9+ Best Tablets for College Students | Unrivaled Guide 2022

Are you looking for a good tablet for college use? Are you a teacher and are you looking for a device that is easy to use and above all fast? Are you a student and are you tired of always carrying all the books with you? Or do you necessarily need a device large enough to take notes and draw? In this buying guide I show you which are the best tablets for college students, classifying them according to the price range.

Surely the choice of a good tablet is never easy, there are many different models on the market: from the cheapest to the top of the range (very expensive and sometimes excessive if you do not have great demands). However, if the tablet has an exclusively scholastic purpose and aimed at a soft use such as simply reading slides or digital books or searching on the internet, even the cheapest devices that I show you below are certainly excellent. On the other hand, if you are looking for something more professional, also suitable for writing, watching movies and even playing games (outside school, I recommend!), You can look at medium-high-end tablets!

Best Tablets for College Students

Best Tablets for College Students

How to choose a tablet for school and university

A tablet for studying is a very important choice, you will always be in contact with the screen and you will have to look after your eyes a lot, avoiding that your eyes get too tired during long reading and writing sessions.

The tablets that I propose are the best in terms of display, size and speed in running all the study apps that will be part of your day at the same time.

Display: size and type of screen

The size of the display is the first feature to keep in mind when choosing the best tablet for the study. Size is measured by the diagonal of the screen, expressed in inches. The most common commercially available sizes are 7 “, 8”, 10 “and 12”. In order not to tire your eyes too much, I recommend that you consider a tablet with a diagonal of at least 10 inches, which makes it easy for you to often write long texts such as notes, reports and theses.

Also consider a tablet that is prepared for a base or cover with keyboard, which can turn into a real laptop.

Beyond the diagonal, to improve reading and limit eyestrain when writing, I recommend that you keep in mind the following characteristics:

Type of panel ,

now, most of the tablets on the market have an IPS display, suitable for read / write use, but in the high-end we also find the presence of Super AMOLED panels. The IPS are able to reproduce the faithful colors and overall and to propose clear and legible images even in the sun, while the AMOLED displays reproduce perfect blacks and generally help to improve the consumption of the battery.

If you want more details about AMOLED I leave you a quick link to the in-depth article about it.

Technologies like HDR and DCI-P3. The first technology deals with increasing the brightness range and the second with increasing the amount of colors displayed on the screen.

Resolution

The Resolution  .which indicates the number of pixels contained within the diagonal of the display: the higher the resolution, the sharper the characters and images on the screen.

Pixel density is the ratio between the size of a screen and its resolution. More pixels per inch mean clearer and more defined details. For example, Full HD resolution has a pixel density or PPI (pixel per inch ratio) of 92 PPI on a 24 “screen, and 82 PPI on a 27” screen.

Connectivity and SIM support

Nowadays, in almost all schools and universities there is a wifi connection, but in case it is not powerful enough to navigate without problems or if disconnections may occasionally occur, I recommend that you consider a tablet for students that supports a data SIM.

To get the maximum speed and stability from your SIM connection, we recommend purchasing a device that supports 4G / LTE, Cat.6 or higher, or 5G technology.

I would like to point out, however, that tablets with cellular modules have higher costs than their counterparts that only support wifi, but they are more comfortable because you can have internet everywhere, with the right rate (the offers for internet sticks are also for tablets).

Accessories: pen, keyboard and more

Most Android tablets support OTG technology, but even those with Microsoft Windows 10 installed already have native support for third-party keyboards and input devices.

These tablets allow you to choose an external keyboard and also other third-party input devices, such as mice and pens, and to connect them quickly and easily using the USB connection (and its various formats such as microUSB ) or by means of Bluetooth technology.

If you want an all-in-one solution, there are convertible tablets also known as 2-in-1s on the market, already equipped with their removable keyboard which often also acts as a base for the device and can be Bluetooth, or equipped with an additional battery that powers the tablet via USB connection (microUSB or Type C, or proprietary connection) while connecting with the tablet.

So the choice falls on a convertible device with its base / cover with keyboard already in support, or you can choose a keyboard that transforms the tablet almost into a PC.

There are also other writing devices such as the Pens which are divided into Active, which allow you to write notes thanks to digitization through the communication between the touch screen and the pen – if the tablet supports this function -, and Passive / capacitive by simulating the touch of the fingers. Passive pens have lower accuracy but also work with devices not compatible with Active pens.

Storage space

How much space do you need? You have to take into account the internal storage memory of the tablet according to the use you make of it. Notes, study documents can become many and accumulate taking up a lot of space.

There are two categories of tablets: those with only a non-removable internal memory, and devices that also add support for a microSD slot capable of expanding the space available for storing documents, photos and videos.

To take notes and study, I recommend that you choose a tablet that has at least 32GB of internal memory.

Operating system

Android, iOS and Windows, the three main operating systems also for tablets. For the need of study it is always good to evaluate what a system proposes in order to evaluate the compatibility and ease of use of the content type.

Android is Google’s operating system and is very well suited to students. Play Store is the official Google store where you can find many apps for video conferencing with your class, document creation and more.

Android tablets support OTG technology and allow you to use mice, keyboards and external media that adopt the USB standard, in addition to the Bluetooth connection of pens and other devices such as headphones and microphones.

Microsoft Windows 10 is identical to the desktop version for fixed PCs and therefore runs the same desktop apps, which can be downloaded from both the Windows Store and the program manufacturer’s website. It boasts a practically unlimited number of applications, but the interfaces are not always optimized for tablets.

Apple iOS is only Apple iPad installed, similar to the version installed on iPhones. The Apple Store is well stocked with studio-facing apps that are very well optimized for mobile interfaces such as tablets, compared to their Windows and Android counterparts.

Processor and performance

The processor determines how fast the device is and how quickly it can run the operating system and apps in use in the study session. We measure this speed in GHz, but we must also take into account the number of cores.

A single processor can have multiple physical and logical cores (emulated cores), and thus we refer to dual, quad, hexa or octa-core processors. The multi-core allows you to perform multiple calculations at the same time and provides in a nutshell better performance at the same speed, compared to a CPU with fewer cores.

In this context and based on the type and quantity of applications you have to use in multi-tasking, I recommend that you pay close attention to these two factors.

Keyboard support

There are so-called convertible or  “2-in-1” tablets on the market  , which come with a removable keyboard, in the form of a base (often equipped with an additional battery) or a cover. Tablets of this kind can have different dimensions and technical characteristics and range from the low-end of the market to the defined high-end . However, it should be noted that the keyboard is not always included in the sales package of the tablet: it must often be purchased separately.

However, you will be pleased to know that most Android animated tablets ( in particular, those with OTG technology support ) and all those with Windows 10 operating system integrate native support for the external keyboard: this means that, in case of necessity, you can buy a compact keyboard equipped with a USB / microUSB connector, or Bluetooth wireless technology, and connect it to the tablet in a very simple way. To find out more, take a look at my guide on how to connect the keyboard to the phone , also valid for tablets, in which I have given you an overview of the situation concerning Android and iOS / iPadOS devices.

Pen writing support

Do your study methods include the addition of handwritten notes, the creation of graphics and drawings or, in general, the creation of “freehand” content? If this is the case, you will be pleased to know that there are tablets, generally high-end,  with pen writing support . The latter, depending on the tablet model chosen, is included in the sales package of the device or can be purchased separately.

There are also “passive” pens , usually very cheap, which allow you to write and / or draw even on screens that do not offer official support for digital pens: however, their accuracy is very low and, consequently, should be considered only if the real need is to highlight documents, mark them with some particular shape and little more.

Drums

Generally, tablet batteries are able to guarantee coverage of a full working day, however this is a very indicative parameter which, in practice, involves a large number of factors.

In addition to the actual battery capacity (measured in mAh , or milliampere hours, or in Wh , watt-hours), which is still important, the category of apps running on the tablet must also be taken into consideration and, nevertheless, the optimizations made. tuned into the operating system: for example, thanks to a series of software optimizations, a 4,000mAh battery can last as long as or longer than a 5,000mAh battery.

Generally speaking, Apple’s iPads are better optimized in energy management than Android or Windows ones.

Frequent Questions

Do all college student tablets come with a CD drive?

No, none of these cards come with a CD drive. When all data can be stored on USB drivers and micro SD cards, you no longer need a CD drive.

Are all tablets 2 in 1?

Only a few of them have the 2 in 1 function. The 2 in 1 function in the tabs allows the user to use the tablet as a laptop when needed. Some of the cards recommended here come with this feature because some students will be traveling and during those times, using them as a laptop can be useful.

Can students purchase these cards?

Yes, all of these cards are designed specifically for college students. The advanced features, quality and cost are perfectly made to meet the needs of college students.

What types of tablets are best for students?

Tablets that come with longer battery life and multiple functions needed to take and edit notes are best for students. Students would collect information and also work on tablets at the same time. Therefore, the battery life must be good.

Do all these cards have an external keyboard?

Most Samsung cards come with a bundled keyboard. If necessary, college students must purchase the keyboard separately. Having keyboards would allow you to work faster.

Conclusion

As you review the above list of college student tablets, consider the battery life and apps the tablet supports, along with the processing power of the device. The best tablets for a college student would be something light and thin, as it makes it more portable when you need to switch between classes. Mobility is a key factor. It should also be stylish, as you need to use it for personal use as well.