How do we rate the Best Tablets?

The whole concept behind tablets is to come up with a piece of equipment that can perform the functions of both a laptop and a smartphone without being too bulky or struggling too much to get the job done. Using your tablet, you should be able to do most if not all of the tasks that you would otherwise require a laptop to do. This is essential because remember you cannot carry a laptop with you everywhere you go because it is too bulky or for any other reason. Also, in as much as smartphones have come a long way with vast features, they still miss out on a lot especially when it comes to browsing and managing office tasks, and this explains the continued enthusiasm behind foldable smartphones such as the Galaxy Fold. Therefore, the tablet is supposed to be the perfect middle ground where you can call, chat, and do other smartphone stuff while also remaining capable of undertaking some of your office tasks.

With that in mind, we’re sure that you now know the basics of a good tablet. However, we want you to know more than just the basics. We want you to be a pro, and that’s why instead of just highlighting the best tablets for you, we’re are also going to tell you what informed our decision in coming up with the tablets.

Tablets Buying Guide

How do you know which is the best tablet for you? Some bare minimums must be met in any tablet, but we also cannot ignore the subjective aspect when it comes to tech devices. What may seem intuitive to me may be rocket science to someone else. For instance, I may say that the Samsung Tab S4 is an excellent tablet which gets the job done for me but to someone else, getting anything done on any OS other than Mac is a total struggle. Therefore, we are going to discuss the main factors that you need to look into before settling on any one particular tablet and hopefully, this should help you get the best tablet that is within your preferences.

Purpose of the Tablet

Here is the thing you cannot expect to do some 4K streaming and play demanding games on $100 tablet. There are instances when you can get insane bargains, but you also need to be realistic. If you know that your tablet is going to do a lot of tasks for both official and entertainment purposes, then you need to do yourself some justice and spare a big budget. This is the only way that you can get the hardware you need to get the experience you deserve. This should not be interpreted to mean that you need to spare in excess of $1000 for a tablet; no. You can get a decent tablet capable of handling as much of your intensive work as possible at a very reasonable price of less than $400.

Likewise, there is no point in getting $1000+ iPad Pro if you are barely going to do anything other than lite browsing, tweeting, and maybe watching some videos on YouTube. You can save so much cash by going for a simple, standard, and sleek tablet that’s capable of doing all that. Of course, if you have lots of cash to spare, then by no means should you settle for anything less.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you expect to do a lot of typing or drawing on your tablet, then you need to investigate how well the tablet integrates with some of the best Bluetooth keyboards and pressure-sensitive stylus respectively.

Storage

Once you know what you need the tablet for, it becomes easier to know how much space you’ll need. If you want a tablet that can hold lots of files, you won’t just need a device with a huge internal storage, but you may also consider looking for one with a micro SD slot.

On the other hand, save yourself a couple of dollars to buy the best earbuds by buying a tablet with medium storage capacity if you know you don’t need lots of space. It’s also worth considering cloud storage when making your decision.

Operating System

If you’ve only ever used iPhones, and Mac devices then getting a Windows or Android tablet may require some time getting used to. Ideally, having gadgets that are all running on the same operating system is recommended as it creates a highly compatible ecosystem where sharing of files is seamless. You’ll also find it quite easy using your new device since most things are very similar. However, if you don’t mind learning and using gadgets of different operating systems, then you’ll have so many options to choose from. It all comes down to your preferences really.

3 Best Tablets

1.Apple iPad 9.7-inch (Wi-Fi, 32GB) – Space Gray

The Apple iPad 9.7-inch is a great piece of tech that is designed to surpass all the needs of a tablet while remaining very reasonably priced. This tablet costs just $249, yet it comes with a host of features making it a bargain.

First of all, this is a product from Apple, and hence, it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to build quality. The iPad 9.7-inches has a sleek designing making it look and feel incredible. It’s also really slim, and this is good news as it can easily slide into a small compartment inside your backpack or even in a handbag without taking too much space. Looking at the design, the one department where this device has let us down is on the thick bezels which look outdated.

The overall performance of the Apple iPad is decent enough for all the standard tablet functions. The device comes with an A10 processor, an M10 co-processor and 2 gigs of RAM. This makes up for a smooth performance free of lags. We tested the tablet with some movies and also played a few games on it, and the performance was satisfactory.

In the department of cameras, the Apple iPad 9.7-inches performs reasonably well, considering its price. The rear camera is 8MP with f/2.4 aperture. The camera captured lots of details pretty well, but nothing too stunning. Meanwhile, you’ll get a 1.2MP front camera and f/2.2 aperture. You can FaceTime with this camera at 720P but don’t think about taking selfies with it because it will disappoint you.

Other features

10-hours battery life
A10 fusion chip
Touch ID fingerprint sensor
Two speaker audio
802.11ac Wi-Fi
Augmented Reality (AR)
Compatible with Bluetooth keyboards

Verdict: The Apple iPad 9.7-inch is an incredible tablet for everyone who’s looking for an Apple tablet that can handle most of their tablet needs without leaving a massive dent on their bank statement.

2.Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (Wi-Fi, 64GB)

The Apple iPad Pro 11 is designed to offer the ultimate iPad experience. We are not just talking about standard functions anymore. Throw anything at this device, and it will tackle it down effortlessly.

The iPad features the powerful A12X Bionic processor with eight cores. Combine this with the neural engine, and the result is an insanely, powerful and highly responsive tablet that will completely change everything you knew about iPads. If that isn’t enough, Apple went ahead and integrated the ProMotion tech on this gadget, which delivered a refresh rate of 120Hz! Yes, you heard that right. 120Hz in a tablet. This basically means that you can multi-task and do some intensive gaming on this tablet without getting the feeling that it is punching above its weight.

The Apple iPad Pro is elegantly designed with fairly slim bezels. This increases the screen coverage allowing you to fully appreciate the brilliance of the 1668 pixels. Take note that you can also get the Apple iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch display. If you don’t mind handling the bigger iPad, then you can go for the 12.9-inch display which will come in very handy, particularly when you are watching TV shows or playing games.

This impressive gadget comes with 64GB of internal storage, which should be enough for you to store all the essentials that you use frequently. You can also take advantage of the cloud storage to back up all the other data that you use less frequently. If 64Gb feels like child-play to you, you can get the iPad with 1Tb internal storage. And of course, the price increases as you increase the storage.

Other features

10-hours battery life. This will drop to 9-hours if you take a version that supports LTE cellular data
A12X Bionic Chip Face ID
12MP back camera and 7MP front camera
Four speakers with wider stereo sound
802.11ac Wi-Fi

Verdict: If you are looking for a powerful tablet and your financial muscles are strong enough to support your needs, then the Apple iPad Pro is an excellent choice for you. Yes, it costs a lot (up to $700) with additional costs if you want the magnetic apple pencil ($130) and the smart keyboard ($180), but its performance is the one thing no one can refute.

3.Samsung Electronics Sm-T830NZKLXAR Galaxy Tab S4

The Samsung Tab S4 takes the crown of the Android-based tablets. This gadget features a stunning 10.5-inch super AMOLED display that supports HDR. Take a moment and imagine just how brilliant it would be watching your Netflix or Amazon Prime TV shows in HDR from the palm of your hands! Your non-HDR videos will also look stunning in the 2560 x 1600 pixels display.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. This is a relatively old processor, but it has proven to be very powerful, and that’s why it is used in flagship smartphones. The processor works along with the 4GB RAM to ensure that all the tasks are running smoothly. You can also split the screen with ease and perform different tasks simultaneously with no issues at all.

The Samsung Tab S4 also performs well above average when it comes to cameras. The rear 13mp camera, for instance, can record videos in 4k at 30 frames per second while the front 8MP camera is excellent for both video calls and selfies.

This tab is available with 64GB or 256GB storage. You will also have a MicroSD slot in case you need even more storage.

Other Features

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
AMOLED display
Dolby Atmos surround
Integrated with far-field mics
S-pen included
16-hour battery life (it takes less than 2 hours to charge the tab fully)

Verdict: The Galaxy Tab S4 is quite expensive ($748), but it is arguably the best android tablet in the market. The display is nothing short of impressive, the processor is very powerful, and the long battery life seals the deal for everyone who doesn’t want to spend every couple of hours looking for a power outlet.