There are countless tablets on the market, but which one is right for you? Whether you’re eyeing an iPad or one of the many Android models available, we detail the key factors you need to consider when shopping, along with some of the top-rated tablets we’ve tested.
Keep in mind that Windows slates are different beasts entirely. If that’s what you’re looking for, head on over to our picks for the best Windows tablets, as well as the best 2-in-1s
The Best Tablet Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Apple iPad (2022)
Best iPad for Most People
Why We Picked It
You can’t go wrong with the latest version of Apple’s entry-level iPad. It retails for a reasonable price compared with the iPad Air and the iPad Pro, but still offers a 10.9-inch display that’s sufficiently large for multitasking and productivity.
Who It’s For
This is the best iPad for most people. It performs well, has plenty of features, and gets you into the Apple ecosystem for a relatively affordable price.
PROS
- Appealing iPad Pro-like design
- USB-C port
- Relocated webcam
- Higher-quality cameras
- Improved speakers
- Faster performance
CONS
- Higher price than previous model
- Loses traditional Touch ID button
- No Face ID
Apple iPad Air (2022)
Best iPad for Creators and Students
Why We Picked It
The iPad Air offers many of the same features as the iPad Pro for much less money, including high-end performance and support for the latest Apple Pencil. It’s also quite portable and has strong battery life.
Who It’s For
We recommend the iPad Air for content creators and students. If you need a tablet that can handle advanced applications and/or editing, it’s worth the premium over the base model.
PROS
- Excellent performance
- Works with second-gen Apple Pencil
- Fits existing iPad cases and keyboards
- Light and easy to carry
CONS
- Battery life could be longer
- No millimeter-wave 5G support
Apple iPad mini (2021)
Best Small iPad
Why We Picked It
The 8.3-inch iPad mini might not get as much attention as its larger siblings, but it’s sized just right if you value portability. Importantly, it doesn’t give up any of the power, connectivity, or accessory support that makes iPads so popular.
Who It’s For
The iPad mini is ideal for anyone who wants the feature and performance of a larger iPad in as small a package as possible.
PROS
- Excellent performance
- Long battery life
- Works with second-generation Apple Pencil
CONS
- No multi-user option in iPadOS
- Pricier than previous model
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)
Best Tablet Under $150
Why We Picked It
The Fire HD 10 offers the biggest screen in Amazon’s tablet lineup. It works well for the price and supports a decent selection of apps.
Who It’s For
If you want a big screen for streaming videos and reading ebooks but don’t want to spend more than $200, the Fire HD 10 is worth checking out.
PROS
- Fast processor for the price
- Plenty of RAM
- Acts as an Alexa smart display
CONS
- Poor app selection
- Very Amazon-centric interface
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022 Release)
Best Tablet Under $100
Why We Picked It
The portable Fire HD 8 has a bright screen and impressive battery life for an affordable price.
Who It’s For
You should enjoy the Fire HD 8 if you want a budget-friendly device with a larger screen than your phone. It doesn’t compete with high-end iPads or Android tablets on performance metrics, but it’s more than fast enough for casual use.
PROS
- Vibrant screen
- Good battery life
- Lightweight
CONS
- Sluggish performance
- $10 more than the previous model
- Limited app selection
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids (2021)
Best Kids’ Tablet
Why We Like It
The kid-friendly version of the Fire HD 10 impresses us for the same reasons as the regular model. The hardware is the same, but this variant comes with parental controls and a heavy-duty protective case. The package also includes a free year of Amazon Kids+ (ordinarily $48 per year for Prime members), which offers access to a large library of age-appropriate books, games, videos, and apps.
Who It’s For
Kids! Well, more specifically, the Fire HD 10 Kids is ideal for parents who want to ensure that their children get a safe and reliable tablet experience.
PROS
- Excellent parental controls
- Library of brand-name kids’ content
- Two rugged case options
- Long warranty
CONS
- App store lacks some popular comics apps and games
- Not enough power for action gaming
Lenovo Tab P11 Plus
Best Affordable Android Tablet
Why We Picked It
Lenovo’s Tab P11 Plus offers excellent performance relative to its price and has a big 11-inch display that looks great for games and movies. Its speakers are surprisingly loud and clear, too.
Who It’s For
Look no further if you want an affordable Android tablet that feels premium. Lenovo manages to keep the price of the Tab P11 Plus down without bottlenecking performance.
PROS
- Sharp display
- Loud, clear speakers
- Perky performance
CONS
- Unimpressive cameras
- No promise for OS updates after Android 12
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
Best 5G Tablet
Why We Picked It
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus has competitive specs, a roomy display, and every other feature we expect from a high-end tablet. It also offers stellar 5G connectivity, so you don’t need to hunt for Wi-Fi.
Who It’s For
If you frequently stray from Wi-Fi networks and don’t want an iPad, this is the next best thing. It’s a bit pricey, but a speedy 5G connection can be invaluable.
PROS
- Solid build quality
- Beautiful Super AMOLED display
- Textured S Pen tip makes writing on screen feel natural
- 5G connectivity option
CONS
- S Pen can easily become dislodged
- Android app integration still falls behind iPadOS
- Optional Book Cover Keyboard Case feels flimsy
Buying Guide: The Best Tablets for 2023
Is Android, iPadOS, or Fire OS Better?
Broadly, Android tablets make great media players, ebook readers, and kids’ devices (if you want a tablet specifically for children, check out our story on the best kids’ tablets), but they rarely compete with iPads when it comes to versatility and performance.
The greatest strengths of Apple’s iPadOS are twofold: iPadOS is very intuitive and the numerous apps that you can buy right on your tablet—more than one million iPad-specific titles at the time of this writing—work fairly uniformly. The downside of iPadOS is that it still can’t handle multiple users per device and transferring files between apps remains awkward. iPads remain a supplement to, not a full replacement, for MacBooks. iPads also support the best selection of accessories, including the outstanding second-generation Apple Pencil.
Google’s Android OS gives you a choice of hardware from several different manufacturers and offers maximum customization, a top-notch notification system, fast and smooth web browsing, and seamless integration with Google applications such as Gmail, Google Maps, and Meet for video chat. Android also includes support for multiple user profiles, so you can share your tablet with a friend or family member. (Apple’s Family Sharing works the other way around, giving multiple people access to shared data and services.) That said, most Android tablets ship with an older version of the OS and few get updates.
Amazon’s Fire OS is a branch of Android with a distinct interface and set of default apps. It’s a simple gateway to Amazon content and for streaming videos from various services. We find it easier to use than standard Android if most of what you do is browse the web and access your Amazon library. It’s less flexible, though.
Which Tablet Has the Best Apps?
What’s a tablet without quality apps? If you want third-party apps that work with a touch-screen interface, nothing beats the iPad’s massive library of programs and games. The App Store is well curated and monitored, offers a deep selection, and includes every popular app in existence. Apple is your best bet if a wide range of compelling apps that look good and work well on your tablet is your main priority. For more, see the best iPad apps and the best Apple Arcade Games.
The latest iPad mini works with the second-generation Apple Pencil
(Credit: Steven Winkelman)
Android has made great strides in app selection, but it’s still not home to as many as Apple offers. It’s tough to say exactly how many tablet-optimized Android apps are available, but it’s far fewer than on the iPad. You can use Android phone apps of course, which look decent on a 7-inch tablet, but less so on a 9- or 10-inch device. Check out the best Android apps for our top picks.
Amazon tablets don’t have access to the Google Play store, so they work with considerably fewer apps. Plenty of people have hacked the Play store onto Amazon tablets, but that violates both Amazon’s and Google’s terms of service and isn’t a reliable solution. With these tablets, you should likely stick with the subset of apps that Amazon considers appropriate.
What Size Tablet Do You Need?
This consideration is a bit obvious, but size—both screen real estate and storage capacity—is important to consider. First things first: When you hear a term such as “10-inch tablet,” this refers to the size of the screen, measured diagonally, and not the size of the tablet itself.
We consider 7- and 8-inch tablets as small-screen devices and 9-inch tablets as the start of the large-screen category. Apple’s iPads, Amazon’s Fire tablets, and Samsung’s slates all come in small- and large-screen versions. And more than ever, big phones blur the distinction between what is and isn’t a tablet. Folding phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 can easily do double duty as tablets if you’re willing to pay a hefty premium.
Screen resolution is important, too, especially for ebook reading and web surfing. A sharp, bright display is key. If you’re in the market for a 10-inch tablet, look for a display with a resolution of at least 1,280 by 800 pixels.
Recommended by Our Editors
The low weight of a tablet is one definite advantage it has over a laptop—but with large-screen tablets typically weighing around a pound, they’re not nearly as light as smartphones. After you hold one with a single hand while standing up for 20 minutes, your hand is likely to tire. Setting one flat in your lap, rather than propping it up on a stand, can also be a little awkward. And few tablets fit in your pocket unless you’re wearing a very large jacket. If you want pocketability, you might want to consider a phablet.
Cloud (off-device) storage is an option for many tablets (Amazon Cloud Storage for Fire tablets, iCloud for iPads, Google Drive for Android tablets), but when it comes to onboard storage, more is always better. All those apps; your local music, video, and photo libraries; and system updates can take up a lot of space. Some Android tablets feature a microSD slot for additional storage, but it’s worth noting some apps won’t work from those external cards.
Should You Buy a Wi-Fi-Only or Cellular Tablet?
Some tablets can connect only over Wi-Fi, but others can take advantage of always-on cellular service from a wireless provider. Unless you constantly use your tablet in an area without Wi-Fi or are a frequent international traveler, you’re probably better off using your smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot and saving the extra money you would spend on an LTE tablet. You can also buy a dedicated mobile hotspot, which won’t kill your phone’s battery life. Some even double as backup batteries to charge your tablet.
The Top Tablets (for Now)
The tablets here represent the best Amazon, Android, and Apple options across a variety of price levels. That said, plenty of other great tablets exist that might be better for you. For the latest lab-tested reviews, check out our tablet product guide. And if you’re looking for a good deal, head over to our roundup of the best cheap tablets we’ve tested.
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