This year we saw some great releases and, most importantly, a lot of sales. What I found particularly interesting was that during Black Friday and Cyber Monday there were a lot of people clicking on our Chromebook deals. Perhaps this truly has been a year of renewal!
At the same time, Samsung beat everyone with a double whammy by releasing the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra. Samsung took both places in the Best Chromebook and Tablet of the Year category, and we congratulate you from the bottom of our hearts!
But you don’t have to hear me, I think it goes without saying that our resident Chromebook and tablet expert Andrew Myrick has said it all, here’s what he has to say.
Best Chromebook: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus
Andrew Myrick: Not many of us saw Samsung release Chromebooks on our ‘2024 bingo cards’, but here we are with Galaxy Chromebook Plus. Considering it’s been about three years since Samsung’s last Chromebook was released, this latest offering is making waves for several reasons.
First, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the thinnest 15.6-inch Chromebook ever released. It weighs just 2.58 pounds, making it one of the lightest laptops on the market, and more Chromebook category. Not to mention, Samsung still managed to cram a ton of ports into this beast, including a full-size HDMI port and even a microSD card slot.
Screen and design aside, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus was the first Chromebook to launch with the new Quick Entry button. This is Google’s attempt to make Gemini easier to use and interact with in a variety of ways. The best part is that the Paste key can be used across all of ChromeOS and isn’t limited to just Google’s own apps.
Second place: Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
Without naming any names, one of the Android Central employees voted for something other than the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. So the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus takes the podium, but not just to avoid being pushed aside by Samsung.
The Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a fantastic device in its own right, arguably offering more versatility than the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. In addition to included AI features and all-day battery life, the Flex 5i also features a convertible design with a touch display—two things you won’t find on Samsung’s latest Chromebook.
Best Android Tablet: Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra
Andrew Myrick: Without burying the lede, Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra — employee choice as the best tablet of the year. However, this victory is not as clear compared to previous years. From a functional standpoint, the Tab S10 Ultra is probably still the closest thing to a true laptop replacement, thanks to its huge 14.6-inch display.
There are all the usual bells and whistles on board, such as the included S Pen, Samsung DeXand, of course, there are many artificial intelligence capabilities. Samsung even kept the design almost identical Tab S9 UltraThis means you don’t have to rush out to buy a new case if you want to upgrade.
However, for the first time in many years, Samsung’s flagship tablet is not equipped with a Qualcomm chip. Instead, Samsung chose MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Pluswhich is quite impressive, but this decision has us scratching our heads a little.
Second place: OnePlus Pad 2, RedMagic Nova gaming tablet
As for the runner-up, there are actually two. OnePlus Pad 2 And RedMagic Nova gaming tablet tied for second place. Unlike Samsung’s offering, both of these tablets are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, but take completely different approaches.
The OnePlus Pad 2 is more of an improvement over the original. OnePlus Padwith most “radical” changes happening through software. Launched alongside the Pad 2 was the OnePlus Pad Smart Keyboard and Stylo 2. The obvious goal is to offer a portable productivity device, especially when paired with a OnePlus phone.
When it comes to the RedMagic Nova gaming tablet, the idea is right in the name. RedMagic is becoming synonymous with gaming, catering to a niche that simply wants the fastest and most powerful devices. And that’s exactly what you get from the Nova Gaming Tablet, at least until the first Snapdragon 8 Elite The pills start to arrive.