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Bring out the mourners, and with muffled drum, sound the death knell of the tablet. We’ve heard claims that tablets are oversized, unnecessary, and representative of technological bloat and clutter. Naturally, we don’t agree. Tablets still serve a very real purpose in 2020, and if you’re looking for one of the many things tablets can provide you with, then you should absolutely still invest in one. Here are just some of the reasons you may want to consider investing in a tablet this year.
Got kids? A tablet is ideal
If you’ve got kids and want them to be able to play with a smart device but don’t feel comfortable handing them your phone, a tablet can be the perfect compromise. Tablets have big screens, so even younger kids can more easily see what they’re doing. You can even buy from a range of tablets designed specifically for kids, often devices with big and chunky cushioned sides so that drops aren’t the end of the world. Introduce your kids to the world of smart devices with a tablet.
They’re great for gaming
Many games on the mobile market were designed specifically around tablets, and those that weren’t often just look better on a tablet screen. Take Simogo’s excellent Year Walk, for example. Playing it on a smartphone is fine, but a tablet truly unlocks the game’s visual potential and makes it shine. Similarly, if you’re playing some of the classic games available on both Android and iOS, a tablet is the only real way to do them justice.
Reading is a cinch
Some say that reading books on your smartphone is bad for you. This is at least in part due to the blue light your phone emits. Unfortunately, that means tablets suffer from a similar problem. Not to worry, though; the larger screen means you can enlarge the text and make your eyes strain less to read. For our money, tablets are the best devices outside of e-readers to read books on. Apps like Play Books even make your page-turning look realistic.
Artists, take note
Tablets are excellent devices if you’re a budding artist. There’s no substitute for drawing on a tablet, except maybe using a dedicated graphics device. Making notes and drawing on a smartphone simply doesn’t give you the same feeling at all. You’ll need to pair your efforts with the right app – we recommend Adobe Illustrator Draw – but once you’ve got that, you can make your innermost creative thoughts a reality with a great tablet. Try to pick one with a stylus for even greater precision.
Streaming media never looked better
Supposedly, around 70% of Netflix users stream media on their TV, while 10% of them use their phones. If you’re watching Netflix on your smartphone screen, take note: it’s much better to do so with a tablet. Images are much crisper and clearer on a tablet, so that series you’re watching or that movie you’ve been meaning to catch up with will look significantly better on your tablet. This applies to other streaming services like YouTube and Twitch as well.
Pair with a Bluetooth keyboard for a mini-laptop
While you’re likely to own a laptop or desktop PC, a tablet can give you all the advantages of a computer without any of the drawbacks. Tablets are much more portable than even laptops are because they’re much smaller and lighter (in most cases). Make sure to get yourself a Bluetooth keyboard if you’re serious about doing a lot of work on your tablet, though. The onscreen keyboard likely won’t cut it for lengthier documents.
Browsing the internet is great fun
Tablets enjoy all the benefits of smartphone responsive design without any of the drawbacks. If you’re looking to browse the internet, there are few better devices than tablets on which to do it. Big, chunky web design is a joy to behold when you’re using the right tablet. If you do need to switch to desktop view, then your tablet will handle this task much better than your smartphone will thanks to its larger screen. For extended browsing sessions, make sure you’ve got your tablet.
Video calling is better
Making a video call on a smartphone is all well and good, but your tablet offers a better screen for this. There’s nothing quite like seeing the beaming faces of your family and friends rendered in full-screen tablet mode. Of course, many tablets’ front-facing cameras aren’t quite up to scratch compared to smartphone devices, but they’ll more than do the trick for video calls (and business conference calls, come to that). Get yourself a tablet for better video calls.
Need to show holiday snaps? Choose a tablet
Not everyone wants to gather around the TV in the living room and view your holiday snaps. For those who do want to see what you’ve been up to, consider showing them your photos on your tablet. It’s smaller, so it’s much more discreet than a TV; you can take people aside who do want to relive that journey with you and show them the pics without intruding on anyone else’s evening. What’s more, the tablet screen will render your images beautifully and nobody will have to strain their eyes to see them.
