Retina displays, 4K, and True Tone are among the screen resolutions available on the tablet market. But which ones are worth the expense, and which are just marketing buzzwords? Is it really worth spending money on a 4K tablet? And how does it compare to Retina displays and True Tone? We explain.

There is a key difference between a tablet and a television. A television is primarily used to watch videos. In order to get the most out of the videos you watch, the resolution of your television must match the resolution of the video. So while televisions come in different sizes, the industry requires a standard screen resolution to match the video output to the resolution of the television. There is no point in having a higher resolution for a larger television if the image on the screen is displayed at a lower standardized resolution.

So, 4K is a major standard for the television industry. But tablets are used for much more than just streaming video from Netflix and Amazon Prime. So, in tablet terms, the 4K designation is less meaningful. Does that make Retina or True Tone (or both) a better option?

A retina display is a screen with a pixel density high enough that individual pixels cannot be distinguished by the human eye when the device is held at a normal viewing distance, according to Apple. Normal viewing distance is an important part of the equation, because the closer you hold the device, the smaller the individual pixels have to be before they become indistinguishable. Apple considers a normal viewing distance for a smartphone to be between 10 and 12 inches, and a normal viewing distance for a tablet is about 15 inches.