Top 10 Best Premium 10-inch Tablets
Nothing says quality, solid build and premium design more than our 10 best premium 10-inch tablets. From major manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, Amazon, Sony, Microsoft, Google, LG, Lenovo and Asus; these tablets carry the state of art in technology and design currently on offer.
While most flagship tablets from major manufacturers comes with a 10-inch display, some favours the smaller 8 or 9-inch screens as with Amazon, Apple and Google. Others push the 10 or 10.1-inch limit to settle at 10.5-inch and 10.8-inch as with Samsung and Microsoft respectively.
While there is no real formula when picking a 10-inch tablet, we like to think that a good decision can be reached based on collated information and useful comparisons. Having said that, at the end of the day, it is truly a personal preference, when faced with a great line-up such as one found below.
Top 10 Best Premium 10-inch Tablets 2015 Compared
Let’s look at the first 5 best premium tablets in the market
- Apple iPad Air 2 9.7-inch Tablet – SLIMMEST
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch Tablet – AMOLED
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9-inch Tablet – HIGHEST PPI, LIGHTEST
- Sony Xperia Z4 10.1-inch Tablet – SLIMMEST
- Microsoft Surface 3 10.8-inch Tablet – BEST CAMERA PAIR, WINDOWS
Some of the following tablets are not quite 10-inch but premium nonetheless, here are 5 more tablets for your consideration.
- LG G Pad V700 10.1-inch Tablet – AFFORDABLE
- Lenovo Yoga 2 10.1-inch Tablet – BEST BATTERY LIFE
- Samsung Galaxy Tab PRO 10.1-inch Tablet
- Google Nexus 9 8.9-inch Tablet
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C 10.1-inch Tablet – AFFORDABLE, KEYBOARD INC.
Also consider,
- Samsung Galaxy Note PRO 10.1-inch Tablet (similar to Tab PRO but with Stylus)
Let’s look at the spec by spec comparison between the tablets.
DISPLAY
The Apple iPad portfolio have grown since iPad 2. Currently, there are 4 different iPads to choose from, with the latest and fastest being the iPad Air 2 with A8X chip. The other are the original iPad Air, the iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2 and iPad mini. Check out our comparison between the iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 2 from an education perspective.
- Apple iPad Air 2 – 9.7-inch IPS display with LED-backlit 2048‑by‑1536 pixel resolution at 264 ppi (pixels per inch)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – 10.5-inch 2560 x 1600 pixel WQXGA Super AMOLED™ at 288 ppi – AMOLED
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – 8.9-inch 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution at 339 ppi – SMALLEST, HIGHEST PIXEL DENSITY
- Sony Xperia Z4 – 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution display with Scratch-resistant glass + Anti fingerprint coating at 299 ppi
- Microsoft Surface 3 – 10.8-inch ClearType Full HD Plus display 1920 x 1280 pixel resolution 3:2 Surface Pen Support at 209 ppi – BIGGEST
- LG G Pad V700 – 10.1-inch IPS Display 1280 x 800 pixels resolution capacitive touch screen at 149 ppi
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – 10.1-inch LED LCD Touch 1920 x 1200 display with multitouch and IPS technology at 224 ppi
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – 10.1-inch Super clear LCD 2560 x 1600 pixels capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors at 299 ppi
- Google Nexus 9 – 8.9-inch IPS LCD QXGA 2048 x 1536 pixels resolution 4:3 capacitive multi-touch 16M colors at 288 ppi
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – 10.1-inch IPS Display with LED Backlight WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution at 149 ppi
CPU
- Apple iPad Air 2 – A8X chip with 64‑bit architecture and M8 motion coprocessor, Triple-core 1.5GHz
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – Exynos™ 5 Octa (Cortex-A15 1.9Ghz Quadcore + Cortex-A17 1.3Ghz Quadcore) – OCTA CORE
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.2GHz quad-core CPU, with Adreno 330 GPU
- Sony Xperia Z4 – Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 2GHz Octa-Core (Quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2GHz Cortex-A57) 64-bit with Adreno 430 – OCTA CORE
- Microsoft Surface 3 – Intel® Atom™ x7-Z8700 Quad-Core processor (2MB Cache, 1.6GHz with Intel Burst™ technology up to 2.4GHz)
- LG G Pad V700 – Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226 1.2GHz Quad-core Processor with Adreno 305
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – Intel Atom Z3745 Processor 1.33GHz 1066GHz 2MB Quad-Core 64bit with Intel Burst technology up to 1.86GHz
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – Exynos 5 Octa 5420 (Quad-core 1.9GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7) with Mali T628 MP6 – OCTA CORE
- Google Nexus 9 – NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual core, 2.3GHz, Denver, 64-bit Processor with Kepler DX1 GPU
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – Intel® Atom™ Z3745 Quad-Core, 1.33GHz, up to 1.86GHz, 64bit processor
MEMORY & STORAGE
- Apple iPad Air 2 – 2GB RAM and 16/64/128 GB Storage – MORE STORAGE
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – 3GB RAM and 16GB Storage with MicroSD expansion slot supporting up to 128GB – MORE MEMORY
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – 2GB RAM and 16GB/32GB or 64GB of Storage – MORE STORAGE
- Sony Xperia Z4 – 3GB RAM and 32GB Storage with MicroSD expansion slot supporting up to 128GB – MORE MEMORY & STORAGE
- Microsoft Surface 3 – 2GB RAM and 64GB Storage or 4GB RAM with 128GB Storage – MORE MEMORY & STORAGE
- LG G Pad V700 – 1GB RAM and 16GB Storage with MicroSD expansion slot supporting up to 32GB
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – 2GB RAM and 16GB/32GB Storage with MicroSD expansion slot supporting up to 32GB – MORE STORAGE
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – 2GB RAM and 16GB/32GB Storage with MicroSD expansion slot supporting up to 32GB – MORE STORAGE
- Google Nexus 9 – 2GB RAM and 32GB Storage – MORE STORAGE
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – 1GB RAM and 8GB/ 16GB eMMC Storage with MicroSD expansion slot supporting up to 64GB
CAMERAS
- Apple iPad Air 2 – 8MP rear facing (with 1080p HD video capture), 1.2MP front facing (720p HD video capture) face detection, HDR, FaceTime over WiFi or Cellular. Still features: Autofocus, Face Detection, Backside Illumination, Five-element lens, Hybrid IR filter, f/2.4 aperture, HDR, Panorama, Burst mode. Video features: Video Stabilisation, Face Detection, Backside Illumination, 3x Video Soom, Time-lapse Video, Slo-mo video.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – 8MP rear auto focus facing camera with 4x digital zoom and flash, 2.1MP front facing camera. Shot Modes: Auto, Beauty Face, Shot & More, Panorama, HDR (High Dynamic Range), Dual-Camera – FLASH
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – 8MP rear facing camera, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash Front-facing HD camera + 720p front facing HD camera
- Sony Xperia Z4 – 8.1MP auto focus rear facing camera with 8x digital zoom, 5.1MP front facing camera, Full HD video recording 1080p, HDR for pictures and movies, Image stabiliser, Geotagging, image captured in JPG, image playback supported format: BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP. Video capture supported format 3GPP, MP4. Video playback supported format: 3GPP, MP4, WebM, MKV.
- Microsoft Surface 3 – 8.0MP rear-facing camera with auto-focus, 3.5MP front-facing camera – BEST CAMERA PAIR
- LG G Pad V700 – 5MP rear facing camera (with 1080p HD video capture), Autofocus, 1.3MP (720p HD video capture) webcam front facing camera, Geo-tagging, face detection, panorama,
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – 8MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus rear facing camera, 1.3MP front facing web cam.
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – 8MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash rear facing camera(with 1080p HD video capture), 2MP front facing camera (1080p HD video capture) , Geo-tagging, face/smile detection – FLASH
- Google Nexus 9 – 8MP Rear camera f/2.4 aperture Auto-focus, LED flash, 1.6MP Front camera, f/2.4 aperture – FLASH
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – 2MP Rear Camera, 0.3MP Front Camera
CONNECTIVITY & PORTS
- Apple iPad Air 2 – Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, Lightning connector, 4G LTE/3G Option
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – Dual-bank Wi-Fi® 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO, (2.4Ghz + 5.0 Ghz), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB v2.0
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – Dual-band, dual antenna (802.11AC with MIMO+HT80) Wi-Fi, A-GPS (4G model), microUSB v2.0, 4G LTE/3G Option
- Sony Xperia Z4 – Dual-band, WiFi, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1, Native USB tethering, DLNA, microUSB v2.0 (MHL 3 TV-out), USB Host, NFC, 4G LTE/3G Option
- Microsoft Surface 3 – Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0, Full-size USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, microSD™ card reader, Micro USB charging port, Headset jack, Cover port
- LG G Pad V700 – Wi-Fi® 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, infrared, microUSB v2.0, USB Host
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – Wi-Fi 802.11abgn dual-band, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro USB v2.0, Micro-SD card, 3.5mm audio jack, Optional 4G/LTE
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB v2.0 (MHL TV-out), USB Host
- Google Nexus 9 – 802.11 b, g, n, n 5GHz, ac, dual band (MIMO) Bluetooth 4.1, Tethering, microUSB v2.0 (Mass storage device, USB Host, USB Charging), 3.5 mm audio, NFC, Optional 4G/LTE, Micro-USB 2.0
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – WLAN802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth V4.0, Support Miracast, 1 x Micro USB, 1 x 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone / Mic-in), 1 x MicroSD (SDHC/SDXC),supports up to 64GB of additional storage, Included Mobile Keyboard Dock: 1 x USB 2.0 port
BATTERY LIFE
- Apple iPad Air 2 – up to 10 hours
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – 9 – 12 hours
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – 12 hours mixed use
- Sony Xperia Z4 – up to 17 hours of video playback with 6000 mAh and fast charging battery: 60% in 30 min (Quick Charge 2.0)
- Microsoft Surface 3 – up to 10 hours of video playback time
- LG G Pad V700 – up to 12 hours of video playback, 10 hours WiFi web browsing, 8,000 mAh
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – up to 18 hours Li-Ion 9600 mAh battery – BEST BATTERY LIFE
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – up to 10 hours Li-Ion 8220 mAh battery
- Google Nexus 9 – up to 9.5 hours, 6700 mAh
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – 9.5 hours, 19Wh Li-Polymer Battery *3
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
- Apple iPad Air 2 – 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm, 437 grams (WiFi) or 444 grams (3G/LTE) – SLIMMEST
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – 247.3 x 177.3 x 6.6 mm, 456 grams
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – 231 X 158 X 7.8 mm, 375 grams (WiFi), 389 grams (WiFi+4G) – LIGHTEST 8.9″
- Sony Xperia Z4 – 167 x 254 x 6.1 mm, 389 grams Wi-Fi only, 393 grams Wi-Fi + LTE – LIGHTEST 10.1″, SLIMMEST
- Microsoft Surface 3 – 267mm x 187mm x 8.7mm, 622 grams
- LG G Pad V700 – 260.9 mm x 165.9 mm x 8.95 mm & 523 grams
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – 255 x 183 x 7.2 mm & 619 grams
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – 243.1 x 171.4 x 7.3 mm & 469 grams
- Google Nexus 9 – 228.25 x 153.68 x 7.95 mm & 425 g (Wi-Fi) or 436 grams (4G LTE)
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – 257.46 x 178.4 x 9.9 mm (WxDxH) & 550 grams or with dock 257.4 x 178.4 x 19.8mm & 1.1kg
SENSORS
- Apple iPad Air 2 – A-GPS, GLONASS (3G/LTE model only), Accelerometer, Three-axis gyro, Ambient Light Sensor, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor (Touch ID)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – GPS, GLONASS, Accelerometer; Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Geo-magnetic, Hall Sensor, Infrared; Fingerprint Sensor
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – A-GPS (4G Model), Accelerometer; Gyroscope, Light Sensor
- Sony Xperia Z4 – A-GPS, GLONASS, FM Radio with RDS, Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
- Microsoft Surface 3 – Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer
- LG G Pad V700 – GPS, A-GPS, S-GPS, Accelerometer, compass
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – GPS, Accelerometer, compass
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – GPS, GLONASS, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyro-sensor, Light Sensor, Hall Sensor and Infrared
- Google Nexus 9 – Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Compass GPS, Ambient light sensor
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – GPS, GLONASS, G-Sensor, E-Compass sensor
COLOUR OPTIONS
- Apple iPad Air 2 – Silver/Gold/Space Gray
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – Titanium Bronze/White
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – Black
- Sony Xperia Z4 – Black/White
- Microsoft Surface 3 – Black
- LG G Pad V700 – Black/Red
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – Platinum
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – Black/White
- Google Nexus 9 – Indigo black, Lunar white, Sand (Black/White/Gold)
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – White/Black
OPERATING SYSTEMS
- Apple iPad Air 2 – iOS 8.1 (upgradeable to iOS 8.3)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – Android™ 4.4, KitKat with Samsung Traditional UI, Smart Pause™, TouchWiz®, Widgets
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito” (Custom Android)
- Sony Xperia Z4 – Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
- Microsoft Surface 3 – Windows 8.1
- LG G Pad V700 – Android™ 4.4 KitKat (Android 5.0 Lollipop update available)
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – Android™ 4.4 KitKat
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – Android v4.4 (KitKat)
- Google Nexus 9 – Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Most if not all tablets will be getting the Android update up to Lollipop, please check with the manufacturer for further details.
OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES
- Apple iPad Air 2 – Built-in apps include: Camera, Photos, Messages, FaceTime, Mail, Music, Safari, Maps, Siri, Calendar, iTunes Store, App Store, Notes, Contacts, iBooks, Game Center, Reminders, Clock, Videos, Newsstand, Photo Booth and Podcasts. Free downloadable apps from apple now include: Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie, GarageBand, iTunes U, Find MY iPhone, Find My Friends, Apple Store and Remote.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S – Business & Office support (Enterprise-Ready; Corporate Email/Calendar/Contacts; Microsoft® Office-compatible; Mobile Device Management; On-Device Encryption (ODE); KNOX; Virtual Private Network; e-Meeting; WebEx; Remote PC) as well Fun & Entertainment features (Downloadable Content, IR Remote Control, S Voice™, Samsung Widget Gallery, Live Wallpapers, WatchON™, Paper Garden, Kids Mode)
- Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 – Ultra fast silk web browser, personal email client with support for gmail, outlook, yahoo and AOL, social media integration (facebook, twitter and youtube), photo and video backs up to the cloud, access Prime Instant Video (subscription based service), content (film and tv shows) and enjoy features such as x-ray (IMDb information on shows) and Whispersync for Movies (remembering the last scene across all devices), mirror screen via Miracast. enjoy books and magazines in colour, enjoy audiobooks from Audible, enjoy Songs from Digital Music store and Amazon Prime members (subscription based service) access to Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Features to keep kids safe and to get work done (email, docs, corporate WiFi, VPN, printing), free cloud storage.
- Sony Xperia Z4 – Sony X-Reality display for shaper and 40% brighter picture and less noise for breath taking details. 50% faster than previous processor with advanced 64-bit Octa-Core processor and 3GB of RAM, WiFi with MIMO support for twice the speed (300Mbps) and LTE Cat 6. Extended battery life up to 17 hours with Ultra STAMINA Mode, Waterproof (up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 mins) and dust tight (IP65 and IP68), optimised sound with any headset, High-Res Audio. Supports PS4 Remote Play to switch from PS4 console to tablet and continue playing using the DUALSHOCK4 controller. Optional keyboard available.
- Microsoft Surface 3 – Windows 8.1 based tablet from Microsoft with latest generation of Intel Atom processor, Atom x7, code-named Cherry Trail. The new generation Atom chip is built on 14 nanometer process, an ultra low power architecture drawing only 2W of power allowing devices to be completely fan less. Microsoft has also chosen the fastest chip in the range, the Intel Atom x7 Z8700 clocking at1.6GHz with burst frequency up to 2.4GHz. Microsoft has also chosen to use a 3:2 aspect ratio for its 10.8″ screen at Full HD Plus resolution. There are two models on offer, the 2GB or 4GB RAM with 64GB or 128GB storage respectively. The signature kick stand is also included here but comes with 3 position only unlike the Surface Pro 3.
- LG G Pad V700 – Seamless connectivity with QPAIR™ 2.0, Secure and Instant Access Knock Code. G Pad 10.1 has an intuitive, easy-input smart keyboard that offers a smooth and seamless writing experience while providing easy-to-use features that adapts to your unique writing style.
- Lenovo Yoga 2 – Enhanced 10″ tablet that adapts to you with four ways to use it – Stand, Tilt, Hold, and Hang. Long battery life, rich audio, and speedy processing make Yoga Tablet 2 perfect for music, games, and the web. Front-facing, large-chamber stereo speakers with Wolfson® Master HiFi™ audio processing and Dolby® surround sound
- Samsung Galaxy TabPRO – Enjoy high-resolution viewing with a 4 million pixel display, Multitask using two separate windows simultaneously, Get a sleek and stylish look with a stitched leather-like finish for that premium look and feel, Take hold of super-slim and ultraportable design. Access your PC at home or work with Remote PC and control all files and contents through the tablet, supports both Windows and MacOS. Share your contents and files via a serverless and paperless indoor meeting system via E-meeting. Using WebEx make group voice/video calls while sharing documents with up to 8 people.
- Google Nexus 9 – Made with HTC, you can be assured of quality built and premium design with HTC’s successes with HTC One super smartphoen, (now HTC One M9). Nexus 9 combines a brushed metal body and soft grip back with the best of Google and Android for virtually limitless entertainment content and business tools. Notable features include front facing stereo speakers, slim profile, crisp and clear immersive sound with HTC BoomSound speakers and powered by NVIDIA’s 64-bit processor. There is also the optional origami cover that allows you to bends and folds its corners to automatically launches the camera app. Also sold separately is the magnetically attached, fully responsive keyboard cover.
- Asus Transformer Pad TF103C – Not quite the premium Transformer Pads we are used to but latest Android Tablet from Asus caters more for the masses with Transformer Pad TF103C in the market at affordable prices even with the keyboard dock option but sadly without the built-in battery. Still it is packed with loads of features including GPS/GLONASS, Miracast support and vivid HD IPS display. Powered by Intel® Atom™ Z3745 Quad-Core, 1.33 GHz, up to 1.86 GHz, 64bit, the tablet is capable of powering through the day with web browsing, gaming and catching up on movies with up to 9.5 hours of battery life.
JOHN CARROD
June 5, 2019 @ 1:24 pm
Very, very informative.
Thank you for helping me find an answer to my issues of finding the right Tablet for me.
I chose the Google Nexus 9.
Thank you.
Li-ling Ooi
June 6, 2019 @ 10:55 am
Glad it was helpful. 😀