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MagyarThe Best Windows Tablets (2-in-1 Tablets)
Windows on smartphones has failed, but the OS is still the leading solution for PCs. There are hardly any Windows tablets without keyboards anymore or the usage concept for these tablets is designed with attachable keyboards in mind (Surface Pro). This is why the following Top 10 ranking only includes 2-in-1 devices consisting of tablet and keyboard dock, also called detachable. All Yoga like devices with 360 degree hinges are listed in our ranking of 2-in-1 laptops. The following ranking might be interesting as well:
- The Best Convertible Notebooks (laptops that can be used as tablets)
- The Best Tablets (traditional tablets running Android or iOS)
- The Best Phablets (smartphones with particularly large display)
The Best Windows Tablets
The table above contains an overview over the best Windows tablets reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editors' Comments
If you want a tablet with Windows, you do not want to get stuck with the first app due to performance issues. Almost all devices on the market are shipped or at least offered with real SSDs and Core i processors (with and without fan). Core m/Y turned out to be some kind of interim solution, which is primarily found in detachables (Latitude 7285, Surface Book Pro 2017 Core M, …) to run more efficient and manage longer battery runtimes.
All models in this ranking claim to provide notebook levels of performance, at least close to it. The problem is that Core i system often throttle their performance significantly after load periods of 5-20 seconds to avoid causing thermal issues. You should read our full reviews to get details on each device.
1st – Dell Latitude 12 7210
Dell’s Latitude 7210 2-in-1 is a Surface alternative for business environments. It offers an inconspicuous and simple design, great build quality, and a compact footprint. We also liked its good high-contrast color-accurate display.
Good performance meets low noise emissions, and the keyboard dock is included by default. Compared to Microsoft’s tablet it is even repairable and upgradable, and users can replace and/or maintain the NVMe SSD, the Wi-Fi module, and the fan. The device comes with 2x USB Type-C and a single USB Type-A port.
The Dell Latitude 7210 2-in-1 combines ergonomics, sufficient performance, and a sufficient stamina in a simple yet sleep package.
The Latitude 12 7210 2-in-1 is the business competitor to the Surface Pro. It offers a better connectivity, better maintainability, and a higher display brightness. It might only run in FHD resolution but that is not necessarily a downside for everybody.
Prices start at around $1,200, and the device is available through Dell’s webstore as well as the usual retail channels such as Amazon.
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2nd – Lenovo ThinkPad X12
The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 is successor to the 3-year-old ThinkPad X1. It is cheaper than other devices and continues to offer a 12.3-inch 3:2 display.
We liked its great build quality as well as its high-quality materials. As expected, its input devices are excellent and the display performed very well overall.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad X12 is a well-made tablet featuring a great display.
The device can be purchased among others through Lenovo’s own webstore.
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3rd – Microsoft Surface Pro 7
On the outside Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 (see review here) looks like like its predecessor. As before, it feels very premium and great. On the inside, Microsoft upgrade both CPU and GPU. Due to its passive cooling the SoC has to throttle under sustained load. That said even bigger devices are not necessarily any better in this regard.
Battery life was slightly improved over its predecessor, and the new Surface Pro 7 lasted for around ten hours. This should be long enough to last a full work day, and it remains unrivaled in its class.
Microsoft remains true to its colors and left the design untouched for the 2019 model year. Looks, feel, and design are still premium, and the Surface Pro 7 offers a very good performance to boot. We still miss the future-proof USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 options. Why Microsoft refuses to include this port in 2019 is beyond us.
The top model, equipped with an i7 CPU and 1 TB of SSD storage, costs over $2,000. However, Microsoft recently got company with HP’s Elite x2 that costs around the same.
The Surface Pro 7 left a good impression on us during our review. We particularly liked the fact that the Surface Pen is now included by default. The type cover must however still be purchased separately, and will increase the giant gaping hole in your wallet even further. The device also lacks a USB-C port, which should be included given its price tag.
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4th – Microsoft Surface Book 3 15
The Surface Book 3 15 is slightly larger than the 13.5-inch model and offers a better performing GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q. Both models feature up-to-date Ice Lake quad-core CPUs.
In some aspects the new 15-inch convertible is an improvement over its own predecessor. In others, it most certainly is not.
Thanks to its good performance the Microsoft Surface Book 3 remains a great convertible with some know flaws, such as for example the fact that Thunderbolt 3 is only available in combination with the expensive dock.
The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15 is a premium device with a much higher 3D performance than its predecessor.
Its main benefits are the excellent build quality and its high-quality materials. The robust base and well-thought-out docking mechanism are worth the trade-off of a slightly thicker device.
The top model is only really worth it if you absolutely need the GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q’s prowess. Unfortunately, not everything was improved over last year’s model. The major downside is the slower SSD when compared to last year’s model.
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5th – Dell Latitude 13 7320
Dell’s Latitude 13 7320 offers solid performance paired with a good display. Its GPU is significantly faster than last gen’s thanks to its Tiger Lake SoC. Overall, the Latitude 13 7320 is Dell’s fastest currently available Windows tablet. It also features 16 GB of RAM and a fast NVMe SSD.
Its minimalistic design and good connectivity make for a great device.
The Dell Latitude 13 7320 is not yet widely available except through Dell’s own webstore. Some retailers, such as Newegg, carry a handful of select SKUs as well.
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6th - Lenovo Yoga Duet 7
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7 (see review here) is Lenovo’s attempt to lure away potential Surface Pro 7 customers, and truth be told Lenovo did a great job overall as the Yoga Duet 7 only showed a few weaknesses during our review. Its strengths include its robust high-quality case as well as its solid performance, courtesy of Intel’s Core i5-10210U processor. A bright sRGB display and low noise emissions seal the deal, and face recognition with support for Windows Hello is the icing on the cake.
Lenovo’s Yoga Duet 7 is a serious competitor for Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7.
Downsides include relatively low amounts of storage. Both RAM and mass storage devices would have benefited from more spacious designs in order to lure customers over resulting in a slightly sour aftertaste.
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7th – Microsoft Surface Book 3
The Surface Book 3 with GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q (see review here) and up-to-date Ice Lake quad-core CPU is Microsoft’s latest offering for power users.
In some aspects the new 13.5-inch convertible performed very well. In others we keep wondering why Microsoft continues to ignore known issues or foregoes current standards.
Thanks to its good performance, the Surface Book 3 remains a virtually unrivaled product. However, it requires a few compromises (no Thunderbolt 3!) that are not worthy of its high price.
The Microsoft Surface Book 3 is a premium device incapable of fully utilizing its hardware’s full performance potential.
Its main strength is mobility due to the tablet option. Undocking takes mere seconds and combined with a Surface Pen the 13-inch tablet is ready for the next meeting. Unbelievably, said Surface Pen is not included by default despite the Surface Book 3’s high price of more than $2,500.
The top model is only really worth it if you absolutely need the GTX 1650 Max-Q’s prowess. Compared to its predecessor, we fail to see any convincing reasons as to how the new model would be beneficial.
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8th - Microsoft Surface Go 2
The Surface Go (see review here) is an affordable Windows tablet made by Microsoft. Just like on its larger and more expensive Surface siblings its build quality and Microsoft’s choice of material are superb. Visually, the smaller tablet suffers from fairly wide display bezels rendering its design somewhat outdated. Internally, its hardware is state-of-the-art though and includes useful features such as the IR camera with support for Windows Hello.
In our review, the 10-inch tablet turned out to feature an excellent high-quality display with high color-space coverage as well as a passively cooled Intel Core m3-8100Y with enough performance for everyday tasks. Even 4K/2160p video was rendered smoothly thanks to the integrated GPU.
Microsoft’s Surface Go is a high-quality Windows tablet at a comparatively low price for a Surface device. However, its relatively expensive accessories could turn out to be a deal breaker.
Battery life was acceptable, and its passive cooling solution transformed the Surface Go into a very interesting device. However, watch out to not get blinded by its low price. Once you include accessories such as the Signature Type Cover and the Surface Pen it can get quite pricey indeed.
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9th – Microsoft Surface Pro X
The Microsoft Surface Pro X is based on an ARM processor and therefore ideal for road warriors and mobile usage, which is further amplified by the existence of an LTE modem. As always build quality is excellent, and the 3:2 display remained the same. The device is silent and its SSD is replaceable. Other benefits include a good front-facing camera, a keyboard dock, and a stylus.
Microsoft’s first ARM-based tablet is too expensive, and the limitations of its built-in ARM chip are not to be ignored.
Prices start at around $900, and the device is available through the usual retail channels, such as for example Amazon.
Pricecompare
Top 10 Convertibles (2-in-1 Tablets) in Comparison
Test Results
| Dell Latitude 12 7210 2-in-1 | Lenovo ThinkPad X12 20UVS03G00 | Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 | Microsoft Surface Book 3 15 | Dell Latitude 13 7320 Detachable, i7-1180G7 | Lenovo Yoga Duet 7 13IML05-82AS000WGE | Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 | Microsoft Surface Go 2, m3-8100Y | Microsoft Surface Pro X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | |||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 67.9 | 67.03 | 66.03 | 61.53 | 79.5 | 68.94 | 63.54 | 68.67 | |
| sRGB Coverage | 96.77 | 99.22 | 93.76 | 92.69 | 100 | 98.22 | 95.05 | 100 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 68.84 | 68.85 | 66.91 | 63.57 | 78.4 | 71.06 | 65.65 | 70.06 | |
| Response Times | |||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 29 (4, 25) | 63.2 (30, 33.2) | 34.8 (16.8, 18) | 38 (18, 20) | 53.2 (26.4, 26.8) | 58 (24, 34) | 57 (28, 29) | 37.2 (18.4, 18.8) | 49.6 (25.2, 24.4) |
| Response Time Black / White * | 16 (4, 12) | 36 (18, 18) | 26.4 (13.2, 13.2) | 25 (15, 10) | 32.8 (16.4, 16.4) | 26 (14, 12) | 38 (22, 16) | 22.8 (10.4, 12.4) | 30.4 (18, 12.4) |
| PWM Frequency | 1250 (30) | 21550 (24) | 250 (50) | 2451 (42) | 961.5 (94) | 201.6 (50) | |||
| Screen | |||||||||
| Brightness middle | 380 | 419 | 480.4 | 428 | 521.8 | 450 | 391 | 404 | 466 |
| Brightness | 378 | 406 | 485 | 413 | 504 | 411 | 367 | 402 | 470 |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 94 | 91 | 89 | 93 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 92 |
| Black Level * | 0.31 | 0.23 | 0.48 | 0.23 | 0.35 | 0.22 | 0.19 | 0.28 | 0.44 |
| Contrast | 1226 | 1822 | 1001 | 1861 | 1491 | 2045 | 2058 | 1443 | 1059 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 2.28 | 1.1 | 5 | 2.65 | 3.83 | 4.15 | 3.07 | 0.7 | 2.1 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 3.93 | 2.2 | 7.72 | 8.12 | 5.51 | 11.49 | 4.74 | 1.2 | 4 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 0.97 | 0.5 | 2.44 | 0.92 | 1.97 | 1.09 | 1.52 | 0.7 | |
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 2.56 | 1.5 | 5.9 | 3.99 | 4.4 | 6.66 | 3.6 | 1 | 2.8 |
| Gamma | 2.32 95% | 2.06 107% | 2.38 92% | 3.12 71% | 2.02 109% | 2.42 91% | 2.29 96% | 2.15 102% | 2.05 107% |
| CCT | 6130 106% | 6524 100% | 7805 83% | 6309 103% | 6494 100% | 6043 108% | 6330 103% | 6485 100% | 6589 99% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 63 | 62.8 | 60.3 | 58 | 65 | 61 | 64.5 | 72.1 | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 97 | 99.2 | 93.2 | 93 | 98 | 95 | 99.7 | 96.8 | |
| Heat | |||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 37.5 | 39 | 43.6 | 41.4 | 38.8 | 33.6 | 41 | 45.4 | 41.8 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 36.2 | 41.7 | 47.8 | 39.7 | 40 | 33.9 | 43.7 | 42.6 | 45.7 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.7 | 25.6 | 32 | 34.6 | 31 | 24.8 | 29.2 | 24.9 | 26.3 |
| Idle Bottom * | 24.3 | 25.6 | 32.4 | 30.3 | 31.6 | 25.4 | 27.6 | 23.8 | 25.8 |
| Battery Runtime | |||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 1365 | 1336 | 969 | 1062 | 768 | 991 | |||
| H.264 | 676 | 597 | 776 | 494 | 542 | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 489 | 492 | 597 | 512 | 661 | 523 | 396 | 407 | 469 |
| Load | 111 | 119 | 116 | 179 | 126 | 95 | 188 | 115 | |
| Power Consumption | |||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 3.2 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 3.2 | |
| Idle Average * | 5.3 | 5.9 | 9.2 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 9.4 | 8.5 | |
| Idle Maximum * | 8.4 | 8.3 | 9.6 | 9 | 6 | 8.7 | 11.2 | 9.6 | |
| Load Average * | 27 | 30.1 | 42 | 78 | 31.9 | 20.5 | 72 | 19.8 | |
| Load Maximum * | 46.9 | 59 | 63.5 | 108 | 61 | 22.6 | 90 | 24.7 | |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 30.8 | 94.2 | 26.2 |
* ... smaller is better
