Examined and reviewed by our consultants

Tablets are the right center floor between your telephone and laptop computer, supplying you with the most effective of each worlds. Whether or not you desire a light-weight machine to binge your favourite reveals, a bigger display screen for cell gaming or a transportable solution to get some work performed on the go, a pill can do all of it. They’re additionally nice for preserving children entertained, managing work duties or sharing household moments by way of video calls. When a telephone feels too small and lugging round a laptop computer is simply an excessive amount of, that’s the place tablets match into the combo.

For a lot of, the Apple iPad is the go-to alternative, and it’s simple to see why with its easy efficiency and countless app choices. However don’t fear if iOS isn’t your factor — there are many Android alternate options on the market, providing the identical stage of flexibility with out locking you into Apple’s ecosystem. Plus, should you’re on a funds, there are extra reasonably priced choices that also pack a punch. Whether or not you’re in search of a premium pill for work, a kid-friendly machine with parental controls or only a dependable on a regular basis companion, we’ve examined the entire huge gamers (and plenty of others) to search out the most effective tablets value your cash proper now.

Desk of contents

Finest tablets for 2025

Apple

Display dimension: 11- or 13-inch 120Hz tandem OLED XDR touchscreen | CPU: Apple M4 | Storage: As much as 2TB | Battery life: As much as 10 hours | Digital camera: 12MP rear, 12MP entrance

Learn our full Apple iPad Pro (M4) review

In a variety of methods, the M4 iPad Pro is overkill for many. Its chip is simply as highly effective as what you may presently get in a MacBook Air and it has an arguably a greater display screen due to an OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh fee, to not point out help for each contact and stylus enter. It’s additionally out there in two sizes (11 and 13 inches), so that you get some management over how transportable you want it to be. Should you actually desire a pill that may exchange a laptop computer, that is nearly as good because it will get, significantly on this aspect of the Apple vs. Android/Home windows divide.

This technology of iPad can also be shockingly skinny and light-weight, so it’ll mainly disappear into your bag with out including a ton of heft. In the meantime, Apple’s new Magic Keyboard is sleeker than earlier than whereas additionally that includes a bigger trackpad and a really helpful row of operate keys. The one actual draw back is worth, with the smaller, 11-inch mannequin beginning at $999, and the 13-inch mannequin beginning at $1,299. And that’s earlier than you consider the price of issues like further storage or equipment. However should you’ve received the money and desire a top-of-the-line pill, it’s onerous to go flawed with the M4 iPad Professional.

Alternatively, should you respect what the iPad Professional can do however don’t need to shell out fairly that a lot cash, the iPad Air is a extra reasonably priced choice. We think about it to be the best iPad for most individuals. Its display screen isn’t fairly as good and its M2 chip is a pair generations outdated, however all of the vital issues are there together with Apple Pencil compatibility and the flexibility to connect a Magic Keyboard (although you’ll have to make use of an older mannequin). Critically, it additionally prices almost half the worth with the 11 and 13-inch fashions beginning at $599 and $799, respectively.

Professionals

Probably the most effective display screen I’ve ever seen
M4 chip is extraordinarily highly effective
Thinner and lighter than earlier than, making it simpler to carry
Entrance digicam is now on the panorama edge
Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Professional embody vital new options

Cons

Prohibitively costly
Not backwards appropriate with outdated equipment, and new ones are nonetheless expensive

$896 at Amazon

Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Display dimension: 11-inch LCD, 12.4-inch or 14.6-inch Tremendous AMOLED | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Storage: As much as 1TB (relying on mannequin) | Battery life: As much as 9 hours | Digital camera: S9: 13MP rear, 12MP ultrawide entrance / S9+: 13MP + 8MP ultrawide rear, 12MP ultrawide entrance / S9 Extremely: 13MP + 8MP ultrawide rear, 12MP + 12MP ultrawide entrance

Learn our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review

Should you’re in search of a flexible Samsung pill, the Galaxy Tab S9 provides three display screen sizes: 11, 12.4 and 14.6 inches. We solely reviewed the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S9 Extremely, however all three tablets have equivalent specs aside from display screen dimension and some slight variations within the digicam array. Whereas the S9 Ultra is a bit too huge to be comfy utilizing in your arms for very lengthy, the 11- and 12.4-inch fashions are your best option for an Android pill on the market, with excellent screens and an included S Pen stylus for note-taking and sketching that’s extraordinarily responsive.

Samsung bumped up each the RAM and processor on the Galaxy Tab S9 collection. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is greater than highly effective sufficient for the whole lot I wished to do, and the 12GB of RAM is a giant bump over the 8GB on the earlier years’ tablets. These tablets are even rated IP68 for water and mud resistance – so if you wish to take your S9 within the tub and watch a film, you don’t have to fret about destroying it if it slips into the bathtub. Add in a strong accent ecosystem with a number of totally different keyboard covers plus the Dex multitasking mode and the S9 is usually a highly effective productiveness device, too.

Really nice Android tablets are few and much between, and Google stepped again into the ring with its personal Pixel Tablet. Whereas it’s not compelling sufficient as a pill to knock the Galaxy Tab S9 out of our high spot, it may very well be an intriguing choice for those who desire a machine that can be utilized as each a pill and a wise show. Admittedly, it shines because the latter, which makes it factor that Google consists of the bottom within the $500 worth. There’s additionally an $80 case you will get for the Pixel Pill, which provides a really helpful kickstand that you should utilize everytime you don’t need to dock the machine however nonetheless need to prop it up.

Professionals

Lovely display screen
Nice audio system
Highly effective {hardware}
S Pen is extraordinarily responsive
Dex mode is a surprisingly highly effective multitasking interface

Cons

Costly
Too many Android apps aren’t designed for a giant display screen

$670 at Amazon

Picture by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Display dimension: 13-inch OLED touchscreen | CPU: Snapdragon X Plus/X Elite | Storage: As much as 1TB | Battery life: As much as 14 hours | Digital camera: Quad HD front-facing Floor Studio Digital camera, 10MP rear digicam

Learn our full Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ review

The Surface Pro is the whole lot we’ve wished the Floor pill line to be for years. It’s extremely quick and environment friendly, due to Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips. Its neural processing unit (NPU) additionally allows probably highly effective AI options, although the present crop gained’t be helpful to everybody. We’re additionally nonetheless ready to see Microsoft’s controversial Recall characteristic in motion, which has been delayed to deal with its many safety considerations.

The brand new OLED display screen choice appears to be like great: It makes colours pop off the display screen and in addition ensures inky darkish black ranges. Coupled along with surprisingly highly effective audio system, the Floor Professional is a strong choice for watching video on the go.

When it’s paired along with the brand new Floor Professional Flex keyboard ($350), you may kind and mouse across the Floor fully wirelessly, which opens up totally new methods of utilizing it. So long as there’s a small desk close by, or someplace to prop up the pill, you may work with only a skinny and light-weight keyboard in your lap. It’s additionally good to see Microsoft pack in 16GB of RAM with the bottom Floor Professional mannequin.

Whereas we’d nonetheless prefer to see the corporate bundle in a keyboard and refine its kickstand, the Floor Professional stays one of the crucial revolutionary PCs out there in the present day. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Reporter

Professionals

Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips are splendidly quick
Stable battery life
Wonderful OLED display screen choice
NPU permits for highly effective AI options
Flex keyboard makes it extra versatile
Stable AI options

Cons

All keyboards offered individually
Nonetheless onerous to make use of in your lap
Will get costly rapidly

$999 at Microsoft

Apple

Display dimension: 11-inch, 2360 x 1640 LED | CPU: A16 | Storage: As much as 512GB | Battery life: As much as 10 hours | Digital camera: 12MP entrance, 12MP rear

Learn our full Apple iPad (A16) review

If all you need is a pill for streaming motion pictures, enjoying the occasional recreation or doing mild work every so often, the entry-level iPad (A16) might be loads. Its A16 chip isn’t as highly effective for modifying high-res movies or working essentially the most graphically intense video games because the iPad Air, and it’s much less prone to obtain each new iPadOS characteristic down the highway. It already lacks Apple Intelligence and the Stage Manager multitasking mode in the present day. However for youths and most informal iPad customers, these actually aren’t enormous losses.

The A16 chip is loads quick for most typical iPad Issues, whereas battery life stays strong at roughly 10 hours per cost. The aluminum body continues to be splendidly skinny, mild and durable, plus it’s out there in a bolder set of colours than the pricier iPads. We do want the show was laminated, and the truth that it doesn’t help the most effective Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard is annoying. However the $349 price ticket helps paper over points like these — that is your most cost-effective route into the iPad expertise by far. —Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Shopping for Recommendation

Professionals

A16 chip is loads quick for many issues folks do with iPads
Double the storage and 2GB extra RAM than earlier mannequin for a similar worth
Construct high quality and battery life stay strong
iPadOS nonetheless has the most effective app library and richest characteristic set for tablets
No Apple Intelligence

Cons

Show is due for some updates
Apple Pencil state of affairs continues to be annoying
Magic Keyboard Folio is overpriced and never ultimate on a lap
iPads with M-series chips are in all probability extra futureproof
No Apple Intelligence

$299 at Amazon

Will Lipman Pictures for Engadget

Display dimension: 10.1-inch 1080p show | CPU: 2.0 GHz octa-core processor | Storage: 32GB, 64Gb (expandable as much as 1TB) | Battery life: As much as 12 hours | Digital camera: 2MP entrance digicam, 5MP rear digicam

Should you’re available in the market for a brand new pill in your youngster, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is the simple choose, particularly for first time customers. Amazon Hearth tablets are fairly user-friendly, and the HD 10 Children Professional isn’t any totally different. Beginning at $200, it is the most affordable pill on this checklist, and in contrast to extra adult-oriented fare, it comes with an included “kid-proof” case and a two-year guarantee. Amazon says in case your child breaks the pill, the corporate will exchange it free of charge.

Different helpful add-ins embody a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which unlocks greater than 20,000 video games, books and apps designed for kids. There’s additionally a helpful dashboard for fogeys that means that you can set closing dates, content material filters and academic objectives. And regardless that its 3GB of RAM and 32GB of base storage aren’t a lot, its 1080p show is loads sharp and it has a microSD card slot for expandable storage. And if you need a barely smaller and extra reasonably priced choice, there’s the $140 Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro too.

$190 at Amazon

Essential issues to contemplate earlier than shopping for a pill

Earlier than you begin taking a look at particular units, the primary factor it’s best to do is determine what you intend to make use of your new pill for. That’s as a result of if all you want is one thing to maintain a child busy, shopping for a model new Apple iPad Air or iPad Professional doesn’t make a ton of sense. On the flip aspect, if you wish to use a pill for video modifying or drawing, you’ll must take issues like efficiency, versatility and stylus help extra severely — particularly should you’re contemplating utilizing it as a laptop computer substitute.

You’ll additionally need to take into consideration stuff like how typically you intend on touring with the machine and if it’s extra for productiveness, or for much less demanding stuff like internet shopping or streaming reveals. There’s additionally an vital trade-off to contemplate with regards to battery life as properly. Bigger units are likely to have longer runtimes, although a rise in dimension might make it much less transportable.

How we check tablets

When evaluating totally different tablets, there are a number of vital issues we search for above all else: strong efficiency, display screen and lengthy battery life. For efficiency, we run a handful of artificial assessments like Geekbench 6, whereas additionally performing various hands-on, real-world use circumstances similar to modifying pictures and enjoying video games. And with tablets typically serving as hybrid units, we additionally think about how simple it’s to multitask and change rapidly between numerous apps. The extra responsive a tool feels, the higher.

As a result of a pill’s show is such a vital element, we additionally view a variety of content material to gauge issues like brightness, coloration gamut and dynamic vary. It’s vital to take into consideration the distinction between numerous panel varieties like OLED, which usually produce richer colours and glorious distinction however will not be as vivid as a mini LED show. Just lately, refresh fee has grow to be an more and more vital spec as 90Hz and 120Hz screens could make scrolling smoother and graphics seem sharper in video games.

We additionally think about a pill’s design (together with issues like dimension, weight and water resistance), its connectivity (WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 5G, et cetera) and particular options like stylus help or the flexibility to function a secondary show. That’s as a result of, whereas tablets have been typically seen as content material consumption units previously, higher-end units just like the Floor Professional and iPad Professional are greater than able to replacing a laptop for lots of people.

Lastly, we check battery life by working our commonplace native video rundown check, which entails enjoying a single video on a loop from one hundred pc till it runs out of juice. Ideally, a pill ought to have the ability to final a whole working day, however longer runtimes are all the time welcome — particularly for customers counting on them for productiveness, leisure and storage choices on the go.

Different tablets we examined

Apple iPad mini

Apple up to date the iPad mini for 2024 with some under-the-hood modifications together with a brand new processor and extra RAM to assist help Apple Intelligence options. Whereas the iPad mini is without doubt one of the finest iPads you should purchase, its small dimension makes it a bit area of interest. Provided that you like your pill be the scale of an ereader must you think about this one.

Google Pixel Pill

The Google Pixel Tablet excels as a wise show relatively than a easy pill. Because the latter, it is unexciting, however when paired with its speaker/charging dock, it turns into way more helpful. It may very well be choice for those who already stay inside the Google ecosystem and use the Google Assistant typically, or those that like the concept of a pill that may be docked and used as a wise show as properly.

OnePlus Pad

The strong OnePlus Pad is let down by Android as a result of there aren’t many Android apps designed for use on a big show like this mannequin’s 11.6-inch panel. In any other case, the {hardware} is well-designed, its companion stylus is comfy to make use of and it has a wonderful battery life.

Pill FAQs

What’s the finest model for tablets?

The most effective model for tablets is absolutely the model you’re feeling most comfy with. We advocate taking inventory of the devices you have already got — do you reside within the Apple ecosystem already? An iPad may be finest for you then. Do you may have a Samsung telephone? If that’s the case, a Galaxy Tab will possible be essentially the most handy alternative. There isn’t a one “finest model” for tablets; you’ll discover good choices made by corporations together with Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and Amazon.

Can a pill exchange a laptop computer?

It’s doable for a pill to exchange a laptop computer, however you’ll want a number of equipment to actually make the expertise as shut as doable to that of a conventional pocket book. A keyboard is a should, be it a keyboard case or a Bluetooth accent that you simply maintain with you. Some keyboard circumstances, like apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad, have a built-in trackpad, which might be extra ergonomic than tapping in your pill’s display screen for enter. Moreover, you might go one step additional and use a wi-fi mouse that connects by way of Bluetooth to your pill. Should you’re primarily in search of a pill to exchange your laptop computer, think about shopping for a 2-in-1 laptop since these techniques sometimes encompass high-powered tablets which can be designed to work properly with (and with out) keyboards.

What dimension display screen do I would like?

Determining the most effective display screen dimension for additionally, you will be associated to the form of work (or play) you plan to do. Bigger screens make it a lot simpler to view two apps aspect by aspect, and massive screens additionally ship a extra immersive film viewing expertise — particularly when paired with an OLED show or Liquid Retina show. However on the identical time, the bigger the pill, the much less possible you’re going to need to transfer it round. Meaning you’re not solely going to need to take inventory of your workspace (i.e., when you’ve got a desk or as a substitute plan to work from a sofa and even your mattress), however you’re additionally going to need to take into consideration how the machine will match into your on a regular basis routine or commute (when you’ve got one).

Pill equipment

Lastly, you’ll need to think about any add-ons or equipment you’re planning to make use of, which may vary from removable keyboards to issues like exterior mics or a stylus. The excellent news is that lots of the finest tablets these days provide some form of keyboard accent, which permits the machine to operate extra like a 2-in-1 as a substitute of merely being a content material consumption machine. Some tablets additionally characteristic issues like microSD card slots that help expandable storage, or non-obligatory 4G or 5G connectivity, which is usually a actual boon to frequent vacationers. And should you’re planning to make use of the pill primarily for work, you may need to seize a USB hub for connecting all of your favourite peripherals so your units don’t must battle for the charger.