Which is the best android tablet

The best Android tablets to spend your money on (November 2021)

There are plenty of smartphones out there with massive displays. So many, in fact, that they have an entire phablet category. However, there are still advantages to grabbing a genuine tablet for your large screen needs. We’ve tracked down just a few of the best Android tablets to show you what we mean.

Locking down your perfect tablet is easier said than done. Especially considering the list has been getting smaller every year. However, we believe there’s still a healthy market for a good Android tablet. Let’s jump right in and find out what Samsung, Amazon, and more have in store for you.

BLACK FRIDAY 2021

Samsung has discounted the Galaxy Tab S7 128GB down to $499 over on Amazon. Check out our best tablet deals selection, as well as our big Black Friday deals roundup!

Buying the best tablet for your needs

We can’t promise that it’s easy to choose the perfect tablet in just a few minutes. Picking your operating system is a great place to start, though, and it means we don’t have to worry about iPads later on.

Since you’ve already landed on Android, it’s time to move to the finer points of your tablet. That means locking down how much real estate you want. For example, the Amazon Fire HD 8 has an 8-inch screen, while Samsung’s premium Galaxy Tab S7 Plus sports a massive 12.4-inch display.

You’ll also have to narrow down your storage choices. For example, if you want to scroll through social media or catch up on Netflix, you may not need as much storage. On the other hand, those of you hoping to download movies, games, and more will want extra space and possibly an expansion slot.

One final thing to look for is build quality. Many of Samsung’s Galaxy Tabs come with aluminum bodies, which can usually handle wear and tear. Yet, the cheaper tablets on the market opt for plastic builds to save weight and cost.

The best Android tablets

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus: This is our top Android tablet, with a premium build and plentiful storage space.
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A7: Here is a more affordable option if you want Samsung’s power without the price.
• Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus: This tablet offers a large display and Amazon apps at a comfortable cost.
• Amazon Fire HD 8: This pad packs Fire OS into the smallest and cheapest tablet on the list.
• Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD: It doubles as a smart display thanks to the included charging stand.

The best overall: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

Samsung’s premium tablet holds down our top slot, and it’s not hard to see why. It checks off all of the boxes you could ask for, and our own Eric Zeman hailed the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (and its Tab S7 sibling) as the only Android tablet to spend your money on.

Samsung packed premium hardware everywhere it could behind the 12.4-inch display. The tablet is ready for action with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 Plus SoC, up to 8GB of RAM, and as much as 512GB of storage. If that’s still not enough, you can tap into the microSD slot for even more storage. There’s even a huge 10,090mAh battery to keep the lights on for hours on end.

The inside of the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus isn’t the only way it earns points — the outside is pretty good too. You get an aluminum build, a crisp Super AMOLED display, and an S Pen for good measure. As a result, the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is by far the best Android tablet on the market, even if it has a high price tag to match.

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Best Android tablet: Six top choices that use Google’s OS

Which is the best Android tablet of 2020?

Last year, there wasn’t a huge selection of new Android tablets, especially at the cheaper end of the market. Amazon updated its Fire devices in 2019, but the real big hitters were higher-end tablets from the established brands.

While we weren’t overly impressed with the Google Pixel Slate, we did like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e.

If you’re not tethered to Android, check out our best tablet round-up to see the top overall options available right now. If you’re looking to save money, try our guide to the best budget tablets.

How we test and choose the best Android tablets

Every tablet we review is put through a series of benchmark and real-world tests, and our reviewers always transfer everything across to the review device to use it as their main tablet at work and home. The majority of tablet reviews are conducted over a period of at least 10 days, with updates subsequently added to the review following any software upgrades, new features or changes to the price. Find out more here. Now that’s out of the way, here are our verdicts:

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e

Best combination of value and features

• High-quality aluminium design
• Loud, punchy speakers
• Excellent battery life
• Great OLED screen
• Ultra-slim

Why we liked the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e is what we’ve been waiting for: a mid-priced model with some higher-end touches. The Galaxy Tab S5e looks great, has excellent speakers, a fantastic display, a charming aluminium body, and comes in at a price that’s easy to swallow. Samsung might have finally made an Android tablet worth buying – although it still isn’t as powerful as an iPad.

The cameras aren’t dazzling but this is rarely true where tablets are concerned. It also uses a lower-end processor than the Galaxy Tab S4, helping bring down the asking price to below £400 (for the 64GB version), but gets by just fine. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e has a 7040mAh battery – just a little smaller than the Tab S4’s 7300mAh cell – and Samsung claims it will last an incredible 14.5hrs.

It’s super-slim and its 400g weight is light for a 10.5in tablet. Samsung has trimmed down the screen borders too, while still leaving sufficient room for resting your thumbs whether you’re holding the Galaxy Tab S5e on its side or upright.

Read the full review

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2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

Best Android tablet for media

• Long battery life
• Loud speakers
• Bold screen
• Powerful processor
• Fun stylus

• Cheaper S5e has several of the best parts too
• No headphone jack

Why we liked the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is the best Android alternative to an iPad Pro. It has a large display, high-end specs, a great sketching stylus – and it costs quite a lot.

You’ll pay £619 for the Wi-Fi version and £689 for the 4G model. If this sounds too expensive, don’t forget the 11in iPad Pro has half the amount of storage and will cost you £269 more when you add in the Apple Pencil. (Of course, nowadays even the basic iPad supports the Pencil and a 128GB iPad plus Pencil costs £498 – that’s £120 less.)

This tablet has a 10.5in display, and is extremely thin at 5.7mm and fairly light at 420g. Sharpness is good and, while neither colour calibration nor screen architecture match those of the the Note 10+, this is just about the best screen you’ll find in an Android tablet. This is also the first HDR10+ tablet, which should surprise no one, given that HDR10+ is a Samsung standard. You’ll find some videos using this standard on Amazon Prime Video, and the Tab S6 is an excellent way to watch movies and TV, HDR or not.

The main design annoyance is the same as with the Galaxy Tab S5e – there’s no headphone jack with this tablet, which seems an even more brazen way to push people into buying wireless headphones than jackless phones.

This is the best Android tablet around, but if the stylus isn’t a big factor, consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e. It costs a lot less and still performs all the usual tablet jobs perfectly well.

Read the full review

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3. Amazon Fire HD 10

Best value Android tablet

• Great screen for the price
• Long battery life
• Reasonable stereo speakers
• Affordable

• Poor games and apps library next to normal Android devices
• Weak cameras

Why we liked the Amazon Fire HD 10

The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) offers top-quality hardware for the money and is a great buy if you can live with the patchy app library.

Its screen and build quality are both excellent for the money – in fact, you won’t find a better screen than the Amazon Fire HD 10’s at this price point. Its 10in 1920 x 1200 pixel LCD screen offers up solid colour and decent clarity, and Netflix also plays at full 1080p resolution, which isn’t available on many high-end phones, let alone the kind of no-name tablet you might be tempted to buy instead of an Amazon Fire HD 10. If 90% of your tablet use will be Amazon and Netflix streaming, then the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a perfect choice for you.

The Amazon Appstore games and apps library, however, is unlikely to impress those who already know their way around Google Play. Most of the games you might want to play on the big screen aren’t available from the Amazon Fire HD 10’s app store. If Google Play gets an A, Amazon Appstore is C-grade material at best.

Read the full review

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4. Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus

Best Android tablet for versatility

• Big display that’s good for video
• Some neat UI additions
• Good battery life

• Old version of Android
• Not the most rugged

Why we liked the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus

At its core, the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus is a great general-purpose tablet with a decent design and a low price. For the money, it offers a pleasing display that’s good for media, there’s plenty of storage to work with and its performance doesn’t disappoint either.

The fingerprint sensor isn’t just secure, you can use it to jump between multiple users with one touch and Lenovo has produced a robust accessory ecosystem to augment its underlying functionality.

The Kid’s Pack adds a bumper, screen protector and curated access to hand-picked child-friendly content via Kidoz; the Productivity Pack includes a detachable Bluetooth keyboard that doubles as a protective folio cover and stand; and the Home Assistant Pack features an Amazon Alexa-capable microphone and a speaker dock that transform the Tab 4 10 Plus into a makeshift Echo Show.

Read the full review

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5. Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018)

Best Android tablet if you’re on a strict budget

• Affordable
• Hands-free Alexa
• Show Mode is a nice addition

• Ad-riddled interface
• Basic navigation a little slow

Why we liked the Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018)

Amazon Fire tablets have always been excellent options for those on a budget and the 2018 Fire HD 8 offers more for your money than any of its predecessors. As with previous entries in the line, the Fire HD 8 comes running Fire OS – a forked iteration of Android that doesn’t include the Google Play Store out the box, instead prioritising Amazon’s content and apps that the company has modified to play nicely with its platform.

As long as you can stomach the software, for the sub-£100 price you’re getting an 8in tablet with an HD display, external speakers and Amazon’s Alexa assistant. The tablet even features Show mode, which alters the software so that it behaves more like Amazon’s Echo Show. Paired with the available charging dock, it makes for a worthwhile home tablet for light use, answering questions via Alexa and general entertainment.

Read the full review

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6. Amazon Kindle Kids Edition

• Excellent value
• Two-year guarantee including accidental damage
• Front-lit screen is easy to read

• Only available in blue and pink
• Lots of big books aren’t free

Why we liked the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition

The Amazon Kindle Kids Edition is effectively a regular Kindle and case that costs an extra £20 to £30 more than the standard model. It’s well worth paying that little bit more, however, as you’ll get free access to over 1000 books with a year’s subscription to Fire for Kids Unlimited, proper child-protection controls and a quibble-free two-year accidental damage guarantee.

Hardware-wise, the Kindle Kids Edition is a standard Amazon Kindle. It has a 6in E Ink display, making it no bigger than a standard paperback book, and the Kindle is far thinner than most books at a svelte 8.7mm.

This is a brilliant eReader for kids and they can learn as they read with a dictionary feature that lets them look up difficult words, enhancing their vocabulary.

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The Best Android Tablets for 2021

Looking for a tablet that will be used primarily for media consumption? Android offers the most flexibility in hardware choices. Here’s what to look for in an Android tablet, along with our top choices.

Our 10 Top Picks

Best Media Tablet for Amazon Fans

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)

Best 5G Android Tablet

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

Inexpensive 4G Connectivity

Alcatel Joy Tab 2

Best Smart Display Alternative

Lenovo Yoga Tab 13

Best for Large-Format E Ink Reading

Onyx Boox Note Air 2

Best for Video Playback and Zoom Calls

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)

Lowest-Cost Model

onn. 8-Inch Tablet

Best for E Ink Computing

Onyx Boox Max Lumi 2

Best Low-Cost Model With Google Play

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0

Best for Taking Notes

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

You might think that Apple’s iPad has won the tablet wars, but think again. High-end iPads and Windows tablets dominate the top of the field with impressive tools for productivity, but Google’s Android operating system is very popular at lower price points. The least expensive new iPad will set you back $329. The range of Android tablets is much broader, with an option for every budget. Android tablets also sometimes show up with interesting and unusual features, such as E Ink screens.

In 2021, most Android tablet options fall in the budget category. You can find an endless array of no-name, plasticky sub-$100 slates sold at your local CVS or through mysterious «fulfilled by Amazon» drop-shippers. Acer, Asus, Lenovo, and Samsung used to deliver solid iPad competitors, but they’ve all slowed down their tablet production. The top name-brand Android tablet is the Galaxy Tab S7+.

Start With Software

Android tablet manufacturers rarely use the latest version of the OS, and software upgrades are even less common. Though most Android smartphones ship with Android 11, you’ll be hard pressed to find tablets running it. We recommend skipping over tablets running anything older than Android 10, with the exception of Amazon’s Fire lineup.

Speaking of Amazon, it and other large manufacturers like Samsung like to put their own spin on Google’s OS, adding a bevy of features, new app stores, and completely revamped user interfaces. It’s not for everyone, but those who are familiar with Amazon’s Fire OS or Samsung’s One UI should give the latest devices from each company a try. And if you’re already heavily invested in Amazon’s ecosystem, you might want to stick with one of the latest Fire tablets.

The Best Christmas Android Tablet Deals This Week*

*Deals are selected by our partner, TechBargains

Even if you don’t have the most recent OS iteration, Android continues to be the most configurable tablet operating system you’ll find. It’s a master multitasker, with an excellent notification system and top-notch integration with Google services like Gmail, Meet, and Google Maps.

Android is home to plenty of great apps, though there are far fewer tablet-specific versions than you’ll find on Apple’s App Store, and they tend to be updated less frequently.

Should You Buy a Cellular or Wi-Fi Tablet?

All of the major carriers offer a small selection of cellular-enabled tablets. It’s easy to find them on promotion when you’re upgrading your plan or bundled with a new smartphone purchase. Tablet data plans tend to run around $10 a month, although some carriers offer daily plans.

T-Mobile sells unlocked tablets, but some have very limited band support if you decide to switch carriers. AT&T and Verizon tablets are locked by default, but Verizon will unlock tablets 60 days after purchase, provided they’re paid off. If you’re thinking of switching to a different carrier in the near future, you’ll want to check out LTE band support to make sure your tablet will work without any hiccups.

Frequent travelers and car commuters will find cellular connectivity to be a must. If you’re the type who primarily uses your tablet for streaming at home, Wi-Fi connectivity will save you some money. Most carriers allow you to use your phone as a hotspot for those times when you’re not close to Wi-Fi, and many newer cars have LTE connectivity built in for road trips or keeping your child occupied while sitting in traffic. Of course, hotspotting will quickly burn through your phone battery, but that’s where power banks come in. You’ll want to check out your phone plan before making any decisions, though, because carriers limit the amount of data that can be used with a mobile hotspot.

Don’t Forget About Design

Performance on even the least expensive tablets is typically fine for media streaming or surfing the web. There’s also a slim chance you’ll see a software upgrade that offers a performance boost as well. What won’t change, however, is the build, so think twice before buying a tablet with a flimsy plastic body.

Low-cost tablets also tend to have dull 1,024-by-600 or 1,280-by-800 screens that can look grainy even to those who own budget phones. Higher-quality tablets are often in the 2,048-by-1,536 range, which is notably sharper.

There are plenty of bargain bin options out there promising the same Android experience as big names. Many of these off-label tabs are perfectly serviceable, but we recommend choosing a brand you can count on for software support and hardware quality control. For more, see our favorite budget-friendly models.

These are the best Android tablets we’ve tested. If you’re looking for a great phone to complement your new tablet, head over to our roundup of the best Android phones. Or if you want to look beyond the realm of Android, check out our roundups of the best tablets overall, which includes our favorite Apple options.

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