Best Windows 10 Tablet 2021

Best Windows 10 Tablet Windows Central 2021

There are many Windows 10 tablets on the market, and it can be hard to sort through all the rubbish, especially if you rely on it to work from home. But we love Windows, and we love tablets. More importantly, we want you to be using the best you can buy. Here are our picks for the best Windows 10 tablets on the market right now, with the Surface Pro X being our top pick for best overall.

Best Overall Windows 10 Tablet: Surface Pro X

Source: Windows Central

The Surface Pro X is everything we’ve ever wanted out of a Windows 10 tablet. Rocking a custom-built Microsoft SQ1 or SQ2 ARM processor on the inside, this is a device that has LTE built-in and instantly wakes when you tap the power button, just like a tablet should. It has a huge 13-inch display with a screen resolution of 2880×1920 for crisp and clear image quality. It has super thin bezels along the sides and a slim 7.3mm chassis with a built-in kickstand.

Ports include two USB-C and one Surface Connect port for fast charging. It also has an upgradable SSD, so if you ever need to swap out your drive for a new one, you can do just that without having to break open the entire device to do so. Battery life is pretty good, with usage lasting around seven to eight hours on a single charge. Thanks to the ARM processor, it consumes little to no battery when you put it to sleep. So it should get you through a day just fine.

You can get the Surface Pro X configured with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage out of the box. Like any other Surface Pro, it also has an optional pen and keyboard accessories, with support for wireless charging the pen inside the keyboard cover itself.

This is our pick for the best Windows 10 tablet as it’s the closest thing to a real tablet, something that we think can rival the iPad in form factor and functionality.

• Instant wake
• Good battery life
• LTE built-in
• Super thin and light

• Not the most powerful
• No headphone jack
• Compatible with new accessories only

Best Overall Windows 10 Tablet

Surface Pro X 13″

A device that does it all

If you like Surface Pro but are looking for a smaller PC, look at Microsoft’s new Surface Go. It’s cheaper too.

Best Windows 10 Tablet for Power: Surface Pro 7

Source: Windows Central

Featuring an incredible 2736×1842 3:2 display, 10th gen Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processors, up to 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD, you can’t go wrong with the Surface Pro 7 for photo editing and more. It’s a sturdier alternative to the Surface Go, with a larger 12-inch screen and beefier internal specifications.

This is the tablet for those that don’t just browse social media and check email. It can be obscenely powerful if you configure it to be as such. Even on the entry-level model, you should be able to get by with medium to heavy multitasking, a few light edits in Photoshop, and home video editing at 1080p.

It’s considerably more expensive than the Surface Go. Just like the Surface Go, it also doesn’t come with the Type Cover bundled at that price. Considering the display’s size, you’re going to want to buy the Type Cover to take advantage of everything the Surface Pro 6 has to offer.

Battery life on the Surface Pro 7 can depend on the tasks you’re doing. It should get you through a workday with no problem; however, thanks to the 10th gen Intel processors that are much more battery efficient in routine tasks. It also finally has a USB-C port, meaning you can charge either with Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect port or through USB-C. It also supports fast charging too!

Microsoft also has the Surface Pro 7+ for sale, though that product is for commercial customers only. The Surface Pro 7+ features Intel’s 11th-generation processors, paired with Intel’s new Iris Xe graphics for a huge boost in GPU performance. Get this if you need to do video editing or light rendering work while on the go.

LTE-Enabled Laptops

Connect with the world—wherever in the world you are. *

Feature Key

Windows Hello is the password-free sign-in that gives you the fastest, most secure way to unlock your Windows devices. Using your face, fingerprint or companion device, it recognizes you apart from all others.

Cortana is your truly personal digital assistant designed to help you get things done. Ready on day one to provide answers and complete basic tasks, Cortana learns over time to become more useful every day.

Take notes, navigate, draw, doodle, and edit with a digital pen.

Windows enables your touchscreen PC or 2-in-1 to provide a touch-first experience for those times when you want your device to feel like a tablet.

As the most secure Windows ever built, Windows 10 delivers comprehensive protection—including anti-virus, firewall, and anti-phishing technologies—for the supported lifetime of your device.

Embedded SIM Card

These computers are equipped with eSIM. It means they have a SIM built in and you can set up the device from almost anywhere—even from home—by using the mobile plans app. You don’t have to go to a physical store.

SIM Card Required

These computers require you to purchase and activate a SIM card from your mobile provider separately. Insert the SIM card into the slot on your PC and you’ll be ready to go.

With Windows 10 in S mode, you can search the web or stream movies with Microsoft Edge, choose your own cloud storage, and download your favorite apps, with the most secure Windows experience ever. And if you want a choice of browsers, you can switch out of S mode at any time.

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LTE-Enabled Laptops

Shop our eSIM (embedded SIM) laptops to get up and running quickly. Or shop SIM-required laptops, then purchase and activate a SIM card from your wireless provider separately. Learn about Connectivity and the Mobile Plans app in Windows 10. 11 Compare up to 3 Windows devices by selecting the compare checkbox below each device.

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 All specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check with each retailer for exact offers. Products may not be available in all markets. Displayed prices are current lowest prices offered by stated retailers and are subject to change. Prices are not offered by Microsoft unless stated.

2 Windows Hello requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.

3 Cortana available in select markets; experience may vary by region and device.

4 Touch capable tablet or PC required. Pen accessory may be sold separately.

5 Windows 10 in S mode works exclusively with apps from the Microsoft Store within Windows. Some accessories and apps compatible with Windows 10 may not work (including some antivirus and accessibility apps) and performance may vary, even after switching out of S mode. If you switch out of S mode, you can’t switch back. Learn more at windows.com/SmodeFAQ.

6 System software uses significant storage space. Available storage is subject to change based on system software updates and apps usage. 1 GB= 1 billion bytes. See Surface Storage for more details.

7 Internet access required.

10 Games and certain content subscriptions sold separately. Ultra HD availability subject to your Netflix subscription plan, Internet service, device capabilities, and content availability. www.netflix.com/TermsOfUse to run Netflix in 4K on a PC device, it must have a 4K-capable screen and use a 7th generation (Kabylake) Intel chipset.

11 LTE connection requires wireless carrier plan, sold separately.

12 Up to 9 hours of battery life for local video playback. Testing conducted by Microsoft in June 2018 using preproduction Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y Processor, 128GB, 8 GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors.

13 Up to 13.5 hours of battery life for local video playback. Testing conducted by Microsoft in August 2018 using preproduction Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors.

14 Up to 14.5 hours of battery life for local video playback. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2018 using preproduction Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during local video playback. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors.

16 Up to 12.5 hours for video playback. Testing conducted by Microsoft in November 2017 using preproduction Intel Core i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM LTE device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: LTE enabled and device connected to LTE Network. WiFi and Bluetooth in airplane mode and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors.

17 Listed battery life for each computer is provided by manufacturers or retailers unless otherwise stated. Please check individual specifications on retailer or manufacturer site for full battery life details. Battery life varies with settings, usage, and other factors.

18 Surface Go with LTE Advanced: Up to 8.5 hours of battery life for local video playback. Testing conducted by Microsoft in October 2018 using preproduction Intel® Pentium® Gold 4415Y Processor, 128GB, 8GB RAM LTE Advanced device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: LTE enabled and device connected to LTE Network. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in airplane mode and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors.

19 LTE functionality only available on the following consumer configuration: Surface Go Intel® 4415Y/128GB SSD/8GB RAM with LTE Advanced. Service availability and performance subject to service provider’s network. Contact your service provider for details, compatibility, pricing, SIM card, and activation. See all specs and frequencies at surface.com.

20 eSIM capable PC required. Not all carriers support eSIM.

21 Mobile Plans application requires specialized hardware, including cellular modem and SIM card or eSIM. Please check with PC manufacture for details. SIM may be sold separately.

22 LTE functionality only available on Surface Pro i5/256GB SSD/8GB with LTE Advanced. Service availability and performance subject to service provider’s network. Contact your service provider for details, compatibility, pricing, SIM card, and activation. See all specs and frequencies at surface.com. Availability of data plans for eSIM varies by market and by carrier.

23 Up to 15 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 (Surface Pro X with Microsoft SQ® 1 and Surface Pro X with Microsoft SQ® 2) using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Pro X. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. Tested with Windows Version 10.0.19041.1(20H1) and Edge version 85.0.564.51. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

24 Up to 11.5 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2019 using preproduction software and preproduction 13.5” Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM and 15” AMD Ryzen™ 5 3580U Mobile Processor with Radeon™ Vega 9 Graphics Microsoft Surface® Edition devices. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

25 Up to 10.5 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2019 using preproduction software and preproduction Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

26 Up to 17 hours of video playback. Testing conducted by Microsoft in October 2017 using preproduction Intel® Core™ i7, 512GB, 16 GB RAM dGPU device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

27 Up to 17 hours of video playback. Testing conducted by Microsoft in October 2017 using preproduction Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

28 Surface Go 2: Up to 10 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in February 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Go 2. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

29 Surface Go 2 with LTE Advanced: Up to 10 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in February 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Go 2. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage.

30 LTE functionality available on select configurations only. Service availability and performance subject to service provider’s network. Contact your service provider for details, compatibility, pricing, SIM card, and activation. See all specs and frequencies at surface.com.

31 Up to 15.5 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in April 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Book 3 13.5” Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

32 Up to 17.5 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in April 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Book 3 15” Intel® Core™ i7, 256GB, 16 GB RAM. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

33 Up to 13 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction Surface Laptop Go Intel® Core™ i5, 128GB, 8 GB RAM Microsoft Surface® Edition devices. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

† Games, apps, and certain content subscriptions sold separately and required for 4K streaming or gaming. 4K functionality available with supported monitors and graphics chips. Check PC to determine graphics chip compatibility. Broadband internet may be required; ISP fees apply.

* Roaming fees may apply.

** 4K Ultra HD exclusivity is limited to PCs. 4K works in both Microsoft Edge and Netflix app. Netflix Ultra HD plan required. Only 7th Gen or onward Intel Core processor devices can decrypt 4K DRM. Availability and functionality may vary on non-Windows devices.