GSMArena tablet shopping guide: December 2013

3G/4G full-size tablets

Large or not, sometimes you just want to take your tablet out. This section is for those of us that don't want to have to constantly bounce from one WiFi network to the other.

Lenovo's Yoga 10 tablet comes first in this section as it's the most affordable decent 10-inch tablet currently available that also offer 3G connectivity. Although its 1280 x 800 pixel resolution stretches a bit thin on such a large display, at least the quad-core 1.2GHz processor has little trouble dealing with it. There's also a built-in 3-stage kickstand, a 9,000 mAh battery and dual front stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus for multimedia viewing.

The Yoga 10 does have fairly limited 3G network connectivity (it supports only HSDPA bands 900 / 2100), so be sure it has the right coverage for your area if you decide to get one. Also, if you get the more popular 16GB model you should get a microSD card as well, since the onboard memory will fill up quickly - especially if you plan on using it as a media player.

Nokia's first tablet offering, the Nokia Lumia 2520, was revealed this October running Windows 8.1 RT. With a quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, a FullHD screen and a solid unibody construction, the Lumia 2520 might as well turn the prospects of Windows RT for the better. It's also got Dolby headphone sound enhancement and is one of the first tablets to support USB 3.0 with USB host.

That's some capable hardware, but despite it and the presence of LTE, the Lumia 252 is priced the same as the Wi-Fi only iPad Air.

However, you have got to remember that even with Nokia's own software goodies added to the mix, Windows RT has a hard time competing with its rivals in anything but office-related productivity tasks. And the situation is unlikely to change any soon as all other major manufacturers and Microsoft partners have abandoned Windows RT and have turned their attention to making tablets running the full-featured Windows (thanks to Intel's Atom Bay Trail Z3xxx chipsets).

The LTE version of the stylish Sony's Xperia Tablet Z makes its way into this section as one of the more affordable top-tier 10-inchers. You get a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor with 2GB of RAM and Adreno 320 GPU, and Sony is commited to bringing an Android 4.4 KitKat update.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition's LTE brings the incredibly sharp 2560 x 1600 pixel display, 3GB of RAM, and quad-core Snapdragon 800 performance of the Wifi-only variant, and bumps up the clock speed to 2.3GHz. Also an LTE exclusive is the Adreno 330 GPU and 1080p@60fps video recording.

Samsung's great pressure-sensitive S-Pen offers something other tablets simply can't match. The pleasant leather-like textured plastic back from the Note 3 has also made its way to its elder sibling and it works great visually.

Finally, if money is of no object, the Apple iPad Air brings LTE connectivity and an ultra-sharp display alongside Apple's proprietary A7 chipset. Having access to Apple's App store, the Air get to choose between the largest selection of tablet-optimized apps in existence which is certainly its key weapon.

The LTE-enabled version offers an immensely wide LTE band support. It also has the benefit of having a built-in GPS chip, something with the Wi-Fi only version lacks.

The iPad Air does not come with a microSD card slot, so you'd either have to pay close to €700 for the 32GB version or constantly find yourself lacking enough storage.