The perfect tablet for your needs can be difficult to find, whether you’re wanting to outfit your children with inexpensive, long-lasting tablets for school or simply want a lovely iPad to keep near the sofa.
That’s because there are so many tablets with varying costs and features these days, which is why we keep this frequently updated list of the finest tablets available, based on our own testing. Every year, we review the best tablets from all of the main manufacturers to help you select the appropriate one. We tested them in our lab and in the real world, and we came to a few crucial findings regarding the best tablets on the market.
I’ve been reviewing tablets for years, and have reviewed many of the devices on this list myself. Together my team and I have decades of experience testing tablets, and based on our years of hands-on testing and reviews we recommend these slates as the best you can buy right now.
Best Tablets In 2024
- Apple iPad Pro 13
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
- OnePlus Pad
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
- Amazon Fire Max 11
Apple iPad Pro 13
Weight: 579g – Dimensions: 281.6 x 215.5 x 5.1 mm – OS: iPadOS 17 – Screen size: 13″ – Resolution: 2420 x 1668 – CPU: Apple M4 – Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB – microSD slot: No – Battery: Up to 10 hours – Rear camera: 12MP + LiDAR – Front camera: 12MP
The iPad Pro 13 (2024) is definitely the best and most powerful tablet available in 2024. It’s the largest iPad ever, at 13 inches, but it’s also the most advanced, featuring tandem OLED technology on an Apple XDR-branded display.
The new iPad Pro also includes an Apple M4 chip, making it as powerful as the greatest MacBooks. This model has 20% better thermal performance than the previous iPad Pro while providing four times the rendering capability. So, if you thought the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) was impressive, the iPad Pro 13 (2024) will blow you away.
For creative types, Apple’s new iPad Pro supports the amazing Apple Pencil Pro stylus, as well as the overhauled Magic Keyboard. When it comes to photography, you’ll receive a 12MP rear snapper, but you’ll need to use your phone for ultra-wide and telephoto images.
Naturally, you’ll have to pay a premium for the opportunity of having this particular tablet, and if all you want to do is video chat with pals and watch movies, it’s far excessive. If you want the best, go no farther than the iPad Pro 13 (2024).
Reasons to Buy:
- Beautiful OLED screen
- Future-proof M4 chip
Reasons To Avoid:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Weight: 732g – Dimensions: 326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5mm – OS: Android 14, OneUI 6.1 – Screen size: 14.6-inch – Resolution: 1848 x 2960 pixels – CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy – Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB – microSD slot: Yes – Battery: 11,200mAh – Rear camera: 13MP (wide) + 8MP (ultrawide) – Front camera: 12MP + 12MP
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a behemoth, and it’s much larger than most people need or want a tablet to be, but not if you’re a fan of having a huge, open canvas for drawing. Samsung isn’t just paying lip service to its artistic fans, either. It’s S Pen has always been built with familiar Wacom technology inside, making these devices serious tools for artists and doodlers alike.
The S Pen offers thousands of levels of pressure sensitivity, and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra can detect when the pen is tilted and adjust the flow of digital ink accordingly. There are tons of drawing tools built into this tablet from the start, including Samsungs’ popular social network just for drawing and art fans, Pen-Up.
Of course, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a super-powered Android tablet besides its drawing prowess. It’s huge display features a 1848 x 2960 resolution and silky 120Hz refresh rate, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset inside can power all of the most demanding productivity tasks.
The Galaxy Tab S9 Plus packs the same power and feature inside, so if you don’t need the gigantic display, we think the Plus model is the ideal premium Android tablet. If you need a bit more, especially for drawing and seeing your work on the largest screen possible, then the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the best drawing tablet you can buy.
Reasons To Buy:
- Samsung multitasking is better than iPad and Pixel Tablet
- Gorgeous display and blazing performance
- Value is surprisingly good compared to iPad Pro
Reasons To Avoid:
- Same price as a Macbook Air (M2)
- Faster charging would have been nice
- Flimsy keyboard and no easy S Pen storage
OnePlus Pad
Weight: 552g – Dimensions: 258 x 189.4 x 6.5 mm – OS: Android 14 with Oxygen – OS Screen size: 11.6-inch – Resolution: 2000 x 2800 pixels – CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 9000 – Storage: 128GB – microSD slot: No – Battery: 9,510mAh – Rear camera: 13MP – Front camera: 8MP
OnePlus’ debut tablet was outstanding, with many of the features we expect from OnePlus phones. It works with both OnePlus and Oppo phones, runs Android 13, has a sharp and brilliant LCD display with a refresh rate of 144Hz, a huge battery with 67W fast charging, and very loud speakers. Certainly, the iPad appears to be superior at being a tablet due to its huge selection of tablet-optimized apps, but the OnePlus comes close in terms of day-to-day use.
To be honest, we observed that its performance was not as fast as that of the finest phones. It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor, which is a step down from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in the majority of high-end Android phones, including the OnePlus 11. This meant that some demanding operations, such as using Adobe Lightroom, had enough lag to be bothersome. On the other hand, if you use it mostly for enjoyment, you should be alright.
Due to the weak Android tablet market, the OnePlus did not provide different storage options. It did, however, come in a nice green colour, which we appreciated in our assessment.
The OnePlus Pad’s minor faults are offset by its $479 price tag. The only true competition for Android enthusiasts are Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S tablets and Google’s Pixel Tablet, both of which are more expensive.
Reasons To Buy:
- Display is sharper than some iPad Pros
- A flagship tablet priced like a cheaper model
- Big battery and faster charging
Reasons To Avoid:
- Performance doesn’t match best phones
- One option for storage, RAM, color
- Stylo pen is pricey, needs charging
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE
Weight: 524g – Dimensions: 9.98 x 6.51 x 0.26 inches – Ports: USB-C, microSD – Screen size: 10.9 inch – Resolution: 2304 X 1440 pixels – CPU: Samsung Exynos 1380 8 x 2 – 2.4 GH – Storage: 128GB – cameras: only rear 8 MP – Battery: 8000 mAh
The Samsung Galaxy Tab series offers what most call the most refined tablet experience on the Android market. Extremely similar to the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, the smaller S9 Fan Edition features the same OneUI OS implementation users love, at a significantly lower price than its more powerful siblings.
Predictably, it sacrifices some notable high-end Tab S9 features to get its price so low. Its LCD panel’s nowhere near a premium OLED panel, but it’s still bright, colorful, and absolutely fine for most users. The biggest compromise comes in the form of its Exynos 1380 SoC, which underperforms compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship Tab S9s received. But as long as you avoid extremely resource-heavy apps or extensive multitasking, you shouldn’t have any problems.
The biggest reasons to opt for a Galaxy tablet are the software’s generally user-friendly and customizable design, and how well it supports stylus functionality. Pen precision and palm rejection are as good as they get, and OneUI includes a number of features for streamlining work. It even comes with the stylus included.
While it was pretty pricey for a midrange tablet at launch, the high-end build quality, included S Pen, and highly praised software now make it a close contender for best value. To really step up its handwritten note abilities, we recommend picking up a paper-like Tab S9 FE screen protector.
Reasons To Buy:
- Premium, polished design
- Big, bright screen
- Epic battery life
- Bundled S Pen stylus
Reasons To Avoid:
- Lacking power
- No 5G version
Amazon Fire Max 11
Weight: 490 g – Dimensions: 259.1 x 163.7 x 7.5 mm – OS: Amazon Fire OS – OS Screen size: 11 inch – Resolution: 2,000 x 1,200 – CPU: Mediatek MTK8188J – Storage: 64GB – microSD slot: yes – Battery: 7500mAh – Rear camera: 8MP – Front camera: 8MP
With the Fire Max 11, Amazon finally moves beyond the ultra-cheap tablet sector. It fared admirably on our benchmark testing and seems quick to use in real-world situations. The 11-inch, 2,000-by-1,200-pixel display is large and sharp enough to appreciate movies and large-format reading material, and the build quality is superior to other products in the company’s lineup.
If you like the simplicity of Amazon’s Fire OS platform or want the largest screen for the price, the Fire Max 11 is the way to go.
Reasons To Buy:
- Affordable 4K
- Up to 160Hz refresh overclocked
- Great panel performance
- No frills approach
- Handy USB hub
Reasons To Avoid:
- Stand is pretty basic
- DisplayHDR 400 isn’t much