The first prototype of a tablet computer (the Letterbug) was developed in 1986. But tablets appeared in works of science fiction even earlier – the Calculator Pad in Foundation (1951), the NewsPad in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), a depiction of a tablet in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1978). There was even a patent for an electrical stylus device for capturing handwriting granted in 1888!
In the 2010s, tablets became one of the hottest technology topics. The largest tech companies have given it a shot with their tablet PCs, creating the most powerful, versatile, and lightweight tablets. Let’s take a look at the best tablets to buy right now.
iPad Pro 12.9
- Weight: 688g
- Dimensions: 280.6×214.9×6.4mm
- Screen size: 12.9”
- CPU: Apple M2
- Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB
- Price: From $1,099
The iPad Pro offers an easy-to-use interface, a sleek, portable design, and great compatibility with popular apps (Metatrader, TradingView, Yahoo Finance, etc.). Under the hood, it features Apple’s most powerful tablet processor to date. But it’s not for price-conscious traders.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
- Weight: 726g
- Dimensions: 326.4×208.6×5.5mm
- Screen size: 14.6”
- CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB
- Price: From $699
This one’s for those who like their screens on the larger side. The graphics and multi-window display are great for charting and technical analysis. Also, the Tab S8 offers the next generation of connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E, 3x faster than the previous model.
Google Pixel Slate
- Weight: 731g
- Dimensions: 202×290.9×7mm
- Screen size: 12.3”
- CPU: Intel Kaby Lake Celeron
- Storage: 32GB/64GB/128GB/256GB
- Price: From $499.99
Pixel Slate’s display covers nearly the entire front of the device, which is arguably even better for charting platforms than the Tab S8. The tablet is equipped with durable aluminum chassis and comes with up to 12 hours of battery life.
Microsoft Surface Go 2
- Weight: 544g
- Dimensions: 245×175×8.3 mm
- Screen size: 10.5”
- CPU: Pentium Gold, 8th Gen Intel Core m3
- Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB
- Price: From $599
The Surface Go 2 is one of the lightest tablets out there, built with portability in mind. But this doesn’t take away from computing performance. There won’t be any noticeable lag when loading charts, refreshing screens, entering orders or moving symbols.
Acer Switch 5
- Weight: 900g
- Dimensions: 292.9×201.8×15.9mm
- Screen size: 12”
- CPU: Intel Core i5-7200U
- Storage: 256GB/512GB
- Price: From $799
The Switch is slightly heavier than its competitors. But it can handle more complex loads without overheating or being noisy, thanks to the integrated Intel HD 620 graphics chip. Also, the viewing angles are excellent (178°).
Lenovo ThinkPad X1
- Weight: 890g
- Dimensions: 304×225.56×8.9mm
- Screen size: 13”
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U
- Storage: 256GB
- Price: From $844.69
The best qualities of the X1 are its edge-to-edge display, blazing-fast data speeds, and versatile visual output. Also, it’s engineered to run in extreme conditions – extreme cold, dust storms, spills and drops, etc.
Amazon Fire HD 10
- Weight: 465g
- Dimensions: 262×159×7.7mm
- Screen size: 10.1”
- CPU: Octa-core
- Storage: 32GB/34GB + micro SD cards
- Price: $149.99
Amazon Fire HD 10 is great for beginners or traders on a budget. It features most of the spec prowess to take on the higher-end competitors for a fraction of the price. While you may not be able to use your heavy-duty platforms, you’ll be able to do simple tasks and monitor trades on the go.
Combine any tablet from this list with a keyboard and/or a stylus to transform it into a powerful tool for trading.