Choosing the best tablet - What's your pick?

arpan2308

Nothing Tablet (1) wen !!!

Till the time Nothing comes with a tablet, I thought of checking which is the community’s favorite tablet. As I evaluate buying one soon, I am personally confused between the following options:

Apple iPad 2024 lineup (particularly iPad Air M2)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
OnePlus Pad
Mi Pad 6
Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Considering a typical user with tablet usage for entertainment, web browsing, productivity, note-taking, gaming, video calls, and basic MS tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), I have the following thoughts on each:

iPad Air M2: A powerhouse that handles day-to-day tasks along with occasional heavy tasks like video editing. MS Office support is essential and well-handled. Accessories like the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard (or alternatives like Logitech and ESR keyboards) enhance the experience, making it almost a laptop replacement. The only challenge is adjusting to iPadOS for someone used to Android phones and Windows laptops (anyways using them in office).

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9: Well-built with the familiar Android ecosystem. Samsung DeX support makes it equivalent to an iPad or a typical laptop, but it still falls short of being a full laptop. The included S Pen and SD card slot are nice differentiators. However, the high pricing and potential for price drops (as it is samsung) are concerns.

OnePlus Pad & Mi Pad 6: Great value for the price but more of a tablet than a laptop replacement. The lack of cellular models is a significant limitation for those who need on-the-go connectivity. Accessory availability (both first-party and third-party) is always a challenge. Affordability the only plus (pun intended).

Microsoft Surface Pro 9: Ideal for Windows users, offering a true 2-in-1 device. It supports all Windows apps with Windows 11. The device is slightly bulky due to its large screen and integrated kickstand but functions well as both a laptop and tablet. High price and concerns about Microsoft’s device reputation are key issues. (As of now not considering the new Qualcomm Surface due to uncertainties about app emulation.)

What’s your pick?

Share your thoughts. Which tablet do you use or plan to buy? Can tablets really replace laptops?

UnknownUser_ZjYrq9onjT

arpan2308 tab s9

stealth

Tablets are mostly intermediate devices between laptop and phones. They are in my opinion the best for artists/designers and university students who take a lot of digital notes. If you don’t belong in that category, there is no specific need for it. Unless you want a nice portable multimedia device. Then any of the above would be fine - I would pick samsung for it’s display quality.

munim_falcon

stealth what are your thoughts about 2 in 1 convertible laptops. I mean they are intermediate between laptops and tablets. So?

arpan2308

stealth yup i agree that tablets are best for creative ppl / designers, but dont you think now the lines between tablet and laptop are fading away.

With full fledged keyboard cases, the tablets are almost laptops. Keeping high end video editing aside, tablets are capable of handing all laptop tasks including browsing and MS office work.

As @munim_falcon said, tablets are sort of 2-in-1 like surface pro9. Is it really worth investing in standalone laptop when we can have 2-in-1 experience?

Ealesy101

I am currently rocking an iPad (7th Generation), with the first gen Apple Pencil.

It has been an adequate companion to my MacBook, and having it around as an extra screen is useful, as well as the nice features that come from having continuity in Apple’s walled garden. It also helps me maintain my app purchases etc that I have since lost, when I moved away from iPhone.

The iPad has been useful for me, in terms of light documents, video watching and web surfing. Plus, using the Apple Pencil has been fun, messing around in certain apps, but mostly for the use of being able to sign documents and remove the need of a notebook and conventional pen from my bag!

Only downsides are the poor form factor, a lot of media is consumed in at least 16:9 aspect ratio these days. And my iPad does not do this, thankfully the newer models get closer, but still not brilliant…

This all being said, this iPad is only just in the threshold for the latest iPad OS 18 update, coming later this year, so I shall be checking on this thread for some compelling arguments for the Android-based tablets that are in the market.

arpan2308

Ealesy101 yes for someone already in apple ecosystem, ipad makes all the sense. But do you think you can let go your mac book and totally shift to ipad 7th gen. What in particular limits that move? From YT videos, it looks like ipad with keyboard case can easily replace the laptop.

On the aspect ratio, samsung tab s9 is better as jt has 16:10 ratio so videos playback has very small black bars. ipad being 3:4 is not best for video experience.

munim_falcon

arpan2308 I kinda feel like you got me a bit wrong there buddy, I meant instead of a Tablet, what about 2 in 1 Laptops? Not “Tablets being laptops but 2 in 1.” .

They are, generally speaking, more powerful than Tablets and well, perform all if not most functions or a tablet, plus you’ve got a powerful device at your hand with an operating system different than mobiles (talking about windows and Android. Again in general), so you can make use of both operating systems’ best features.

(Or maybe I interpreted your reply wrongly 😂)

stealth

arpan2308 That’s true the line is definitely blurring. For most casual users a tablet could definitely replace a laptop. Like @munim_falcon asked I do believe the two in one products like the microsoft surface is a good example of that line blurring.

But then again the issue comes down to pricing. Why pay $1000 for a tablet when you can built a more powerful pc or buy a powerful laptop.

Ealesy101

arpan2308 - I think my MacBook has too many use cases/apps that go above and beyond my iPad, so for that I couldn’t let it go.

I don’t believe I would ever find myself switching to an iPad, or any tablet for that matter, full time. Certain work related apps and games are only on the desktop/laptop experience.

Derren

Ealesy101 Its a weird place with iPad and Mac. The iPad is so close to being a mac but so far at the same time and i feel like thats intentional. All it takes is for ipad to run mac os or something closer to and it would bridge that gap for a lot of people.

arpan2308

UnknownUser_ZjYrq9onjT why so? Already using tab s9?

arpan2308

Alex wow those widgets on tablet homescreen….so much feels like Nothing tablet with those widgets.

Do you use keyboard case also with FE?

Derren apple has intentionally done that. They just want to sell both devices. Given M2 in ipad now, it can anyday be a laptop.

flo_rahil yup reading pdf and marking on the pdf using the pen will be great.

Dont you think FE’s Exynos is unreliable vs s9 snapdragon? I have always stayed away from Exynos

stealth ya thats the issue with Surface pro9, the price. But it is more of a laptop while giving tablet vibes. Standalone laptop somehow feels bulky to me for day to day usage while lying on the bed.

Ealesy101

Derren a thing I doubt Apple shall ever do. They want to protect both product lines, so will try to keep some barrier between them 🥲

Alex

Personally, I’m rocking the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE and the bookcover keyboard case. It is just enough for me as an artist and student. I don’t do any intensive gaming, only once in a while, or much else on it. Lasts me a pretty good while. is fun and somewhat good customization, I even went as far to use KWGT to make my own styled home screen after my Phone (2a)!

(Using KWGT and Lawnicons on the default OneUI launcher. Handmade widgets, tho too lazy to make a weather widget so I made one for my college classes instead. It isnt perfect, but its good enough for an hour of work.)

flo_rahil

I recommend buying a samsung S9 fe or the fe +. It is cheaper than the S9 variant and still includes the SPen and would easily do all the tasks you mentioned.

One of the best uses for a tablet and one that you will never get from a laptop is potrait orientation - it is perfect for reading mangas or documents/ebooks. Once you experience that you would never want to read anything on a laptop.

If you are big on reading documents, a tablet is really helpful. I would say borderline essential.

flo_rahil

arpan2308 Exynos unfortunately got a bad reputation mostly due to its heating issues and lag after updates during the initial phase. But the current Exynos chipset is fairly stable. I would say it is perfect for a normal everyday user. But yeah obviously it’s nowhere near the efficiency of a snapdragon. The same comparison can be made of the Dimensity chipset. Great and reliable for most users.

Not to mention we have to give credit to samsung here. If they never made the Exynos chip, Qualcomm would charge much higher for their chips.