The Verge's Best Tablets of 2015

We have seen a variety of new tablets this year, but in our daily lives, we use them to play games, watch movies, browse the web, send and receive emails, or do light office work. And the selling points of new products seem to be concentrated in these aspects: the screen should look comfortable, the hardware should be more powerful, the processing speed should be fast enough, the app store has a lot of applications, and the battery can support a day's use. Although we often leave it at home, we still need it to be thinner and lighter, and some heavy products are not within our consideration.

There are more and more products bridging the gap between tablets and laptops, but despite the best efforts of researchers, those hybrid devices can't replace PCs and don't perform well in tablet mode. Tablets are still the best for leisure and entertainment. Tablets still firmly hold the middle ground between smartphones and computers. They transform some amazing technological achievements into simple cool and easy-to-use ones without adding any extra cost, which is the best thing.

●Champion: iPad Air 2 (9.3 points )

When you look at these products, the iPad Air 2 is still the best tablet in people's minds, even though it's a year old. From a hardware perspective, Apple has done the best. The aluminum and glass are second to none, the display is outstanding, and it has enough performance and battery life to last a day.

iPad Air 2

Compared with other products, it has the most comprehensive application support. The APP Store contains thousands of iPad applications, and the iOS system is easy to understand for first-time users, and the split-screen function makes it more productive. Anyone who picks up an iPad will feel very comfortable and begin to pay attention to the needs of office users.

You can buy the Wifi version or the LTE version, and the latter is more suitable if you often need to use it on the road. However, the 64GB Wifi version can basically meet the needs of most people. And considering that the iPad Air 2 has been on the market for more than a year, it seems not difficult to get a cheaper price from other channels than the official price. In addition, you can also choose a keyboard, protective cover and many other accessories. The 9.7-inch screen is a perfect size for watching videos, e-books, apps and games, but if you need better portability, the runner-up may be a better choice.

●Runner-up: iPad Mini 4 (9.0 points)

iPad Mini 4

The iPad Mini 4 is really more like a smaller iPad Air 2, with a similarly vivid screen, but only 7.9 inches. It feels lighter and more comfortable in the hand than the 9.7-inch tablet, and you can barely feel it in your bag. The iPad Mini 4 is small but just as powerful, and while the battery life isn't as good as the iPad Air 2, it's more than enough to last you through a cross-country flight.

Although the old iPad Mini may not be able to adapt to the new mold, there are still many accessories available for iPad Mini 4. And although Apple still sells iPad Mini 2, you should definitely choose iPad Mini 4 because the screen quality and running speed are different. The importance of screen effect on tablet computers is self-evident. Although iPad Mini 4 is not exactly the same as iPad Air 2, it is definitely a wise choice for consumers who require higher portability.

●Third place: iPad Pro (8.7 points)

iPad Pro

Apple's latest tablet is the huge iPad Pro. It's the most powerful and beautiful iPad yet, and the Apple Pencil is powerful enough for street sketching. But the iPad Pro's huge size makes it a bit impractical. No one will carry it around often. There are only a few things the iPad Pro can do that the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 4 can't do, and iOS can't replace a desktop computer. The iPad Pro is very expensive, and the device itself doesn't seem to be worth the price.

●Fourth place: Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (8.0 points)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

Samsung has tried to address some of the shortcomings of Android, such as split-screen display of apps and more advanced multitasking modes, but these customized features can sometimes feel like band-aids and don't work well with many third-party apps, which can be disappointing when you see the $400 price tag.

●Fifth place: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (8.0 points)

Surface Pro 4

Microsoft's latest Surface tablet is becoming more and more like a real laptop replacement, but it doesn't meet the definition of a good tablet in the minds of ordinary people. The Surface Pro 4 runs the Windows 10 operating system, which means it can run all the software on Windows, at least compared to the iPad, technically it can do it. You can play games on XBOX cool, but as a tablet, its experience is difficult to match the iPad, whether in the number of applications or the quality, there is a big gap.

●Sixth place: HTC Nexus 9 (7.8 points)

HTC Nexus 9

The Nexus 9 is still a great Android tablet you can buy, but it's starting to fall short, especially in the face of the upcoming Pixel C. It lags behind the iPad in terms of app selection, and the Nexus 9 can't quite match the iPad in terms of design. Unless you want to use Google's operating system and a ton of apps, the Nexus 9 makes sense.

●7th place: Amazon Fire HDX 8.9-Inch (7.6 points)

Amazon Fire HDX 8.9-Inch

Amazon's best tablet is the Fire HDX 8.9-Inch. It has a great screen and speakers, but nothing else. It can't compete with Apple or Google in terms of apps, and despite the support for X-Ray and Mayday videos, it's not enough to help the Fire HDX 8.9 gain much competition. It's unclear how long it will last, but at least it's on sale on Amazon's website right now.

●8th place: Dell Venue 8 Pro (7.2 points)

Dell Venue 8 Pro

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a great small Windows 8.1 tablet. Although the display resolution is not very high, it is good and responsive, and feels great in the hand. Although Microsoft has optimized Windows tablets for small sizes, the gap in apps makes it difficult to compete with the iPad.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.