Missionary Tablets

Please help. My son took all his paperwork with him to the MTC. We are sending him the Galaxy Tab S2 Tablet. I had MTC IT dept send me the specs. But I found a cheaper one online, my question is does it matter as long as it has 32G if it is a 6.0 Marshmellow OR a 5.0 Lollipop. The Lollipop is $200 cheaper. I appreciate your responses.

I don't think anyone from the missionary department regularly visits the forum – you may have to give them a call.

The device does need to be a Samsung Tab S2 and does need to be able to run Marshmallow. But almost all Samsung Galaxy Tab S2s running Lollipop can be updated to Marshmallow for free. The rare exceptions are ones that are rebranded as Nooks, ones that are locked to some cellular data providers, and some that are being sold from international locations. Your safest bet is to order from here: cdw.com/ldsmissionary. But you're welcome to get it elsewhere, as long as it's an S2 that can run Marshmallow. Other questions on this subject may be directed to mssandroidsupport@ldschurch.org.

Paul Scherbel
Product Manager for Missionary Mobile Devices

Has the church now switched over completely to using the Samsung galaxy tablets, and moved completely away from using iPads?

The Missionary Department is transitioning to using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 for all young missionaries serving in missions authorized to use mobile devices. All incoming missionaries called to these missions now use the Tab S2. Missionaries who started with iPads will continue to use iPads.

I need assistance setting up a Samsung tablet. The tablet will be used by ward missionaries to show the chapel tour videos.
Samsung Galaxy Tab E
Model: SM-T560NU
Android Version 6.0.1
Build number: MMB29M.T560NUUES1BPL1
Security Software Version: ASKS v11.2_161011


























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bballrob wrote:Has the church now switched over completely to using the Samsung galaxy tablets, and moved completely away from using iPads?

The church started sending out missionaries with Samsung S2 devices in late December 2016. Until about December 2018, there will still be Elders with iPad mini 2 devices in the field. To my knowledge, the church is in only sending missionaries out with the Samsung tablets currently, but they will still provide support for missionaries that received their iPad prior to the change.

orsonspenceryoung wrote:I need assistance setting up a Samsung tablet. The tablet will be used by ward missionaries to show the chapel tour videos.

You will have to either get in touch with your local mission office, or else the missionary department, in order to get the missionary chapel tours app. You could also ask the full-time missionaries to come along for the tour and show the videos for you. If you are doing a chapel open house, where you need to show the videos in multiple places simultaneously, you could invite some of the missionaries from the missionary district of zone of your assigned missionaries. You could also have your local full time missionaries do splits with responsable adults of the same gender to cover multiple locations or tour groups.

Please let me know if any of this helps.

There are rumors that Apple is going to discontinue the iPad mini form factor (it's just a rumor...you can google it...sometimes these things are true, sometimes they're not). That could have something to do with the church transitioning to a Samsung tablet.

The church could have an NDA with Apple and be aware of future product plans. Apple's so secretive, that it's hard to know what they would disclose to large business customers under an NDA. At least in the software industry, I've been involved with NDA discussions of future product plans with vendors and companies I've worked for have done the same for customers. If a business depends on a particular product and that product is going to be discontinued, the business needs to know and make appropriate plans.

It could also be the case the church leaders see that using Apple products puts an undue financial burden in an already difficult financial situation for many families and decided that a premium price device with less functionality is no longer required. - As long as we're speculating on reasons to drop Apple.

johnshaw wrote:It could also be the case the church leaders see that using Apple products puts an undue financial burden in an already difficult financial situation for many families and decided that a premium price device with less functionality is no longer required. - As long as we're speculating on reasons to drop Apple.

Did the cost for missionaries go down with the tablet change? Both devices have very good reviews and seem to be comparable in price. I'm not sure on the exact specs of the missionary tablets, so I'm not completely sure what I'm comparing, but at the moment, the Galaxy Tab S2 is selling for about $50 more on Amazon than the iPad mini 4.

mevans wrote:

johnshaw wrote:As long as we're speculating on reasons to drop Apple.

I'm not sure on the exact specs of the missionary tablets, . . .

I would speculate that there were things the Church was not able to do with iOS that they are able to do with Android OS.

Ok so my brother came home from his mission about a year ago and has since given the tablet to me. The only problem is that MOSS is still installed and the tablet cannot preform the functions I need it to. How can I have the software removed or at least reset the device so that MOSS is not installed anymore?

See Tablets and Departing Missionaries.

While not related, please remind your brother to get all the photos, etc off his missionary email account before it's deleted.