Well, I ended up getting the 9.7 and had to return it a week later.
The first few days were awesome. I loved the tablet. Then... it started acting up. When I plugged it in for charging it would make the "ding" noise and I would see that it stopped charging. A few minutes later, it would "ding" again and show charging.(without even moving the device) The customer service technician at bestbuy confirmed a faulty charging port. I also noticed fast draining of the battery even with battery saving feature enabled. I didn't want to risk it happening again, so I returned it for an ipad air 2. My husband has his idevices last a really long time. I end up with new androids every year, because of mechanical issues. I just want a device that will last me at least two years.
Penny