Best Android Tablet for Navigation in 2017

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WPotter1950

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I'm looking for fellow readers who have recently bought an Android tablet to share their experiences with me.

Three years ago I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5) with 4G and have successfully used it in Greece with the Navionics App and a Greek Telco SIM. Very successfully in fact.

But it is getting long in the tooth and the battery is not as good as it once was and is not user-replaceable. So it is time for a new tablet and, before I rush off to Amazon to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (9.5 - why would they make the screen smaller as my eyesight gets worse), I wondered if anyone had better or at least other suggestions.

Thanks

WPotter 1950 (Caipirinha)
 
While the screen on the s2 is smaller vs the original s this is only down to the aspect ratio change. I have the s2 and it's a great bit of kit. Haven't used it on a boat yet (she arrives next week!) but I have Navionics and various sailing apps running quite happily on there. There is a new s3 just announced last week but it's the same size screen (albeit with better processor and more ram) but you will be paying an extra couple of hundred pounds for it. I'm not tempted to change.
 
About a year ago I was looking for a cheap tablet to run Navionics for navigation and OpenCPN for AIS via a Bluetooth connector attached to the VHF. The idea being that if the tablet gets ruined by the boat environment, I can afford to buy another one.

I ended up with Argos' ALBA tablet at around £80 if I remember correctly. Excellent piece of kit, so much so that I am wondering why I am paying hundreds of pounds for Apple tablets. Used it all season last year without any problems.
 
Got a Sony Xperia Z4 with Navionics: don't bother. The never ending updates for the Sony bloatware are beyond a joke, especially when you have the temerity to expect bandwidth access for your own purposes.
I had a Hudl 2 before which was just as good at 20% of the price. Ah, happy days.
 
Quiddle said:
Got a Sony Xperia Z4 with Navionics: don't bother. The never ending updates for the Sony bloatware are beyond a joke, especially when you have the temerity to expect bandwidth access for your own purposes.
I had a Hudl 2 before which was just as good at 20% of the price. Ah, happy days.
Click to expand...


Just disable the Sony apps then. I have to say I haven't even bothered doing that as I have it set to only update whilst it's one WiFi so don't even notice then.
 
WPotter1950 said:
I'm looking for fellow readers who have recently bought an Android tablet to share their experiences with me.

Three years ago I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5) with 4G and have successfully used it in Greece with the Navionics App and a Greek Telco SIM. Very successfully in fact.

But it is getting long in the tooth and the battery is not as good as it once was and is not user-replaceable. So it is time for a new tablet and, before I rush off to Amazon to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (9.5 - why would they make the screen smaller as my eyesight gets worse), I wondered if anyone had better or at least other suggestions.

Thanks

WPotter 1950 (Caipirinha)
Click to expand...


Sony Z2 tablet is good, partly because it's so light but also because of the waterproofing and a better than average display in sunlight. It's been a while since I had a chance to compare tablets back to back but my advice would be to find somewhere that will let you take them outside to try them in sunlight (or cloudlight :(). The issue of using tablets in sunlight is something often talked about on drone forums as they have exactly the same problem when using tablets to control a few grands worth of drone and I suspect you have seen similar problems or tend to use use in the shade.

The bad news for you is that the brightest tablet out there is the Google Pixel C, which is about £500. http://www.anandtech.com/show/9972/the-google-pixel-c-review/4 To put things in perspective the Pixel C has 500 nit display whilst a Simrad 12" plotter has a 1200 nit display. In general none of the tablets from the major manufacturers are going to be bad but display brightness will range from 500 down to less than 300.
 
Thank you all for your suggestions.
I will study the suggestions but I don't think I have seen anything to divert me from my Samsung choice - except I will wait to look at the S3. Buying the previous best model is a practise which has served me well so once the S3 is out the price of the S2 should come down.

The Argos looks like a very cheap alternative but it does not take a SIM for 4G connection and that is a must for me in Greece.

I would caution against buying noname batteries through EBay - I had a couple of bad experiences with AA and AAA batteries before giving up on that source. LioN batteries are potentially dangerous items and the seller you suggested will not send outside the UK because most airlines will not accept them as freight. And while it may be OK to put a noname battery in your domestic tablet, I would not do that with what is a vital piece of equipment on the boat.
 
If the main issue is the battery, then get it replaced. I have used "WHile you wait" for battery on my mobile phone HTC M8. On Youtube the process looks complex to change the battery and not something I thought I could manage. They had it replaced in less than 30 minutes! Works like a new phone now
Website is http://www.whileyouwaitrepairs.co.uk/ You can speak to them or email to confirm that they can do the replacement. You do not need to live nearby, most of their work comes in and out by post
I have no hesitation in recommending them. No connection

If you want a replacement, then FWIW I have a Sony Xperia 8" at the helm held in a RAM mount. Works fine, No issues with constant updates as someone else mentioned. Waterproof.

TudorSailor
 
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grumpy_o_g said:
Just disable the Sony apps then. I have to say I haven't even bothered doing that as I have it set to only update whilst it's one WiFi so don't even notice then.
Click to expand...

You can't disable them without rooting. Software Update and Whats New (whatever that is!) will hog marina WiFi bandwidth till they're done cluttering your device.
 
Quiddle said:
You can't disable them without rooting. Software Update and Whats New (whatever that is!) will hog marina WiFi bandwidth till they're done cluttering your device.
Click to expand...

Is that special to modified Android? On my 2 devices most apps, in settings, have either disable or uninstall options. No rooting, and I have disabled and/or uninstalled updates for built-in apps I have no intention of using.

Mike.
 
WPotter1950 said:
Thank you all for your suggestions.
I will study the suggestions but I don't think I have seen anything to divert me from my Samsung choice - except I will wait to look at the S3. Buying the previous best model is a practise which has served me well so once the S3 is out the price of the S2 should come down.

The Argos looks like a very cheap alternative but it does not take a SIM for 4G connection and that is a must for me in Greece.

I would caution against buying noname batteries through EBay - I had a couple of bad experiences with AA and AAA batteries before giving up on that source. LioN batteries are potentially dangerous items and the seller you suggested will not send outside the UK because most airlines will not accept them as freight. And while it may be OK to put a noname battery in your domestic tablet, I would not do that with what is a vital piece of equipment on the boat.
Click to expand...

In that case buy an original spec battery :-) They are about £30
 
If you can get hold of one I absolutely love my Tesco Hudl2....use it with Navionics and its superb....and the best bit was it cost me the grand sum of £29 with our Tesco vouchers.... not much use to you I know and for some inexplicable reason Tesco have stopped doing them but they can still be found on Ebay.... I must admit despite having a full Raymarine system on board I pretty much use my Hudl all the time..
 
rtboss1 said:
I have a hudl2 that I do not use ,what exactly do I need to download?
Click to expand...

Navionics HD Europe from Google play... once installed simply download the maps for the area you require on the app, it is very easy .. and its worth paying the small extra for the extras on the app (sorry cannot remember what that bit is called)
 
Tin Tin said:
+1
That's what I do too.

Quite pleased with my Xperia Z tablet.
Click to expand...

Ditto.

Very pleased with my own Xperia Z, has worked a treat over the last couple of years since I bought it refurbished on eBay. Haven't noticed any problem with Sony updates or bloatware. Then again, I don't actually use it for much else other than navigation when on the boat, so the Wifi is usually disabled.

I use the Marine Navigator app and Android charts from visitmyharbour.co.uk in preference to Navionics. Much prefer raster charts to the vector ones of the latter.
 
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