The best Android tablets are well-built gadgets with adequate processing power to run apps and games with little lag. They can run for a very long time on a single charge because they are power-efficient enough. Additionally, certain Android tablets can be just as dependable as laptops when equipped with a keyboard.
When it comes to Android tablets, Samsung is the industry leader thanks to its devices that run only Android and a huge selection of apps. Nonetheless, Fire tablets are a terrific option if you’re an avid Amazon user searching for a portable device to access your favorite Prime content on the move.
We evaluated a variety of Android tablets in the lab in an effort to assist you in selecting the best one, evaluating their performance and battery life as well as their screen quality. We’ve discovered that your choice may start with how many apps you want because not all of these Android tablets receive the same apps, which is something of a lingering question for even the finest Android tablets when it comes to app quality.
Here are the top Android tablets, according to our review and hands-on testing of dozens from manufacturers including Amazon, Samsung, Nokia, and more.
The top Android tablets available right now
1. S8 Galaxy Tab from Samsung
The Galaxy Tab S8 excels at being a high-end Android tablet despite being outstanding at many other areas as well. It can be used to complete tasks quickly, but in our experience, it works best as a quick all-purpose tool for enhancing the enjoyment of both work and play. It’s ideal for video games or comic book reading on the couch. It’s convenient to have at work as a secondary display or note-taking tool, especially if you take the opportunity to invest in the Galaxy ecosystem and make your workspace DeX-compatible.
The Samsung Tab S8 Ultra is undoubtedly what you want if you have to have the biggest, baddest Android tablet available, but if all you need is a superb premium Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S8 delivers and raises the bar for what we should anticipate from the category.
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
Fans have been waiting a long time for the affordable Android tablet. The Galaxy Tab A7 stands out among past iPad rivals thanks to its lower $219 price, which is $100 less than the iPad. Also, it has narrower bezels than the 10.2-inch iPad and an incredible 13+ hour battery life, allowing you to enjoy more of the movies and books you’re reading for a lot longer. You get facial recognition to unlock the device even at this price.
Also, it has USB-C charging capabilities, allowing you to use the same connection to charge modern smartphones and computers. While we would prefer it to be a little brighter or faster, it has the whole Android experience, including the Google Play app store and Google apps, so you are not limited to Gmail and YouTube on the web exclusively.
3. 13.5″ Lenovo Yoga Tab
The Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 is an Android tablet with a 13-inch display that is stunning and top-notch speakers. It gives the impression that you are watching movies and television shows on a traditional TV rather than a large tablet. Thanks to the quick Snapdragon 870 processor and 8GB of memory, gaming is also a treat. The slate’s 2K screen offers a little bit more versatility by serving as a second monitor for your laptop or tablet.
It’s not the most portable device out there, while being excellent at what it does. Because to its unique design, finding a protective cover is also all but impossible. A headphone jack and 5G compatibility are both lacking, which is disappointing. The Yoga Tab 13 is still a fantastic option if you’re looking for an entertainment-focused tablet that you don’t plan to carry about often.
4. Amazon Fire 10 HD 2021
With the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021), an excellent tablet receives minor improvements including a slightly brighter screen, 1GB additional RAM, and a more compact and lightweight design. Although though it’s definitely not a must-have for anyone who purchased the 2019 model, it serves as an excellent example of Amazon’s capacity to produce a value-driven slate that will satisfy most customers.
Consider investing an extra $30 to buy the $179 Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus, which is perhaps the greatest Amazon tablet ever, if you anticipate being annoyed by tiny performance lags. In spite of this, people searching for a device to idly browse the internet, read e-books, and watch videos would still love the Fire HD 10 (2021). This maintains the Fire HD 10’s position as one of the top Android tablets available and among the best tablets you can purchase, especially if you’re on a tight budget.
But its major shortcomings are nothing new. The Google Play app store is still absent from Amazon’s Fire OS, which makes it difficult to access many wonderful programs that aren’t offered in Amazon’s app store. This is perhaps the biggest app limitation of the Fire OS.
5. Amazon Fire HD 8
If someone asks me for tablet recommendations but has a limited budget and can’t afford an iPad, I’ll probably inquire about their Amazon Prime membership. For those who enjoy a good deal, the Amazon Fire HD 8 is the greatest Android tablet since it does a lot of things perfectly for only $90.
Among a sea of tablets that we already commend for endurance, its amazing 13+ hours of battery life sticks out. And yes, you can get the reversible USB-C connector at this affordable price. Its selfie camera is also rather good, outperforming the webcams of laptops costing more money.
Some of the other essentials that you might anticipate when hearing “Android tablet” are absent from the Amazon Fire HD 8. There is no Google Play store to be discovered, nor are there any fantastic podcast apps. Yep, that means you have to use Amazon’s mostly-acceptable Silk web browser to access the web browser versions of these common services since the tablet doesn’t support the YouTube and Gmail apps.
How to pick your ideal Android tablet
Start by considering the apps you desire before choosing the finest Android tablet for you. Yes, if you consider whether you need your next Android tablet for purposes other than Netflix and Spotify, you can easily mark off half of this list because battery life and performance are so similar across many of these tablets.
The Amazon Fire tablets are definitely not the best choice for individuals who want every single program on their Android phone because doing so would likely need them to go through hoops (and disable security protection features) in order to acquire Gmail or any other Google app as an app. Consider the Fire tablets if you don’t require those programs on your tablet or if you don’t mind using outdated, less-than-stellar versions of those apps via a web browser.
You must ask three questions, each of which has a different response, if you want all of the apps. Will you primarily be consuming content? Purchase a Samsung Tab S6 Lite. Searching for a device that can produce a Word document quickly and perhaps take the place of your laptop? You should get a Samsung Tab S6. Searching for a tablet that the whole family can use? The best option is the MediaPad M5 Lite from Huawei.
Get a Fire 7 for less demanding needs if you’re okay with the restrictions of Amazon tablets, and a Fire HD 8 if you’re shopping for those with slightly higher demands. The Fire HD 10 is the ideal option if you’re looking for a budget smartphone.
How do we evaluate Android tablets?
Testing all of their many characteristics is the initial step we take to distinguish the wonderful tablets from the jokers. With its display set to 150 nits of brightness, our web-based battery test measures how long a tablet can use the internet for web browsing. So in order to determine how much brightness is equal to 150 nits, we run a number of display tests to gauge both the panel’s brightness and color gamut (measured by its sRGB output number). Following that, we execute benchmark testing on said tablet, including the most recent iteration of the general performance benchmark known as Geekbench.
Checking the app store to verify if you’re receiving the real Android experience or some company’s interpretation of it is another way we assess Android tablets. Although we don’t anticipate much different from Amazon at this time, the latter is a significant letdown. We look for ways around parental control settings on tablets in order to spot warning signs before your children do.
The tablets are then used exactly as if we were their owners. Checking to see whether we can multitask without stumbling by opening tab after tab and app after app. Because the color output (sRGB) and brightness (nits) measurements don’t provide a complete picture, we also watch YouTube videos. We can only be certain that we’re providing you with an accurate evaluation of a tablet’s value after doing all of these tests.
