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With a discrete graphics card, a top-tier processor, and an eye-catching design, the ROG Flow Z13 is the best Windows tablet you can buy for everything.
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Google's first Pixel-branded tablet isn't a productivity powerhouse. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a better Android device for media consumption/
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Pros
Runs Google's Pixel UI
Comes with magnetic charging/speaker stand
Three OS updates and five years of security updates
Tablets are versatile tools that can touch all facets of your life. The best tablets can surpass expectations to be your ultimate workhorse. They enable amazing productivity and allow you to enjoy your favorite games, streaming videos, books, or websites. Not all tablets are created equally, though.
After testing a wide variety of today’s top-rated tablets, we found that Apple’s 2022 iPad Air
(available at Amazon)
is the best tablet for most people. Apple’s powerful M1 chip and the even-newer M2 chip drive performance and provide longevity to the devices they’re placed in, making for hardware that’ll serve you well for years to come.
People who prefer working with Microsoft’s Windows operating system should consider the Asus’ ROG Flow Z13 (available at Best Buy). This amazing tablet is a productivity, creative, and gaming powerhouse.
If you're an Android user, the OnePlus Pad is an outstanding choice. Its power, build quality, and premium feature set make it a tablet to be reckoned with.
Whether you're trying to get serious work done on the move or just stream Netflix, there's a great tablet on this list for you.
Best Overall
Apple iPad Air (5th Gen, Wi-Fi, 2022)
Dimensions: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches
Weight: 1.02 pounds
OS: Apple iPadOS
Screen size: 10.9 inches
Resolution: 2360 x 1640 pixels
CPU: Apple M1
Storage: 64GB, 256GB
The Apple iPad Air, like the iPad Pro, features the company’s laptop-class M1 chip, helping it deliver the same performance and much of the core experience as the more expensive Pro.
The Air doesn’t have some of the extras of the Pro, like FaceID, an extra camera, and a LiDAR sensor on the back. Still, both tablets run on iPadOS, so there’s nothing that you’re missing software-wise by choosing the Air.
If you plan to do more than casual web browsing, we recommend the 256GB option rather than the 64GB, as the upgrade will give you plenty of storage. However, with the upgrade cost and price of accessories like a Magic Keyboard, the iPad Air M1 can reach nearly the same cost as a MacBook Air M1.
The iPad Air has an excellent battery life, lasting about 10 hours for light browsing and 8 hours for more vigorous work. Even an hour or two of streaming movies or TV shows won’t kill the battery.
Asus' ROG Flow Z13 is an incredible jack-of-all-trades gaming tablet.
Best Windows Tablet
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022)
Dimensions: 11.89 x 8.03 x 0.47 inches
Weight: 2.60 pounds
OS: Windows 11
Screen size: 13.4 inches
Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels
CPU: Intel Core i9-12900H
Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Asus’s phenomenal ROG Flow Z13 is the full-fledged gaming tablet that we wish we could see from the Microsoft Surface line. It outperforms every major tablet on the market—and it looks so darn cool while doing it, too.
The Z13 is the fastest, true all-around tablet you can get currently. We tested the top-tier model, which comes with an Intel Core i9-12900H. It’s faster in single-core and multi-core synthetic benchmarks than Apple’s M1 Max chip and AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900HX and Ryzen 9 6900HX. It also renders 3D images in Blender up to 90 seconds faster than all three of those chips.
It’s no slouch in gaming, either, although its an entry-level RTX 3050 Ti graphics card means you will need to turn down the graphics settings and/or enable DLSS in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077. Unlike the 2-in-1 gaming laptop Asus released last year, the Z13 has a fully detachable keyboard that also functions as a screen cover. Like its big sibling, this tablet has a proprietary connection to one of Asus’ external GPUs if you need more gaming power.
This tablet’s one major downfall is its battery life, which is just under five hours. That’s not five hours of gaming, either: that’s just everyday internet use like browsing the web or watching videos on YouTube.
For a main machine, you might be better off looking at gaming or creator laptops or sticking with the Apple iPad Pro. But if you’re looking for a unique and portable secondary machine, that short battery life might not be an issue.
The Apple iPad Mini 6th-gen is much smaller in size compared to the standard iPad.
Best Compact Tablet
Apple iPad Mini (2021)
Dimensions: 7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25 inches
Weight: 10.4 ounces
OS: Apple iPadOS
Screen size: 8.3 inches
Resolution: 2266 x 1488 pixels
CPU: Apple A15
Storage: 64GB, 256GB
The iPad Mini is defined by its size. It’s easy to hold for longer periods of time even when reclining or gripping the device one-handed. It’s ideal for taking notes with the second-gen Apple Pencil. You can support it comfortably with one hand while writing with the other.
Performance remains excellent. It outperforms the base iPad, landing closer to the iPad Air, and it’s quicker than most similarly-priced PC laptops. During testing, it was great as a day-to-day use device for tasks like streaming video, reading, and answering emails. But it can also power through heavier apps like 3D games and photo editors.
We do have a few complaints. The display is good but not as bright and enjoyable as iPad Pro models. Multitasking can be difficult due to the display’s compact size. Like the iPad Air, the Mini lacks Face ID facial recognition login and relies on Touch ID inconveniently bundled into the power button.
Still, the iPad Mini is the best choice for small tablet enthusiasts. Few competitors exist and those that do, like Amazon’s Fire HD 8 and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Lite, are far less powerful. The iPad Mini is as capable as the current-generation iPad Air but smaller.
The OnePlus Pad's bright, responsive 11.61-inch display makes every app and video on the tablet look like a million bucks.
Best Android Tablet
OnePlus Pad
Dimensions: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches
Weight: 1.02 pounds
OS: Android 13
Screen size: 11.6 inches
Resolution: 2800 x 2000 pixels
CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor
Storage: 128GB
The OnePlus Pad is an impressive first-generation Android tablet that gets so much right, it's easy to overlook its few faults. Its MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor and 8GB of RAM make it ideal for resource-hungry apps, such as Adobe Lightroom and Diablo Immortal. The tablet's design is modern, lightweight, and of the highest build quality. What's more, it's available in your favorite color--provided that color is Halo Green. We love that the OnePlus Pad supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3: two speedy standards that improve the tablet's overall performance. We were, however, disappointed by its 128GB of storage, with no option to upgrade via Micro SD card. With the increasing size of apps, video, and audio files, you could run out of room, fast.
While testing this tablet, we experienced a number of software glitches, including issues with setting the tablet up for the first time, and a malfunctioning on-screen keyboard. But again, this is a first-generation device. OnePlus will no doubt correct these problems in a future software update. . but they are likely to be resolved through future software updates. Although the additional accessories required to get the most out of the tablet can also increase the cost of ownership, the OnePlus Pad's fast and powerful performance, along with its outstanding build quality and fast charging capabilities, make it a good option for those looking for a high-end Android tablet.
Despite its flaws, this is an outstanding device that's a great option for anyone in the market for a high-end Android tablet.
Google's Pixel Tablet, takes a different approach to portable device user experience than many of its competitors have. Unlike brands like Apple and OnePlus, which offer a range of productivity accessories, Google's vision for its Pixel Tablet focuses on media consumption, rather than creation. It isn't designed as a productivity tool. But it shines as a device for watching videos, listening to music, and tasks like browsing the web or video chatting--especially when docked with its included magnetic speaker station. What's more, while docked, the tablet makes a great hub for controlling your smartphone devices.
Like all Android tablets, unfortunately, the Pixel Tablet's greatest enemy is its lack of tablet-optimized apps from The Google Play Store.
The iPad is compact enough to fit in most backpacks and bags, yet large enough to look great while web browsing or watching Netflix. Apps open quickly, multitasking feels responsive, and demanding 3D games look attractive. Battery life is solid, with up to 10 hours of video playback.
It also supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, which is great for jotting down notes. You can add a keyboard and mouse, as well, transforming the iPad into a barebones computer competitive with Microsoft’s Surface Go 3 and most Chromebooks.
The iPad is compatible with the same apps, Apple services, and most of the peripherals as the iPad Pro, too. And while it lacks the iPad Pro’s juggernaut specs, it’s a fraction of the price.
Apple does make a few other sacrifices to keep the price low. The display is glossy and a bit dim, so it can be difficult to use outdoors or near a sunlit window. Audio quality is unimpressive and lacks volume, and the design is old-fashioned. Overall, though, it is an excellent tablet.
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2, offers impressive performance and vivid visuals at a reasonable mid-range price. The highlight of this mid-range tablet is its OLED display--tech that is seldom seen in a device at this price point. The Tab P11 Pro's panel offers vivid colors, and deep black levels, and supports Dolby Vision/HDR10+. It features a 120Hz refresh rate, which, combined with the high-resolution screen, creates a smooth and responsive viewing experience.
During testing, the Tab P11 Pro performed reasonably well. It managed graphically intensive games at high-quality settings and frame rates. Its 120Hz OLED screen is optimal for gaming, especially for titles that support 120 frames per second. This, combined with its reasonably powerful processor, makes it a great choice for binge-watching shows from your favorite streaming service or, settling in for a bit of gaming.
However, it falls short in offering timely Android updates and the placement of its speakers is awkward.
Storage: 64GB or 128GB (expandable by up to 1TB with a micro-SD card)
Amazon's Fire Max 11 tablet packs a responsive eight-core MediaTek CPU, offering considerable speed for a budget device and can outperform competitors like Lenovo's Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 in certain tasks. However, we found that its gaming performance was only average. Many users will find that, no matter what they'd like to use this tablet for, they may be held back by the Amazon Appstore's meager selection of apps. Many of the apps that Android users take for granted, such as Google's suite of productivity tools, and AAA games, such as Diablo Immortal (which we typically use for testing) aren't available to download to the Fire Max 11.
The Fire Max 11's 2000 x 1200 LED display delivers vibrant, well-saturated colors and a decent brightness range. However, 4K YouTube videos are limited to 720p in the tablet’s browser-based player. That said, like the other tablets in Amazon's Fire lineup, it's held back by Fire OS. Built on the back of Android 11, the current version of Fire OS lacks modern features such as gesture controls and customization options, making it feel dated compared to other Android tablets.
Amazon has marketed the Fire 11 Max as a productivity tablet. At this time, we can't recommend it for this purpose. We've already mentioned its lack of important productivity apps; not having must-haves like Slack, Airtable, Jira Cloud, Confluence Cloud, PhotoShop Express, and Asana really puts the breaks on getting things done. The tablet's accessory keyboard and trackpad do just as much to stymie your workflow. The typing experience is passable, but navigating the tablet's numerous menus with its small and poorly calibrated trackpad makes getting around the Fire Max 11's display more difficult than it should be.
Suppose you like the idea of owning a Microsoft Surface Pro 8 for productivity tasks but prefer using a smaller device when the time comes to use your tablet, well, like a tablet. In that case, Microsoft's sturdy, magnesium-clad Surface Go 3 might make you happy, provided you can see your way past its faults.
It’s a delight to pick up and use with its keyboard detached to stream movies or browse the news. The built-in kickstand helps showcase the many viewing angles that the sharp PixelSense Display allows.
This tablet's Intel Pentium Gold processor and limited 4GB or 8GB RAM is sufficient for word processing, email, and some games. However, if you need a tablet for heavy-duty gaming or productivity tasks, such as processing photos in Adobe Lightroom, you should look elsewhere.
The Go 3 only comes with 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. Given the hefty storage requirements for Windows 11 and must-haves like Microsoft 365, that's not a lot of wiggle room for your photos, documents, and media files. A microSD card or a storage device attached to the lone USB-C slot can serve as workarounds, of course. But that’s an additional investment if you don’t already own them.
The Surface Go 3 also doesn’t include the keyboard cover or Surface Pen that you’ll need in order to effectively use Windows 11. Having to purchase these extras can suddenly make this slab a whole lot more expensive.
Storage: 32GB, 64 GB (upgradeable via Micro SD Card)
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8 shines as a budget tablet, ideal for Amazon Prime subscribers offering easy access to Amazon's most popular services like Amazon Prime Video, Audible, and Comixology. With its robust build quality and satisfactory performance for lightweight tasks, it's perfect for content consumption, despite its inability to match the power and versatility of competitors like the iPad Mini or Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. However, its lack of access to Google services and the Google Play Store limits its functionality.
With an 8-inch display, 2GB of RAM, and 32 or 64GB storage options expandable via MicroSD, the Fire HD 8 is designed for essential productivity and streaming needs. Its major drawbacks include a somewhat disappointing display resolution of 1,280 x 800 (189 PPI) and laggy app response times. Sound quality suffers too, with dual speakers delivering tinny, underwhelming audio.
The Fire HD 8's price structure is also worth noting. At the time that this guide was written, it ranged from $99.99 for 32GB with lockscreen advertising, to $144.99 for 64GB without ads. Users may find the additional cost of disabling lockscreen ads and the need for extra storage off-putting. Overall, if you're steeped in Amazon's ecosystem, the Fire HD 8 is a reasonable option. However, the absence of Google services, as well as mediocre audio and display quality may prompt some to consider investing in a pricier Android device.
To test the best tablets, we spend time using them as you would. After loading each device with the apps we use to work or to unwind (when they’re available), we spend days with each device to figure out how it works as a full-time companion.
Is it pleasant to hold and use for long periods of time? How are its speakers? Do its build quality and design make it feel like a sound investment?
In addition to documenting our subjective experiences with each of the tablets, we also carefully put them through tests our team has developed, including:
How easy it is to type 300 words using each tablet’s on-screen keyboard
How well each device handles editing a DMG or RAW format image in Adobe Lightroom Mobile (if the app is available to download)
How accurate a stylus is with each device, where applicable
How easy it is to browse the web using each tablet’s built-in browser
We also subject each tablet to a set of benchmarking tests. Provided the tablet can download and run the apps, each device in this guide was tested using 3DMark, GFXBench, and, in the case of Android devices, AnTuTu.
How to Choose the Best Tablet for You
Tablets are an excellent bridge between your phone and your computer. Here are some things to consider when looking for a tablet.
Operating System
While to some degree that's a matter of taste, most people will do best with iPadOS for its simplicity of use, stability, security, and the long-term free operating system and security updates that Apple provides.
Others prefer Windows 11 because of an almost endless variety of desktop and (considerably fewer) tablet applications that can be run on the platform.
Android is lauded by those who appreciate the ability to customize their tablet’s user experience and how easily files can be transferred between Android devices and a Windows 11 computer. But Android tablets often have shorter support cycles which can make them become obsolete, quickly.
Purpose
How you plan to use a tablet should be a big factor in what tablet you should purchase. A tablet used mostly for entertainment needs different features than one that will be used for productivity or educational purposes. Our favorite tablets can handle all these requirements to varying degrees.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered.
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The Reviewed staff is based in the heart of Cambridge, MA. Backed by our knowledgeable writers and rigorous test labs, we're working hard to make sure you can make the right decisions about what to buy.
Matthew S. Smith is a veteran tech journalist and general-purpose PC hardware nerd. Formerly the Lead Editor of Reviews at Digital Trends, he has over a decade of experience covering PC hardware. Matt often flies the virtual skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator and is on a quest to grow the perfect heirloom tomato.
Originally from Australia, Christian has long had a passion for gadgets and consumer electronics. Christian has experience reviewing products in all areas of the consumer tech world, and is dedicated to helping people find the best products for their lifestyle.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.