How to Choose a Tablet in 2018

By Steven, IT Superhero

Large smartphones seem to be all the rage these days, and people are getting larger and larger screens so they can consume more and more data, whether that be on Facebook, Instagram, Netflix or simply surfing the web and being able to see more on screen.

For some, the tablet is still the best option when wanting to consume information from the comfort of your lounge room, sitting in front of the TV, but with so many on the market these days, it can be hard to know which tablet to choose.

Many people will go for the largest screen or the one they see advertised the most, but is this the best for your needs or are you spending more money than necessary?

Let’s take a look at what you need to consider when looking for a tablet.

Operating system:  iOS (Apple) or Android (or Windows)

• As with phones, there are different platforms and if choosing a tablet, it will be best to choose one similar to your phone so that the transition from phone to tablet will be smoother
• This will also allow you to use the same apps on your phone with your tablet (provided the apps are made for both tablet and phone)

Screen Size: Bigger is not always better

How you use your tablet will determine the screen size you need, as tablet screens can be anywhere from 7 to 10+ inches across.

• Larger screens are great for watching movies and playing games, but surfing the web and sending emails can be done on a smaller screen
• If you intend to watch movies on the bus, a large screen size is great but is heavier, and needs to be carried, potentially with its own bag, which makes it more difficult than something with a smaller screen

Things to consider when looking at screen size

• Where will you be using the tablet
  • Home
  • Work
  • On the go and being carried around
• What is it for?
  • Sending emails
  • Writing up documents or viewing spreadsheets
  • Watching movies
  • Taking pictures
  • Playing games

Features: Is there anything specific you want on your tablet?

If you’re playing a lot of games or listening to music, you may need larger storage so look for something with 64GB storage and higher, or at least a tablet that allows for expandable memory with a Micro SD card slot.

If you are using the tablet out of the house and do not want to tether your phone to provide internet access, you will need a tablet with 4G LTE connectivity that can use a mobile SIM card.

The amount of RAM or memory will also provide an increase in performance. Look for at least 2GB for good performance and the higher the better. However, Apple devices have a different computer architecture and run very fast on lower amounts of RAM so 1GB is fine for most iPads.

Price: How does this work with everything else?

While you may think this needs to be at the top of the list, all of the above will affect the price of the ideal tablet and while best to be considered at the start, it is also something to think about after the other factors have been looked into.

While many people would think buying a tablet is relatively simple, this just goes to show that there’s a lot more to be considered than you’d think.
If you know anyone considering a tablet purchase make sure to share this with them – and keep an eye out for more ‘how to choose…’ posts from us in the future!