PlanGridWe’re often quizzed by customers on which Android tablets we recommend for construction teams. New devices are constantly being released, and plenty of these work well with PlanGrid — with so many options, choosing a tablet to use on your project can be overwhelming.
To help you decide, we’ve drawn on our hours of in-house testing and narrowed our favorites down to five models. Each selection provides a great PlanGrid experience, and we’ve spread our choices across multiple price points, sizes, and storage capacities.
Happy shopping!
Nexus 9
The Nexus 9 is an in-house favorite and delivers a polished PlanGrid experience. For a 9” tablet, the screen is remarkably large and has a high quality display.
PROS:
- Runs the latest Android operating system (OS)
- Fast processing speed
- Fairly lightweight
- Medium-sized (9”)
- Large, high quality screen
- Runs PlanGrid smoothly
CONS:
- Cannot increase storage capacity
PRICE (AT TIME OF PUBLICATION)
SPECIFICATIONS
- OS: 5.0 Lollipop
- 8.9” LCD screen
- Front and rear facing cameras
- Weight: 15oz
- Up to 9.5 hours of battery life
Samsung Galaxy Tab S
With two available sizes, a large screen, and expandable storage, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S is an ideal companion for PlanGrid. With more RAM than the Nexus 9, you can run multiple programs simultaneously without sacrificing processing speed.
PROS
- Larger screen than newer Samsung devices
- Lightweight
- Two sizes available (8.4” and 10.5”)
- More RAM (runs faster) than the Nexus 9
CONS
- Comes with 4.4 KitKat, but will run 5.0 if installed
- Not Samsung’s newest model
PRICE (AT TIME OF PUBLICATION)
- 16GB + WiFi 8.4”: $399
- 16GB + WiFi 10.5”: $499
- 32GB + WiFi 10.5”: $499
SPECIFICATIONS
- OS: Comes with 4.4 KitKat, but will run 5.0 if installed
- Front and rear facing cameras
- Weight: 10.37oz (8.4”), 16.4oz (10.5”)
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
- Up to 128GB external memory
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
The S2 is the newer version of the Galaxy Tab S, but with extra storage as standard and a newer OS installed.
PROS
- More storage than the Galaxy Tab S
- Comes installed with 5.1 Lollipop
- Excellent battery life
CONS
- Smaller screen than the Galaxy Tab S
PRICE (AT TIME OF PUBLICATION)
- 32GB + WiFi 8”: $299
- 32GB + WiFi 9.7”: $399
- 32GB + LTE 8”: $399
- 32GB + LTE 9.7”: $499
- 64GB + WiFi 9.7”: $599
SPECIFICATIONS
- OS: 5.1 Lollipop
- Front and rear facing cameras
- Weight: 9.6 oz (8”), 13.8 oz (9.7”)
- Up to 12 hours of battery life
- Up to 128GB external memory
Nvidia SHIELD
The Nvidia SHIELD is not your typical tablet — made for gaming, it has a great display, runs fast, and is probably the best tablet at this price point.
PROS
- Excellent 8” display
- Runs fast (made for gaming)
- Expandable storage
CONS
- Not the biggest screen size
PRICE (AT TIME OF PUBLICATION)
- 16GB + WiFi 8”: $199
SPECIFICATIONS
- OS: Comes with 5.0, but can run 6.0 Marshmallow if installed
- Front and rear facing cameras
- 8” display
- Weight: 12.6oz
- Up to 19 hours battery life
- Up to 128GB external memory
Nexus 7
The Nexus 7 is a great tablet for the price. With the option for LTE, it’s perfect for using in the field. The downside? It doesn’t have expandable storage, so make sure you buy the right size for your needs.
PROS
- Lightweight
- Compact (7”)
- High quality screen
CONS
- No expandable storage
PRICE (AT TIME OF PUBLICATION)
- 16GB + Wifi 7”: $150
- 32GB + Wifi 7”: $234
- 32GB + LTE 7”: $299
SPECIFICATIONS
- OS: Comes with 5.0, but can run 6.0 Marshmallow if installed
- Front and Rear Facing Cameras
- Weighs 10.5 oz
- Battery about 9 hours of use
Do you already use PlanGrid on an Android device? Let us know what you use in the comments below. Or, try PlanGrid for free.
Originally published on February 24, 2016
Mary Kate Francis
Lynn Langmade