Digital Life Awards 2015: The best tablets

Digital Life Awards 2015: The best tablets

Best tablet (over nine inches)

Editor's choice:
Apple iPad Air 2

Apple may have suffered its first-ever dip in iPad sales, but its latest iPad Air 2 is still the tablet to beat. Our readers felt the same, as most of them picked the iPad.

Yes, the best Android tablets have comparable hardware and look just as slim and attractive as the iPad. But Apple still holds the upper hand when it comes to apps.

You are more likely to find iOS than Android apps designed to take advantage of the larger screen of the 9.7-inch iPad.

While the iPad Air 2 looks like the original, Apple has further whittled down the weight and thickness of the new model. The Touch ID fingerprint sensor has been added to the iPad Air 2, though our favourite upgrade is the screen.

Besides having a new anti-glare coating, the screen no longer has an air gap between the glass and the display.

Readers' choice:
Apple iPad Air 2
83.9 per cent of total votes

Other finalists:
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Pro Samsung Galaxy Note Pro (12.2")
LTE Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5")
LTE Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

Best tablet (below nine inches)

Editor's choice:
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

Last year saw a spike in small tablets with 8-inch screens. Whether this was due to the growth in phablets is subject to debate. But this trend did result in a competitive field of 8-inch slates that offered top-class hardware.

Our pick is the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, though the award could have easily gone to Samsung's Galaxy Tab S.

Either tablet offers a premium experience with excellent screens and slim, lightweight chassis.

What the Xperia has over its rivals is a unique waterproofing feature. The Sony tablet also supports the PlayStation Remote Play feature that lets you stream PlayStation 4 games to the tablet.

The Z3 even comes with a separate gaming mount that attaches the slate to a PlayStation DualShock controller.

Readers' choice:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S (8.4") LTE
52.4 per cent of total votes

Other finalists:
Asus MeMO Pad 8
Google Nexus 9
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 (8")

Best Android tablet

Editor's choice:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5") LTE

Last year was a year to forget for Samsung, as it was squeezed by both low-cost mobile devices and Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

But its Android tablets remain the best in the market, with two Samsung models being nominated in our awards.

The more interesting device, the Galaxy Note Pro, aims to make the tablet more of a device for office productivity tasks than watching videos or playing games. It has a large 12-inch screen, a stylus and software geared towards multitasking. But its weight and size will take some getting used to.

The Note Pro is a good first attempt, but in the end, we chose the Galaxy Tab S (10.5") LTE. This is a premium tablet that will not surprise you with cutting-edge features. But it does everything well, with its excellent hardware, sleek design and vivid Super Amoled screen.

Readers' choice:
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro (12.2") LTE
36.9 per cent of total votes

Other finalists:
Google Nexus 9
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Pro Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

Best Windows tablet

Editor's choice:
Microsoft Surface Pro 3

What a turnaround for Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet. Early versions, especially the Surface RT model, were deemed failures. But Microsoft did not give up, despite losing almost US$2 billion (S$2.5 billion) in the process.

Bearing a host of improvements, from a new Type Cover keyboard to a kickstand that can be adjusted from 22 to 150 degrees, the latest Surface Pro 3 appears to be a moderate success so far.

Part of the reason the Surface Pro 3 works is that it is designed for business users, with its 3:2 aspect ratio, stylus support and notebook-class hardware.

In short, the Surface Pro 3 does not so much compete with the Apple iPad, but provides a good alternative as an ultraportable laptop.

Readers' choice:
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
63.6 per cent of total votes

Other finalists:
Acer Iconia W4
Asus VivoTab Note 8
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series
Lenovo ThinkPad 8

 


This article was first published on Jan 28, 2015.
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