The Best Tablets To Entertain And Create At Any Budget -

From the outside tablets look strikingly similar, with a shiny piece of glass mounted on a thin, battery-powered case. Tablets are far more differentiated on the inside, though, with your choice of operating systems and system configurations. Regardless of what you pick, the best tablets all offer a great way to take entertainment and productivity wherever you go.

The latest tablets are perfect for entertainment, communications and productivity.

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All of the tablets featured in this roundup have at least one USB Type-C, plus support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity options. For an added fee, a few models also have cellular connectivity (this requires a separate data line on your cell phone bill). Some tablets also work with a stylus for writing directly on the screen, while others are better for entertainment as opposed to productivity. Which tablet is best for you depends on how you plan to use it and how much you’re willing to spend.

We’ve done the research and testing to round up the best tablets for different budgets and needs. If you’re interested in a tablet specifically for gaming, take a look at our picks for the best gaming tablets.

Best Tablet Overall

Beautiful, Roomy Touchscreen

Best for: Entertainment, productivity and creating content.

Apple has a wide range of iPads, with multiple screen sizes and processors available, and all models are versatile and customizable. The 2021 version of the 11-inch iPad Pro currently strikes the best balance in size, performance and features for most people. The baseline model comes with 128GB of storage, but step-up capacities include 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB.

The iPad Pro’s core collection of installed apps are useful, and iOS has more than a million apps available to transform the tablet into a customized entertainment, communications and productivity tool. The iPad Pro’s roomy, stunning display coupled with its processor is conducive for intensive tasks like photo and video editing, advanced number crunching or multitasking among apps. The clean, easy-to-use iPad Pro becomes even more versatile when you use it with the optional Apple Pencil 2 or Magic Keyboard, and then pair it with wireless headphones, earbuds or a gaming controller. The iPad Pro can seamlessly sync data with iPhones and Macs, and can even serve as a second screen for a Mac—abilities which make it the best tablet choice for those already enmeshed in the Apple ecosystem. This tablet can handle a range of computing needs easily, and it does so in a slim, highly portable package.

Pros:

Beautiful display
Integrates with iPhones and Macs
Simple to use

Cons:

Best iPad

Balances Performance And Price

Best for: Entertainment and productivity both, at a mid-range price.

The Apple iPad Air hits a price which falls somewhere in between its more more expensive iPad Pro sibling and the standard iPad. Right now, this 2022 model edges ahead of the standard iPad in performance thanks to its Apple M1 processor. As with other iPads, it runs the latest version of iPadOS, works smoothly with other Apple devices and uses Apple’s App Store to supplement the bevy of pre-installed apps on the tablet. The 5th generation iPad Air delivers all of this is in slim 0.2-inch chassis which is also lighter than either the 11-inch iPad Pro or the 10.2-inch iPad. Every little bit counts when you’re holding a tablet in hand for extended periods, such as while on an impromptu video call or when reading an e-book.

The base model of the iPad Air comes with 64GB of storage, which can get tight quickly if you plan to keep media or app files stored on the tablet. The next step up jumps to 256GB, a more logical capacity, especially if you’re a content creator.

Pros:

Thin and light design
Large display
Excellent selection of pre-installed and optional apps

Cons:

Best Samsung Tablet

Big Display, Powerful Components

Best for: Productivity and entertainment on an Android tablet, with hooks to Samsung Galaxy phones and Windows 11 PCs.

Just as an iPad is the perfect tablet for most Apple users, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is an ideal choice if you’re an Samsung Galaxy phone or Windows 11 PC user and you want advanced compute power from your tablet. Samsung has three different screen sizes in its S8 lineup, all with the same processor and the same baseline 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. All have a 256GB option as well as a microSD card slot for adding up to 1TB of storage. The Galaxy Tab S8+ sits in the middle of the lineup, and stands out for its gorgeous 12.4-inch display. It is also the only one of the S8 series with a cellular option. (The $599 Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is sized and priced more comparably with the Apple iPad Air, and has double the memory of the iPad and includes a stylus at that price.)

The Galaxy Tab S8+ battery can last up to 13 hours. The S8+ includes Samsung’s S Pen stylus. The optional Book Cover Keyboard costs $230, and attaches to the tablet to create a neatly portable package. The Galaxy Tab S8+ comes with Microsoft 365 integration for editing and creating documents and works with Samsung Flow for transferring files and sharing notifications. Plus, it comes with a selection of useful preinstalled apps and access to thousands of Android apps via the Google Play Store.

Pros:

Large, vibrant display
Long battery life
Includes S Pen stylus

Cons:

Fewer niche apps on Android than on iOS

Best Amazon Tablet

Get The Basics At A Low Price

Best for: Handling more entertainment and productivity inside Amazon’s ecosystem.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is the best tablet from Amazon today, and is a good choice if you want a simple tablet at a low cost—especially if you are already a heavy Amazon user. This model costs half of what Apple’s least expensive iPad costs, and is meaningfully less than Samsung’s budget model. Yet it has Qi wireless charging, a handy inclusion for those who appreciate this capability. (The standard, non-Plus model lacks the wireless charging for a $30 savings.) With just 32GB of storage, the Fire HD 10 is great for streaming content; if you want to store more files and apps locally, step up to the 64GB version or add an optional 1TB microSD card.

This tablet uses Amazon’s own operating system and Amazon’s Appstore, which is more limited than the larger Google Play store. Its preinstalled apps reflect more of a focus on entertainment, online shopping and communications than business productivity, with integrations into Amazon’s streaming video and music services, for example, as well Audible for audio books and Kindle for e-books. Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant is built-in, so when it’s connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi you can issue voice commands directly to the tablet.

Pros:

Low price
Well-integrated with Amazon services
Has Qi wireless charging

Cons:

Low screen resolution
Slow performer

Best Large-Screen Tablet

Massive Screen Beats All Comers

Best for: Gaming, creating content and running numbers on a tremendous display.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra stands apart from its S8 and S8+ siblings with its massive, 14.6-inch touchscreen display and 120Hz refresh rate. The tablet comes with an S Pen stylus, making it easy to write, annotate or draw directly on the screen. The middle configuration priced here includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage—components best suited to resource-hungry gaming sessions. The baseline config has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the step-up model has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. All versions of the Tab S8 Ultra also have a 1TB microSD card slot for additional expansion.

If you need more apps than those preinstalled, the Google Play Store offers millions of options—including Microsoft 365 integration—so data, documents, photos and files can be stored in the cloud and automatically synced with your computers and other mobile devices. Gamers can also use popular cloud-based gaming services, including Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, Steam’s Valve and Nvidia GeForce Now. The quad speakers support Dolby Atmos audio to add a more immersive surround sound quality to audio encoded for Atmos. The large display is an asset when multitasking, since Samsung’s software lets you have multiple windows open at once. Regardless of what you’re doing, the Tab S8 Ultra offers the compute power and display area needed to work from virtually anywhere.

Pros:

Extra-large display
Well-implemented multitasking
Includes S Pen stylus

Cons:

Large display saps battery faster

Best Tablet For Drawing

Big, Gorgeous Display

Best for: Apple fans who want to play iOS and cloud games on a large display.

The iPad Pros are currently Apple’s most powerful tablets and the 12.9-inch version has the biggest screen of any iPad. The display’s size provides plenty of screen real estate to work with creative content like photos and videos, and games get a large space to show off. This 2021 tablet packs Apple’s M1 processor, which makes multitasking a breeze and gives games snappy graphics and buttery smooth animations. The tablet as priced here comes with 128GB of storage; 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB versions are available.

Plus, the four built in speakers make audio sound amazing too, although you can easily pair wireless headphones or earbuds and get seamless pairing with Apple’s iPods Pro (2nd Generation). Unlike Samsung tablets, the iPad Pro doesn’t include the Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) stylus, but this $129 add-on works very well with the tablet for drawing and notetaking. Apple’s pen interface is clean, and iOS has tons of apps compatible with Pencil.

Pros:

High-resolution display
Long battery life
Wide support for gaming

Cons:

Expensive
Stylus sold separately

Best Budget iPad

Power Without Compromise

Best for: A full-featured iPad tablet at a more affordable price.

When it comes to screen size and versatility, this standard Apple iPad remains the current go-to model for students and casual users alike. It offers the lowest entry price of any iPad, but gets pricey quickly if you upgrade to the step-up 256GB version for more storage.

Powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic processor, this iPad uses the same iPadOS operating system as all other iPad models, plus comes with the same collection of pre-installed apps and access to the App Store. You also get support for the first-generation Apple Pencil and a Smart Keyboard (sold separately). The iPad is a great starter tablet and a capable machine for communications, productivity, and entertainment.

Pros:

Most affordable Apple tablet
Strikes good balance in size and weight

Cons:

Limited storage for the price
Older processor
Stylus sold separately

Best Budget Android Tablet

More Affordable Entertainer

Best for: Android starter tablet with full Google Play Store access.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is the most affordable Samsung tablet with a 10.5-inch display. This model carries fairly mundane specs, with 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a microSD card slot for adding up to 1TB of additional storage. (Step-up models include 64GB and 128GB capacities, better choices if you plan to store lots of apps on the tablet.)

Built with both productivity and entertainment in mind, another attractive feature of this low cost tablet is its four built-in speakers with Dolby Atmos support. This “starter” tablet carries a less powerful Unisoc T618 processor than the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors found on Samsung’s pricier Galaxy Tab S6, S7 and S8 series tablets. Regardless, the Galaxy Tab A8 can capably run Android apps. Unlike the more advanced Samsung models, this one doesn’t doesn’t support Samsung’s S Pen stylus. Another distinction: The Galaxy Tab A8 comes with a library of kid-friendly games, books and videos, and with free access to Samsung TV for streaming video.

Pros:

Low price
Four speakers with Dolby Atmos support
Includes free kid content and access to Samsung TV

Cons:

No cellular option
Lacks stylus support

Best Windows Tablet

Powerful PC Packed Into A Slate

Display size: 13-inch touchscreen | Resolution: 2,880 x 1,920 | Storage: 128GB | Operating system: Windows 11 Home | Battery life: Up to 16 hours | Size: Weight: 2 pounds Best for: Serious productivity which rivals what you can do with a Windows laptop.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is not as light as competing tablets, but if you’re a Windows 11 PC user seeking productivity in device with the flexibility to serve as a standalone tablet, the Surface Pro 8 is your best bet. Since it runs Windows 11, you can use any of the software and files you’re already using on your PC. The Surface Pro 8 has powerful guts, with an 11th generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, plus a long-lasting 16 hour battery. (Step-up configurations boost the processor, RAM and storage.)

This tablet also has a large 13-inch 2K display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports. Optional accessories include Microsoft’s Surface Slim Pen 2 stylus and Surface Pro Signature Keyboard. If you’re a PC user seeking full interoperability with your daily productivity computing, the Surface Pro 8 is a great match.

Pros:

Runs Windows 11 Home
Up to 16 hour battery life
Full interoperability with PCs

Cons:

Stylus not included
Graphics animations could be smoother

Which Tablet Operating System Is Best?

If you’re already invested in the Apple or Google ecosystem, seriously consider sticking with that same operating system for your tablet. For one thing, you can use the same apps on your phone and tablet. An iPad can also complement an iPhone, MacBook, iMac or Apple Watch, with features like Continuity to smoothly transition and automatically sync your work between your Apple devices and the ability to serve as a second screen for an Apple MacBook laptop. Android tablets are generally more affordable than an iPads. Microsoft’s tablet

For more basic needs, the low-cost Amazon Fire tablets are excellent for entertainment. These run a modified version of Android, called Fire OS. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Surface tablets runs the same Windows operating system you already know, while also allowing you to easily handwrite, annotate or draw on the screen using a stylus.

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The Best Tablets To Entertain And Create At Any Budget