Finding the right tablet for university can be quite challenging when faced with so many different options. As a university student, you want a device that is not only powerful but also portable and convenient. The ideal device should be able to handle academic research, presentations, and other essential tasks. In this blog post, we will explore the 10 best tablets for university students and highlight their essential features. Here are our top 10 picks for the best tablets for university students.
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Our top picks:
- Best Apple Tablet: The Apple iPad Pro M2 2023 is the best tablet for university students, combining impressive processing power, a sleek design, and high portability for academic use, including writing papers, conducting research, and delivering presentations, making it the top choice for students.
- Best Android Tablet: The Samsung Tab S9 2023, our pick for the Best Android Tablet, stands out with its powerful performance, lightweight construction, and enhanced features perfect for university students.
- Best Budget Tablet: The OnePlus Pad (2023) stands out as the idea budget tablet for students, boasting a powerful Mediatek processor, a vibrant 11.61” IPS LCD Display, stylus compatibility for writing and sketching and a huge 9510mAH battery, 67W charger, and 4k recording.
- Best Overall Tablet: The Apple iPad Pro M2 2023, our Best Overall Tablet, combines essential features in a sleek, portable design. It has a powerful M2 chip, Retina display, ample storage, Apple Pencil & Smart Keyboard compatibility, and long battery life – perfect for students.
- Best Tablet for Note-Taking: The Samsung Tab S9 2023, with its exceptional stylus integration and a plethora of amazing free note-taking apps, stands out as the superior choice for note-taking among university students.
- Best Table for Drawing: The Apple iPad Pro M2 2023 is the best tablet for drawing, offering impressive features like a high-resolution Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display, fast M2 chip, and compatibility with the Apple Pencil, providing artists with a smooth and natural drawing experience.
1) Apple iPad Pro M2 (2023) (12.9inch)
The Apple iPad Pro is another top-tier choice for university students, known for its sleek design and high-performance capabilities. Powered by an A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine, this tablet ensures smooth multitasking for all your academic requirements. The iPad Pro features a stunning 11-inch edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, perfect for both note-taking and media consumption. With up to 10 hours of battery life and compatibility with the Apple Pencil, it is excellent for extensive note-taking during lectures. Coupled with a 128GB storage capacity, the iPad Pro is an impressive blend of power and portability, making it an ideal tablet for university students.
Specs:
8 core M2 CPU | Storage ranging from 128GB – 2TB | Liquid Retina XDR Display |
| True Tone Display | XDR Brightness: 1,000 nits full, 1,600 nits peak | 8GB RAM on models under 1TB storage | 16GB RAM on models at/over 1TB. | 12MP Ultra Wide cameras | 4K Recording | WiFi 6E | 5G Cellular | Face ID | ThunderBolt 3 Support. | 20W USB C cable & Plug
Stand-out Features:
- The iPad Pro comes with Apples M2 chipset which deliver’s a 15% speed improvement over previous generations, AI processing up by 40% and a huge 50% increase in memory bandwidth.
- The Apple iPad Pro M2 come’s with a feature classed as ‘Superfast Wireless Connectivity’ which gives it the ability to use next generation WiFi – WiFi 6E.
- 12.9 Liquid Retina XDR Display – Apple’s new revolutionary display delivers ‘true to life’ detail which makes it a blast for viewing and editing HDR content. It includes 1000nits full brightness, 1,600 peak nits brightness & 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
- The iPad Pro come’s with IOS 16 as standard which includes feature’s such as Full External Display support, desktop class apps and more.
2) Microsoft Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 is a top pick for university students. With a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, it offers impressive multitasking capabilities. The device features a 12.3-inch touchscreen boasting a resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels, accompanied by 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Its portability and versatility make it ideal for note-taking, running simulations, and streaming your favorite shows.
Specs:
12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor | 13 Inch LCD Panel (2880×1920) |Wi-Fi 6E connectivity | Battery life up to 15.5 hours | TPM 2.0 | Two USB-C | 4 USB 4.0 Slots | ThunderBolt 4 Port | 8, 16 or 36GB RAM | 10MP Rear, 5MP Front | Intel Iris XE graphics
Stand-Out Features:
Microsoft’s surface pro comes with a very powerful Core i5 (or i7 depending on your build) ensuring that you’ll never face any slowness, and with Wi-Fi 6E ensures that you’ll never face any network latency.
ThunderBolt 4 capability is essential for external display – as a student you’ll likely do presentations. Having ThunderBolt 4 make’s this a seamless process.
Battery life upto 15 hour’s is more than enough to lead you through a colleague or university class where power sockets may not be readily available.
3) Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (2023)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is a great choice for students seeking power and affordability. It boasts a Snapdragon 895 processor for smooth multitasking, an 11-inch AMOLED display for immersive viewing, and 8GB RAM with expandable storage up to 1TB. The included S-Pen enhances note-taking and navigation, while 5G connectivity ensures fast internet access. With up to 15 hours of battery life, it’s perfect for busy university life. A commendable choice for students!
Specs:
Qualcom SM8550 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | 128GB Storage 8GB RAM | 256GB Storage 12GB RAM | 1600 x 2560px | 13MP Main Camera with 4k Recording |12MP Selfie Camera with 4K recording | Under Display Fingerprint Scanner | 8400mAH | 45W adapter
Stand-Out Features:
A massive standout feature of the Samsung Galaxy Tab s9 is the 8400mAH battery with over 15 hours of battery life you’ll never have to worry about your battery draining quickly.
The Galaxy Tab S9 comes with 256GB storage & 12GB RAM (on the higher model) which basically means you’ll likely never have to worry about storage running out again, coupled with the 12GB of RAM and you have the perfect combination of storage and speed.
The Qualcom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the latest generation of CPU’s developed by Qualcom. You’ll never have to worry about performance while insuring that the tab S9 will stay relevant for years to come.
The Tab S9 come’s with 4k recording for both the front & main camera.
4) OnePlus Pad (2023)
The OnePlus Pad is a promising tablet tailored for students. It features a Snapdragon 870 processor for robust performance, a 11.61” IPS LCD display for vibrant visuals, and a stylus for seamless writing and sketching. With 8GB RAM and 256 storage, it offers sufficient space for academic files and entertainment. Supporting 5G connectivity and boasting a battery life of up to 12 hours, it’s a practical and affordable choice for university students.
Specs:
Mediatek MT6983 | 128GB Storage 8GB RAM | 256GB Storage 12GB RAM | UFS 3.1 | 11.61” IPS LCD Display | 2000 x 2800px | 144Hz | 13MP Front Camera | 8MP Rear Camera | 4K Rear Video recording | 9510mAH | 67W charger | Wi-Fi 6 | BT 5.3
Stand-Out Features:
The OnePlus Pad come’s with 9510mAH battery, which should carry you through collage seminars or university lectures while also leaving you with enough for YOU time.
The OnePlus Pad include’s a 67W USB lead which is more than what most companies even offer in the box now.
The OnePlus Pad come’s with 4k rear recording which is perfect for recording lecture’s and those special moment’s with your fellow students.
The OnePlus Pad is priced very affordably.
5) Google Pixel Tablet (2023)
Crafted for performance and mobility, the Google Pixel Tablet (2023) is an ideal companion for students. Powered by the latest Snapdragon processor, it ensures smooth operation and multitasking. The 10.95” LCD display is perfect for academic use and entertainment. With 256GB with UFS 3.1 storage, it offers ample space for study materials and apps. Supporting Wi-Fi 6 and 4G LTE, it guarantees consistent internet access. The Pixel Pen provides a seamless writing experience. With up to 12 hours of battery life, it keeps you connected and productive. The Google Pixel Tablet (2023) is a fantastic choice for university students.
Specs:
Google Tensor G2 | 128 & 256GB storage | UFS 3.1 | 10.95” LCD Display | 2560 x 1600px | 8MP Front Camera & 1080p Recording | 8MP Rear Camera & 1080p Recording | 27W hour battery | Wi-Fi 6 | USB Type C 3.2 Z
Stand-Out Features:
The Google Pixel Tablet comes with 2 years warranty providing you with peace of mind and assurance in the products durability. The pixel tablet also iincludes a charging speaker dock that enhances functionality by allowing you to charge and listen to speaker grade audio at the same time.
The Pixel Tablet ha a sleek and portable design that is crafted for mobility making it easy for students to carry around between classes, libraries and study spaces.
With its performance, features and accessories and price point, it is especially tailored towards students.
12 hour battery life is also enough for a student to go through a full day of classes and study sessions without having to worry about running out of juice.
6) Apple iPad Air (10.9 inch) (2022)
The 2023 iPad Pro is a top-tier choice for university students. Powered by Apple’s M1 chip, it offers exceptional performance. With a stunning 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display and up to 2TB of storage, it’s perfect for course materials and multimedia. The device supports the Apple Pencil (2nd gen) and 5G connectivity, keeping students connected. Its battery lasts up to 10 hours, making it an ideal companion for students.
Specs:
8 core M1 Chipset | 16 Core Neural Engine | Liquid Retina Display |2360 x 1640px |8GB RAM | 64GB & 256GB | 12MP Wide Camera | 28.6W battery | iPad OS 16 | DisplayPort over USB C | 4k AirPlay Mirroring | Wi-Fi 6 | 5G LTE |
Stand-Out Features:
- The 12.9” Liquid Retina XDR screen of the iPad Air’s boasting a remarkable 2360 x 1640 pixel display provides an exceptional canvas for studying preventing and enjoying entertainment content.
- Compatability with the Apple Pencil (2nd Gen) allows it to increase your productivity output with impeccable notes, annotate textbooks and produce sketched diagrams.
- iPad Pro comes with USB C display compatibility to seamlessly connect to a bigger display.
Conclusion:
Choosing the right tablet for university can be overwhelming. However, with our top 6 picks for the best tablets for university students, you can make an informed decision. These devices have been carefully selected based on their portability, versatility, and overall performance. No matter which of these tablets you choose, you can rest assured it will meet your academic needs. Do your homework well, and you will be rewarded with a device that will make your academic journey more comfortable and efficient.