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Nowadays, tablets are not a luxury so much as a necessity. They allow us to take our work with us, and be productive on-the-go. They are also great to use on long or short trips for constant entertainment. We can put anything on them; from books, to games, movies, to music. This one device means we no longer need to pack multiple items with us, instead everything we need can be placed on one device. Our modern lifestyles expect us to always be connected, never missing a beat. If that’s the case, you might as well do it in style.

In the market of high end tablets there is certainly a lot of choice, however the two main competitors that stand out are Apple and Android. The following list will get you thinking about tablets and will explain the best features to look for in your next high end luxury tablet purchase. A tablet that’s thinner than a pencil? How about one that is waterproof? As technology continues to advance these are just a couple of the features which can be found in modern tablets.

In the never ending rivalry between Apple and Android, which one wins out? Tablets must be judged based on a few key elements: size, weight, resolution, camera quality, and how many gigs are available. Taking into account this criteria, below are options ranked by price tag; you be the judge and decide who wins this classic feud.

Nexus 7 32 GB: $269

 

This tablet promises performance and great graphics all on a 7 inch screen. It weighs less than one pound and comes with a 1.2 mega pixel front camera and a 5 mega pixel rear facing camera with auto focus. Running on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system, this tablet has scratch-resistant glass to keep it looking good. The CPU is Quadcore 1.5GHZ, and the battery will last for 9 hours of constant usage.

The 16 GB Kobo Arc: $399.95

Previously known as a company which made e-readers, the Kobo Arc is a fully functioning tablet and will let you do more than just read books or magazines. This tablet comes with a 10 inch high definition display with 2560 x 1600 pixels. Powered by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean you’ll have all the benefits of being attached to Google such as the app market, but you’ll also get the exceptional Kobo book market which has over 3.5 million books and magazines to choose from. It has a 1.8GHz processor and a 1.3 mega pixel camera.

The 16 GB Samsung Galaxy Tab: $399

 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab weighs 17.99 ounces and runs on Androids 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system. It comes standard with a front facing 1.3 mega pixel camera, and a rear facing camera of 3 mega pixels. The battery life depends on usage, but you can expect it to run for up to 8 hours. The processor speed is 1.6GHz intel Atom, while the display is 10.1 inches and it has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution.

The 16 GB IPad Mini: $429

The IPad Mini is 7.87 inches long and still comes in under less than a pound. It has the new lightening charger, and has a camera which has 5 mega pixels. The 1080 high definition video recorder has video stabilization to ensure the tablet works around your needs. This tablet has fingerprint resistant technology which should keep it in great condition and keep you having fun for longer periods of time. Speaking of long, the IPad Mini has that signature 10 hour battery life we have all come to expect and love about Apple products.

32 GB Asus Transformer Pad: $449.99

This may not be a brand everyone has heard of, but this tablet packs a punch with all the spoils you would expect from any name brand high quality tablet. At 10.1 inches, this tablet has a 1.9 GHz processor, with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 on the display screen and 720p for the front camera with 1.2 mega pixels, while the rear camera is 5 mega pixels. The tablet runs on Android’s 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system.

The 16 GB IPad 2: $529

This tablet operates using the A5 chip which means it may be a bit slower than other products and perhaps not as great at multi-tasking. The resolution on this tablet is 1024 x 768, while the screen itself is 9.7 inches, it uses the older model of charger called the “30 pin.” It also does not have the artificial intelligent voice operated assistant we have all come to know and love; Siri. What this product does have is an outstanding 10 hour battery life, along with facetime, and 720 pixel HD video recording. At 1.35 pounds this tablet is still a great option for the on-the-go multi-tasker.

The 16GB Samsung Galaxy Note 2014: $549.99

This Samsung Note 2014 edition is 10.1 inches, and weighs 19.05 ounces. It runs on Androids 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system, and includes a front and rear camera with 2.0 megapixels and 8.0 megapixels, respectively. It comes in black or white, has video editing and because it is an Android you will have access to all the cool features of Google such as: Hangouts, Google plus, and Group Play. This tablet will give you 9 hours of internet usage if you are on wifi, up to 10 hours of video play, and a whopping 122 hours of music play time. This tablet comes with 16GB and can accommodate as much as 64GB. The Intuitive Stylus Pen allows you to navigate your tablet more precisely.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z 16GB: $629

 

This sleek android tablet has the distinction of being waterproof up to 3 feet for a maximum of 30 minutes, which would save us all sessions of throwing our devices into boxes of rice and praying it works the next day. Battery life is 9 hours, while screen size is 10.1 inches at a resolution of 1920 x 1200, and the screen is LCD. The operating system uses Android’s 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. This tablet is .27 inches thick, compared to a standard pencil which is .35 inches thick. You can use this tablet as a replacement for your remote control and use it as a channel guide through the use of Google Play.

The 128GB IPad Mini with Retina Display: $829

This tablet weighs less than a pound and has a 2048 x 1536 display. Of course the major selling point of this tablet is the gorgeous retina display which increases the usability and makes using this tablet a truly great experience. The display itself is only 7.9 inches and it has a 5 mega pixel camera, to encourage you to take pictures and make full use of viewing them on the high quality Retina screen. The ultra-fast new A7 chip will keep going as long as you do, and uses the new lightening model charger. Another cool feature is the use of biometrics. Facial recognition technology means this tablet can recognize your face, and will only open for the face which it has on file. This means if you ever get your tablet stolen it is useless to thieves.

128 GB Ipad Air: $929

The new IPad Air only weights 1 pound, and still manages to maintain its’ sleekness from the previous model, it is 28% lighter than the previous model, 20% thinner and even has 24% less volume. Included in this tiny package is a high quality retina screen with 2048 x 1536 resolution, and it has 3.1 million pixels which will make the experience of viewing pictures, videos and playing games unlike any other. The screen itself only comes in at 9.7 inches so it would be perfect to fit in your purse or bag to bring it on the go. Other new features Apple added to this IPad are the A7 chip, and new M7 processor which means this tablet will run about twice as fast as the previous model. One aspect of this tablet Apple didn’t change is the battery life. The IPad Air will be able to keep up with all internet usage, and downloading you need for 10 hours until it needs a charge.