It’s that time of the year again when every student is running around to get their inventory sorted. We’re here to help you power up your education with some stunning deals on tablets to pick up right now!
We’ve come a long way from lugging a heavy backpack around with more books than one can humanly carry. The modern age is digital, and so is the education system, with entire syllabuses being able to compactly fit into your smartphone and tablet.
The emphasis on distance learning during the pandemic brought with it a very pertinent question: What is the best tablet for back to school in 2022? In this post, we will be looking to answer this question in detail by comparing some of the top picks of tablets to pick up for students.
RELATED: Best iPads for Students to Get in 2022
Best tablets for back to school in 2022
When we look to purchase a tablet, we have our own preferences regarding the operating system, screen size, and other features. Some of us might value the design aspect of a table, while some might value the processors and storage over everything else.
However, when it comes to choosing the best tablet for back to school, these aspects are not at the front of our minds. In these cases, what matters the most is the tablet’s ability to be easy to carry, offer plenty of firepower to get the work done and be light on the wallet at the same time. And, here’re our top favorites.
Apple iPad 10.2-inch 9th Generation ($20 Off) – Best Entry-Level iPad
If you’re looking for a solid and dependable tablet for your kids to take to school, then you’ll find no better friend than the Apple iPad 10.2” 9th Generation. This tablet, launched in 2021, is a continuation of the trusty but sophisticated entry-level iPad series, which is a great option for school-going children. The 9th generation of this iPad comes with many improvements compared to its previous version.
In the Apple iPad 10.2” 9th generation, you get double storage in the same price range as the previous variants. This increased storage will definitely be put through its paces with all the lectures, homework and various files that need to be downloaded into the tablet for the kids to do their studies. And if any space remains in the storage, it’ll surely get wiped out with movies, cartoons and other such things according to your kids’ tastes.
If we talk about the processor, the 9th generation iPad 10.2′ comes with an A13 bionic chip which is about 20-30% better than the A12 processor in the iPad 8th generation. However, it isn’t likely that you or your kids will feel any difference in the processing as the usual school and homework tasks do not consume much processing power in any case. The most difference you might feel would be while editing or playing high-end games, which defeats the purpose of getting a tablet for the sole purpose of going back to school.
The storage and processor are not the only things of note in this generation of iPads. The front camera of the iPad 10.2” 9th generation boasts a marked improvement from its earlier incarnations. The new iPad, even though it has the same 8MP back camera, has a 12MP front camera that not only allows for a high-quality video calling experience but also allows you to record videos in 1080p full HD. It also benefits from the inclusion of Apple’s new Center Stage technology that uses its 122-degree ultra wide sensor to keep you at the center of the camera by panning or zooming in or out. This happens to be really great for FaceTime calls or online classes. All these features make the Apple iPad 10.2” 9th generation a candidate for the title of the best tablet for back to school in 2022.
Pros:
- 12MP Ultra wide front camera.
- Center Stage.
- A13 processor
- Affordable
Cons:
- No change in design
- Needs a facelift
- Several design aspects require an overhaul.
Apple iPad 10.2-inch 9th Generation ($20 Off), view on Amazon
Microsoft Surface Go 2 ($130 Off) – Cheapest Microsoft Windows Tablet PC
If you’re not a user of Apple devices, you might feel a bit hesitant in going for an iPad as your choice as the best tablet for back to school. We acknowledge that new users face a learning curve with the iPad, and children particularly might not appreciate this fact. If that is the case with you, then the Microsoft Surface Go 2 is a good, solid option for your children to use for their studies.
The Microsoft Surface Go 2 has a 10.5” screen with a resolution of 1920×1280 pixels. This screen size and resolution are really good for Zoom classes and reading notes etc. the processing power packed into this little hellion is nothing to scoff at. The Microsoft Surface Go 2 comes with an Intel Pentium Gold processor that happens to be loads better than its predecessor. With a RAM of 4GB in the base model and a storage of 64GB, the Microsoft Surface Go 2 has more than enough power to run any tasks related to your kids’ schoolwork, and even beyond.
The battery life of the Microsoft Surface Go 2 is also quite awesome. This tablet provides you with almost the same battery timing as the iPad Air 2021. The weight and dimensions of this tablet are also a point in its favor as such a lightweight tablet is a great thing for children to use. The design aspect of this tablet is also well-thought and well-executed. The Microsoft Surface Go 2 has both a front camera and a rear camera, but to be honest the rear camera is not that good. The front camera, on the other hand, is quite a treat. Even though it is only 5MP, it provides a crisp and clear image when on Zoom classes or FaceTime calls.
Pros:
- Great battery life
- Good quality 5MP front camera
- 10.5” display
- Lightweight design
Cons:
- Doesn’t perform well under stress
- The back camera is not good
Microsoft Surface Go 2 ($130 Off) , view on Amazon
Apple iPad Mini 6th Generation ($90 Off) – Best Portable iPad
Another great option for the best tablet for back to school for Apple users is the new Apple iPad Mini 6. It has a lot of really awesome features, but let’s start by discussing the iPad Mini 6’s display. The 8.3″ LED IPS display of this sixth-generation iPad Mini is amazing for a tablet of its size, packing a larger display with thin bezels. This iPad’s 2266 x 1488 resolution offers a great pixel density, but the size of the screen makes multitasking difficult as the icons become too small to easily tap.
The iPad Mini 6 is powered by the new A15 Bionic Chipset, which offers a computing armament made up of a sixteen-core Neural engine, a five-core GPU, and a six-core CPU. The iPad Mini 6 should have no trouble running any educational software or program thanks to such a great processor. In fact, we’ll go even further and say that this tablet will perform well even if your kids also use it to play games in their free time.
The 12-megapixel wide-angle back camera on this iPad can take excellent pictures and videos in the presence of ample light. The iPad Mini 6’s front camera, on the other hand, has a 12-megapixel FaceTime HD lens, making it ideal for FaceTime calls and Zoom classes. The camera can track you in its field of view and maintain you in the centre thanks to the iPad Mini 6’s inclusion of Apple’s new Center Stage technology. And as far as the battery life is considered, the battery of the iPad Mini 6 (Wifi Model) practically runs out of power after 7-8 hours of use in normal use.
Pros:
- 8.3” IPS display
- A15 processor
- 12MP back and front cameras
- Good battery timing
Cons:
- Display is not LED
- No headphone jack
- Quite expensive
Apple iPad Mini 6th Generation ($90 Off), view on Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE ($110 Off) – Best Premium Android Tablet
If you’re looking for the best tablet for back to school, but don’t want to use an operating system other than Android, then this option is for you. Out of all Android tablets, we consider Samsung ones to be the best in terms of both build quality and processing power, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is no different. Let’s take a look at what makes this tablet so good for kids to use for studies.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has a 12.4” display that is really great as it provides a bigger display for the children to use, and its weight is pretty evenly distributed when you consider the sheer size and dimensions of this tablet. As for the operating system, it runs on the latest Android 12 update. There are two versions of processors in this tablet. The cellular version runs on a Snapdragon 750G chip, while the Wifi-only version comes with a Snapdragon 778 chipset.
The RAM in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is 4GB in the base model and 6GB in the upper models. The storage, on the other hand, can be 64GB, 128GB or 256GB depending on your choice, and on how much storage you’re going to pay for in a tablet that’s gonna be used by your kids for school work. The battery life is pretty awesome in this tablet too, and lasts upwards of 9 hours on a single charge. The cameras, however, are not that good. The 8MP back camera is good enough for casual use in good light, but the 5MP front camera is really bad and gives only blurry and unclear footage. In spite of this hiccup, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a pretty great option for students going back to school in 2022.
Pros:
- Great battery life
- Decent chipset
- Great for kids’ use
- Latest software updates available
- S Pen compatible
Cons:
- Display is not AMOLED
- No TouchID
- Bad camera quality
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE ($110 Off). view on Amazon
Apple iPad Air 2022 ($40 Off) – Best MacBook-Level Budget iPad
The iPad Air 5 (2022) is a tablet that many would consider the best tablet for back to school. The iPad Air 2022 has the new Apple Silicon M1 CPU which provides it with some of the best processing power available in a tablet. Even though such a high level of processing power might feel to some as wasteful if it’s used for studies and school, it’s a great one-time purchase that’ll last you a long time. Also, you can use the iPad Air 5 2022 for far more purposes when the kids aren’t using it, so that’s a plus point too. You can watch movies, edit videos, play games and do lots of such things on this tablet.
If we talk about the design and ports, the iPad Air 2022 has a great streamlined design with a pretty nice weight distribution. The iPad Air 5 offers a USB-C connector for quick data transfer when compared to the Lightning connector traditionally provided in the iPad series. In comparison to other tablets, the iPad Air 5’s battery life is also excellent. It does feature a larger screen, measuring 10.9″, which is perfect for your kids both when they’re studying and when they’re relaxing.
In all aspects, the iPad Air 5 proves itself to be deserving to be called the best tablet for back to school in 2022. The one big negative point about this tablet is its pricing, with it being quite expensive for a 64GB variant. However, if you value quality and processing power, then even at this pricing, the iPad Air 5 is a really good option as long as you’re willing to pay $100 to $150 more when compared to competing tablets.
Pros:
- 10.9′ display
- M1 processor
- USB-C connectivity
- Good battery time
Cons:
- A bit expensive compared to other tablets
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite ($55 Off) – Best Budget Android Tablet w/ Stylus
If you want a mid-range option for a good Android tablet that can be considered the best tablet for back to school, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is exactly what the doctor, or in this case we, would recommend. This tab has an LCD display of 10.4′ with a resolution of 2000×1200 pixels. Even though most high end tablets provide a better display, not many options in this price range are available that would beat this display. Also, the tablet comes with a stylus which provides a really good experience while writing or drawing on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, which really helps kids in their studies.
The chipset used in this tablet is a Samsung Exynos 9611 processor and runs on the latest Android 12. It is quite good for use in school and other low level tasks, but the processor isn’t really cut out for tasks like gaming and video editing etc. At both this size and this price point, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has been launched as an alternative to the entry level iPad, and we must say that it is a sound option for Android users who want to get the best tablet for back to school.
Pros:
- Good build quality
- 10.4” LCD display
- Android 12
- S pen included
Cons:
- Lower-end processor
- Not cut out for heavier tasks
- Only LCD display
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite ($55 Off), view on Amazon
Amazon Fire 7 2022 – Cheapest 7-inch Android Tablet
Now, if you’re looking for the best tablet for back to school in 2022 but can’t afford to pay much, or need to buy one just as a placeholder before getting a better one, then this might be a good option for you. The Amazon Fire 7 is a decent enough tablet, but you’ll need to keep in mind that it was made for the purpose of accessing the Amazon Ecosystem, so it won’t be able to take on too much processing load. The good thing is that school work and studies don’t really require much processing power, so your kids can easily use this tablet when they go back to school.
This tablet has a 7-inch display, and its resolution provides enough quality that your little ones can easily use one of these tablets for their studies. It has a MediaTek MT 8168 processor that runs on the Amazon Fire OS and is good enough for simple tasks. Before you grumble about the lack of superior features, let’s remember that all these features are being provided in a tablet that costs just about $60. Therefore, we can’t justify any outrage on the specs being provided. We would caution you to use this tablet for your kids only as a short-term arrangement, though, and you would certainly be better off with some quality hardware that you could depend upon without risking failure.
Pros:
- Really affordable
- Nice battery life
- Expandable storage
Cons:
- Low-end processor
- Runs on Amazon Fire OS
- Poor cameras
- Low-res display
Amazon Fire 7 2022, view on Amazon
Others worth mentioning
Honor Pad 5 8-inch – Powerful Mini Android Tablet
The Honor Tab 8 has recently been launched by Honor as a competitor to Samsung Galaxy Tab 8 and Xiaomi Pad 5. It has a nice 12” display with a resolution of 2000×1200 pixels and a refresh rate of 60Hz. It has a base model with 4GB RAM and can be up to 8GB in RAM, while the storage comes in the form of 128 GB being standard across the lineup. This tab runs on Android 12 and is a good, affordable, option for you if you want to buy the best tablet for back to school.
Honor Pad 5 8-inch, view on Amazon
Xiaomi Pad 5 ($46 Off) – Best Budget Android Tablet w/ Large Display
The Xiaomi Pad 5 is the company’s take on introducing an Android tablet that would compete with the iPad in the entry-level market, and this tablet shows in every bell and whistle it is equipped with. Its 11” display has a 2K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is pretty solid for an entry-level tablet that can be used by kids for their school work. Unlike other similarly priced tablets, the Xiaomi Pad 5 comes with a Snapdragon 860 chipset that allows it to run programs quite smoothly. The MIUI also provides a good user experience when using this tablet and it happens to be pretty affordable, so you can easily choose the Xiaomi Pad 5 for your kids to take to school.
Xiaomi Pad 5 ($46 Off), view on Amazon
Conclusion
Rather than picking up the latest and greatest from the biggest players in the tablet industry, we’ve picked up devices that offer more bang for the buck. Whether you’re an Apple user who wants to stick to iPadOS for its seamless multi-tasking prowess, or prefer the cross-platform connectivity of Microsoft Windows and Android OS that is unmatched by any other, we’ve picked up a decent tablet for you, all of which are currently on a discounted price.
Add comment