iPad Pro Vs. Competition: What's The Best Business Tablet?
With the arrival of the iPad Pro, the tech world is talking about enterprise tablets. Which model is best for you?
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Apple has its eyes on the enterprise with the iPad Pro, a business-oriented tablet it unveiled at an event earlier this month. It's the latest effort to spark iPad sales amid slow growth in the tablet market.
iPad shipments have tumbled since the first fiscal quarter of 2014, when the device peaked at 26.4 million units shipped. This fell to 10.9 million units during Apple's most recent fiscal third quarter, marking an 18% drop in devices sold from the prior year.
Apple seems to hope its broader iPad lineup and engagement with an enterprise audience will help make the tablet relevant once more.
But will it work?
Apple isn't the only tech company with tablet troubles. The nature of tablets and the tablet industry, combined with the evolving demands of consumers, have caused market growth to plateau.
Larger and more capable smartphones have replaced the need for tablets among most consumers, who don't see the need for two small touchscreen gadgets. When it's time for a new mobile device, most people would rather buy the latest iPhone than upgrade an iPad.
When they do purchase a tablet, customers rarely find a need to upgrade when new releases hit the market. Most tablets are sturdily built, and updated versions haven't included enough innovative features to motivate purchases.
Targeting business users is a new move for Apple, which has traditionally marketed its products to consumers. Apple's popularity could give the iPad Pro a boost in the enterprise, but it will face competition from giants like Microsoft, Google, and Samsung. After all, most people who own Apple devices for personal use continue to work on competitor products in the enterprise.
The iPad Pro is a high-quality device, but is it really the best for business? Let's take a look at a broader range of enterprise tablets and see which are built to meet the growing needs of enterprise users.
Apple, as per usual, created a beautiful design for its iPad Pro. The enterprise-focused tablet is a larger version of the iPad Air 2, with a 12.9-inch display and resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels. It measures 6.9mm in thickness and weighs 1.57 lbs.
Its larger screen is intended to provide more space for business documents, charts, graphs, and presentations. The display is made more useful by the multitasking capabilities in iOS 9, which lets users split the larger screen among multiple apps.
Other noteworthy features include Apple's new A9 64-bit processor, which is reportedly 1.8 times faster than the A8x chip in its iPad Air 2, and 4GB RAM. A smart keyboard, which doubles as a device cover/keyboard combo, and Apple Pencil are two Apple-designed accessories intended to help the iPad Pro become more of a laptop replacement.
The first major pain point of the iPad Pro is its battery life, which maxes out at 10 hours for surfing the Web on WiFi, watching video, or listening to music. This drops to nine hours for Web browsing on a cellular data network.
A second downside to the iPad Pro is its price tag. An entry-level model will cost you $799. It has WiFi and 32GB storage. Boosting the storage to 128GB will raise the price to $949, and opting for LTE will add $130. You can get 4G and 128GB storage for $1,079. These totals do not include the $169 Smart Keyboard or $99 Apple Pencil.
The iPad Pro is undoubtedly a beautiful and powerful device, but will it boost productivity enough to justify its cost?
The iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil put it in direct competition with the Surface Pro 3, a hybrid device Microsoft is also marketing as a laptop replacement.
The Surface Pro 3 has a 12-inch display with 2160 x 1440 resolution. It's slightly thicker than the iPad Pro at 9.14mm and a bit heavier at 1.76 lbs. The device also includes USB, micro SD, mini display, cover and charging ports.
The smaller Pro 3 runs a full version of Windows 10, which can be used for many of the multitasking capabilities Apple is marketing in iOS 9, including the ability to run multiple desktop or mobile apps at the same time. The iPad Pro, in comparison, can only run mobile apps.
Microsoft's Pro 3 comes with 4GB to 8GB of RAM and runs on an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor. While it's still pricey, you won't pay quite as much for an entry-level device. The $649 model offers 64GB of storage, which you can increase to 128GB for $899, 256GB for $1,149 or 512GB for $1,749. The Pro 3 comes with the Surface Pen but not the compatible keyboard, which costs an extra $130.
Unfortunately, the 9-hour battery life of the Pro 3 doesn't surpass the iPad Pro in terms of lasting power. It's a shame, because tablets marketed to the enterprise should really be able to last longer than ten hours on a single charge.
The Surface Pro 3 is the iPad Pro's biggest competition, and it remains to be seen whether Apple will win this one. Yes, the iPad boasts a better camera and resolution, more sensors and the option to include cellular data; however, do you really need a slightly nicer display for enterprise use? The additional storage and ports of the Surface Pro 3 may make it a more practical business device.
Another Surface is set to launch soon, which will increase competition between Apple and Microsoft. It'll be interesting to see whether the Surface Pro 4, which Microsoft is expected to unveil on Oct. 6, meets or exceeds the features in Apple's iPad Pro.
If you need a tablet for everyday productivity but aren't quite ready to replace your laptop, Apple's iPad Air 2 may be a more appealing option than the new, pricier Pro model.
Mobile professionals who tote a tablet everywhere will appreciate the lightweight design of the iPad Air 2. It has a 9.7-inch display with 2048 x 1536 resolution, measures 6.1mm in thickness, and weighs 0.96 lbs.
The iPad Air 2 runs on Apple's A8x chip and supports iOS 9. Like the iPad Pro, it only runs iOS apps, but tools like Microsoft's Office for iPad suite are valuable additions for business users. It also has the Pro's battery life and fingerprint sensor technology built into the Home button.
An entry-level iPad Air 2, with WiFi and 16GB storage, costs $499. The price goes up to $599 for 64GB storage and $699 for 128GB. Cellular data bumps the price to $629 for 16GB, $729 for 64GB and $829 for 128GB.
For the right mobile professional, Apple's iPad Air 2 provides decent performance for a much lower cost. It's worth a look if you're in the market for a new tablet but don't require the additional power and size of the iPad Pro.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2, an attractive option for Android fans, is strikingly similar to Apple's iPad Air 2.
You can opt for a 9.7-inch or 8-inch model. Both have the same resolution 2048 x 1536 resolution. The Galaxy Tab S2 is thinner and lighter than the iPad Air 2; the 9.7-inch model measures 5.6mm in thickness and weighs in at 0.86 lbs.
Samsung's tablet has 3GB RAM, is powered by an octa-core Exynos 5433 processor, and ships with Android 5.0.2. For productivity, it also supports side-by-side multitasking and the mobile Microsoft Office for Android suite. The Office apps don't support Split View but are still handy for mobile professionals.
Opting for the Galaxy Tab S2 will give you more storage for your money. The entry-level 8-inch model gives you 32GB internal storage for $400; the 9.7-inch model gives the same amount of storage for $500. It's also available in 64GB with MicroSD up to 128GB.
In terms of accessories, the Galaxy Tab S2 is compatible with an updated Book Cover Keyboard, which costs an extra $150.
At 9-inches, Google's Nexus 9 is on the smaller end of the tablet spectrum. Its thickness measures 0.31 inches, and it weighs a lighter 0.93 pounds. It's powered by a 64-bit Nvidia processor.
The Nexus 9 has the same resolution as Apple's iPad Air 2 (2048 x 1536), so the smaller screen can still display a lot of information. It also runs on Android Lollipop, which has added multitasking features for editing, Web browsing and watching video. Because it is released directly from Google, the Nexus receives software updates earlier than other Android products.
It also packs a few handy security features, including automatic encryption, Android Smart Lock, and simple synchronization and backup among devices.
At $400 for 16GB storage, the Nexus 9 is on the higher end of Google's Nexus portfolio. The 32GB model costs $479.
If you're looking for a lasting charge, consider Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 10. The 10-inch Android-powered tablet packs 18 hours of battery life, HD display and fold-out kickstand for support.
The Yoga Tablet runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and includes 2GB RAM. You can choose from 16GB or 32GB models, with up to 64GB of MicroSD card storage.
An optional Bluetooth Accutype keyboard also serves as a device cover, if you need a keyboard for maximum productivity.
If you're a fan of the Surface Pro 3 but hesitant to pay for Microsoft's higher-end hybrid, consider the Surface 3.
The Surface 3 is smaller and less powerful than the Pro, with a 10.8-inch HD display and 1920 x 1280 resolution. It has an Intel Core i3 processor and offers more than 80% of the Surface Pro's performance, reports Microsoft.
Like its larger counterpart, the Surface 3 runs a full desktop version of Windows 10. Unlike the Pro, it does not come with the Surface Pen, which is sold separately along with the Type Cover attachable keyboard.
Prices for the Surface 3 start at $499, which includes 64GB storage, 2GB RAM, WiFi, and one year of Office 365 Personal. You can boost that to 128GB/4GB RAM/WiFi, or 64GB/2GB RAM/WiFi and 4G LTE, for $599. A package of 128GB/4 GB RAM/WiFi and 4G LTE will cost $699.
In all, if you're planning to buy the full Surface package (device, keyboard, pen) with added storage, then it's probably worth the extra money to upgrade to the Surface Pro. However, if you're looking to purchase a hybrid for a lower cost, the Surface 3 is a good option.
Dell's Venue is on the small side but has a battery life and performance to meet the needs of mobile professionals.
The Venue is powered by an Intel Atom Z3580 processor and runs on Android Lollipop 5.0.2. Its display measures 8.4 inches with 2560 x 1600 resolution, and it's 6mm thick. The device packs 2GB RAM and 16GB or 32GB storage. Battery life lasts up to 9.5 hours.
This is another device that can boost mobile productivity without breaking the bank. You can get the Venue 8 7000 Series with 16GB for $349, or add a wireless keyboard and case to increase the price to $399. The 32GB model costs $399.
Dell's Venue is on the small side but has a battery life and performance to meet the needs of mobile professionals.
The Venue is powered by an Intel Atom Z3580 processor and runs on Android Lollipop 5.0.2. Its display measures 8.4 inches with 2560 x 1600 resolution, and it's 6mm thick. The device packs 2GB RAM and 16GB or 32GB storage. Battery life lasts up to 9.5 hours.
This is another device that can boost mobile productivity without breaking the bank. You can get the Venue 8 7000 Series with 16GB for $349, or add a wireless keyboard and case to increase the price to $399. The 32GB model costs $399.
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