The GSMArena tablet shopping guide: March 2014

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 Wi-Fi network to the other.

Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 10 comes first in this section as it's the most affordable decent 10-inch tablet currently available that also offers 3G connectivity. Although its 1280 x 800 pixel resolution stretches a bit thin on such a large display, at least it's an IPS LCD unit that offers great viewing angles.

The quad-core 1.2GHz processor of the Tablet 10 has little trouble pumping out all the pixels to the screen and it feels snappy (though probably not lightning fast).

There's also the trademark built-in 3-stage kickstand, a 9,000mAh battery and dual front stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus for multimedia viewing.

The Yoga Tablet 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.

Lenovo recently announced their Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10+, which brings up the resolution to 1920x1200 pixels and has a better processor, but it would be a while until it reaches the market.

Nokia's first tablet offering, the Nokia Lumia 2520, was revealed late last year, 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 is a promising gadget. 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.

This device, much like the Surface tablets, failed to turn the prospects of Windows RT for the better. 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 only mainstay of the Windows RT tablets remains the built-in mobile network connectivity, which the Atom Bay Trail chipsets still don't offer.

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 committed to bringing an Android 4.4 KitKat update.

It was only last month that Sony announced their next gen tablet. Dubbed the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, it has a faster Snapdragon 801 chipset and an 8MP back camera with improved Exmor RS sensor. It also has an improved water resistance - this time it would gladly take a dip in the kiddie pool for up to 30 minutes. There is also the latest Android 4.4 KitKat on board.

It's rated battery times are lower though, which doesn't bode well for its market chances. The battery life of the original model was not stellar.

The Xperia Z2 Tablet is supposed to have its market launch in March. We guess, that would make the previous generation even more affordable.

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 Wi-Fi-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 though the faux stitches don't look that premium.

And 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 from 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 which 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.

The Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is yet another Samsung tablet that aims to get away with a pricetag higher than its Apple rivals. It has a beautiful high-res screen, a micro SD slot, an 8MP camera, and a capable octa-core chipset to show for it. And it happens to have fine 3G and LTE versions. They cover more network bands that you can shake a stick at so choosing either will have you covered in most parts of the world.

Big spenders might as well pick up either of the two new Samsung Pro 12.2 tablets as they both have 3G and LTE networks. There is the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 with the latter offering Samsung's exclusive pressure-sensitive stylus functionality. Other than that there is not that much difference between the two.

They both have 12.2-inch screens with 2560 x 1600px resolution, a minimum of 32GB of built-in storage plus a card slot, octa-core Exynos chipsets and 8MP cameras with 1080p video recording.

All the tablets in the Samsung Pro range come with the latest Android OS v4.4 (KitKat) but Samsung has also baked in a spanking new tablet interface of their own, which truly elevates the tablet user experience to a whole new level. The split-screen multi-tasking view is well overdue on high-res screen tablets and it's brilliantly implemented here.