56 T3 OCTOBER 2020Top tablets for every task
WORKING & CREATING
Tablets can now be much more than just toys for the kids
or media consumption devices – the best tablets are
genuine laptop replacements (depending on exactly what
it is you want out of a laptop). You might have noticed
Apple and Microsoft in particular pushing their devices as
tablet-laptop hybrids, complete with clip-on keyboards
and even the option of using a mouse or a trackpad.
The Microsoft Surface devices definitely have an
advantage in this category, because they run the full
version of Windows – that means you’re able to run
Photoshop, Office and anything else you like, as well as
accessing everything on the web as normal. Apple is
trying its best to keep up with iPadOS, though you’re still
going to be stuck with limited versions of tools like
spreadsheet programs and video editors.
Where iPadOS has come on a lot in recent years is in
window management and task management. You can
now get two apps up side by side very easily, float some on
top of others, and even drag files between different apps.
Add in the dock and widget support and a strong App
Store, and the top-end iPads are very capable devices
when it comes to working and creating.
Android lags behind in terms of how powerful it is for
getting work done on the go, though you’ll still find awealth of image editors here, as well as very competent
versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint (plus Google
Docs, Sheets and Slides of course). Don’t discount
Android tablets completely if they give you the features
that you need (easy integration with other Android
devices and Google services, for example).
While you’re looking for a tablet focused on
productivity, look at the accessories available as well.
The iPad Pros have both the basic Smart Keyboard Folio
and the more expensive Magic Keyboard (complete with
trackpad) available, for example, while all four tablets
that we’ve picked out support their own dedicated stylus
accessory – though only Samsung includes it in the box.
For this particular category, you do need to take a
look at internal component specs such as processor
speed and memory, just as you would if you were
choosing a laptop. Better specs mean more apps (and
browser tabs) open at once, and the capacity to handle
bigger files, without your tablet crawling to a halt.
This all pushes the price up, but in return you’ll get a
tablet that’s much more capable and much faster. It also
means that your purchase will be future-proofed for
years to come – so you can take advantage of apps and
OSes that are likely to get even more capable over time.1 LENOVO TAB P11 PRO
Lenovo is putting out some seriously top-end Android
tablets that have the necessary style and the performance
to take on the top-end iPads that Apple releases. The P11
Pro brings with it some very capable internal components,
a bright and sharp 11.5-inch display, and the option of a
keyboard case and stylus.
Around £623, lenovo.com1