In this article, we discuss the 7 Best Tablets for Teachers and provide our recommendations to save teachers time and stress. What’s the best tablet for teaching? Well, in all honesty, it’s a bit tied between iPad Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but depending on your budget, there are choices. With this in mind, we’ll take a look at the best tables for teachers.
8 Best Tablets for Teachers – Our List
1) Apple iPad 2022 10th Generation with A14 Bionic Chip
Often enough, Apple products are viewed as the go-to solution in plenty of niches. For a lot of people, they’re also the manufacturers of some of the best tablets for teachers. However, you should know (you might already know) that there are different iPad versions available for purchase. The 10th generation iPad tablet is equipped with a good processor and a screen of just under 11 inches layered with a liquid retina display.
Perhaps most importantly for teachers, the standard iPad model also has the Apple fingerprint sensor called TouchID. With Touch ID is built into the top button, you can use your fingerprint to unlock your iPad, sign in to apps, and make secure payments with Apple Pay. That means that you can set it to unlock only via Touch ID; preventing any students from getting into your tablet and tampering with things without your permission.
Moving on, it’s also important to note that the tablet has more than decent battery life. On a full charge, you’ll be able to use it for around 10 hours. That’s more than enough time for a single workday of any kind of teacher. Also, the stereo speakers of the tablet are more than adequate; though you’re not likely to use the tablet as the primary audio output device in a large class.
The camera is good for a tablet at 12MP front & back cameras although it may be a moot point in this context. After all, tablets aren’t used for taking photos in classrooms; at least not often. The part where this device truly shines is the Apple Pencil. If you have this peripheral, you’ll be able to use the iPad for classroom work more easily than ever. There’s no more using your finger to write, or conduct lessons.
Pros:
– Excellent battery life
– Apple Pencil
– WiFi 6 capability for fast downloads
– Four color options
Cons:
– Adequate camera
– A14 Bionic Chip (only a con because more powerful Apple chips have been released to the market)
2) Apple iPad 2021 (9th Generation) with A13 Bionic Chip
Sticking with Apple and the iPad here, we present another great option in the 9th generation model released in 2021 with the A13 Bionic chip. We are recommending it because it is still readily available at the time of writing this article, still supported by Apple (for O/S upgrades or other repairs if necessary), and at a lower price point. The 9th generation iPad, just as the 10th gen iPad, is equipped with a good processor, 64 GB of memory (or upgrade to 256GB), and a screen of 10 inches with a retina display. The A13 chip is only 9% slower than the A14 chip but is more than 9% lower in price than the 10th-generation iPad.
This model of iPad model also has the Apple fingerprint sensor called TouchID. With Touch ID is built into the top button, you can use your fingerprint to unlock your iPad, sign in to apps, and make secure payments with Apple Pay.
Battery life is good on a full charge, you’ll be able to use it for around 10 hours. Also, the 9th gen just like the 10th gen, is compatible with the Apple Pencil – so no more using your finger to write.
The camera may be the biggest con for the 9th gen iPad at only 8MP front camera but 12mp for the rear camera. Although and again it may be a moot point in this context as you most likely will not be taking photos in the classroom with your tablet.
Pros:
– Good battery life
– Apple Pencil compatibility
– Good value compared to 10 generation iPad with A13 processor, 64GB memory, 10.2-inch retina display, and 12MP rear camera.
Cons:
– Adequate camera
– A13 Bionic Chip (less performance but better value than A14 processor)
– Only two color options, instead of four color options for 10th generation iPad
3) Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (4th Generation) with M2 chip
Next up, we’ve got the most premium-level version of the iPad currently available on the market: the Apple iPad Pro powered by the current best processor, the Apple M2. This is definitely the most feature-heavy device that’s going to be great for all teachers; you can use it for all tasks, from grading to complex projects. The 11-inch screen is nothing to sneeze at, particularly with its liquid retina technology. The processor on this tablet is far better than on the other iPad versions, ensuring smooth usage throughout all classes.
The audio is probably the most significant improvement here compared to the original model iPad; there are four different speakers compared to the stereo sound of the device above. Plus, all of the extra hardware and software capabilities don’t come at the price of battery power. You’ll still be able to get a solid 10-hour session out of the iPad Pro before it requires a recharge.
Also, the security of the device is improved, as you can do more than lock your tablet using a fingerprint. This time around, there’s also Face ID using the front camera; additionally ensuring there is no student tampering possible.
Next, we have to point out that the camera is far better in this model as well. The front and back cameras are both 12MP, while it also comes with a wide lens camera at 10MP. Still, this isn’t such a predominant feature when it comes to classroom use. It is not cheap, but it is the most capable and productive of the other iPads listed.
Pros:
– M2 Processor and support for 2nd generation Apple pencil
– 12MP cameras in front & back
– Better security with facial recognition
Cons:
– Steeper price
4) Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation)
Our final Apple product on this list is the interesting Apple iPad Mini. Now, the mini part of its name might seem like a downside, though in reality, it’s what lands it on the shortlist of the best tablets for teachers. More specifically, this is the most easily portable version of the Apple iPad. It’s far less heavy than its pricier counterparts, but it’s also small enough for you to hold in one hand.
Touch ID is built into the top button, so you can use your fingerprint to unlock your iPad, sign in to apps, and make payments securely with Apple Pay. It comes with WiFi 6 capability and 2nd generation Apple Pencil capability. Also, the screen is now 8.3 inches and a liquid retina display that is on par with the other iPad models.
The battery life is also pretty much identical, with about 10 hours per charge. The camera has more in common with the iPad than the iPad Pro in terms of quality a 12MP. Of course, this won’t be your deciding factor among the best tablets for teachers – but it’s still worth mentioning.
Pros:
– Easier to use, much more portable
– A15 Bionic processor with 64GB (or 256GB) memory
– Four color options
Cons:
– Smaller device and smaller display not suitable for every class
5) Samsung Galaxy Tab
Finally, we move away from the Apple iOS range of products into something completely different. And by that, we naturally mean Android devices. Among them, there’s no-one that comes closer to Apple’s prestige than Samsung and their Galaxy Tab series of products.
Much like the standard iPad, the Galaxy Tab has a 10.5-inch screen. However, while the display is definitely high-quality; it’s far from the only thing that recommends this device to teachers. For one, the S pen that you get with this tablet is one of the best stylus devices we’ve ever seen. With it, you’ll be able to write on the tablet as easily and naturally as you would with a regular pen and paper. Its ease of use is truly unsurpassed when it comes to office work and teaching.
On the other hand, its 64GB of space isn’t enough to measure up to the iPad Pro; but as you might already know, the apps and software take up much less space on the Android OS. And seeing as the newest Galaxy Tab models have more cloud-based apps and storage, that’s becoming far less of a problem.
We should also point out that, while certainly not the cheapest tablet on this list, it’s far more affordable than the Apple models.
Pros:
– The best stylus
– More affordable than Apple
Cons:
– Costly compared to other Android tablets
6) Lenovo Tablet
For years, the Samsung tablets and phones had the finest-quality displays in the Android market. And while Lenovo was known as an affordable, but less than an optimal manufacturer; all of that has changed in the past couple of years. The Lenovo Tab is a good example of that. It’s high-resolution enough to put it besides the Samsung mid-range tablets, but with a far more approachable price range.
You can get the crisp and colorful colors that Samsung offers for a fraction of the price. The only downside of this model is that outdoor visibility is subpar. But if you’re going to use it as a teacher in a classroom, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Still, it’s the highest-quality tablet you can get for less than $200; a ridiculously low price for such a decent tablet.
Pros:
– Extremely inexpensive
– Decent display quality
Cons:
– Poor outdoor visibility
7) Huawei MediaPad M5 Tablet
Let’s face it, even today, Huawei is not the most renowned premium hardware manufacturer. And while their phones have become more mainstream in Europe; their table offering isn’t the most varied one. Still, they have two tablets on this list because of their high cost-effectiveness ratio.
The M5 MediaPad tablet is far from perfect, however, it’s also not bad. The build quality is okay, it supports quick charging (potentially important for teachers who work long hours) and its speakers offer an agreeable sound quality. The standout here is the excellent display; the only problem with the basic version of the tablet being its low internal storage. Of course, that’s something that you can deal with via external cards, but that’s realistically not something you want to fiddle around with.
There are also smaller details, such as the bad official keyboard as well as a lack of built-in productivity apps. On the other hand, it’s cheap enough to warrant a couple of compromises.
Pros:
– Affordability
– Great display and sound quality
Cons:
– Lack of storage
– Shoddy keyboard
8) Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite Tablet
We’ll round off this list of top picks with the lowest-end tablet; the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite. As you might assume, it’s what the iPad Mini is to the iPad – but dumbed down to the Huawei tablet level. Its processor is surprisingly solid though. While it has a measly amount of RAM (4GB) for modern standards, it still manages to operate with a fair amount of smoothness.
The single biggest selling point that puts this tablet in the Top 7 list is its insanely dependable battery. Its 7500mAh allow for more battery life than any other device we’ve reviewed so far. However, using more demanding apps will shorten that significantly.
Pros:
– Best battery life
Cons:
– A lower-quality version of the M5 proper
Advantages of Using Tablets in the Classroom
There are plenty of advantages to using tablets in the classroom. For one, it allows for easier management of presentations; that kind of visualization is important, especially for younger students. But perhaps even more importantly, it eases the logistics involved in working as a teacher. You can keep all of your students’ records in a digital format, take notes easily, and complete all kinds of productivity tasks.
8 Best Tablets for Teachers – Wrapping Up
At the end of the day, the main thing you need to decide here is what kind of budget you’re dealing with. If you can afford it, there’s simply no alternative to the iPad Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Otherwise, we’d have to recommend the Lenovo model as the best balance between affordability and quality.