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These sleek, smart tablet models have come a long way since Apple’s breakthrough product
Tablets have come a long way since Apple launched the iPad more than a decade ago. It wasn’t the first tablet on the market but it was – and remains – the most important. Its sleek design, unbelievably intuitive interface and its carefully optimised apps made it an immediate hit, and successive releases have built on the original offering.
The range of available apps is now around 1.8 million, and the ones for the iPad are either unique to, or optimised for, the larger display a tablet offers. Apple’s range still dominates, but there are plenty of other brands that have made tablets of their own.
For value, it’s hard to beat the basic but highly useful fire range from Amazon. Samsung makes tablets with high-end OLED screens, while Microsoft squeezes a full-on Windows computer into a thin glass-and-metal slab. All have wifi connectivity and a few – mostly from Apple and Microsoft – have options with cellular connectivity, so you can stay online wherever there’s a mobile signal. Although, these cellular options have a price premium.
No longer is a tablet just a convenient way to consume video or read an ebook. Now, you can use it like a regular laptop with a keyboard option, a digital canvas (with the addition of a stylus) or play thousands of video games.
Fore each of the tablets, the first test was how easy it was to set up, and how quickly you could use it after opening the box. We looked at how straightforward it was to use the devices, and how quickly we could transfer personal data to them. Apple’s system was almost impossible to beat in this regard: place the iPad near to your old iPhone or iPad and leave the two gadgets to get on with it.
We examined how good the screens were, how rich and detailed, how easy they were to see in sunlight, and how faithful an experience it was when it came to video playback, including how it sounded. Other concerns were battery life, of course, and how fast and responsive the processor is. Some tablets really struggle if you make a halfway decent demand of them, others soaraway, whatever you throw at them.
Then there’s price: since the fastest tablets are nearly always the most expensive, do you need all that processing power or should you manage with something cheaper but still fast enough? Read on for the answers.
A tablet is a small, portable computing device that has a touch screen interface and is designed to be held in one or two hands. It lets you do many of the same things you’d do on your computer or laptop, such as browse the internet, use social media apps, emails and video calls, and, much like your mobile, a tablet can have apps installed on it and you can watch videos. They’re convenient for accessing content on the go.
Connecting your tablet to your TV differs per device. If it’s an Android tablet, you can use a mini HDMI cable (£4.99, Amazon.co.uk) and mirror the content onto your television screen. As for an Apple device, this process is similar, except you’ll need a lightning cable (£49, Apple.com). If you have Apple TV (£149, Apple.com), you can use screen mirroring and use your television as the playback destination.
The biggest difference between these tablets is the fact they have different operating systems. Apple’s iPad runs on iPadOS, while Android tablets, such as Samsung, run on Google’s Android. Often those who have an iPhone will find an iPad’s interface more familiar and vice versa.
Apple currently only has four different iPad devices on offer, iPad, iPad pro, iPad air and iPad mini, whereas, with Android, there’s far more to choose from, including Amazon tablets.
As for software, we think Apple iPads pip Android, as they tend to be more stable and easier to use – Apple approves each app in the App Store, while Android’s Google Play has a lack of supervision, in comparison. Similarly, while Android has made strides with its devices, Apple’s remain easier to use, owing to their simplicity.
The size of the tablet you buy is very much down to personal preference and depends on what you want your tablet for. For example, you may choose to opt for something smaller if the main purpose for the device is for entertainment while travelling. While, if it’s for more extended use and work purposes, a larger device will be better.
On one end of the size scale, you have a 7in tablet, which is the smallest you can buy and often the cheapest – it’s an ideal choice if you want to be able to hold it in your hand and use it for reading. Some devices are 8in, such as the iPad mini, which you can still hold in one hand, but tend to be a little heavier.
If you’re looking for something a little larger, we’d suggest reaching for a device that is somewhere between 9in and 11in, there are plenty of tablets within this range, catering for different budgets. These larger tablets are more suitable for use over extended periods of time, for example, for work purposes, making them a great alternative to a laptop or computer.
As for those larger again, some tablets measure more than 11in and are again ideal for work when you can connect them to keyboards.
The iPad pro is the ultimate tablet, with a stunning display and astonishingly fast performance. For Android users, the Samsung Galaxy tab S9 plus goes toe-to-toe with Apple’s best, beating even the iPad pro when it comes to display quality. As for the last word in value, Amazon’s fire 7 is the best tablet in terms of price and portability, if a 7in display is enough for you.
Get the full picture, with our round-up of the best laptops, whether you’re working from home or gaming on the go