada.co.th/products/alldocube-cube-new-iwork10-ultimate-flagship-dual-boot-tabletdocking-keyboard-101-1920x1200-intel-atom-x5-z8350-quad-core-dual-os-tablet-4g64g-i108174525-s109601506.html?spm=a2o4m.prod.reccomendations-list-item_page-bottom.3.5f0931648nygiM&lzd_rec_event_src=CH244ELAAF0WJ2ANTH&pa=item_page.bottom&lzd_rec_event_dest=CU106ELAAATXZVANTH&strat=viewed_viewed

 

I've had one for nearly two years without any complaints. Works great for me.

 

It's the same 7,990 baht price but its got  64G Rom and 4g Ram with an option to add another 128 gig of memory via an SD card. It's also dual boot so you have the option of running it on Android5.12 or Windows 10. The keyboard is magnetically detachable so you can use it either as a touch screen or as a small laptop. 

[Pib]

If you are just streaming video like from sources like Youtube, IPTV, etc., you don't need a device with SD card as the SD card is just for storage. 

 

But maybe you are saying your want to save videos on the device (or the SD card) and play them back from device memory?

[Once Bitten]

55 minutes ago, sumrit said:

Have a look at https://www.lazada.co.th/products/alldocube-cube-new-iwork10-ultimate-flagship-dual-boot-tabletdocking-keyboard-101-1920x1200-intel-atom-x5-z8350-quad-core-dual-os-tablet-4g64g-i108174525-s109601506.html?spm=a2o4m.prod.reccomendations-list-item_page-bottom.3.5f0931648nygiM&lzd_rec_event_src=CH244ELAAF0WJ2ANTH&pa=item_page.bottom&lzd_rec_event_dest=CU106ELAAATXZVANTH&strat=viewed_viewed

 

I've had one for nearly two years without any complaints. Works great for me.

 

It's the same 7,990 baht price but its got  64G Rom and 4g Ram with an option to add another 128 gig of memory via an SD card. It's also dual boot so you have the option of running it on Android5.12 or Windows 10. The keyboard is magnetically detachable so you can use it either as a touch screen or as a small laptop. 

Thanks   that's an interesting setup , a bit to large for me laying in bed , but certainly for other use it looks very good. 

 

 

 

 

[Once Bitten]

40 minutes ago, Pib said:

If you are just streaming video like from sources like Youtube, IPTV, etc., you don't need a device with SD card as the SD card is just for storage. 

 

But maybe you are saying your want to save videos on the device (or the SD card) and play them back from device memory?

My idea as with all my past Android tablets would be to store my video content on the SD memory card , it just seems an easier option to keep all my video content on a separate SD memory card , then when Ive watched every thing take out the SD card and fill it again with more new content .

 

But finding a light weight and thin 7-8 inch screen android tablet with the SD memory card option is proving more difficult  . Ive tried my wife's 10 inch Android tablet ( with SD card ) and holding it while laying in bed makes my hands tired , and I don't really want to have some sort of table to support a tablet , so a thin and light tablet would be physically better to hold and watch. 

 

 

 

 

 

[vogie]

Would downloading your large files, videos and photos etc onto something like 'Dropbox' be an option? I have a 10 inch tablet and it works well for me. Plus you have the option of sharing your files with friends.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, sumrit said:

It's the same 7,990 baht price but its got  64G Rom and 4g Ram with an option to add another 128 gig of memory via an SD card. It's also dual boot so you have the option of running it on Android5.12 or Windows 10. The keyboard is magnetically detachable so you can use it either as a touch screen or as a small laptop. 

 

Android 5 is getting kind of long in the tooth, and there already are apps that are beginning to ask for later versions in order to install and/or operate properly.  If I was buying today, I wouldn't look at anything older than Android 6. But I install and use a lot of apps on my devices, and always purchase them with an eye toward future compatibility.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

35 minutes ago, Once Bitten said:

But finding a light weight and thin 7-8 inch screen android tablet with the SD memory card option is proving more difficult  . Ive tried my wife's 10 inch Android tablet ( with SD card ) and holding it while laying in bed makes my hands tired , and I don't really want to have some sort of table to support a tablet , so a thin and light tablet would be physically better to hold and watch.

 

I don't think the difference between having or not having an SD card slot is going to add any noticeable weight difference to a tablet. So it really comes down to just a matter of what model, what features and what price.

 

Last Christmas, I bought a Huawei Mediapad T3, 8 inch tablet with Android N (7) and an SD card slot, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB internal storage. Paid $119 on sale at Amazon U.S., regular price $139. (I haven't and didn't price that model in Thailand).  Thus far, it's worked very nicely for me. Very thin and weighs about 3/4th of a pound. The U.S. version, at least, came with the Google Play Store and all the other core Google apps pre-installed.

 

With all my apps and such (Dropbox, etc.) installed, I have about 4 GB of free space remaining of the original 16 GB internal storage. I've got a 32 GB SD card installed for any needed audio / video / large file storage needs. Overall very good reviews from buyers. It's official model name is Kobe-W09C.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0746NMXXW/

Edited April 9, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Once Bitten]

13 hours ago, vogie said:

Would downloading your large files, videos and photos etc onto something like 'Dropbox' be an option? I have a 10 inch tablet and it works well for me. Plus you have the option of sharing your files with friends.

Thanks for the suggestion , unfortunately my home internet connection is not very fast / stable . If I want to update my computer / download a torrent I have to do it over night while I'm sleeping 

[2008bangkok]

14 hours ago, sumrit said:

Have a look at https://www.lazada.co.th/products/alldocube-cube-new-iwork10-ultimate-flagship-dual-boot-tabletdocking-keyboard-101-1920x1200-intel-atom-x5-z8350-quad-core-dual-os-tablet-4g64g-i108174525-s109601506.html?spm=a2o4m.prod.reccomendations-list-item_page-bottom.3.5f0931648nygiM&lzd_rec_event_src=CH244ELAAF0WJ2ANTH&pa=item_page.bottom&lzd_rec_event_dest=CU106ELAAATXZVANTH&strat=viewed_viewed

 

I've had one for nearly two years without any complaints. Works great for me.

 

It's the same 7,990 baht price but its got  64G Rom and 4g Ram with an option to add another 128 gig of memory via an SD card. It's also dual boot so you have the option of running it on Android5.12 or Windows 10. The keyboard is magnetically detachable so you can use it either as a touch screen or as a small laptop. 

Interesting, how long does the battery last and windows work ok, always wondered about win10 on a touchscreen

[Once Bitten]

Ive just come across this , and I'm confused 

 

In the spec sheet below it shows 2 devices , from the same manufacturer , one is a 10''  screen and one is a 8'' screen .

 

How can the larger screen ( 10 ''  ) be thinner and the same weight as the 8'' device ?

 

 

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8637&idPhone2=8715

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

43 minutes ago, Once Bitten said:

Ive just come across this , and I'm confused 

 

In the spec sheet below it shows 2 devices , from the same manufacturer , one is a 10''  screen and one is a 8'' screen .

 

How can the larger screen ( 10 ''  ) be thinner and the same weight as the 8'' device ?

 

 

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8637&idPhone2=8715

 

The models you're looking at here are mobile data devices as opposed to wifi only devices, the latter generally going to be much less expensive than the former.  Is there some reason you want a mobile data device for watching videos at home in bed at night?

 

[Once Bitten]

33 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The models you're looking at here are mobile data devices as opposed to wifi only devices, the latter generally going to be much less expensive than the former.  Is there some reason you want a mobile data device for watching videos at home in bed at night?

 

Primarily the device weight and thinness is the main factor , the lighter and thinner the easier it would be to hold while in bed. So no real need for mobile data or SIM card option .

The fact that the larger 10 '' screen device shown in the specifications is the same weight ( 310g ) as the 8 '' device and that the 10'' device is in fact thinner than the 8 '' device is confusing me   . Normally the larger the screen,  the heavier and thicker the tablet is. 

So if I go by my requirements ( thinnest and lightest ) the 10 '' device is the winner even if it has a larger 10'' screen 

 

For some reason the '' WiFi '' only devices don't seem to offer the physical thinness and lightness I'm looking for . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, Once Bitten said:

Primarily the device weight and thinness is the main factor , the lighter and thinner the easier it would be to hold while in bed. So no real need for mobile data or SIM card option .

 

 

The SD card issue isn't going to meaningfully add to the weight of a device. The mobile data component might add a bit, but not much. The mobile data component will add a lot to the price vs. wifi only.

 

As for the specs, I wouldn't rely on GSMArena only for the specs. They're often wrong in some details. I'd look more to the Huawei website for any specs you're interested in for any particular model.

 

It would be very unusual for a 10 in tablet to have the same weight as an 8 inch tablet from the same line and manufacturer/brand. I'd be wary about that notion.

 

If you're only STREAMING video, then you don't need to worry about device storage so much. But if you're planning to download and play videos, then the SD card, or a bigger internal storage than 16 GB, are going to be important.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

BTW, I see elsewhere the 8 inch model is listed as having a 4800 Mah battery, while the 10 in model is listed as having a 6660 Mah battery. I don't think there's any way a larger 10 in.tablet with a larger battery like that could have the same weight as the smaller 8 inch model.

 

Elsewhere, I see the 10 in tablet listed as being almost one pound (15.8 oz.), and the 8 inch tablet being listed as 11.4 oz. My 8 inch T3 is right around 12 oz.

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Once Bitten]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

BTW, I see elsewhere the 8 inch model is listed as having a 4800 Mah battery, while the 10 in model is listed as having a 6660 Mah battery. I don't think there's any way a larger 10 in.tablet with a larger battery like that could have the same weight as the smaller 8 inch model.

 

Thanks for the comment .

 

Have a look here …...

https://www.kimovil.com/en/compare-tablets/huawei-mediapad-m3-lite-10,huawei-mediapad-m3-lite-8-0-lte-4gb-64gb

and see what you think about comparing the 10'' tablet to the 8'' tablet from the same manufacture ?

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, Once Bitten said:

 

Thanks for the comment .

 

Have a look here …...

https://www.kimovil.com/en/compare-tablets/huawei-mediapad-m3-lite-10,huawei-mediapad-m3-lite-8-0-lte-4gb-64gb

and see what you think about comparing the 10'' tablet to the 8'' tablet from the same manufacture ?

 

 

Don't know that website, and don't believe the weights listed as accurate. Common sense suggests otherwise. From a Google search on those two product model names:

 

    

 

 

[Once Bitten]

Its strange that two web sites I found are saying the same specifications , the one's you show say '' WiFi '' only and the other two web sites I provided all so say SIM cards ? 

 

Its all very confusing , but like you say common sense suggests otherwise , which was / is confusing me 

 

From what I can see the  '' Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 10 ''  is not on sale in Thailand , which is a shame as I would love to see one in a shop and give it a try . 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 minutes ago, Once Bitten said:

From what I can see the  '' Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 10 ''  is not on sale in Thailand , which is a shame as I would love to see one in a shop and give it a try . 

 

From the other site you posted above, it looks like Huawei is producing both sizes of that tablet in mobile data and wifi-only versions.

 

To me, these prices below for a 10 in wifi tablet are crazy! More than $400 U.S...

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q="Huawei+MediaPad+M3+Lite+10"&_keyori=ss&from=input&spm=a2o4m.home.search.go.1125719cz9ATE7

 

 

 

When the 10 inch version with 3 GB RAM and smaller 16 GB internal storage is listed at Amazon for $228 new.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Huawei-Mediapad-Lite-Octa-Core-Android/dp/B0746P5881/

 

 

[Once Bitten]

7 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

From the other site you posted above, it looks like Huawei is producing both sizes of that tablet in mobile data and wifi-only versions.

 

To me, these prices below for a 10 in wifi tablet are crazy! More than $400 U.S...

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q="Huawei+MediaPad+M3+Lite+10"&_keyori=ss&from=input&spm=a2o4m.home.search.go.1125719cz9ATE7

 

 

 

When the 10 inch version with 3 GB RAM and smaller 16 GB internal storage is listed at Amazon for $228 new.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Huawei-Mediapad-Lite-Octa-Core-Android/dp/B0746P5881/

 

 

 

Crazy prices from Lazada 

 

I think those silly prices may be due in part because those are shipped from abroad and not from in Thailand .

 

My quest goes on  

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Here's Huawei's official Thailand store on Lazada:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/shop-tablet/?spm=a2o6z.10453683.7.5.94765575iCRaUM&huawei-mobile-thailand-official-store&from=wangpu&sc=KVUG

 

Not much better in terms of value...

 

Thailand is overall a bad value place to buy most good quality electronics.

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Once Bitten]

15 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Here's Huawei's official Thailand store on Lazada:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/shop-tablet/?spm=a2o6z.10453683.7.5.94765575iCRaUM&huawei-mobile-thailand-official-store&from=wangpu&sc=KVUG

 

Not much better in terms of value...

 

Thailand is overall a bad value place to buy most good quality electronics.

 

 

No wonder some people are drawn to other '' Chinese '' made devices 

 

 This below .....

 

HUAWEI MediaPad M3 Lite 8

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mediapad_m3_lite_8-8715.php

 

Has every thing I'm looking for , but again it seems its not on sale in Thailand 

 

The quest goes on . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[impulse]

If you're not hung up on specs or OS version and just want to watch videos in bed, I have been very happy with an even earlier version of one of these cheapo ASUS fonepads for several years.  Mostly, I use it for playing solitaire at home and for an entertainment device on the road and in the plane.  At 7", the 800 x 1280 resolution isn't an issue like it would be on a 12" or bigger screen.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/asus-fonepad-7-fe375cg-3g-black-i160552979-s193340062.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.21.6c564d6edaF4W6&search=1

 

Or, you may want to pop for newer (but still long in the tooth) model with a faster CPU:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/asus-zenpad-c-70-z170cg-p01y-1c032a-x3-c3230-1gb-16gb-7-red-i7549259-s9423310.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.14.6c564d6edaF4W6&search=1

 

My issue with Huawei is their proprietary OS modifications.  I had a mid range Huawei phone in 2017 with excellent specs, but just couldn't keep it from crashing because of the OS.  It definitely hadn't lost its Chinese characteristics, with tons of bloatware and lots of it unstable.   My 2 ASUS Android devices and ASUS laptop don't miss a beat.

 

[Once Bitten]

40 minutes ago, impulse said:

If you're not hung up on specs or OS version and just want to watch videos in bed, I have been very happy with an even earlier version of one of these cheapo ASUS fonepads for several years.  Mostly, I use it for playing solitaire at home and for an entertainment device on the road and in the plane.  At 7", the 800 x 1280 resolution isn't an issue like it would be on a 12" or bigger screen.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/asus-fonepad-7-fe375cg-3g-black-i160552979-s193340062.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.21.6c564d6edaF4W6&search=1

 

Or, you may want to pop for newer (but still long in the tooth) model with a faster CPU:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/asus-zenpad-c-70-z170cg-p01y-1c032a-x3-c3230-1gb-16gb-7-red-i7549259-s9423310.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.14.6c564d6edaF4W6&search=1

 

My issue with Huawei is their proprietary OS modifications.  I had a mid range Huawei phone in 2017 with excellent specs, but just couldn't keep it from crashing because of the OS.  It definitely hadn't lost its Chinese characteristics, with tons of bloatware and lots of it unstable.   My 2 ASUS Android devices and ASUS laptop don't miss a beat.

 

Thanks for the the two lazada links , some thing to think about  , I wonder why both the tablets are out of stock on lazada. But I'm planning to make a list of all the possible tablets Ive found but are out of stock , and going to have a look around next time I'm in the city .

This tablet below ….....................

 

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/lenovo-tab4-8plus-8-oc20-4gb-64gb-4g-lte-ebony-black-i114579968-s118702533.html?search=1

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_tab_4_8_plus-8603.php

 

is the nearest I can find for sale in Thailand that meets all my requirements, but its not cheap at around 11,000 Baht .

Its the lightest and thinnest one I can find any where 

 

Lenovo TAB 4 – 8 PLUS

 

NETWORK    Technology    
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH    Announced    2017, February
Status    Available. Released 2017, July
BODY    Dimensions    210 x 123 x 7 mm (8.27 x 4.84 x 0.28 in)
Weight    300 g (10.58 oz)
SIM    Nano-SIM
DISPLAY    Type    IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size    8.0 inches, 185.6 cm2 (~71.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution    1200 x 1920 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~283 ppi density)
Multitouch    Yes
PLATFORM    OS    Android 7.0 (Nougat)
Chipset    Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625
CPU    Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU    Adreno 506
MEMORY    Card slot    microSD, up to 256 GB
Internal    64 GB, 4 GB RAM or 16 GB, 3 GB RAM
CAMERA    Primary    8 MP, autofocus, LED flash
Features    Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection
Video    1080p@30fps
Secondary    5 MP
SOUND    Alert types    Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker    Yes, dual speakers
3.5mm jack    Yes
     - Dolby Atmos audio enhancement
COMMS    WLAN    Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth    4.2, A2DP, LE
GPS    Yes, with A-GPS
Radio    FM radio
USB    2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
FEATURES    Sensors    Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
Messaging    SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser    HTML5
     - MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC player
- MP4/H.264 player
- Document viewer
- Photo viewer/editor
BATTERY         Non-removable Li-Ion 4850 mAh battery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[guzzi850m2]

I am not so sure those dual boot tablets are such a good idea. The Win 10 will take up a lot of space.

The most important to me is a good screen, so minimum full HD is a must.

My Lenovo 10" got a 2k screen and is a delight to look at.

 

Sent from my SM-C710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[jacko45k]

Mine has a microsd and USB slots, I also use it for video and doubt the onboard memory would suffice.

[Seeall]

Good topic, I have a barely used 10.1 android samsung tab bought in 2014 for 25000 THB bought to let me trade my MT4 charts

but since learnt need windows to run the full version of MT4 .... silly me..  great for movies on the plane though..

any offers?

 

https://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-2014/

 

located Rawai

[chrisinth]

To overcome the lack of memory card slots you could use a duel drive thumb drive which gives you a full USB 3.0 connection on one end (load your movies from your PC/laptop with this) and a micro USB on the other (connect to your tablets charging port and acts as an additional drive). I have been using one of these for about a year on an HP Slate 7" without a problem. Just remember to unmount before removing from the tablet.

 

The link is just the first one that appeared on the page, they come in many flavours from many manufacturers......................

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/sandisk-ultra-dual-drive-m30-32gbusb30speedupto150mbs-i160582068-s193394862.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlistcategory.list.1.95b24b03yLR3kW&search=1

[Silurian]

I'm waiting on the Huawei Mediapad M5. Hopefully it will come to Thailand. I want to replace my Samsung Tab Pro 8.4. The Mediapad M3 sells in Thailand but is about 2 years old. The M5 is a nice upgrade.

 

https://consumer.huawei.com/en/tablets/mediapad-m5-8/

 

[Once Bitten]

18 hours ago, guzzi850m2 said:

I am not so sure those dual boot tablets are such a good idea. The Win 10 will take up a lot of space.

The most important to me is a good screen, so minimum full HD is a must.

My Lenovo 10" got a 2k screen and is a delight to look at.

 

Sent from my SM-C710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

I wondered just how those dual boot tablets were when it came to reliability , one reoccurring comment I keep reading while looking for my next Android tablet is that some manufactures seem to be slow at updating the Android versions , and in some cases when buying an older model you may be stuck with the original Android version for ever.