Tablets have come a long way from being a bigger-screen alternative to your smartphone for web browsing, streaming video, and gaming. Constant improvements in processing power and screen quality have made such products consumer favorites not just for entertainment, but also for cranking out serious work. Believe it or not, todays best tablets are so legit, they're considered to be sufficient laptop replacements.
Today, there are a lot of high-quality tablets to choose from, varying greatly in terms of size, hardware, available features, and the quality of their mobile platform. To help you find the best tablet for your needs, we compared and tested the top products from todays leading tech brands: Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Amazon, and Lenovo.
Best Tablets of 2021
- Our Top Pick:
- Best Budget:
- Best PC Tablet:
- Best Chrome OS Tablet:
- Best Android Tablet:
- Best Under $100:
- Best Compact Tablet:
- Best Laptop Replacement:
- Best Big-Screen Tablet Under $200:
What to Consider
When shopping for a new tablet, there are several things to consider in order to find the best tablet for you. What hardware specs do you need? How about the platform it runs on, like iPadOS, Android, or Microsoft Windows? Do you want a tablet that offers a large ecosystem of apps and games, or is a basic model the right option for you? These specs might seem overwhelming but don't worry, we're here to break it all down for you.
Remember this golden rule when it comes to hardware specs: The more you spend, the more futureproof the product will be. This ultimately means that your device will have a longer lifespan as technology continues to advance. A great tablet must have a powerful chip, a sharp and vibrant display, ample onboard storage, as well as high-quality cameras and speakers. The last couple of features are particularly important for remote work and teleconferencing.
Stylus pen support [bundled or optional] is also worth keeping an eye out for, which is great for taking notes and keeping your screen sanitary. Up-to-date wired and wireless connectivity features like Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and USB-C are also essential features to consider.
When choosing the OS platform for your next tablet, you should know the advantages that each one offers. For example, Apples iPadOS a centerpiece of every iPad out there has an unrivaled selection of apps and games that look great on a big screen and have robust multitasking capabilities, while Microsoft Windows offers a full-on PC experience on a super portable device. Translation? Windows tablets are built to feel more like an actual computer, while iPads give you a true tablet experience that can feel limiting at times.
Android tablets offer excellent integration of Google content and services. That said, Amazons ultra popular Fire tablets run the same platform, but without official access to Google apps and services. But dont worry you can still access your Gmail account out of the box, and there are plenty of apps to choose from via the Amazon app store.
When shopping for one [or more] of Amazon Fire products, you should also keep in mind that their most affordable iterations come with dreaded lock screen ads. Unless you are hellbent on spending as little as possible on your next tablet, we highly recommend plunking down the extra $10-15 to skip this feature.
We've considered all the above factors when evaluating our top picks and have only included the very best tablets for your consideration below. Find the perfect option for your lifestyle and budget, and don't forget to stock up on screen cleaner.
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Key Specs
Apple A14 Bionic chip with a Neural Engine
10.9-inch Retina display
Up to 256GB of storage
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, optional cellular connectivity
Touch ID fingerprint scanner
The latest iPad Air is hands down the best big-screen tablet for most consumers. It offers the most graphics and processing power in its price range, a gorgeous 10.9-inch Retina display, a timelessly elegant design, exceptional craftsmanship, as well as a peerless ecosystem of protective cases and accessories, all at a budget-friendly price. You can order the device in five colors: blue, green, gold, silver, and space gray.
Thanks to Apple's iPadOS, the product comes with the best selection of tablet-friendly apps and games in the business giving it a massive advantage over rivals that utilize other mobile platforms.
When equipped with the Apple Magic Keyboard, the iPad Air is a legitimate mini laptop replacement. The device is also compatible with the . The latter is among the best accessories of its kind, making the tablet an incredibly capable tool for productive and creative tasks.
More:Our Review of the iPad Air
Key Specs
Apple A13 Bionic chip with a Neural Engine
10.2-inch Retina display
Up to 256GB of storage
Apple Lightning port, optional cellular connectivity
Touch ID fingerprint scanner
Announced alongside the iPhone 13 product family, the latest Apple iPad is the best tablet for thrifty buyers. Starting around $300, it has stellar hardware specs, headlined by a high-quality 10.2-inch Retina display, an A13 Bionic chip thats the most powerful in its price range, and compatibility with the excellent .
Best of all, thanks to iPadOS, the affordable iPad gives users access to countless apps and games designed to look great on its large display, including augmented reality titles. Also, unlike its non-Apple rivals, the iPad comes with many years worth of timely OS updates, guaranteeing a solid user experience until you upgrade.
You can choose between silver and space gray color options. I tip my hat to Apple for equipping the entry-level iPad with ample 64GB of storage. You can quadruple the latter for $150 more. Theres also the option to equip the device with LTE connectivity.
More: We Tested the Entry-Level iPad
Key Specs
Intel Pentium Gold chip
10.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display
4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage
Surface Connect port, USB-C port, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi 6
Dual camera
The Surface Go 3 by Microsoft is a capable PC that poses as a thin and compact tablet. With an adjustable kickstand and an optional and , the metal-clad slate can quickly transform from a work tool to an entertainment device and back.
Microsoft offers the Surface Go 3 in several hardware configurations with an Intel Pentium Gold or a beefier Intel Core i3 processor. Every Go 3 packs a sharp touchscreen, a duo of high-quality cameras [front- and rear-facing], and a futureproof set of wired and wireless connectivity options.
We highly recommend that you skip the entry-level Go3 option, because it comes with only 4GB of RAM, as well as a rather modest 64GB of slower eMMC storage.Dropping an extra $150 will get you , with the latter being a faster SSD drive.
If budget permits, consider the sleeker, vastly more powerful, and significantly pricier instead.
More: A Guide for Microsoft Surface PC Buyers
4 Lenovo Chromebook Duet Chrome OS Tablet
Key Specs
MediaTek P60T chip
10.1-inch IPS touchscreen
4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage
USB-C port
Dual camera
Lenovos attractively priced Chromebook Duet is the best Chrome OS tablet. We recommend it over a similarly priced Android product because its full-fledged Google Chrome browser offers a desktop-grade experience with access to extensions. You can also install Android apps on the device, though there aren't many that are optimized for a large display.
The tablet has a cool design, a sharp touchscreen, and a bundled keyboard cover with a built-in trackpad. After putting it through its paces, my colleague Brandon Carte concluded that this product is much better than other tablets and computers in its price range.
Equipped with a MediaTek chipset, the Duet is not the most powerful option on this list, but still plenty capable of making quick work of Googles Chrome OS platform.
While we wishit had a more robust set of connectivity features, its affordable price point prevents it from beinga dealbreaker.
5 Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Android Tablet
Key Specs
Exynos 9611 chip
10.4-inch touchscreen with 2,000 x 1,200 pixels
64/128GB of expandable storage
S Pen stylus
The sleek, lightweight, and reasonably priced Galaxy Tab S6 Lite by Samsung is the best Android tablet for most consumers. It has a sharp display and a bundled S Pen stylus. The accessory brings a host of productivity and creativity features, which set the tablet apart from its Android rivals.
Other highlights of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite include a dependable chipset, expandable memory, a duo of AKG-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos compatibility, and . The latter will transform the tablet into a capable productivity tool.
If you have a bigger budget for a new Android tablet, consider the instead. It has a bigger 11-inch display with a higher resolution, a more powerful chipset, and a quartet of built-in speakers.
The 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display-toting , on the other hand, is Samsungs most feature-packed tablet yet.
Key Specs
MediaTek MT8168 chip
8-inch HD touchscreen
2GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage
USB-C port
Dual camera
The Amazon Fire HD 8 deserves a spot on this list for its sub-$100 price tag, which successfully pushes the boundaries of tablet bargains. There are five colors to choose from black, white, plum, and blue. A with a bundled protective case, an extended warranty, and a slightly higher price tag is also available.
But don't let its affordable price tag fool you the 8-inch Fire tablet is still a surprisingly snappy performer. It's perfect for web browsing, social networking, and streaming the retail behemoth's vast library of movies and TV shows, which is best enjoyed with a . Rather impressively, the tablet also has built-in stereo speakers.
Its worth noting that Amazon also offers a slightly pricier , which has similar design and specs, as well as support for wireless charging. Theres even for the slate.
Key Specs
Apple A15 Bionicchip with a Neural Engine
8.3-inch Liquid Retina display
Up to 2TB of storage
USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, optional 5G connectivity
Touch ID fingerprint scanner
Well over 2 years after its predecessor hit the shelves, Apple gave the beloved iPad mini a thorough design and hardware refresh, making it the best compact tablet money can buy.
The latest iteration has best-in-class hardware specs with a powerful chip, a bigger display, a next-level camera setup, and optional 5G connectivity, packed into a sleek metal housing with outstanding build quality. There are four cool colors to pick from: pink, purple, space gray, and starlight.
Design-wise, the new iPad mini looks like a miniature version of the iPad Air. It has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor thats integrated into its power button. Its volume buttons, on the other hand, are placed at its top left corner in portrait mode a first for an iPad.
The iPad mini is compatible with the . There are plenty of cases and accessories for making the device your own. Of course, the mini also comes with an unmatched selection of apps and games, courtesy of iPadOS.
More: Our Review of the New iPad mini
8 Apple iPad Pro [11-inch]
iPad Pro [12.9-inch]
Key Specs
Apple M1 chip with a Neural Engine
11- or 12.9-inch Liquid Retina display
Up to 2TB of storage
Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, optional 5G connectivity
Dual rear-facing camera, Face ID front-facing camera
Available with an 11- and a 12.9-inch display, the latest Apple iPad Pro is once again the absolute best tablet available today, as well as a legit touchscreen laptop replacement. It's packed with cutting-edge tech, including the incredible Apple M1 chip thats powering several Mac computers, a captivating display, and a sophisticated camera setup. Like its predecessor and many iPhones, the latest iPad Pro features Face ID tech instead of a fingerprint sensor.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a next-level Liquid Retina XDR screen, whose mini-LED display panel is significantly brighter and even more vibrant than one of the 11-inch versions. All iPad Pro screens have a high refresh rate, making all interactions incredibly smooth.
Overall, the iPad Pro is totally worth maxing out your new tablet budget. You can customize the device by choosing from an amazing selection of accessories and cases.
More:Our Review of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro
Best Big-Screen Tablet Under $200
Amazon Fire HD 10 TabletKey Specs
MediaTek MT8183 chip
10.1-inch Full HD touchscreen
3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage
USB-C port
Dual camera
The Amazon Fire HD 10 is our favorite affordable tablet with a big screen. The 10-inch slate, in addition to a surprisingly excellent display panel, has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, which makes it perfect for streaming video. Thanks to , the product is also a capable productivity tool.
As expected, the Fire HD 10 tablet comes with Amazon Alexa out of the box, giving you the option to access content, as well as control smart home devices with your voice. There are four colors to pick from: black, denim, lavender, and olive.
You can order with more RAM for improved multitasking and support for wireless charging [via an optional dock]. Amazon also offers with a tough case, a years worth of exclusive content, and a longer warranty.
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