How to get the most from your budget Android tablet

Just because you have a budget Android tablet does not mean you need to compromise on functionality. Take a look at apps and accessories that will enhance its usability.

Apps


Kingsoft Office

You don’t need to spend on an expensive app since this free office suite for Android lets you view and edit all the common office document formats, including Word, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. It has an easy-to-use interface; you can save documents as PDFs and use any Bluetooth keyboard for input.

Evernote

Evernote is a must-have app, which converts your tablet into a personal note-taking device. All notes are synched with your account and can be accessed from any device, anywhere. You can create text/voice/image notes, to-do lists and save Web pages for reading later. Notes can also be shared easily.

nexGTv

This free app streams various Indian TV channels to your tablet via a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. It includes an electronic programme guide, interactive on-screen controls, a picture-in-picture mode and even does recording. It can convert your Android tablet into a TV without you having to pay any subscription charges.

Kindle/Kobo

Both these apps support various e-book formats, but they also have their own stores from where you can download free or paid books. For your convenience, the user interface can be customised—you can change font size, brightness and orientation— converting your tablet into a useful eBook reader.

GPS & navigation

Almost every Android tablet has GPS. Add a car mount and charger, and it easily works in the car as a dedicated navigation device. If your tablet has a 3G connection, the pre-loaded Google Navigation (or Google Maps) offers turn-by-turn navigation and live traffic (in select Indian cities) completely free.

For tablets that cannot access Internet through any other method except Wi-Fi, download and install the free MapmyIndia Sygic from the Playstore.

It downloads and stores maps for offline use, and no Internet access is required. It also offers turn-byturn voice navigation, 3D building view, local search, and has a huge database of points of interest. It can also display the current speed of your vehicle and raise an alarm if the driver crosses your specified speed limit.

Gaana

Gaana offers one of the largest ranges of Indian and international music collection for streaming. Invest in a good speaker (wired or wireless), connect it with your tablet, and it will serve as a fantastic bedside music player. It even has a ‘radio’ mode for continuous music streaming of your favourite genre.

Quick tips

Track data usage

Android has a builtin data usage tracker accessible from settings. You can track and control data usage from here.

Faster Web browsing

Load Web pages faster by changing the plug-in setting to ‘on-demand’ in browser settings, ‘advanced menu’.

Move apps to SD card

Go to settings, then ‘apps’, select an app & tap on the ‘move to SD card’ button to gain internal storage space

Change your keyboard

If you don’t like the default touchscreen keyboard, install a third-party one like Swype or SwiftKey.

Save battery

Switch off services like GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use. Android keeps trying to search for a connection.

Talkback

Go to settings, then ‘accessibility’, and switch on ‘talkback’ to make the device read out what you select and activate.

Add value with accessories Stylus
A stylus is useful if you want to draw, take notes, annotate or highlight specific sections of a document. You can buy one from various brands like Griffin, Capdase, Belkin and Targus.

Car mount

The Capdase ‘Power-Cup’ car charger supports up to 10 inch tablets. It has multiple USB ports and additional cigarette lighter sockets to charge various devices. It’s helpful if you want to use a tablet in a car.

Bluetooth keyboard

A Bluetooth wireless keyboard is very helpful if you regularly type long mails and documents on your tablet. Logitech’s tablet keyboard also adds media controls and comes with a dual use carry case & stand, which can be used to prop up your tablet

MicroSD cards

Most budget tablets come with limited storage (4/8 GB) with support for expansion via microSD card. We recommend a high-speed 32 GB card as most tablets will support it easily. Stick with a known brand like Samsung, Kingston, SanDisk or Transcend.