How to buy a tablet?
Everything about buying a tablet... In 2025.
(made on a tablet btw)Conveniently from top to bottom here is a list of the most to least important things. Click whatever you want to know or just one button after another just like the numbers go.
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Brand
In case of Tablets of all things, brand matters.Just buy from reliable brands, as these offer
reliable products and System updates
which are crucial for apps to function.1. Samsung, Lenovo and Apple
2. Huawei and Xiaomi
3. Realme, Oneplus and OppoThis site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
or sponsored by any of the mentioned Companies.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Screens:
Okay let's start with the basics:
Screen size and type.Screen sizes:
Tablets commonly come in sizes of:8.7" = 22.1 cm
10" = 25.4 cm
11" = 27.9 cm
12" = 30.5 cm
13" = 33.0 cm
14" = 35.6 cmGenerally in sizes from 8" to 15"
(For reference, 1 inch = 2.54cm)Why give screen size not tablet size? Well... Every tablets exact size is different, depends what the manufacturer designs it. This is why I can't give a one fits all size.The one you chose depends on... Well... Your needs and what you want to do with your tablets.
My recommendation is: 10" or more but not more than 12" if you want to travel around with it.Next thing on the list: screen resolution.These are:
HD: 1280 x 720 pixels
FHD: 1920 x 1080 pixels
2K: 2048 x 1080 pixels
3K: 3072 x 1620 pixels
4K: 3840 x 2160 pixels.Screen resolution should depend on screen size.
Generally everything below HD (including HD in tablets above 8.7") is outdated and I wouldn't buy anything below FHD regardless of screen size.Next we have...
Screen types, which there are:OLED: Crisp colors, usually less battery life though, found in high end (expensive) tablets, is prone to burn-in though.Ultra Retina XDR: Crisp colors, good battery life.
Found in Apple's high end tablets.Super AMOLED: Crisp colors, although less than OLED, offers better battery life than OLED, you can see more in direct sunlight than you would see with AMOLED.
Found in high end tablets.AMOLED: Crisp colors too although a bit less than OLED, offers better battery life than OLED. found in higher end and mid range tablets.Liquid Retina: Good color accuracy, bare minimum for graphical work. Offers good battery life.
Found in Apple's Mid range and high end tablets.IPS LCD: Not great colors (100% sRGB should be there though) not recommended for graphical work, fine for gaming or watching videos though. Offers good battery life but is prone to burn-in, found in mid range and some low end tablets.IPS TFT: Usually desaturated colors (below or way below 100% sRGB), good battery life, found in low end tablets.Other than that... Refresh rate
On the refresh rate depends how many of the fps your Tablet generates you will be able to see.
Note though that a higher refresh rate means the tablet eats more power. Usually there is a 60 Hz mode with the highest refresh rate though.There are several refresh rates:
60 Hz - the basics, a small bit "outdated" by 2025 though, it's just a smooth screen. Nothing less, nothing more.
Found in low end and mid range tablets.
90 Hz - a bit better than 60 Hz,
I'd call this the "standard" for 2025
and up even though of course
Found in mid range tablets and some low end ones.
the industry standard is still 60 Hz.
120 Hz - if you want to game on your tablet,
this is the way to go.
Found on mid range to high end tablets.
144 Hz and above - Extremely smooth, it's the best of the best, found in high end Tablets.At last Screen Coating
There are 2 of these.It's either Matte or Reflective
Matte absorbs light better than the ladder and makes the screen's contents visible better if something glows onto the screen.This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
Or sponsored by any of the mentioned Companies.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
RAM and ROMBut isn't the CPU
(or actually SoC standing for System on Chip)
more important? Well...
For performance?
Of course, yes.
But if you value longevity over Performance just like I do...
Not so much.More on that in the "Why this way?" Section.First...
RAM amount
There are Several:< 2 GB - Just no. Like really, I "used" a 1GB RAM tablet for years. You don't want to. Outdated.
This is found in ultra low end tablets.
3 GB - for watching videos and scrolling the web at best,
it's found in low end tablets.
4 GB - If you consider gaming, this is a beginning. Though if you want your tablet to perform for longer than
minus 7 years... It's better to get more.
Found in low end and mid range tablets.
6 GB - Solid amount for basic
work and gaming is possible on that too.
Found in mid range tablets.
8 GB - Good amount for gaming and multitasking, from experience: can also do video editing. I personally wouldn't buy anything lower than this. Found in mid range tablets.
12 GB - A solid amount for some future proofing and multitasking. Great for gaming too. Found in mid range to high end tablets.
16 GB - Best you can get.
Found in high end tablets.ROM Amount
(Which is the tablets memory):< 32 GB - Just no.
Unless it's expandable.
Found in ultra low end tablets.64 GB - Sufficient for some apps and basic stuff.
I would make sure it's expandable though.
Found in low end tablets.128 GB Solid storage amount unless you do a lot of photo/video editing or record a lot with your tablet for whatever reason you would do such a thing.
Found in low end to mid range tablets.256 GB - Good storage amount for now and the future.
Found in mid range and high end tablets.512 GB - Plenty of space.
Found in high end tablets.1 TB - This will last a long time, found in high end tablets.>1 TB - You have too much money.
Found in ultra high end tablets.This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
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SoCAh yes, the System on Chip
or the tablets CPU and GPU in one.Here we have a range of manufacturers to chose from, as well as a range of SoC's to chose from.Core amounts
This is simple.
- 4 in low end tablets
- 6 in low end and mid range tablets
- 8 in some low end, but rather mid range and high end tablets.
- 9 or 10 in high end tablets and
other tablets of very specific brands.I generally don't recommend buying less than 6 cores,
8 are optimal and also the most common option.SoC ManufacturersThe main ones will be:
- Apple with the Apple M Series
These are found in Apple's Tablets only.
- Qualcomm with the Snapdragon Series
These are found in tablets of all price ranges.
- MediaTek with the Helio and Dimensity Series
Helio is found in low and mid range tablets,
Dimensity in mid range and high end tablets
- Samsung with the Exynos Series
These are found in some Samsung Tablets
- ARM with the ARM-Cortex Series
These are found in rather Low end tablets.
- UNISOC with the Spreadtrum and Unisoc Series
Spreadtrum is found in low end tablets,
Unisoc in mid range to high end ones.
- Allwinner with the Allwinner Series
Allwinner SoC's are found in low end tablets.
- HiSilicon with the Kirin Series
These are found in low end tablets
- Rockchip with the Rockchip Series
These are found in ultra low end tabletsGenerally: Qualcomm and Apple are
the best for performance and longevity.
MediaTek, ARM's and Samsung's Chips are also decent, not for the best gaming or rendering Performance though.
Allwinner, HiSilicon and Rockchip SoC's i advice to avoid.This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
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Connectivity and Expansion OptionsConnectivity...
That is:Wifi which there is:
Wifi 802.11 b = up to 11mb/s* (wifi1, 2.4G)
Wifi 802.11 a = up to 54 mb/s* (wifi2, 5G)
Wifi 802.11 g = up to 54 mb/s* (Wifi3, 2.4G)
Wifi 802.11 n = up to 600 mb/s* (Wifi4, 2.4G)
Wifi 802.11 ac = up to 6933mb/s* (Wifi5, 2.4G/5G)
Wifi 802.11 ax = up to 9608 mb/s* (Wifi6/6E 2.4G/5G)As you can see there is a "*" by every speed.
Why? These speeds are not the actual speeds you will get, but the maximal bandwidth of these wifi types.Next we have Bluetooth:With the most common standards for tablets being:4.2 for low end tablets
5.0, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 for mid range tablets
5.4 and 6.0 for high end tablets.As Bluetooth is backwards compatible this shouldn't be a concern, despite there being a difference of 11 years between Bluetooth 4.2 and 6.0.
The newer (higher number = newer) standards give a lot of technical and Bandwidth improvements.Mobile Data Connection Options:
If you want to have internet connections on the go, look for tablets that support LTE, 3G, 4G and 5G as these are mobile data versions.
These tablets also usually feature a micro SIM or SIM slot.GPS Connection
Useful if you use your tablet during travel or for maps.
There are several types of GPS dependent mostly on world region, your tablet should have the right one for your region. Just ensure it has GPS if you need it.Expansion Options:
Or in other words: does the tablet have a MicroSD card slot?
This feature is found in devices of all price ranges and I heavily recommend getting a tablet that supports it as it may come in handy if you run out of space.
Tablets are non-upgradeable except for this one thing,
which is why I consider it importantThis site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
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BatteryOn the battery depends how long the tablet will last on 1 charge.
There are 2 important things when it comes to batteries;
Capacity and typeBattery Capacities
They come with capacities or from 5000mAh to 12000mAh, generally the more expensive the device the bigger the battery capacity, unless its for a specific use case stated by the manufacturer.I recommend buying a tablet with a bigger battery, as it lasts longer without charging and offers a longer battery livespan.Battery TypesThis site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
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Other Features
(The most common ones)
Other Features range from OTG to Audio EnhancementsIPXX rating - A rating determining whether the tablet
is dust and waterproof.
For example IP68 means it's resistant against both
.
OTG - Enables you to connect other devices and Pendrive's through the tablets port.Dolby Atmos - A Spatial Audio Enhancement.Any other Features like additional speakers like in the "Lenovo Tab Plus 11.5" or a in-built Stand exist too and are tablet specific.TÜV Rating - a rating certifying that the tablet generates less blue light and your eyes won't hurt after prolonged use.This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
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What? Why? And what are you yapping?If you came here you probably know something more about computers and Mobile devices.
And Probably spotted that something on this website is off.Let me tell you what it is and why:
Probably what I'm recommending at all and in what order.Here's the thing:
I recommend stuff for maximum longevity not maximum Performance.This is why I care about brand and Resources more than Power for dollar.I have experience with gaming on and using low end devices (Intel Celeron Laptop with 2GBs of ram and a tablet with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of ROM for that matter)
I have seen how they all worked and this including knowledge from the internet is what I'm recommending based off of.
Not only what I've read in ads and on Reddit or 4chan.I calculate in slightly more power and resource for all tasks so that it's sufficient for a long time, not only for the next year.And yeah I know.
Devices can break and as soon as android is too outdated there is no use of the deviceFor the first thing...
Well yeah, this is why I recommend trusted brands.
These are less prone to break and have better customer service.The second thing, you would be surprised what one can do with a tablet if they have a microSD card and computer.
Using older apps does revive even a Android KitKat (4.4.4) device.
I know cause I did it personally.This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
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