Buying guide for Best tablets for college students
Small size and portability are both big pluses with a tablet, especially when choosing a tablet for a college student. Tablets excel at web surfing, e-books, app usage, and streaming. A keyboard or stylus peripheral adds functionality and can be particularly good for note taking as well as art disciplines.
Tablets offer a great replacement for textbooks since downloading is instant and often cheaper. In some cases, a tablet may offer all the technology a student needs, although some college programs insist on a laptop. Even then, a tablet is also a good bet as a supplemental tool for additional uses including social media and connectivity, like video chat. Look for a tablet with long battery life, a decent display size, and good storage space.
Key considerations
Before you start looking, think about how you’ll be using your tablet and what kind of tablet you want. Start by answering these questions.
Do you want a tablet as a laptop replacement or a secondary device?
Think about some of the typical tasks you’ll be doing on your tablet. If you intend to use your tablet full time as your primary device, you can do that; you’ll just need to look at the most powerful and most expensive models. If you’re getting a tablet for use as a secondary device, you can save a lot of money by looking at models with smaller screens and fewer bells and whistles.
What size screen do you need?
Tablet screen sizes range anywhere from 7 to 13 inches, and the user experience can be entirely different based on what size you get. Bigger screens are also more expensive, so consider how you might want to balance price point with screen real estate. Our best advice: if you’re getting a tablet as a secondary device to your laptop, a 7- or 9.7-inch screen will work well, but if you’re getting a tablet as your primary device, a 10.5- or 12.9-inch screen is a better choice.
The screen size of a tablet for a college student can make or break how useful it is on a daily basis. We consider how big each unit is and if the screen size is sufficient.
A tablet for a college student can be a great secondary item or a full replacement for a laptop. We weigh the pros and cons of each product to determine how well it will perform on a regular basis.
The size of the tablet itself could affect how portable it is for college students who plan on taking it to class. We look for options that perform well while remaining compact enough to fit in a backpack.
The screen resolution of a tablet for a college student may determine how well it works for a variety of tasks. We favor options that have excellent image quality.
Since most tablets for college students will be used on a regular basis, durability is one of the top considerations. An important part of our research is whether a tablet will hold up to normal wear and tear.
College courses can sometimes be demanding as far as how much work you are doing on a regular basis. We look for tablets that have fast processing speeds even when multiple apps are open.
Since tablets can’t utilize additional storage space, it is important that college students choose models with ample storage included. We look for options that provide a good amount of storage.
Certain tablets for college students may be able to utilize tablet pens or additional accessories. We investigate how versatile each product is with extra add-ons.
Tablet computer hybrids may be a great option for college students who need to type on a regular basis. We research how well these types of products work in classroom settings.
Some classes may offer online teaching programs that utilize webcams instead of in-class lectures. We assess the quality of the camera that is included on a college student's tablet.
Features of tablets for college students
When you’re ready to start comparing models, start with these features to see how they stack up against one another.
Screen resolution
While the screen size definitely determines how big your tablet is, screen resolution controls how sharp the image quality is. Some tablets with larger screens compromise on resolution, so compare the numbers when looking at different models. We recommend a minimum screen resolution of 1200 x 1800. Some premium tablets have screens with resolutions of up to 2732 x 2048.
Speed
Every tablet has a central processing unit (CPU) on board, which controls how fast it is. The problem is that tablets all use different CPUs that are hard to compare. The bottom line: pay attention to how different tablets are marketed. If you see a tablet that’s shown doing simple or passive tasks, like streaming movies or basic mobile games, it will be moderately fast. If you see a tablet that’s marketed for completing active tasks (like editing photos, creating video content, or working with spreadsheets), it will likely have a CPU on board that’s fast enough to keep up.
File storage
Consider how much space you’ll need for your apps and personal files. If you mostly use web-based services or small files, you don’t need a lot of onboard storage. On the other hand, if you want to keep a lot of your personal media on hand, or your schoolwork involves a lot of larger files, you’re going to need a lot of space. Check to see if the model you’re considering has expandable storage, and if it doesn’t, make sure to get one with enough room by default. We typically recommend starting with a minimum of 64 GB.
Unique accessories
There are a lot of unique add-ons for tablets out there, and a lot of them are proprietary, so spend some time browsing peripherals first. Check to see if there are any official matching keyboards, styluses, or cases with unique functionality. It can add a lot of conveniences.
"If you plan to present work from your tablet, get an HDMI adapter. It makes it easy to connect your tablet to a TV or projector and share your screen for presentations and demonstrations. Tablet HDMI adapters can be expensive, but they’re good at what they do, so they’re worth it."
STAFF
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Price of tablets for college students
Inexpensive
Between $50 and $200, you’ll find entry-level and mid-range Android tablets. Screen sizes tend to be smaller, although there are a few ten-inch options that are worthwhile. When it comes to tablets, inexpensive doesn’t mean cheap, so if you’re looking for a moderately powerful tablet that’s good as a secondary device, you don’t have to spend a lot.
Mid-range
Between $200 and $500, you’ll see tablets that are plenty fast and have big, beautiful screens. Models in this price range are a little fancier and come with nicer finishes. Some models even include LTE connectivity, so you can get web access without WiFi (although you’ll need a data plan from a wireless provider to do that). If you’re looking for a tablet that will last several years and has a high-quality screen, this is the price range to keep in mind.
Expensive
Between $500 and $1,400 are the tablets that strive to be laptop replacements. Models in this price range pull out all the stops: tons of onboard storage, enormous 13-inch screens, and ten-hour battery life all cost at least this much. If you’re looking for a tablet that can act as your main machine for your entire college career, this is how much you’ll need to spend.
Tips
- Take advantage of your tablet’s built-in security features. All tablets have basic security features included by default, such as passcode entry. Enable every security option that comes on your tablet, and if you’re using any sensitive online accounts on your tablet, make sure those are protected by two-factor authentication.
- Keep a power bank handy. Tablet batteries last a while, and in most cases all day, but sometimes they run out of power at inopportune times. We’re big believers in being prepared, so we always recommend keeping a spare charger or two around for just those moments. Start by determining how big your tablet battery is, measured in milliamp hours (mAH), and then get a power bank that can store enough mAH to recharge your tablet at least twice.
- Pick a cloud service. There are dozens of cloud services available for storing, backing up, and sharing your documents, and it’s easy to find yourself with files spread across multiple platforms. Create a backup strategy before you start using your tablet and consolidate all of your content to a single service like DropBox, Google Drive, or Amazon Drive, so you never have to waste time trying to remember where a particular file is.
FAQ
Q. Can I use Microsoft Word on a tablet?
A. Yes! Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all have mobile versions that you can download to your tablet for viewing and creating work files. You’ll need to subscribe to their online service, Microsoft Office 365, to edit documents and take advantage of cloud storage, but viewing documents is typically free (and there are dozens of good third-party apps that can view files made with Office).
Q. Can I add file storage space to my tablet after I get it?
A. It depends. Android tablets usually include microSD card slots so you can add storage. Apple’s iPads cannot be upgraded beyond the storage included, although both platforms work well with cloud services that can help relieve some of the burden of local storage. If you plan on keeping your large collections of photos, music, or movies on your tablet, get one with as much built-in storage as you can just to be safe.
Q. Do tablets typically include headphones?
A. Not usually. Most tablet manufacturers expect you to bring your own headphones to the party, and some tablets don’t have headphone jacks, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a pair of Bluetooth headphones. It’s actually a good thing that headphones aren’t included. There are so many affordable options in different form factors, colors, and features that we recommend picking out the perfect pair separately.
