For a month, I used tablets in place of my work laptop. I tested both laptop and desktop modes with an external monitor, and investigated whether, in , tablets can truly replace laptops.
The first iPad was introduced in , and immediately after its debut, discussions began about whether it could replace laptops. Tablets have often been predicted to reach this point, and every year articles appear questioning whether they have finally matured enough to supplant computers.
Fifteen years after the iPad’s introduction, that hasn’t happened, but that didn’t stop me from setting an iPad Pro and a Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra side-by-side and using them as a computer replacement for a month. And right from the start, I can say that tablets are closer to computers than ever before. But is it enough?
Tab S11 Ultra and iPad Pro, the top tablets with Android and iPadOS.
Hardware is No Longer an Obstacle
I tested the iPad Pro in its highest configuration with a nanotexture display, the Apple Pencil Pro, and the Magic Keyboard. The Samsung was also the top variant, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra 5G with the Book Cover Keyboard Slim.
In both cases, these are absolutely top-of-the-line tablets from Apple and Samsung. There’s no point in discussing build quality or performance with either one. They represent the most precise technology currently available in the tablet category.
Both tablets feature a very thin design that looks futuristic. Imagine the display of your laptop, remove its base, and you have a modern tablet, like both tested models. Manufacturers have managed to fit very powerful hardware into these thin devices.
The iPad Pro is equipped with the Apple M5 chip with a 9-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Combined with the 16-core Neural Engine for AI and machine learning, it’s a more powerful machine than laptops in the upper mid-range. Samsung has the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset, which is nominally weaker on paper, but for both tablets, the hardware is extremely over-provisioned. And the demanding use as a laptop replacement is appealing.
