A excellent tablet may serve as a portable TV screen throughout the house and a workspace for doing simple tasks.
Although not necessary, they are great to have around.
They’re also a fantastic way to express one’s creative tendencies thanks to the abundance of apps for painting, creating music, and drawing.
Apple iPad (2022, 10th Gen)
The 10th-generation iPad made its debut in September 2022 and is similar to the other iPads made by Apple in that it has a uniform, thin bezel surrounding a slightly larger 10.9-inch LCD screen.
The Touch ID fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button at the top in place of the home button, and there is no headphone port.
It does feature a USB-C port, so you can use the same cable to recharge it as you would your MacBook.
Additionally, the cellular variant supports 5G, and the 12-MP selfie camera is now located in the middle when the tablet is held horizontally, eliminating the need to uncomfortably look to the side during video chats.
Lenovo Tab P11 Plus
The MediaTek Helio G90T chip inside is powerful enough that the P11 Plus rarely feels slow; even games like Dead Cells run well. The 11-inch LCD screen looks sharp, thanks to the 2K resolution, plus it gets really bright. It’s slim and portable, yet large enough to watch TV shows, and the quad speakers sound great.
If you want to get some work done, Lenovo’s Productivity Mode kicks in when it detects a Bluetooth keyboard. Apps go into a resizable windowed mode here, so it feels a bit more like a laptop. It’s in no way a laptop replacement, but you can do some work on it in brief stints. When I tried to work on it in one sitting, it lasted around seven hours. But if you’re using it for a few hours every day, you’ll only have to recharge it on the third or fourth day. The two big downsides? Lenovo updated this slate to Android 12 but hasn’t committed to anything beyond that, meaning no Android 12L. (You’ll get two years of security updates.) There’s also no headphone jack, so you’ll need to use wireless earbuds or a USB-C adapter.
Amazon Fire HD 10
The Fire tablets from Amazon aren’t for everyone.
Although they heavily promote Amazon Prime, these services and applications are fantastic for relaxing activities like playing games and watching movies.
There isn’t a Google Play Store (although a workaround exists), and not all Android apps are easily accessible.
If you purchase the Amazon-sold Productivity Bundle, which includes a Bluetooth keyboard case and a year of Microsoft 365, it has enough power for the majority of chores, including some light work.
It features a USB-C port so you can use the same connection to charge it as your laptop or Android phone, and it supports hands-free Alexa so it can also function as an Echo Show.
The Fire HD 10 Plus variant comes with wireless charging and an additional gig of RAM.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
The Tab S7 FE (Fan Edition) is an excellent compromise if you want a large-screen Android tablet experience but don’t want to spend a lot of money on it, and it frequently has sales.
The speakers are excellent, the screen is a generous 12.4 inches, and Samsung even throws in the S Pen stylus, which magnetically attaches to the back of the slate.
It’s not an Apple Pencil, but it works fine for simple doodling and document annotation.
If you wish to text on this tablet, Samsung also sells a keyboard cover separately, and its DeX mode provides a usable desktop-like experience.
This tablet distinguishes out due to its extensive software support, which includes three Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches.
Sadly, there isn’t a headphone jack.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Who says tablets need to run operating systems originally designed for smartphones? Microsoft’s Surface line employs Windows, making it a suitable choice for heavy, desktop-grade workflows.
The Surface Pro 9 doesn’t add much over its predecessor—it has a faster processor—but it remains powerful, with a large 13-inch screen and a 120-Hz refresh rate.
The best part is the built-in kickstand, which lets you plop it down on almost any surface.
It’s not as polished as an iPad in tablet mode, but Windows 11 has larger touch targets that make it easier to use.
