Indian Gadget Awards winners: iPad Pro 12.9-inch and Realme Pad declared the Best Tablets of 2021 | 91mobiles.com

Tablets had a big year in 2021. Not only did Apple launch two new and surprisingly feature-rich iPads but we also got impressive offerings from Samsung and Lenovo. Moreover, the mainstream category also saw plenty of affordable tablets offering great features, with brands like Realme, Motorola and others making a foray. This award category has hence been divided into two – Premium and Mainstream.

And like all the other categories that are part of the Indian Gadget Awards, these too were judged by a jury of over 40 eminent members from the Indian tech media community that include tech content creators, publications and other experts. Here are the winners for the best mainstream and premium tablet of 2021 awards.

Best Tablet of 2021 — Mainstream

The affordable tablet segment has been seeing massive growth, and not without good reason. Thanks to use cases like education, video calls, entertainment and content consumption that have grown in a big way in recent times, affordable slates are making a comeback. There are newer brands in the fray too, vying for their share of the pie. Our jurors tested all these tablets and we finally have the result – check it out!

Winner: Realme Pad

Runner-up: Lenovo Tab K10

Check out the full list of nominees for the Best Mainstream tablets of 2021.

Realme Pad

Realme’s foray into the tablet space turned out to be a winner in all regards. The Realme Pad gets an ultra-slim boxy design for its body that holds inside it a 7,100mAh battery. This power pack gives it enough power to keep going for 12 hours of video viewing. Plus, it charges at 18W. The Realme Pad runs on the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset and comes with a 10.4-inch WUXGA+ display. Moreover, it also gets a Dolby Atmos-powered quad-speaker system.

Nokia T20

Nokia surprised everyone recently with the unveiling of its T20 tablet. This affordable device offers the stock Android experience and even guarantees two years of software updates. The Unisoc T610 chipset keeps things running in the performance department, while the 10.4-inch screen with a resolution of 1,200 x 2,000 pixels displays admirable visuals. The tablet benefits from stereo speakers and a massive 8,200mAh battery.

Moto Tab G20

Among the smaller tablets to be released in 2021 was the Moto Tab G20 with its 8-inch 800 x 1,280 pixel display. It offers clean software as well as a 5,100mAh battery. While it has a premium metal design on the exterior, its interior setup is highlighted by the Mediatek Helio P22T chip that’s paired with 3GB of RAM. The Moto Tab G20 also offers a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. This tablet is ideal for someone who is looking for a new and affordable study-from-home device for their kids.

Lenovo Tab K10

The Lenovo Tab K10 carries a 10.3-inch 1,200 x 1,920 pixel display and boasts an extremely thin 8.1mm body. The device runs Android 11 out of the box and things are pretty much stock in nature, except for some preloaded apps. Like the Moto Tab G20, the Lenovo Tab K10 also runs on the Mediatek Helio P22T chipset. A 7,700mAh battery provides it with the necessary juice to run its daily operations. This tablet is available now in Wi-Fi as well as LTE variants.

TCL 10 Tab Max

The TCL 10 Tab Max features a 10.36-inch 1,200 x 1,200 pixel screen that can be paired with a T-Pen stylus if are willing to spend some extra cash. The device is powered by an octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. A 13MP camera can be found on its rear surface, whereas an 8MP camera makes its way onto its front. This tablet’s 8,000mAh battery supports up to 22 hours of video streaming and also grabs 18W fast charging support.

Best Tablet of 2021 — Premium

On the premium side of things, incumbents reign supreme. While the list of brands present here doesn’t hold any surprises, the tablets themselves are truly loaded. Large, high-res screens, powerful chipsets, a smorgasbord of features — this segment is a hotbed of capable options. Check out winner below:

Winner: Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1)

Runner-up: Apple iPad mini 6th-gen

Check out the full list of nominees for the Best Premium Tablet of 2021

Apple iPad mini 6th-gen

The iPad mini finally got a redesign this year and was blessed with a larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and the state of the art A15 Bionic chip that’s blazingly fast. The Touch ID sensor moves to the power button with this model, whereas support for Apple Pencil 2nd-gen is also part of the deal. Another exciting thing about this tablet is its Centre Stage feature which automatically pans the frame in case you move around during your video calls.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1)

The iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1) stands among the most loaded tablets ever built since it leaves so little to be desired. It’s the first iPad to use the ultra-powerful Apple M1 chip and also the first to feature a mini-LED-based Liquid Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision support. This powerful machine also offers 5G support, while delivering the Centre Stage-supported 12MP front camera. Its rear camera setup includes a 12MP wide camera, a 10MP ultra-wide camera, and a LiDAR sensor.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is another monster of a tablet that came out this year. It’s an entertainment powerhouse thanks to its strong Snapdragon 730G-powered performance, its 11.5-inch Dolby Vision-supporting OLED, and its quad-speaker system. This tablet’s 8MP + 8MP dual front camera system offers facial recognition and the ability to blur video call backgrounds. As for its rear setup, it carries 13MP and 5MP wide and ultra-wide shooters. The battery life offered by its 8,600mAh cell is another highlight.

Microsoft Surface Go 3

With its impressive price, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 is competing with Chromebooks and iPads. The Windows 11-powered detachable 2-in-1 tablet offers a processor upgrade that really turns things around for it. The base model is powered by the Intel Pentium Gold processor, while the main device gets the 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, offering a 60 per cent performance upgrade. A 10.5-inch 3:2 display can be found on the tablet, apart from two 1080p cameras placed on the front and the rear.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE embraces the company’s Fan Edition concept that brings flagship features to relatively more affordable devices. As a result, it gets a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,600 x 2,560 pixels. This device comes with the S Pen and grabs a Dolby Atmos-powered dual stereo speaker system. It’s got a 10,090mAh battery inside it that delivers long hours of usage. Playing online shooters is a delight on this tablet thanks to the stellar performance offered by its combination of a Snapdragon 750G chipset and up to 6GB of RAM.