Maybe your work laptop is a little slow, or maybe you’re just tired of the lack of a touchscreen for some of your more creative workflows. Tablets have indeed become these strange hybrid devices over time. When the original iPad launched, it didn’t support a host of features, like multitasking or HDMI output – it was essentially a big iPhone. Meanwhile, Android tablets only gained split-screen capabilities in 2016. Over time, PC-tablet hybrids began to appear, bringing touch capabilities to operating systems like Windows 11.
Our criteria here are simple. The tablet should, at its core, support multitasking and a wide variety of applications, as well as accessories. Fortunately, modern options have solved the majority of the problems of early tablets. With the standardization of USB-C, many of these tablets will fit perfectly into our recommended hubs and docks.
Of course, as with any recommendation these days, the prices of all tablets are affected by ongoing issues with RAM, storage, and CPU shortages. Keep this in mind, as even the often infallible Apple has raised prices on its hardware offerings across the board in recent weeks.
iPad Pro
For those looking for a cleaner, simpler work device, there’s no better choice than an iPad Pro. Available in 11- and 13-inch sizes, with up to 2TB of storage and the same M5 chip found in MacBook and iMac (with the M6 expected in 2027), the iPad Pro has become a workhorse. Still not entirely encroaching on the MacBook’s court, the iPad Pro has its own App Store, mostly shared with iPhones, making it much easier to switch between devices if you’re already on iOS. A vast majority of productivity apps are available on iPadOS, including Slack and Notion.
It’ll also need one of the many keyboard cases available, including Apple’s, to become a real work machine. No one will enjoy typing on the software keyboard for a whole day. However, the Apple Pencil Pro is a fantastic addition: when combined with some of the best note-taking apps, it’s exceptional for jotting things down in a meeting or when planning.
Apple has also relaxed what can and can’t be connected to an iPad these days, so external storage, hubs, mice, and external monitors can all be connected to the iPad Pro. This is great news for those who love content creation. On top of that, the creativity suites available on the iPad, from Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve to ByteDance’s CapCut, Adobe Premiere and Luma Touch’s LumaFusion, all work very well with the brute force of that M5 chip behind them. iPadOS is also multitasking and the iPad Pro can function as an external monitor for those with macOS devices.
Asus ProArt PZ14
Recently released and receiving warm reviews, including a 90% score from NotebookCheck, the Asus ProArt PZ14 is an ARM-based Windows tablet that packs a Snapdragon X2 Elite. In other reviews, like those from TechTablets, performance has been praised in creative tasks, and there now appears to be much less friction with running consumer programs on Windows on ARM. The architecture has been a bit of a hurdle for Microsoft to overcome, but it looks like the Asus ProArt PZ14 is excellent at showing off the progress it’s made.
Backing up this chip includes up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. It may be opened up and added an additional storage drive – once prices drop. Dual USB-4 ports mean you’ll always have a free port for accessories when charging, so you’re never caught off guard. According to Gadgets360, it’s also pretty nifty when it comes to charging, going from 20% to 100% in about 40 minutes.
This is a fairly large device, measuring 14 inches, but it has its advantages. Asus has taken advantage of the improved management of the Windows 11 desktop environment and announces the tablet with a “portrait mode”. For writing or coding tasks, the entire device rotates vertically as you type on the detachable keyboard, giving you a full view of the text. Unlike Apple’s offering, this one comes with the accessories you want, like the Asus Pen and keyboard case. In this context, the high price of around $2,000 doesn’t seem as bad.
Surface Pro for Business 12th Edition
The latest version of Microsoft’s hybrid tablet, the Surface Pro for Business 12th Edition (the long and really annoying name tells you it’s a work product, you see), comes with a new Intel Series 3 processor, with a choice between the Ultra 5 and 7 chips. Your processor decision isn’t just about the base performance specs, as the Intel Series 3 Ultra 5 variant comes with an LCD panel, while the Ultra 7 model comes with an OLED. Notably, the Business edition will let you use 5G, so you’ll be connected on the go – depending on the service, of course.
Panther Lake, the code name for the Series 3 chips, was highly anticipated and has been well reviewed on the devices they have appeared in so far. There’s enough juice to get most tasks done, and it also keeps you in the x86 world for maximum compatibility with all your programs. Those who need more power will want to stick with the Intel Series 3 Ultra 7 variant, as it can be configured with 64GB and 1TB of storage, compared to the 32GB and 512GB maximum on the Ultra 5 model – although this would be perfect for those with lighter loads.
Like Apple, Microsoft wants to sell you the accessories separately. At checkout, it will offer the Keyboard Case and Slim Pen, both of which have been praised in the past. There are probably also cheaper options in terms of docking stations, compared to Microsoft’s official offerings here.
OnePlus Pad 4
The OnePlus Pad 4 has received rave reviews, with one of the biggest complaints being the lack of an OLED display – but that’s for work, right? That said, the integrated IPS panel isn’t too bad and should be more than adequate for the various work tasks at hand. Photo editing for color accuracy may be a bit of a no-go, but for tinkering with images for the web, it will be just great. Moving out of the creative space, the OnePlus Pad 4 comes with an awesome multitasking feature, Open Canvas, which replicates the more traditional multitasking expectations of a PC, perfect for work setups.
Everything is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which Android Central says is ridiculously powerful in practice, with anything thrown at it barely touching in the performance range. The screen measures 13.2 inches, which is enough for multiple productivity apps to be used in conjunction with each other. The OnePlus Pad 4 dedicated smart keyboard is sold separately. If you’re in the US, you may have to search other channels, like eBay or Swiftronics, to get your hands on one of these.
