Want to buy the best tablet for productivity? Well, choosing the right tablet for enhanced productivity is not that simple. You have to look at a tablet’s operating system, screen size and quality, processing speed, storage capacity, software experience, connectivity, battery life, and compatibility of accessories before you can choose the right tablet for your needs and budget.
In this article, we have listed those tablets that we think would help you enhance your productivity levels.
The Best Productivity Tablets in India 2021
If you want to buy a tablet that can double up as your work machine, you need to make sure that it has a fast processor, so that you can multitask with ease. It should also feature a high-resolution screen, so that text and images are rendered properly. The software experience needs features like side-by-side multitasking and file drag and drop.
Wireless connectivity needs to be fast too, so that web pages load faster and files are downloaded and uploaded faster. The battery life needs to last at least six hours on a single charge, so that you are not left with a dead device and uncomplete work.
1. Apple iPad 10th Gen. – INR 29,900 Onwards
The 10th Gen. iPad is the cheapest tablet that can enhance your productivity. It has a bright screen and loud stereo speakers, a potent processor, up to 128GB internal storage, fast Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.
It is compatible with the Apple Pencil, which is a great tool if you are into art, painting, or just jotting down notes. The 10th Gen. iPad is also compatible with keyboard and mice, which enhance productivity by a great margin. Coming to its software, iOS 14 offers things like side-by-side multitasking, handwriting and shape recognition, and trusted security.
Pros
- Bright, high-resolution, colour-accurate screen
- Fast processor
- iOS 14 is the world’s best tablet operating system
- Fast wireless connectivity
- Compatible with Apple Pencil, keyboards, and mice
- Extremely long software support
- Thousands of learning and productivity apps available
- Fingerprint reader for security
- Long battery life
- Affordable
Cons
- Old design with thick bezels around the screen
- No USB Type-C port
- Front-facing camera could have been better
2. Apple iPad Air 4th Gen. – INR 54,900 Onwards
Want a modern design and an even more powerful processor than the 10th Gen. iPad? Get the 4th Gen iPad Air, which has thin bezels around the screen, the fastest iPad processor ever (Apple A14 Bionic), higher storage space, better cameras, the latest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth versions, and a USB Type-C port.
It has a great screen, and when you combine it with the Apple Pencil 2 and the Magic Keyboard, you can get an extremely rich productivity experience. The USB Type-C port makes the iPad Air 4th Gen. compatible with a wide array of accessories such as display out cables, headphones, printers, USB Type-C hubs, keyboards, mice, and power banks.
Pros
- Excellent screen with high brightness and colour accuracy
- Modern design with thin bezels around the screen
- The fastest processor on any tablet PC
- Modern wireless and wired connectivity features, including Wi-Fi 6 and USB Type-C port
- Fast fingerprint reader
- Runs iOS 14, the world’s best tablet operating system
- Long software support
- Collection of thousands of productivity apps
- Compatibility with Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard, and USB C accessories
- Long battery life
Cons
- Only a 60Hz screen
- Pricey
3. Apple iPad Pro 2020 – INR 71,900
Although we think that the iPad Air 4th Gen. is the best tablet for most people, the iPad Pro 2020 is the best tablet for those who can shell out more money and want a smooth screen and better experience with the Apple Pencil. The iPad Pro 2020 has a screen with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, which also ends up reducing the latency of the Apple Pencil, offering an unmatched stylus experience on any tablet. It is available in 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen versions.
Its A12Z Bionic processor might not be as fast as the 4th Gen. iPad Air’s A14 Bionic processor, but it performs better during gaming and video editing. This tablet is great for those who work a lot with the Apple Pencil and those who like fast screens. It also features a dual-camera setup at the rear and has a LiDAR sensor. The LiDAR sensor is great for those who work with 3D rendering, interior design, and 3D scanning and imaging.
Pros
- Fast processor, great gaming performance
- Bright, colour-accurate, and fast screen with a 120Hz refresh rate
- Runs iOS 14 and comes with a promise of long-term software update support
- Thousands of productivity-focused apps on the App Store
- Best tablet on any iPad yet
- LiDAR is great for AR apps and games
- Compatibility with keyboards, mice, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard, and USB Type-C accessories
- Long battery life
Cons
- Extremely pricey
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – INR 55,999 Onwards
If you want a great Android-based tablet, the Galaxy Tab S7 could be your choice. It runs Android 10 and is poised to get three more Android upgrades. It is equipped with the fast Snapdragon 865+ processor and tons of storage. It has a bright, high-quality, 11-inch LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The S Pen stylus is as good as the Apple Pencil 2, and it is compatible with thousands of USB Type-C accessories.
It has all the modern connectivity features, a fingerprint reader, and access to good first-party and third-party productivity and drawing apps. It also features a good set of front and rear-facing cameras. It lasts a whole workday and can charge fast. The Samsung DeX feature lets the tablet connect to an external display wired or wirelessly and turn into a PC-like machine.
Pros
- Great screen with high brightness, good colours, and a 120Hz refresh rate
- Fast performance, thanks to Snapdragon 865+ and fast storage
- Android 10 with enhanced productivity additions from Samsung
- A good set of first-party and third-party productivity apps
- Comes bundled with the S Pen
- Good cameras
- Outstanding loudspeakers
- Long battery life, fast charging
- Support for microSD card
Cons
- Pricey
5. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ – INR 71,999 Onwards
Want everything that the Galaxy Tab S7 offers, but an even better and larger screen? Well, the Galaxy Tab S7+ is the best Android tablet that has ever been released. It has a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is the best screen on any tablet in the world. Its performance is fast, thanks to the Snapdragon 865+ processor, 6GB RAM, and 128GB UFS storage.
It has very good front and rear cameras, fast wired and wireless connectivity, a modern design, a bundled S Pen, a fast fingerprint reader, long battery life, and fast charging. It is compatible with a whole host of Bluetooth and USB C accessories. It also comes with some really good first-party apps for drawing, taking notes, and marking PDFs. The Samsung DeX feature is convenient and can turn the tablet into a PC-like machine when connected to an external monitor or TV.
Pros
- A large, colour-accurate, bright, and fast screen with a 120Hz refresh rate
- Fast performance and high storage space
- Android 10 with three more major updates coming
- Good first-party and third-party apps
- Comes with an S Pen
- Good cameras for a tablet
- Very loud and clear quad-loudspeaker setup
- Long battery life and fast charging
- USB Type-C port
- Support for microSD card
Cons
- Extremely pricey
6. Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – INR 72,990 Onwards
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is a great productivity-focused tablet if you want a Windows 10-based machine. It has a 12.3-inch LCD screen with high brightness and very good colour accuracy. Sadly, it doesn’t feature a 120Hz refresh rate display. It comes in Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 versions, but we advise you to stay away from the Intel Core i3 version if you don’t want performance hiccups during heavy tasks.
The Surface Pro 7 has Windows Hello authentication, a good set of front and rear cameras, fast wired and wireless connectivity features, and a good selection of ports. The built-in kickstand offers great flexibility. However, you would have to spend extra on a keyboard cover and the Surface Pen. One area where the Surface Pro 7 trumps Android and iPadOS tablets are the availability of real desktop apps and complete Windows 10 operating system, which means desktop-grade productivity.
Pros
- Big, bright, and colour-accurate screen
- Desktop operating system and access to real, desktop-grade apps and multitasking
- Fast performance
- Fast wired and wireless connectivity
- Great selection of ports
- Windows Hello for security
- Loud loudspeakers
- Kickstand offers great flexibility
- MicroSD card slot
Cons
- Extremely pricey
- Windows 10 not as good as iOS 14 in terms of apps and optimization for touchscreen
- Battery life could’ve been better
After choosing the platform and operating system of your choice, the process of choosing the best productivity tablet for your needs and budget shouldn’t be a big problem. If you are invested in Apple’s ecosystem, going with any of the iPad mentioned above would be a great choice.
Not to mention, we think that Apple’s iPadOS 14 is the best tablet-focussed operating system in the world, thanks to its features, collection of apps and games, software support from Apple, and the collection of high-quality accessories.
If you want an Android tablet, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 or the Galaxy Tab S7+. They have fast performance, modern design, flexible software, the S Pen, and long battery life.
If you want to go the Windows 10 way, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the best productivity-focused tablet that is available in India right now. However, we think it is too pricey for what it offers, at least compared to the new iPads and the Galaxy Tab S7.
What do you think? Which tablet did you like the best and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Sunil Gandhe
Guest contributor Sunil Gandhe is the Chief Service Delivery Officer of Onsitego, a leading after-sales services company, that is transforming the ownership experience of consumer devices and appliances by delivering consistent and predictable post-purchase services. Any opinions expressed in this article are strictly that of the author.
