Want To Buy A Tablet
That's why we've distilled our knowledge from years of reviewing tablets and put together this handy tablet buying guide to help you make a better, more informed purchasing decision when you're choosing between all the different devices on store shelves.
want to buy a tablet
Fierce competition among tablet makers like Amazon, Lenovo, Google, and Samsung has helped lower the cost of entry for anyone interested in an Android tablet. Amazon has been the most successful at carving out a niche for itself, and it now offers multiple models of its Fire tablets for less than $100.
Google is also responsible for Chrome OS, the stripped-down operating system which runs on Chromebooks. Web browsing is the central focus of Chrome OS, though it can also download files and run Chrome apps, as well as Android apps from the Google Play Store. While most Chromebooks are laptops, there are a few great Chrome tablets on the market, including the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. These tablets are cheaper and less powerful than most, with lower-quality screens, but if you just need something for browsing the web, a Chrome tablet might be the perfect fit.
If you're prioritizing battery life, the Apple's iPad Pro 11-inch 2021 tablet lasted nearly 14 hours on a single charge, making it one of the longest-lived tablets we've yet tested. If you prefer Android, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE lasted just over 13 hours in our battery test.
But the Amazon's Fire HD 10 tablets we've tested (a foursome that includes the Amazon Fire HD 10/10 Plus and the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids/Kids Pro) are even longer-lived, lasting 14+ hours in our battery rundown regimen.
However, when it comes to iPads, the storage built in is all the storage you'll ever get. The 32 GB storage capacity of the base iPad is insultingly small, perhaps in order to encourage customers to pay $100 more to upgrade to 128 GB. All other iPad models start with at least 64 GB of storage, which is the bare minimum you should accept when buying a tablet.
First, do you want this tablet for yourself, or will it be shared among multiple people, say in a family or shared household? If it's just for you, feel free to pick whatever tablet most excites you. But if it's going to be shared among multiple people, you should know that Apple's iPads only allow one user account to be logged in at a time. While you can set up TouchID to allow multiple people to unlock the iPad with their fingerprints, they all have to share the same apps and home screen.
Android's ability to create restricted accounts is handy if you have kids, which brings up another important consideration: do you expect children to use this tablet? If so, an Android tablet's more robust account management features will make it easier for you to control what kids can do on the tablet. If you want something even more child-friendly, consider a kid-oriented tablet like the Amazon Fire Kids or Amazon Fire Kids Pro. Aimed at kids aged six to twelve years old, these tablets come in multiple sizes with child-friendly features like a year-long subscription to Kids+, a digital store that lets children request parental approval to download apps, and colorful drop-resistant case with a built-in stand.
One last thing to consider when shopping for tablets is what accessories (if any) you want to buy with your new device. While tablets were initially sold as devices tailor-made for media consumption, they've since evolved into reasonably respectable creation tools as well.
Specifically, there are two big accessory purchases worth considering for your new tablet, because they can significantly improve its capabilities. First, do you want to spend time doodling, jotting down notes, and otherwise writing or sketching on your tablet? If so, you'll need a quality stylus. If you're buying an iPad, your best bet is the magnetic Apple Pencil. However, if its ridiculous $120 asking price is too much to bear, there are also some great Apple Pencil alternatives out there from companies like Adonit and Logitech that are worth checking out.
If you're purchasing an Android tablet, you have access to all those Apple Pencil alternatives and more. But if you know you want a stylus up front, try to find a well-reviewed Android tablet that comes with a great stylus packed in, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 or the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite.
Second, do you want your tablet to double as a laptop in a pinch? If you plan to do much writing on it, it's wise to invest in a good tablet with a nice detachable keyboard. If you're buying an iPad, Apple sells a number of detachable keyboards (opens in new tab), though you should carefully verify that whatever you're buying is compatible with your tablet. Luckily Apple wants to sell you accessories, so there will be a handy option to add a compatible keyboard and stylus to your iPad purchase during the checkout process.
If you're buying an Android tablet, there are loads of third-party accessory options out there just waiting for you to peruse. In our experience, Samsung makes decent detachable keyboards for many of its Galaxy tablets, including the excellent Galaxy Tab S7. And of course, if you're interested in a Microsoft Surface tablet it's not a bad idea to invest in a Microsoft Surface Type Cover, since so much of the appeal of a Windows tablet is using it as a Windows laptop in a pinch.
It's surprisingly hard to find another tablet that performs as smoothly as Apple's iPad. The ninth-generation model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) uses the same A13 Bionic chip that powers the iPhone 11, which outclasses similarly priced slates. Sure, it looks like an iPad from five years ago, with thick borders around the screen and a classic home button (with Touch ID), but maybe that's what you want. It's the only iPad with this design anymore, and the only one that comes with an audio jack.
The best addition to the 2021 model is the 12-megapixel selfie camera with support for Center Stage. The camera will ensure you're always visible in the frame, handy if you're cooking and FaceTiming with mom. You also get Apple's class-leading ecosystem of tablet-optimized apps, which truly make this a slate capable of entertainment and work. The latter is especially true if you hook up Apple's Smart Keyboard (or a third-party alternative). It supports the first-gen Apple Pencil too, but this is the only iPad with a larger air gap between the glass and screen. There's a discernible space between your fingertip and the actual pixels, which makes using the iPad feel a little less natural than its siblings. If you need a slate for sketching, upgrade to another iPad.
Every time I boot up the Tab P11 Plus, I spend a few minutes trying to figure out exactly how Lenovo managed to make this tablet for under $300. The MediaTek Helio G90T chip inside is powerful enough that the P11 Plus rarely feels slow; even games like Dead Cells run well. The 11-inch LCD screen looks sharp, thanks to the 2K resolution, plus it gets really bright. It's slim and portable, yet large enough to watch TV shows, and the quad speakers sound great.
If you want to get some work done, Lenovo's Productivity Mode kicks in when it detects a Bluetooth keyboard. Apps go into a resizable windowed mode here, so it feels a bit more like a laptop. It's in no way a laptop replacement, but you can do some work on it in brief stints. When I tried to work on it in one sitting, it lasted around seven hours. But if you're using it for a few hours every day, you'll only have to recharge it on the third or fourth day. The two big downsides? Lenovo updated this slate to Android 12 but hasn't committed to anything beyond that, meaning no Android 12L. (You'll get two years of security updates.) There's also no headphone jack, so you'll need to use wireless earbuds or a USB-C adapter.
Amazon's Fire tablets aren't for everyone. They really push Amazon Prime services and apps, but they're great for leisurely tasks, like playing games and watching movies. There's no Google Play Store (though there's a workaround), and not every Android app is readily available. Still, for $150, it's hard to beat the 2021 Fire HD 10 (7/10, WIRED Recommends), which is our favorite Fire Tablet. It has enough power for most tasks, even some light work if you snag the Productivity Bundle Amazon sells, which includes a Bluetooth keyboard case and a year of Microsoft 365. There's a USB-C port, so you can charge it with the same cable as your laptop or Android phone, and it has hands-free Alexa support, meaning it can double as an Echo Show. If you snag the Fire HD 10 Plus model, you get an extra gig of RAM and wireless charging.
Paying the extra $20 for the Fire HD 8 Plus is wise, as you get extra RAM (which helps when you're scrolling the web or juggling multiple apps) and wireless charging, so you can recharge it on almost any charging pad. You can also use Amazon's wireless charging dock, which props up the tablet and turns it into an Echo Show while it's juicing up. Either way, consider picking up Amazon's magnetic cover to hold the tablet steady when you're bingeing TV shows.
If you want to do some work on your tablet, get Apple's iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Thanks to the M1 processor, it's the most powerful tablet for the money. You can play demanding games, edit batches of RAW photos, render 3D designs, and so much more. Apple's recent strides in iPadOS make it easier to multitask than ever, too. This slate delivers slim bezels around the 10.9-inch screen and USB-C for charging, and it supports the second-generation Apple Pencil (Amazon), which magnetically attaches to the top and recharges wirelessly. That also makes this one of the best tablets for sketching, as the laminated display offers a more natural drawing experience. There's no Face ID, but Touch ID is integrated into the power button.
If you're after a large-screen Android tablet experience but don't want to shell out for it, the Tab S7 FE (Fan Edition) is a good middle ground, and it regularly goes on sale. You get a spacious 12.4-inch LCD screen that's sharp and bright; the speakers are wonderful; and Samsung also includes the S Pen stylus, which magnetically sticks to the back of the slate. It's no Apple Pencil, but it does the job for simple doodles and for marking up documents. Samsung also has a keyboard cover you can buy separately if you want to type away on this tablet, and its DeX mode offers up a workable desktop-like experience. Where this tablet stands out is its long software support: It will get five years of security updates and three Android OS upgrades. Unfortunately, there's no headphone jack. 041b061a72