Tablet: Collection of the best tablet to purchase in 2021

If you’re looking for the best new tablet to buy, you’ve come to the right place.

While the iPad looms large over this category, there’s actually still plenty of choice in tablets both big and small.

We’ve also included some 2-in-1 devices that are basically full Windows PCs, but the key is that they have a detachable keyboard rather than being a laptop – check out our guide to the best laptops as well.

Remember that in tablets, newest doesn’t always mean best – the tablet category moves a lot slower than phones, so a tablet that’s even a couple of years old is still worth considering. Here are the best tablets to consider, ordered by size.

1. Amazon Fire 7

Best for the students

Specifications

• 7″ IPS display; 16 or 32 GB of internal storage (add up to 512 GB with microSD)
• Faster 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
• Up to 7 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching video, and listening to music
• Hands-free with Alexa, including on/off toggle
• 1 GB of RAM
• 2 MP front and rear-facing cameras with 720p HD video recording
• Dual-band Wi-Fi

The Amazon Fire 7 won’t win any awards for its design, but it does offer a solid build, great value for money and seamless integration with your Amazon account. Its screen resolution isn’t the best, it’s not the quickest to charge and the battery life could be better, but the Fire 7 is easy to recommend for anyone looking for a tablet for kids.

If you want something larger than your phone for browsing and shopping, or watching catch-up

TV or movies in bed, then Fire 7 is a great choice. It’s a tablet that is so affordable, it’s almost disposable. As a bedside companion or travel pacifier for the children, the Fire 7 should be the among first devices that you consider.

BEST FOR VIDEO PLAYBACK AND ZOOM

2. Amazon Fire 8 HD

Excellent value for the price

Specifications

The Fire HD 8 sits in a sweet spot between Amazon’s incredibly good value Fire 7 and the larger Fire HD 10. While the performance and features of the Fire HD 8 betters those of the Fire 7, it also manages to outlast the Fire HD 10, making it a slightly more enticing proposition for those who want to travel with it.

The Fire HD 8 positions itself well for entertainment, especially for those who are Prime members, where the value for money cannot be disputed. Whether you’re a globetrotter, looking for a travel tablet, or just something to entertain your kids, the Fire HD 8 is well worth considering. At this price point, there’s very little else that comes close.

Amazon tablets don't have access to the Google Play store, so they have considerably fewer apps available. There are plenty of people who have hacked the Play store onto Amazon tablets, but that violates both Amazon's and Google's terms of service and can't be considered a reliable solution. Though they have their own app store, which is a subset of Google Play, you should consider Amazon tablets designed to be used with the apps Amazon recommends.

3. Apple iPad mini (2019)

The best (and only) small tablet

Specifications

• 7.9-inch Retina display with True Tone and wide color
• A12 Bionic chip
• Touch ID fingerprint sensor
• 8MP back camera, 7MP Face Time HD front camera
• Stereo speakers
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• Up to 10 hours of battery life

The Apple iPad mini 5 is faster, slimmer and more accomplished than its predecessor. It’s now supremely powerful and is as much iPad as many people will need; a lovely, compact tablet with an anti-reflective screen coating that makes it good for watching movies, playing games, and reading or writing on the go.

As well as unparalleled power for its price point, the 2019 iPad mini retains the device’s most recognisable features: the 7.9-inch screen size alongside Touch ID. Expect Face ID to come to its successor, though.

4. Apple iPad 10.2 (2020)

Probably the best choice for most

Specifications

• 10.2-inch (25.91 cms) Retina display
• A10 Fusion chip
• Touch ID fingerprint sensor and Apple Pay
• 8MP back camera, 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera
• Stereo speakers
• Manufacturer Details: Apple Inc, One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA
• Importer Details: Apple India Private Limited, No.24, 19th Floor, Concorde Tower C, UB City, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore- 560001

The Apple iPad 10.2 (2020) is the entry point into the larger iPads, offering a 10.2-inch display, Smart Connector for keyboard and accessory support. It misses a couple of features off its list compared to the more expensive iPads, such as Face ID, an anti-reflective display and True Tone, but this tablet remains one of the best affordable tablets money can buy at this size.

It has the ideal performance for apps and media consumption, an affordable price point, Apple Pencil support (first gen) and iPadOS is excellent for multi-tasking. Despite numerous other iPad options, the iPad 10.2 (2020) is the perfect iPad option for many – as there’s no better entry-level tablet around.

5. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

Cheaper, and still quite great

Specifications

• 26.31 Centimeters (10.4-inch) TFT with 2000 x 1200 pixels resolution, 16M color support
• Ergonomic S-Pen included in box
• 8MP primary camera | 5MP front facing camera
• Dual Speaker with Dolby Atmos
• Andoid 10 operating system with 2.3GHz Exynos9611 Octa Core processor
• 4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory expandable up to 1TB
• 7,040mAH lithium-ion battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a cheaper version of the Galaxy Tab S6, and rather than offering a smaller tablet it instead loses a couple of high-end specs to keep the price down.

Samsung hasn’t included a top-end chip set or the greatest cameras here, but it’s far more affordable than a lot of the other options you’ll find on this list.

BEST FOR MULTIMEDIA AND GAMING

6. Apple iPad Air 4 (2020)

Why go Pro when the Air is this good?

Specifications

• Stunning 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone and P3 wide colour
• A14 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
• Touch ID for secure authentication
• 12MP back camera, 7MP FaceTime HD front camera
• Available in Silver, Space Grey, Rose Gold, Green and Sky Blue
• Wide stereo audio
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and 4G LTE Advanced mobile data

The Apple iPad Air (2020) is pricier than the iPad 10.2 above but it’s a lot like the more expensive iPad Pro models, just without the name and Face ID.

This iPad delivers a powerful and speedy performance, uniform bezels, Touch ID in the power button, USB-C, a battery life that will last all day, great features like Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support and the iPadOS user interface only improves the experience. With a good price point, the iPad Air (2020) is a very compelling offering.

BEST FOR AR AND VIDEO EDITING

7. Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020)

The best tablet you can buy right now

Specifications

• 12.9-inch (32.77 cms) edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color
• A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine
• 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner
• 7MP TrueDepth front camera
• Face ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay
• Four speaker audio and five studio-quality microphones
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6

The 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro is a quite exceptional device that delivers a lovely design, fantastic display and brilliant performance that really is laptop-class. The second-generation Apple Pencil and redesigned keyboard might cost extra on top of an already pricey device, but they are great additions.

On the go, this model is a natural laptop replacement, making a number of things easier, especially with the iPadOS user interface. It might not completely replace the laptop in the office environment for everyone just yet, but it’s an exceptional tablet overall.

8. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

Samsung’s finest tablet yet

Specifications

• 11-inch(27.81 Centimeter) , LCD Display , WQXGA Resolution 2560 x 1600 , 276 PPI with 16M Colours
• 13MP AF + 5MP UW + Flash, 8MP FF
• 8000 mAh battery with 45W Type-C fast charger in the box
• 6GB RAM, 128GB Storage, with new Qualcomm SDM865 Pro, Octa-Core processor
• 1 year manufacturer warranty for Phone and 6 months warranty for in the box accessories.

Samsung’s latest flagship tablet is an absolute beast, and has a soaring price tag to match its specs.

You get a superb screen and brilliant internals to make for what is pretty clearly the all-round best Android tablet going right now. That said, being the best Android tablet doesn’t make you the best overall tablet, or indeed the best value.

However, if Android is your system of choice and you want a superb experience with no budgetary restrictions, this is a tempting option.

9. iPad Pro 10.5

This former flagship tablet is still one of our favorites

Specifications

• 10.5-inch Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone, and wide color
• A10X Fusion chip
• Touch ID fingerprint sensor
• 12MP back camera, 7MP FaceTime HD front camera
• Four speaker audio
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• Up to 10 hours of battery life

Screen adds a lot of expense iOS still isn’t a good laptop replacement

The iPad Pro 10.5-inch is one of the best tablets for anyone who wants a serious upgrade, even though the cheaper iPad 10.2 remains good enough for most people.

As a matter of fact, Apple’s iPad Pro 10.5 has standout features that give it a productivity boost, including Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard compatibility. With iPadOS on board this tablet is even a suitable laptop replacement for certain consumers

It’s an iPad for the professionals – but also one that media munchers will adore using.

10. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

Specifications

• Next-gen, best-in-class laptop with the versatility of a studio and tablet, so you can type, touch, draw, write, work, and play more naturally
• A more powerful Pro —faster than Surface Pro 6, with a laptop-class Intel Core processor and improved graphics.
• USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to displays, docking stations and more, as well as accessory charging
• Standout design that won’t weigh you down — ultra-slim and light Surface Pro 7 starts at just 1.70 pounds
• Battery life up to 10.5 hours, plus the ability to go from empty to full faster — about 80% in just over an hour.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has a refined design, a lovely keyboard that makes for a great typing experience – even if you do have to buy it separately – an excellent screen and plenty of power.

Battery life has improved over the previous generation and although this 2-in-1 tablet can get expensive to the point that a laptop might actually make more sense, it’s a really well made do-anything Windows device. With an official Type Cover clipped into place, the Surface Pro is a formidable machine that not only looks better than its rivals, but brings fewer compromises than many too.

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11. iPad 10.2 (2019)

Pretty fantastic i-pad

Specifications

• 10.2-inch (25.91 cms) Retina display
• A10 Fusion chip
• Touch ID fingerprint sensor and Apple Pay
• 8MP back camera, 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera
• Stereo speakers

The iPad 10.2 has been replaced in 2020 by a new affordable slate, but that doesn’t mean the 2019 model is not the best placed one for some. We’ve kept this in the list as we’re seeing the price drop, and the new model isn’t that much better.

This isn’t as high-tech as the iPad Pro models above, but it’s still a remarkably useful tablet. It comes with iPadOS right out of the box giving you all the latest features you’d expect from a tablet, plus it works with Apple Pencil and there’s a Smart Keyboard you can also use to make this a productivity device

The bottom line

Tablets are great for playing games, reading, doing homework, keeping kids entertained in the back seat of the car, and a whole lot more. Whether you’re looking for an Android or an Apple,

What’s a tablet without quality apps? If you want third-party apps specifically designed for a touch-screen interface, nothing out there beats the iPad and its huge library of programs and games designed specifically for Apple tablets. The App Store is well curated and monitored, offers a deep selection, and includes every popular app you can think of. If a wide range of compelling apps that look good and work well on your tablet is your main priority, Apple is your best bet.