Ten models for all budgets

Tablet sales have plummeted after spectacular growth following the surge achieved more than a decade ago with Apple’s introduction of the iPad. The great versatility of modern smartphones and their increase in size and performance have cannibalized the small electronic tablet segment The high-end has become the “2 in 1” able to offer functions of laptops as well.

In this way the offer is quite well defined. In the entry-level area you will find white label tablets from Asian integrators or very cheap Amazon models for less than 100 euros. In the high-end sector, the commitment to 2-in-1 formats is total and there Apple or Microsoft devices stand out, while the middle class (a bit in no man’s land) offers everything and all manufacturers with Samsung or Huawei with the most interesting Models.

The choice is sometimes complicated and, as is common in most cases in the selection of electronic devices, depends on the type of majority use we are going to give. We put you in a situation of the most important features to consider and select ten models for all budgets and representatives of this category.

To be assessed before buying a tablet or 2 in 1

Tablet or 2 in 1? Don’t let the marketing fool you … A 2-in-1 isn’t just any tablet that you add a pen or keyboard to. It’s much more and should have the ability (in size, performance, connectivity, and software) to replace a laptop while still providing tablet functionality. It is precisely this versatility for different types of use that is the greatest attraction, as is the case with convertibles.

Show. Screen sizes range from 7 inches for entry-level models to 15 inches for larger 2-in-1 models. They all offer touch technology, but differ greatly in their support for touchpoints and pens, a simple accessory for cheap devices that is important in higher versions. Another important point is the panel, from simple LCDs to the best with OLED or native resolution, from a simple HD to awesome 4K.

Internal hardware. The ARM architecture completely dominates the tablet segment, while in 2-in-1 we also find x86 chips, mainly from Intel. Taking into account the market segments to be covered, the RAM capacity is so different that it starts at 1 or 2 GB and ends at 32 GB. Same internal storage, from only 16 GB eMMC to a powerful SSD with a capacity of Tbytes.

Connectivity. From Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6 to Bluetooth 4.0 to 5.1, you can find what you want, and the vast majority with A-GPS, all kinds of sensors, and Type A or Type C USB charging and data ports usually include rear and front cameras, although in 2 in 1 the best add IR for authentication. Perhaps the most distinctive element is the support or non-support for mobile broadband networks, 4G and the first to be announced with 5G.

equipment. Keyboards and pens are the accessories that you will find most on a tablet or 2 in 1, but as mentioned above, in very different ways. A keyboard or pen for a small and cheap tablet is not required and does not give you a good experience, while at 2 to 1 it is absolutely necessary to get its function.

Software platform. Android absolutely dominates the low end of tablets and has models for higher market segments without much success. Apple dominates the sales of the manufacturers, covers the middle class of tablets with iPadOS, while in the high-end area it focuses its Pro models more than 2 in 1 for the laptop replacement. Windows has very little (or nothing) of entry-level tablets, and Microsoft focuses solely on mid-range and high-end 2-in-1s, where almost all partners have an offer. Linux also exists, and – without Android – there is an alternative model, as you’ll see below, although this is the case for PCs with less supply than the others.

Ten tablets and 2-in-1s for every budget

As I said, the range is very broad in terms of features, benefits and prices. We select some of the models we like the most, covering several manufacturers and price ranges, starting with the cheapest and with a warning about the differences between a tablet or 2 in 1, a fine line but there.

Amazon Fire HD 8

The king of low-end tablets is – with the approval of the Asian white label OEMs – the e-commerce giant. In our opinion it has the best models on the market in Equipment / price ratio and this recently updated Fire HD 8 is an example of that.

The size of the multi-touch screen is 8 inches and the native resolution. One of the innovations is the new 2.0 GHz quad-core ARM processor, which, according to Amazon, improves performance by 30% compared to its predecessor. It also increased the amount of installed RAM from 1.5 to 2 GB and the option to choose between 32 and 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded using microSD cards.

Another improvement results from the increased autonomy, which according to the manufacturer is up to 12 hours, via a USB Type-C connection, which is also used for data. The main functions are rounded off by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, two cameras and stereo speakers.

Not all are benefits, and Amazon tablets limit the capabilities of Android by having their own system called FireOS, which goes way beyond simply customizing or adding the usual user interface. Fortunately, it can be easily unlocked to access Google services or the official Google Play Store.

Pine Tab

It is the new electronic tablet from Pine64 and, like its PinePhone mobile phone, has two basic properties: Budget price and Linux. There are many economic ones, but very few with the free system, so we include it as an alternative.

PineTab is dedicated to the basic components and has focused its use on the entry level. The screen is a 10-inch multi-touch IPS LCD with a native resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, while the motor is a 64-bit ARM with four cores, accompanied by 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with microSD (systems) bootable from it) and with a free M.2 slot.

The battery has a capacity of 6,000 mAh and is charged via a USB type A connection. It has two cameras, speakers and a headphone jack. In addition to the magnetically pluggable keyboard, Pine64 will use optional modules to offer a mobile LTE broadband or SATA SSD connection.

Lenovo Tab M10 Plus

Another of the best manufacturers to turn to when searching Benefits / price in tablets It’s Lenovo and this M10 series we choose has multiple configurations on the same base.

One of the variants we like with a price below 200 euros is the well-designed Lenovo Tab M10 Plus with a tough polycarbonate case, an FHD screen, a SoC from MediaTek, and connectivity that is expected at these levels.

A competent intermediate model that is not noticeable at all, but offers enough experience with tablets before switching to the higher segment.

Huawei MatePad 10.4

The Middle class in tablets It is certainly the one that has sold the most, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t very interesting models like this Huawei MatePad 10.4.

It is based on an IPS multi-touch screen with a diagonal of 10.4 inches and a native 2K resolution, a maximum brightness of 470 nits, reduced frames and the support of pen pens. It supports 70.8% of the NTSC color gamut and has proprietary technology to improve image quality, as well as TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification to reduce eye fatigue.

It is powered by a Kirin 810 chipset. An in-house development by the company, manufactured in 7nm processes, with eight processor cores, a Mali-G52 graphic and artificial intelligence functions. The amount of storage and storage is scarce, but should be enough for the mid-range.

The sound system was operated with four speakers and optimized by Harman Kardon, while the battery has a capacity of 7250 mAh. It has two 8-megapixel cameras at the front and rear, a USB Typo-C port for charging and for data, Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 as well as the usual sensors in tablets.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

Reduced version in terms of functions and price from probably the best series of tablets for Android, Galaxy Tab. The new S6 Lite model retains the size of its older brother (10.4 inches) but uses a different panel, an LCD, whose quality compares to the outstanding AMOLED of the S6 and is also reduced in its native resolution.

The support for optical S Pen pens, the use of which is advantageous in the range of tablets or smartphones such as the Galaxy Note, as well as the quality of the surfaces and the aluminum-based construction are retained. The camera system was also lowered in the multi-sensor and in the resolution.

It has less memory and storage capacity and the Exynos 9610 is also not comparable to the Snapdragon of the regular version. The battery itself is identical, the WiFi AC, the Bluetooth 5.0 and the GPS. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite pre-installs Android 10 and Samsung’s own user interface. It is sold in different colors and is an interesting option for the middle range.

Apple iPad 10.2

Apple didn’t invent tablets, but it has to be credited with driving the entire market forward when it launched the original iPad model more than a decade ago. Since then, several generations have been marketed and this middle class model What we propose is the last of the general series (eighth generation).

This iPad 10.2 has gone pretty much unnoticed since it was introduced with the new Air model. In truth, however, you can bring the Apple tablet experience closer to you at a much cheaper price.

Among the novelties, the A12 Bionic SoC stands out, having achieved such a good result on the iPhones and the compatibility with the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard that Apple ultimately expanded to its entire line of tablets, including this one, the most economical, albeit as we have repeated, we cannot take into account that it can replace a laptop.

The screen is a 10.2 inch IPS with 2K resolution. It has front and rear cameras, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 5 and the rest of the tablet sensors. Like most mid-range models downwards, it offers versions with support for 4G mobile broadband and options for more memory and storage, which are really very tight components in their basic version.

Microsoft Surface Go 2

The latest iteration of the lightest, cheapest device in Microsoft’s own line of brands that hands down The best “pure” Windows tablet experience on the market.

Surface Go 2 comes in different hardware configurations, starting with a basic version consisting of an Intel Pentium 4425Y processor, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage capacity. With the same processor, you can opt for a version that includes 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. One of the big hardware innovations is the ability to choose an Intel Core m3 processor and support 4G

The premium chassis with injected magnesium alloy determines the level of this device and is a guarantee of robustness, durability and a differentiated appearance that we can see in the entire Surface series. It uses a 10.5-inch IPS PixelSense screen and a resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels.

Wi-Fi 6 is one of the most outstanding innovations in connectivity, a 3.5 mm jack for combined audio, a USB Type-C port and a Surface Connect port. It includes a front and rear infrared camera system for use with Windows Hello authentication. A keyboard cover and pen can be added to the tablet. However, to get a true 2-in-1 result, you need to go for higher configurations.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Samsung is another tablet company that sells the best among manufacturers using Android and offers maximum competition to Apple. The latest version for the high end It is this Galaxy Tab S7 that comes in Standard and Plus models.

The chassis is made of high quality aluminum and the hardware base is the same. Qualcomm’s most advanced SoC right now, the Snapdragon 865 Plus, is the spearhead. It is accompanied by 6-8 GB of RAM and has a base storage capacity of 128 GB up to 512 GB of the higher version.

They also contain the same camera system. A main line with double sensor of 13 MP 1: 2.0 + 5 MP with aperture 1: 2.2. There is an 8 MP f / 2.0 sensor on the front for selfies. Extremely thin and light, its thickness is 6.3 millimeters in the standard model and drops to an unbelievable 5.7 mm in the plus model.

They have a rear support in the purest style of the surface that makes it easy to position the tablet at the angle you want. It was also announced that the tablet could be used as a second screen for Windows laptops, although those tablets work with Android and Qualcomm SoC.

Excellent in the camera system and connectivity with Wi-Fi 6, it should be noted that it is one of the first tablets on the market to offer the possibility of 5G. Samsung has paid special attention to the peripheral devices, a “Book” keyboard cover (sold separately) and the S Pen, which is included as standard and is installed on the back via a magnetic connection system. This is the hallmark of Mind Smartphones and the line of tablets.

Apple iPad Pro 2020

The idea that an iPad “not just a big iPhone“Apple has long insisted that its best tablet, the iPad Pro, have enough capacity Replace a laptop. You need to determine if this is possible.

If Apple called tablets with a keyboard (the current 2 in 1) “a mix of toaster and refrigerator” a few years ago and the unfortunate Steve Jobs flatly refused to market them and add optical pens, today the iPad Pro is leaving you focus on keyboards (with the latest model trackpad) and digital pens to convince users they don’t need laptops.

The latest iPad Pro 2020 version has improved significantly in all areas: screen, performance, cameras, sensors and also in the software with the new iPadOS 14. It keeps the Liquid Retina with two models of 11 and 12.9 inches at 2,732 x 2,048 pixels 600 nits LCD panel and 120 Hz refresh rate.

The new A12Z Bionic chip with eight cores, in addition to its neural engine, improves the processing and graphics capacity while the cameras improve too, although the familiar LiDAR technology is the standout component and differentiator compared to the other tablets on the market Photography and Augmented Reality. It has 4G versions and is the best that Apple has made for the tablet segment. And 2 in 1 …

Microsoft Surface Pro 7

We’ll end this selection (there are many more models we could include) with the model that “Invents” the current generation of 2-in-1s and one of the best-selling models in the entire Microsoft line of private label hardware. The latest version of this series retains the overall design, build quality, and finishes with a magnesium case that Microsoft uses to offer strength, lightness, and attractiveness. Its screen with PixelSense multitouch technology with a resolution of 2K + and a diagonal of 12.3 inches.

Inside, the presence of the 10th generation Intel Ice Lake series processors is a novelty compared to previous versions. Manufactured in 10 nm processes, it offers an increase in performance and consumption and allows Surface Pro 7 to be autonomous for a whole day. It offers configurations from Core i3 to Core i7, storage options from 4 to 16 GB, and PCIe solid-state drives from 128 GB to 1 TB.

The connectivity area has also been improved with the new WLAN standard Wi-Fi 6 and the integration of modern USB Type-C ports. In addition to Bluetooth 5, the usual sensors in tablets and the ability to provide support for LTE mobile broadband, it offers a rear camera for taking pictures and a front camera for video conferencing and authentication tasks with Windows Hello, with which you can forget your passwords and log in can with face recognition.

To highlight, for this version, the improvement of the Surface Pen pen and the Type Cover keyboard case as accessories that add value and allow this device to be used in different modes of use, such as: B. 2 in 1, in tablet functions, laptops and modes intermediates for presentations or multimedia display.