DL Awards 2015 Nominees: Best Tablets

Best Tablet (Over Nine Inches)

Apple iPad Air 2

Sure, Apple's new tablet does not offer a big leap but only incremental upgrades over its predecessor. But it has never been thinner or lighter. Thanks to a new A8X processor, it is also faster than ever.

New features include Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor and an anti-glare coating on the screen. The rear camera also gets a slight megapixel bump-up.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro

With its pico projector, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro can beam videos on a large screen. It can project a 50-inch image on a screen from 2m away. It also comes with good stereo speakers and a subwoofer.

But what we like best about this tablet is its 13.3-inch screen. Bright, vivid and boasting wide viewing angles, it looks simply lovely.

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro (12.2) LTE

This 12.2-inch tablet is a bold experiment at creating a slate that is suitable for productivity apps. It comes with a stylus that can used to save screenshots and webpages, along with taking notes.

To take advantage of the extra screen space, the Note is able to support four open apps simultaneously. It is also perfect for reading digital magazines or comics.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5) LTE

The premium 10-inch tablet in Samsung's line-up, the Tab S differentiates from its rivals with a Super Amoled display that boasts a significantly higher contrast ratio than standard LCD screens. As a result, blacks look even darker. The screen is also usable under bright sunlight. With a screen resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, text is crisp and clear.

Battery life is excellent, too. This tablet lasted 11 hours in our test, which means that it probably needs to be charged only once every two days.

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

With its waterproof ability, this Sony tablet opens up new usage possibilities, such as allowing someone to surf the Internet while having a leisurely soak in a hot tub. It also helps that this 10-inch slate weighs merely 445g, so you can hold it with one hand effortlessly.

At 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, the screen of the Xperia Z2 is not top of the class. But the rest of its specifications make it competitive. Battery life is surprisingly good at almost 11 hours despite its slim profile.

Next: Best Tablet (Below Nine Inches)

Best Tablet (Below Nine Inches)

Asus MeMO Pad 8

Asus has played it safe with the MeMO Pad 8. Its design is conservative and, frankly, a bit bland. In fact, it is simply a slimmer version of the previous model albeit with more colour choices.

What makes this tablet stand out is its excellent display. There is no air gap between the protective glass and the LCD. The tablet supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac and LTE, so you can always stay connected to the Internet.

Google Nexus 9

Built by HTC but designed by Google, the new Nexus tablet runs the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system and is unadulterated by third-party vendor customisations.

This minimalist device has a matte-finished back with rounded corners, and with metallic sides that add a premium touch. It is one of the first tablets to be equipped with a 64-bit processor from Nvidia.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 (8")

A cylindrical spine holds an ample battery and makes it easy for one to hold the tablet. Unlike most tablets, the Yoga has a built-in kickstand that lets you use the tablet in multiple ways. A hole in the middle of the stand allows you to hang the tablet from a hook.

Powered by an Intel Atom processor, the tablet comes with a full high-definition display and an 8-megapixel rear camera.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S (8.4) LTE

The smaller variant of Samsung's Galaxy Tab S has the same Super Amoled display as its 10.5-inch sibling. This display is bright with a high contrast ratio that results in vivid colours and deep blacks. It even has an identical 2,560 x 1,600-pixel screen resolution as the larger version.

A battery life exceeding 11 hours means it can last you an entire day or more. It weighs just 298g, making it easy to carry around.

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

This 8-inch slate is perfect for one-handed use. It is waterproof for up to 30 minutes in 1.5m of water.

At 270g, this slate makes a nice companion for e-book lovers. You can even mount it to a Sony PlayStation 4 controller with an optional accessory. This will let you play games streamed from the PlayStation console via Sony's Remote Play feature.

Next: Best Android Tablet

Best Android Tablet

Google Nexus 9

For purists who want the stock Android experience and the latest updates directly from Google, the Nexus 9 is the only choice.

It runs the new Android 5.0, a major update that introduces a new design language dubbed Material Design and a new power-saving mode that kicks in when the phone battery runs low.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro

With a built-in pico projector, this Lenovo slate is probably the most unique tablet of the year. The company has positioned it as an entertainment device but business users will find it useful for presentations on the go.

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

The Xperia Z2 has a toughness that belies its razor-thin profile. Indeed, this 10.1-inch Android tablet is more resistant to dust and water than its rivals. Its specifications are competitive while a battery life of almost 11 hours is better than most of the competition.

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro (12.2) LTE

Samsung is trying to change the perception that Android slates are for play and not work with the Note Pro. Its screen is larger than usual at 12.2 inches and it is able to fit four apps running in their own windows. A stylus for note-taking completes this productivity-oriented slate.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5) LTE

The calling card of this tablet is its Super Amoled display. Images just pop on this vivid screen, which boasts a high 2,560 x 1,600 screen resolution. Couple that with its long-lasting battery and you get a solid tablet.

Next: Best Windows Tablet

Best Windows Tablet

Acer Iconia W4

It may look dowdy with a plastic body. But the Acer Iconia W4 makes up for its looks with solid functionalities that include an excellent IPS screen and an affordable price tag. It also comes bundled with a copy of Microsoft Office.

Asus VivoTab Note 8

A Wacom digitiser stylus helps the VivoTab Note 8 stand out from its rivals. Users can vary their pen strokes for a more natural handwriting experience. The tablet itself has fairly standard hardware, including an Intel Atom CPU and an IPS screen.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

The third iteration of Microsoft's Surface tablet greatly improves on its predecessor. Despite a larger 12-inch display, it is thinner and lighter. The kickstand is more flexible while the screen resolution has been increased from 1,920 x 1,080 pixels to 2,160 x 1,440 pixels.

Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series

Designed for business users, this 10.8-inch tablet comes with a number of optional accessories (keyboard, stylus and dock) that transform it from tablet to laptop and even a desktop computer. Also worth mentioning is its full HD IPS screen, which is good for both work and entertainment.

Lenovo ThinkPad 8

The Lenovo ThinkPad 8 has excellent hardware such as a full-HD screen and a lightweight aluminium chassis. But its most unique feature has to do with its optional cover, called Quickshot. It has a special camera flap which automatically launches the camera app when turned down.

All reports by Oo Gin Lee, Sherwin Loh, Trevor Tan, Vincent Chang, Ebel Tang and Joshua Chen. For a chance to win and to vote, go to www.straitstimes.com/2015DigitalLifeAwards

This article was first published on Dec 17, 2014.
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