The alternatives

IPAD PRO (9.7-INCH)

To truly rival the S3/S Pen combo, you’ll need to add a $145 Apple Pencil. Also consider your storage needs before buying; iOS devices don’t have anything like the S3’s microSD card slot. From$979(32GB,Wi-Fi),apple.com/au

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S2

Though it lacks stylus support, the S3’s predecessor shares much of its appeal – notably a 2048x1536-pixel sAMOLED display, 128GB microSD support, and 32GB storage. $549(32GB,Wi-Fi),samsung.com/au

IPAD (5TH GENERATION)

This replacement for the iPad Air 2 lacks support for Apple’s own stylus (though you could use a less capable third-party one) and four-speaker sound, but it’s an outstanding tablet at a good price. From$469(32GB,Wi-Fi)apple.com/au