What are the best touch pads in 2020? Comparative

Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Amazon Fire HD, Microsoft Surface, the leading tablet manufacturers today offer many products with very different uses and prices. Whether you choose a cheap tablet to watch Netflix or YouTube on a big screen or need a powerful device to support you on the go, discover our selection of the best Android, iPad and Windows tablets.

Even if the tablet market has experienced a slowdown in recent years, they remain popular for lovers of large touch screens who want to have a more comfortable mobile experience when travelling or at home.

Depending on your needs, it is crucial to choose your tablet carefully to avoid paying the high price for having only multimedia use. What are the best pills based on your needs and your budget? Discover our selection.

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IPAD PRO (2018): THE BEST TABLET

Next to the iPad (2018), aka the historic Apple tablet, there is now the iPad Pro (2018) which completely transforms the popular tablet.

It incorporates elements inspired by the iPhone X, such as a screen with reduced edges and Apple’s homemade facial unlocking solution, Face ID, while retaining those that made the success of previous generations of iPad Pro, such as Apple Pencil or the perfectly calibrated 120 Hz screen.

Released at the end of 2018, it is now one of the most powerful tablets on the market thanks to its Apple A12X Bionic SoC, which guarantees very high performance for a mobile device and in particular allows Adobe Photoshop to be run in a version entirely without slowdowns.

There is now a USB-C port, which allows the iPad Pro (2018) to be compatible with many devices and even to recharge your smartphone thanks to its large battery.

The iPad Pro (2018) is, without a doubt, the best available today. However, it comes at a cost: from 899 euros for the 11-inch version and from 1,119 euros for the 12.9-inch version.

It is, however, a solution to consider instead of a laptop for the creative. The arrival of iPad OS also gives new impetus to the iPad, which, more and more, is getting closer to a Mac with a touch screen.

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S6: THE BEST ANDROID

After the Galaxy Tab S5e in the spring, Samsung split the Galaxy Tab S6 in late summer. This is the real new high-end tablet from the Korean firm. It is, therefore, the competitor of the iPad in the Android world.

iPad OS remains, in our opinion, the best tablet OS, but OneUI based on Android 9 defends itself well on this slate.

The Galaxy Tab is a complete tablet with a 10.5-inch screen displaying 2560 x 1600. Unsurprisingly it is equipped with one of these AMOLED panels which Samsung has the secret for vibrant colours and endless blacks. The performances are also at the rendezvous with an 8-core processor clocked at 2.8 GHz and 8 GB of RAM.

Like her predecessors, she supports a stylus. Samsung can transfer the know-how acquired on its Galaxy Note to its tablet.

We, therefore, find the same technology on the Tab S6, which can also be combined with a keyboard. Coupled with DeX, this gives a set that is very similar to a laptop.

Its 7040 mAh battery finally gives it high autonomy. It also has the merit of being particularly beautiful – less than 6 mm – and of offering 256 GB of storage by default. In short, it is now the best Android tablet, for more information, see our review of the Galaxy Tab S6.

AMAZON FIRE HD 8: MINI FORMAT, MINI PRICE

Amazon’s Fire HD range has been offering inexpensive, good quality tablets for years. Available for less than 100 euros, they can fulfil the essential functions expected of a tablet: multimedia and web browsing.

The latest in this range is the Fire HD 8 (2018) which offers an 8-inch HD screen displaying 1280 x 800, 10 hours of battery life and 16 or 32 GB of storage. Today it is one of the few small tablets on the market.

The iPad Mini 2019 is a solution, but at 429 euros this latest version is far too expensive for our taste to be recommended. There is also a 7-inch version of the tablet from Amazon, but we were quite disappointed by it. As evidenced by our test of the Fire 7.

Its specificity is to run on FireOS, a fork of Android without the Play Store, but with the Amazon Appstore. However, the Amazon store is quite complete, and we find the majority of the applications needed on a tablet.

Its updated look and its affordable price ( from 99 euros on Amazon ), makes it an exciting product. Especially with a refined look and much thinner screen borders.

IPAD 2019: THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

The new Apple iPad has a lot in common with its predecessor. First of all, the design is similar to its wide borders and the Home button equipped with Touch ID on the front. It too is powered by the A10 Fusion chip, the same that powers the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, to ensure a smooth user experience on a daily basis.

Then, but more anecdotal, we also find the same duo of 8-megapixel cameras at the front and rear, enough to make a FaceTime from time to time.

It will notably differentiate itself by its new format: the new iPad integrates a screen, still Retina with its 3.5 million pixels, which now offers a diagonal of 10.2 inches, against 9.7 inches for the iPad of 2018 In addition, this new version wishes to go further than previous generations by meeting more needs, in particular, that of productivity. With its Smart Connector, it can now accommodate a keyboard for use as a PC, and it also supports Apple Pencil.

It is possible to transform the tablet into a real game console by connecting an Xbox, PS4 or MFi certified controller via Bluetooth. The feature that takes on its full meaning with the recent arrival of Apple Arcade. Finally, the autonomy is always estimated at ten hours, rechargeable via its Lightning port.

SURFACE PRO 7: MICROSOFT’S HYBRID ALTERNATIVE

Water solution par excellence, Microsoft’s Surface Pro run Windows 10. So you have a real PC in a tablet format. And if you really want to be productive, the detachable keyboard equipped with a TouchPad will finish transforming the tablet into a real laptop.

With Surface Pro 7, Microsoft remains on a design and a connection very similar to the old models. We find the 12.3-inch screen in 2: 3 format, an adjustable stand on the back and three ports on the right edge: USB C, USB 3.1 classic Type-A and the Surface connector.

Regarding the characteristics of the machine, they are merely monstrous. We are moving to the 10th generation Intel Core processor, with i3, i5 or i7 depending on the version. The processor will be supported by 4 to 16 GB of RAM and 128 GB to 1 TB of SSD storage.

It incorporates a 5-megapixel front camera, compatible with Windows Hello for facial recognition, and a back camera which allows you to film in Full HD. Finally, it has an autonomy of 10.5 hours in regular use, according to the manufacturer.