Estimates show there are well over a billion tablet users worldwide. While this may pale in comparison to the number of laptops, there is no question that tablets are an increasingly popular complement or even alternative to the ‘traditional’ laptop.

Tablets have several key advantages: portability, connectivity (just add your own SIM card), and convenience. Further, tablets have evolved in terms of their power and capabilities. Accessories like keyboards can easily be added and in certain cases, tablets are more useful than the laptop. 

As tablets become more powerful, they allow for increased multi-tasking, making employees more productive - especially if they’re working remotely. New features on the Apple iPad and iPad Pro for instance make it easy to keep multiple apps at the ready in the Slide Over - a simple swipe and your business apps are at the ready. Split View allows you to easily move content such as text or images between two documents or files.

Even gesture-based functions on the iPad increase productivity. Text selection is simple via different taps, while undo and redo can be done with three finger swiping gestures. Copy and paste is easily achieved through three finger pinches. It becomes second nature after a while and can become less fiddly than a trackpad mouse.

Various accessories are supported with the latest iPadOS operating system, such as external batteries, keyboards, mouse and hard drives (on iPad Pro models) can make them as good as any laptop.

The iPad also allows you to access and manage all your files in on central location with the Files app, whether they are stored on iCloud, 3rd party cloud storage or on an external storage device.

The built-in pro cameras on the iPads are able to do more than just take pictures. With the Notes iOS app, users are able to make use of the camera to scan multi-page documents, create markups and annotations and store it or share the document easily.

Digital signature capabilities also allow customers to sign off on contracts, reducing the need to manage paper documentation. 

The problem with laptops isn’t the functionality, but design—wise, they just have an unavoidably private and closed-off feel. It can become difficult to collaborate, especially in a meeting situation. Simply sharing images and diagrams using the gesture functions on an iPad is a more “open” way to work.

Tablets’ open design brings back the traditional atmosphere of colleagues casually writing on their notepads during meetings, only with a modern twist. Today’s tablets are like efficient digital notepads that also gives you the capability to deliver powerful presentations. Their versatility coupled with their open design makes them the perfect tool to foster collaboration.

Most tablets now also have a SIM card slot. So, as long as businesses subscribe to a Singtel XO Plus, Combo or SIM Only plan designed to support businesses’ needs, tablets can ensure that a company’s employees can always stay connected. 

Even if employees aren’t in the same room, video calling or conferencing apps like FaceTime on the iPads or Singtel BizConference can be used on tablet. Powered by Zoom, Singtel BizConference enables high definition video and audio meetings with up to 1,000 participants. It also has collaboration features such as screen sharing, co-annotating on documents, file sharing and even breakout sessions for small-group discussion among video conference participants.

Additionally, if you have an Microsoft 365 subscription, all your office suite apps are available across tablets as well. Employees will have access to Word, PowerPoint and Excel docs while they’re on the go, enabling them to be productive and collaborative at any time.

You’ve likely already seen how tablets can power customer service, most commonly used in restaurants where orders are placed through a tablet. This gives customers more control (no more straining to flag down an inattentive waiter) while saving costs for the business.

Now, imagine trying to put a laptop at each table? That’s a clear non-starter. With a credit card reader attached, the tablet can also become a Point-of-Sale device, enabling SMBs to operate virtually any where. As the world heads toward more automated self-service, expect to see more and more tablets used at restaurants and other direct customer-facing establishments. 

Beyond customer service, tablets also have another advantage SMBs should consider—multi-tasking on the move.

Should SMBs make the switch from laptops to tablets? The answer is not a ‘one size fits all’, nor is it an ‘either or’. Tablets and laptops each have their own distinct advantages, and whether an SMB should make the switch or not would depend on its individual circumstances, such as its business model and working culture.

But what is clear is this: tablets have become a serious contender challenging the laptop’s traditional dominance. For some SMBs, tablets may well have the edge over laptops. And for the rest, they should at least think about whether tablets may be more beneficial than they think.