The tablet world has seen some brilliant additions this year, with Apple launching an even slimmer version of its iPad Air, Google teaming up with HTC to create the Nexus 9 and Tesco taking the world by surprise yet again with the Tesco Hudl sequel.
For products to be considered for this category, they need to have a 7-inch display or larger. With that in mind, here are the Awards nominees for the Best Tablet 2014 in a little more detail to help you make your mind up about which one should get your vote and take the crown.
Apple iPad Air 2
Apple's iPad Air was the best tablet the company had made so far, until the iPad Air 2 came along. The new 9.7-inch slate is lighter, faster, thinner and well, better. It comes with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner that many were hoping for on the original Air and there are some screen improvements too with an anti-glare feature in place to limit reflections.
READ: Apple iPad Air 2 review
The iPad Air 2 starts at £399 meaning it isn't the cheapest tablet in this category but it comes with the best iPad camera so far, silver, gold and space grey colour variations and a fantastic build. The Apple iPad Air 2 is an amazing tablet that you won't be disappointed with and it well and truly claims the spot as the company's best yet.
Tesco Hudl 2
The original Tesco Hudl took the market by storm last year when it arrived offering a 7-inch tablet that was excellent value for money and its successor does the same with its £129 price tag. Just like the original Hudl, we aren't saying the Hudl 2 is better or more powerful than the other more expensive tablets on this list, but for its low price, you get a Full HD screen, 2GB of RAM and a speedy processor.
READ: Tesco Hudl 2 review
It has its downfalls with the cameras only hitting the ok mark, the sound not performing brilliantly at high volumes and the battery running out sooner than some of its rivals, but the Tesco Hudl 2 is the best tablet in its price bracket we've ever seen or used. It's powerful, lightweight, premium feeling and it has brilliant child safety options so it is great for families.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet in June and despite its plastic rear, the Tab S is a good looking tablet that offers a 6.6mm slim design, plenty of power and a beautiful bright and resolute display. The company might offer a confusing selection of tablets but the Tab S feels like an accumulation of software and hardware finally arriving where they should be.
READ: Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 review
The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is a well made tablet that is as good as they come for those after the Android operating system. The software might be a little over the top for some, while others may find the colours oversaturated on the display but all-in-all, the Tab S 8.4 is slim yet powerful device that offers a great screen and a software experience that's at the top of the stack.
Google Nexus 9
The Nexus 9 is Google's newest tablet, launching with a new version of Android - Lollipop - and bringing 64-bit hardware and software with it. Manufactured by HTC, the Nexus 9 sports a wonderfully natural display, surrounded by a nice design with plenty of grip and some great speakers.
There is loads of power packed under the hood and although it has an average camera and lacks microSD storage expansion, the Nexus 9 is at the very cutting edge of Android tablets. There is no question that it is a better device than previous Nexus tablets - it has power and performance for a competitive £319 price tag and it will be most up-to-date in terms of the latest Android experience over the next year.
Nvidia Shield Tablet
Aside from the Tesco Hudl 2, the Nvidia Shield Tablet is the cheapest of the shortlisted tablets and it isn't just a gamers' delight but an utterly brilliant Android tablet too. Anything you can do on a standard Android tablet, you can do on the Shield Tablet, but this is a slate that has been designed by gamers for gamers and it offers multiple ways to enjoy interactive entertainment in all its forms.
READ: Nvidia Shield Tablet review
It is superbly powerful, capable of doubling up as a home console through HDMI hook-up and it can stream PC games to play on it. The Shield Tablet might be a little on the heavy side and you'll need to fork out extra for the game controller and cover to get the most out of it, but the tablet itself comes at what we think is a very reasonable price for what is a great premium product.
Voting for your favourite
Voting in the 11th annual O2 Pocket-lint Awards is now open so you can let us know which one of these great devices you think should win the Best Tablet 2014 award and give us your verdict on all the other tech across the 13 select categories.
Winners will be announced at the exclusive event in London on 27 November in association with O2 and Hotwire. For now, keep an eye on the O2 Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2014 hub for all the latest on how the voting works, who the elite judges are and the O2 Pocket-lint Gadget Awards shortlist.
VISIT: O2 Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2014 hub
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