In the early days of tablets, they were widely regarded as toys for the tech-minded. But increasingly, business owners and employees find tablets indispensable on the go. And that’s led to a deluge of different options in the marketplace.
As those options have increased, so has the functionality. Nowadays, the best tablets have as much power and offer as many features as some of the leading business laptops. So you really are spoilt for choice.
But where to start? And how to ensure you’re getting value for money?
Here’s our run down of the best tablet options for small businesses, to help get you started – as well as some pointers on how to make the right decision.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is intended to be a close competitor to the iPad Pro – offering a very similar look and feel, as well as functionality. And for the most part, it’s just as good.
It’s fast, packed with power, and allows you to run all kinds of apps and programs. Whatever work you’re likely to be doing, it’s a tablet than can handle it.
But the clincher is that, at around £650 to £700, it’s a lot cheaper than the newest iPad models – making it a great choice for small businesses looking for quality without breaking the bank.
Microsoft Surface Go 2
Though smaller and a little less powerful and flashy than the Surface Pro, the Surface Go 2 offers exceptional value for money for businesses.
It has good battery life, can be supplemented with all kinds of accessories like a mouse or a keyboard, and can perform most of the business tasks the average person requires with ease.
And you get all this for just over £400 – making it a tablet you can justify, and even buy for employees too.
Huawei MatePad Pro
Many are put off by this tablet’s incompatibility with the Google Play Store – meaning certain popular business and social apps can’t be accessed. But if you can see beyond that, it’s a brilliant bit of business tech that’s also brilliantly affordable.
It’s rapid and will continue to operate quickly regardless of what you run on it.
Battery life is outstanding and its useability is widely praised. Despite all this, it’s the cheapest of the tablets on this list at just £400
For value for money as a business user, it doesn’t get much better.
Apple iPad Pro 12.9in 2021
You can’t put together a list of the best tablets around without including an iPad. And this particular iPad is probably the best model to date – and the best fit for modern businesses.
It’s as powerful as a MacBook, lightweight, beautifully designed and boasts an exceptional battery life.
It works just as well whether you’re streaming your favourite show or running several different apps for business tasks. And it’s got that unrivalled Apple useability that just makes everything easier.
In many ways, there isn’t much that a laptop offers that this particular tablet doesn’t.
But all of this does come at a cost: the iPad Pro 12 comes in at £1100 – which for many small businesses will be harder to justify.
Nonetheless, if you simply want the best there is, look no further.
What to consider before starting your search
As you’ll see on our shortlist, the price of tablets varies widely. That means it’s really important to weigh up what you need before starting your search – to ensure you get genuine value for money.
Here are a few of the most important factors:
- What functions you’ll need the tablet for. Emails, surfing the web and streaming shows don’t demand an all-singing, all-dancing device. Meanwhile, if you’re someone that might create videos and presentations frequently on a tablet, a more powerful device could be essential
- The operating system you need. If your whole world is already conducted through Apple devices, it will be hard to ignore an iPad. Otherwise, you can be a bit more open-minded – and potentially save some money
- Where you and your employees will use devices. If remote use is essential then it will be really important to ensure that the device you choose is 4G and ideally 5G enabled and can take a business SIM
- Laptop vs tablet. Many people purchase tablets and soon find themselves wanting to purchase a keyboard. Others find themselves adding extra memory and other accessories that essentially lead to a tablet feeling remarkably like a laptop. In those cases, a laptop might have been a better option
And whatever you do, take your time and compare lots of options. Deals and discounts are abundant, and being patient can pay off.
Add an XLN SIM to power your tablet
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