Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links; the retailer may also receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Since the release of the original iPad in 2010, tablets have entered a renaissance. They’re lighter than laptops, but have screens that’re larger than smartphones. That makes them the perfect couch companion if you’re casually browsing the web, online shopping, or looking at photos. Tablets are also excellent travel companions, replacing the traditional in-flight entertainment center with your choice of movies, TV shows, music, and games.
One of the biggest improvements to tablets over the past few years has been a significant improvement in battery life. Most tablets used to last three or four hours per charge, but newer ones can last up to 14. That’s enough juice to make it through an entire cross continental flight without reaching for a charging cable or battery pack.
Related Stories
The Best Air Purifiers for Allergies
RS Recommends: The Echo Frames Let You Take Calls and Play Music from Your Sunglasses
Related Stories
20 Greatest Best Song Oscar Performances
Black Sabbath on the Making of 'Vol. 4': 'It Was Absolute Pandemonium'
The advancement in technology is so great that we actually recommend upgrading if your tablet is more than three or four years old. You’ll notice an immediate difference, especially if you use a tablet as your main computer. It’s important to note that the amount of usage you’ll get out of your tablet per charge will depend on your screen brightness level, usage of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and apps. Streaming videos or playing games with the screen brightness set to 100% will drain a tablet’s battery faster than reading a downloaded book.
Whether you’re looking to get your first tablet, or want to replace an older one, these are the best choices available right now.
What Are the Longest Lasting Tablet?
There are many factors to consider when choosing the longest-lasting tablet; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Screen Size: The tablets in our guide have screens that range from eight to 10.9 inches. Larger displays are better for watching movies, but are heavier and require more space.
Storage: All of our tablet recommendations come with at least 32GB of built-in storage, which is enough to hold a handful of games, songs, videos, and photos. Some allow you to upgrade their storage with a memory card, or come in multiple storage tiers.
Webcam: Every tablet below has a front and back-facing camera, so you can use them for video conferencing or taking photos in a pinch.
1. Fire HD 10 Plus
Amazon
Amazon’s Fire Tablets have impressed us for several years, and the newly-released HD 10 Plus edition is its best one yet.
As its name suggests, the tablet has a 10-inch Full HD display, and can last up to 12 hours per charge. We’ve had some time to test the tablet, and found that figure to be true in most cases. Again, watching videos non-stop with the brightness cranked up killed the battery much more quickly.
Overall, we were impressed with the Fire HD 10 Plus’ build quality, and it ran quickly when using Amazon’s apps, including Kindle and Amazon Video. Its interface is pretty clean, too, which makes it easy to select the apps you want to use, and download new ones.
The Fire HD 10 Plus comes with 32GB of internal storage, but allows you to add up to 1TB of additional space with a MicroSD card. We recommend opting for a 256GB card, which is a nice upgrade for just under $33. If you prefer relying on internal storage, you can get a 64GB version of this tablet instead.
Like all of Amazon’s modern devices, the Fire HD 10 Plus supports Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant. Alexa is present from the moment you turn the tablet on, there’s no separate app to install like on iOS. Alexa answered our questions quickly and thoroughly, which we’ve come to expect after years of refinement.
While the Fire HD 10 Plus is generally designed for consumption (watching, reading, listening), Amazon offers a bundle that includes one year of Microsoft Office and a Bluetooth keyboard case. This makes it more competitive with the iPad, which has traditionally had the upper hand in the world of productivity tablets.
Amazon’s Fire HD 10 Plus is a long-lasting tablet that’s quick, smart, relatively inexpensive, and offers upgradable storage. This set of qualities makes it the best tablet for most people.
Buy:Fire HD 10 Plusat$179.99
2. iPad Air
YouTube / Apple
The name iPad has been synonymous with the word tablet for over a year, and the new iPad Air is proof that reputation is justified.
It’s been upgraded with a new, impressively thin design and sports a larger, higher resolution 10.9-inch display. Despite these upgrades, the Air meets or exceeds Apple’s 10 hour battery claims. We were able to test the tablet for a few months, and it’s our top recommendation if you don’t mind its premium price.
The tablet comes with either 64GB or 256GB of internal storage, and can’t be upgraded after the fact. The smaller storage size is perfectly fine for casual or moderate use, but we recommend getting the larger one if you have a lot of media, or want to use this tablet for photo or video editing. It’s powerful enough to replace a traditional laptop, especially if it’s paired with Apple’s Magic Keyboard.
And that’s the iPad Air’s biggest strength: Its tech specs and app library make it the ideal tablet for both work and casual use. If you view it as a two-in-one machine with exceptional battery life, the iPad Air becomes one of the best values in tech. If all you need is a casual tablet, it may be a little over more computer than you need.
Buy:iPad Airat$599.99
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab A
Samsung
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A is a highly portable tablet that can still last up to 14 hours per charge.
The tablet has an eight inch, 720P display, and 32GB of internal storage which is perfectly fine for casual use. You can upgrade the storage using a MicroSD card, and we’re recommending a bundle that comes with a 32GB card, doubling your space. If you want more room, we still recommend going for a 256GB card instead.
The Galaxy Tab’s standout feature is its size, which makes it an excellent choice for the couch or plane. Its tech specs are modest, so don’t expect to get work done on it, though. If you’re fine with that restriction, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a great choice, especially at its sub $200 price.
Buy:Samsung Galaxy Tab Aat$151.59
4. Lenovo Tab M10 Plus
Lenovo
The entry-level model of Lenovo’s M10 Plus tablet is a solid long-lasting big-screen tablet for mixed use.
It has a 10.3-inch full HD display, and Lenovo says it can last for up to 10 hours on a single charge. The company also touts the tablet’s eight-core processor, which should provide speedy performance for intense tasks like games.
The M10 Plus comes with 32GB of onboard storage, but you can add an additional 256GB with a MicroSD card. Lenovo also offers the M10 Plus in a 64GB or 128GB configuration if you’d like more space right off the bat. In addition to more storage, these upgraded models also come with double the memory, which will improve the tablet’s overall performance.
This tablet’s big screen and impressive tech specs make it a solid pick if you’d like to get some work done when you’re away from your computer. You’ll need to pair it with a stand and Bluetooth keyboard, but you can create a pretty competent work station with just a few accessories.
Buy:Lenovo Tab M10 Plusat$149.00
Source: Read Full Article