The promise is portability when you want it and performance when you need it. However, Windows tablets tend to lean toward one end of this spectrum or the other. The smallest, most affordable options can replace Apple’s base iPad, while the largest devices are as heavy and powerful as a 15-inch laptop. This means there’s a ton of choice though, as you’ll see, Microsoft has a big lead over its competition. Here are the best Windows tablets you can buy right now. Credit goes mostly to the Surface Pro 7’s design. It reaches just the right balance of size, weight, and quality. The Pro 7 is small enough to be a usable tablet, yet large enough to feel like a great laptop alternative (with an optional keyboard attached). The touchscreen is highly responsible and the optional Surface Pen is the most comfortable stylus available. Released in October 2019, the Surface Pro 7 is due for a revision. It’s a speedy system in spite of its age and can deliver all-day battery life in most situations, but an update could arrive soon. If you don’t want to wait, though, now is a good time to buy. Recent sales have dropped the base model’s price below $600. Display Size: 12.3 inches | Processor: Intel 10th-gen | Graphics: Intel UHD | RAM: Up to 16GB | Storage: Up to 1TB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth It receives a hardware upgrade in the form of 11th-gen Intel Core processors and a larger battery. The Plus model can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM (up from 16GB) and the SSD can be replaced or upgraded by the user. Perhaps the most important change, however, is an optional cellular modem that can support 4G LTE. This lets you connect to the Internet anywhere your mobile data provider offers service. It’s a must-have for anyone who frequently travels. These upgrades add to the price, however. Pricing starts just shy of $1,000 and often exceeds $1,500. The Plus model is available at fewer retailers than the standard Surface Pro 7, too, meaning you’re less likely to find a deal. Display Size: 12.3 inches | Processor: Intel 11th-gen | Graphics: Intel Xe | RAM: Up to 32GB | Storage: Up to 1TB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE (optional) However, the Surface Book 3 is no slouch in performance or endurance. It’s the quickest Windows tablet you can buy right now. The 15-inch model has Intel 10th-gen processors and can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. It also packs Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti graphics. All-day battery life remains possible thanks to a sizable 90 watt-hour battery. The large touchscreen does make for a bulky, heavy machine. The 15-inch model weighs in at over 4 pounds and is larger than many 15-inch laptops, like Dell’s XPS 15. This compromise is unfortunate, but inevitable, or at least until foldable OLED screens go mainstream. Display Size: 15 inches | Processor: Intel 10th-gen | Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q | RAM: Up to 32GB | Storage: Up to 2TB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth This let Microsoft engineer a wonderfully thin tablet that has standard 4G LTE support. It’s less than three-tenths of an inch thick and weighs 1.7 pounds. That makes it easy to take wherever you go and, because it supports cellular data, you’ll have quick access to the Internet from anywhere your cellular data offers service. The trade-off for this always-connected experience is performance. The Surface Pro X is not remarkably slow in day-to-day use but it’s certainly not as quick as most Intel and AMD-powered devices. It also maxes out at 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Still, it’s worth remembering the Surface Pro X is among the most affordable Windows devices to support 4G LTE. It’s a great option if you want an always-connected Windows tablet at a reasonable price. Display Size: 12.3 inches | Processor: Microsoft SQ1 | Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno | RAM: Up to 16GB | Storage: Up to 512GB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE The most important is right beneath your fingertips: the detachable keyboard. Nearly all detachable keyboards have to sacrifice typing feel for portability, but the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 doesn’t. The result is a compact Windows tablet that’s every bit as pleasant to use at a desk as a standard laptop. There’s other perks to the X12, too. It has both a USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 port, offers optional 4G LTE connectivity, and includes the latest 11th-gen Intel Core processors. Unfortunately, great performance and functionality in a compact size doesn’t come cheap: The X12’s base price is above $1,000. Display Size: 12.3 inches | Processor: Intel 11th-gen | Graphics: Intel Xe | RAM: Up to 16GB | Storage: Up to 512GB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE (optional) The Latitude 7320 also packs cutting-edge hardware. It offers Intel’s 11th-gen processors, 1080p front and rear cameras, two Thunderbolt-4/USB-C ports, optional 4G LTE, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. The only disappointment is the display’s mediocre 1080p resolution. You’ll have to pay at least $1,500 for the Latitude 7320, but that’s no great surprise. This model targets professionals and businesses and competes with Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7+. It’s worth noting Microsoft’s tablet can be configured with more RAM and storage. If you want a larger display without compromising portability, though, the Latitude 7320 could be for you. Display Size: 13 inches | Processor: Intel 11th-gen | Graphics: Intel Xe | RAM: Up to 16GB | Storage: Up to 512GB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE (optional) All of this comes at the expense of performance. The Surface Go 2’s small size and low price means it can offer only the slowest Intel Pentium and Core M3 processors. It can be configured with no more than 8GB of RAM and a slim 128GB of storage. The 10.5-inch screen is great for tablet use but can feel cramped when the keyboard is attached. Those limitations are significant. Still, it’s quick enough to handle web browsing, document editing, Netflix streaming, and most 2D games. That makes it a great pick for people who want an inexpensive, portable Windows tablet and don’t care too much about the specifics. Display Size: 10.5 inches | Processor: Intel Pentium, Core M3 | Graphics: Intel UHD | RAM: Up to 8GB | Storage: Up to 128GB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth You can configure the HP Elite x2 G8 with one of nine different Intel 11th-gen processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. The tablet’s base 13-inch 1080p touchscreen might not seem outstanding, but it can be upgraded to 3000 x 2000 resolution. You can pair the x2 G8 with numerous other options including 4G LTE, a Wacom stylus, and a fingerprint reader. All of this adds to the price, however. The Elite x2 G8 starts at over $1,800. Tick all the options and you can easily spend over $3,200. That’s a ton of money for a 13-inch Windows tablet—but the heart wants what the heart wants, right? Display Size: 13 inches | Processor: Intel 11th-gen | Graphics: Intel Xe | RAM: Up to 32GB | Storage: Up to 2TB | Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE (optional) Jonno Hill has written for Lifewire since 2019. His byline can also be found on PCMag.com and AskMen. He reviewed the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 on our list.
What to Look For in the Best Windows Tablets
Display
The most crucial component of any tablet is the screen, and a number of factors come into play when determining a display’s quality. Probably the most important is resolution, the number of pixels that make up an image, with a higher density meaning crisper, sharper images. But bear in mind that higher resolutions won’t matter as much on smaller tablets, so 1080p may look as sharp on an 8-inch model as “3K” does on a 15-inch tablet.
Performance
There are few things more irritating when you’re using a tablet on the go than an interminable wait for web pages to load or applications to start. Like laptops, Windows tablets are dependent largely on CPU in most use cases, though if you intend to game a lot on your tablet, GPU is also critical. In terms of load and boot times, getting and SSD rather than a traditional hardware can be crucial.
Size
The advantages of a larger display are obvious, but you should bear in mind that one of the best features of a tablet (as compared to a full size laptop) is how portable and easy to carry around it is. If you’re looking for a full-fledged productivity machine, maybe you do need a 15-inch screen, but for the hybrid role tablets were initially designed to fill, an 8-inch screen can actually be a boon.
