7inch Tablet the Sweet Spot?

[HotRoderX]

Is the 7inch Android tablets the sweet spot between screen size, bulk and cost?

There not as small as a cell phone screen which can be kinda hard to use for some task. There not as hard to take with you as something like a I-Pad and there easier to hold. They tend to be cheaper from what I have seen I would assume this is because a smaller screen is cheaper to make.

I know my first Tablet was a Kindle Fire and the reasons above where what attracted me to it.

I recently upgraded from the Kindle Fire to a far less restrictive Galaxy Tab 2 7inch the same things + expandable memory lured me in.

What do you guys and gals think? Is the 7inch the sweet spot for Google's Android or do you think bigger is better?

 

[breadnatty08]

I have a few Androids in several sizes. 4.6", 7", and 10.1". They all have their purpose. My Galaxy Nexus goes everywhere and can do most anything. My Nexus 7 gives me a bit more real estate for book or magazine reading and also gaming. My Transformer Prime is great as a laptop replacement when I need to pound out a bunch of text.
It's all about what you need. I'm fortunate enough to have a few to accomplish my needs.

 

[CafeKampuchia]

If the smallest tablet is the Galaxy Note is 5.3″ and the biggest are 10.1" then 7-7.7 are in the mid-range. But the sweet spot for me is 8.9" (GST 8.9). Sadly, only one was made that size and Samsung did not extend the program after the first run. The 7" is a little too small for me, but I'm getting a Nexus 7 anyway.

 

[Kookas]

The Nexus 7 looks like a fantastic tablet, but I'm holding out for a 10 incher. When 7 inches is only about two and a half more than my phone, it's just too small. If they don't make a Nexus 10, I'll just save up for the TF700T, which looks sweet and I have a use for it as a laptop replacement.

 

[350X]

Id go for a IPS screen next and if you already have a good 7" ,
go large most are all 9.7" even if sold as 10

http://www.flsuperstore.com/tablets/ramos-w22pro-9-7-inch-tablet-dual-core-amlogic.html

 

[humanleague]

I spotted a UK brand of tablet called Sweet Tablets

 

[AntimonyER]

I went from a 10.1 to a 7 and never looked back. Perhaps if I had gotten a lighter 10.1 (Had an Acer, it was pretty hefty) I might have liked the 10 better, but the 7 is so easy to hold for extended periods.

 

[chanchan05]

Personally, I'd think its entirely dependent on what you intend to use the tablet for. A 7 inch tablet is great for games and consuming media on the go because its large enough to view comfortably, but its also small enough to carry around. A friend said it best: "I like playing Inotia 4 more on your Tab than on my iPad, it feels like I'm playing on an actual gaming device like a PSP or DS." The size makes it perfect for those types of games.

However, when doing certain productive stuff its a whole different story. For example, drawing sketches. The 7inch screen is simply too small for it IMO. And reading textbooks. While the screen is big enough to read novels and comics easily, reading large format books with like two columns and large pictures is difficult. School textbooks aren't very good on 7inchers because it entails a lot of panning around.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

I think it's all personal opinion, but I have owned both a 7" and 10" tablet and when I go for a new one it will probably be a 7". I just like that forum factor better. It's easier to hold and carry around. I use my tablet primarily for two things, reading and surfing the web, and I think the 7" does it better then the 10".

 

[bob60626]

I really like my 4g (another discussion!) 7.0+; I don't care so much for the giant bezels they all seem to have but it hasn't been much of an issue. 5" is also an interesting size- my SGP 5.0 is super handy and would make a great companion for a small phone (I used to pair it up with my OV).
My gf loves the SGP and LOVES the 7+. I gave her the SGP on long term loan but will probably get her a Nexus 7 for Christmas.

I don't like the split screen thing it does though. I think 7" tablets are best if used as a larger phone rather than a small desktop.

 

[funpig]

I have had a galaxy tab 7+ for about 5 months. It is a perfect size for me. I obviously prefer the tab's larger display over my phone for browsing and app usage, so much so that now I just use my phone for basically calls and text. In the portrait position, the size is just right for fast two-thumb typing, which is difficult on a large10 inch screen (hard to reach the middle keys) or a smaller 3 inch screen (better for one handed texting). I can carry it in a fanny pack and it can just fit in a jacket or pant pocket.

 

[mikedt]

I spotted a UK brand of tablet called Sweet Tablets

Interesting branding...

I think these are actually imported and re-branded Chinese devices. Apparently they have Google though.

 

[Speed Daemon]

Is the 7inch Android tablets the sweet spot between screen size, bulk and cost?

Excuse me for being late to the discussion.

IME with the original Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy SII and most recently the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700T), I'm inclined to say "the bigger the better".

The 7" screen on the Kindle Fire is too small for anything more than occasional e-book reading, and likewise is not much fun for web browsers. Web browsing on my Kindle had me wanting not only more screen real estate, but a more square aspect ratio. Those slender 7" screens are good for watching wide screen movies, but not much else IMO.

I'd rather be eaten alive by rats than to have to use the on-screen keyboard on 7" and smaller screens.

If the 7" screen is difficult for many purposes, the much smaller smart phone screens are (again, IMO) only suitable as a device of last resort. I can't imagine how so many of my friends use their phones all day to browse the web, send and receive e-mails and other tasks that I believe that a desktop PC with a separate keyboard and mouse is still the gold standard for. If I took a commuter train or other kind of public transportation to and from work, I'd be satisfied with a smart phone screen to watch TV shows taken off my TiVo, and similar content. But I wouldn't want to use even a 7" screen with less than true HD resolution to view movies and other content where picture quality is paramount (pardon the pun ). That's why I chose the Infinity over other tablets, BTW.

I got my Kindle Fire when I was bedridden due to the debilitating effects of the powerful drugs that were needed to treat an illness. Although it's a great value, I found the form factor and weight a real pain to hold up close enough to my eyes to read comfortably. Using one of those cases that allows the device to be placed on a table for viewing helped, but having to do that pretty much takes away its size advantage. Even more so since I have a 1080p TV/computer monitor on that same table.

I can imagine several years in the future that 7" devices will weigh a fraction of the current ones and provide full HD resolution. At that time the 7" form factor will be much more attractive to me.

I agree with chanchan05 that 7" is OK for novels but not learned texts. I agree with bob60626 that bezel size is very important. If my Fire had a bezel just 1/4" smaller it probably wouldn't have been so painful to hold up for extended periods of time.

 

[350X]

with apple going backwards to a 7" it should be clear, most just want more room then a phone can offer, they don't want a mini laptop.

 

[ari-free]

7" with physical game controls (such as trackball) would be the ideal fun tablet for me. 10" with wacom stylus would be the ideal creative tab.

 

[Kookas]

For me a tablet replaces a laptop or personal computer, except for proper gaming in which case I have my computer (which hasn't been upgraded in years yet runs every game I have no issue).

I already have a Nexus phone if my hands are feeling lazy, so it's better to have a ten incher than a seven. To be honest, I just put it in my lap or on a desk anyway so that is never an issue.

 

[sergey]

I think the real question is what is the sweet spot for cell phones? 4.8"? 5.3" 6" screens?

IMO, the screen size of cell phones will continue to increase and make a 7" tablet irrelevant. Obviously there will never be a cell phone with a 10.1" screen. You'll look like an idiot holding that thing up to your face. But if you're rocking a galaxy note, is there really that big of a difference between that and a nexus 7? What about a 5.5" screen?

I debated getting a 7" tablet as a replacement to my galaxy tab 10.1". And it made perfect sense when I had my iPhone 4 with a 3.5" screen or whatever the size is. But now I have a galaxy s3 with a 4.8" screen, a 7" tablet is not worth it to me anymore.

 

[Kookas]

I think the real question is what is the sweet spot for cell phones? 4.8"? 5.3" 6" screens?

IMO, the screen size of cell phones will continue to increase and make a 7" tablet irrelevant. Obviously there will never be a cell phone with a 10.1" screen. You'll look like an idiot holding that thing up to your face. But if you're rocking a galaxy note, is there really that big of a difference between that and a nexus 7? What about a 5.5" screen?

I debated getting a 7" tablet as a replacement to my galaxy tab 10.1". And it made perfect sense when I had my iPhone 4 with a 3.5" screen or whatever the size is. But now I have a galaxy s3 with a 4.8" screen, a 7" tablet is not worth it to me anymore.

The phone sweet spot is subjective... the Nexus's 4.65 inches with this amount of bezel seems almost perfect (just a little too big), I can reach the entire screen just with my thumb.