2019 was a weird, pivotal moment for the glass slabs we carry around. You might remember it as the year everyone finally stopped asking if a tablet could "replace a laptop" and started actually trying to do it. It wasn't just about bigger screens anymore. It was about the specialized guts—the processors, the stylus latency, and whether you could actually plug a thumb drive into the side without an act of Congress.
Honestly, looking back at the hardware released that year feels like opening a time capsule of "almost there" technology. We had the iPad Air 3 making a comeback, the mini getting its first update in years, and Samsung finally finding its footing with the Tab S6.
If you're still holding onto one of these or looking at the used market, the performance gaps are wider than they look on paper. When comparing the latest tablets of 2019, you have to look past the shiny glass and see which ones were built to last and which were just stop-gaps.
The iPad Identity Crisis: Air vs. Mini vs. Pro
Apple basically flooded the zone in 2019. They realized that not everyone wanted to spend a thousand bucks on a Pro, but the "basic" iPad was feeling a bit sluggish for power users.
Enter the iPad Air (3rd Gen).
It was basically a resurrected iPad Pro 10.5 from 2017 but with the A12 Bionic chip. It had the laminated display—meaning no air gap between the glass and the pixels—which makes a massive difference if you're an artist. But it used the old-school home button and Lightning port. Contrast that with the iPad Mini 5.
Small. Mighty.
It had the exact same A12 chip as the Air but in a 7.9-inch frame. People loved this thing because it was the only small tablet that didn't feel like a toy. It supported the 1st Gen Apple Pencil, though charging that pencil by sticking it into the bottom of the iPad still feels like a design crime.
Why the 2018 Pro Still Ruled 2019
Technically, Apple didn't release a new "Pro" in 2019. They didn't have to. The 2018 iPad Pro (11-inch and 12.9-inch) was so far ahead of its time with the A12X chip and USB-C that it remained the gold standard throughout the following year.
If you were comparing the latest tablets of 2019 for actual professional work—video editing in LumaFusion or heavy Procreate layers—the 2018 Pro was still the one to beat. The 120Hz ProMotion display made the 60Hz screens on the Air and Mini look "choppy" once you got used to the smoothness.
Samsung and the Android Redemption
For a long time, Android tablets were... well, they were bad. Samsung decided to change that narrative with the Galaxy Tab S6.
This wasn't just a media consumption device. It was a serious productivity tool. They packed in the Snapdragon 855, which was the flagship phone chip at the time, and 6GB or 8GB of RAM.
The screen? Gorgeous.
It was a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED panel that made the iPad's LCD look a bit dull. Samsung also did something Apple wouldn't: they included the S-Pen in the box. It even snapped onto the back to charge. It felt a bit precarious, but it worked.
The real kicker was Samsung DeX. You could plug this thing into a monitor or just toggle a mode on the screen to get a desktop-like interface with windows. It wasn't perfect, but for 2019, it was the closest anyone had gotten to a true "computer" experience on Android.
The Budget King: Galaxy Tab S5e
If you didn't need the stylus, the Tab S5e was the sleeper hit. It was impossibly thin—5.5mm—and light. It had the same stunning AMOLED screen as the flagship but used a mid-range Snapdragon 670. Great for Netflix, "meh" for gaming.
Microsoft and the USB-C Revolution
For years, Surface fans begged for one thing: USB-C. In late 2019, Microsoft finally listened with the Surface Pro 7.
Visually, it looked identical to the Pro 6. Same chunky bezels, same kickstand. But inside, it jumped to 10th Gen Intel "Ice Lake" processors. This gave it a decent boost in graphics, and that USB-C port finally replaced the antiquated Mini DisplayPort.
However, Microsoft made a weird trade-off.
The battery life actually dropped compared to the Pro 6. While the older model could hit 9 or 10 hours, the Pro 7 often struggled to pass 7 or 8 hours of real-world use.
The Surface Pro X Experiment
We can't talk about 2019 without the Surface Pro X. It was the most beautiful tablet Microsoft ever made—razor-thin bezels and a hidden stylus slot in the keyboard.
But it ran on ARM (the SQ1 chip).
In 2019, Windows on ARM was a mess. Apps didn't run right, and anything that wasn't native felt like it was moving through molasses. It was a "lifestyle" device that looked like the future but acted like the past.
Comparing Specs: The 2019 Heavy Hitters
When you look at the raw numbers, the divide between "entertainment" and "work" becomes pretty clear.
Apple iPad Air (3rd Gen)
- Screen: 10.5-inch Retina (LCD)
- Processor: A12 Bionic
- Best Feature: Balance of price and power.
- Biggest Flaw: Dated design even at launch.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
- Screen: 10.5-inch Super AMOLED
- Processor: Snapdragon 855
- Best Feature: The included S-Pen and DeX mode.
- Biggest Flaw: Android tablet apps still lacked polish.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7
- Screen: 12.3-inch PixelSense
- Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i3/i5/i7
- Best Feature: It's a full PC in tablet form.
- Biggest Flaw: Disappointing battery life.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019)
- Screen: 10.1-inch 1080p
- Processor: Octa-core 2.0 GHz
- Best Feature: It cost less than a nice dinner.
- Biggest Flaw: Locked into the Amazon ecosystem.
The "Couch" Tablet vs. The "Work" Tablet
A lot of people bought the Fire HD 10 thinking it would be an "iPad killer." It wasn't. It was a Prime Video machine.
Amazon finally added USB-C to the Fire HD 10 in 2019, which was a huge deal for a budget device, but the 2GB of RAM meant it would stutter if you tried to do more than two things at once. It’s the quintessential "couch" tablet.
On the other hand, the Surface Pro 7 was the "desk" tablet. You bought it because you needed Excel and Photoshop. Using it on a couch without the keyboard felt clunky because Windows 10 just wasn't great for touch-only navigation back then.
The iPad sat right in the middle. With the release of iPadOS 13 in 2019, Apple finally gave iPads a real file system and mouse support. It was the year the iPad started growing up.
Real-World Longevity: Who Won?
If you're looking at these devices years later, the iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5 held up remarkably well because of the A12 chip. Apple's silicon was so far ahead that those devices still feel snappy for basic tasks today.
Samsung's Tab S6 is also still a decent media machine, but Android updates eventually slowed it down.
The Surface Pro 7 is still a viable Windows machine, provided you keep it plugged into a charger. Its biggest enemy wasn't the competition; it was the battery drain of the Intel chips.
Strategic Insights for Choosing a Legacy Tablet
If you are currently evaluating these models in the secondary market or trying to maximize the life of your current 2019 hardware, consider these moves:
- Check the Battery Cycles: 2019 was long ago. Any tablet from this era is likely at the end of its battery's chemical life. Factor in a replacement cost or keep a power bank handy.
- Storage Matters: Most entry-level 2019 iPads started at 32GB or 64GB. That is practically unusable now. If you're buying used, aim for at least 128GB or ensure the Android device has a microSD slot.
- Stylus Compatibility: Remember that the 2019 iPads use the 1st Gen Pencil (the one with the cap), while the Tab S6 comes with its own proprietary pen. Don't mix them up.
- Software Ceiling: Many 2019 Android tablets have stopped receiving OS updates. If security is your priority, the iPads or the Surface (running Windows 10/11) are much safer bets.
2019 proved that the "perfect" tablet doesn't exist. You either trade power for portability or battery life for a "real" OS. But for a few hundred dollars, these 2019 models defined the features we take for granted today.