Have you had your tablet for a while? Is it showing its age and stopping you getting things done? Do you get sympathetic looks from strangers when you use it in public?
If so, it could be time to take the plunge and upgrade it. To help you decide, here are five questions you need to ask yourself right now.
What size of tablet do I need?
Most tablets have a screen somewhere between 7-10-inches. So which size is right for you?
If you don’t do much more than casual browsing and social networking, 7-inches should be more than enough.
However, if you want to play games or watch movies, you’ll find a bigger screen much more immersive and entertaining.
And if you’re going to be doing some serious work on your tablet, you’ll want a bigger screen so you don’t have to strain your eyes looking at small type.
Also, think about where you'd normally use your tablet. If you take it out a lot, you might want to go for a smaller size that fits easily into your bag. If your tablet's mainly at home, a larger screen could be what you need.
Do I want to connect to the internet wherever I go?
Every tablet on the market is Wi-Fi enabled. But of course, not everywhere has Wi-Fi. So if you want a tablet you’ll be able to use even when you’re in those troublesome non Wi-Fi locations, you’ll need to go for one with a mobile data plan.
On the other hand, if your tablet never leaves the house, your home Wi-Fi might be all you ever need to use. In that case, there are plenty of standalone tablets available.
Do I need more storage space on my tablet?
If you’re planning on using your tablet to store downloaded films and music, you should be thinking about going for one with at least 32GB of memory. If you stream all your content over the internet using the likes of Spotify and Netflix, you can probably get away with 16GB.
But don’t forget you’ve got other options. A lot of tablets have memory card slots, which could give you up to 128GB of extra storage space.
And you can also use cloud storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive to save your files, although you’ll only be able to access them when you’re online.
Do I need a 2-in-1 laptop?
If you’re going to be typing out long documents or emails on your tablet, you’ll want something better than your touchscreen. You can buy separate keyboard and mouse accessories, or you can go for a 2 in 1 laptop. These devices give you the best of both worlds – you can use them as a handy tablet, or easily attach a keyboard to turn them into a laptop more suited to heavy work.
What’s the right operating system for me?
Have a think about which operating system you’re going to be most comfortable with.
Each one looks and feels a lot different. Android is the most customisable, iOS has a simple, user-friendly interface and Windows comes with a lot of popular apps from the desktop version, like Office.
At the end of the day, you might just want your tablet to have the same operating system as your smartphone, so you can sync your files and contacts between devices.
If you’ve decided to upgrade your tech, check out our tablets and 2-in-1 laptops, or ask our colleagues at ShopLive for help.
