The best high-end tablets

Since the release of the first Apple iPad in 2010, tablets have become indispensable. Although smartphones are getting bigger and bigger, the little siblings still can’t match the ease of use and better readability of a tablet. The larger screen diagonal is particularly noticeable when gaming and image editing: Controlling many of the controls on a tablet is much tidier and less stressful than on a smartphone.

Input pens and optionally available keyboards and mice further expand the range of applications for tablets so that they function more or less like notebooks. This versatility makes them the perfect pocket computers, whether on the go or at home. This article shows you the most powerful high-end tablets that are currently available for purchase.

What can you expect from a high-end tablet?

• a display with a very high pixel density, strong colors, pronounced contrasts and high luminosity
• a lot of computing power for app multitasking, image editing and mobile gaming with a maximum and smooth frame rate
• high-quality workmanship and extensive equipment

In this list, we recommend the five best high-end tablets that you can get from around €600 and upwards. If you want to stay under 600 euros, we recommend that you take a look at our corresponding purchase advice:

1. Apple iPad Pro

The latest iteration of the Apple iPad Pro once again leaves the competition out in the cold. Like its predecessor, the 2022 version once again appears in a housing made of 100 percent recycled aluminum, which gives a very high-quality impression. The Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2,388 x 1,668 pixels provides you with razor-sharp content, bright colors and strong contrasts. Thanks to the refresh rate of 120 Hertz, scrolling is very smooth and animations are always displayed smoothly. With the help of TrueTone technology, content is also adapted to the ambient light in terms of color temperature, which further increases eye comfort.

Apples neues Powerhouse – Der M2

Equipped with the new M2 chip, the iPad Pro is currently the fastest tablet on the market. It doesn’t matter whether it’s excessive app multitasking or graphically complex mobile games – there is hardly a challenge that would push the iPad Pro to its performance limits. Despite the strong computing performance, the iPad Pro is resource-saving, as it lasts for around eight to ten hours when fully charged before it needs a new supply of energy.

The iPad Pro is available in an 11-inch and a 12.9-inch version.

Display: 11 Zoll Liquid Retina Display (2.388 x 1.668 Pixel), 120 Hz
Processor: Apple M2
storage capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Operating system: iPadOS

Buy Apple iPad Pro 11″ from Amazon

Buy Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ from Amazon

2. Apple iPad Air

Sitting between the iPad and the iPad Pro, it does that iPad Air comfortable. This is not a classic “middle class” version, but a high-end tablet with massive performance. The iPad Air, now in its fifth generation, has a razor-sharp 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2,360 x 1,640 pixels and very rich color output.

On the software side, the visual result is upgraded again: Thanks to “TrueTone”, the displayed colors are adapted to the lighting conditions of the environment and “NightShift” filters out the blue light at night to protect the eyes. There are only deductions for the refresh rate: Instead of 120 Hertz, this is only 60 Hertz. The four built-in stereo speakers ensure a convincing sound, especially in stereo format.

The Apple iPad Air redefines the “middle class”.

An extremely powerful M1 chip is installed as the processor, which was already used in the MacBook Air or the iPad Pro of the previous generation. The fast working speed is also due to the fact that the main memory has grown from 4 gigabytes to a full 8 gigabytes compared to the predecessor iPad Air. The iPad Air is therefore ideally suited for graphically demanding games such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile with maximum details.

The two 12 megapixel cameras also deliver very good results. The wide-angle camera can record 4K videos and the ultra-wide-angle camera has a follow mode that automatically zooms in on video recordings if necessary, so that everyone stays in the picture. With continuous operation, the 7,730 mAh battery lasts almost 10 hours before a socket has to be found. The charging process takes a relatively long time at over 2 hours.

Display: 10,9 Zoll Liquid Retina IPS LCD (2.360 x 1.640 Pixel), 60 Hertz
Processor: Apple M1
Random access memory: 8 GB
storage capacity: 64 GB / 256 GB
Operating system: iPadOS 14
Mass weight: 247,6 x 178,5 x 6,1 mm; 461 Gramm

Buy Apple iPad Air from Amazon

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

This is undoubtedly the spearhead of Android-based tablets Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display delivers a 2,960 x 1,848 pixel resolution with strong colors and a fully expanded DCI-P3 color space, making it ideal for image processing. Scrolling and animations are pleasantly smooth thanks to the refresh rate of 120 Hertz. The very high maximum brightness is also worth mentioning, as it allows the tablet to be operated excellently even in direct sunlight. Four integrated speakers with Dolby Atmos support ensure convincing stereo sound.

At the heart of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which delivers the best processing power that can be found in an Android-based tablet. The Tab S8 Ultra handles graphically demanding gaming with ease, even if it doesn’t quite come close to the performance of Apple’s high-end devices. Depending on the version, the S8 Ultra is equipped with either 8 GB, 12 GB or 16 GB of RAM.

Perfectly equipped for gaming and creative work

The front and back of the tablet flagship are each equipped with a dual camera. The camera module on the back consists of a 12 megapixel main camera and a 6 megapixel ultra wide-angle camera. The quality of the images is very good with good lighting and is still convincing even in poor lighting conditions. The front camera consists of a 12-megapixel main sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle sensor. For selfies and video calls, this delivers results at a very good level. The 11,200 mAh battery provides 8-9 hours of continuous use before the charging cable is required. The tablet recharges in just 1.5 hours using a 45-watt Samsung power adapter, sold separately.

Display: 14,6 Zoll Super AMOLED (2.960 x 1.848 Pixel), 120 Hertz
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Random access memory: 12 GB, 16 GB
storage capacity: 256 GB, 512 GB
Operating system: Knox 3.8, Android 12, One UI 4.1
Mass weight: 326,4 x 208,6 x 5,5 mm, 726 Gramm

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra from Amazon

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8

The classic version of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 does not need to hide from the Ultra version. With a resolution of 2,560×1,600 pixels, the 11-inch TFT LCD display provides very good image sharpness and bright, vibrant colors with convincing contrasts. Moving images and operation benefit from the maximum refresh rate of 120 Hertz. The maximum brightness also enables good legibility outdoors when the sun is not shining directly on it. Thanks to speakers from AKG, the sound output is convincing and powerful, especially for series and films.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor with eight cores, which promises gaming with the highest details with smooth performance and fast app multitasking. The 128 gigabyte variant is equipped with 8 gigabytes of RAM, while the 256 gigabyte version even comes with 12 gigabytes of RAM.

Galactic good

There is a dual camera on the back of the tablet, consisting of a 13-megapixel main sensor and a 6-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor. The images convince with strong colors and a good level of detail. The 12 megapixel front camera enables 4K recordings at 30 frames per second and is ideal for self-portraits or video calls. However, there is no autofocus. The battery capacity of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is 8,000 mAh and provides enough energy for 13 hours of continuous video operation. With the separately available 45-watt quick charger, the tablet is fully charged again in just 2 hours.

• Display: 11 Zoll TFT LCD (2.560 x 1.600 Pixel), 120 Hertz
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen
• Random access memory: 8 GB, 12 GB
• storage capacity: 128 GB, 256 GB
• Operating system: Knox 3.8, Android 12, One UI 4.1
• Mass weight: 253,8 x 165,3 x 6,3 mm, 503 Gramm

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 from Amazon

5. Lenovo Tab P12 Pro

This also joins the ranks of larger tablets Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, which is equipped with a 12.6-inch AMOLED display. This delivers sharp images in a high 2,560×1600 pixel resolution with rich colors and contrast values. When scrolling and gaming, you benefit in particular from the 120 Hertz refresh rate, which makes moving images appear much smoother. Due to the high display brightness, the Tab P12 Pro can be used well outdoors, only it is not so easy to read in direct sunlight.

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 with eight cores is used as the CPU, which brings with it a high working speed and ensures smooth frame rates with high detail levels in games such as Call of Duty Mobile or Genshin Impact. The variant with 128 gigabytes of memory is equipped with 6 gigabytes of RAM, while the 256 gigabyte variant is equipped with 8 gigabytes.

Extremely versatile

On the front is the 8 megapixel front camera, which delivers good quality for selfies and video chats and with which you can also unlock the tablet securely using TOF face recognition. A 13 megapixel main camera and a 5 megapixel ultra wide-angle camera can be found on the back. The former takes nice pictures in bright light conditions, while the ultra-wide-angle camera lacks details and sharpness due to its mere 5 megapixels.
With a generous 10,000 mAh, the battery of the Tab 12 Pro offers enough energy for over 9 hours of intensive use before it needs to be recharged.

Display: 12,6 Zoll AMOLED (2.560 x 1.600 Pixel), 120 Hertz
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
Random access memory: 8 GB
storage capacity: 256 GB
Operating system: Android 11
Mass weight: 285,6 x 184,5 x 5,6 mm, 565 Gramm

Buy Lenovo Tab P12 Pro at MediaMarkt