KPH tech blog

Look at that title. I mean, really look at it. My tablet, a Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro (the 8.4″ model), is now 4 years old. Apart from battery wear, the device runs smoothly and without any problems.

So, why the blog post? Because Google is now asking developers to target at least API level 29, that means that a lot of apps will only support newer versions of Android.

Related to this or not, I’ve noticed several apps now only supporting Android 5 Lollipop and above with new app updates: the new version of the John Lewis shopping app is one good example.

That’s fine for my Galaxy S7 and Desire Eye, but for my tablet, not so much: you see, even though it still runs without a hitch, it runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. That is a problem.

I’ve never been pleased that Samsung didn’t honour this tablet the same as their other devices, like my Galaxy S7 for instance, with software updates. It’s had a few system updates, but never software upgrades.

When I bought it new, the tablet was a few months old (from it’s initial global release date). On the grand scale of things, if an Android device is normally supported for about 2 years, this certainly wasn’t the case with my Galaxy Tab Pro T320.

As I’ve said, I’ve had security updates, but they stopped a couple of years ago, and there’s been no system/firmware/software upgrades at all since then. It shipped with Android 4.4 in 2014, and it still has it: no upgrade to Android 5 in sight.

That brings me to why I’m writing this blog: although it still works and does what I want it to do (watch YouTube & Netflix, browse the Internet, and occasionally check Facebook and emails), I’ve noticed a few of my most used apps only supporting, at a minimum, Android 5.

Not doing the app update isn’t an option either, as they stop working and prompt a message to update the app. In other words, I’m out of luck.

I can understand my old Nokia Lumia 820 (running Windows Phone 8) no longer getting support, not only because it’s not on the newer OS, Windows 10 Mobile, but also because the Windows Phone/Mobile platform is now dead. But a 4 year old Android tablet? Not happy.

Therefore, assuming I’m keeping with the Android system for my tablet computing needs, what are the pros/cons of keeping my tablet, vs the pros/cons of upgrading to a newer one?

If I’m keeping my Galaxy Tab Pro

Pros: it works. It lets me view content on Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, etc.

Cons: older software, meaning app support is starting to disappear. Few signs of wear and tear, so overall experience of using tablet isn’t as great as a new one.

If I’m upgrading to a newer tablet

Pros: newer software, faster tablet, new app support.

Cons: expense of buying a new tablet that does pretty much everything I can already do with my Galaxy Tab Pro.

Although I’ve seen a few good Android tablets around the £100-£170 mark, if I’m getting a new tablet, what about getting an iPad? They’re more expensive, with even the budget model being about 3x the cost of the not-so budget Android tablets I’ve seen, and iPads are also not part of the same ecosystem as my phones – that being the Android OS.

But really, when I think about it, all I do on my current tablet is watch YouTube and Netflix, and occasionally do other things, so I don’t specifically need a new Android tablet for specific apps.

Plus, maybe an iPad would receive better support, more OS updates? May be I could switch to an iPad?

– Chris J.K.