There is no doubt that everyone is familiar with iOS or Android on smartphones, but what about tablets? Which mobile operating system is the best to use? In fact, from the operating system to the design to the final price to be paid, there are many important points to weigh.
Here, we'll compare Android tablets in all categories to the powerful iPad series from Apple to try which devices will outperform. If you're planning to buy a tablet in the near future, read this before you make a decision.
Apple currently sells four iPad devices: two iPad Pro, a standard iPad, and an iPad mini. Unless you're planning to start venturing into the second-hand market, the price isn't cheap in terms of options, and most people can find an iPad that suits their needs, but there aren't many device options available at the moment.
Apple's iPad is widely believed to be as good as the tablet design of 2018 — they may not look eye-catching, but they're both sleek and thin, and the screens of both iPad Pro models are really eye-catching. At present, the Home button still exists, of course, there is also a full-screen iPad Pro, the price is also much more expensive than the average Android tablet,
As for Android tablets, it's a true hybrid package. Samsung's Galaxy Tab series devices do look stunning, and while Android tablets are generally cheap, the designs aren't as appealing. If you want a tablet that looks good and works well, be prepared to spend some money on it.
We have to give this round to the iPad, although it really depends on the Android tablet you want to buy. Overall, Android tablets tend to be cheap and enjoyable, as devices like Asus and Lenovo prove. The Pixel C is certainly a nice-looking tablet, but Google no longer sells it.
Tablets have long been Android's Achilles heel — the operating system doesn't look optimized for larger screens, and Google may try to get its software to scale well on displays of all sizes. At the same time, iOS on iPad gives users a lot of convenience features that you don't have on iOS on your iPhone.
Many of the big-name apps still look good on Android tablets: Netflix, Spotify, Chrome, Microsoft Office, and more. It tends to be smaller, more niche applications that were not designed with Android tablets in mind. Inside the app and inside Android, the graphics are extremely incongruous.
At the same time, iPad also gets a lot of advantages from iOS: a Mac-style Dock, the ability to run applications at the same time, support for dragging and dropping files between windows, and so on. Many iOS apps from Apple and other companies also come with interfaces designed for larger iPad screens, so the whole experience is more elegant.
Android tablets have more options than the iPad, at least within the market's budget, and depending on the configuration you choose, the cost of an iPad can range from $2,100 to $8,300.
It's the same as with phones: Android is your choice if you want to be cheap, but at the high end of the market, a quality Android tablet can let you use it like an iPad. No one really does the premium like Apple, though, and those iPad Pros operate like a really good laptop.
Another way to look at it is if you feel like it's worth the money – in most cases, we'll say yes. For more money, you'll get a better quality tablet that runs apps faster and has a better screen quality, whether you decide to buy a device powered by Apple or Google's operating system.
There's no obvious winner here, except for you, the consumer — Android tablets and iPads are different to cater to different groups of people, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Which one works for you depends on what you want to do with it, which operating system you're most accustomed to, and the other devices you have.
For Apple enthusiasts, the iPad is almost a breeze — it works seamlessly with devices like iPhones and Macs and provides a smoother software and app experience than Android has on a tablet. There's also a bunch of official and unofficial accessories around the iPad, no matter which model you choose.
As for Android tablets, they are a good choice for those who want to save money (maybe if you're going to buy tablets for kids) or who already use Android phones. You can choose more brands and models.