For example, the iPad has a plethora of accessories, with everything from keyboards to guitars able to connect easily. Android’s top strength (and weakness, in some ways) is the sheer number of devices available, from cheap to expensive. If you decide on an Apple product, our list of iPad models and generations will help you pick your perfect match (our top pick is the iPad Pro at Apple), but keep reading to see which tablet type you should trust and purchase in the fight of the century: iPad vs. Android. The iPad also tends to be more stable and easier to use than Android tablets. Apple approves each app individually, ensuring that it (mostly) does what it claims it will do and the worst of the bugs are eliminated. And while Android has made great strides in becoming easier to use, Apple’s device tends to be more simple and less overwhelming. The iPad is also fast - on fact, the iPad Pro exceeds the performance of many laptops. The iPad also lacks the ability to expand its storage through microSD cards. There are other options, such as Dropbox, and you can use some external drives with the iPad, but the lack of support for microSD and Flash drives is a negative for some. Android’s Google Play marketplace has also come a long way in the past few years. While the relative lack of supervision means more of those apps will be throwaways without much use, the boost in numbers does provide a lot more variety than Android experienced when the tablet wars began. Rampant piracy has also done some damage to the Android platform. While it is possible to pirate apps for the iPad, it’s much easier on Android. The greater amount of piracy has led some app developers to stick with the iPhone and iPad rather than risk the money it would take to create an Android version of their apps. This is especially an issue for top tier games, which can take more time and resources to build. The variety of devices can be a good point when shopping for what you want, it has its downside in support. Android operating system updates are not always compatible with all devices, and it can be difficult for app developers to stamp out bugs on all supported devices. This can lead to stability problems in some apps. The iPad is also the perfect tablet for those who are a little intimidated by technology. Apple has decided to go with a more simple design, which may mean less customization, but it also means easier to use. This means you can get to the fun of owning a tablet with less time spent learning to use it. The iPad also shines the area of gaming, especially those who want to take the experience beyond just Angry Birds and Cut the Rope. Apple has challenged the entire portable gaming market with some of the cool games available on the iPad. Last, the iPad makes a great companion to those who already own Apple products. iPhone users will enjoy iCloud Photo Library, which lets you share photos between devices, and Apple TV owners will love the ability to wirelessly send the iPad’s display to their big-screen TV. Android tablets will appeal to those who want to consume entertainment because the initial price tag can be significantly cheaper. This means more money for the good stuff, and the cheaper 7-inch tablets like the Google Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire are more than capable of running Netflix, Hulu Plus, playing music and reading books. Android also provides a more customizable experience. So if the first thing you do when you get a new smartphone or gadget is to hit the settings to get it just right, you might be the perfect Android user. Home screen widgets might intimidate some people, but they can be both useful and pretty cool. And just as the iPad can interact with other Apple devices, Android tablets can be a great companion to those who already own an Android smartphone. For those geared toward productivity, the Tab S7+ is no slouch. It boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor, and various configurations including 128GB storage and 6GB of RAM, 256GB storage and 8GB RAM, and 512GB storage and 8GB RAM. The slate supports the Samsung Book Cover, giving you a full keyboard typing experience when working on Google docs or entering spreadsheets. It also comes with the S Pen, allowing for note-taking, drawing, and sketching with its advanced handwriting recognition. The powerful hardaware and the premium features make both the Tab S7+ and Tab S7 potent rivals to the iPad Pro. If you’re an Android user and price is no object, these are the tablets to get. Screen Size: 12.4 inches | Resolution: 2800x1752 | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ | Camera: 13MP/5MP rear and 8MP front | Battery: Li-Ion 10,090mAh The seven-inch tablet has a surprisingly good screen, sharp contrast and bright colors, and has an advanced polarizing filter as well to help mitigate glare and reduce reflections. Performance is geared for a budget price but delivers the specs you need to perform most tasks. Screen Size: 7 inches | Resolution: 1024x600 | Processor: 1.3GHz quad-core | Camera: 2MP rear and VGA front | Battery: 7 hours regular usage Apple has opted for a more rounded design that allows for a true edge-to-edge display, and the new ’liquid retina’’ display is better than almost all laptops, save for Apple’s latest MacBook Pro range. If there’s one side effect of the new display, it’s the loss of a headphone jack. But with so many Bluetooth headphones available, it’s hardly missed. Fortunately, the new design didn’t reduce the battery life, as the battery still offers 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi.
Screen Size: 12.9 inches | Resolution: 2732x2048 | Processor: M1 | Camera: 12MP/10MP rear and 7MP front | Battery: Li-Ion
Weighing 1.08 pounds, the iPad has replaced the iPad Air 2 in the company’s lineup performance-wise, while the body still feels very similar to the original iPad Air. Even so, the A12 processor runs faster than the iPad Air 2 and that’s noticeable across the hundreds of thousands of available iPad apps. Notably, Apple was only able to get two speakers on this iPad, although they sound great across apps, video, and music. At the end of the day, this is the best price-to-performance ratio iPad Apple has ever offered without compromising too much to get there, and the recent iOS 15 update gives it even more laptop like capabilities. Screen Size: 10.2 inches | Resolution: 2160 x 1620 | Processor: A12 Bionic | Camera: 8MP rear and 1.2MP front | Battery: 10 hours web surfing
Performance and Productivity
Accessories and Software
Tablets have increasingly taken on 2-in-1 capabilities and that’s true for both Android and Apple slates. With the iPad Pro models and even the more affordable 10.2-inch iPad, you’re able to pick up accessories like the Apple Pencil for drawing, note-taking, and handwriting recognition. You can also add a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard for a full typing experience that lets you do word processing, work on spreadsheets, and other uses. Samsung offers similar features with the option of using an S Pen and Keyboard Cover to turn the tablet into a fully functional 2-in-1. It also has the DeX platform to launch apps in desktop mode with resizable windows.
About Our Trusted Experts
Gabe Carey is an experience Commerce Tech Editor at Lifewire. He’s previously been published in PCMag, TechRadar, PC Gamer, GamesRadar, and Digital Trends. Jason Schneider is Lifewire’s consumer tech and audio expert. He’s been writing for Lifewire since 2019 and has reviewed hundreds of products including tablets, laptops, and other mobile devices. Jeremy Laukkonen is Lifewire’s tech generalist. He’s reviewed everything ranging from laptops and tablets to routers and generators.
