Buying guide: 5 Best Windows tablets: top Windows slates reviewed


Best Windows tablets

Microsoft’s been pushing tablet computers for the best part of a decade, so you can imagine how happy the success of the iPad Air, Samsung Galaxy Note series, the short line of Google Nexus slates and other great tablets makes the software maker feel.

But Microsoft doesn’t give up easily, and Windows tablets have been trickling out since Windows 8 first introduced touched controls. The focus on tablets that can double as PC has only been getting bigger as with Window 10‘s upcoming release. The range of devices with is huge from simple slates to fully convertible laptop-tablet hybrids, including those where keyboards slide out from beneath the screen, as well as those with styluses and detachable keyboards. We’ve even seen tablet/all-in-one hybrids.

There’s as much variety in Windows tablet world as there is to the plethora of tablets running other operating systems.

Now the question is what sort of Windows-powered tablet do you want. Are you looking for something mainly as a reading device, perhaps a dedicated Hearthstone, typing out documents on your commute or sketching ideas for a new artwork?

To help you decide, here’s a rundown of the best Windows tablets that we’ve reviewed so far.

Best Windows tablets

1. Surface Pro 4

The best all-around Windows tablet

CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 520 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12.3-inch, 2,736 x 1,824 PixelSense display | Storage: 256GB SSD | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 8MP rear-facing; 5MP front-facing | Weight: 1.73 pounds | Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.36 inches

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Larger, sharper screen Vastly improved Type Cover Type Cover still sold separately Battery life hasn’t improved much

The Surface Pro 4 is by far the best Windows 10 tablet. Though it comes at a pretty penny, it’s well worth the expense from the nearly premium built quality, perfect screen and ample power. Microsoft’s latest tablet introduces a larger and sharper screen, plus a redesigned island that makes typing feel almost as good as a real laptop. The Surface Pro 4 the tablet that really can replace your traditional laptop and this is why the it’s our Windows 10 tablet king.

Best Windows tablets

2. HP Spectre x2

Little extras make this remarkable Windows tablet even more exceptional

CPU: 1.2GHz Intel Core m7-6Y75 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12-inch, 1,920 x 1,280 WUXGA+ IPS WLED-backlit touch screen | Storage: 256GB SSD | Connectivity: Intel 802.11ac (2×2), Bluetooth 4.0, LTE | Camera: 5MP HP TrueVision HD front-facing webcam, 8MP rear-facing camera, Intel RealSense 3D R200 camera | Weight: 1.87 pound | Dimensions: 11.81 x 8.23 x 0.52 inches

See more HP Spectre x2 deals

Ultrathin design Exceptional performance Massive bezels Recessed kickstand

HP’s Spectre x2 bears a striking resemblance to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4. However, it’s thinner and lighter thanks to being powered by a fanless Intel Core M processor. It also comes at a more affordable price tag than Microsoft’s premium slate and with an included keyboard to boot. Equipped with an Intel Core m7 processor offers nearly the same performance as the Core i5 chip on the Surface Pro 4, while being more economical and efficient with battery life.

Best Windows tablets

3. HP Pavilion x2

The most affordable Windows 10 convertible

CPU: 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3736F | Graphics: Intel HD graphics | RAM: 2GB| Screen: 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 WXGA WLED IPS touchscreen display | Storage: 32GB eMMC | Connectivity: 802.11b WLAN and Bluetooth | Camera: HP TrueVision HD webcam | Weight: 2.61 pounds | Dimensions: 0.39 x 6.81 x 0.78 inches

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Long battery life Absurdly affordable 32-bit Windows 10 Limited storage and memory

Getting into the world of Windows 10 convertible’s isn’t cheap unless we’re talking about the Pavilion x2. This 10-inch hybrid comes packing a surprising amount of goods considering its small size. It comes packed with a HD screen and more than enough power to get you through a simple day of web browsing and even image editing. When you’re ready kick back with some streaming media, you can pop off the 10-inch works as a portable tablet. And if you’re looking for something with a bit more screen real estate there’s the 12-inch HP Pavilion x2.

Best Windows tablets

4. Surface 3

A solid micro-sized Windows 10 tablet

CPU: 1.6GHz Quad Core Intel Atom x7-78700 processor | Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 10.8-inch (1,920 x 1,200) ClearType Full HD Plus Display | Storage: 128GB SSD | Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac); Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 3.5 megapixel front-facing camera; 8.0 megapixel rear-facing | Weight: 1.37 pounds | Dimensions: 10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 inches

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Alluring magnesium-alloy build, Bright, clear display Skimpy storage and RAM Limited kickstand articulation

If you interested in a Surface Pro 4 but you’re worried about the 12-inch form factor being too unwieldy, the Surface 3 might be perfect for you. Sporting a smaller 10.8-inch screen and Intel Atom processor, the Surface 3 is meant to be less of a laptop replacement and more of a solid Windows 10 tablet. Though the kickstand is limited to a smaller range of motion, it’s nearly as versatile and works well with Microsoft’s nearly perfected type cover.

Best Windows tablets

5. Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000

This 2-in-1 laptop takes thinness to a new level

CPU: 1.2GHz Intel Core M-5Y71 vPro | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5300 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 10.8-inch (1,920 x 1,080) IPS display | Storage: 128GB SSD | Connectivity: Intel 7265 dual-band 2X2 802.11 ac WiFi & Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 2-megapixel webcam; 8-megapixel rear camera | Weight: 1.6 pounds | Dimensions: 11.01 x 6.95 x 0.42 inches

See more Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 deals

Vibrant display made for media Flexible use cases Colors a touch too saturated Unimpressive battery life

Starting at $700 (£437 and AU$800), the Venue Pro 7000 offers a nice balance of performance and portability in a travel-friendly size. However, unless you find yourself accessing CPU and GPU taxing apps, you might find more value in an Atom-based convertible. Going with Atom will lower your cost and give you better battery life.

For those who need power and performance, the confines of a 10.8-inch display may be too rigid to maximize productivity. Opening more than a few tabs or windows on the small display will trigger claustrophobia. If you need to be more productive, there are bigger convertible options, like the Surface Pro 3, to choose from that may fit that need better.

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25 Comments
  1. Reply Mr. Monty Padberg February 10, 2016 at 4:07 am

    I've owned several Windows tablets and got rid of them including the Surface Pro 3 and 4. Those two were the best but they failed as tablets because you can't use them in touch mode. You absolutely need a keyboard and point and click device like a mouse or pen. You don't need any of those to use and enjoy an iPad Air. To me a tablet is something very portable, you can carry it around use it sitting standing even lying in bed reading like I am right now. Try reading a Surface Pro 4 lying in bed. No can do – it's a light laptop replacement.

  2. Reply Raul Koepp February 10, 2016 at 4:16 am

    Can anyone tell me if any of these tablets work with Blackboard? K12, a national company that produces virtual school curriculum, uses Blackboard for the live lessons that teacher host. So far, no tablets are compatible with Blackboard. Seems like there would be a built in demand since there are over 12k students using Blackboard in GA alone!

  3. Reply Katarina Mitchell February 10, 2016 at 4:17 am

    hi friends u can also check http://www.collective-hive.com
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  4. Reply Mrs. Juanita Will February 10, 2016 at 4:41 am

    Accusing some one of being a fanboy is dismissing the short story – Microsoft does not build and support great consumer hardware. The Surface story has been a bad trip for users from abandoned models – oops our bad – to poor service, the need for constant updates etc. They guy should have edited the comment I agree.

  5. Reply Dr. Tobin Hane PhD February 10, 2016 at 4:58 am

    Sounds like user error. A pebkac error

  6. Reply Annamae Krajcik February 10, 2016 at 4:59 am

    In Fact,I know a type Windows Tablet PC Computer called Elite Pro, It have a Atom Dual 1.6Ghz Processor, and Support WCDMA 3G Moudle with Calling Function. It Come from OrientDeal.com
    http://www.orientdeal.com/wind
    Specification is below:
    Download any OS you want from Windows OS, to linux
    10.1 Inch Touchscreen (5 point Capacitive), 1280×800 Resolution
    Dual Core Intel chips with 1.6 GHz speed
    2G RAM DDR3
    32GB Flash Memory
    Japanese AGC “super tough” glass
    Support 3G buit-in(WCDMA, TD-SCDMA,CDMA2000).

  7. Reply Arvid Predovic February 10, 2016 at 5:17 am

    This article says it was posted 20 hours ago, so why are there 3 year old comments about the article??? It's not a 3 year old article because the Surface Pro 3 is only about a year old and the Asus T300CHI was only announced this year.

  8. Reply Rubie Rodriguez February 10, 2016 at 5:35 am

    We side with Lenovos. They are reliable and robust. A real practical tool for our clients.www.thetechinfogroup.c…

  9. Reply Mr. Jules Lesch February 10, 2016 at 5:38 am

    Microsoft Just Doesn’t Get It!

    It is a mistake to by Microsoft Product these days. Let me share my story.
    Recently I made the decision to update my technology, and after lots of research came to the conclusion that the best thing for my needs was to buy a Surface Pro 2. The thought was I could buy a system that would act like a tablet (a large and heavy one, but still a tablet), laptop, and desktop computer depending on my varied needs. I thought I could use the docking station (with my wireless keyboard and large monitor) when at home to use full applications (like Office, Adobe ect.), attach type cover 2 when I needed laptop functions, and use the tablet to surf on the couch or read articles leisurely on the web. I could even use the tablet to watch movies on a plane or when working out. Sounded like a real good solution to me. Frankly I didn’t mind the fact it cost significantly more than other products as long as it could take care of all of my needs.
    As an aside, I have a long history of using Microsoft products all the way back to DOS. I have invested many hours becoming an expert at PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and have lived through the many iterations of Windows. In fact I have been a long term shareholder of Microsoft and thought they may have found their way back. The Surface Pro 2 would help them use the legacy advantages they have established over a long period of time. In short I was rooting for Microsoft.
    Now to my experience. I ordered a Surface Pro 2, Type Cover 2, Office 365, Docking Station, and VGA Adopter (for use when giving presentations on the road). Spent a good deal of time researching just what I needed. 8 gigs of Ram, 256 gigs on the hard drive, and a bonus of 200 gigs of storage on Microsoft’s cloud. Hell, if I got a Windows phone everything would sync without me having to do much of anything. I could access all my files wherever I was and on whatever device I was using. Finally someone gets it! It cost me almost $2000 for this outfit, but it would be worth it if it worked as advertised. I would be able to use my legacy knowledge, all my files, and it would tie me in to Microsoft for a long time to come.
    Boy was I wrong! When everything was delivered I was excited about spending the time to get everything set up just right. I started moving my files to “SkyDrive”, started to configure Windows 8.1 just like I wanted and it seemed like I finally found what I was looking for. I was ok with the fact that the Windows App store was a little light on usable applications and was sure they would catch up with Apple, Google, and Amazon in the near future. First issue was that my Surface would not fit flush in to the Docking Station. The Video prong on the right side of the Docking Station would not fit into the Surface Pro 2. Thus the 5 power tines just above it would not line up and it would not be able charge. I immediately called Microsoft support and explained the issue to the technician (Kaleb with a “K”). After I spent all kinds of time defending the fact I was not an idiot and was fully capable of placing the Surface correctly in to the Docking Station, he said he wasn’t sure if it was a defective Surface, or a defective Docking Station. He told me he would set up an appointment at the closest Microsoft store and assured me he would get me up and running ASAP. He kept me on the telephone while he made an appointment for me the next day at the store at 11 am. I did tell him I had been to the store previously when researching and had not found them particularly helpful. The store was Washington Square Mall in Beaverton Oregon, right in the backyard of Microsoft. In my previous visit they told me all their products were “sold out” and that in fact the Docking Station was not even released yet. Funny thing was that when I researched the Docking Stations, they were all over the internet and I ended up purchasing one at “Best Buy” online.
    Kaleb assured me I would be taken care of and not to worry because he had spoken to them on the phone and had everything set up. Gave me the case number to reference ( the whole nine yards). I showed up at the store 10 minutes early and saw the 4 reps working there standing around with only one customer there. I stood there for a few minutes before one of them finally came over to me and asked me if I needed help. I explained why I was here and told him I had an appointment at 11 as referenced by Kaleb’s call to them. The rep immediately told me there were no technicians there and I should come back at another time. I told him I had an appointment and referenced Kaleb’s call and case number. He told me I must be mistaken and that he (Kaleb) probably made the appointment at the Pioneer Square store in downtown Portland. I responded that I was sure he made it at the Washington Square store. I told him that my Surface Pro 2 did not fit in to the Docking Station. He told me that the Docking Station was not released yet and he could not help me. Funny thing is that I had the Docking Station with me. In addition the VGA Adopter only works with the Surface RT and does not work with the Surface Pro 2. He told me there was nothing he could do to help me.
    Walking back through the mall I passed by the Apple Store and saw it filled with engaged customers and service reps. They all seem to be pretty happy.
    I have sent my Surface Pro 2, Docking Station, Type 2 cover, Office 365 , and the VGA Adopter all back. I can’t invest any more time in a platform and company that doesn’t care about its customers. Great companies start with their “customers” and work backwards. It doesn’t matter what your strategy is, if you don’t take care of and listen to your customers, you are bound to fail. I am sure my experience is not unique.
    I will be selling my shares and am sure Microsoft is going to become irrelevant in the future!

  10. Reply Oliver Von PhD February 10, 2016 at 5:41 am

    I wouldn't go near a Dell Venue Pro going on my experience with them. Great at first but quickly unreliable and the keyboard dock has massive bugs that result in the touchpad not working. Also NOT stable with the current Windows 10 build either.

  11. Reply Dr. Lula Franecki PhD February 10, 2016 at 6:05 am

    sadly this is typical of every company, numpty support people. Unfortunately such jobs do not pay enough to attract experts, but they really should have a better escalation process so the numpties can escalate you to a guru.
    As for the store, well that technically is not Microsoft's fault, most computer stores are staffed by lazy idiots. If they are a Microsoft partner who is supposed to be providing support for their products, then you should report them for being so useless. Although that process in itself is probably another nightmare.

  12. Reply Sigurd Turner February 10, 2016 at 6:53 am

    I have the XPS 18 as my wall mounted Kitchen tablet – it's phenomenal for recipe checking, music vids etc etc – but the sound is pretty pathetic, especially in a noisy environment; so I picked up a nice loud Bluetooth speaker – problem solved

  13. Reply Mr. Ronaldo Hoeger Sr. February 10, 2016 at 6:55 am

    We are the Maine relatives of Will and Barb O'neill…….Ed & Patricia

  14. Reply Milo Volkman February 10, 2016 at 6:56 am

    I would like to see the feature comparetion on a table.

  15. Reply Zakary Bogan February 10, 2016 at 6:57 am

    It's Linx 8, not Lynx 8.

  16. Reply Daniella Lueilwitz February 10, 2016 at 7:25 am

    Your first mistake was buying a computer that is released by software company and not a dedicated hardware company. Their device does not include dedicated graphics so you can wipe out any usage beyond basic stuff like text editing, maybe paint and light photoshop work.. light video editing etc. Anything that delves into heavy 3D will eat dirt and suffer.

    Also, if you had been to the store previously and knew they were terrible.. why didn't you demand Kaleb provide you with an alternative or in fact contact him whilst you are at their store to explain the situation. Shouldn't have to.. but then again I have had similar experiences with all brands of products .. this isn't a product related issue either.. this is a customer service issue related strongly to a store that sells the equipment and not the actual manufacturers directly.

    Apple products are going to make those who buy them happy and do you know why? Anyone dumb enough to spend MORE money on hardware that provides LESS power per $ vs alternatives will be pretty content if "they hit power button and computer work" Forget that it has a limited provision of software applications and that any software you do get will have weaker hardware powering it so you are likely to experience more hardware failures or slower performance results…

    I genuinely doubt things like that cross the minds of apple consumers. Also apple products don't work better than their alternatives just because they use proprietary components.. it just means you are locked in to 1 option for where you get all hardware. but meh logic isn't a strong suit to an apple consumer so no point taking that road of discussion. Logic falls to the wayside the moment you become willing to spend more money for an inferior product just because someone at a counter selling it was nicer to you.

  17. Reply Jonatan Cassin February 10, 2016 at 7:39 am

    I was told off at their store in the heart of Bangkok about five months ago by staff too busy playing games on their phones to talk to me when I was there to buy the Lumia 1520. Simply went to get an Android phone.

  18. Reply Melyna Lind February 10, 2016 at 7:41 am

    Your post is too long and your experience is not the norm. people are having great success with the surface. Sell your shares and go to your apple fanboy sites.

  19. Reply Felicity Altenwerth February 10, 2016 at 7:52 am

    wow, would it be possible that you bought a "Prototype" docking station?

  20. Reply Paolo Toy February 10, 2016 at 7:54 am

    The Lynx is a very capable tablet for the price, personally if i were to get one then would go for the larger version…….But if you want a cheap windows slate don't think you can really go wrong with the Lynx

  21. Reply Dr. Dalton Goyette February 10, 2016 at 8:08 am

    Hey i'm not a fanboy but i think lenovo do something great than others…

  22. Reply Monty McDermott February 10, 2016 at 8:14 am

    What I find funny and very irritating at the same time is the review provides cost estimates for US, the UK and even Australia but totally ignores Canada, which is a bigger market than Australia (not that I'm putting down Australia). No we don't use USD in Canada nor do we buy our products in the US (most of time). We have a CDN dollar and we buy our products in Canada. So keep that in mind the next time you write reviews and provide cost comparisons.

  23. Reply Hayley Gusikowski February 10, 2016 at 8:36 am

    You do understand there is an Australian version of this site? That's why they include the price in AUD. Canada might have more people but Australians spend a lot more money per capita on tech than anyone.

  24. Reply Virginie Rippin February 10, 2016 at 9:27 am

    Not one tablet listed in this. They are all laptops with detachable keyboards and impractical size screens for commuters. This is why tablets are dying, no one is thinking about when and how they should be used, instead everyone is just trying to increase screen sizes and end up making laptops.

  25. Reply Miss Aliza Schaefer February 10, 2016 at 9:37 am

    That sounds very likely, as I waited and waited for the docking station to materialise and ended up buying an Asus VariDrive instead (which is a much better option anyway).
    I've been into Apple Stores and they've not been able to answer the most basic questions about things like the effective screen resolution of a Retina display. i.e. If I have an application that require full HD in order to show all it's toolbars, will a Retina Display work? They couldn't tell me so I had to spend half-an-hour on a friend's MB Pro with Retina so I could work it out for myself. (It couldn't do what I needed.)
    And I'd never buy from a vendor's shop. Apple and Microsoft aren't going to give you a discount, but somewhere like Best Buy will drop their pants to make a sale. e.g. I bought the first gen Asus Zenbook when it first came out. It hadn't been on display for a week and all I had to do was ask "can you do me a good price" and I got $350 off. Even on something like an iPad or Surface, a 3rd party retailer will give you $20-$50 off retail, whereas Apple and Microsoft can't do that without annoying those same 3rd party retailers.

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