Apple products have reached peak cultural dominance. What phones do most of your friends own? iPhones. When you think of a tablet, you think of the iPad, right? Yes, Apple products are beautifully designed and often at the forefront of technology — but they’re not the only laptop, phone, and tablet-producers out there. It’s time we stop thinking of Apple as the only option.
If you’re looking for a tablet — whether it’s for a lighter and more compact laptop alternative, e-reading, media-sharing, music-playing, or just because it looks sleek and futuristic — there are many options and factors to consider. First, is pricing. You’ll be able to find a tablet for less than $100 easily — sure, the features may be a bit limited, but if you’re looking for one for your baby nephew or grandma to slap around while trying to figure out Candy Crush, that might be all you need. A higher price will get you more power, higher-res, more features, more storage space, and better camera and sound quality.
Here are some of the best iPad alternatives on the market, what they do, and why they’re worth your hard-earned cash.
Lenovo Smart Tab M10
An affordable and solid option. The Lenovo Tab M10 is the perfect entry-level tablet. The “smart” version comes with built-in Amazon Alexa and a speaker dock, which is worth the extra $. The tablet is plastic but well-made and is super lightweight and thin. The cameras aren’t amazing — 5MP on the back, 2MP on the front — and the speaker isn’t the best, but the screen quality is solid, with a 1920x1200 resolution on 10.1 inches. With 32GB of storage, you’ll have plenty of room for your media. The OS and apps perform well and should be able to smoothly handle basic tasks.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Apple's long-standing rival delivers an alternative that probably won't be shopped by those looking for a more affordable price tag to the iPad. Retailing at around $800, the Surface Pro is an ultra-lightweight tablet with an all-day battery life that will exceed most iPads, though. Coming with a stylus pen, it offers a slightly more professional feel, too.
Samsung T830 Galaxy Tab S4 WI-Fi
Positioned as the perfect tablet for drawing on, but also packing desktop-like capabilities via the Samsung Dex function, the Galaxy Tab 4 might be a good fit for artists and for-business tablet users alike. It's not all work though, Galaxy Tab S4's speakers are powered by Dolby Atmos surround sound to give a superior sound quality that makes listening to music and watching movies a more immersive experience.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
With a battery capacity of 7,300mAh lasting for up to 16 hours of video playback and fast-charging capacity, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is the perfect tablet for those who are looking for long-lasting battery life. This premium tablet has a big, great-quality display — 16:10, 10.5-inch, 2,560x1,600-pixels Super AMOLED — and 4 AKG-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos sound, making it ideal for entertaining.
Amazon Fire HD 10
While not the most high-tech out there, Amazon’s Fire HD 10 is a solid, and very affordable (think: half the price of the iPad) tablet, with a great battery life, updated charging tech (recently updated so now it’s tank fills up 30% faster than previous models), and a good screen at 1080p HD. It’s also the most accessible way into the rest of Amazon, including shopping and Prime, so if your consuming Amazon already, this will make your life even more seamless.
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