Are tablets a dying breed? This thought occurred to me while I was staring at the 6.8-inch screen of the Red Magic 7 a couple of days ago. I suddenly remembered my time with the 8-inch Acer Predator tablet back in 2016 and thought: “well, all phones look pretty phablet-y now…”
Once upon a time, tablets were coined as the perfect multimedia devices - ideal for watching videos on the go, without the need to bring a heavy and bulky laptop with you. Slowly, smartphones caught up and rendered 7 and 8-inch tablets obsolete.
I can’t help but wonder, though - are tablets of any size bringing any added value and features in 2022? You could have an extremely lightweight and slim laptop (a MacBook Air or a Dell XPS) or a huge smartphone with a 7+ inch display (smile and wave to all the foldables coming your way).
Hmmm... These tablets look bendy..
It’s not surprising that tablet manufacturers (with small exceptions) are gunning for huge tablets nowadays (check out the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with its gigantic 14.6-inch screen). The gap between big phones and small tablets has already been bridged.
Stylus support is slowly finding its way to more and more big screen smartphones and it could be the final nail in the coffin of small to mid-sized tablets.
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With all that being said, I might be on the wrong track completely. That’s why I’m gonna do a little reality check and ask you, our trusty readers. Do you own or use a tablet on a regular basis in 2022? And another bonus question - do you plan on buying a tablet in 2022?
Do you own/use a tablet in 2022?
764 Votes
Yes, almost every day!
57.2%
I own a tablet but I rarely use it...
15.71%
No, I use my smartphone/laptop instead
24.61%
It's complicated (in the comments)
2.49%
Do you plan to buy a tablet in 2022?
644 Votes
Yes
38.35%
No
56.68%
Other (in the comments)
4.97%
I think both questions tie up together nicely and will show if people are just using old tablets they bought years ago, or they’re genuinely interested in that formfactor and technology in 2022. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and fringe cases in the comments below. For example, I use a tablet as an always-on weather station slapped on the wall of my bedroom.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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