Article Review: ExplorOz Traveller

What's the price difference? Go the biggest you can afford.

You can download the maps and other data onto an sd card. You don't have to use internal memory. You can get quality 512GB microSD cards for not much more than $100.

Hi Warren H,

Does a Samsung Tablet have an SD Card slot? My iPad certainly doesn’t. I think you can get “plug in” SD Card readers that use the USB slot, but then how do you keep your tablet charged up if you are using the USB slot for the card reader?

Macca.

Hi Macca,
They do, well up to 2021 when I purchased my S6 Lite anyway. I use mine to run Lightroom to edit photos on the road, so I have a 512GB uSD in the slot. In the usb C port I have an expansion portal with pass-through charging and an SD card reader and a 4TB external Lacie Rugged hanging off this. I think they take up to 2 maybe 4TB uSD cards, higher spec models maybe even higher capacity.
Wazza

Macca . Samsung do have a sd card slot .
Thks Peter & Warren, I think the 256gb tablet is upto $ 200.more than the 128gb .
& 65 gb a lot less . I was curious to know what the difference in performance might be on the larger gb tablets and does the SD card have disadvantages with performance .

If buying a tablet I,d get one that can accept a sim card for mobile phone/data.

Why would I purchase another SIM card? I can already tether my tablet to my phone or the wireless modem with my computer. A third SIM card would be an unnecessary expense.

Hi nickb,
I went with the base 64GB with 4GB of cpu memory. It runs EOT without a problem. It also runs Adobe Lightroom, a big resource user very well, including some of the new layer mask tools that use AI to identify picture elements. It struggles a bit with panorama stitching of big image assemblies (twenty odd), I suspect that does relate to the cpu memory and processor, but that is usually left for home on the pc. At the time, if I could have dropped another several hundred dollars on the purchase I probably would have, but maybe the money would be better spent later on a newer model. With my pc I usually go for top specs and this does extend the usable life, but mobile devices are more exposed to physical damage so I hesitate to drop big dollars on them.

Thks Warren : the 4 gb cpu memory is that installed internally or a plug-in externally and is giving the tablet more ram ? if you could explain a bit more how this works it would be appreciated . Cheers nick

That's just the tablet specs can't be added to.

Nick, the 4 GB CPU memory is part of the operating system and is tightly integrated with the CPU (central processing unit.) There is no provision to change it after you have purchased the unit. Sometimes there may be an offer to order a larger size in some models of tablet when you are purchasing them. It is a different type of memory that loses its contents when the power is switched off.

The 128 or the larger 256 GB are a different type of memory. They retain their data when the power is switched off. If there is a socket to plug in extra storage memory included in a device, it is incorporated with this permanent memory and not the CPU memory.

PeterD . thanks for the explanation .. I guess your first comment might be most appropriate cheers nick

I have the A book 9+ and have no issues.

When it comes to downloading Maps Contours and terrain packs for the app how do you download them to the SD card I don't remember seeing an option or don't you have a choice ?
Cheers nick

If you have a card it will show up as an option sometimes called internal and external other times you will just see something like sd00 and sd01. I think EOT gives the option, other apps you sometimes have to actively tap a couple of times to get to the option.

Correction there is a option section that I didn't notice:-(

The point about buying a SIM capable device, in the case of Apple devices at least, is that they have a GPS built in. There is no need to buy a SIM card.

I was of the belief that all Samsung tablets had GPS receivers in them, so I checked with Copilot and got this reply:

"Not all current Samsung tablets come with a built-in GPS receiver. While many models, especially those designed for navigation or outdoor use, do include GPS functionality, some Wi-Fi-only models may not. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 and Galaxy Tab A9 both have GPS receivers built-in. However, it's always a good idea to check the specific model's specifications to be sure."

Copilot also offered the following links - current model Samsung tablets GPS receiver - Best reviews guide - Which Samsung Tablet has both WiFi AND a Real GPS Receiver??

I also went to Galaxy Tab - Down near the bottom it showed they had the TabA9 WiFi for $479.00 and the Tab9 5G for $629.00. That shows you can save $150 by not getting a 5G model in Samsung products. Also Samsung has more than GPS, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page and reveal the full comparison list, you will find Location Technology - GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS - i.e. you get them all.

Peter : interesting ! I've been at Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi this morning and both salesman said that they must be 5G to have the GPS but I'm not sure if they know exactly what they are talking about when it comes to the built-in GPS and being able to access it offline , I think they might be referring to Google online maps .

If anyone can confirm their models galaxy tab S9 and other similar models
Wi-Fi or 5G and if the GPS works offline without internet connection

Samsung Australia S9FE specs
Looks like the S9 is a superceded model in Australia. The S9 FE Wi-Fi has gps see link above. You have to look under connectivity to find it. The retailers don't even list the gps specs. I looked at the Officeworks site where you can toggle between wifi and 5g models neither list gps. I think they are either ignorant or upselling.

Nick, I would trust Samsung's online details more than sales persons in stores, particularly those who work on weekends. I seem to get better information talking to staff mid-week than the casual, casuals you strike on weekends. They are probably Apple tablet users and getting the two products mixed up.

Have a look at these two links - Galaxy Tab A9+ Wi-Fi and Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G. If you scroll down nearly 3/4 of the page, you will see a heading "Specifications" on both pages. In the 5G model you will see a subheading "Network/Bearer," this is absent in the Wi-Fi model. If you click on the dropdown arrow, you will see all the bands that are used for the different cellphone networks. If you go further down, you will see another subheading "Connectivity." This heading occurs under both model tablets. These are all the ways the devices connect to the outside world, the devices listed under "Location Technology" are the same for both tablets. I suggest that taking advice from the manufacturer is far more reliable than listening to salesmen.

Thanks fella's for your help in these specifications . It certainly looks like it's a done deal
Cheers nick