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Take these tablets to school

What's bigger than a smartphone but smaller than a laptop? A tablet! Pick up one of these powerful and portable devices to help you throughout the school year.

Xiomara Blanco
Xiomara Blanco is an associate editor for CNET Reviews. She's a Bay Area native with a knack for tech that makes life easier and more enjoyable. So, don't expect her to review printers anytime soon.
Xiomara Blanco
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1 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 with AnyPen

Students, grab your pens and pencils. This Lenovo tablet features AnyPen technology which mean, well, you can essentially use any pen as a stylus.

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 with AnyPen is ultra-compact, sitting at 8-inches, and it has a built-in kickstand to make using it in class easy. You can write an essay while it's propped up on your lap or comfortably grip it by its chunky rounded edge while reading or surfing the Web.

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2 of 7 Xiomara Blanco/CNET

Dell Venue 10 7000

The Dell Venue 10 7000 sports a similar design as the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 with AnyPen. It's slim and trim up until the round spine, but unlike the Lenovo, the Dell offers an optional Bluetooth keyboard that comfortably connects to the cylindrical edge using cog-like hinges.

The 10-inch tablet also rocks a sharp HD screen, speedy performance, and the latest version of Android. If you want a tablet with a great keyboard accessory, there are few better than the Venue 10 7000.

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3 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

What tablet has a better keyboard than the Dell Venue 10 7000? I'm glad you asked.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3, which also comes in a less powerful, less expensive version, is the Cadillac of tablet-hybrids. Its keyboard cover is one of the best we've ever seen and it can handle anything your regular PC can.

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4 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2015)

If you need a tablet for reading more than writing, I suggest the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite e-reader.

It's high-resolution e-ink display is easy on the eyes and it has a convenient backlight for reading in dark environments. Amazon features a great ecosystem full of downloadable textbooks and, if you're a Prime member, you get access to tons of free reads.

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5 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple iPad Air 2

Now that the most reading- and writing-friendly options are out of the way, we can dig into tablets could be used for work, but mostly lend themselves to the moments when you just need to kick back and relax.

The Apple iPad Air 2 is high-end tablet with performance to match. There's also the smaller iPad Mini 3, if you'd like a more portable option, but either model works great for surfing the Web, gaming, and streaming video. There are comparable Android models available (highlighted in the next two slides,) but if you're comfy and cozy using iOS, picking the Apple tablet is an easy decision.

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6 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Google Nexus 9

The Google Nexus 9 is the king of Android tablets.

It's not as slim and sleek as the aforementioned iPad Air 2 or the Sony Xperia Z4 (next slide,) but its performance is on par with both of them. It makes for a great downtime companion to catch up on e-mail correspondence, or, let's be real, binging your current TV show obession. Also, as a Google branded tablet, it gets the latest OS updates.

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7 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Sony Xperia Z4 tablet

The Sony Xperia Z4 tablet dons one of the thinnest and lightest designs and, if you're accident prone, you'll be grateful for its waterproof build. It's also one of the best gaming tablets around and features PS4 compatibility that only a Sony tablet could offer.

For you overachievers, there's an Xperia Z4 model that comes with a Bluetooth keyboard, but the keys for the Dell Venue 10 7000 and Microsoft Surface 3 are higher quality and have better functionality for writing assignments.

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