5 best accessories for your tablet

Is it worth saving on a case to protect an expensive device from the vicissitudes of fate? We think not. Manufacturers themselves offer protective covers as soon as a new tablet hits the market. If you are going to buy or have already bought a gadget, then you should also look at the “clothes” for it. Usually, they protect the screen or the entire body. In addition, you can choose the colour of the cover to match the colour of the gadget or to your taste, since a wide palette is available.

Another benefit of using the cover is that it can act as a kickstand when you're about to type on the built-in on-screen keyboard or watch videos. Fold the cover in a special way and the tablet will stand on a flat surface at an optimal slope (user-friendly). This "chip" was first introduced by Apple into branded iPad cases, and then other manufacturers adopted it.

There are covers for many popular tablets and entire series on the market: ASUS Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle HD, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Tab 4, etc. The most interesting model is the branded accessory Smart Cover for iPad Air. The inner side of the cover, facing the screen, is made of soft microfibre, and the outer side is made of dense polyurethane, so the screen is protected from damage. Its ability to "sleep" or wake up the tablet when you open and close its screen makes it one of the best models. There is no need to make any additional settings, and the cover is securely attached to the magnets built into the iPad Air case.

And the downside of the Apple iPad Air Smart Cover is that this “smart” cover only protects one side of the tablet from the side of the screen, while the back remains open. Therefore, if you are going to often use the tablet outside the home, you can choose a more reliable, but less functional, case. For example, Belkin Snap Shield for iPad or SGP Griff Leather Case for iPad.

All tablets have built-in on-screen keyboards. And as long as you don't plug in an external one, they seem to fulfill your needs for chatting with friends or writing letters. But as soon as you take on something more or less voluminous, for example, a report at work, it becomes clear that the speed of typing and convenience on the on-screen keyboard of the tablet is less than with the usual one (with the usual keys). And since you can hide the virtual layout with an external keyboard, the usable area on the screen will also increase.

Such devices may have nuances associated with the Cyrillic layout. For example, some letters are not in their usual "places", so the risk of errors increases when typing quickly. Please consider this before purchasing. And in mobile games, you usually can’t use the keys of a mechanical keyboard, as we used to do on a regular computer.

Another benefit of tablet-attached keyboards is that they provide additional protection while being carried. It would seem a trifle, but for an expensive tablet, repairs can be much more expensive than replacing a case damaged by an accidental impact or fall (even if it is a keyboard).

For example, the combination of the Apple iPad keyboard and case is the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. The device is connected to the tablet using a magnetic lock. The Bluetooth interface is used to transfer information. The charge of built-in batteries lasts for 6 months, provided that you work with texts for about two hours a day. The integration of this keyboard case with the tablet is so tight that the latter goes to sleep and wakes up automatically as soon as you close or open the case covering the screen. And the Genius LuxePad A120 keyboard case is universal and suitable for various gadgets with a diagonal of 8".

One of the main problems of tablet owners is the limited period of their work on the built-in battery. For example, it’s a shame to interrupt watching your favorite series on the road when you can’t find an outlet in principle. In such a situation, and in many others, an external battery or, in other words, Power bank, is useful. There are many of them on the market, and the choice of a particular device depends, first of all, on the required capacity and the output current provided by the battery. If you have a powerful tablet, then you should keep in mind that batteries with an output current of at least 2 Amperes are suitable for charging it.

Models like Genius ECO-u521 or Hiper XP6500 represent the "golden mean" in a number of similar devices, since with a fairly compact size it has a capacity of 5200 and 6500 mAh, respectively. There are also more powerful batteries, for example, the popular Xiaomi Power Bank and Power Bank 16000 with a capacity of 10400 and 10400 mAh, respectively. At the same time, they also allow you to charge tablets, as they support an output current of 2.1 A, which is enough for almost all compact computers. Although, say, in the case of Apple iPad Retina models, the capabilities of these batteries are not enough to quickly and fully charge the battery.

As tested in one review, a full charge of the Genius ECO-u521 was enough to charge the Sony Xperia Sola smartphone (1265 mAh) and restore about 90% of the LG G2(3000 mAh) battery. And the remaining battery lasted two weeks, without a noticeable decrease in resource. And the power of Xiaomi Power Bank is enough for several powerful smartphones.

Traditionally for Power bank, Genius and Hiper come with a short USB-microUSB cable. It can be used to connect when charging the battery and to connect a tablet that needs charging. These models are available in two design options in white and black, which will appeal to owners of white laptops. They have a power button and a charge level indicator.

While tablets come with built-in speakers, if you're going to watch a movie or listen to music, it's best to plug in headphones. And the question is not only in the modest capabilities of the tablet's audio system, but also in elementary respect for others.

It is desirable that the headphones for the tablet are small and do not take up much space in the bag. Some models can be folded into a more compact state by turning the cups in one plane, like the Sony MDR-ZX110, or fold the headband like the Koss Porta Pro.

Almost all leading manufacturers produce models that are compatible with gadgets in terms of technical parameters. For example, in the extensive line of the well-known manufacturer Sennheiser, you can choose the HD 219 model. It has a resistance of 16 ohms, and a sensitivity of 108 dB, so any gadget will “shake” it, and there will be no problems with connecting — a 3.5 mm plug (mini-Jack type ) is compatible with most tablets and smartphones.

If the tablet is in a bag, then the volume can be adjusted using the slider built into the HD 219's control compartment. And when connected to a smartphone, the remote control allows you to answer calls. For this, a single button is intended, pressing which allows you to switch tracks when playing music and receive incoming calls.

Models write a lot about the quality of sound reproduction — there are also negative reviews. But, before trusting the responses, it is better to form your own opinion. But what is really inconvenient is the lack of a carrying case in the delivery set. Maybe the manufacturer assumed that the owner of the Sennheiser HD 219 simply would not take them off his head? Many speak of the model as very comfortable and light. However, seriously, the point is the desire to reduce the cost of the model — by the standards of Sennheiser, this is a very low-cost model.

The desire to reduce the retail price of tablets often leads to equipping them with small built-in drives (8 GB). And when the owner of such a device realizes that several films in good quality cannot be downloaded to it, the time comes to choose a memory card. Unless, of course, the tablet is equipped with a microSD slot for its installation (as with smartphones).

It is difficult to give advice on buying a memory card of one brand or another, since each of them seeks to reduce the cost of their offer due to affordable memory chips. But it happens that the race for the price turns into an unexpected failure of the card. Therefore, as an example of a successful purchase, we cited a card from SanDisk, which is one of the leaders in the flash drive market.

The SanDisk Mobile Ultra microSDHC 16 GB model comes with an SD adapter, so transferring data between your tablet and computer is a breeze. Simply remove the card from your mobile device and insert (using an adapter) into your PC.

To quickly save small and large files, you can use Class 6 memory cards, to which this model belongs. For it, the exchange rate is claimed at the level of 30 Mbps, which is not achieved in all tablets and smartphones. Therefore, you can be sure that if there are delays in the transfer of data, then they are not associated with the SanDisk card. There are similar cards from other manufacturers: Transcend, Kingston, etc.