Recommend me a cheap easy-to-use tablet for my mum

[Phooey]

Hi, I'm looking for recommendations please for a simple to use (if there is such a thing!) tablet for my 85yr old mother. She only needs it for stuff like Google'ing, email, Facebook, and (I think) FaceTime. It needs to be able to connect to BT wifi easily. She already has a device that she bought probably 5-10yrs ago but it's so slow and crashy that I thought it might be time to look at something newer. I have an iPad so I have no experience of non-Apple products. Also an iPad is much more than she wants to spend.

Thanks

[x5tuu]

If she needs FaceTime - Apple is the only possible manufacturer and therefore an iPad.

I wouldnt recommend ANY non-Apple tablet - theyre just inferior, buggy, laggy and wont last a fraction of the time of an iPad. There is no denying that Apple has completely dominated the market here and rightly so.

What about a refurb or second user unit to drop the cost a little?

[Phooey]

x5tuu said:

If she needs FaceTime - Apple is the only possible manufacturer and therefore an iPad.

I wouldnt recommend ANY non-Apple tablet - theyre just inferior, buggy, laggy and wont last a fraction of the time of an iPad. There is no denying that Apple has completely dominated the market here and rightly so.

What about a refurb or second user unit to drop the cost a little?

Thanks for reply. She has a non-Apple product now (might be Samsung?) and she uses that for FaceTime type calling (perhaps it's called something different on the Samsung?) She's been happy with her tablet but it's just old and slow now. I thought about the Amazon Fire tablet but some of the reviews say you can't Google on it. I'm not techy at all.

[Tony1963]

What is the budget limit?

[996Type]

We got my mum a refurbished iPhone for similar and will buy an iPad at some point. I upgraded the phone she had recently as it was so old and while she is 81, she can access on-line banking and the phone has Face ID. This sounds quite daunting but it means my mum doesn’t have to key any codes in etc.

What’s app supports video calling, so if that’s the package you are using for video calls, nip down to your local retail park and have a chat with the folks in the tech store about what your looking for if your not savvy like you say.

There will be a good range of the non-Apple stuff and if you’ve got the phone with you, you can see how compatible the 2 really are. Also suggest a decent rugged case that folds under so the screen can be propped up for call purposes.

[Phooey]

Tony1963 said:

What is the budget limit?

Ideally £150. Might push to £200. She doesn't want anything that's going to 'confuse' her with constant update messages / alerts etc. I think she would get into bother with an iPad. The other issue with iPads is faffing about creating Apple ID's etc. I think her phone is a Samsung.

996Type said:

We got my mum a refurbished iPhone for similar and will buy an iPad at some point. I upgraded the phone she had recently as it was so old and while she is 81, she can access on-line banking and the phone has Face ID. This sounds quite daunting but it means my mum doesn’t have to key any codes in etc.

What’s app supports video calling, so if that’s the package you are using for video calls, nip down to your local retail park and have a chat with the folks in the tech store about what your looking for if your not savvy like you say.

There will be a good range of the non-Apple stuff and if you’ve got the phone with you, you can see how compatible the 2 really are. Also suggest a decent rugged case that folds under so the screen can be propped up for call purposes.

Mmmm it could be WhatsApp that she currently uses on her tablet. Would she need a device that takes a SIM card for WhatsApp calling?

Edited by Phooey on Wednesday 31st July 09:03

[Some Gump]

If you can use whatsapp on it, kindle fire. They're like cockroaches, mine has been dropped repeatedly and abused but still going strong. Expect 60 quid in the sales, 80 quid normally.

Easy to use, if you're even half techie you can install the google store and have lots of normal android apps as well as the amazon ones.

[Phooey]

Some Gump said:

If you can use whatsapp on it, kindle fire.

I've just been Googling it and unfortunately WhatsApp isn't available for the Amazon Fire

[miniman]

x5tuu said:

I wouldnt recommend ANY non-Apple tablet - theyre just inferior, buggy, laggy and wont last a fraction of the time of an iPad. There is no denying that Apple has completely dominated the market here and rightly so.

What about a refurb or second user unit to drop the cost a little?

Exactly my view and advice.

[Phooey]

Ok so couple of questions re iPad

If she bought the 2021 iPad 9th Generation at £289. Can she..

1/ Use FaceTime to her friends over wifi without having to have a cellular (Sim) model, or allowance from her mobile phone contract? I don't understand how FaceTime works.

2/ Set it all up WITHOUT having to have Apple ID's / iTunes accounts etc?

[miniman]

Phooey said:

Ok so couple of questions re iPad

If she bought the 2021 iPad 9th Generation at £289. Can she..

1/ Use FaceTime to her friends over wifi without having to have a cellular (Sim) model, or allowance from her mobile phone contract? I don't understand how FaceTime works.

2/ Set it all up WITHOUT having to have Apple ID's / iTunes accounts etc?

1. Yes
2. No

[Ham_and_Jam]

You only need an apple ID. It’s very simply.

If you’re heppy to sign up to Whatsapp, Google, App stores, Amazon Prime, every other online shop…then it’s no problem.

[_Hoppers]

Phooey said:

Tony1963 said:

What is the budget limit?

Ideally £150.

Can you stump up £200 yourself to get her the basic iPad?

[Phooey]

Thanks for replies. just thought of another question (can't get find the answer on Google) - if my mum had an iPad, can she FaceTime someone who doesn't have an Apple device or FaceTime? I'm guessing both users have to have FaceTime.. if so how would an iPad user 'video call' a person on a non-Apple device? Sorry for the dumb questions but I literally don't use FaceTime unless someone calls me with it, or I accidentally call someone else on it

[Phooey]

_Hoppers said:

Can you stump up £200 yourself to get her the basic iPad?

I'm thinking of getting her this for her birthday. Is it ok or too old / out of date?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/2021-Apple-iPad-10-2-inch...

[Alex Z]

A refurb iPad can be had for £200

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/apple-102-ipad-20...

[Ham_and_Jam]

Phooey said:

Thanks for replies. just thought of another question (can't get find the answer on Google) - if my mum had an iPad, can she FaceTime someone who doesn't have an Apple device or FaceTime? I'm guessing both users have to have FaceTime.. if so how would an iPad user 'video call' a person on a non-Apple device? Sorry for the dumb questions but I literally don't use FaceTime unless someone calls me with it, or I accidentally call someone else on it

Both users must have an Apple device to FaceTime.

Failing that, you would download WhatsApp, Facebook, or any other video calling app that you both use.

[Phooey]

Ham_and_Jam said:

Both users must have an Apple device to FaceTime.

Failing that, you would download WhatsApp, Facebook, or any other video calling app that you both use.

Thanks for reply. Mmmm I wonder if it's currently Facebook she uses for her video calling. I don't have FB myself so wouldn't know personally but I do know she's quite active on it so if she's using that for calling it would make sense

[_Hoppers]

Phooey said:

_Hoppers said:

Can you stump up £200 yourself to get her the basic iPad?

I'm thinking of getting her this for her birthday. Is it ok or too old / out of date?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/2021-Apple-iPad-10-2-inch...

I've just got the latest iPad Air but my previous iPad Air 2 lasted almost 10 years (I'm still using when my son nicks the new one!). I would expect to get at least 5 years out of the one you've linked?!

[funinhounslow]

x5tuu said:

If she needs FaceTime - Apple is the only possible manufacturer and therefore an iPad.

I wouldnt recommend ANY non-Apple tablet - theyre just inferior, buggy, laggy and wont last a fraction of the time of an iPad. There is no denying that Apple has completely dominated the market here and rightly so.

What about a refurb or second user unit to drop the cost a little?

You can use FaceTime on a non Apple device via the web

https://support.apple.com/en-us/109364

But I’d imagine it would be a bit of a faff especially for an older user.

I’d agree with the rest of this - iPads are well worth the modest premium over other tablets.