Tablets Compared by Display Size – 7-Inch Screens vs 10-Inch

Screen size comparison: 7-inch vs 10-inch Tablets

Last updated: July 2023

Bigger isn’t always better. (That’s what she said! Etc.)

When I got my first 7-inch tablet computer, I was delighted. It made my little smartphone seem positively dwarven. Look at all this SPACE! Look at all the APPS! I scrolled and surfed and gamed and was happy. Then I saw a deal on a ten-inch one, and I had to have it. Surely it would be even better than the smaller one?

Well, yes and no.

It was certainly amazing to watch Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead on it. And it was great that it displayed much more of The Guardian or NFL.com. It was just… kinda awkward holding it for a while, and obviously, it was much heavier than my little 7-inch one.

A strange thing happened – I started using the 7-inch one more since it was easy to potter around the apartment while holding it. And I used the 10-inch one when I was sitting down or wanted to be productive.

I guess what I’m trying to say is: think about what you’re going to use your tablet for before deciding how big the screen should be. If watching movies is high on your list – think big. There are great tablets ranging from 10 inches to ones the size of coffee tables.

If you want something to hold in one hand while you read the news on a Sunday, sipping your coffee and walking around the garden, you’ll probably be happier with a 7-inch device.

Have you decided? Okay, good. Now here’s a comparison of tablets of that size:

7-inch Tablets Compared

Best 7-Inch Tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab A

Samsung Galaxy Tab A

Buy on Amazon

One of the handy 7-inch tablets that are so lightweight that you can carry it anywhere and everywhere you want is the Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A 7.0. Talking about the specifications, with Samsung Galaxy Tab A, you get a Quad-Core Snapdragon processor and with a storage capacity of 8GB (internal). Though 8GB can be a wee less, the tab has an expandable storage capacity of up to 256GB. It also has 1.5GB RAM which drives a decent performance along with the top-notch processing system. Also, the operating system that functions in Samsung Galaxy Tab A is Android 5.1 Lollipop which helps users to multi-task and performs impressively well. Coming to the most important feature that we look for, which is the battery life, we can conclude that it is equally impressive with 11 hours of battery backup.

There are plenty of reasons why tablets are also called’ slates’. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 (2018) has the features and qualities for that more than its competitors, even though Apple and Amazon are constantly seeking new methods to create their tablets in a different and innovative way. When it comes to the display, it is worth mentioning that it takes up just over 75% of the tablet’s face; the remainder is chunky bezels on all sides of the screen that hold the front-facing camera at the bottom. If you’re searching for an inexpensive tablet but have some aversion to Amazon that truly offers budget slates, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.5 (2018) is basically your only choice – and its display size is well adapted to watch videos or play on-the-fly matches, so if that’s why you want a tablet, you might do worse.

iPad 9.7 (2018)

iPad 9.7

Buy on Amazon

Apple’s iPad Pro 9.7-inch is the company’s finest standard tablet. It mixes the strength of the original iPad Pro 12.9-inch with the iPad Air 2’s slender screen. It also carries a dynamic, color-precise display and the greatest camera we’ve ever seen on an iPad. You should still purchase one if you need a suitable laptop, but if all you want is a fantastic tablet, it’s the 9.7-inch Pro to get. In some respects, the 9.7-inch model is more spectacular than the original. To begin with, it features the 12-megapixel back camera of the iPhone 6s with a f/2.2 lens. The 9.7-inch LED display goes at a resolution of 2,048x 1,536, so it’s no crisper than the initial Air 2 or Pro, but it’s the same thing.

The iPad Pro 9.7 starts with iOS 9.3, and apart from a few noteworthy improvements like Night Shift and a safer Notes app, the software experience is almost the same as the initial Pro. On this tablet, multitasking can feel confusing, although the device has every technical means required for it. Although this is something that users notice right away, it is perfect in any other aspect. If you want a tablet that can be used as a computer when needed, that has top-notch features and accessories, and that you can rely on when traveling, commuting, or working at your station, then this is one of your best options.

Apple iPad Mini 4

Apple iPad Mini 4

Buy on Amazon

Obviously, the iPad Mini 4 is Apple’s best tiny tablet ever produced; By comparison with the Mini 3 that was nothing more than a device with an upgraded color and touch ID, the Mini 4 is much stronger and much more impressive. The iPad mini 4 layouts came as no surprise to most as it still borrows from the original iPad mini the same design language. The same bent swooping handles are again being used, and the tablet’s ceramic-like back looks great in the palm. The Mini 4, like the iPad Air 2, has been cut off a little bit of density relative to its predecessor to render it even more mobile and the weight is decreased accordingly. This small tablet only weighs 299 grams, which makes it slightly more than 30 g lighter than the previous version.

With only the silencer button lacking, the remainder of the tablet is fairly much as anticipated. This has gradually been eradicated from most early Apple systems, with the silencer discovering a place in the portion of the Control Center and operating just as well when you need to shut down the iPad. The iPad Mini 4 is one of the most robust and premium-feeling tablets on the market; a struggle with barbed wire probably won’t survive, but the case can manage some rough treatment in a pocket, that’s for sure. When constructing this tab, Apple used the mid-power Snapdragon 617 chipset. It’s not a real problem in everyday use, because I haven’t noticed an enormous slowdown when opening
and closing applications.

How Big is a 7 Inch Tablet Screen?

7 inches is 17.78 centimeters.

Robert Brault (poet/author) said “The average pencil is 7 inches long, with just a half-inch eraser – in case you thought optimism was dead.”

A credit card (or business card) is 3.5 inches wide, so you can place two together to imagine the height of a 7-inch tablet.

A dollar bill is 6 inches – you can use one to estimate a lot of things! (Tip – fold one into thirds, then half and each crease will be one inch. You’re welcome.)

Best 10-Inch Tablets

Huawei MediaPad M5 10

Huawei MediaPad M5 10

Buy on Amazon

Huawei’s MediaPad M5 10 is a tablet released last year that remains a suggested option thanks to its excellent general set. The tablet supports a desktop mode, which is influenced by Samsung DeX, and you can even add a magnetic keyboard to finish your mobile productivity configuration. It has a good battery life and a stereo speaker configuration as well. Huawei strongly customizes its software that may not suit everyone and it also uses a headphone jack. T the Huawei MediaPad M5 10 layout is really good and it looks very high-end. The body is produced entirely of aluminum.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 still holds that record with only 5.6 mm. The handles are slightly bent, which makes it convenient to carry. With a weight of 498 g it is not too heavy and with 7.3 mm it is not too thick. It’s not the thinnest tablet out there, though. A HiSilicon Kirin 960s octa-core processor produced by Huawei itself is running inside the MediaPad M5 10.

Four of these nodes are 2.1GHz and the other four 1.8GHz clocked. We also get 4 GB of RAM and internal storage of 32 GB. Huawei will also be offering 64 GB and 128 GB variants in the future. The Kirin 960s is a good CPU but not as quick as the standard Kirin 960 inside the M5 8 MediaPad and M5 Pro MediaPad. The four high-performance processors are clocked at 2.4GHz rather than 2.1GHz with the subsequent models.

Microsoft Surface Go

Microsoft Surface Go

Buy on Amazon

You’re ensured to have a nice Windows experience with the Surface Go tablet coming from Microsoft’s stable. It supports complete Windows 10 OS and, provided that the hardware can manage them, it can operate all desktop applications. The firm has included the same premium design and construction value as the Pro model, and together with front-facing displays, it provides a notable display. Also, the endorsed keyboard and stylus are top grade, but you’re going to have to get them individually and they cost quite a lot and so is the tablet itself. It’s pretty thick at 8.3 mm compared to an iPad or most Android devices. And it’s a little heavier than 522 g rivals. However, this is not good for a Windows computer. And we’re going to get the same kickstand on the back like with the Pro series.

The Microsoft Surface Go screen is a 10-inch one and has a 3:2 color ratio. It’s a little smaller than the much earlier Surface 3 that had a 10.8-inch screen, but users don’t really feel the difference. The display has 1800x 1200 resolution. While the pixel density is not as large as on a smartphone, when the tablet is standing on a phone, writing and images appear clear enough. An Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y chipset is running inside the Microsoft Surface Go.

That’s a dual-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz with two processors. Turbo-Boost does not promote it. You can get it with 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC storage or 128 GB of SSD depending on the variant. My review unit is the cheapest with a RAM of 4 GB and an internal 64 GB.

Apple iPad Air 2019

Apple iPad Air 2019

Buy on Amazon

The Apple iPad Air 2019 has been the standard option for anyone looking for a little more than the fundamental iPad since its release previously this year. You are offered on the mid-tier tablet with a laudable 10.5-inch LCD screen driven by an A12 Bionic chipset that also supports the present versions of the iPhone. With this iteration, Apple has also introduced assistance for its keyboard cover and the first gene Apple Pencil to improve productivity.

You will have access, not to mention, to a solid app ecosystem that is still unrivaled. Not everyone can appreciate the lack of stereo speakers and the recycled layout of the tablet. This device feels like a typical iPad. It’s a tad larger than the iPad Air 2 with 10.5-inches and as long as the first iPad Pro with 10.5-inches. The structure is almost identical to that. It’s nearly the same body. With just 6.1 mm, it’s very thin and weighs 456 g. We get a complete metal body as normal and that’s a very premium sensation. In Silver, Space Grey, and Gold, you can get it.

We’ve already seen the same Apple A12 Bionic engine in the iPad Mini 5, and the iPhone XS runs inside the iPad Air 3. We also get 3 GB of RAM and you can choose from 64 GB to 256 GB of space. The microSD card has no slot. If you want, you can get 4 G LTE.

Why You Should Choose a 10-Inch Tablet

Remember when you were young and technology got smaller every year? Me neither! Those days are LONG GONE.

Now the buzz in tech is BIGGER – I want to play PS4 on a TV so big I have to stand it diagonally just to fit it in my room. My PC monitors, where once I was happy to have 20 inches, are now starting to look small – they are 24 inches! And tablets? You bet I want a huge screen.

When I’m streaming Netflix I want to see every flaw in the actors’ faces. When I’m gaming I demand to see every perfectly-rendered hair on my main character’s head. Do I want to have to go to my desktop every time I decide to update a spreadsheet? No, I do not.

Fortunately, tablet makers are churning out new tablets with massive screens faster than you can say ’10 inch is the new 8 inch’.

These bad boys aren’t as portable as their dwarfish brothers – though some are surprisingly thin and light – but prop them on a desk and you’ve got yourself a powerful portable media station, gaming device, or workstation.

10-inch Tablets Compared

How Big is a 10 Inch Tablet Screen?

10 inches is 25.4 cm.

A normal sheet of paper is 11 inches.

What to Consider When Buying a Large-Screen Tablet

  • Check the battery life – large screens drain power faster. Having to recharge more often might be a compromise you’re not willing to take.
  • Check the resolution and PPI – (pixels per inch) – the higher the better. There’s no point in having a 20-inch tablet with the same resolution as a Commodore 64.
  • You’re going to have to pay more for the larger screen. I mean, you knew that before you came to this page, but it’s a huge factor in your final decision. How much is an extra inch of screen worth to you? A hundred dollars? Fifty? Two hundred?

Tablet Screen Technology

Touch screen technology has brought about a revolution in the new-age and broadcast media industries and is now widely adopted by Television, Computer, Mobile Phones, and Camera manufacturers. Tablet computers are among the most visible manifestations of this technology and are seen as a possible replacement for regular desktops and laptops in the foreseeable future.

Display resolution

Screen resolutions vary according to the manufacturer and the price range in which the tablet is sold. From the QXGA resolution on the New IPad to the WVGA resolution that is found in the most basic models, there is a wide choice available for the consumer depending on his or her personal needs.

Typically, the screen resolution can be categorized as follows:

  • QXGA: 2048 x 1536
  • WXGA: 1366 x 768 or 1280 x 800
  • XGA: 1024 x 768
  • WSVGA: 1024 x 600
  • WVGA: 800 x 600

Tablets of smaller sizes such as the 7 inches can do well with a lower resolution screen. Higher screen resolution becomes relevant as the tablet size increases.

Screen Coating, Brightness, and Protection

Since tablets are highly portable devices, they are widely used indoors and outdoors. While screen brightness is not really an issue when used indoors, these tablets can become highly reflective in outdoor daylight conditions and therefore needs the screen brightness to offset the ambient brightness. Most manufacturers have overcome the problem by using a coating that prevents glare while also protecting the glass from scratches and dirt. If your tablet display is protected using a toughened glass such as Gorilla Glass, the chances of the screen cracking due to the tablet accidentally falling on the ground are minimized.

Screen Viewing Angles

While this may not be a major concern if you are using the tablet as a handheld device, screen dimming and colour change can be an irritant if you are placing the tablet on a stand or keeping it on a table for people around you to see. This problem is normally found in LCD displays made using TN technology. Colours like red, blue or green become darker and the screen becomes dimmer as you move away from the centre of the screen. Make sure that you get to test this out on a demo piece at the retailer before you choose your tablet. Most modern tablets do not use TN technology in their LCD display.

Screen Technology

There are 2 prominent TFT (Thin Film Transistor) LCD Screen technologies available today.

In-Plane Switching technology or IPS was developed in Japan in response to the viewing angle problems caused by LCDs based on twisted nematic display technology. IPS LCD screens have almost no viewing angle colour changes.

Plain Line Switching or PLS is a relatively new LCD technology and was developed by Samsung in Korea and has lower manufacturing costs as compared to other LCD technologies. With improved image quality, viewing angles, and screen brightness, PLS is expected to address several of the issues faced by tablet manufacturers.