Tale of Tablets: Why Apple's iPad still 'best' tablet in the world? Click here for complete round-up

Every year we have a dozen or more new tablets being released into the already overcrowded market. Last year was no exception and so will 2014 be.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January first witnessed many new announcements including the Asus Transformer Book Duet, which now is in the danger of being scrapped and the 12.2-inch Samsung Note Pro and Tab Pro devices.

The Mobile World Congress at Barcelona saw more new releases including the Sony Xperia Z2 tab, that’s actually thinner than the iPad Air and concepts such as the Fujitsu Haptic Sensory Tablet.

Tablets have been growing bigger and simultaneously shrinking in size. Apart from Samsung, the iPad too is expected to go bigger this year with a 10-plus inch device. Similarly, more manufacturers are opting for smaller sized 8-inch tablets, while phablets themselves are breaking into the 6-plus inch territory.

Tablets have also become affordable with many new models, especially from China and Taiwan being marketed at a starting price of just Dh 300 or even lesser.

Given these and many other factors we have drawn up a list of five top tablets that you must consider before you decide to buy one this year.

iPad Air

There is no double that the iPad Air continues to retain the number one spot despite several new arrivals.

The 9.7 inch device runs of a dual-core A7 processor with a 1GB RAM and a 5MP rear cameras and the retina display.

The Apple product scores over others through a combination of factors which includes the iPad Air’s features combined with the Apple eco system.

Although Apple launched the device last September, it continues to score over several other rival models. The iPad Air was adjudged as the best tablet by a panel of judges at the MWC in 2014.

iPad Air best tablet, HTC One still best mobile

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

Sony has finally launched a device that has the potential to take on the iPad Air. The Xperia Z2 Tablet scores over the Apple product in terms of size and features as it is thinner and has better processors than the iPad Air, and is built to be a water resistant and dust proof device.

The Xperia Z2 Tablet is just 6.8mm thick and weighs 426g. The 10 inch device is powered by a 3GB RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat, 16GB internal storage and an 8MP camera. Storage can be expanded upto 64GB through a micro SD slot. The device has a 6,000mAh battery.





Samsung Galaxy Note pro

Samsung launched the Galaxy Note Pro at the CES in January with an idea to convert your tablet into a professional tool for work. But does it really succeed in doing that? The 12.2 -inch device comes with pretty impressive specs such as a 1.9GHz quad-core Exynos CPU, 3GB of RAM, 2560 x 1600 display, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, 8MP rear camera and Samsung's integrated S Pen stylus.

The device was being showcased at the Samsung stand at the Abu Dhabi Electronic Shopper and a quick analysis of the device proves that it is yet to take on the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 in terms of performance.

The device is ideal for those who are keen on experiencing an Android tablet on an improved screen size.





Microsoft Surface Pro 2

They call it as a laptop that is disguised as a tablet. Performance wise you will not notice a difference between this tablet and a Windows 8.1 laptop. The 10.6 inch device has a full HD display with a with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, runs on Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB and 8GB RAM, internal storage of 64GB and 128GB and weighs close to a kilogram.

Battery life has got a significant boost compared to the Surface pro. The Pro 2 it is said can last for upto 6 hours of continuous work.





Nokia Lumia 2520

Those who do not want a full windows experience, can always opt for a Lumia 2520, Nokia’s first entry into the tablet market. Nokia 2520 can be termed as the best Windows RT device in the market.

The 10.1 inch device runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-core 2.2 GHz processor and comes with a Full HD display with impressive outdoor readability features. It has an internal storage of 32 GB and a 6.7 MP rear camera. The device weighs about 615 grams and has a 8120 mAh battery. The LTE enabled device also has a full version of MS office.

 

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