Back to School 2025: The Best Tech for School and University
The 2025 back-to-school season is here, and whether you’re heading into Leaving Cert, your first year of college, or returning for a postgraduate program, having the right tech can significantly impact your productivity, creativity, and overall student experience.
At fone4u.ie, we've carefully tested laptops, tablets, and phones based on performance, battery life, and value for students so you can make technology selections that suit your studies, campus experience, and budget.
1. Best Laptops for Students 2025
HP Elitebook 1030 G4 i5-8265U
Why it's awesome: Thin, robust, and reliable, the EliteBook 1030 G4 possesses a responsive keyboard and solid construction for everyday note-taking, essay writing, and research. The i5-8265U processor is sufficient for multitasking using Office 365 and Google Workspace while still enjoying excellent battery life on lecture days.
Best for: Business, secondary school, and arts students who prioritize portability and battery.
Dell Latitude 5290 i5-8250U
Why it's awesome: It is a 2-in-1 convertible offering the functionality of a laptop and tablet, perfect for someone who loves taking handwritten notes in class but needs the whole keyboard for work purposes.
Best suited for students attending lengthy lectures where they need flexibility in note-taking but also portability.
Lenovo ThinkPad L490 i7-8565U
Why it's good: It has a robust keyboard, excellent thermals, and an i7 processor, making the L490 suitable for heavy multitasking, like SPSS, MATLAB, and AutoCAD. It also features excellent battery life and ThinkPad toughness.
Best for: Business, computing, and engineering students with heavy loads or coding to handle.
Dell Latitude 5410 i5-10210U
Why it's awesome: Thanks to its excellent battery life and smooth multitasking capability, the Latitude 5410 enables productivity activities with ease without becoming too heavy to lug around the school campus.
Recommended for: College students who need a trustworthy laptop for online courses, report writing, and small-scale coding.
Apple MacBook Air M3 (256GB and 512GB)
Why it's so great: Apple's M3 chip provides incredible speed and power efficiency, loading programs like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Adobe Creative Cloud seamlessly. Its brilliant Retina display and silent, fan-free design make it perfect for music, design, or film students on creative projects.
Best for: Students of design, media, and film, and those accustomed to the Apple ecosystem for productivity and note-taking.
2. Best Tablets for School and College
Samsung Galaxy A9 Tab & A9 Tab Plus
Best for:
- Stylus-based digital note-taking
- Joining online classes
- Watching pre-recorded courses on a sharp display
- Light carry for day-to-day campus use
If you want a budget Android tablet for Google Classroom, OneNote, or annotating PDFs, the Galaxy A9 Tab and A9 Tab Plus are the go-to options.
iPad 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Generation
Students love these iPads because:
- Compatibility with the Apple Pencil for handwritten notes
- Multitasking capabilities (Split View for research and notes)
- Long battery life to get through a day of college
- Access to thousands of educational apps to accomplish things
The 9th and 10th Gen models feature enhanced processors and front-facing cameras, perfect for video calls, while the 7th and 8th Gen are low-budget models for students seeking a good note-taking device.
3. Best Smartphones for Students in 2025
In an era where your phone is your calendar, scanner, and even lecture recorder, choosing a reliable smartphone for school and college becomes imperative.
iPhone 13 & 14
Perfect for students who need stability, excellent cameras, and the ease of syncing up with MacBooks or iPads, helping with:
- Note-scanning apps
- Lecture recording in good quality
- Group projects with FaceTime
Samsung Galaxy S23 & S24
These phones offer high-spec cameras, robust battery life, and a silky smooth Android experience.
Ideal for:
- On-the-go Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams
- Campus photography
- Long-lasting battery for busy days
Google Pixel 4
A budget phone with an uncluttered Android experience.
which offers
- Good cameras
- Robust software updates
- Snappy design for effortless handling
POCO X7 Pro & X6 Pro
For affordable students looking for premium performance,
- These phones offer:
- Smooth app multitasking
- Good gaming performance
- Robust battery life
Samsung A06, A16, A26, A36, A56
These are affordable but reliable, ideal for students who need:
- A call, note, and app-critical phone
- Sturdy battery life
- Strong builds for daily campus activity
Why Battery Life and Repairs Are Crucial for Students
Your phone freezing during exams or lectures is the last thing you want. Before term starts:
- Check your phone's battery health.
- Replace weak batteries at fone4u.ie to avoid mid-class crashes.
- Replace broken screens or charging ports to have your device ready for a whole academic year.
Why fone4u.ie is the Best Back-to-School Tech Choice
At fone4u.ie, we:
- Sell new and refurbished devices at student-friendly prices
- Provide trade-in functionality to allow you to upgrade at a price that fits your budget
- Provide screen repairs, battery replacements, and diagnostics
- We are locally owned in Ireland for quick, hassle-free support
Tips for Choosing the Best Tech for Your Back-to-School Needs
When deciding what technology to buy:
- Consider your course requirements (design vs. business vs. engineering).
- Consider your budget and a trade-in option.
- Opt for battery life and portability for campus use.
- Choose a device you're comfortable with using every day.
Upgrading Before Back to School 2025?
Ring into fone4u.ie, or drop in to our store to:
- Browse laptops, tablets, and smartphones perfect for your studies
- Trade in your existing device to get a discount on your upgrade
- Get your devices repaired or serviced for the next year
Invest in technology that keeps you organized, creative, and productive throughout your university education in 2025.
