Counterclockwise: people liked the idea of tablets, actual tablets not so much

25 March 2018
There was massive hype about 8 years ago about a "post-PC world", but reality has a cruel way of proving hype wrong.

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  • D
  • AnonD-619539
  • xW{
  • 25 Mar 2018

What I want is a wider phone, say up to 90mm. It would then be wide enough to use for decent browsing, book reader, satnav, music player, hiking, and all the other stuff I use my phone for, of which making calls is only a small part. Ok it might not fit into a back pocket, but it would still be perfectly portable and I generally carry a bag, backpack or something else in which it would fit.



    Personally I'm waiting for AR contact lenses to replace smartphones.

      • L
      • Lilian
      • 3cY
      • 25 Mar 2018

      I love my iPad but I don't feel like I need to upgrade it as often as a phone(for the camera for example).
      At home, I use the tablet A Lot(I don't touch the phone at home) - especially for media consumption(watching Youtube, Netflix, etc).

        Non-Apple tablets were killed by two things:

        1. Google's neglect after Android 4.1. The UI actually became worse for tablet use, they didn't even optimize all their own apps properly for tablet,s and finally split-screen use was not supported by Android until Nougat (although Samsung had their own split-screen implementation)

        2. Intel stopped developing new cheap Atom SoCs, which killed the emerging affordable Windows tablet market. Windows 8.1 had a good tablet interface, but lack of affordable hardware made it irrelevant for true tablets. OEMs also have to pay Microsoft a license fee for using Windows on tablets with an 8" or larger screen, which further depressed the cheap Windows tablet market.

          • T
          • TheStrategist
          • g8h
          • 25 Mar 2018

          I dont believe so much in tablets. I think in the end, a mix between tablet and laptop will make but both product categories as we know them today will die.

          I believe as soon as smartphones become powerful enough, they might replace laptops and tablets altogether. Imagine that you carry your computer always with you and when you need o get some serious work done you connect it to a screen keyboard and mouse and then you get the work done. This is the future I believe.

            Anonymous, 25 Mar 2018Tablets are going to die if they keep on copying laptops an... moreI do plan buying a Cintiq. THAT's what I call a tablet.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • nJA
              • 25 Mar 2018

              Had a 8" Sony Z3 tablet compact two years ago, used it for 1 month then gave it away when I realised I was still using my iphone 6S+ for almost everything.
              Now I have a 10.5" Ipad pro for work but I use it all the time because it's much larger than my phone and works great.
              My opinion: don't buy a small tablet unless you really have to. If you want a tablet for media consumption, buy a 10"+ and not a cheap uncomfortable one

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • srQ
                • 25 Mar 2018

                Laptops got lighter, started offering touchscreen and got flippable screen.
                Add that more powerful internals, better OS than android and being some times even cheaper than tablet. Some tablets cost up to 700$ , you can get new i5 machine for that.

                  I blame manufacturers for this one, Android never took serious it, was keep releasing cheap ass tablets with basically no improvements in hardware or never released high end was to show it's true power and to be they more powerful than smartphones. Qualcomm or any other company never released custom tablet chipsets, so you never could use tablet potential for having much more space than tiny smartphones to produce beastly devices except obviously Apple, which did that and succeeded, Google tried with Nexus 9 or Pixel but never optimized it's OS or put better hardware than ipad

                    Though I use my android tablet as media device, its more logical to have one device to do it all, foldable big screened phone. You could say thats finally doom for tablets, however... You still cannot fold 15" in your pocket, yet. Apple is living mostly due to work/education based use of their tablets, that are with latest hw released periodically. Thats also the reason surfaces are not dead, they are meant for that kind of use(work/edu) but because you can use them also as media device, there is less a reason to buy another tablet just for that. People spend now up to 999 on the phones, that come first as social, camera and gaming centered device, while if using tablets just for media content, its specs matter a little in comparison, it can be used for like 10+years.
                    If its about watches, its similar, there is just so much people that can afford such that got ideal price/value to them. There is also little meaning if you got just 1 or so brand to choose from with an lte, gps, automatic tracking, with them depending on phone for heavy all day long tracking(with even phone not capable of that without powerbank). They are not there just yet, but having brand store near sure help.

                      • D
                      • AnonD-1825
                      • p7H
                      • 25 Mar 2018

                      I use iPad for most of the stuff nowdays, bought the 10,5" iPad Pro and after that i have even done graphics with this.

                      It's incredible to have app like affinity pro which gives you desktop class photo editing with tablet and it runs so smoothly!

                      I'm not sure If there's ever been real tablet markets, there is iPad market. Lot of people bought those crappy very cheap Android tablets to try tablets and i think those ruined the tablet market, because those didn't offer good tablet experience at all and people didn't really got the idea how good tablets can be if you buy good one.

                        • Y
                        • Yet Another username
                        • 7Mv
                        • 25 Mar 2018

                        I had a Psion 3a,3c,3mx,then an HP hx4700 pda. Finally I found a phone that included most of this stuff so got an HTC HD2. But I found I couldn't do without a tablet, so I got a Nexus 7, then a 7-2013. When that broke, a Samsung Tab S and when that broke, my current Tab S3 on wifi in front this. My wife didn't break her Tab S so she is still using that.
                        I dread being without it. It has a bigger screen than my Huawei Mate 9 so it is better for many things. Using it saves both my eyes and my phone's battery. For heavy lifting I still use an i7 17 inch laptop which when at home is connected to a 24 inch screen.

                        Until rollaway screens are available on a phone, I expect to continue this 3 device life.

                        Until VR or AR headsets are tiny, weigh nothing and don't get in the way, they are something I'll laugh at but not use.

                          • A
                          • A Note 4 user
                          • JbJ
                          • 25 Mar 2018

                          There are less and less products that have all the specs that people need (at the same time being within reasonable price level). One cannot be constantly looking for the device..

                          I need a replacement for my Note 4 and there are virtually no devices that match... samsung imposes extra fragile curved screens (shamelessly overpriced) and many others keep cutting features - removable battery, 3.5 jack, etc. People will hold on to their devices.

                          As to smartwatch, there are no slim decently priced smartwatches (100...150 EUR) with decent specs. I gave up and stopped looking.

                            IMHO tabs are useful as ebook reader for pirated books, since there medical books are often so expensive af. And lots of useful stuff tbh.

                              Tablets are just oversized smartphone, surface are the most functional pc like tablet.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • Trj
                                • 25 Mar 2018

                                I wish Apple will use some of Newton features and interface, you called it "Neanderthal" but in fact it still do things that current tablets don't, go watch videos for it in youtube, there is a database file system which all apps can access and use, this way they can share content and use it in any context, the user can reach many functions without moving between apps.

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-598579
                                  • nq0
                                  • 25 Mar 2018

                                  I remember back in the days of the tablets, I own some models (including Asus Slider, Ipad Mini 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 & 4 and some Chinese cheap ones). But I never ever went without a laptop or a desktop PC.
                                  The tablets were good, but as second devices. When the smartphones got bigger and bigger and of course much more powerful, then the fate of the tablets was sealed.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • u1x
                                    • 25 Mar 2018

                                    Actually company do not launch new tablets every year just like mobile phone thats why people lose their intrest and also don"t get updated version amd also devloper or software company not make proper softwares for tablets

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • XNU
                                      • 25 Mar 2018

                                      If laptops can't replace desktops then how can tablets replace laptops? But tablets are replaceable because we have phablets with same processing power and almost same functions with better form factor that you can carry anywhere.

                                        --VM--, 25 Mar 2018Present tablets are changed . Try Huwai Media Pad .. You... moreDoes that huawei matchs Snapdragon 845 preformance? If not. I'll pass.

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