These overachieving tablets made me fall in love with the slate form factor

Summary

Tablet computers remain somewhat niche when compared to laptops and smartphones, but they represent a compelling form factor nonetheless.
Over the years, we’ve seen a number of excellent and downright iconic tablets hit the market.
Here are my picks for the tablet computers that changed the game, and that left a nostalgic impression on me all these years later.

It’s fair to say that in today’s large-screened smartphone and thin-and-light laptop-dominated market, tablet computers are in a bit of a bind. Since the beginning, tablet makers have attempted to carve out a niche for the form factor, with mixed success over the years.

Personally, I’m a big fan of tablet computers. They provide a massive digital canvas for content consumption, creative workflows, and, increasingly, for productivity-based tasks. Handsets and notebooks, by contrast, are limited by their small size and their dedicated keyboard decks, respectively.

It’s unclear what the long-term future will have in store for the tablet computing scene, but it’s fair to say that the product category has so far been endowed with a rich history. Here are five tablets that have left a major mark not only in the consumer tech space, but also in my personal slate-loving life.

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1 Apple iPad 2 (2011)

What a difference a year can make

Pocket-lint / Apple

iPad 2

Apple’s iPad 2 brought a number of advances over the original iPad, the most notable of which being a significnatly thinner and lighter external design.

The original iPad is arguably the most iconic tablet of all time, owing to its touch-first interface paradigm and mobile-first operating system. That being said, it’s the iPad 2 that changed the game not only for Apple, but for tablet computing at large.

At 0.34-inches (8.8mm) in depth, and 1.33 lbs (601 g) in mass, the iPad 2 was shockingly thin and light for its time. As a direct sequel to the original game-changing iPad, the iPad 2 showcased the potential for the tablet form factor to shock and awe in its thinness

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2 Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (2014)

The slam dunk that Microsoft needed

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

Surface Pro 3

The Pro 3 was Microsoft’s third-generation attempt at building a Windows-powered tablet under its Surface brand name, and it helped to cement the now-popular 2-in-1 PC form factor.

When Microsoft launched its first-generation Surface tablet hardware, reactions were mixed. The hardware was seemingly unrefined, Windows 8 was head-scratching to navigate, and the third-party mobile app situation looked rather bleak.

The Surface Pro 3, then, was a milestone release for Microsoft. It was this third-generation attempt at building a Windows-based slate that finally ticked all the right boxes. The internals were finally energy efficient, the design and external build were perfected, and it became clear that the company’s 2-in-1 PC formula was here to stay.

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3 Asus / Google Nexus 7 (2012)

Compact tablets are endlessly charming

Pocket-lint / Asus / Google

Nexus 7 (2012)

Google’s first attempt at crafting a mini-sized Android tablet, the 2012 Nexus 7 was built by Asus and featured a 7-inch display, an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, and 1 GB of RAM.

There was a period of time in which mini-sized tablets were all the rage. Google capitalized on the early hype surrounding 7-inch slates by partnering with hardware maker Asus and building the now-iconic Nexus 7.

At launch, the Nexus 7 was fairly unremarkable from a hardware perspective, but its buttery-smooth interface, consistent Android update cadence, and attractive $200 (roughly $277 adjusted for 2025 inflation) price tag made the tab an instant hit on the market.

samsung-galaxy-tab-s9-ultra-android-interface

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4 Apple iPad Pro (2018)

The best tablet redesign of all time

Pocket-lint / Apple

iPad Pro (2018)

Apple’s 2018 iPad Pro came in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, and served as a major tablet redesign with symmetrical bezels and a boxier look and feel.

Apple has been building Pro-level iPad models since as far back as 2015, but everything changed with its third generation model in 2018. This particular model served as a major redesign, sparking the trend of angular chassis radii, rounded display corners, and uniform, symmetrical bezels.

The 2018 iPad Pro was so ahead of its time from a design perspective, that Apple didn’t feel the need to change it in any meaningful way until the release of the seventh generation Pro in 2024 — a full six years later.

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5 Google Pixel Tablet (2023)

A tablet that dares to do things differently

Pocket-lint / Google

Pixel Tablet

The Google Pixel Tablet was released in 2023 and offers Gemini AI along with smart home integrations. Those make this a forward-looking tablet and offer flexibility in its use.

The newest tablet on this list, the Pixel Tablet, is a rather unique device. Google has had its hands in the tablet market for many years now, with both Android-based Nexus slates and ChromeOS-based Pixel tabs released in years prior.

With the Pixel Tablet in 2023, Google took a novel approach — it shipped a mid-range tablet with a dedicated speaker dock accessory in the box, and marketed the device as an at-home lifestyle accessory. I applaud the company for tackling the age-old issue of tablet juice draining while on standby, and for making the display useful at any and all times of the day.