Have you noticed that some people can’t seem to put their iPad down? Well, who can blame them? Mobile devices have never been more important; not only in our personal lives, but in our professional lives, too. In fact, portable device use amongst sales reps is on the rise, as more and more businesses aim to meet evolving customer expectations with quick, simple access to orders – wherever, whenever.
Staying connected and organised is crucial. Tablets have become one of the most important tools for sales representatives, offering a perfect blend of portability, functionality, and versatility. Whether you’re on the road, at a client meeting, or working remotely, having the right tablet can make all the difference. Not all mobile devices are created equal. Some are sluggish. Some are buggy. Some are just downright unpleasant to use. Sales reps especially tend to have a small window of opportunity to attract a customer, so speed, durability, longevity, and ease of use are hugely important. So what devices can offer us that… and more?\
Here’s our pick of the best tablets for sales reps (as of early 2024):
Best overall: iPad Pro 12.9″
– Beautiful LED screen
– Future-proof M2 chip
– The best range of tablet apps
– Powerful cameras with LiDAR
– Slim and lightweight design
– Option for large storage sizes (up to 2TB)
The iPad Pro 12.9 stands as the absolute champion, offering a perfect blend of elegance and power. Its LED screen provides a stunning visual experience, making presentations and product showcases more impactful. With the Future-proof M2 chip, this tablet ensures seamless multitasking, ideal for managing customer relations, emails, and analytics on the go. The powerful cameras with LiDAR allow for high-quality video calls while the iPad Pro’s slim and lightweight design adds to its appeal, making it the go-to choice for sales reps who prioritise performance and style.
Best performance for value: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
– Premium-feel design
– S Pen stylus included
– Clear, bright display
– Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor
– Expandable storage with a microSD card slot
– Option for a larger screen size (Ultra model)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 emerges as the value-conscious performer, providing an impressive balance of features for its value. The premium-feel design and clear, bright display make it an attractive device for client presentations. The inclusion of the S Pen stylus adds a layer of versatility, enabling sales reps to write down notes or sketch ideas during meetings. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, the tablet ensures smooth performance, crucial for handling sales applications and data analytics. With the option for more storage and the option for a larger screen size with the Ultra model, the Galaxy Tab S8 is a good investment for sales professionals seeking performance without compromising on value.
Best for travel: iPad Air 5
– Great design
– Speedy performance with Apple M1 chip
– Incredibly versatile
– Portable 10.9-inch size
– Suitable for on-the-go productivity
– Cost-effective alternative to iPad Pro
For sales reps constantly on the move, the iPad Air 5th Gen emerges as the ideal travel companion. Its sleek design and portable 10.9-inch size strikes the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. The Apple M1 chip ensures speedy performance, allowing sales professionals to stay productive while travelling. The tablet’s versatility caters to a range of business tasks, from managing schedules to conducting virtual presentations. Moreover, the iPad Air offers a cost-effective alternative to the Pro model, making it a practical choice for sales reps looking to maximise efficiency on the road.
Best business tablet for Windows: Microsoft Surface Pro 9
– Excellent design
– Big, responsive screen
– Great battery life
– Microsoft SQ3 or Intel i5/i7 processors
– Windows 10/11 operating system
– Versatile laptop replacement
Windows users in the sales domain will find their match in the Microsoft Surface Pro 9. With its excellent design and a big, responsive screen, this tablet is well-suited for running Windows applications crucial for sales tasks. The impressive battery life ensures that sales reps can go through a day of meetings and presentations without worrying about running out of power. The availability of Windows 11 enhances its capabilities, offering a familiar interface and compatibility with a wide range of business software. As a versatile laptop replacement, the Surface Pro 9 empowers sales professionals with the tools they need to succeed, bringing with it the flexibility of dual functionality as both a tablet and a laptop.
Best for productivity and flexibility: Google Pixel Slate 2
– Sleek and modern design
– High-quality display
– Versatile Chrome OS
– Powerful performance with Intel processors
– Detachable keyboard and stylus support
– Ideal for multitasking and productivity
Diverging from the iOS and Windows ecosystems, the Google Pixel Slate 2 caters to sales reps who prefer the flexibility of Chrome OS. Its sleek design and high-quality display contribute to a modern and professional aesthetic. The inclusion of Intel processors ensures robust performance, ideal for multitasking and handling various productivity apps. With a detachable keyboard and stylus support, the Pixel Slate 2 adapts to different work scenarios, making it a versatile choice for sales professionals who value flexibility. The integration with the Chrome ecosystem further streamlines tasks, offering a unique and efficient user experience.
In conclusion, selecting the right tablet for sales reps involves considering factors like performance, design, operating system preference, and cost. The tablets featured in this guide cater to diverse needs, ensuring that sales professionals can find the perfect companion to enhance their efficiency, whether they prioritise power, value, mobility, Windows , Android or iOS compatibility, or Chrome OS flexibility.
Now that your reps have the best tablet hardware, it’s time to get them the best app for sales reps. The Onsight mobile app helps outside sales reps to show products to customers, to generate quotes and to capture orders whilst out in the field, even when they are offline. You can sign up now for a free trial.
Here’s our previous pick of the best tablets for sales reps (as at late 2020):
Best Overall: Apple iPad Pro 12.9 inches – iOS
Apple has been pushing the boundaries of tablets and with the 4th generation of the Apple iPad Pro 12.9’’ starting to rival laptops in terms of performance and software. The A12Z bionic chip makes it the fastest tablet yet, and its suite of office-use apps and sleek design make it perfect for business use whether it’s in the office or on the field! The 10MP ultra-wide and 12MP cameras combined with the 2732 x 2048 screen and 120Hz ProMotion technology makes it easy to show off products in an instant. While it is pricey, you certainly couldn’t go wrong with the iPad Pro 12.9.
Best Convertible Tablet: HP Spectre x360 15 – Windows
If what you’re looking for is the power of a laptop with the portability of a tablet, this year’s model of the HP Spectre x360 15 could be exactly what you are looking for. It has the smallest screen size of all convertible tablets sitting at 15.6 inches, but boasting an incredible AMOLED anti-reflective 4K display for crisp product visuals. This model includes a stylus which can be used alongside the sensitive display to help display any picture or video for showcasing products. With the six-core Intel Core i7 “Comet Lake” H-series processor, the tablet runs tasks with ease. All this power and downsizing comes with a cost in the form of a shorter battery life, but the convertible tablet makes up for it with fast charging speeds.
Best for Performance: Huawei MatePad Pro – Android
Apart from the other great tablets on this list which have great performance, the MatePad Pro can match with lower cost, but comparable battery power and performance. With a comparable Kirin 990 chipset and a 7250mAh battery, you can rest assured that this tablet will function smoothly as long as you need it. Along with faster charging and the ability to wirelessly charge other devices, this tablet is the penultimate when travelling long distances. Although the apps leave much to be desired, there are manageable workarounds to make the MatePad Pro work for you.
Best for Visuals: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ – Android
Looking for an Android tablet that properly competes with Apple tablets? Look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+. It sports a 12.4 inch Super-AMOLED screen with a 2800 x 1752 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate and more vivid colours than we have ever seen in a tablet. The tablet’s built in DeX mode allows it to double as a desktop PC for easy multitasking. The Samsung Notes feature allows you to make notes anywhere and convert it into legible text which is made all the more accessible with the free stylus included that may rival the Apple Pen 2!
Alternatively: The Asus Transformer 3 Pro is a slightly older tablet, but has 4K visuals.
Best for Size: iPad mini 5th generation – iOS
The 5th generation iPad mini packs a relatively big punch for its size and follows in the iPad Pro’s footsteps with its A12Z bionic chip and 2048 x 1536 resolution screen. It improves on its predecessor with its smaller 7.9 inch size and updated iOS. It mostly keeps the iPad mini 4’s external design which is great as it had a comfortable grip which makes it easier to use over longer periods. Perfect for sales reps who frequently use their tablet. This superb portability combined with great compact performance makes it our pick for the best tablet for its size.
Here’s our original pick of the best tablets for sales reps (as at early 2018):
Best for Complete Business Support: iPad Pro (10.5 Inch) — iOS
Boasting a 2224×1668 resolution, a 12 mp camera, and the A10X Apple chip (which is a whopping 2.5 times faster than the iPad Mini’s A8), the iPad Pro is arguably one of the most advanced and feature-rich devices available today. However, for sales reps, the big draw is the overall business support, which takes them from the office to the field, and back again! The compact 10.5 inch version includes an anti-reflective coating for on-location sales, and is compatible with the Smart Keyboard for office use.
Best for Accuracy: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 — Android
Expensive? Absolutely. Heavy? A little. Yes, there are a few downsides to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, but this device also has something that not many others can offer: a compatible stylus that’s giving the Apple Pencil a run for its money. Samsung’s S Pen is greatly improved from the Tab S2 version, and now offers more accuracy than ever before, with a super slim tip that reaches all the right spots. Perhaps best of all, the S Pen is included as standard with the Tab S3, with no need to pay out extra for this nifty tool.
Best for Visuals: Asus ZenPad 3S 10 — Android
2K displays don’t come much better than this, so if you’re keen to show potential customers your products in all their 2K glory, the Asus ZenPad 3S 10 is one of your best options. With a 178 degree viewing angle, a 78% screen-to-body ratio, and the ability to tinker with the visuals using the pre-installed ‘Splendid’ app to make sure everything is just right, this device will really make your products shine. And let’s not forget aesthetics: this thing is super sleek, super sexy, and super stylish.
Best for Overall Performance: Lenovo Tab 4 8 — Android
When it comes to longevity, tablets can be very hit and miss; not something that sales reps want when they’re on the road all day. That’s why the Lenovo Tab 4 8, with its excellent performance and long battery life, is one of the best options today. The 4,850mAh battery is massive compared to the small size of this device, and while it doesn’t quite come top of the battery charts, it certainly lasts as one of the longest lasting mini devices, helped out a little by its renowned power-efficient internal chip.
Best for Size: iPad Mini 4 — iOS
The iPad Mini 4 is never going to rival its big brothers in terms of features, functions, or overall performance, but when it comes to long term use, there’s really nothing else like it. For sales reps who spend hours with a tablet in their hands, the 8 inch, 0.65 lb iPad Mini 4 is leading the way in comfort. This is a device that really is a pleasure to hold, even one-handed. Sure, it’s a little slower than the iPad Pro, but it still features an LED backlit display and a 2048×1536 resolution, and it’s incredibly portable.
