A great piece of hardware
Do you really need an iPad? David Court has some advice.
There are a few products that have become so synonymous with their product category that the entire industry is unofficially named after them.
For example, I still call my Dyson a ‘‘Hoover’’, which is ridiculous because Hoover is, of course, another brand of vacuum cleaner altogether.
Americans are also particularly guilty of this, as they famously refer to photocopiers as ‘‘Xerox’’ machines, regardless of whether they’re about to use an HP, Brother or Canon photocopier.
The most recent example of a generic trademark is probably iPad. Anyone who has walked through airport security this past decade will have been told to remove their ‘‘iPads’’ from their hand luggage, before pushing it through the X-ray machine.
What they mean, of course, is remove your ‘‘tablets’’ from your hand luggage. And such is Apple’s dominance in the tablet market – roughly 70 per cent – it’s easy to forget that other companies are still making other tablets.
Are other company’s tablets any good? Yes and no.
The first thing you need to know is that every variant of iPad is a lot better than its Android competition. In every department too.
The iPad is a great piece of hardware that’s so powerful you can do pretty much anything on it. High-end photography, podcasting, video editing, notetaking, sketching, word processing, gaming. You name it, and the iPad will be able to do it.
Can Android tablets rival the iPad in the above areas? No.
How many of these things do I actually use the iPad for? Er, I’m a little embarrassed to admit ‘‘not many’’.
In truth, my iPad is mainly used for watching Netflix (when I’m travelling). The only other time I use it is when my 2-year-old nephew comes around. Again, the iPad’s main task is playing cartoons (still via Netflix). He, incidentally, probably uses it more than I do.
Outside of those very specific examples, my iPad gathers dust on my bedside table.
Which suggests there’s an argument to be made for saving a few hundred dollars and buying an ‘‘iPad alternative’’ instead.
Here are some of the best iPad alternatives:
Lenovo Tab E8 8-inch Tablet, $149
If you’re just looking for a cheap, pocket-sized tablet to watch videos on, then the Lenovo Tab E8 is a solid option. Sure, its 8-inch 1200x1920 pixel screen won’t break any records, but the picture is still sharp enough to enjoy the majority of shows on Netflix or TVNZ OnDemand.
The tablet comes with either 16GB or 32GB storage built-in, and this can be expanded via the MicroSD slot. And the Snapdragon 625 chipset, plus 4GB of RAM, is more than enough to keep the rest of the tablet snappy.
Remember though, this is a budget tablet. If you’re looking to do more than just watch videos, then you’re going to need to spend a little more.
Amazon Fire HD 10, $299
This is a piece of hardware that recognises exactly what I was explaining above: People primarily use their tablets to watch videos.
Amazon has been selling popular budget Android tablets for nearly a decade to cash in on that market trend.
And last year’s Fire HD 10 is the best of them all.
This isn’t a tablet that will rival any of the iPads with any of its specs. But for $299, I think this 10.1-inch, 1200x1920 resolution tablet, with 12-hour battery life and 32GB storage, is a solid choice.
Huawei MediaPad T5, $379
Everyone knows Huawei has been having a miserable time of it lately. However, before Donald Trump banned Google from working with the Chinese tech giant, it produced some decent and affordable, hardware.
The MediaPad T5 was designed to be Huawei’s 2018 iPad alternative. And this device’s 10-inch 1920x1200 resolution screen, backed up with 3GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage, MicroSD support and 10-hour battery, warrants your attention.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a cheap way to watch videos when you’re travelling, or you just want an affordable tablet to keep your kid entertained (no judgment here), then you have tons of options.
I’ve listed three, but there are dozens more you can choose from.
Any Android tablet that has a good screen (look for something that’s above 1080p) with a decent battery life will be enough to rival the iPad at streaming videos.
The question you need to ask yourself is do you want a tablet that does a little more? If the answer is ‘‘yes’’, then you still can’t beat the iPad(s).
The iPad is . . . so powerful you can do pretty much anything on it. High-end photography, podcasting, video editing, notetaking, sketching, word processing, gaming. You name it, and the iPad will be able to do it.