The king of school tablets is currently the iPad, but in the consumer market more 70% of tablets purchased are not Apple’s tablet. We look at the tablets your students will be receiving this Christmas.
If your school has a BYOD policy the tablets your students are using at home will likely make their way into your classroom. In my school, each Christmas, we’ve seen a new increase in students bringing in their own mobile devices. This has an effect on the school’s wireless network, and raises new support issues, but it also affects teachers who have to deal with unfamiliar student lead technology.
So, which tablets might you find students bringing into your classroom come January?
Google Nexus 7 (2013)
The Nexus 7 was the best selling Android tablet of 2012 and the 2nd generation of the same name is continuing the trend. Google’s 7 inch tablet is the perfect mix of performance, high-resolution screen, and low cost. But don’t confuse low cost with cheap, the Nexus 7 is a quality device and will be on the Christmas list of many students.
Specification
Processor: 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4
RAM: 2 GB
RAM Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Storage: 16 or 32GB
Find out more about the Nexus 7
Kindle Fire HD
Amazon’s hugely popular Kindle Fire range of tablets are the only devices to come close to the Nexus 7 in terms of sales. Kindle Fire runs Amazon’s own “forked” version of Android stripped of all the loverly Googley-ness we’re familiar with, instead replaced with Amazon’s own range of services.
While the Kindle Fire tablets are designed to consume Amazon’s entertainment products, the tablets can still run a full browser and many popular productivity apps.
Find out more about the Kindle Fire range
Tesco Hudl
The Hudl is a pipe for Tesco to sell their digital media products, but aside from that it’s a fully blown Android tablet. For a mid-range tablet to run Google Apps, Chrome, and other apps it’s one of the best value tablets available.
Specification
Processor: Intel Intel Atom Z2760 Saltwell Dual-core 1.8 GHz
Storage: 64 GB Flash Memory, 2 GB RAM Memory
iPad Mini (16GB, Wi-Fi)
The 2nd generation iPad Mini is the iPad Air’s smaller, cheaper little brother. Internally the Mini is identical to the Air — same processor, same RAM, same Retina display — just in a 7 inch package. Students looking for a cost effective iPad will be very interested in the Mini, and for many it will be the preferred choice.
Specification
Processor: Apple’s A7 Processor
Storage: From 16 to 128GB
Find out more about the iPad Mini 2
iPad 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi)
The iPad Air may be the 5th generation of iPad but the iPad 2 is still hanging on as a low cost alternative to the more expensive tablet. It’s not as fast as the Air and doesn’t have a Retina display, but it’s cheap and more than enough tablet for most people.
Specification
Processor: 1Ghz dual core Processor
Storage: From 16 to 64GB
Find out more about the iPad Mini 2
ASUS Vivotab
For students that are looking for new mobile gadget but still need it to run Microsoft Office the ASUS Vivotab is a great value alternative to the Microsoft Surface. The tablet features a 10.1 inch screen, Windows 8 Pro, and comes with a free student version of Microsoft Office 2013.
Specification
Processor: Intel Intel Atom Z2760 Saltwell Dual-core 1.8 GHz
Storage: 64 GB Flash Memory, 2 GB RAM Memory
Find out more about the Vivotab
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3
Samsung’s 7 inch budget Android tablet costs less than the Nexus 7 but still has the power to popular educational apps. The design is based on Samsung’s popular Galaxy S4 smartphone and is stunningly thin.
Specification
Processor: 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
Storage: 8 GB Flash Memory, 1 GB RAM Memory
