how to choose the best and offers

The sale of electronic tablets recovered strongly in the 2020-2021 period, coinciding with the need for new IT infrastructure due to the confinements forced by the COVID pandemic. It was a great respite for the industry because the fall from peaks had been steep and had accumulated five consecutive years of declines.

And the fact is that tablets are still up against other very powerful segments. Versatile mobile phones with screen sizes up to 7 inches have cannibalized the low-end and only a few specific series have been able to survive. At the high end, tablets have become ⤽2 in 1⤠and together with convertibles, both with laptop functions, but also maintaining the tablet functions, are very attractive devices for any consumer.

Even so, and although tablets have definitely not achieved  “replace PCs” as some gurus once predicted, remain an interesting product range for any consumer. To help you in your choice we update our buying guide with the main features they should offer and a selection of updated models.

What to consider when buying electronic tablets

As in the purchase of any electronic product there are some specific sections that should be assessed to try to get it right. We comment them to you.

Tablet or 2 in 1?

The big question to start with, though beware, you should not be guided by marketing. A 2 in 1 is not just any tablet to which you add an optical pencil or a keyboard. It is much more and must be able to replace a laptop (in terms of size, performance, connectivity and software) while still offering tablet functions. Precisely this versatility for various modes of use is its main attraction as with convertibles, but if you bet on it must be a quality 2 in 1 with a price generally more expensive than a simple tablet.

Targets and prices

Be clear about the main tasks for which you are going to use the tablet to avoid disappointment later. Little has to do a model to watch series lying on the couch that a productive model for image editing or another with which we will replace laptops in mobility or even on the desktop. Take a prior budget as in any product purchase. The good thing is that there is something for everyone here. Asian brands of white range or Amazon models can be found under 100 euros, while a premium 2 in 1 (the real ones) you can spend more than 1,000 euros. In between there is also everything.

Screens

Screen sizes range from 7 inches for entry-level models to 15 inches for the larger 2-in-1s. There are even models that go up to 17 inches. All offer touch technology, but vary considerably in support for touch points and optical pencils, a simple accessory in inexpensive devices, but very important in higher versions. Another point to evaluate is the panel, from the most modest basic LCDs to the best with OLED technology. In native resolution there is also everything from models that do not reach FHD to fantastic 4K that increase the refresh rate and support for color palettes, necessary for editing tasks.

Internal hardware

ARM architecture completely monopolizes the tablet PC segment, while if we go up to 2-in-1s we can find x86 chips, mostly from Intel. Taking into account the market segments to be covered, the RAM memory capacity is as diverse as starting at 2 GB and ending at 32 Gbytes. In internal storage, the same, from modest 16 Gbyte eMMC to powerful SSDs with 1 Tbyte. The graphics section is dominated by the integrated ones, although in 2 in 1 level you can see dedicated ones in option. Here you should assess your needs from the beginning because in tablets it is almost impossible to upgrade.

Connectivity

From Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6, via Bluetooth 4.0 to 5.2, you can find everything you are looking for. The vast majority will have tablet sensors, A-GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope and eCompass, while the more advanced ones will add others such as fingerprint readers. In terms of charging and data ports are being standardized to USB Type-C although the internal interface varies. In Internet connectivity the best ones add (as standard or as an option) support for 5G/4G networks, while audio is also distinctive and the minimum to ask for should be a pair of stereo speakers. Advanced ports such as Thunderbolt you will only see on the best 2-in-1s.

Cameras

On tablets the rear camera is not as important a component as on a mobile phone when it comes to taking pictures and images. But you should look for something of higher quality in the front camera for video conferencing, a task that is often used quite a lot on a tablet. More advanced models add infrared sensors for security and authentication tasks.

Accessories

Keyboards and optical pens are the accessories you will find most often on tablets or 2-in-1s, but as we said above, in very different ways. A keyboard or stylus for a small and cheap tablet is unnecessary and will not offer you a good experience in almost any task, simply because the digitizer will not be of quality no matter how good a pencil you use. In the high-end or 2-in-1 the situation changes and the truth is that it is a perfect complement for note taking, drawing or editing. The keyboard can be more useful on any model. It allows use on the desktop and usually add cases for screen protection and / or transport.

Platform software and manufacturers

Android absolutely dominates the low-end of electronic tablets with models such as the Amazon Fire and white label integrators at very affordable prices. There is also a wide offer in the mid-range with Asian manufacturers at the forefront. With Google out of the market in its own hardware, in the high-end only Samsung seems to be able to compete with the global leader in tablets, which continues to be Apple.

The Cupertino dominate in total sales by manufacturers, covering with several iPad mid-range and high-end Pro models that focuses as a replacement for laptops and competition with the 2 in 1, whose best models come from Microsoft partners. And Windows has very little in pure tablets and the efforts of Microsoft and its partners are focused on 2 in 1 and convertibles. Linux also exists and -leaving out Android- there is some alternative model for sale.

Selection of electronic tablets and 2-in-1s

With everything said so far any consumer should be in a good position to purchase. The offer is wide in terms of features, performance and prices, but this segment is not renewed as much as the mobile segment. From here we select some of the models that we like the most as a market summarycovering several manufacturers and by price range.

Before we go on, let me re-emphasize the caveat of the differences between a simple tablet or a 2-in-1, a line that ends up being thicker than the marketing guys tell us. It’s not just a matter of adding a case. Letâ¤?s go with them.

Amazon Fire 7

The king of the low-end of tablets is – with the permission of the white-label Asian OEMs – the e-commerce giant. Although some models are delivered with advertising and limit the possibilities of Android through a proprietary system called FireOS that goes far beyond simple customization or the addition of the usual UI layer, they can be unlocked and in our opinion they are the best you can buy in terms of features/price.

Amazon has updated this year its line of tablets with several models. One is the one we selected, the most basic model of the company with 7-inch screen and HD resolution, a quad-core ARM processor and double the RAM (2 GB) than the previous generation. It has versions with 16 or 32 GB, both expandable with microSD cards and promises up to 10 hours of battery life.

A certainly very basic configuration, but that gains a great attraction to know that its price starts from 79 euros (with advertising). It will be available on June 29th and can already be reserved. If you need it now, Amazon sells other Fire tablets with 8/10-inch screen sizes and a higher level of hardware, but the same low price. and the same low price.

PineTab

It is a tablet that bets on basic components to keep costs down and that we select not for its hardware but for the system it uses, Ubuntu Touch. Its screen is a 10-inch multi-touch IPS LCD with native resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, while its engine is a 64-bit ARM with four cores, accompanied by 2 Gbytes of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage expandable with microSD (bootable systems from it) and with a free M.2 slot.

Its battery has a capacity of 6,000 mAh charged through a USB Type-A port. It has two cameras, speakers and headphone output. In addition to the magnetically connectable keyboard, Pine64 uses optional modules to offer LTE mobile broadband or connection of a SATA SSD. It is priced at $119.

Lenovo Tab M10 HD

Lenovo is another manufacturer that along with Samsung has a catalog of Android tablets to cover the entire market range. Here we talk about a model for entry-level, basic components, but good quality finishes starting with its metal chassis. Its multi-touch screen uses an average size of 10.1 inches with HD resolution and brightness of 400 nits.

Its chipset is a MediaTek Helio P22T with eight cores, while in its connectivity we see Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, headphone jack and a Pogo pin. It has dual front and rear cameras, a 5,000 mAh battery and the usual tablet sensors. Its price is one of the biggest attractions, only 151 euros.

realme Pad

Chinese mobile phone manufacturers working with Android have been encouraged to produce electronic tablets and here we have a sample with this mid-range model with 10-inch screen and resolution upgraded to 2K, a very thin (6.9 mm) and lightweight metal chassis, a MediaTek ARM SOC that is widely used in this segment, a good capacity battery with fast charging and premium elements such as four speakers with Dolby.

It is marketed in versions with 4 or 6 Gbytes of RAM and with 64 or 128 Gbytes of capacity for a price that, currently on offer, starts from 198 euros. In addition to the standard version with Wi-Fi, Realme offers the option to purchase a model with support for 4G-LTE networks.

CHUWI Hipad Pro

This Chinese manufacturer has a good number of tablets and 2 in 1 for sale. We selected a 10.8-inch version with 2K resolution, good amounts of RAM and storage (8 GB + 128 GB) and battery. Its SoC is a MediaTek with eight cores and includes Wi-Fi and also support for LTE networks.

You won’t find many with the HiPad’s features in this price range, currently discounted to 241 euros. Pre-installs Android 11 upgradeable and has additional accessories such as keyboards with case and optical pencils.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

A reduced version in features and price of what is surely the best tablet that the Android platform offers and that you can see selected below. It uses a 10.4-inch LCD screen and supports S Pen optical pencils. Its chassis maintains the quality of finishes and construction of Samsung with aluminum base.

The manufacturer mounts an in-house manufactured Exynos chipset, mid-range memory and storage, and premium components such as AKG signature stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos support. With a good battery capacity, we selected the 64 GB storage capacity configuration that is priced at 314 euros.

Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)

Apple did not invent tablets, but you have to hand it the virtue of driving the entire market when it launched the original iPad model more than a decade ago. Since then, it has dominated the market by units sold and has several models for sale such as this mid-range model we selected. It features a 10.2-inch IPS display, a resolution of 2,160 by 1,620 pixels and a brightness of 500 nits.

Inside it highlights the Apple 13 Bionic SoC and in terms of connectivity is not the most advanced, with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2. It does support LTE networks in option and has support for optical pencils and Smart Keyboard keyboards. In a configuration with 64 Gbytes of capacity, its price is of 368 euros. It is one of the cheapest Apple tablets, although if you are looking for something more you can opt for the iPad Air updated this year.

Microsoft Surface Go 3

If you are looking for Windows tablets this is the reference model and almost unique. The most economical device of the entire line of Microsoft hardware is a model of quality and high mobility that also works as a basic â2 in 1â on computer desktops if you combine it with the adjustable stand included for ease of use and optional accessories, keyboard with cover and optical pencil.

Updated this spring to include 4G as an option, it is also one of the few tablets with x86 hardware, with a choice between Intel Pentium and Core i3. It includes 4 or 8 Gbytes of RAM and storage is covered by eMMC or 128 GB SSD. Its chassis maintains the quality of the Surface line with a magnesium composite and a new matte black finish that has been great. Good connectivity with the aforementioned 4G (optional) and Wi-Fi 6, and a declared autonomy of 13 hours.

Microsoft markets it in several configurations and for the occasion we selected one of those that seems to us more balanced, with Pentium Gold CPU and SSD for 599 euros. To highlight the Windows 11 that uses (Mode S) that definitely makes it -almost- unique.

Lenovo Tab P12 Pro

The Chinese brand aims to compete without complexes with Apple and Samsung with a high-end model that we had the opportunity to analyze and that will attract the attention of both professionals and the most demanding users of electronic tablets. The screen is the most important component in a tablet and this model has a high-level display, with a 12.6-inch AMOLED panel, a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

As engine employs an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 accompanied by 6 Gbytes of RAM and 128 GB SSD. It has dual-sensor camera in both the main and front and good connectivity with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. It is available for 799 euros.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8

If there is a manufacturer that can compete with Apple in the high-end of electronic tablets that is Samsung and the latest generation aims very well to close the gap in sales. The company delivers the series in three models, S8, Plus and Ultra with screen sizes from 11 to 15 inches and quality panels, either the LTFS of the first or the spectacular AMOLED of the second. The thickness of the ultra version is close to the absolute record with 5.5 mm in a premium aluminum chassis.

All are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SOC Snapdragon and boast generous memory (up to 16GB) and storage (up to 512GB) rations. The connectivity section shines with the latest available, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and 5G included, as well as powered cameras, large capacity batteries with fast charging via a USB 3.2 port, a good deployment of Samsung software on the latest version of Android and accessories such as keyboard and the S Pen optical pen.

These are simply the best Android-powered models you can buy. We selected the top version, the Ultra, which currently has a discounted price to 899 euros. You can also purchase at a lower price the other two versions available.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8

We could not miss in this selection the latest version of the development that “invented” the modern 2 in 1. Surely the best-selling of the entire Surface line, it clearly seeks to replace laptops with a balance between mobility and performance, both for professional uses and for consumers looking for the best of these hybrids.

Made of anodized aluminum, it features a 13-inch PixelSense Flow display, 2K+ resolution, Dolby Vision support and a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz. Inside, it has Intel Core processors of the eleventh generation, Xe graphics and RAM (up to 32 GB) and storage (SSD 1 TB) of the best laptops. Highlights in connectivity are the two Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 6 and 4G mobile broadband.

A safe bet for those looking for the great reference of the industry in 2 in 1, available in various configurations such as the one we selected with price on offer of 918 euros.

Apple iPad Pro

Apple’s best tablet (and for its large number of loyalists the best on the market) is touted as  “a replacement for laptops” in terms of screen size, performance, accessory capabilities, keyboard and optical pencils, and a specific iPad OS that Apple has continued to improve.

Highlights include its mini-LED backlit Liquid Retina XDR display, the new Apple M1 SoC, the second-generation optical pencil, a huge amount of memory and storage, support for 5G, the LiDAR scanner or the Thunderbolt port. We selected a  “modest” configuration with 128 GB SSD and Wi-Fi currently on offer for 1.062 euros. From there up to 2 TB and 5G you have everything you want.

Note: This selection contains some links from our affiliates, but none of the products included have been proposed or recommended by them or their manufacturers, but chosen at our own discretion.Â