ecosystems that you’re already invested in.
If everything else in your life is Apple –
your iPhone, your Mac, your Apple TV
streaming box – then it makes more sense to
go for an iPad to complete the set. If you
spend a lot of time inside Amazon apps and
services, meanwhile, then a Fire tablet
might be more appropriate.
That extends to digital assistants too,
remember. You might already be particularly
friendly with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri,
and that needs to be factored into your
purchasing decision. We’re not saying you
can’t use an iPad if you prefer Google apps,
or you can’t use an Android tablet alongsideCheck up on the
freebies and bundles
available with the
tablets on your list
RECOMMENDED APPS FOR YOUR NEW TABLET
A device is only as good as the apps that run on it
The quality of your affordable tablet
experience will ultimately depend on the apps
you install and run – and the good news is
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selection of superb apps right out of the box.
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some give you free tiers).
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options for productivity. If they don’t tempt
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alternatives from Apple (though they’re onlyDYDLODEOHRQL3DGV RU\RXFDQLQVWDOOWKH
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as you’re willing to pay the subscription fee.
If you’re wanting to get creative on your
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on iPads unfortunately (BandLab is a decent
alternative for Android). On the drawing and
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and Procreate.
Tablets are perfect for catching up on
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web articles you haven’t had time to check
out yet: we recommend Instapaper or Pocket
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content from your web browser). Digital
comic book fans will love ComiXology and
L&RPLFVPHDQZKLOHPlex is another app we’d like to
recommend for your tablet. Install it on your
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and photos to wherever your tablet happens
to be – it’s like having your own private
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media library saved on your computer in
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necessarily have to settle for the web
browser that comes with your tablet: the
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alternatives. There are plenty of app
categories (and games) that we don’t have
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enough to keep you going.access to it? What sort of apps and services
are you going to want to run? Is camera
quality something that you’re expecting to
be relying on?
If your tablet is mostly going to be used
for watching movies and shows, for example,
then your priorities in regards to what you’re
looking for are going to be different than if
you’re looking for a device to do some digital
doodling with – in the latter case, you’ll
want to make sure that the tablet supports
a decent stylus, and has plenty of creative
drawing apps for you to choose between.
As always when choosing a new gadget,
you also need to be mindful of the digital
an iPhone, but you need to weigh all of this
up when you are considering what to spend
your money on.
When it comes to the look and feel of the
tablet you’re going to be investing in, you’ll
notice that some affordable slates are built to
be more durable and heavy duty than others.
This is something else to consider: if you’re
going to be letting kids near your tablet, or
just want something you can throw on the
sofa without panicking about it, then the
more robust the device the better (bear in
mind that you can always pick up a case to
help with this, if necessary).
Finally, check up on the freebies and
bundles available with the tablets on yourshortlist. Pick up an Amazon tablet for
your brood of youngsters, for example, and
you typically get a year’s subscription to
the Amazon Kids+ service, featuring
hundreds of thousands of age-appropriate
games, videos and ebooks. Purchase a new
iPad, on the other hand, and you might
find you get a few months of an Apple TV+
or Apple Music subscription thrown in as
part of the deal.50 T3 DECEMBER 2021The complete guide to...