The 10 best tablets for travel

What’s the best tablet for traveling? Follow our guide to compare the different tablets on the market – there’s something for everyone!

Since Donald Trump took office in the Americas, things have changed. Between two decrees, the new strongman of the Free World has banned the use of laptops in the cabins of planes flying to and from a number of countries, and on the fleets of some airlines. If you’ve got a job to do for your boss in the immediate future, it can be a real nuisance not to have a workstation nearby. Fortunately, with the evolution of technology, tablets are now just like laptops.

Since you’re in the middle of a trip, the autonomy of a tablet is the decisive factor when it comes to buying one. Based on the performance of their batteries, here’s our ranking of the best tablets for travel:

#10. Lenovo Yoga Tab 3, spend little for the bare minimum

Lenovo has struck hard once again. Already happy to create havoc for established brands on the laptop market, the Chinese giant has been vigorously attacking the tablet market for some years now. Aimed above all at users wishing to keep a workstation close at hand, its first tablet in our ranking is relatively well-balanced.

• Dimensions, weight & operating time: 209.8 x 145.8 x 7 mm, for 467.2 g and 9h operating time

Platform: Lenovo offers two versions of the Tab 3, including a Pro, which, as the name suggests, is aimed at professionals. The version we’re interested in for its pigeon-holing qualities is the basic one, featuring an architecture based on a Snapdragon 210 processor, with four cores backed up by 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage (expandable to 256 GB via the memory card slot).

An 8-inch screen with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and an 8-megapixel photo sensor on the rear complete the package. The tablet is equipped with a large 6200 mAh battery, which will provide well over 9 hours of use. The tablet runs on Android 4.4 KitKat.

#9: Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2, an interesting update

Once again, Lenovo brings us another well-balanced tablet. No need to break the bank for a tablet that’s always ready to make your life easier.

• Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 255 x 183 x 7.2 mm, for 619 g and 10h of autonomy

Platform: The Yoga Tablet 2 takes the form of a normal tablet, except that it features a peg welded to its chassis, enabling it to be used in easel mode, on any surface. The Intel Atom Z3745 processor is powered by 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256 GB via the memory slot.

The 10.1-inch screen offers a fairly large working area, and is defined in 1920 x 1080 pixels. Two photo sensors complete the arsenal, one with 8 million pixels on the rear and the other with 1.6 million on the front. Add to this a 9600 mAh battery and you have a monster of autonomy. The tablet runs on Android 4.4 KitKat.

#8: Lenovo Tab 2 A10, the perfect mid-range solution

For those not inclined to shell out the big bucks for a tablet, Lenovo has come up with a touchscreen slate with the same arsenal as the Tablet 2, but without the Intel processor.

• Dimensions, weight & operating time: 247 x 171 x 8.9 mm for 509 g and 12h operating time

Platform: in fact, the tablet runs on Android 5.0, which here is powered by a MediaTek processor, a reference linked to the presence or absence of the 4G chip. To this moderately powerful processor, Lenovo has grafted 2 GB of RAM and 16 of internal storage (expandable), as well as a 10.1-inch screen defined in 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Two photo sensors: an 8-megapixel back sensor and a 5-megapixel front sensor, combined with a 7,000 mAh battery. It’s almost done!

#7. Lenovo Tab 2 A8, for fans of small screens

For smaller budgets and fans of smaller touchscreens, Lenovo also has something in stock, the Tab 2 A8, which as the name suggests has an 8-inch screen.

• Dimensions, weight & operating time: 210 x 125 x 8.9 mm for 360 g and 10h operating time

Platform: here we’re treated to the same MediaTek processor as the Tab A10 model, which probably explains their similar price positioning. However, the processor is combined with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of expandable internal storage. There are two photo sensors, a 5-megapixel one on the back and a 2-megapixel one on the front.

From the rest, we find only the 4290 mAh battery, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. The 8-inch screen is an IPS LCD with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

#6. HP Elite X2 1011, if you prefer Windows to Android or iOS

In the end, it’s hard to know where to position the HP Elite X2 1011, since it’s a hybrid notebook that, when you want it to, acts as a powerful workstation, and when you just want to send an e-mail, can confine itself to the role of an occasional tablet.

• Dimensions, weight & operating time: 117.3 x 80.4 x 8.2 mm for 1.2 Kg and 7h or 11h operating time

Platform: the HP Elite X2 1011 is based on an architecture featuring an Intel Core M-5Y71 processor running at 1.2 GHz, combined with 8 GB of RAM and 256 non-expandable internal storage. Featuring an 11.6-inch screen defined in 1920 x 1080 pixels, the tablet is under the control of an Intel HD Graphics 5300 chip and boasts fairly comprehensive connectivity, from WiFi to Bluetooth, via DisplayPort…

Finally, once removed from its cradle, the tablet’s battery provides an autonomy of 7.5 hours. Combined with its cradle (which doubles as an auxiliary keyboard), the tablet offers an overall autonomy of 11.5 hours. Note that the tablet comes with Windows 8.1.

#5. Google Pixel C, Google establishes itself as master of the XXL Android tablet market

Two years ago, Google decided to turn itself into a device manufacturer, to compete with Apple and Microsoft on the one hand, and Samsung, HTC, Huawei, LG… on the other. With its Pixel C, the Mountain View-based company is proposing its vision of the tablet, and we have to admit that we’ve been won over by it.

• Dimensions, weight & operating time: 242 x 179 x 7 mm, 517 g, 10h operating time

Platform: based on an Nvidia Tegra X1 processor (with four cores running at 1.9 GHz), the tablet is powered by 3 GB of RAM and 32 or 64 GB of internal storage. Display is provided by a 10.2″ IPS LCD screen defined at 2560 x 1800 pixels and under the control of an NVIDIA Maxwell GPU.

There are two photo sensors, an 8-megapixel one on the rear and a 2-megapixel one on the front. Running Android 5.0 (upgradeable to Nougat), the Pixel C is powered by a 9240 mAh battery, giving it comfortable battery life.

#4: Apple iPad mini 2, when the Apple makes big out of small

No ranking is possible without an Apple product. From connected watches to portable MP3 players, smartphones and computers, and even tablets, Apple has virtually taken over every market. And in a way, it created the tablet market, where it also reigns supreme. In this ranking, three of Apple’s touchscreen slates will be featured.

The first and least powerful of the Apple tablets featured in this article, the iPad Mini 2 was unveiled in 2013, but still boasts some excellent selling points, not least its now relatively derisory price.

• Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 200 x 134.7x 7.5 mm, for 331 g and 10h of autonomy

Platform: Apple is accustomed to using in-house processors in its products. The iPad Mini 2 features a dual-core Apple A7 CPU, clocked at 1.3 GHz. To this relatively powerful processor, the Apple has added 1 GB RAM, and 16, 32, 64 or 128 GB RAM. What’s more, two versions are available, one with WiFi and 4G, the other with WiFi only.

A 7.9-inch display with 1536 x 2048 pixels, two photo sensors (5 megapixels on the rear and 1.2 megapixels on the front) and a 6470 mAh battery. Note that iOS is in charge here.

#3. 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro, almost a computer replacement

In 2015, Apple wanted to launch a new tablet format, which, let’s face it, didn’t really work. This was the 12.9-inch format, represented by the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It’s important to note that while the tablet wasn’t as successful as its designer had hoped, acquiring it today is quite interesting given that its prices are now contained.

• Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm for 713 g and 10H of autonomy

Platform: the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is built around a dual-core Apple A9X processor and 4GB of RAM, or 32, 128 and 256GB of internal storage. The display is provided by a 12.9-inch IPS LCD panel defined in 2048 x 2732 pixels. Two photo sensors are also part of the package, including the valiant 8-megapixel iSight back camera, alongside the 1.2-megapixel front camera. You’ll also be able to run iOS on this tablet, powered by a 10,307 mAh battery.

#2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, the best Android tablet for your S7 Edge

As ever, Samsung has some excellent products in its catalog. On the tablet side, the South Korean giant offers an excellent Tab S3.

• Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 237.3 x 169 x 6 mm, for 429 g and 11h of autonomy

Platform: this tablet features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor combined with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage by default. A 9.7-inch IPS LCD screen sits at the front, offering images defined in 2048 x 1536 pixels. There are two photo sensors, with 13 and 5 megapixels respectively on the front and rear, and a 6,000 mAh battery.

However, a second model, just as interesting (in terms of price) but dating from 2015, is also available. This is the Galaxy Tab S2, whose technical specifications are quite similar to those of the Tab S3.

#1. Apple iPad Pro 9.7″, the choice of reason

The most complete tablet that every good traveler should own, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro only blew out its first candle 3 weeks ago. Nevertheless, it remains an excellent choice for those who absolutely don’t want to break the bank to own a tablet.

• Dimensions, weight & battery life: 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm for 437 g and 11h battery life

Platform: The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is powered by an Apple A9X chip with two cores running at 2.16 GHz, combined with 2 GB of RAM and 32, 128 or 256 GB of internal storage. Non-expandable, Apple obliges! The IPS LCD screen has a diagonal of 9.7 inches and is defined in 2048 x 1536 pixels.

Here too, two sensors rule the roost: 12 million pixels on the rear and 5 million on the front. For the rest, iOS runs the whole thing, powered by a 5400 mAh battery.