If you enjoy using a mobile OS, such as Android or iOS, but would like a bigger screen to use to increase productivity and ease of use, or would just like a portable screen to watch Netflix on during your break at work, this guide is for. But, tablet PCs can range from anywhere to £50 to £1000, so what is the difference and how do you choose which one is best for you?
Well, that is what this guide is for.
Price Range: £50-£80
I would not advise spending less than £50 on a tablet PC, simply because it would be both cheaply made and built with outdated parts that originally came out in 2012 (ancient in technological terms). If you are spending this amount on a tablet, the limits of your ability are going to be; Browsing The Internet, Watching YouTube/Netflix, Online Shopping, Social Media and some easy to run games like Candy Crush or Angry Birds.
The Best Tablet for this price: Amazon Fire HD 8
This tablet is currently £80, but leading up to Christmas they always drop the price to £50. This is a basic, but functional tablet made and sold by the world’s largest retailer, Amazon.
Pros
Has a High Quality HD Screen, Good Build Quality, Good Amazon Technical Support and an easy to use UI.
Cons
The cheapest version of the tablet has an advertisement on the lock screen which cannot be removed, the Amazon android skin is very closed and chunky and disallows you from downloading certain Android Apps (Although the android play store can be installed on it). No SD Card or SIM Card slot either.
Price Range:£120-£150
If you are prepared to spend a little more on a tablet, you will be buying into a much easier to use, higher quality and more secure group of tablets. These will be able to do all of what is mentioned above, but with much fewer application crashes, a higher quality camera and also the ability to use productivity programs, like Microsoft Office or Google Docs (Docs is completely free and works beautifully with Android). If you were to buy a Bluetooth keyboard you could use this to take notes in lectures at University without having to carry around an expensive laptop.
The Best Tablet for this price: Lenovo Tab 4 (8” is £100 and 10” is £150)
This tablet is actually the one that I own. I bought it from eBay and I can honestly say that I have never has any problems with it.
Pros
Has a High Quality HD Screen, Good Build Quality, an SD Card Slot, Front and back facing camera, stock Android experience, and very good dual front facing speakers.
Cons
The cameras are very low light and grainy, there is no SIM card slot.
Price Range:£400-£550
If you are someone who would prefer to use your tablet more than both your phone and your PC, then I would advise investing heavily in one because when you are spending this
amount of money on one, you are able to do most productivity tasks on here that you can do on a PC.
Best for this price: iPad Pro (Prices vary depending on sizes, retailers and age)
Readers of this blog are aware of my views on apple, but to give them credit, they do make a decent tablet in this price range. IPads are heavily supported and very popular.
Pros
Has a High Quality, vibrant, HD Screen, Good Build Quality, Good Apple Technical Support and an easy to use UI. Plenty of Apps available, designed for productivity. Third party accessories are readily available.
Cons
An Apple Product, meaning you are forced into using their sub-standard services like iTunes, when a software update comes out it will be forcibly slowed down so you have to buy a new one and charges you for apps which are free on Android.
Price Range:Over £800
When you’re spending this amount on a tablet, you would expect it to do everything that a phone and a PC do in one, as well as it being fast and beautifully made. The software should be powerful and functional, as should the hardware. Thankfully, Microsoft has built such a device.
Best for this price: Microsoft Surface Pro
Back in the day, before the 2000 tech boom, Microsoft was the dominant company in technology; they were a near monopoly when it came to home computers. When Windows XP came out,
however, they only made the Windows OS, and didn’t build the devices hardware, and instead allowed companies like Dell, HP and Asus to optimise the device, an then sell it with the Windows software on it. This meant that Microsoft was making less money, but it resulted in cheaper and better PCs for the user.
Now though, in 2018, Microsoft is again building computers in the form of the Surface Pro. How the Surface Pro differs from the other three is that it is essentially a mini-PC, instead of a big Smartphone.
Pros
Pros: Has a High Quality, vibrant, HD Screen, Good Build Quality, Good Technical Support, has an incredibly powerful Intel Processor (i5 and i7 models available). Comes with a version of Windows 10, which is a great Operating System. It comes with a keyboard and mouse so can be transformed into a very sleek laptop.
Cons
Rather expensive, but is worth it in my opinion, this device means Microsoft are competing with Dell and Asus, who are their partners.
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