Our best tablet guide has recently gained a major new addition in the form of the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 (2021) - a newcomer that pulls no stops in terms of specs and peformance.
There are plenty of excellent tablets to choose from and it really boils down to your preferred OS- iOS or Android. If you're in the Apple camp, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) is the most impressive tablet we've come across but you also have the excellent iPad Air 4 (2020) and the iPad mini (2019). On the Android side, the the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is also extremely impressive.
We know that the best tablet won't be the same for everyone, so they're all worth considering. Factors that you should bear in mind will include operating system, size, price, and specs.
To make things easier, each entry below shows you all of those things at a glance, along with an overview highlighting why you might - or might not - like each of them.
And if you don't see anything you like, it's worth checking back regularly because we're expecting new additions throughout the year.
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) is a spectacular tablet, with its headline feature arguably being the M1 chipset that powers it. This chipset was lifted straight from Apple’s top-end Macs, so you’re truly getting desktop power in a tablet here.
But that’s not all this tablet has going for it. For the first time in an iPad, it also has a Mini LED screen, with a remarkably high 1,600-nit peak brightness, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 2048 x 2732 resolution. It’s crisp, bright, vibrant, and all-round impressive.
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) also has a long-lasting battery, a decent camera, a premium aluminum design, and support for the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 – these are sold separately, but turn it into a real productivity machine.
So if you want to get some proper work or creation done on a tablet, or you’re just a big tablet gamer, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) will be the perfect device. But if your needs are lighter then you might find this too expensive and too big.
Note: we’re only talking about the 12.9-inch model here. There’s also an iPad Pro 11 (2021), but we haven’t reviewed that yet. On paper it’s largely similar, but with a less impressive screen that doesn’t use Mini LED.
Read the full review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2021)
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Huawei's HarmonyOS 2 powered tablet makes a bang with powerful specs powered by the Kirin 9000E processor. Huawei has done a good job refining it's new OS to make it one of the slickets Android experiences. It may not support GMS but for some, that could be considered a plus.
The highlight is undoubtedly its screen, which is an 12.6-inch 1600 x 2560 OLED panel with 240 pixels per inch and DCI-P3 wide colour gamut. It’s a big, sharp, and being OLED arguably gives it an edge over LCD rivals – including Apple’s entire iPad range. About the only thing missing is a higher refresh rate.
That screen makes it great for visual media, but it’s great for audio too, thanks to eight speakers. There's also support for a keyboard and stylus giving you the full tablet experience. In fact, paired with the Huawei MateView Pro, it supports Huawei's Smart Office experience with wireless connectivity making Huawei devices work cohesively.
On top of that it also has an impressive 10,500 mAh that supports SuperCharge and reverse wireless charging. Huawei has always had great cameras and if you like taking photos from your tablet, the 13MP camera along with the 8MP Ultrawide should do a good job.
Read the hands-on review: Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6
The first Android tablet on our list is the best tablet that Samsung has ever made, and it's a serious rival to the iPad Pro range that you've read about above.
In fact, its screen arguably has those slates beat, as it’s a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED one with a 2800 x 1752 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The iPad Pro range can match much of that, but those slates have LCD screens that aren't as good.
Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, which is the most powerful you can get inside an Android product and it comes with a premium metal build that is incredibly slim with it only being 5.7mm thick.
Want high speed internet? A version of the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus also comes with 5G connectivity, and you'll get the Samsung S Pen stylus in the box for free. Android isn't as good as iPadOS is on tablets, but if you want an Android alternative to an iPad this could be it.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
The iPad 10.2 (2020) isn’t the most thrilling of updates, as it’s really only a modest improvement on 2019’s iPad 10.2, but it’s still an improvement, and that makes it the best 10.2-inch iPad you can buy, and also arguably the best cheap iPad, if not quite the best tablet overall.
You'll find its predecessor down below in this list, but this tablet comes with an A12 Bionic chipset that makes it quite a bit faster than the older model. It also have a 20W charger packaged in the box, which means it's much faster at charging than previous models.
All the same great features you'd expect from an iPad of this price return here including access to iPadOS software, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support as well as strong battery life.
Why shouldn't you buy it? The selfie camera is feeling a touch tired on the iPad 10.2, plus you shouldn't opt for the 32GB model if you want a lot of storage on your tablet. If you're okay with both those things, this is the best tablet for a lot of people.
Read the full review: iPad 10.2 (2020)
The iPad Air 4 (2020) is arguably the best tablet for anyone who can’t quite justify splashing out on the very best, as it has many of the things that make the iPad Pro range great, but it costs less.
In fact, the iPad Air 4 (2020) actually has a newer A14 Bionic chipset. That’s what you’ll find in the iPhone 12 range, and it’s exceptionally powerful.
The iPad Air 4 (2020) also supports both the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, so it’s almost as good as a laptop replacement or general productivity device as an iPad Pro.
With good all-round specs too and a wide range of colors that you can buy it in, the iPad Air 4 (2020) is a great choice for a lot of people – though the cheapest model only comes with 64GB of storage, which won’t go far.
Read the full review: iPad Air 4 (2020)
Apple doesn't have a foldable phone, but if it did it might look something like the iPad mini 2019 when unfolded. It hasn't really changed since the last version almost four years ago, but it doesn't need to: we love the small size.
You can flip open the smart cover, scribble some notes, and toss it in a bag without too much worry.
Yes, the design is a little dated and there are thick bezels outlining this screen, but the price is right for a portable tablet with a lot of power. You really shouldn't consider buying any other small tablet on the market (notice: it's the only one on our best tablet list).
Read the full review: iPad mini (2019)
- Looking for the best Android tablet?
- Or maybe you'd prefer the best cheap tablets?
- Need a work device? Why not try best 2-in-1 laptops
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