What is a Tablet?
A tablet is what we refer to as an in between “buddy” of the PC and smartphone. Mostly used among college students and office workers, Tabs serve a wide range of purposes from helping you design a project or just watch some Netflix. There are many vitals to factor in before than just portability. We considered all these before choosing what we chose as the Best Tablets For 2020.
Before we get into the topic we should know what to look for in your average tablet.
Best Tablets For 2020 Buying Guide
Size and Weight
Tablets are designed to be mobile and because of this size and weight are important. After all, mostly you’re gonna be holding it for quite some time irrespective of the purpose. Therefore thickness is a key point to consider when making the purchase.
Software
Since the majority of tablets will not be running the same operating system as desktop or laptop computers, the choice can make a huge difference. Each operating system has its benefits and drawbacks. The key is to identify your specific needs and match it with the appropriate OS. If you are a regular PC user and have been for a long time, then perhaps windows may be your thing. If you are looking for some good gaming and high quality Netflix apple can pull it through with its “HDR ” and whatnot. Let’s say you wanna multitask with different apps, then android is the way to go.
Connectivity / Networking
As tablets are mobile devices, their ability to connect to the Internet is pretty critical. There are two types of connectivity to be found in tablets: Wi-Fi and cellular or wireless. Wi-Fi is pretty straightforward as this is for access to local Wi-Fi hotspots. What matters here is which forms of Wi-Fi they support. The best option is to support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands. Cellular is a bit more complicated as one has to consider carriers, coverage, contract rates and whether it is 3G, 4G or 5G network compatible. But then again it’s 2020 and China just launched 5G as well. So all the tabs we’re gonna be talking about are definitely equipped with good connectivity. Another reason for them being Best Tablets For 2020.
Battery Life
Since many people will likely carry their tablet throughout the day, battery life is a pretty important feature. Battery life is hard to judge for tablets as different applications can draw very different power loads. If you are a gamer and planning on being absorbed in the tab the whole day, or planning to browse Pinterest ,Instagram and Youtube with cellular data then expect a lower life than given in the brochure. Nevertheless the tabs that we are gonna suggest have an average of ten hours approximately.
Processors
The processors used in tablets can vary widely. Much of this has to do with the way the processors in most are designed and licensed. When we say designed it includes the number of transistors, cores, which gen. etc…This is a subject for another day and a different post. But the tabs mentioned here mostly possess apple bionic or snapdragon 855. Out of these apple triumphs in various aspects along with the benchmarks.
Storage Space
While most people will not be carrying around as much data on a tablet as they would on a laptop, the amount of space on the tablet is still a major thing to consider. All tablets use solid-state storage because of its ability to use very little power, take less space and higher durability. Some tablets start out as low as 8GB but most range out to 1TB. Since we do not use the tab as our computer for storage I think, 1TB is pretty considerate.
Alright! Now that’s out of the way and we are well informed on what to look for before the purchase, Lets jump to our suggestions for the Best Tablets For 2020.
P.S: Note that the list has been updated for 2022.
1. 2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad
- A13 Bionic CPU
- 10.2 inches, 2160 x 1620 pixels
- 12MP front and 8MP rear cameras
- Up to 256GB storage
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
- Works with Apple Pencil (1st generation) and Smart Keyboard
There’s no doubt about the quality of Apple iPads when it comes to the tablet industry. Not that the Android tabs out there such as Samsung aren’t doing a splendid job, but in terms of that extra mile performance, Apple outranks Android. So when we speak about the 2021 Apple iPad, the major highlights are as listed above. Processing power is taken a bit further with the A13 chip. Also has the latest Wi-Fi standards with the option for mobile data configuration as well. iPadOS 15 is convenient to use and the store has over million apps waiting to be used by you.
The screen is vibrant and the battery life is alright. Another highlight is the inclusion of the 1st gen pencil and the smart keyboard. This eliminates the users trouble to find other Bluetooth accessories as opposed to sticking to Apple only. The pencil is handy for art, a little text writing etc. You can use the improved keyboard shortcut support with the keyboard which is slim and easy to handle. Both cameras are great as always and the sound adds up to the value too.
Purchase here->2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad
2. Apple iPad Pro
- 11-Inch edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with Promotion
- A12X Bionic chip with Neural Engine
- Face ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay
- 12MP back camera, 7MP True Depth front camera
- Four speaker Audio with wider Stereo sound
- 802. 11AC Wi-Fi and gigabit-class LTE cellular data
Storage starts out at 64GB and goes high as 1TB. Also has a USB Type C connector. Both the cameras perform equally well. Rear seems pretty good for video recording, photo shooting in 4k,added the fps ranges up to 20.A really great front cam for facetime, group selfies. However the device as a whole is more of professional than home use. With the HDR it’s best for some quality gaming or your choice of Netflix series. However it has its setbacks. Since it has no headphone jack some users might turn it down.
The liquid retina display here does not have the same effect as that of an OLED but still combined with the HDR and 120Hz refresh rate, the output is pretty admirable. The speakers in the corners of the device are still present, but they’ve been designed to include a woofer and tweeter in each to improve the sound particularly the bass. Also the addition of the apple pencil has enhanced the worth of this Ipad and the lag between the pencil press and the screen reaction is hardly a delay.
Some might think that all this new tech has reduced its battery life, but it hasn’t. It still possesses 8+ hours. The Face ID is another awesome addition unlike the fingerprint scanner and can be used in portrait, landscape. So the big question, can it replace your laptop? Sure it is better than some Macbooks with the 1TB memory and 120Hz screen but there are still some things it can’t do. It’s the more advanced version of the previous. But for people engaged in video editing, sketching at a professional level this could be the best tablet for work.
Purchase here->Apple iPad Pro
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5″
- All-new S Pen included.
- With a spectacular edge-to-edge Super AMOLED display, superior graphics and quad speakers tuned by AKG, Visit here to know more about screen types.
- With up to 15 hours on a full charge, Then quickly recharge the Fast-Charging battery. Bluetooth v5.0 (LE up to 2 Mbps). Camera resolution (front) – 8.0 MP
If you are an android fan and have been using that OS then we believe that this can go in the best android tablets 2020 list in the market. With a snapdragon 855 processor just like many of the latest Samsung, Huawei smartphones and the AMOLED display this tablet should be included in the list of “Best Tablets For 2020”. The OS is upgradable up to android 10 with the default been android 9. The octa-core is not as powerful as an intel chip obviously but users accomplish many tasks through this device other than taking selfies and watching movies.
It has a 13MP wide rear camera and a 5MP ultra-wide camera and video can be recorded at 4k in 30fps which in the apple Ipad pro can be done at 60fps, Although this difference is hardly worth mentioning. And the front camera is 8 MP with 30fps at 1080p which is great for video conferencing etc. Most experts comment on the keyboard saying it’s much easier than the apple smart keyboard to type in. The S pen is certainly more user-friendly and if your handwriting is legible, the transcribing process is quicker. The HDR10+ and the AMOLED technology combined render better picture quality, color contrast and good brightness. Combine this with the stereo speakers you can really experience better Netflix.
128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM are the two variations of models available + dedicated slot. Samsung has an added feature to enhance match this device to a laptop known as the “desktop mode” adding a system tray at the bottom right with access to notifications, navigation buttons, and the app drawer on the bottom left, as well as windowed apps that you can resize. The battery life is quite reasonable provided you are not engaged in high processor power demanding apps or games and it will last for 10+ hours. This is definitely worthy for people looking for a laptop replacement at least temporarily, Especially college students. The only downside as usual is its price.
Purchase here->Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5″
4. Microsoft Surface Pro 6
- The new 8th Generation Intel Core processor
- Starting at just 1.7 pounds. Sensors : Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope
- With up to 13.5 hours of video playback
- Pair with luxurious Alcantara material and rich colors for a full keyboard experience
The most asked question about this tablet is “can it replace my laptop?” and many users say that it successfully has accomplished that task, with a few limitations in a small scale. Considerably when the user sees that it’s intel i-8th gen series the idea of a laptop immediately pops up. And honestly we think that if the USB type C was in-built you can hook up a Nvidia GPU and turn this into a gaming beast. But that’s not what most people are looking for in a tablet.
As mentioned earlier the processor is intel i5-8250U or i7-8650U, with a RAM of 8 GB/16 GB. Graphics are same as the laptops which is intel UHD 620, storage ranging up to 1 TB(SSD).Dimensions been 11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm). Connections:1 x USB 3.0, 3.5mm Headphone jack, microSDXC card reader, Mini DisplayPort, Surface Type Cover port,3 1 x Surface Connect port. Also the matte-black finish is an added option for the design.
Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing).5.0 MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video. 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video. Dual microphones.1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™. Yes it does not have 4k@60 fps but 1080p is still good quality. This tablet device even out-performed its predecessor and some of its competitors like the Thinkpad X1. It’s battery life is also creditable lasting for 9+ hours with steady web browsing @150 nits of screen brightness.
Bottom line is that this tablet device is for someone who would take the advantage of the quad-core intel i5. Meaning if you are using some apps that demand good core count, higher threads then this would be awesome. A few downsides such as No Surface Pen in package ,No USB type C or thunderbolt still exist but this is a must include in the list of “Best Tablets For 2020” given its price.
Purchase here->Microsoft Surface Pro 6
5. Apple iPad Air
- 10.5-inch Retina Display with True Tone and wide Color
- A12 Bionic chip
- Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor and Apple Pay
- 8MP back camera, 7MP FaceTime HD Front camera
- Stereo speakers
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
- The Pro versions support Apple Pencil Gen 2 with extra gesture features and magnetic charging. This iPad Pro 10.5 sticks with the older Gen 1 Pencil and has just two speakers instead of four.
This tablet device is a design between the ipad pro and the ipad. Processing wise it’s quite close to the ipad pro with the A12 bionic chip. Also the 8 MP rear camera allows video recording at 1080p @30fps. However, the iPad Air’s screen is missing one key feature that the 10.5-inch iPad Pro had. That enables dynamically adjusting refresh rates up to 120Hz.
Also it only has two speakers and quite frankly although that’s not stereo sound it certainly is sufficient for most users as nobody expects movie-quality audio in these devices. And most users commented positively on the FaceTime HD camera and its 1080p video calls. Apple included the Smart Connector on the left side of the tablet, which lets you use Apple’s Smart Keyboard. Also it supports the Apple pencil of course , the Air uses Apple’s first-generation Pencil. Storage goes as high as 256 GB. Version iOS 12 is the operating system built-in which is responsive. Reason for the inclusion of Apple iPad Air on the list of “Best Tablets For 2020” is for those of us who prefer Apple to Android, yet cannot afford the iPad pro.
Purchase here->Apple iPad Air
6. Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro Tablet
- Curved-edge 2.5D curved glass is now available on M5 Android tablet. with 10.8’’ 2560 x 1600 high-res display. The 82% screen-to-body ratio.
- Quad stereo speakers tuned and certified by Harman/Kardon provide a paramount audio and video experience, as well as support HiFi headphones. The HUAWEI Histen audio creates a perfect sounds cape to give you 3D sound that is richer.
- M5 android tablet that boasts a proprietary Kirin 960 series octa-core chipset and stable Wi-Fi network connectivity.
- F2.2 & 13 MP Rear camera；F2.2 & 8 MP Front camera.
- 4G RAM+ 64G ROM. M Pen included
- It takes only 2.9 hrs to get M5 Pro fully charged. Its 7500 mAh (TYP) battery and Smart Power-Saving technology allow you to enjoy 1080P videos to 11 hours.
- EMUI 8.0 (Based on Android 8.0), Advanced fingerprint recognition
- This tab is mostly famous for its good aspect ratio and higher battery power, But still has drawbacks that camera quality is not so good during low light conditions. Therefore as most experts recommend if you are planning on having some quality photos taken, better stick with apple ipads.
Starting off with a octa-core HiSilicion Kirin 960 processor and 4 GB RAM this is our last but not least inclusion in the list of “Best Tablets For 2020”. The OS is Android 8.0 Oreo. The EMUI experience is highly customizable on the MediaPad M5 Pro. Just like with EMUI on phones, you can switch the app drawer on or off, change your themes and transitions. Experts quoted it as “Best when paired with a keyboard”. The sharp 2k resolution renders quality video output in different lighting conditions, and if necessary can be customized. Night mode is also available for some added eye protection, and you can drop the screen’s resolution to save a little battery too.
The battery life is 9+ hours provided you are not using apps that demand high processing power or graphics. Also you can optimize the battery life with the battery optimizations. It supports full charging and takes approximately 2 hours. The rear camera as mentioned above is quite a bit of a let down in comparison with our other competitors in this list. Even when HDR enabled the photos appear murky and when the lighting conditions change without the HDR enabled its quite useless.
The front cam however is creditable with Full HD video recorded @ 60 fps with 4K recorded @ 30fps. The connectivity here is awesome. Having USB-Type C for charging, data transfer and audio is added unlike the surface pro 6. Sounds strange to have a lower quality rear camera but better connectivity, then again connectivity is more important than capturing pics. That said, this is also a good gaming tablet if you hook up the keyboard.
The speakers produce some quality audio for videos and games. Overall this is a good tablet device and it will not disappoint you. Better battery, connectivity, features for an amount less than the ipad or some Samsung tablets. Personally I think this is the best tablet for students for taking down notes and stuff.
Purchase here->Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro
7. Amazon Fire 7 Tablet
- Quad-Core 1.3 GHz processor
- 1GB RAM up to 32GB Storage
- 2MP rear and 2MP front camera
- 5.63 ” L X 9.33 ” W X 1.46 ” H
The tablet under 50 bucks. The processor is pretty efficient for a tablet of this caliber and day to day tab activities such as web browsing is quite fast. The Fire 7 features voice triggers for the digital assistant as opposed to the previous version. The only downside is the ads in the lock screen. Nonetheless the Amazon Fire 7 tab is affordable, productive and efficient. A good choice for kids starting out to interact with tech.
Well there you have it. Our top recommendations for Best Tablets For 2020 .Students, artists and anyone are eligible actually. Also we will throw in a few more recommended tablets that some experts believe are worth your money.
Purchase here->Amazon Fire 7 Tablet
Satisfied with our suggestions for the Best Tablets For 2020? What are your thoughts on the list? let us know in the comments below.
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