Every time Apple releases a new iPad Pro, it redefines the boundary of what a display should look like, the performance you should expect, and most importantly, what the experience of a tablet-computer form factor should feel like. We yearn for such a cohesive and powerful experience in other ecosystems. Nevertheless, in this article, we have curated the best iPad Pro 2021 alternatives that offer the best display, performance, and streamlined experience. So without any further delay, let’s hop on and find alternatives to iPad Pro 2021 in the Android, Windows, and Chrome OS ecosystems.
Note: If you are looking for the best cases for iPad Pro 2021 (12.9-inch), you can head over to our curated list. We have also covered the best cases and covers for the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021.
Best iPad Pro 2021 Alternatives (11-inch and 12.9-inch)
Here, we have mentioned both premium and affordable alternatives to the iPad Pro 2021 (11-inch and 12.9-inch). You can expand the table below and jump to the device of your choice with ease.
1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & S7+: Best iPad Pro 2021 Alternative
If there is one company that gives stiff competition to Apple in any product category, it’s Samsung. Despite Google not putting effort behind Android to build a tablet-optimized OS, Samsung has taken it upon itself to optimize the Android OS for its tablet lineup. For the past few years, Samsung has been launching new and exciting tablets in the Android ecosystem that can truly compete with Apple’s best iPads.
In August 2020, Samsung launched its flagship tablets, Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+. Let’s first talk about the Galaxy Tab S7. It’s an 11-inch tablet which makes it a perfect alternative to iPad Pro 2021 (11-inch). You get an LTPS TFT display, 120Hz refresh rate panel, HDR10+ support, and a screen density of 274ppi. If we compare these display specs with the iPad Pro 2021 (11-inch), the Tab S7 seems pretty close. Other than that, you have got 5G support, the inclusion of S Pen in the box, 45W fast charging, and more.
In terms of raw horsepower, Samsung has not cut any corners and has brought the flagship Snapdragon 865+ chipset. Sure, it’s a year-old chip now and over a generation behind the M1 chip on the iPad Pro 2021, but Snapdragon 865+ still offers snappy performance without breaking any sweat. You also have a dual-camera setup with a standard 13MP camera and a 5MP ultra-wide-angle lens.
Finally, talking about the price, the Galaxy Tab S7 starts from $535 for the WiFi variant, while the iPad Pro 2021 (11-inch) starts from $799 for the same variant. It’s a difference of over $250, which is pretty significant. I would say the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is a great alternative to the iPad Pro 2021 (11-inch), assuming that you are fine switching to the Android ecosystem.
Now coming to Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+, it has all the features of the standard Tab S7 along with a much better display, larger screen size, and battery capacity. Coming in at 12.4-inch, the Tab S7+ is a suitable alternative to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021. It packs a Super AMOLED display with support for 120Hz refresh rate, HDR 10+, and more. While the Tab S7+ display is not bad by any measure, the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro trumps everything with its new Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display and 1000 nits of brightness. For comparison, Tab S7+ can muster up to just 430 nits of peak brightness.
All in all, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ starts at $735, and the iPad Pro 2021 (12.9-inch) starts at $1099. Considering the price difference, the Tab S7+ sounds like a great deal if you are looking to save some money. With that being said, if you regularly work outdoors, the iPad Pro 2021 will be a better match for you.
- Buy Galaxy Tab S7 from Amazon: Starts at $534.99
- Buy Galaxy Tab S7+ from Amazon: Starts at $735
2. Lenovo Duet Chromebook: Most Affordable iPad Pro 2021 Alternative
Lenovo Duet Chromebook is one of the best iPad Pro 2021 alternatives. It does not have insane display specs like the iPad Pro 2021 but comes with a desktop-class browser, touch-optimized UI, gestures, and Android apps in a tablet-computer form factor. Apple always projects the iPad as its next computer that works like a traditional computer with an attached keyboard and a tablet.
You get all these features on the Lenovo Duet and without paying any extra charge. Lenovo bundles the magnetic keyboard with the tablet out of the box. All you have to buy is a new USI stylus for doodling and writing on the Duet. As for the processor, the Lenovo Duet Chromebook is powered by MediaTek P60T, which is not as powerful as the M1 chip but suffices the need with a battery life of over 10 hours.
And the best part is the price which costs you $230, which is insane. I won’t say it has better app support and UI experience than iPad Pro, but at its cost, you get all the essential features and system update till 2028. If you are looking for a budget tablet computer as an alternative to iPad Pro 2021, the Lenovo Duet would be my first recommendation.
- Buy from Amazon: $229.99
3. Surface Pro X
Surface Pro X is kind of an experimental device, and I won’t recommend it to everyone. If you love to use Windows, then Surface Pro X is a decent alternative to iPad Pro 2021. What is unique about this device is that it does not run on an Intel processor. Instead, it comes with an ARM-based Microsoft SQ2 processor. The processor is built on Qualcomm’s 8CX Gen 2 SoC, which the company offers for desktop OSes like Windows 10.
Bear in mind, the SQ2 is not as fast as the Apple M1, and the performance on Windows 10 is not as snappy iPadOS. Also, the app compatibility situation has not improved much despite ARM support for 64-bit x86 apps. Having said that, the reason I am recommending this device is that there are users who like to use Windows 10 in a tablet form factor with LTE support. The screen is also wider than iPad Pro 2021, coming at 13-inch, and battery life of more than 10 hours which is pretty comparable to iPad Pro 2021.
All in all, the Surface Pro X is quite an ambitious device, and it’s not for everyone. The pricing is also steep, starting at $1499 for the SQ2 variant with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. To sum up, if you are a Windows fan and want to experience Windows 10 in a tablet form-factor, you can try out Surface Pro X as an alternative to the M1-powered iPad Pro 2021.
- Buy from Amazon: Starts at $1489.99
4. iPad Air 2020 (4th-gen): Alternative in Apple Ecosystem
If you don’t want to leave the Apple ecosystem and invest in Android and Windows, I would suggest getting the 4th-gen iPad Air. Launched in 2020, it’s an affordable iPad with all the modern features you would find on iPad Pro 2021. It comes only in one size, with a 10.9-inch screen that makes it a suitable alternative to the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021. You also get a similar Liquid Retina display on iPad Air 2020 but miss out on the 120Hz refresh rate panel.
Other than that, you get a True Tone display, Touch ID, and the A14 Bionic chipset, which is similar to the Apple M1 except for a lower core count. I can say with certainty that you will not find any noticeable performance difference between the two. Note that you won’t get 5G support and dual cameras on the iPad Air 2020. If you don’t mind any of these shortcomings, buying the iPad Air 2020 at $559 (64GB) would be a better value.
- Buy from Amazon: Starts at $559
5. HUAWEI MatePad Pro
If you are from the UK, you can consider the HUAWEI MatePad Pro as an alternative to the iPad Pro 2021. It comes with a 2K display, a powerful Kirin 990 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage for the base variant. While we can’t evaluate the Kirin 990 chip with the Apple M1 SoC, we can confidently say that Kirin 990 is comparable to the A14 Bionic in multi-core performance.
Having said all of that, keep in mind, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro does not come with built-in Google services. If you are okay with sideloading Google services manually, you can very well pick this tablet over the iPad Pro 2021. More so, when it costs just £384 in the UK. Note that it comes with a magnetic stylus and keyboard support too.
- Buy from Amazon: £384
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is an affordable alternative to the iPad Pro 2021. The tablet does not compete with the iPad Pro 2021 or even the Tab S7 in any way, but it brings a refined tablet experience to the masses. It costs only $364 and includes a 10.4-inch beautiful display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage on the base variant, a singular 8MP camera on the back, and a 5MP selfie shooter.
Talking about the chipset, it packs Samsung’s in-house Exynos 9611 SoC, built on a 10nm process in comparison to Apple M1’s 5nm process. The performance is not in the realm of Apple’s A-series chips but does the job pretty well without noticeable lag. It also promises 10+ hours of battery life and bundles a 15W charging brick in the box. Talking about its price-performance ratio, I would recommend the Tab S6 Lite to anyone looking for a budget alternative to the expensive iPad Pro 2021.
- Buy from Amazon: $364.99
7. Lenovo Tab P11 Pro
Much like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, Lenovo has also launched a budget tablet PC called the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro. Specs-wise, it does not compare with iPad Pro 2021 on most parameters, but for users looking for an affordable tablet experience in the Android ecosystem, it suffices the need. The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro comes with an 11.5-inch OLED screen, and that’s commendable at its price point. The screen is HDR10 compliant with 500 nits of typical brightness.
At the core, the tablet runs on Snapdragon 730G, which is a mid-tier Qualcomm chip and nowhere close to the Apple M1 chipset. The base variant comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, a dual-camera setup, 20W fast charging, and more. The tablet is currently available in the UK, Europe, and India.
- Buy from Amazon: £599.99
8. Surface Go 2 / Surface Book 3 / Surface Pro 7
Apart from the ARM-powered Surface Pro X, Microsoft has many offerings in the tablet-computer form factor. Let’s start with the Surface Go 2. It’s a 10.5-inch touchscreen Windows 10 tablet with a kickstand on the back. You can also separately buy a keyboard accessory and make it a full-fledged PC to use on the go. Surface Go 2 runs on low-powered mobile Intel processors such as the Pentium and M3. As is evident from the processor, the Surface Go 2 is best for lightweight tasks like media consumption and browsing the web. It starts at $399.99.
Coming to Surface Book 3, it’s a powerful laptop in large screen sizes that you can also use as tablets. The Microsoft Surface Book 3 comes in 13.5-inch and 15-inch sizes and can be magnetically attached to the keyboard. You have 10th-gen Intel processors starting from Core i5, coupled with a discrete graphics card from Nvidia onboard. The base variant comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage.
Finally, we have the Surface Pro 7 that is, in a way, an extension of the Surface Go 2. It brings a larger screen with a powerful 10th-gen Intel processor under the hood. I would primarily suggest you use it as a tablet, but you can attach the removable type cover to make it a full-fledged PC. The base variant has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
- Buy Surface Go 2 from Amazon: Starts at $399.99
- Buy Surface Book 3 from Amazon: Starts at $1378.49
- Buy Surface Pro 7 from Amazon: Starts at $767.99
Find an Affordable Alternative to Apple M1-Powered iPad Pro 2021
So these are our picks for the best iPad Pro 2021 alternatives for both 11-inch and 12.9-inch models. I have curated the list considering the price, battery life, and features. If you want a budget Android tablet similar to iPad Pro 2021, I have mentioned those as well. Having said that, if I had to choose one device, I would pick the Lenovo Chromebook Duet without a doubt. Anyway, that is all from us. If you are looking to buy the best Ryzen laptops in 2022, then follow our linked article. And if you have any other questions, comment them down below and let us know.
