What is the best Android tablet to buy in 2014? Could it be
the latest budget Android tablet the New Nexus 7 or the forthcoming Samsung
Galaxy Tab 3? Here's our guide to the 10-inch through to 7-inch Android tablets
that get the T3 seal of approval
So the iPad (fourth-generation) just doesn't do it for you,
and you'd prefer to add a Google Android tablet to your current Android phone
existence. Well, we may just be able to help. With the tablet-optimized Android
3.0 Honeycomb OS firmly in the past, Google's latest updates Android 4.0,
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and Jelly Bean
4.3 are now in full force. It's certainly a good time to grab a Google-powered
slate, get downloading some Android tablet apps and say goodbye to your laptop
or notebook.
If you have tablets on the mind, specifically Android ones,
here are the best ones we've played with you can buy right now.
1. Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2
Perfect for business folk, the largest of Samsung's tab
line-up boasts a laptop encroaching 12.2-inch display with a resolution of
2560x1600 and the nitfty ability to use four apps at the same time. An
interface re-jig, named Magazine UX pulls in a load of content in a design that
doesn't look that much different from the tiles in Windows 8. As it's part of
the Note series, you'll have access to the S-Pen for drawing, making notes and
the like. Under the faux-leather hood is a Snapdragon 800 processor, a whopping
3GB RAM, Android 4.4 Kit Kat, while an 8-meg cam takes care of the snaps.
Price: TBA | Samsung
2. Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 8.4, 10.1 and 12.2
Not content with just unleashing one version of its new
TabPRO, the latest slate from Samsung comes in three flavours - an iPad Mini
and LG G-Pad baiting 8.3 incher, a more traditional 10.1 and an extra large
12.2-inch version. Even with these different sizes, each boast a 2560x1600
resolution, Android 4.4 and a snappy Snapdragon 800 processor, while the larger
12.2 device packs 3GB of RAM (the others still have the reasonable 2GB). A new
and rather nice looking Magazine UX displays all your content in an easy to
read manner, while there's an 8-meg snapper on the rear to take care of photos.
It looks like Samsung has finally stepped up its game when it comes to tablets.
Price:
TBA | Samsung
3. Nexus 7 (2013)
Love: Superb value for money with plenty of power, a premium
build and great, high-res screen. Added rear camera and stereo speakers.
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Hate: Limited, non-expandable storage.
Price: £199 (16GB) £239 (32GB) | Google
4. Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition)
Announced along side the Galaxy Gear and Note 3, the Note
10.1 sports an impressive 2560x1600 display, 8-core Octa chipset and 3GB of RAM
– pretty fantastic sounding specs. It also features the same faux-leather rear
as the Note 3, a nice change from the slimy plastic of old. There’s an
8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-mp one on the front and a range of storage and
connectivity options, plus full support for the Galaxy Gear
Price: £480 | Samsung
5. LG G Pad
Following on from the release of the G2, LG are back in the
Android tablet game, pinning their hopes on the G Pad. Announced just before
IFA, the G Pad boasts a 1920 x 1200 display, powered by a Snapdragon 600
processor. The 8.3-inch display pits it against Apple’s super popular iPad Mini
and the lack of bezels give a nice edge to edge feel. Many LG software tweaks
are added to Android 4.2.2, including QPair – for connecting your smartphone.
Price: £259 | LG
6. Kindle Fire HDX
Amazon has really beefed up the specs this year, with a
quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM and a unique Mayday feature that
puts a trained Amazon customer service advisor right onto your screen. You
should get 11 hours of battery life, which can be extender further when
reading.
Price: £199 (16GB) | Amazon
7. Sony Xperia Tablet Z
Love: Slimline and waterproof, just like the Xperia Z
smartphone. Solid spec list.
Hate: Screen delivers pale colours
Price: £492 | Sony
8. Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
The latest edition to the seemingly ever growing line of
Transformer pads comes complete with the Tegra 4 chip, a quad-core A15 CPU and
a 2560 x 1600 IPS display. Asus also added support for USB 3.0 and a slot for a
Micro SDXC card, while improving the battery life from the keyboard dock. All
in all this looks a pretty impressive Android tablet.
Release: November 2013 | Asus
9. Acer Iconia A3
Sporting an LED backlit 10.1-inch IPS display with a
resolution of 1,280 x 800, quad-core processor and Jelly Bean 4.2, this is the
latest attempt by Acer to crack the tablet market. Nine hours of battery life
is stated, as well as a new feature called Intellispin, which should improve
the way the screen rotates. Snaps are taken care of with a 5-megapixel camera,
while 16GB or 32GB options for internal storage are both available.
Price: From 249 euros (UK prices TBA) | Acer
10. Lenovo S5000
This slate from Lenovo is slightly thinner and lighter than
the Nexus 7 – though that seems the only plus point it has over its rival. The
display is a middling affair, with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 and there’s a
quad-core processor keeping things moving along. Two cameras are present, a
5-megapixel one on the rear and a 1.6-megapixel one up front, while the 3,450
mAh battery should give eight hours of use.
Price: 199 euros | Lenovo
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