Una tablet can be a very practical portable work tool. With it you can do almost the same as with a conventional PC, but it is much lighter and more compact than a laptop and they tend to have better autonomy. Great advantages when your job involves moving from one place to another. In addition, with tablets with LTE connectivity (4G / 5G), you can also have data to connect to the Internet wherever you are, as if it were a mobile phone.
If you need a good make and model to use for work, you should be aware of some of the best tablets for these purposes, as well as certain technical details that are especially important when it comes to choosing a device for this.
Comparison of tablets to work
There are many tablet brands and models, but not all of them are good enough to work with. For this reason, you should look for a tablet with enough performance to improve productivity when handling certain apps, and with technical characteristics that allow you to do your work efficiently and comfortably. For this, the best are:
Apple iPad Pro
It is not only one one of the best tablets on the market, it is also one of the best devices if you plan to work with it. Among other reasons, its operating system is very robust, stable and secure, allowing you to have a platform on which to work without worrying about anything. In addition, your App Store is very careful, so malware or malicious apps should not be a problem, something essential if you are going to handle bank, tax, customer data, etc.
The iPad Pro also has a large 12.9 ″ screen, to see everything you do much better. And with Liquid Retina XDR technology, with a very high pixel density to offer quality images and reduce eye fatigue, something essential when you spend many hours in front of it. It also has image enhancement technologies like ProMotion and TrueTone.
Su powerful M2 chip it will also offer great performance for all types of applications, including databases, spreadsheets, and other professional apps that are commonly used. You will also have acceleration for AI applications thanks to the Neural Engine, which is always a bonus. To all this we must add enviable hardware, with large internal storage capacity, WiFi 6 connectivity, an excellent camera for video conferencing, and the iCloud cloud service at your disposal so you don't lose anything.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
La Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra It is a remarkable tablet, and now that its price has dropped a little after it has been on the market for a while, even more so. What really differentiates this tablet from the rest is its screen.
This is one of the few tablets that has a screen Dynamic AMOLED 2x with HDR10+ and 120 Hz, which gives you much better contrast than any other LCD tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is also super thin and offers different feature packages, all of them premium and with very high performance and quality. It has microSD, Wi-Fi ac, MHL, among other features. These are things you won't get from an iPad... Plus, it has an in-screen fingerprint scanner and S-Pen.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
It is the other great alternative to Apple, but in this case with an operating system Microsoft Windows 11. A way to have all the software available on your desktop PC, but in a small device with great autonomy. This tablet is more than that, with a keyboard and touchpad that can be attached to the touch screen to use as a laptop or removed to transform into a tablet.
You can take advantage of software licenses you have for PC, such as if you have a subscription for Microsoft Office, Adobe software, or anything else. And do not think that because it is a tablet with great autonomy, light and compact, it will have a lower performance, since it has an impressive performance.
As for the hardware, it includes a processor Latest generation Intel Core i5 or i7, 8-16 GB RAM low consumption, 128-512 GB of SSD to store what you want at high speed, integrated Intel UHD GPU, and a 13″ screen with a resolution of 2736 × 1824 px.
How to choose tablet to work
To acquire a good tablet to work, you should not look at technical specifications in the same way as if it were a tablet for home use. You should pay attention to the following:
Screen
Think that here size can prevail over autonomy and dimensions. In order not to strain your eyes and to be able to work more comfortably, you should always choose tablets 10″ or larger. A smaller screen could improve battery life by not having to power such a large panel, but it would surely be quite uncomfortable, especially if you are going to use it for many hours.
Also, certain applications for reading, designing, viewing graphics, or writing will need a larger panel if you want to work well. As for the type of panel and resolution, it is not so vital. A IPS LED could be fine, and with a FullHD resolution at least.
Connectivity
Apart from the NFC, Bluetooth, and USB port to connect external keyboards or transfer files, it is also important that you look at other details, such as the possibility of using a SIM card with a data rate for LTE connectivityEither 4G or 5G. This type of tablets will allow you to connect to the Internet anywhere, without the need to have a WiFi nearby, which can be key if you do your work outside the office or home.
Autonomy
This factor is key in any type of tablet, but more so if it is a tablet to work with. The reason is that working days usually last about 8 hours, so the battery should last at least that amount of time, without seeing your work interrupted because it's dead. There are tablets on the market with really long autonomy, with 10, 13 or more hours, which is a great advantage.
Hardware
It is always recommended that the tablet for work has decent hardware, mid to high end, avoiding low end chips that can have a lower speed and end up frustrating your work. In these cases, Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 or 800 Series chips are preferable, or the Apple A-Series and M-Series, and even x86 chips like the Intel Core. They all perform superbly.
In addition, also think about other areas such as the memory Available RAM, which should be 4GB and up to be decent. Of course, we must not forget the internal memory, especially if the tablet lacks the possibility of using an SD memory card. Think about the number of files you are going to store and choose the correct size. Personally I would not recommend sizes smaller than 128 GB.
Work apps
Both in the Microsoft Store, as in the Google Play and the Apple App Store, there are endless special apps to improve productivity and work with documents, forms, spreadsheets, presentations, customer databases, email management, etc. Therefore, regardless of the tablet, this will not be a problem.
Cameras
This may not seem critical to you, but with telecommuting and the proliferation of video calls, having a good sensor can be essential. With a good camera they will be able to see you better and you will be able to show all the details to your clients or partners. But remember that you always have to accompany a good camera with good connectivity to avoid cuts or jerks in the broadcasts ...
Is a tablet good for work?
The answer is yes, if a mobile phone can serve as a pocket office, to receive and send email, have a contact book and calendar, apps to communicate, office automation, etc., a tablet will allow you all this but with a larger screen , which makes everything more comfortable and simple. In addition, you can add keyboards to help you with writing.
A tablet can perfect replacement for a laptop to work, being cheaper, lighter, compact and with greater autonomy, which are all advantages. What's more, if it's a tablet like the Surface Pro, which can be turned into a laptop or tablet whenever you want, you'll have the best of both worlds in one device. If the tablet has x86 chips and a Windows operating system, the differences between a PC and a tablet become even more blurred ...
And thanks to technologies such as Google's Chromecast or Apple's AirPlay, as well as the connections HDMI or USB (MHL or Mobile High Definition Link), you can link your tablet to a TV or larger screen for your presentations, etc.
Is a tablet or a convertible laptop better for work?
Some will still be hesitating between a tablet to work, or a convertible or 2 in 1. Each of these devices has its own advantages and disadvantages that you should know to evaluate which one best suits your needs:
- Performance: A convertible or 2-in-1 laptop usually has more powerful hardware compared to a pure tablet, so if you are looking for performance, it is better to go for the former.
- Operating System: Generally, you will find iPadOS or Android on the tablet, and even other operating systems such as Huawei's MarmonyOS, ChromeOS in some specific cases, and FireOS on Amazon tablets. They all have a multitude of apps available, but you might need something more. In that case, you should think of a convertible or 2-in-1 laptop with Windows as the work platform, so that all the PC software is also compatible with your tablet.
- MobilityIf you are looking for a lightweight device that you can easily carry from one place to another, store it anywhere, and with a battery that lasts for many hours, it is best that you opt for a tablet to work, since you will get a compact and with fantastic autonomy.
- Usability: both tablets and laptops have a fairly good user-friendliness. All modern operating systems are geared towards providing user-friendliness. However, there are tasks that can be more uncomfortable on a tablet, such as writing long texts. However, this has a solution, and that is to equip your tablet with a keyboard so that it is equated with a convertible or 2 in 1.
- Peripherals and connectivity: in this the tablet loses the battle, since it has less connection possibilities as it lacks some ports present in laptops, such as HDMI, and USB-A, etc. Fortunately, there are many wireless possibilities and adapters for tablets on the market.
- Uses: if you are going to use it for apps with light loads, office automation, leisure, navigation, mailing, etc., a tablet may be more than enough. On the other hand, if you plan to use heavy loads such as coding, compilation, virtualization, use of large databases, rendering, etc., better look for a high-performance team.
My opinion
En conclusion, a tablet for work can replace any PC or laptop for elementary software such as text editors, web browsers, calendar, email, office automation, etc. They can perform almost the same tasks, also providing comfort, lightness, and autonomy. They even allow you to add gadgets that will make your work much easier, such as a digital pen for creative work or annotations by hand, or external keyboards + touchpads for writing. If your work needs a device with which to travel and move freely, a tablet with LTE connectivity is what you need. It will be worth it and save you a lot of inconvenience associated with other equipment.
But remember, if you are looking to use the device to heavy loads, gamingetc, then you should think of a higher performance desktop or workstation PC ...