New Tablet: 16gb or 32gb?

lovetwinprops

lovetwinprops

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lovetwinprops
For a couple of years now, I've been using the Garmin Pilot app on my Note 2 smartphone (great phone, big screen). I am planning to buy a Nexus 7 tablet, almost exclusively to use with the Garmin Pilot app and maybe a couple of other aviation apps. (On the tablet I'll be able to do split-screen views in flight that the phone version doesn't allow.)

My dilemma is getting it with 16gb of storage, or 32gb, with a difference of a whopping $100. With my so-far VFR-only flying, storage hasn't been a problem on my Note 2 (16gb), as all my pics, videos, ringtones, etc., are stored on the SD card. But, as I'm about to start learning IFR and will add the IFR charts, approach plates, and other IFR-related functionalities to the app, will 16gb be enough? (No SD card slot on the tablet.) I don't plan to use the tablet for games, music, photos, or anything else; just for flying.

Your recommendations re 16 vs 32 are appreciated. Please DO NOT tell me to get an iPad, as I **WON'T**. Thanks in advance!
 
The Nexus 7 has been discontinued quite a while ago. It's still a very good Android tablet for aviation use since it's screen is still brighter than just about any other common tablet. If you find a new/old stock N7 for sale you should probably make sure it's the 32GB version since they have no SD card slot for adding storage. 16GB is too small for aviation use, and you'll likely end up wanting to install more apps than just Garmin Pilot alone.
 
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16 will likely be enough if you limit the geographical area for your charts and plates to something less than the entire US.* As an instrument student you probably need only a few nearby states, maybe even just one. I am using 28 GB on my phone with 26 states in my electronic flight notebook, plus a few GB of photos and podcasts etc.

* Caveat, that is based on my experience using an iPad with ForeFlight, you obviously will use Garmin Pilot on an Android, which is not the same.
 
Well, no matter what the platform, I've found it always best to buy the most memory I can get, since as time goes on, things seem to use more an more memory. If you gain put a secondary chip in the Nexxus, I guess that may work, but if I was buying, I'd get 32gb.
 
I have been using GP on 32GB Nexus 7 2013 and have been generally very happy with it, esp. with the latest additions of terrain and obstacles. A few months ago I decided to add another one as backup, on the other yoke, and decided that 16GB should be enough. So I got a 16GB Nexus 7 2013 and have been very happy with the decision, since amazingly both devices are stable at around 50% of available memory. The reason is that with only 16GB, I am less inclined to load it up with junk apps, although I do load the same map coverage on both (much more than I need for my normal flight range).
So my recommendation would be to do the same: get the 16GB model and use the $100 for extra fuel. :)
BTW, AFAICT, there are still plenty of these great units in the supply chain, including from Amazon (where I got mine).
 
I broke my Nexus 7 and was able to get a nice 32K replacement with a case and BT keyboard on EBay for $65.

The Nexus 7 is the best Android tablet because it is directly supported by Google.

You do want 32K.
 
JimNtexas said:
I broke my Nexus 7 and was able to get a nice 32K replacement with a case and BT keyboard on EBay for $65.

The Nexus 7 is the best Android tablet because it is directly supported by Google.

You do want 32K.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of the old days, when a 32K computer was BIG. Am I dating myself? :)
 
According to the interwebz, GP and WingX take much less than 16GB for all US coverage of IFR and VFR plus airport information. Foreflight only exceeds that due to Caribbean and Latin America coverage. So 16GB should be enough since hardly anyone on here has any bona fide need to have all the CONUS loaded, nevermind Alaska. Yahoos on here are lucky to go 500NM in any direction twice a year. :D

The source deals with ipad storage, but the android versions (if they exist) are effectively of these same memory requirements.

http://ipadpilotnews.com/2014/02/much-space-charts-take-ipad/
 
JimNtexas said:
The Nexus 7 is the best Android tablet because it is directly supported by Google.
Click to expand...

Supported, yes, but also discontinued since April. The newest Nexus 7's are 2 years old.

Henning mentioned adding memory, but you cannot with any Nexus-branded product.

Since they're discontinued I'd look on eBay to find a gently-used model, and definitely the 32gb. There's no way I'd pay $99 more than the 16gb model at this point. There's some in good condition selling for as little as $129 (for the 32gb model). Anybody selling it new at this point probably as limited stock and likely very old pricing. Don't pay more than $200 for it or you might as well just buy an up-to-date 7-8" Android tablet.
 
dukeblue219 said:
Supported, yes, but also discontinued since April. The newest Nexus 7's are 2 years old.

Henning mentioned adding memory, but you cannot with any Nexus-branded product.

Since they're discontinued I'd look on eBay to find a gently-used model, and definitely the 32gb. There's no way I'd pay $99 more than the 16gb model at this point. There's some in good condition selling for as little as $129 (for the 32gb model). Anybody selling it new at this point probably as limited stock and likely very old pricing. Don't pay more than $200 for it or you might as well just buy an up-to-date 7-8" Android tablet.
Click to expand...

As I noted in my post above, there are still plenty of these units in the supply chain, so you can get a brand new one from Amazon any time (just checked). I suspect they are still selling so well that someone is sneakily manufacturing new ones, but I have no proof (interestingly I did notice the new one has European EC markings, which the older one does not, both 2013 models). And as I also noted above, the 16GB model is more than enough for GP, including a very generous regional coverage for both low and high IFR (which you can easily change if you decide to take that trans-con trip), and still showing half-capacity even with all my useful (aviation related) apps installed.
 
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hindsight2020 said:
According to the interwebz, GP and WingX take much less than 16GB for all US coverage of IFR and VFR plus airport information. Foreflight only exceeds that due to Caribbean and Latin America coverage. So 16GB should be enough since hardly anyone on here has any bona fide need to have all the CONUS loaded, nevermind Alaska. Yahoos on here are lucky to go 500NM in any direction twice a year. :D

The source deals with ipad storage, but the android versions (if they exist) are effectively of these same memory requirements.

http://ipadpilotnews.com/2014/02/much-space-charts-take-ipad/
Click to expand...

Every time I don't have the whole cont us downloaded I regret it. It's not uncommon for me to suddenly be doing a trip across the whole country that I didn't know about until a few hours before. It can be a really annoying problem if something like that pops up and you have poor or no data service to do the massive downloading in a limited amount of time.
 
As large as you can justify spending money on. Get at least a 32 gb. With forflight fully downloaded for the continental US it will not fit on a 16 gb.
 
RotorDude said:
Reminds me of the old days, when a 32K computer was BIG. Am I dating myself? :)
Click to expand...

:rofl: Well, I guess I'm the real GrandPa here then.:D The first computer I had my hands on with any real purpose was a DEC PDP8 in 1974. I wrote some machine language interfaces for it. It had 4K of core memory, 12 bits wide. On our largest implementation we had a 6.2Mbyte hard drive. My first PC was 8088 based, 512K Ram and two 320K Floppy drives, ca. 1983.

Now, you young whipper snappers, hand me my walking cane and get off my lawn.:mad::)

Seriously though, and to the OP's question, unless there is a huge difference in price, the extra memory will most likely be money well spent.
 
You won't ever be sad that you have extra memory. $100 is the least of your expenses.

You will use your tablet for way more than you might imagine.
 
I've been running GP on a N7 for going on two years and have been happy with it. I'm thinking of upgrading to a new tablet that has cellular capability. A few of us were returning from an airshow in the neighboring state and we had to dodge some nasty thunderstorms on the way back. One of the pilots on board was running Foreflight on an iPad mini and having the real-time weather maps was a true blessing. Even with everything on the horizon looking good, there were some nasty cells moving in at a rate that would have cut us off from our destination had we not stopped at a little regional airport and waited it out for an hour or so. I'm running a 16 GB unit and I'm using hardly any of the memory for the application. I've only got the southeast sectional downloaded.
 
Tradford said:
I've been running GP on a N7 for going on two years and have been happy with it. I'm thinking of upgrading to a new tablet that has cellular capability. A few of us were returning from an airshow in the neighboring state and we had to dodge some nasty thunderstorms on the way back. One of the pilots on board was running Foreflight on an iPad mini and having the real-time weather maps was a true blessing. Even with everything on the horizon looking good, there were some nasty cells moving in at a rate that would have cut us off from our destination had we not stopped at a little regional airport and waited it out for an hour or so. I'm running a 16 GB unit and I'm using hardly any of the memory for the application. I've only got the southeast sectional downloaded.
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I have an IPhone and an IPad, both with Foreflight since a subscription gets you the license for both for the same subscription fee. For cellular connection for the IPad, I simply use blue tooth to tether the IPad to the IPhone for poormans in flight weather. You can't depend on it all the time, but it works most of the time and beats the heck out of nothing.

I expect that if you have a smart phone, you can tether your tablet to it with Bluetooth for your cellular connection.

Hope this helps,
 
I just upgraded my phone to a Samsung and got a free 32gig 7" Samsung tablet including 4g. I gave away my Nexus 7 that I had been using, this screen is much better, battery much better and 4g.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I have an IPhone and an IPad, both with Foreflight since a subscription gets you the license for both for the same subscription fee.
Click to expand...

Garmin Pilot has the same policy.


MBDiagMan said:
For cellular connection for the IPad, I simply use blue tooth to tether the IPad to the IPhone for poormans in flight weather. You can't depend on it all the time, but it works most of the time and beats the heck out of nothing.

I expect that if you have a smart phone, you can tether your tablet to it with Bluetooth for your cellular connection.
Click to expand...

I can use my Note 2 phone either to tether to the tablet via Bluetooth, or via wi-fi (the phone acts as a hotspot).

Thanks!


Gerry
 
Thank you everyone for your comments, suggestions, and ideas. I really appreciate your taking the time to help.

First, I was able to figure out that Android DOES allow significant amounts of the Garmin Pilot data to be stored on the SD card. (Some apps are allowed to do that, others aren't. *shrug* ) Then, at the suggestion of someone in the Los Angeles Basin Pilots Forum on Facebook, I checked out the Samsung Galaxy tablets; one, he pointed out, was on sale.

Samsung's new one, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has an incredible Super Amoled screen, but is about $400; that's much more than I wanted to spend. The 2014 model it replaced, the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, has an amazing screen too, though not quite as rich as the S's. Both screens are 2560x1600, which is much higher than the 2nd gen Nexus 7's 1920x1200.

The Tab Pro 8.4 was on sale for $199.99 at Best Buy, and seems to be a "while supplies last" sort of deal. So rather than pay $165 for a new 2013 Nexus 7 16gb, or $265 for the 32gb version, OR take a chance on a used one, I decided to get the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4. It has 16gb of internal storage, but can accept an SD card up to 64gb. That ought to be enough for an approach plate or two when I get going in my IFR training. ;)

So Garmin Pilot is all set up in it, and if I can get a yoke mount by Wednesday from Aircraft Spruce, I'll give it a first try on a short flight from KPOC to KVNY. My Note 2 phone has been great, but I'm really looking forward to the extra real estate and split-screen ability of the app on a tablet.

Again, thanks very much for all the replies!


Gerry
 
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