The 10 Coolest Tablets From CES 2014

Top Tablets

The Consumer Electronics Show was full of tablets once again this year, with an assortment of larger and smaller device sizes for both Windows 8 and Android. And while most tablets were aimed at consumers, some of the newer models also offered enterprise features for the business user. Here's a look at 10 tablets that stood out at CES 2014.

Lenovo ThinkPad 8

Lenovo expanded its tablet family once again at CES, and this year it added a new 8-inch Windows device called the ThinkPad 8. The 8-inch tablet actually boasts an 8.3-inch HD display with a 1,920-x-1,200 resolution and runs on Intel's Bay Trail Atom 2.4GHz quad-core processor and Windows 8.1. The business-focused tablet also comes with eight hours of battery life, 2 GB of memory and up to 128 GB of solid-state drive storage. Plus, there's the option of either 3G or 4G wireless and a keyboard dock for convertible notebook modes. The ThinkPad 8 will be available in late January starting at $399.

Samsung Galaxy NotePro

Samsung took its Galaxy Note tablet line to the next level with the Galaxy NotePro, a 12.2-inch tablet that also comes with Samsung's S Pen. The Galaxy NotePro's HD display offers a WQXGA widescreen view with 16:10 aspect ratio and a 2,560-x-1,600 resolution. The extra-large Android tablet runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core processor and includes 3 GB of memory and up to 64 GB of internal storage. With optional 3G or 4G wireless, the Galaxy Note Pro also comes with a USB 3.0 port, a MicroSD card for additional storage (up to 64 GB), and the usual Samsung software goodies like Samsung Hub, Samsung Knox and more. The Galaxy NotePro will be available in the first quarter of this year, but pricing has yet to be announced.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro

Samsung also introduced a "Pro" version of its popular Galaxy Tab consumer-focused tablets. Like the Galaxy Note Pro, the Galaxy TabPro not only gets a super-sized 12.2-inch version (with a 2,560-x-1,600 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio) but also a traditional 10.1-inch version as well as a smaller 8.4-inch one. The Galaxy TabPro runs two different processors, depending on the wireless options: The 4G LTE version runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core processor, whereas the Wi-Fi-only model runs Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa 1.9GHz quad-core processor. The 12.2-inch model comes with 3 GB of memory and up to 64 GB of storage, while the 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch models come with 2 GB of memory and up to 32 GB of storage. All three versions come with Samsung Knox, Samsung Hub, a USB 2.0 port and a microSD card slot for up to 64 GB of additional storage. The Samsung Galaxy TabPro will be available in the first quarter, but like the Galaxy NotePro, there's no word yet on pricing.

Asus VivoTab Note 8

Asus introduced a new brand of its VivoTab Windows 8 tablet series, dubbed the VivoTab Note 8. The new device comes with an 8-inch HD display and runs Windows 8.1 and Intel's Bay Trail Atom Z3740 processor. But the VivoTab Note 8's most distinguishing feature may be the addition of an integrated Wacom Digitizer stylus, which puts the device in competition with Samsung's Galaxy Note series. The enterprise-focused tablet also comes bundled with Microsoft Office plus 2 GB of memory and up to 64 GB of internal storage, with an additional 64 GB available through a microSD card slot. No word yet on availability of the Asus VivoTab Note 8, but pricing starts at $399.

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1

Panasonic introduced yet another version of its Toughpad ruggedized tablet series with the FZ-M1, a 7-inch device running Windows 8.1 Pro that Panasonic claims is the thinnest (0.71 inches thick) and lightest (1.2 pounds) ruggedized Windows tablet. The new Toughpad runs on Intel's fourth-generation Core i5 vPro processor and comes with 8 GB of memory and up to 256 GB of SSD storage with an optional microSD card slot for up to 64 GB of additional storage. The 7-inch HD display boasts a resolution of 1,280 x 800. The ruggedized case offers the usual Toughpad protection from 5-foot drops, electrical shocks, vibrations and extreme temperatures. The device also offers a user-replaceable battery plus an optional high-capacity battery for twice the power (16 hours) and an optional "bridge battery" that allows users to swap batteries without having to turn off the device. The Toughpad FZ-M1 will arrive in early spring starting at $2,099.

Lenovo Miix 2

A hybrid device, the Lenovo Miix 2 is a full-size tablet -- in 10.1-inch or 11.6-inch display models -- that comes with a detachable AccuType keyboard dock. Running Windows 8.1, the Miix 2 runs either a quad-core Atom processor for the 10-inch model and a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor for the 11-inch version. Both models come with a full HD display and a minimum of 2 GB of RAM; the 11-inch model offers up to 8 GB. The smaller Miix 2 comes with up to 128 GB of eMMC storage, whereas the larger model offers up to 256 GB of SSD storage. Both versions have eight hours of battery life. The 11-inch Miix version will be available in March starting at $699, while the smaller 10-inch version will launch in April, starting at $499.

Panasonic Toughpad 4K UT-MA6

This tablet isn't exactly a mobile device -- the Toughpad 4K UT-MA6 has a whopping 20-inch Ultra HD display. But the new performance model of Panasonic's 4K tablets has more than just size. The Toughpad 4K UT-MA6 runs on Intel's 3.3GHz Core i7-3687U processor and Nvidia's Quadro K1000M GPU, with Windows 8.1. The new Toughpad 4K model comes with 256 GB of SSD storage, 16 GB of memory, and 2 GB of VRAM; there's also USB 3.0 and Ethernet ports plus a microSD card reader. And as large as it is, the 4K tablet has 2.5 hours of battery life. The Toughpad 4K UT-MA6 will launch this spring at a starting price of $6,999.

Toshiba Encore

According to Toshiba, the new 8-inch Encore tablet is a work-and-play device that offers up to 14 hours of battery life. The device runs Windows 8.1 and Intel's "Bay Trail" Atom processor (with integrated graphics) and offers 2 GB of memory, 32 GB of eMMC storage, and Microsoft Office included. The Encore also comes with dual microphones and, according to Toshiba, is optimized for Skype video calls. The HD display has a resolution of 1,280 x 800m and there's an 8mp back camera and a 2mp front Webcam. In addition, Toshiba's 8-inch tablet comes with micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports plus a microSD card slot for additional storage. The Encore is available now starting at $299.

Huawei MediaPad 7 Youth 2

Huawei may be retreating from the U.S. telecom and networking market, but from the looks of CES 2014, the Chinese company still has aspirations of mobile device expansion. In addition to the Ascend Mate 2 smartphone, Huawei also showed off its new MediaPad 7 Youth 2 tablet, a consumer-focused Android device. The 7-inch tablet comes with an HD display with a resolution of 1,024 x 600 and, in addition to Android, runs Huawei's own Emotion user interface. The MediaPad 7 Youth 2 tablet is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz ARM Cortex processor and offers 1 TGB of memory and up to 8 GB of flash storage. In addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the tablet also offers 2G and 3G wireless. The Huawei MediaPad 7 Youth 2 is available now in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, but there's been no word yet on availability and pricing for North America.

Acer Iconia A1-830

Acer added another arrow to its quiver of affordable Android tablets with the new Iconia A1-830. The 7.9-inch runs Intel's "Clover Trail" Atom 1.6GHz processor and comes with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot for an additional 32 GB of storage. The device offers up to 7.5 hours of battery life and -- despite its low price point -- features a sturdy aluminum chassis. The Iconia A1-830 also has an HD display resolution of 1,024 x 768 and dual speakers, plus 3G wireless and Bluetooth capability. The Acer Iconia A1-830 will be available this quarter starting at $149.