It’s that time of year again. That time when the young, fresh-faced pub and restaurant staff we’ve enjoyed all summer gather up all their tips and toddle off back from whence they came. That time of year when the Deliveroo drivers dry up, and the streets fall to near-silence as the rattle and hum of e-scooters becomes nothing more than a memory of impotent annoyance. That time of year those in the hushed halls of academia call “back to university”.
Indeed, unless you happen to live in a uni town, a large slice of your summer-season population is about to disappear to either embark on or continue down the path of expensive enlightenment. And while their departure, like birds flying South for the winter, may bring with it an odd ennui for the rest of us, we wish them the best as they fill their brains with all the facts and figures it requires to graduate with top honours.
And by ‘best’, I mean ES Best, of course! And, by extension, the very best that we at Best have to offer in terms of unshakably sage advice on the essential tools students, new and returning, will need to make the absolute most of their time within the institution of advanced education. Whether that’s laptops, headphones, or even air purifiers to make life more bearable in shabby student accommodation, we’ve got the essential info on all.
But what of those scholars seeking something lighter than a laptop with which to take notes, write dissertations and Google answers on the sly when they think nobody’s looking? Something that can travel between digs and lecture halls with minimum fuss? Something eminently more affordable than most other personal computing options? Yes, you at the back, that is correct, I am indeed talking about tablets…
Best tablets for university at a glance:
- Best for performance at a low price: HONOR Pad X9 - £160, Amazon
- Best for refurbed savings on Surface: Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ i7-1165G7 - £719, Tier1
- Best for being bloody good on a budget: Nokia T21 - £179, Amazon
- Best for excellence in all areas: Lenovo Tab P12 - £330, Lenovo
- Best for Apple aficionados with ample cash: iPad Pro 12.9-inch - £1249, John Lewis
- Best for those on a tight budget: Amazon Fire HD 10 - £160, Amazon
- Best for Apple aficionados with no Pro needs: iPad mini (2021) - £529.97, Amazon
- Best for renowned reliability: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra - £1,199, Samsung
- Best for eye-popping pixel action: Google Pixel Tablet - £599, Amazon
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HONOR Pad X9
Best for: performance at a low price
HONOR is a brand I’ve come to know well over the course of the last few years since the company’s kit first started making a proper mark in this market, so I was keen to get my grubby hands on the new X9 and had been since it launched back in the wettest July I’ve ever known.
Running on the Android OS but with HONOR’s own MagicOS 7.1 skin pulled tight over the top, the bright, responsive 11.5-inch display is plenty big for both studies and play, while the 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate make the latter even more fun.
Powered by the impressive Snapdragon 685 4G Mobile Platform, productivity even for ardent procrastinators is guaranteed, while 128GB of storage provides ample space for keeping your stuff safe, and Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 will keep the wireless connectivity stable, whether for studies or ‘sport’.
Armed with an array of speakers for clear surround sound, a 5MP rear camera and a mic system that comes enhanced by HONOR’s own Vocal Enhancement Algorithm, recording lectures for playback later ensures that you hear every word with crystal clarity. And when it comes to comms, the 5MP front camera makes video calls and conferences like you’re there.
Handsome too (as much as a tablet can be) in its Space Grey finish, it would be easy to over-emphasise just how much of a bargain the HONOR X9 is.
OS: MagicOS 7.1 (Android 13)
Display: 11.5-inch TFT LCD (IPS), 120Hz, 2000 x 1000-pixels
CPU: Octo-core Snapdragon 685 4G Mobile Platform
Storage: 128GB
Memory: 4 + 3GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1
Speakers: x6
Microphone: Yes
Dimensions: 267 x 167 x 6.9mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 499g
Buy now £160.00, Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ i7-1165G7
Best for: Refurbed savings on Surface
I’m a big fan of refurb tech – it’s good for the pocket and it’s good for the planet. And to prove my first point, this is a Microsoft Surface Pro 7+, a machine that cost a fair old chunk of change when it was new, but having been refurbed, you can now pick it up a shade over 700 quid.
For that, you get Windows 10, a dazzling 12.3-inch PixelSense display, with a 2736 x 1824-pixels resolution that is stunningly sharp and vivid, a lightning-fast Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, more storage space than you can shake a stylus at (256GB) and a full 16GB of memory.
With a 5MP front-facing camera and an 8MP option at the rear, plus dual microphones, recording lectures and video conferencing is a breeze, while the 1.6W stereo speakers, with Dolby Atmos, are surprisingly good too.
To make life even easier, a keyboard and stylus (available separately) can be added to assist in note-taking, knocking up long-form writing and drawing, and at only 770g, it’s relatively light for a tablet bursting with so much spec.
Offered by Tier1 in what it terms ‘Grade B’, you may find the odd scuff on the casing, but any imperfections will be merely visual, so anything you spot can simply be covered with small stickers promoting peace and love, roller boots, and a desire to ‘ban the bomb’, or whatever it is students are into these days.
An absolute steal, this pre-loved, refurbed Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ would suit any student, in any subject, down to the ground, with a spec-to-price ratio that can’t be beat.
OS: Window 10 Home
Display: 12.3-inch PixelSense Display, 2736 x 1824-pixels
CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7
Storage: 256GB
Memory: 16GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Speakers: 1.6W stereo with Dolby Atmo
Microphone: x2
Dimensions: 292 x 201 x 8.5mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 770g
Buy now £719.00, Microsoft
Nokia T21
Best for: being bloody good on a budget
After years in the wilderness, Nokia came back with a bang back in 2017 when the company was brought back from near-dead by HMD Global. Since then, I’ve reviewed several of the reborn company’s smartphones and tablets and have found them all to be extremely good value for money, well-built and reasonably well-tricked out for the cost. The last tablet I got hands-on with was the entry-level T10, so, for this review, it makes sense to go to the other end of the spectrum and take a good, hard look at Nokia’s flagship slate, the T21.
So, what do we have? Over 10 inches of nicely bright 2K screen in a surprisingly light shell (all aluminium), so just be careful you don’t overdo the heft when picking it up as you might end up accidentally chucking it across the room.
Inside sits an entry-level Unisoc T612 chip with 8 Cores that makes for smooth multitasking and decent gameplay, but we’re here for work not dossing through a degree, but that’s fine because the T21 with its expandable storage and Android OS means you can run all the apps required to get through the scholarly day, saving your work safely aboard.
Two speakers, twin mics and 8MP cameras front and rear make for good video calls and lecture recordings, while all flavours of Wi-Fi and stable Bluetooth 5.0 will keep you connected.
Then there’s the price; just £179 (down from £200), something that makes the T21 a veritable bargain and up there with the Amazon Fire HD 10 when it comes to price/spec rivals, but with the Nokia you get the full Android experience, which is well worth taking into account.
OS: Android 12
Display: 10.3-inch, 1200 x 2000-pixels
CPU: Octa-core Unisoc T612
Storage: 64/128GB (Expandable to 512GB with SD)
Memory: 4GB
Connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0
Speakers: x2
Microphone: x2
Dimensions: 248 x 157 x 7.5mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 471g
Buy now £179.99, Amazon
Lenovo Tab P12
Best for: excellence in all areas
Ideal for those involved in art or design, the P12 from Lenovo has a pleasingly sizeable 12.7-inch 3K screen that’s bright, sharp and beautifully responsive and comes with a stylus and an optional keyboard and stand, which make it more of a full-on office on the go than a mere tablet. This, of course, means it’s absolutely ideal for all manner of academic pursuits from taking notes to typing up dissertations to sketching out schematics and, well, you get the idea.
This full flexibility is backed up by a meaty octo-core MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip that’s dead-on for demanding tasks and, combined with the 8GB of memory, makes multitasking a bit of a breeze too.
The 128GB of memory can be expanded via a UFS card to allow students a world of storage, utterly solid Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 keep connection, and quad speakers by JBL dole out untablet-like audio of a surprisingly decent standard.
Camera-wise you get 8MP round the back complete with flash and a generous 13MP front-facer which, is teamed with sensitive twin microphones to take care of video calls and conferencing very nicely.
What’s more, it’s good looking too, with classic Lenovo lines, a ‘Storm Grey’ finish and an excellent build quality, so it could well be the most handsome tablet travelling the halls of academia.
With a magnet built into the back for the stylus, the Tab P12 has been enormously well thought out in all areas and, frankly, could be priced at almost twice the asking without attracting questions. Indeed, it’s a delight to use, as if the magnetic clip-on keyboard that came with the review model, with spacious keys and a sizeable trackpad making for countless hours of comfortable typing, even if you’ve left everything to the last minute, again, and have to drum up 10,000 words before midnight.
A top-notch bit of tablet tech for very little of your money-pounds-pence, if you’re looking for a complete mobile office solution for your studies, you’ve found it.
OS: Android 13
Display: 12.7-inch LTPS LCD, 2944 x 1840-pixels (3K)
CPU: Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7050
Storage: 128GB (Expandable via SD)
Memory: 8GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
Speakers: Quad JBL
Microphone: x2
Dimensions: 293 x 191 x 6.9mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 615g
Buy now £330.00, Lenovo
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch
Best for: Apple aficionados with ample cash
Apple stuff costs the big bucks, and the reason for that is that it’s very, very good. Take the iPad Pro for example, selected here in its largest option, this 12.9-inch tablet is the top of the Apple tree and, as such, comes with a simply stunning Liquid Retina XDR (extreme dynamic range) display with a 2732 x 2048 pixel count for vibrant colours and stunning images.
It runs on Apple’s M2 chipset for blisteringly fast processing, thus handling any task you throw at it with utter ease, while storage options run from 128GB up to 2TB and memory is either 8GB or 16GB, so plenty to play with.
One for the creatives, as with all Apple stuff, the iPad Pro is great for video and photo editing, but is equally adept when it comes to word processing, so an excellent study all-rounder, and for an extra £139, you can add in an Apple Pencil (a stylus) to give even more flexibility to what you can do. And you can add a Magic Keyboard for another £379, but now we’re looking at £1767.
Connectivity comes courtesy of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, so you’re more stable than one of those things they keep horses in. Four speakers provide excellent audio, and the 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and multiple mic array make for flawless video calls, while the combined 12MP Wide and 10MP Ultra Wide cameras round the back - so filming lectures in full 4K is on the cards.
Powerful and boosting productivity in all areas, video streaming and gaming are also glorious thanks to that aforementioned display, so post-work playtime is perfect too.
OS: iPadOS
Display: 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 2732 x 2048-pixel
CPU: Apple M2
Storage: 128GB to 2TB
Memory: 8GB or 16GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Speakers: x4
Microphone: x5
Dimensions: 280 x 215 x 6.4mm
Weight: 682/684g
Buy now £1249.00, John Lewis
Amazon Fire HD 10
Best for: Those on a tight budget
Light, cheap as CPU chips and quite capable, the Fire HD 10 from Amazon, costs just a tenner over a ton and a half, for which you get a 10.1-inch HD display that’s perfectly bright and sharp even if not over-packed with pixels like other options I’ve paraded about here.
At the heart lies an octo-core Mediatek MT8186A chip which lets the 10 operate at up to 2.0GHz, which is nippy enough for most jobs and multitasking is not an issue with its 4GB or RAM. When it comes to storage you can choose between 32GB and 64GB and expand up to 1TB with an SD card, so no need to worry about running out of space for all your essential info, and Bluetooth 5.0 plus all the usual flavours of Wi-Fi will ensure strong connections.
Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos make a reasonable fist of sound, but I reckon you’ll want to hook up over that Bluetooth to some decent headphones to truly appreciate audio. When it comes to snaps and video calls, both front and back get a 5MP camera, while two microphones will make sure you’re heard on conference calls.
On the OS front, you get Fire OS 8, Amazon’s on reworking of Android 11 which, unfortunately, I find rather restrictive, and it doesn’t play nice with Google, but as long as you’re down with the Amazon content kids (and you can add Microsoft apps), everything will come up aces.
Light too, at just 468g, the Amazon Fire HD 10 may not be the most spec-tacular tablet available, but for the money you really can’t go wrong.
OS: Android 11/ Fire OS 8
Display: 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixels
CPU: Mediatek MT8186A
Storage: 32/64GB (Expandable to 1TB via SD)
Memory: 4GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
Speakers: x2
Microphone: x2
Dimensions: 247 x 166 x 9.2mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 468g
Buy now £160.00, Amazon
Apple iPad mini (2021)
Best for: Apple aficionados with no Pro needs
So, you favour the Apple OS, you like beautiful, bright, hugely responsive displays, but you don’t want to part with over a grand to own one? Well, look what Tim Cook’s army of Applettes has cooked up here: an 8.3-inch alternative for less than half the price of the Pro.
Screen-wise, you get a splendid resolution of 2266 x 1488 pixels for images sharper than real life, while the whole shebang is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic CPU, giving a performance that is super-smooth and lightning-quick no matter how many apps you’ve accidentally left open.
When it comes to storage, you get a choice of either 64GB or 256GB, which is a bit of a leap, plus the latter will also set you back an extra £180, but 64GB does seem a little stingy.
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are both present and correct, while 2x speakers, 2x microphones and 12MP cameras front and back see to everything else.
Ultra-light at 239g, the iPad mini is a great choice for those who want to work, rest and play the Apple way without parting with all your student union bar tokens in one go.
OS: iPadOS
Display: 8.3-inch Liquid Retina, 2266 x 1488-pixels
CPU: Apple A15 Bionic
Storage: 64/256GB
Memory: 4GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Speakers: x2
Microphone: x2
Dimensions: 195 x 135 x 6.3mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 239g
Buy now £529.97, Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Best for: renowned reliability
This stunning example of Samsung’s tech artistry features a whopping and dazzling 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, with a resolution of 2960 x 1848 pixels for images that almost leap out of the screen and will turn downtime video streaming or gameplay into easily the best part of the day.
But a workhorse too, running on an excellent Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, the S9 is faster than The Flash and runs smoother than a velvet otter, while 512GB of storage is very generous (and upgradeable at the buying stage and expandable via microSDXC) indeed, as is the 12GB of RAM.
When it comes to sound, a quad AKG system really enhances audio to actual listening-without-headphone levels, so music and sound from streamed video is ear-pleasing right from the speakers, which is pretty much unheard of.
Wi-Fi coverage comes in abundance, covering 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e and Bluetooth 5.3 provides a sturdy connection with earphones should those AKG speakers still not be enough for you.
12MP camera front and back allow for Wide and Ultra-wide images and 4K recording @30fps which will keep things in focus, while the nine-strong microphone system listens like a digital hawk.
Like the iPad Pro, the Galaxy Tab S9 is pricey at the best part of £1200 and you may wonder at the sense of spending so much moolah on a tablet when you could easily afford a laptop, but you also get a stylus thrown in for free, expanding your academic repertoire and, should you not be too concerned by things of a financial nature, you can add on a keyboard and cover double-whammy for an extra £229, making the Samsung all things to all student comers.
Did I mention, it’s a Samsung Galaxy tab?
OS: Android 13, One UI 5.1
Display: 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2960 x 1848-pixels
CPU: Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Storage: 512GB
Memory: 12GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3
Speakers: Quad AKG system
Microphone: x9
Dimensions: 209 x 326 x 5.5mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 732g
Buy now £1199.00, Samsung
Google Pixel Tablet
Best for: eye-popping pixel action
You might think that if you’re going to be using your tablet mostly for academic research that getting in bed with Google would be a good idea; and you’d be wildly and unequivocally correct, of course.
Firstly, you’ve got all your Google-y goodness right at your fingertips, all the apps you could ever need to help you navigate university with even more ease – Chrome, Maps, Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Photos, Docs, etc. – so as long as you’re online, you have total and utter access to everything you could need, all a prod away on the glorious nearly 11-inch LCD screen, rippling with a resolution of 2560 x 1600-pixels.
Of course, if you’re not online, you have a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage to fall back on for your onboard notes and info, plus 8GB of memory to help multitasking flow-free.
When online, Wi-Fi 6 will ensure you have the best connection, while Bluetooth 5.2 will guarantee a strong link to your other assorted Bluetooth-enabled gear.
Driven by the octo-core Google Tensor G2 chip which started work in Pixel products around the middle of the year and delivers impressive performance for day-to-day tablet tasks, which makes it ideal for academia, and combined with that swish screen and the Mali-G710 MP7 GPU, it’s good for gaming and streaming video too.
Four speakers deliver decent stereo sound, and 3x microphones make video conferencing cuttingly clear.
Naturally, Google TV comes integrated, and should you have any Google smart devices employed around your student digs, the Pixel Tablet will let you control them all from the comfort of your backside.
Front and back see 8MP cameras, with both capable of recording in 1080p@30fps, so you’re more than covered for calls, conferences and recording important lectures, uni events and, indeed, yourself if you happen to be one of those extroverted academics with a YouTube channel.
What’s more – and this really could be the deal-clincher for near-skint scholars seeking value for money – the Pixel Tablet comes with a docking charge included in the price… a docking charger that also features a 43.5mm full-range speaker for enhanced home audio! Plus, when docked, the Tablet can operate as a hub for smart home stuff, gives you hands-free Google Assistant, is perfectly placed for video calls, and, of course, makes an ideal bedside TV.
A very cool bit of kit that really is the studying classes’ best friend, the Google Pixel Tablet excels in all areas.
OS: Android 13
Display: 10.9-inch LCD, 2560 x 1600-pixels
CPU: Google Tensor G2, Titan M2 security coprocessor
Storage: 128GB or 256GB
Memory: 8GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6
Speakers: x4
Microphone: x3
Dimensions: 258 x 169 x 8.1mm
Weight: 493g
Buy now £599.00, Amazon
