Last Updated on October 6, 2022 by Rupesh Patil
The main reason people love using tablets instead of smartphones is that they’re portable, lightweight, and still offer a big-screen experience. Compared to laptops, they’re lighter and more portable. Compared to smartphones, they offer very large screens without adding a lot of bulk. Plus, tablets also come in LTE variants, allowing you to connect to the internet wherever you go. They are great for browsing the web, playing games, and watching videos. They can also act as good e-book readers when compared to laptops and smartphones. Many modern tablets also offer great productivity applications such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom, Evernote, DocuSign, SignEasy, and more.
If you are constantly on the go, you will know the importance of a tablet. Just like any other electronic device, tablets show some signs of failure. You wouldn’t like to hurt your entertainment or productivity if it stops working. In this article, we will tell you about some common problems that arise in tablets and if you need to buy a new tablet to replace the older one.
Tablet Battery Drains Faster
Once charged, your tablet can work for a good five to six hours at a stretch. But if you have a habit of keeping all the apps open all the time, battery life can take a severe hit. To save battery, the simplest thing you can do is to ensure that the screen brightness is only as bright as it needs to be. You could also keep your tablets battery saver mode on so that the settings automatically change every time the battery drops.
To reduce battery drain, set a shorter time before your screen turns off by going to:
- Open the Settings menu.
- Tap Display or Screen, depending on your tablet’s operating system.
- Now go the sub-menu where you can set Screen Timeout settings.
- Now, choose the 30 Seconds option.
Apart from this, it’s also important that you take care of the battery to keep it running longer. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Use the power adapter that came with your device, as other power adapters can charge slowly or damage your device or battery.
- Avoid situations where your device can overheat. The battery drains much faster when it’s hot, even if you’re not using it. This kind of drain can easily damage the tablet’s battery. Sometimes electronics heat up when plugged in for long hours, so avoid charging it all night or for too long at a stretch.
- Never wait till the battery completely drains and drops to zero charge. As soon as you see the battery drop to 20%, ensure you charge it fully or it can affect the charge cycle.
If the battery life on your tablet isn’t improving even after following all the tips mentioned above, it is a clear sign that you need a new tablet. Not all tablets have a great battery life, so do some research, compare the device’s features and then accordingly buy one that best suits your needs.
Software Failure
Tablets have a shorter lifespan compared to laptops. They can perform well for up to two years, after which if the software is not updated, it may require constant repair. This is a problem with most Android tablets. It either begins to hang more often, works really slow, or the display shows signs of malfunctions. Software malfunction is a common complaint about tablets received by brand service centres.
A wise thing to do is to spend a little more on an Extended Warranty Plan while buying the tablet. An extended warranty plan covers all the defects and malfunctions covered in a standard manufacturer’s warranty. This includes software failures, too. As soon as the warranty ends, the extended warranty period begins. This way, your tablet is covered for an extra year. The good thing about the plan is, it prolongs the life of your device by an additional year at a very nominal cost.
Low Storage
Tablets don’t have a storage capacity like laptops and that means you can’t save your entire digital life on them without dealing with storage issues. This completely depends on the type of tablet you have. In the case of Android tablets, you can add a microSD card to the device to increase the amount of storage you have. If you have an iPad, you won’t have that option. The only choices you have is to upgrade to an iPad with more storage or clean up your device. To clean up your device, you first need to uninstall unwanted apps, be it on Android or iOS. These apps take up a lot of space and if you don’t use them, so why keep them? Try cleaning out your music and videos on your tablet as well. Instead, use Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, or OneDrive to back up your documents, images, and videos. This way, they don’t consume as much space on your tablet’s local storage.
Tablet Touchscreen Doesn’t Work
For regular tablet users, it’s very important that you keep the screen safe at all times because it is a tablet’s best feature. If the touchscreen is not responsive, there is you can’t do anything using the tablet. Any damage, be it scratches or cracks, to the display can leave the device damaged. Moreover, getting it fixed can be really expensive. However, there are a couple of things you could try yourself before heading to the service centre for repairs.
Touchscreens are sensitive to any dust or dirt, so clean the screen before troubleshooting the problem. Moreover, sometimes buggy software updates can induce touchscreen related issues. Check if there are any updates available for your tablet. To update the tablet, go to Settings > About Tablet or About Device > System Updates or Software Update. If it still continues to be unresponsive, you could use a doorstep tablet repair service to get it repaired.
Tablet Overheats
Overheating of the tablet is harmful to your device. Sometimes when you use the tablet for hours at a stretch or if you charge it overnight, it turns too hot. You may have read and heard enough about Samsung devices exploding and catching fire but that could happen to any device that’s overheated and not just Samsung.
It’s not uncommon for tablets to turn too hot when you are using them a lot or running heavy apps that use a lot of battery. Processor and screen are the biggest battery hogs in a tablet, so reduce doing anything that causes those components to overwork. For example, reduce using a lot of apps or heavy apps at the same time. Moreover, don’t use the screen at high brightness settings. Also, stop using the tablet when they begin to overheat.
Lastly, avoid sitting in direct sunlight with the tablet for too long, as that can overheat the device too. As soon as you notice that the tablet has started to get warm, take a break from using it for a while. Turn off your tablet and let the battery cool. If it still continues to overheat, there could be an issue with the battery or the mainboard. Visit the service centre to get the battery checked and replaced if required.
No Keyboard Accessory To Get Serious Work Done
It is quite easy to tap and swipe when using the tablet while browsing the web or watching videos. But if you have to get any serious work done, it’s not very easy to do that on a tablet, especially the ones without good keyboard accessories. Of course, you can type faster by connecting a good wired or wireless keyboard, but those keyboards can be hard to carry around. It is best to have a tablet that comes with an official keyboard cover accessory. Not all tablets come with good-quality keyboard covers, though, and if you have one such tablet and want to get some work done, it’s better to buy a new tablet. While buying a new tablet, make sure that it has an in-box keyboard cover or a good quality keyboard cover that you can buy as an optional accessory. Watch some reviews of the tablet of your choice and its keyboard covers before making the purchase.
Extended Warranty Or Spills & Drops Protection Plan?
Tablets have large screens that are delicate and have higher chances of suffering screen damage. Just protecting your device with a cover or case is not enough. Imagine the expenses you will have to bear on getting the display fixed if it accidentally falls from your hand. This is why buying a Spills And Drops Protection Plan is advised. The plan will protect the tablet from both, physical and liquid damages.
If you are confused about which plan to buy for your tablet, brands do not cover any kind of physical damage in the manufacturer’s warranty. It means that if your tablet’s display is damaged, and you will have to spend from your pocket on getting it fixed and which can turn out to be a costly affair. Tablet displays can cost you anywhere between ₹3,000 and ₹50,000, depending on the brand and the display size.
If you are using a large screen tablet and want to protect the screen from damages, we’d recommend the Spills & Drops Protection Plan. On the other hand, if you want to give your tablet an extended life, you could buy the extended warranty plan.
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