In the market for a tablet? It all depends on what you want. Apple's tablet has stellar
performance, the deepest software catalog and a fantastic ecosystem
supporting access to an incredible number of apps, games, music and
video.
If you prefer Android, Google's growing ecosystem is confidently catching up to
Apple's and Apple is still lacking in tablet-optimized apps. Either way,
you will likely be satisfied, but there are other options available.
Before you start shopping though, here are some guides
1) Know your needs
There are plenty of important questions you should ask yourself
before you plop down cash for a tablet, but the most important is, What
are you planning to use it for?
Are you looking to replace your PC, or do you simply want a device to
indulge your movies and TV-watching impulses while traveling? Or a device to do work on the go? In any case, specific needs you have for a tablet will factor heavily into
your choice. Will you require constant Internet access? Is the ability
to expand your storage capacity important to you? What about HDMI? IR
blasters? GPS? Screen size?
2) Price is not guaranty for quality
Just because a tablet is expensive doesn't mean you're getting a quality
product worthy of your dollar or pound or Naira. Conversely, not all cheap
tablets are worthless throwaway devices with screens designed to induce
glaucoma.
There's usually a good reason behind the price of each tablet. Amazon can offer its Fire
tablet at an affordable price because it eschews a sleek design and
skimps on any extra features. Also, despite the fact that the iPad Air 2
has no native HDMI or storage expansion support, Apple's flagship can
justify its $500 starting price, thanks to its fast
performance, incredible app support, refined interface and robust
ecosystem.
Look beyond the price; think about everything you're getting in terms of hardware and software.
3) The manufacturer matters
Choose your tablet manufacturer wisely. Computers are not perfect, and
tablets in particular can be even less perfect. If there are problems,
you will want to make sure you have chosen a vendor that will address said
issues with frequent and effective patches. Also, if you will rather avoid
frustration, you might want to choose a manufacturer whose tablets
are not known for requiring frequent and effective patches.
Make sure to research a particular manufacturer's reputation for supporting its tablets before you buy.
4) Tablet sizes
Tablets come in familiar sizes, but a variety of sizes.
6 to 8.3 inches (small)
These are tablets with screen sizes measuring 6- to 8-inches
diagonally across the screen. Tablets of this size are usually cheaper
and typically underpowered compared with larger tablets. However, small
tablets are much more portable and usually fit more easily into purses
and small bags. Some can even fit into pockets, depending on their
width. Since they can easily be held in one hand, 7-inchers make much better
e-reader alternatives compared with larger tablets, especially if you
like to read in bed. For people with smaller hands, limited
space, or if you simply don't want to carry around something larger and
potentially heavy, 7-inch tablets are the best entry points into the
market.
8.9 to 10.1 inches (medium)
This is the
category most mainstream tablets fall into. Medium-size tablets offer
larger screens and higher resolutions than their 7-inch counterparts.
Larger screens are better suited to movie watching, and certain games
will benefit from the increased real estate as well. Medium-size tablets for the most part sport faster processors, and
because of their larger screens, they provide a unique experience that
isn't quite matched on smaller tablets. Games feel more interactive;
movies and TV shows more immersive.
Over 10.1 inches (large)
There are currently very few tablet-only devices that meet this
criteria, but a few Windows 10 hybrids do. Hybrids are both tablets
(portable, touch screens) and PCs (full Windows 10 compatibility, faster
processors).
5) Processor
Apple A8X
You will only find the A8x on the iPad Air 2 right now and while it's
not a huge step above the A8, it features better graphics and faster
performance than its predecessor. It's an unusual triple-core CPU; in
addition to the two CPU cores found in the A8, the A8x adds a third,
clocking in at a max of 1.5GHz. This extra boost makes the A8x one of
the fastest mobile chips available and consequently, positions the iPad
Air 2 as one of the best performing tablets.
Nvidia Tegra K1
The 64-bit Tegra K1 system-on-a-chip made its debut inside Nvidia's own Shield
tablet. It's one of the most powerful mobile chips on the market and
its state-of-the-art graphic performance lends itself to a great gaming
experience. The Nexus 9 houses the Tegra K1, in a dual-core version, and
it's one of the main reasons the Google-branded tablet is in the top of
its class.
Samsung Exynos
Samsung's proprietary Exynos processors usually do not disappoint in
the speed department, but their battery life hasn't typically set the
world on fire. The latest is its Octa 7, which can be found inside of
the Galaxy Tab S2 tablets; it prioritizes a balance of power and
performance efficiency. In other words, Samsung wants to make your
tablet's battery last longer without gimping the device's speed. The
company also appears committed to making sure the chip doesn't fall behind the competition.
Qualcomm Snapdragon
The Snapdragon 800 can be found in a number of tablets, though the
Sony Xperia Z4 offers the latest Snapdragon 810. It's no joke when it
comes to games and overall system performance, but doesn't quite catch
up to the lightning fast performance of newer configurations.
6) Screen quality
Look for screen resolution like 2,560x1,600-pixels
and the higher the resolution, the sharper the images look on the
screen.
Panel type will determine whether images maintain their quality when
viewed from off angles or how bright the screen can get. A tablet's
panel type will also dictate how vibrant and accurate colors are.
When choosing a tablet, make sure the panel is an in-plane switching
(IPS) or plane-line switching (PLS) screen. Anything less and the
difference in quality will be readily apparent. If screen quality is
king, take a look at the tablets with the best screens.
7) Operating system and software platform
iOS
Since its inception in the first iPhone, iOS has been the software
powering Apple mobile devices. iOS thrives thanks to a deep media
ecosystem that allows for sharing across devices, a gargantuan app
catalog, and its very simple, user-friendly interface. The latest
version, iOS 9, has new features to help boost battery life and a multitasking feature.
Android
Though
developers tend to roll out apps to iOS first, Android has definitely
made strides of late with its media ecosystem. Movies, TV shows,
magazines and games, in particular, have seen vast improvements in
quantity and quality of selections. Also, expect a more customizable OS
than any other. Android's freshest version, 6.0 Marshmallow, can be found on Google's flagship devices and will roll out to other ones soon.
Windows 10
Microsoft's
latest operating system is one of its most user-friendly versions. The
new OS combines the best parts of old and new Windows features into a
cohesive package, and its functionality focuses largely around taking
advantage of a touchscreen. Unfortunately, the app store is severely
lacking in variety and number of apps available in comparison to both
iOS and Android.
Running only on Amazon Fire tablets, the interface sorts your content
by category and has the deepest support for books of any tablet. Amazon
Prime members benefit from free streaming and downloading of its entire
video catalog, as well as access to its lending library of books. Don't
expect nearly as many apps as Android and iOS have at their disposal,
however. The Amazon App Store is highly curated and selection is
limited, so you most likely won't find the latest hot games. The Fire
HDX 8.9 tablet also has access to near instant customer service via
video chat, thanks to Amazon's ambitious new feature called Mayday, and
item recognition software Firefly.
8) Storage options
Content is an integral part of the tablet experience. Whether it's
movies, music, games or books, for many people, content is the only
reason to own one of these slates. The point is, you're going to
need a place to store these said contents. Capacities typically start off at
8GB and are doubled from there, increasing in price each time storage is
doubled.
Some tablets include storage expansion options like microSD cards,
which can allow you to increase your storage capacity at a fraction of
the cost. Others include a limited amount of free cloud storage with
purchase. Also, be aware that the tablet's OS can sometimes take up a
good 20 percent of its capacity. So, 8GB of storage is never really 8GB
of storage.
9) Design
Tablets are extremely tactile
devices, and you will want to make sure yours feels great in your hands.
Weight and dimensions play a large part in this, but also balance. Two
different tablets can share the same weight, yet one somehow feels
lighter. Thanks to care being taken to evenly distribute its internal
components from the very beginning of the design stage, well-designed
tablets can feel better in your hands. If you can touch a tablet before
you buy, this will greatly increase the likelihood of making an informed
purchasing decision.
Finally, make sure there are no jagged edges or sharp corners that tend
to dig into your palm while holding the tablet. For smaller tablets, you
may want to confirm that the tablet will fit into your pocket or purse,
or that it's light enough for your kids to handle without fear of them
dropping it.
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