android certified tablets?

[tbone24]

so im looking to buy a tablet for my kid (4 yrs old). i have an iphone 5, my kid already knows how to operate it, and i wanna know what people think of the ipads vs android tablets - was looking at the nexus 7 (cheaper and looks decent). was doing some research on android tablets and i see some tablets are google/android certified and some are not certified - seems like the cheap tablets are not certified. What is the difference? does it really matter?? i do know people that have had older versions of tablets and had to do some modifications to make them work - couldnt download any apps or access the playstore - so they rooted them. im not that technical and dont want to have to do all this. i like apple cuz its simple and ready to use right out the box. the android seems to be more difficult but growing in popularity.

thanks.

 

[leeshor]

Welcome to the forum

There is a rather glaring misunderstanding when it comes to iPads just work, vs Android. With the experience I have had with many customers who have both (some actually do have both at the same time) I would say that a decent major Android tablet will do as much out of the box as an iPad will. I know because I have spent as much time with helping people set their mail up on one as the other. They DO just work,

The big difference is that you have more that you can do with Android if you elect to do it. You also have access to multiple sites to get apps from unlike being tied to Apple alone, without having to do the Apple equivalent of a jail break. There is also a greater selection of sizes and in some cases included features and obviously manufacturers. I have seen YouTube videos of 3 year old using Android tablets without a problem.

Most of the Android related issues come from those who want to do so much more with their tablet they tend to dig a hole at times that may be difficult to get out of. Of the dozens of Android tablet owners I know personally, none are having any problems at all.

I have a hard time with your certified statement though as I don't think most of the tablets on the market need any certification per se. But there are some things you should look for most of which you don't even need to be concerned with if you purchase one of the mainstream tablets like from ASUS, ACER, Sony, Samsung and the like.

 

[Frederuco]

Welcome to the forum!

I agree with leeshor, stick with major name brands. They have better support, firmware updates and the sort. Many of the off brands (especially the Chinese ones) are not "Google Certified" and do not have access to the Play Store without hacking it a bit.

I have an iPhone 5 (and previously an iPhone 4). I much prefer Android because it is more customizable.

For instance: I can set Dolphin Browser to see desktop sites on my Tablet, and set it as my default browser so when I click a facebook link from my email I get to see the desktop facebook site. On iOS, I can use Dolphin Browser set to desktop sites, but I CANNOT set it as a default browser. Clicking on a facebook link from an email will ALWAYS open it in Safari in a mobile browser. To open it in Dolphin, I have to long press, copy the link and then open Dolphin, paste and go.

2nd instance: On iOS, if I am using Safari and I want to disable cookies, I have to close Safari, open the SETTINGS app, then find Safari and then disable cookies. Then go back and open Safari. On Android, from the browser I am using, tap the menu key, settings, disable, back arrow out and I am done. No switching apps to change a setting in that app.

The Nexus 7 is probably the best bang for the buck tablet out there IMO, even including other OS's.

 

[tbone24]

thanks for the info - i was just wondering about the "android" certification cuz i read reviews that some tablets have difficulty accessing the google play store. i see on ebay deals for refurb/generic/older tablets and was wondering if they have this issue?? i also heard that the nook and kindle have this issue?? is this correct??
or should i just buy a major brand and save all the headache - like they say - u get for what you pay for.

 

[Frederuco]

Nook and Kindle cannot access the Play Store. Most any major brand - Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, Motorola, Nexus - will have access.

Nook, Kindle both have access to their own App Store. Also, you can access other app stores like Amazon, Getjar and AppBrain.

I would stick with a major brand myself.

 

[tbone24]

what is the difference between a 200-250 nexus7 and a 400 samsung/motorola tablet 7" also that are selling for @300-400?? are they that much better? they seem very similar?
thanks for the help.

 

[Frederuco]

First, understand that Google priced the Nexus 7 to sell. They are making very little profit on it, they are relying on the idea that they are going to sell a lot of them, and that users will buy movies, books, apps and music from the Play Store to supplement the losses.

Secondly, the Nexus 7 is lacking a few features many of the other tablets have:
Rear facing camera (only has a front facing one for video chats)
Removable Storage (like microSD slot or USB)

Most people IMO do not get tablets to take pictures, and if you are coming from Apple, you are not used to having removable storage anyway.

The Nexus 7 has a quad core processor, the others only have dual core. Granted, the Exynos dual core processors are quite impressive and give a quad core Tegra 3 a run for its money.

I would still say the Nexus 7 32 GB is a great deal for the $250. One huge advantage is you get the OS updates straight from Google. Other brands you have to wait for the hardware OEM to check compatibility with all the hardware and configuration. Because the Nexus devices are pure Google, you get the latest OS. AFAIK, the only 7" tablet running Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean with multi-user logins) is the Nexus 7. The rest of them are on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or 4.1 (Jelly Bean with single user login).

 

[tbone24]

thanks again!