For many Gen Z students, a tablet is no longer just a “second screen.” In Lenovo’s April 15, 2026 survey of 8,035 university students in eight European countries, 94% said a tablet is or would be useful for student life, with portability and ease of use named as major reasons. The same study found that 91% personalize their devices and 92% value pen precision for creativity. This fits a wider market trend: IDC reported that worldwide tablet shipments grew 5% in 2025, supported partly by education-led deployments across regions. (news.lenovo.com)

AI is one reason tablets now feel much more powerful. Lenovo says 98% of the students it surveyed use AI in some way, especially for note-taking, summarizing, and idea generation. A broader U.S. picture points in the same direction. Pew Research Center reported in February 2026, based on a survey conducted from September 25 to October 9, 2025, that 64% of U.S. teens use AI chatbots, 54% use them for schoolwork, and 48% have used them to research a topic for school. When a device can help students read faster, organize notes, and restart a task quickly after a break, a lightweight tablet starts to look like a serious study partner rather than a simple media device. (news.lenovo.com)

So, will laptop-centered learning disappear? Probably not, but it may become less dominant. This is an inference from the evidence: Lenovo’s survey shows that students still care strongly about keyboard setup, with 88% saying it matters, even as they also want pen input, mobility, and multitasking. In other words, many students seem to want flexibility more than one fixed device type. UNESCO’s guidance on generative AI in education also stresses human-centered use, data privacy, and age-appropriate rules. The future of learning may therefore be less “laptop only” and more “choose the best tool for the moment” — and AI tablets are becoming a very strong option. (news.lenovo.com)