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Is it worth the effort to reflash original ROM on old Tab2?

S

stevedecho

Lurker
Our Tab2 10.1 GT-P5113 running the last official Lollypop 4.2.2 is no longer compatible with many new apps. I see lots of U of Google methods to upgrade/reflash the O.S. ROM to 6.0 Marshmallow or even Nougat 7. Given the slower CPU and memory of the device, are any of these upgrades worth it? (I'm computer-literate but would probably pay a shop to perform the upgrade.) Considering the risk/reward trade-off, should I just buy my wife a new tablet? She want's to watch TV on her Southwest Airlines flights, but their new app needs Android 5 or higher :( What do you experts think?
 
I'd suggest you do at least try and upgrade it newer version of Android, at this point there isn't much more you can do with that model. As you've discovered, it's not just that Google stopped supporting Lollipop but apps and online services that still support such a dated version of Android are waning.

https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_2_10_1_p5100-4567.php
But looking over its basic hardware specs, with only 1GB of RAM and a 1280 x 800 res screen, there are some fundamental hardware issues that can't be resolved as you're trying to fix up this tablet to be just a basic video content viewer. If upgrading the OS doesn't work out, as tablets go you have gotten your money's worth out of this model, so it might be time to be thinking of going ahead with buying newer or at least newer.
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-android-tablet/
Also, given this is a seven year old model unless you've had the battery replaced before I'd be surprised if the battery is holding up very well. How often do you need to charge it?
 
Thanks for your input, and yes, I went ahead and ordered my wife a new Tab A 10.1 as a Valentine present. I'm a retired EE and may eventually change the battery as a DIY project, but it gets so little use that I don't have a good feel for the battery life. Wife will get the new one, and I'll have another toy to mess with - all is good ;) Cheers!
 
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