STACK #232 February 2024

TECH FEATURE

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continued Laptops may seem like the default tech for uni, but they aren’t the only option. Tablets have their own advantages – they’re light, fast, easy to use, and more portable for zipping around campus. Words Michael Irving Tablets

Since tablets are running off the same operating systems as the phones we use every day, they can feel more familiar. Most of the kinds of work you can do on a laptop can be done just as easily on a tablet, especially with app stores at your fingertips. Of course, the main draw (pun intended) of a tablet is the touchscreen, which is a must

for students doing creative courses. Being able to sketch right on the screen is crucial for subjects like visual arts, animation, architecture, or graphic design, plus you can jot down notes during lectures. To cap it all off, tablets are usually very light and thin, so they’re easy to slip into a bag and carry between classes.

Why would you need a tablet?

Our top tablet pick s

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+

Lenovo Tab P11

Lenovo Tab P12

Google Pixel Tablet

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

A great place to start is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+. This light and inexpensive tablet taps into Samsung’s extensive experience for seamless productivity, supporting up to three apps open on screen at once. The 16-hour battery life and lightweight body will let you study anywhere at anytime. Octacore processor 64GB/128GB SSD 4GB RAM USB-C/headphones/MicroSD 8MP/5MP cameras 16 hours battery 480g 11” WUXGA touchscreen Snapdragon SM6375

If you already have a laptop, the Lenovo Tab P11 is the perfect partner – just sync it to use it as a touchpad for drawing or writing with the included Lenovo Precision Pen 2. If not, you can grab the keyboard accessory to turn it into a light, simple laptop.

Need a bit more grunt? The Lenovo Tab P12 upgrades the P11 with a larger, higher definition display, more storage space, and a faster processor and RAM. It’s study-ready with a reading mode that gives the screen a paper-like grayscale look, for deeper focus. 12.7” 3K touchscreen MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor 256GB SSD 8GB RAM USB-C/headphones/ MicroSD 13MP/8MP cameras 10 hours battery 615g

If you need a tablet that’s more of a homebody, the Google Pixel Tablet sits on a dock that’s a charger and speaker, where it can act like a smart home hub. Set a productive mood with music, use voice commands to research topics, or you can easily undock it and take it to uni. 11” 2K touchscreen Google Tensor G2 processor 128GB SSD 8GB RAM USB-C 8MP/8MP cameras 12 hours battery 493g

The ultimate productive powerhouse, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra sports a large, high definition screen with an included S Pen for creative works. The meaty processor and RAM combo will chew through the most intensive apps, even with a few open on screen at once. 14.6” WQXGA+ touchscreen Snapdragon SM8550 Octacore processor 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD 12GB RAM USB-C/MicroSD 13MP/8MP/12MP/12MP cameras 9.5 hours battery 732g

11.5” 2K touchscreen MediaTek Helio G99 Octacore processor 128GB SSD 6GB RAM USB-C/headphones/ MicroSD 13MP/8MP cameras 10 hours battery 520g

20 FEBRUARY 2024

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