While tablets have enjoyed high adoption rates, especially amongst workers who travel or interact with customers on a regular basis3, they’ve rarely functioned well as standalone solutions. Even if you owned a tablet, you still needed a laptop or desktop for more demanding or complicated projects, such as editing professional video or working with large spreadsheets. Pro-level tablets aim to end this divide by providing users with more power, more features, and the same functionalities and programs as a traditional PC.
While there is no official definition, a pro-level tablet is a tablet designed for professional environments, such as offices, hospitals, or design studios, and tend to offer:
Increased CPU performance compared to traditional tablets
Security features are built in that may not be offered in consumer models
High-definition screens and improved graphics capabilities
Custom application compatibility
Ruggedised design
Heavy focus on productivity (e.g., stylus and mobile internet)
The demand for pro-level tablets is high. “Enterprise is going through a major transition away from desktops and laptops and toward mobile,” said Gartner analyst Brian Blau4, and these new devices offer a powerful solution. With the introduction of a number of mainstream pro-level tablets in 2015—such as the Surface 4 Pro, iPad Pro, and the new Elite x2 1012—it seems businesses finally have the tablets to make this transition a reality.