Tablets are terrific for a bunch of reasons: they’re perfect for digital artists, great for smart homes, and are fairly competent devices when it comes to casual gaming. But if you’re shopping around for a new model, or even your first tablet, it can be difficult to know which one to buy.
Let’s try and wade through some of the confusing model names and numbers and discuss what you should consider when buying one, now that Google is re-entering the market with the Pixel Tablet.
Tablet buying guide: what to consider when buying one
When you’re buying a new tablet, you need to consider price, operating system, size, storage, performance, and any additional capabilities that you need from the device (such as smart pen support or an integrated dock).
Let’s start with price. How much the device will cost you is the ultimate factor in your decision on whether to buy it or not. As we’ve previously discussed, budget tablets typically start at below the $600 price point, with the Oppo Pad Air costing $379 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite costing $549 – though you can find it for $449 from Samsung today. If you’re more interested in an iPad, the cheapest model that Apple currently supports (the 9th-Generation iPad) starts at just $549. At the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive tablets you’ll typically find are the iPad Pro, which costs as much as $4,099 with the greatest storage capacity and cellular connectivity included, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which costs as much as $2,199.
Just like with any tech, the price increases depending on the included features. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the iPad Pro represent the best that Samsung and Apple have to offer, so they get the highest prices.
While we’re talking about Samsung and Apple in the same breath, let’s talk about the operating system. There is no perfect winner when it comes to deciding whether Android is better than iOS (in this case, iPadOS), but it all comes down to personal preference. The operating system on Android tablets and iPads feels quite similar to those on phones, although on much bigger displays. Additionally, Windows has tablet support for two-in-one laptops, and some Chromebooks can function as tablets.
If you’re unsure of which operating system you should go with, know that they essentially do the same things as each other, though some apps and systems won’t be available on some operating systems (for example, Apple’s Homekit and Siri are unavailable on Android). It’s probably most comparable to your phone – if you use an iPhone, using an Android tablet will feel more foreign to you than an iPad would, as one example. If you want to give an operating system a go before making a purchase, some retailers (like JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman) have display models that you can try out.
Now lets talk about size, which is quite a simple point to address. Depending on your needs, your tablet may need to have a specific screen size. While most tablets tend to stick to the 10 or 11-inch screen size, smaller models are available, such as the iPad Mini, along with larger models, such as the iPad Pro (which goes up to 12.9-inches). Keep in mind though that size is not synonymous with price – a smaller tablet does not necessarily mean it will also be cheaper: the iPad Mini ($829) is more expensive than the 10th-generation iPad ($749). If thickness is also an issue, some tablets are more condensed and less chunky, such as the iPad Air.
We’re moving over to storage now, which is more important to those who will have a lot of videos in their Gallery or a tonne of apps that take up space. Tablets are available with a range of storage options, which may start at 64GB or 128GB depending on the model, but these options can rocket up to 512GB, 1TB or even 2TB (like on the iPad Pro), as long as you’re willing to spend the extra dollars. For example, on the 10th-generation iPad, two storage options are available: 64GB and 256GB. The price difference between these models is quite stark: $749 and $999. Before you purchase a model with greater storage, consider if you’re actually going to be using that storage effectively. If you do a lot of digital art, photos or document writing you’d likely see a benefit, but if it’s a casual use iPad you use as a home device, then probably not.
It’s also a good idea to keep performance in mind when shopping for a tablet. Similarly to phones, tablets are powered by chips and processors that dictate performance capability. The performance of a tablet typically scales with its base price, as you move up a manufacturer’s range. For example, the budget-focused Samsung Galaxy A series of tablets are less powerful with less features (such as an omission of pen and keyboard support, along with less powerful specs), while the Galaxy S series tablets are more powerful with support for the earlier mentioned external components. Additionally, the display of a tablet is typically sold in tandem with greater performance. On more expensive tablets, you’re likely to get better resolutions and OLED panels, while cheaper models may stick to 1080p resolutions on an LCD screen.
Finally, let’s just talk about some additional capabilities. Not every tablet comes with support for an attachable keyboard or digital pens for writing and drawing, so when you’re shopping for a device, and if these points are important to you, please keep them in mind. Additionally, if you want to use your tablet on the go and want internet access, but don’t want to hotspot to your phone all the time, tablets are typically sold in two versions: Wi-Fi only (letting the device connect to wireless internet signals, like your home internet or smartphone hotspot) or Wi-Fi + Cellular (or ‘5G’, allowing the tablet to have a SIM card inserted so that it can access a mobile network and the internet). Furthermore, sometimes you’ll find a tablet with a quirky extra, such as Google’s Pixel Tablet and its included speaker dock.
Those are the main things to consider, but let’s just run through some common questions.
Which brand of tablet is the best?
This is a tough decision to make and it comes down to personal preference. Apple and Samsung seem to be the companies that focus on tablets the most, with the most options available and the longest-running model generations, but if you’re looking to cut costs, Oppo and TCL both offer fairly cheap tablets. Additionally, as we mentioned earlier, if you’re more interested in getting a touchscreen laptop and aren’t too fussed on a tablet, then you may be more interested in a Windows machine or a Chromebook with a touchscreen.
Can you send emails on a tablet?
Yes, you can send emails on a tablet through your preferred email app, and you can use many of the same apps that you’re likely used to from your phone. As we touched on earlier, some apps may look slightly different on a tablet than on a phone, but most popular apps functionally work across both platforms. Google, for example, when announcing the upcoming Pixel Tablet, said it had optimised 50 of its phone apps to work on the tablet.
Which tablet is best for kids?
This is an interesting question and I believe it comes back to age. As someone with a young niece that uses an iPad Mini to watch Bluey and Hilda, a smaller tablet might be better for their smaller hands to handle, just so they can hold it carefully without risking a drop. If you’re shopping for an older child who might be after a gaming device or a school device, then you might want to consider an iPad that can functionally act as a jack-of-all-trades, such as Apple’s standard-model 10th-generation iPad or the standard Samsung Galaxy S8.
Remember that across both Apple and Android platforms, content monitoring and restricting services are available, in case you want to prevent your child from accessing some apps or websites. If your child is prone to dropping tech, then it’s a good idea to also invest in a drop-resistant case.
And that’s about it. Hopefully, this guide has helped you in deciding which tablet is best for you or your family.