Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 or 3...

[kristenrice]

I was thinking about getting the Kindle Fire HD at BB on BF for my DD10. Now, she found out that it doesn't have a camera and she is disappointed. She enjoys making "how-to" videos (like she watches on YouTube...but she does not post hers) and has been using our iPhones to record them.

I have been exploring the Galaxy Tab and I don't see a huge difference between the 2 and the 3. BB has the 3 for $160 which is a little more than I am looking to pay. I looked at our wireless carrier (Sprint) and they are currently offering the Tab 3 for $49 with a 2-yr agreement. I can get a data plan for $5/month (only 25mb of data) but I really only want her to connect via Wi-Fi. Is there a way to turn off the cellular and only allow Wi-Fi connections? She would only be using the device at our house or at her grandparents' house (also with Wi-Fi access) so she could still do all the streaming of Netflix and YouTube.

If I went with the one from Sprint, I would end up paying an extra $10 over 2 years, but I would be able to stay within our current budget for Christmas presents. Plus, in 2 years, I could cancel the data plan altogether and she would still be able to use it on the Wi-Fi networks.

Does this sound like a plan? Anybody with experience with the Tab? What's the difference between the 2 and the 3? For the record, I am looking at the 7" device which is the same as the Kindle HD. I like the Tab idea because it does not involve me having to go to BB on Thanksgiving at 6pm to try to snag the Kindle HD doorbuster for $99.

 

[~Brandy~]

My kids had a new initiative at school this year where they could bring electronics. Because my kids break and lose everything in a 10 foot radius, we bought them the cheapest acceptable thing we could find, which was a Galaxy Tab 2 (7 inch, not sure if there were different sizes) which was only $129 at Walmart online, refurbished with a regular warranty.

Then my husband traded in our old first gen iPad at that recent Target trade-in event, and used the money towards a Galaxy Tab 3 for himself.

I'm not technically savvy enough to compare the specs, but I find the tablets essentially identical. My kids use the camera on the Tab 2 all the time. It's not HD or anything, but it's not bad. For the price, it was a great choice.