The best tablets to buy in 2025
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Few brands are still innovating at the high end of the tablet market, but Samsung continues to stand out with its Galaxy Tab S series. For those seeking something more budget-friendly, they offer the Tab S10 FE, and even lower-priced options like the Galaxy Tab A9+. In the midrange space, there are a lot more options, vying for your undivided attention. Google has made waves with the Pixel Tablet, offering a fresh perspective on how tablets can integrate into daily life. Meanwhile, OnePlus keeps pushing, now with the OnePlus Pad 3 — a well-equipped, high-performance device that clearly draws inspiration from the iPad Pro.
Still, Apple remains the dominant player in the tablet space. Its iPad lineup spans a wide range — from budget-friendly models starting at $350 to the ultra-premium iPad Pro, which can exceed $2,000 depending on configuration. With such a broad spectrum, there's truly an iPad for nearly every user and use case.
It’s a great time to be shopping for a tablet — but the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in. We've evaluated the current lineup of tablets to help you cut through the noise and choose the best option for your needs and budget.
You'll also love these
No matter which side you're on, the list below surely contains a tablet that would serve you well.
Contents:
- Apple iPad Pro M5 (2025) — the best of Apple, arguably the best tablets right now
- Apple iPad Pro M4 (2024) — Good time to grab a discount before these are gone!
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra — Samsung's newest top-tier tablet, with S Pen
- Google Pixel Tablet — Google's unique mix of a tablet / smart home hub / smart speaker
- OnePlus Pad 3 — OnePlus' snappy tablet, with a good price-value ratio
- Apple iPad Air M3 (2025) — iPad Pro features at a stomachable price
- Apple iPad mini 7 (2024) — tiny iPad for maximized mobility
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE series — save some cash, get a tablet with an S Pen
- Amazon Fire HD 10 — low-cost tablet with productivity features
- Microsoft Surface Pro 11 — Microsoft's latest tablet that is also a PC
Apple iPad Pro M5 (2025)
The iPad Pro models from 2025 are in a class of their own. With the Tandem OLED display system, they are bright, sharp, clear, with infinite contrast and no blooming effects like the mini-LED from the recent past. The M5 chip, again, confidently debuted on the iPads, leaving Mac owners jealous (for a short period).
But iPadOS 26 is what ties this all in a neat little bow. Apple finally — finally — gave us true multi-tasking. No, not Stage Manager, but actual multi-window mode where you can freely adjust and place apps anywhere on screen. And, get this, background tasks. So, moving focus away from Final Cut while it is rendering will not stop the render anymore!
This has been long overdue, sicnce iPad Pros are quite expensive — up to MacBook Pro prices, especially if you include the excellent (but also expensive) Magic Keyboard in your cart.
Quad stereo speakers, excellent screens, and the best hardware you can find on a tablet — that's what both the iPad Pro M5 11" and 13" are. They do ask a pretty penny for it, but if you are an avid tablet user, you will be enjoying these every day for the foreseeable future.
Here's another tip — M4 models are also still out there and will be hitting clearance prices soon. These are absolutely nothing to snark at and get all the new features of iPadOS 26. Plus, they are the first models that got Tandem OLED, so you get to enjoy that as well!
Apple iPad Pro M4 11- and 12.9-inch (2024)
The 2024 iPad Pro models have now been discontinued, meaning you will have a few months before they get cleared off the shelves. These will become deal fodder pretty fast — retailers will be looking to sell them off during events like Prime Day or Black Friday.
You will get the full power of the Apple M4 chip — it's still quite good for Macs, we are pretty sure it's overkill for iPads. Plus, you get the new Tandem OLED panels — dual-layered OLEDs that increase contrast and brightness and look lovely. They also feature the 120 Hz ProMotion, quad speakers, USB C port with Thunderbolt (40 Gbps) speed.
Additionally, these support the new metal Magic Keyboard, which makes them look even more like a laptop, and the Apple Pencil Pro 2 with its tilt and squeeze mechanics. Unfortunately, those two accessories are pricey separate buys. The good news is that they are absolutely fantastic at what they do.
With iPadOS 26, you now get background processes (keep rendering when the window is not focused), multi-window, an actual mouse cursor, and a lot more Mac-like workflow features.
You will get the full power of the Apple M4 chip — it's still quite good for Macs, we are pretty sure it's overkill for iPads. Plus, you get the new Tandem OLED panels — dual-layered OLEDs that increase contrast and brightness and look lovely. They also feature the 120 Hz ProMotion, quad speakers, USB C port with Thunderbolt (40 Gbps) speed.
With iPadOS 26, you now get background processes (keep rendering when the window is not focused), multi-window, an actual mouse cursor, and a lot more Mac-like workflow features.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is Samsung's reply to the 13-inch iPad Pro. And yes, it's massive. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is the 4th generation now, and the second generation to be powered by a MediaTek chip instead of Qualcomm. Now with the Dimensity 9400+, it can't brag for getting the top scores in benchmarks, but it's still quite a robust and dependable chipset.
It comes with an S Pen ready in the box, which is fair for the asking price. The software is crafted and optimized for multi-tasking, too — whether you like the Android side with full split-screen and some floating apps, or you engage DeX, which simulates a desktop platform and experience. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra can be a casual laptop replacer and a huge canvas for artists to work on.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review
If the Tab S11 Ultra is a bit expensive, do check out the more affordable Tab S11. It doesn't cut out on a lot of features and, this year, even the smaller 11-inch Galaxy Tab S11 comes with a beautiful Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel. Literally, their difference can be boiled down to screen size (and the subsequent body size and weight, of course).
An 11-inch screen is still a pretty good canvas, and has the added benefit that it's easier to carry around under your arm. It also has its own Book Cover Keyboard accessory to fit its size. That is an aftermarket purchase, unlike the S Pen, which comes in the box. Though, we'd encourage you to look for a third party keyboard anywhere, as Samsung's models still need some work — they feel spongy.
That aside, the Galaxy Tab S11 may become your favorite Netflix machine that can also do office work. Especially if you hook it up to an external monitor for even more floating windows1
Google Pixel Tablet
The Pixel Tablet was teased for a long, long while before Google finally released it later in 2023. It's... a peculiar middle-road solution that tries a slightly different spin on the familiar tablet formula.
What's special about it? Well, it comes with its own speaker / charging dock. When the Pixel Tablet is docked, its screen becomes a smart home hub, a-la Nest Home. And the speaker is — supposedly — of high quality, so it should be able to fill your room with your favorite music if you wish it to. From our experience with the Nest speakers, we are quite confident that this one will, indeed, sound pretty good.
As for raw power — the tablet is not top-tier in specs, but it's built with the casual user in mind. You know, Netflix binging, book or article reading, and some gaming should be on the agenda. Video editing or audio production — not so much.
Oh, also, the Pixel Tablet does not come with a stylus but does support the new USI 2.0 standard, which means it will work with styli built for USI (it's a unifying standard agreed upon by multiple manufacturers).
OnePlus Pad 3
The OnePlus Pad 3 keeps growing, now with a 13.2-inch screen. It's an LCD panel, but it happens to look marvelous, and get bright enough for most environments. It's also impressive with its sound — four woofers and four tweeters deliver huge, wide, massive sound. Very clearly, the OnePlus Pad 3 is an excellent choice for media — you can play games, you can watch movies, or even listen to music and enjoy it.
The tablet does have aftermarket accessories such as a keyboard and stylus. They aren't as excellent or well-developed — the keyboard is always finnicky to set up, as it doesn't sit like a Magic Keyboard, despite what the marketing materials try to portray. And the pencil is not as fine, accurate, or robust as an S Pen or Apple Pencil. It's not inaccurate, mind you, just not as pleasing.
The tablet does have aftermarket accessories such as a keyboard and stylus. They aren't as excellent or well-developed — the keyboard is always finnicky to set up, as it doesn't sit like a Magic Keyboard, despite what the marketing materials try to portray. And the pencil is not as fine, accurate, or robust as an S Pen or Apple Pencil. It's not inaccurate, mind you, just not as pleasing.
Read more: OnePlus Pad 3 review
iPad Air M3 (2025)
The iPad Air got an unexpected refresh in early 2025, now powered by an M3 chip. Kind of weird, it's probably that Apple just decided to free up the production lines and stop making the M2.
That said, some things remain unchanged. The iPad Air M3 still lacks a high refresh rate, sticking with a 60Hz LCD display — sharp and vibrant but not as smooth as the Pro’s OLED with the 120 Hz ProMotion refresh rate. The USB-C port is limited to USB 3 speeds (10 Gbps) rather than Thunderbolt (40 Gbps), meaning it’s fast but not the fastest, but certainly much better than the base iPad A16 with its USB 2 speeds.
It now supports a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, which is basically the OG Magic Keyboard for iPad from 2020, now with a function key row. The iPad Air M3 supports both the Apple Pencil USB C and Apple Pencil Pro.
The new 13-inch iPad Air is perfect for those who want a larger screen without the iPad Pro price tag. It starts at $799 for 128GB, while the 11-inch model comes in at $599 for 128GB. As always, accessories are sold separately.
And here’s the kicker: The M3 chip brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing, further closing the gap between the Air and the Pro. So remind me again—why do we even need an iPad Pro?
That said, some things remain unchanged. The iPad Air M3 still lacks a high refresh rate, sticking with a 60Hz LCD display — sharp and vibrant but not as smooth as the Pro’s OLED with the 120 Hz ProMotion refresh rate. The USB-C port is limited to USB 3 speeds (10 Gbps) rather than Thunderbolt (40 Gbps), meaning it’s fast but not the fastest, but certainly much better than the base iPad A16 with its USB 2 speeds.
It now supports a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, which is basically the OG Magic Keyboard for iPad from 2020, now with a function key row. The iPad Air M3 supports both the Apple Pencil USB C and Apple Pencil Pro.
And here’s the kicker: The M3 chip brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing, further closing the gap between the Air and the Pro. So remind me again—why do we even need an iPad Pro?
Read more: iPad Air (2025) review
Apple iPad mini (2024)
The iPad mini got a silent refresh with just a press release. It's now powered by an Apple A17 Pro processor inside and the main point of the update was to bring Apple Intelligence to the smallest iPad, it seems.
Smallest, but not cheapest. The iPad mini starts at $500 it’s a bit steep and definitely a device geared only towards those that are looking for a compact tablet experience. It's not ideal for watching videos or playing games, and it doesn't support enhanced features like Stage Manager. It's there for book reading and more convenient web browsing mostly, but quick sketching, too.
If you are looking for a more affordable iPad experience, that'll come from the iPad 10th gen. However the latter was released in 2022 and is a bit old now. It definitely won't get Apple Intelligence features with its old A14 Bionic chip. Whether Apple will refresh this basic iPad is still a mystery.
Back to the iPad mini, it definitely lives up to its name — it's smaller than most other tablets on the market, yet it packs a punch. It has a long battery life, and still supports the high quality apps that inhabit the Apple ecosystem. It will also work with the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB C.
If you are not after the compact size of the iPad mini, but on the hunt for a bargain tablet — look at other iPad models.
Back to the iPad mini, it definitely lives up to its name — it's smaller than most other tablets on the market, yet it packs a punch. It has a long battery life, and still supports the high quality apps that inhabit the Apple ecosystem. It will also work with the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB C.
If you are not after the compact size of the iPad mini, but on the hunt for a bargain tablet — look at other iPad models.
Read more: iPad mini 6 review
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE series
The Galaxy Tab FE line was a bit of a surprise, but it seems Samsung saw demand for the same big screens and S Pen use in more affordable packaging.
So, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ has a pretty large 13.1" LCD screen and is powered by a homemade Samsung Exynos 1580 chip. Further down the list of downgrades — it has two speakers instead of four.
It still performs fairly well and supports DeX. It still comes with the S Pen in the box. It's basically the core Samsung experience without being overkill on specs or price. Well... it does go overboard with the size, but there's a smaller model:
Basically the same as the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+, but in a more manageable 10.9" format. 11-inch screens seem to be the golden standard between portability and productivity for tablets. They do feel a bit constraining when it comes down to really focusing on work, but you do have the option to connect an external monitor here and float more windows in a more comfortable environment. Meanwhile, you are not constrained by a massive 13" size — fit this in any bag, or just carry it under your arm.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023)
"Best tablet" can mean a lot of things and while Amazon's Fire HD 10 can't keep up with the rest of the tablets on this list when it comes to specs, it has them all beat in one department: the price.
It is affordable enough as it is, though you can shave some money off its final price if you opt into the Amazon lockscreen ad program — something you choose when buying an Amazon Fire Tablet from the website.
Amazon updated it in 2023 to keep its hardware up to par, but make no mistake — this is a low-power tablet. It has 3 GB of RAM and 32 / 64 GB of storage. Chuck it in the corner of the kitchen to have movies playing in the background or talk to Alexa, read books on it, or hand it to the kid for some light mobile gaming. It's not a powerhouse, but does basic tablet tasks for about $100. There are accessories for it, such as a keyboard and stylus, but we wouldn't go that far investing in a low-power tablet.
While the Fire HD 10 is technically an Android tablet, it's running on a heavily modified Amazon-centered software and doesn't come with Google's Play Store (there are ways to install it, if you insist). Still, Amazon's own app store offers enough variety to fit the relatively narrow focus of this tablet, so for most people this won't be an issue.
Amazon updated it in 2023 to keep its hardware up to par, but make no mistake — this is a low-power tablet. It has 3 GB of RAM and 32 / 64 GB of storage. Chuck it in the corner of the kitchen to have movies playing in the background or talk to Alexa, read books on it, or hand it to the kid for some light mobile gaming. It's not a powerhouse, but does basic tablet tasks for about $100. There are accessories for it, such as a keyboard and stylus, but we wouldn't go that far investing in a low-power tablet.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
Microsoft updated its Surface Pro tablets with the new Surface Pro 11 — launched in June, 2024. Now with the Copilot key in the keyboards and Snapdragon X processors. It comes in various memory options, with 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB of storage. RAM options are also pretty generous, starting at 16 GB and topping off at 32 GB. It runs full Windows 11 and is the closest you can get to PC experience on any tablet — it runs Windows 11 out of the box.
Microsoft promises a full day of work from it, so the Surface Pro 11 is supposed to be your digital nomad's tool with full Windows functionality.
Its starting price is $999 for Snapdragon X Plus and LCD screen. If you want a Snapdragon X Elite and OLED, the starting price jumps to $1,499.
No headphone jack, though. Yes, other tablets in this list suffer from this, too, but it's disappointing to see this "laptop-like tablet" also remove it.
Its starting price is $999 for Snapdragon X Plus and LCD screen. If you want a Snapdragon X Elite and OLED, the starting price jumps to $1,499.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 served proudly as Microsoft's top-tier tablet for three years. Now, it's being kept around as a slightly cheaper option. That doesn't make it bad — 18 months is barely enough for modern hardware to feel "aged". So, you might as well just go for a Surface 9!
The downside is that its specs options are sporadically available across different websites. The upside is that it's often discounted further over at Amazon and Best Buy!
It also comes loaded with Windows 11, supports the Surface Pen and Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard.
It also comes loaded with Windows 11, supports the Surface Pen and Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard.
Conclusion
So, what are the best tablets around? Apple's iPads are pretty hard to beat as they offer tons of value on every price tier. Well, maybe the large Pros are past a certain price-value threshold.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 line was a pleasant surprise since it launched with an ambitious setup — it has been a while since any Android manufacturer took a hard swing at making an actual premium tablet experience, and we do believe that it can draw customers away from the iPad.
And Microsoft's Surface Pro line has a devout following of fans who simply enjoy having a full-fledged Windows on a portable slab. Admittedly, it's a device for the ones that are feeling a bit more adventurous, but it has definitely proven its worth as a professional's work tool.
What to consider when buying a tablet:
- Performance - there's a very wide variety when it comes to performance in the world of tablets. Apple's iPad Pros literally have desktop-grade processors in their thin bodies, and even Microsoft packs Intel Core CPUs in the Surface Pros.
The question is — what are you going to do with this tablet? A multimedia machine for Netflix binging? Then you really don't need the cutting-edge hardware. Light mobile gaming? You will do fine with a midranger, as mobile games are usually optimized to work on any type of hardware.
Want to do some creative work on it and have it be a viable device for the forseeable future? Definitely invest in a more powerful tablet, as that headroom will come in handy a few years from now.
- Screen size - for most people's use cases, tablets are supposed to feel portable. We find that an 11-inch screen, a-la iPad Pro / Air or Galaxy Tab S8 kind of hits the sweet spot. The screen feels large enough to be comfortable for most uses, yet the entire device is easy to slip into almost any kind of bag.
- Storage - in 2025, mid-tier tablets and above typically start at 128 GB. That's usually good enough for most users. Typically, smartphone people might consider this to be on the low side, but keep in mind that you won't be shooting pictures or 4K video with that tablet on the regular, right?
Though, if you do intend to do video editing or other type of creative work that involves storing and shuffling many media files on the device, definitely consider at least 256 GB.
Gamers should be fine, as mobile games don't take a whole lot of space (well, unless you plan on installing 20 or so). And casual media enjoyers will probably be streaming their entertainment from the cloud, so storage isn't a huge concern.
- Battery life - most tablets, even the iPad mini, usually meet somewhere between 6 and 10 hours of screen-on time. It depends on what type of apps they are running, but if you are browsing battery life tests online, see that it can hit about 7 hours of YouTube streaming or more. You should be good then.
Should I go for iOS or Android?
As such, there are plenty of hardware accessories, and a ton of apps for many, many use cases. From musicians, to artists, to photographers — everyone can find something to do on an iPad. Then, there's gaming and Apple Arcade, Apple TV+ for your entertainment needs. For a long time, even Android fans would have an Android phone and an iPad for a tablet.
Nowadays, however, Android has also gotten better. Makers of Android tablets usually lean in heavily into the split screen and multitasking functionalities that the platform allows. There is definitely value to be had if you go Android — either you get an affordable price offer, or you get to enhance your Samsung ecosystem if you already have a Galaxy phone.
We still lean towards iPadOS due to the robustness of the ecosystem and it readily being able to handle more specific tasks for artists and professionals, but there are definitely Android tablets out there that can get the job done for general use cases.
Use PhoneArena's tool for tablet specs comparison.
Follow us on Google News
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: