Overview
With smartphone packed with so many features, most people rarely invest in tablets or phablets anymore. As a result, there has been a steep decline in the sales of tablets.
However, there are still plenty of reasons for purchasing a tablet. Maybe, you like a device to absorb your leisure time or to supplement your television watching with Twitter. Perhaps, you do not require a full-blown laptop, but require something, which is larger than a Smartphone, or possibly, you are looking to purchase a simple-to-use gadget in your life. Whatever the motive, there is a tablet available for you. Here are some helpful ways to choose the right tablet for your needs.
Decide the type of tablet
While buying a tablet, you can choose from two options. You can opt for a convertible one or a stand-alone one.
- Convertible gadgets come with the flexibility of the computer. These two-in-one devices have a removable keyboard or they come as a full-scale laptop with a touch screen.
- Stand-alone ones assume the form of a huge Smartphone, meaning they come with a big touch screen, a charging connector and a handful of keys on the case. They typically weigh from one to two pounds and half an inch thick, so they are compact and easily portable. You can operate them using their touch screen, but you have to couple them with a Bluetooth keyboard.
Decide the size
The size of a tablet is decided by the size of its screen, which comes in different sizes, ranging from 6 inches to 18.4 inches. If you are seeking something light and small, you can opt for the one that has the screen size of 7-inch or less than that.
Tablets with the screen size of 10 inches offer a superior balance between portability and output, but they cannot be used with a single hand. Tablets with a 12.9-inch screen size will be less portable, but they are the appropriate substitutes to laptops.
There are also notebook-tablet hybrids, which usually come with the screen size between 11 and 13 inches, but they are inclined to be bulkier, so they are not the preferable ones if the weight and size are your major priorities.
Decide the operating system
Operating systems play a vital role while buying a tablet, as they offer you the real value for your money. Most tablets come equipped with the diverse latest version of operating systems, such as iOS 9, Android, Windows 10, etc. Before deciding the operating system for your tablet, it is better to have basic knowledge about them.
- iOS 9 is the latest and the best version of OS of Apple, as it controls all present generation of iPad models and smartphones. Moreover, it comes with numerous additions that offer your iPad a bit additional flexibility, owing to new split-screen multi-job features. However, your hardware choices are restricted with iOS, when compared to that of Windows and Android, as you have to choose only the iPad tablets.
- Android tablets have no lack of options, both in terms of software and hardware. While Android is apparently the mobile OS of Google, there is no combined Android. Moreover, most tablet manufacturers modify Android to suit their requirements or incorporate features to distinguish their tablets from the rivalry. You can also get plenty of hardware options.
- Windows 10 is the latest version of Windows, which has been designed upon the base Microsoft put in Windows 8 and 8.1. It is also easy to use on a tablet than before. Windows 10 OS offers a number of allowances to tablet consumers, such as big, touch-affable window controls and keys, a Tablet Mode and a variety of touch-screen gestures. Windows remains a lot oriented around the mouse and keyboard, though, so some features and apps may be uncomfortable to use a touch screen.
Battery life
Although tablets come with a set of durable batteries, their performance varies according to the models. Hence, it is better to know the battery life of your proposed tablet while buying the one that offers a long-lasting battery life.
Purpose of using a tablet
It is vital to decide the usage of your proposed tablet, whether it is for home, office, games or for your kids.
If you are using your tablet in your home for browsing, listening to music, or email, etc., you have no need to opt for a higher-end tablet. Tablets with some basic features with a lower price tag are more than sufficient.
For office use, you will have to opt for the one that comes with the screen size of at least 9 inches. You can opt for the iPad latest or run models, Google Nexus, and other bigger models.
For gaming purposes, any iPad tablet is an ideal option. However, there are also some inexpensive options, such as the game-focused Android tablet, the NVidia Shield tablet K1. It comes with an 8-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 2GB memory.
For your kids, you have to consider some vital factors, such as price, size, robustness and parental-control features. A tablet with the screen size of seven inches is an ideal option, as it is appropriate for small hands. Regarding pricing, you can choose the Fire Kids Edition, as it comes in a compact size, with rubber bumpers, kid-friendly interface, and parental controls.
The tablet market is somewhat a wide-ranging sector, where tablets go from being minor devices to justifiable laptop substitutes. You will acquire faster processors, larger screens, additional features and, in general, more storage capacity. Hence, it is better to decide your purpose of use and your budget before buying the right tablet.
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