This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
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Recently we designed the perfect smartphone together by asking you – tech enthusiasts – what you're looking for in a phone. It was a fun experience and we learned a lot about what the majority wants! There were some surprises! And there's a good chance that your favorite brands are paying attention.
Now it's time to ask the tablet fans about what their perfect tablet is like. Is your perfect tablet a big one or small, with a stylus or not, should it be running Android or iPadOS? Those are just some of the questions we'll be excited to see your answers for!
Make yourself heard and cast your votes below!
Keep in mind – while it’s tempting to want all the features, slots and ports, remember that voting “yes” on all of them would lead to an unappealing tablet full of holes. Each one of them would take valuable space on both the tablet’s surface and on its inside. So, don’t shy away from voting “no” when it comes to features you don’t really need.
After all – every cool feature comes with its downsides. Designing the perfect anything is a game of compromises. For example, look at how Apple had to move the iPad mini 6's volume keys to an awkward spot, in order to make space for a docking stylus. So with that in mind, design your perfect tablet wisely!
Let's start! What should the perfect tablet be like?
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (left), Galaxy Tab S7 (right)
Display size in inches
Below 8
1.66%
8-9 (iPad mini / Tab A7 Lite / Fire 7)
15.79%
10
15.37%
11 (iPad Pro 11", Galaxy Tab S7)
29.78%
12-13 (iPad Pro 12.9" / Galaxy Tab S7+)
27.01%
14 or more
10.39%
Display aspect ratio
4:3 (as seen on iPads; better for web browsing, working)
35.33%
Widescreen (as seen on Galaxy Tabs; better for watching videos and movies)
64.67%
Display refresh rate
60Hz (standard)
23.49%
120Hz (smoother, at the cost of battery life)
76.51%
Operating system and processor
iPadOS, Apple M1
20.76%
Stock Android, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
26.11%
Android with OneUI + Samsung DeX, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
38.78%
Windows 11, Intel Core i7
14.35%
Unlock method
Fingerprint sensor in the power key
41.21%
Fingerprint sensor under the display
23.64%
Face recognition (Face ID / Windows Hello)
21.52%
None of the above, just a PIN / password
13.64%
The upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will have a notch for its camera
Front camera placement (when the tablet is held in landscape orientation)
Top center, in a bezel (best for video calls, at the cost of some top and bottom bezels)
46.48%
In the left or right bezel (bad angle, but minimal top and bottom bezels)
5.28%
Top center, punch hole
25.18%
Top left or right corner, punch hole
4.58%
Top center, under-display (but the camera quality won't be great)
7.04%
Top center, in a notch (like on the Galaxy Tab S8+)
11.44%
Main cameras
A single camera is fine, I don't need much on a tablet
60.64%
Two or more cameras, good ones too (at an increased overall cost)
17.89%
I want at least three solid cameras and a flash (at an increased overall cost)
8.23%
No back cameras needed
13.24%
Should the tablet come with a stylus?
Yes, and it should dock and charge on the back of the tablet (like on the Galaxy Tab S-series)
37.65%
Yes, and it should dock and charge on the top of the tablet (like on the iPad Pro)
22.94%
Yes, and it should be stored inside the tablet (at the cost of a smaller tablet battery)
21.54%
No stylus needed
17.86%
SD card slot?
Yes, the tablet should have expandable storage
78.65%
No, the tablet should come with more than enough built-in storage
21.35%
SIM card slot?
Yes, the tablet should have a SIM card slot
46.29%
No, not needed / I can just create a personal hotspot from my phone
53.71%
Speaker placement
Front-firing speakers (at the cost of some side bezels)
51.5%
Side-firing speaker (smaller side bezels, but lesser sound quality)
25.09%
Top and bottom-firing speakers (smaller side bezels, lesser sound quality)
23.41%
Headphone jack?
Yes (at the cost of space inside the tablet for a bigger battery or other components)
60.33%
No, I use wireless headphones / don't use headphones
39.67%
Microsoft Surface tablets have a convenient built-in kickstand
Built-in kickstand?
Yes (at the cost of sacrificing uniformity and thinness)
37.68%
No, not needed / it's best to have no moving parts
62.32%
The 11-inch iPad Pro with Apple's smart keyboard folio case
Comes with a keyboard?
Yes (at an increased overall cost of around $100-150)
13.54%
Yes, a backlit one (at an increased overall cost of around $150-200)
22.63%
No keyboard needed / sold separately
63.82%
Battery size preferences
As big as reasonably possible (at the cost of a thicker, heavier tablet)
33.46%
Standard for a big tablet – around 11,000 mAh (iPad Pro 12.9" / Galaxy Tab S7+)
40.77%
Standard for an average tablet – around 8,000 mAh (iPad Pro 11" / Galaxy Tab S7)
22.12%
Smaller (for a thinner and lighter tablet at the cost of weaker battery life)
3.65%
Extra feature
HDMI out
26.45%
LiDAR sensor
2.9%
Wireless charging
15.64%
Additional unlock method (fingerprint, Face ID, etc.)
11.39%
Rugged design (increased durability at the cost of a thicker, heavier tablet)
11%
None of the above / I'd rather not add unnecessary costs
32.63%
What I would mostly use this tablet for is
Watching videos / movies
5.31%
Internet browsing, social media
5.88%
Both of the above
28.65%
Work – writing, video and photo editing, drawing, video calls, etc.
11.57%
Gaming
2.66%
All of the above
45.92%
With everything above in mind, I believe a reasonable price range for this tablet is
$200-299
9.16%
$300-399
12.02%
$400-499
13.55%
$500-599
16.41%
$600-699
13.93%
$700-799
12.98%
$800-899
12.98%
$900 or more
8.97%
Stay tuned! A week from now we'll take a look at the results and find the closest existing tablets that match what you and other tech enthusiasts want.
Also, do you already own a tablet you consider perfect? Or do you own one that you wish had different or better features? Share your tablet experience with us in the comments below!
Rado, a tech enthusiast with a love for mobile devices, brings his passion for Android and iPadOS to PhoneArena. His tech journey began with MP3 players and has evolved to include tinkering with Android tablets and iPads, even running Linux and Windows 95 on them. Beyond tech, Rado is a published author, music producer, and PC game developer. His professional work on iPads, from producing songs to editing videos, showcases his belief in their capabilities. Rado looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly in augmented reality and multi-screen smartphones.
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