Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas gift ideas: Day 4 – Tablets

It’s Day 4 of the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas gift ideas – a guide that looks at a different category each day to help you find the ideal tech gift for your loved ones this Christmas.

Today we’re talking about tablets – an item that has become powerful enough to replace our laptops.

We’ll look at Apple’s iPads, Android tablets and Surface tablets running Windows 10.

Here the categories we’re covering in the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas gift guide:

Day 1: Smartphones

Day 2: Cameras

Day 3: Wearables/Activity trackers

Day 4: Tablets

Day 5: Speakers

Day 6: Gadgets

Day 7: Gaming

Day 8: Smartwatches

Day 9: TVs/Blu-ray Discs

Day 10: Computers

Day 11: Sport Gadgets

Day 12: Headphones

DAY 4 – TABLETS

SURFACE PRO 4 – from $1,349

Microsoft’s latest version of the Surface Pro is the most powerful and versatile yet.

It’s thinner (just 8.4mm) and lighter running Windows 10, the sixth generation Intel Core processor and room for up to 16GB RAM.

What this all means is that this tablet is powerful enough to be used just like laptop.

Throw in the Surface pen which allows you to write and draw on the 12.3-inch high resolution screen and you’ve got a compelling package.

Read our complete review of the Surface Pro 4 here.

iPAD PRO – from $1,249

Apple’s latest iPad is a monster. It has a 12.9-inch screen and makes the smaller iPads seem like postage stamps.

But after the adjustment to the iPad Pro’s size, you’ll find it is a pleasure to use.

The screen has a resolution of 2732 x 2048 with more than 5.6 million pixels so it looks amazing.

The onboard A9X processor means the iPad Pro is not only big – it’s also powerful and can take the place of your laptop with ease.

But apart from being large and powerful, the iPad Pro can also be used with Apple Pencil so it turns in to a sketch pad as well for notes, drawings and paintings.

The iPad Pro is not everyone but there’s still the iPad Mini 4 and the iPad Air 2 for those looking for a regular sized iPad.

Read our complete review of the iPad Pro here.

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S2 – from $499

Samsung has upped the ante on the tablet with a dazzling Super AMOLED screen (2054 x 1534) that’s available in two sizes – 8-inch and 9.7-inch – and two colours – grey and white.

The Tab S2 has the title of the world’s thinnest tablet at just a super slim 5.6mm but it still has enough room to fit in a microSD card slot and even a SIM card if you prefer the 4G version.

Under the hood is an octa-core processor with 32GB internal storage and 3GB RAM.

This is a gorgeous tablet that looks great and performs like a pro as well.

Read our complete review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 here.

SONY XPERIA Z4 – $799

The Sony Xperia Z4 10.1-inch tablet is super thin at 6.1mm and it’s also a featherweight 393g.

So its not going to weigh you down or take up a lot of room wherever you take it.

The display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and is 40 per cent brighter than the Xperia Z2.

It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor so it can be used as a productivity tool as well as a great way to view content.

But one of the best features of the Xperia Z4 is the battery which can run for up to 17 hours on a single charge.

Read our complete review of the Sony Xperia Z4 here.

Here are some other tablets we reviewed this year on Tech Guide

Samsung Galaxy Tab A

Microsoft Surface 3