Tablet computers have become synonymous with versatility. They have larger displays than the average smartphone but are still easy to carry around, making them a preferred reading device for many people. For others, tablets are an educational tool for themselves or their children. Creative types, on the other hand, are drawn to the idea of having a digital sketchpad at their fingertips.

Over the years, advances in chipsets and display technologies have led to dramatic improvements in the power and performance of tablets, making high-end gaming and video editing feasible on mobile devices for the first time. The convergence of these use cases makes tablets one of the most versatile interfaces between users and the digital world.

TechCentral investigated the most powerful – and most expensive – tablets available in South Africa. This is what (a lot of) money can buy in 2024.

Apple iPad Pro 6^th generation 2TB 12.9-inch (R56 899 – iStore)

Released in October 2022, the 6^th-generation Apple iPad Pro is a powerhouse of innovation, combining cutting-edge technology with a sleek design.

At the heart of the iPad Pro is Apple’s inhouse processor, the M2 chip, the most powerful iteration of Apple Silicon ever put in an iPad – for now. The chip combines an eight-core CPU with a 10-core GPU to enable photorealistic 3D design; intricate augmented reality models; and console-quality gaming at high frame rates. An adjacent 16-core neural engine helps power machine learning and AI-related tasks.

The high-performance media engine on the M2 chip accelerates ProRes encode and decode, a lossless compression technology also proprietary to Apple. The 12-megapixel ultrawide camera can capture native ProRes video and combine it with studio-quality microphone input and Dolby Atmos support for cinematic sound, while the 12.9-inch screen boasts a Liquid Retina XDR display with a million-to-one contrast ratio and 1 600 nits of peak brightness.

Compared to the previous-generation M1 chips, M2 delivers 18% more CPU and 35% more GPU power while consuming less battery. “The new CPU features faster performance cores paired with a larger cache, while the efficiency cores have been significantly enhanced for even greater performance gains,” said Apple in a statement.

The M3 chips expected to power the next-generation Mac notebooks and iPad Pro tablet make use of 3-nanometre technology as opposed to the 5-nanometre process used in the M2. According to Apple, the efficiency gains on the M3 are 30% greater than the M2 and 50% greater than the M1. The neural core has also undergone significant improvements, a feature that is becoming increasingly important as applications such as Adobe Premier Pro and games that make use of more lifelike non-player characters incorporate artificial intelligence.

Read: Apple to debut new iPads, M3 MacBook Air

The 2TB version of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro cost R56 899, but models are available starting at R26 599 for a 128GB version.

Apple is expected to debut new iPads in March, with reports suggesting an M3 Pro- or even M3 Max-powered iPad Pro is in the works (expect prices to climb even higher), along with big updates to the iPad Air range, including a new 12.9-inch model.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (R29 999 – Samsung.co.za)

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the Android world’s best-performing tablet. The device uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a fierce competitor to Apple’s M2, and uses 4nm process technology. The Tab 9 Ultra’s screen is 14.2 inches in diameter, offering a larger viewing surface with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display also supports HDR10+ for enhanced visuals and Dolby Atmos for immersive audio.

It has a large 10 090mAh battery that supports 45W fast charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. This means the tablet can be used as a charging station for smaller devices such as smartwatches or earbuds. The quad-speaker system is tuned by AKG and the device has a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Sim card slot.

Read: Samsung’s Galaxy S24 is an AI powerhouse

Unlike its competitors, Samsung includes its signature S-Pen with the Galaxy S9 Tab Ultra rather than making it available as an optional extra – we’re look at you, Apple.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 i7 (R44 999 – Incredible Connection)

The Surface Pro 9 is a fitting choice for those whose productivity suite is designed around Windows. Internationally, it is available in two versions: one with a 12th-gen Intel Core CPU and another with the new Microsoft SQ3 Arm processor. Versions sold in South Africa are limited to the Intel chip.

The Surface Pro 9 has been praised for its slim and lightweight design, responsive touchscreen and versatility – it works well as both a laptop and a tablet. It features a 13-inch screen with a 2 880×1 920-pixel resolution and has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It also includes two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a Surface Connect port and a Surface Keyboard port. Similar to the iPad’s Apple Pencil, the Surface Pen is sold separately.

The Surface Pro 9 is also user upgradable – a rare feature in tablets. The easily accessible SSD can be swopped out for a larger one and Microsoft now supports upgrades to Windows 11 on all its Surface tablets. The Windows operating system opens the Surface Pro to a wider variety of uses than Android- and iPadOS-based tablets. The experience is akin to having a laptop – and all its power – in tablet form.