Laptop Alternative: Best Tablets for Work

The large Lenovo Tab P12 tablet allows you to combine work, study, and leisure in one package. The model was released in the summer of 2023 and is positioned in the solid mid-range segment of tablet computers.

The front panel of the device is covered with a 12.7-inch LTPS screen with a coverage of about 96% of the DCI-P3 gamut. The image on the gadget's display is transmitted at a resolution of 2944x1840 pixels, but its refresh rate is ordinary — 60 Hz. And this is surprisingly unpleasant, because panels with a higher refresh rate have long been an industry standard. However, the model's screen supports work with the bundled Lenovo Tab Pen Plus stylus, which recognizes 4096 levels of pressure. The stylus usually comes with the standard equipment of the device, unlike the keyboard — it will need to be purchased separately in any case.

Lenovo Tab P12 is unlikely to be called a performance record holder, but it definitely doesn't lag far behind. At the "helm" of the tablet is a balanced "hardware" bundle of an eight-core MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset and 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. The device's internal storage has a capacity of 128 GB, and it also has a memory expansion slot for a microSD card (up to 1 TB inclusive).

A quartet of JBL stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos is distributed around the perimeter of the device's case. The model's arsenal includes Wi-Fi 6 and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The device's autonomous operation is ensured by a 10,200 mAh battery with a slightly accelerated wired charging capacity of 20 W. The model also stands out for its pre-installed software business mode — in it, the tablet switches to landscape orientation, launches window mode, and "impersonates" a laptop (provided a keyboard and mouse are connected).

The Xiaomi company has long left only the budget segment and aimed to compete with top manufacturers of tablets. The Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro is just intended to compete with such "heavyweights" as Apple iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, while it costs less than its competitors.

It seems Xiaomi decided to add everything that can be used in tablets here. There is a large screen, 6 speakers with Dolby Atmos support, powerful components, and a capacious battery with fast charging. In order, the model looks quite good, without unnecessary design elements, but with a slightly protruding camera block. The tablet is quite thin (about 6.3 mm) and weighs 590 g. The solid metal case easily withstands active everyday use. The large 12.4-inch display has the following characteristics: resolution of 3048x2032 pixels, pixel density of 295 PPI, image refresh rate of 144 Hz, HDR10 support, and Dolby Vision. This means high image quality, good color reproduction, and comfortable work both indoors and outdoors on a sunny day, as well as smooth scrolling. TÜV Rheinland certification indicates that the gadget is suitable for reading and safe for the eyes.

The presence of a flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and Adreno 740 graphics means the tablet is designed for any tasks: work, study, video viewing, and gaming (even at maximum settings). This is confirmed by high performance test results in various benchmarks. There's enough memory for regular use and content work — 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage in the base version. The device operates on a proprietary HyperOS operating system based on Android. The 10,000 mAh battery supports fast 120 W charging, which many modern smartphones would envy. One charge is enough for a full day of active work, and a full charge takes just 35 minutes.

Usually, a camera in a tablet is not the most necessary or important thing. But Xiaomi didn't skimp on the details and added a dual main camera (50 MP and 2 MP depth sensor) and a 32 MP front camera with an interesting FocusFrame feature. The front camera tracks the user during video calls and centers them even if the person moves around the room. Overall, the cameras are quite good, but in this case, not too useful: taking pictures outdoors with a bulky tablet is inconvenient, whereas something simpler would suffice for calls and high-quality document shots.

The manufacturer's generosity on cameras doesn't end there, so the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro has almost everything necessary for convenient work: fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, USB C port, compatibility with proprietary styluses, wireless keyboard, and a stand cover. It even has NFC, but not for contactless payments — rather for quick synchronization with a smartphone. There are no slots for SIM cards and memory cards, nor a 3.5 mm audio jack, but in modern tablets, these are rare.

Original tablets of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S family have excessive power for basic work. The more affordable Tab S10 FE Plus from the Fan Edition tablet league will be suitable for work tasks, web surfing, and entertainment.

The model acquired a large PLS screen with diagonal dimensions of 13.1 inches and a high resolving power of 2880x1800 pixels. The display refresh rate is increased to 90 Hz, and the panel is also suitable for drawing with the proprietary S Pen, which comes with the standard kit. A detachable keyboard can also be purchased separately — with it, the device turns into a semblance of a compact laptop. Along with the keyboard, the tablet's interface automatically switches to DeX desktop mode.

The tablet houses a proprietary Exynos 1580 processor borrowed from the mid-range smartphone Samsung Galaxy A56. In everyday work, its performance is sufficient for any tasks, and even games can be played on medium graphic settings. The base configuration of the model has 8 GB of RAM and disk space with a capacity of 128 GB. The device's software platform is rich in Galaxy AI functions.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus is equipped with AKG stereo speakers, a 13 MP rear camera with autofocus, a 12 MP front camera, and a capacious 10,900 mAh battery with a 45 W wired charging function. The tablet’s body thickness is precisely 6 mm, and it is reliably protected against dust and water as per IP68 standard requirements.

Microsoft Surface Go 4 is a model from the business segment of "2-in-1" tablets. It is intended for use both as a tablet computer and as a small laptop running Windows 11 Pro.

The Windows system optimally fits into the device's "laptop" work concept. "Out of the box," the tablet comes with a keyboard block and a screen stand. Additionally, you can connect a mouse. The screen of the model is relatively small — its diagonal dimensions are 10.5 inches with a resolution of 1920x1280 pixels and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The display supports interaction with styluses from Microsoft.

The tablet's hardware platform is led by a quad-core Intel N200 processor with a frequency of up to 3.7 GHz, featuring 32 execution units of integrated graphics. All configurations provide 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and the disk space capacity in the reviewed version is 128 GB. An additional slot for a microSD card is also available to the user.

The device is equipped with an 8 MP rear camera and a 5 MP selfie module with Windows Hello facial recognition unlocking. The tablet's sound system includes stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium, while sound transmission is handled by far-field microphones with Voice Clarity technology. The model's battery lasts over 12 hours (depending on actual tasks performed). Finally, the tablet is pleasing with its light weight (521 g) and repairable design.

Unlike previous generations of the iPad Pro, the 2024 version brought several major changes. For starters, Apple decided to skip a generation and installed the new Apple M4 processor in the iPad Pro instead of the recent M3. This 3-nanometer chip, according to Apple, works one and a half times faster than the M2 processor used in the previous generation of iPad Pro. Plus, it's much faster at handling tasks involving AI and machine learning. Apple released the M4 in two modifications: a 9-core version is used in iPad Pros with 256 GB and 512 GB storage, and a more powerful 10-core chip is for top "pros" with 1 TB and 2 TB of memory.

Significant updates touched on the screen: the iPad Pro 2024 became the first tablet of the company with an OLED screen, traditionally named Ultra Retina XDR by Apple. In addition to the 13-inch version, a similar 11-inch screen model was also released. Both versions have built-in light sensors, support HDR10 with Dolby Vision, and boast a 120 Hz refresh rate, full DCI-P3 color range coverage, and peak brightness of 1000 nits (or 1600 nits in HDR mode). The screen impresses with its characteristics, and in reality, it looks just as impressive, there's not much more to add.

Otherwise, this is a familiar iPad Pro with FaceID, Wi-Fi 6E, high-quality stereo speakers, stylus support, USB4, and Thunderbolt. The difference is that the front camera is now placed on the side panel for more convenient video calls, and the main camera no longer has a wide-angle module. Additionally, Apple boasted that due to the use of an OLED matrix, the metal case has become even thinner and lighter (5.1 mm thick, weighing 579 g), making it one of the thinnest iPads in the brand's history. For comparison, the thickness of the iPad Pro 2022 was 6.4 mm.