An impressively huge screen and top specs make the S8 Ultra a potential creative powerhouse.
Extravagant 14.6-inch Super AMOLED screen with 8K resolution is stunning and immersive. Powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. Realistic response and latency from included S Pen. Supports DeX mode. Up to 512GB of built-in storage and 1TB SD card expansion.
Doesn't offer 5G connectivity, only WiFi. Size can feel unwieldy. Weighs 1.6 pounds.
Our testing found that Samsung’s Tab S8 is an excellent tablet that has all the fundamentals covered.
Impressively bright and vivid 11-inch LCD screen. An adaptive screen refresh rate of up to 120 Hz makes movement and scrolling incredibly smooth, according to our tester. Four speakers with Dolby Atmos provide good audio depth. Comes with S Pen.
Doesn’t come with a power adapter. Cameras are not up to par with Samsung phones
A tablet with a 12-hour battery life and an octo-core processor.
This updated tablet includes 3GB RAM and its internal storage can be expanded up to 1 TB with a microSD card. Access this tablet’s functions with Alexa voice controls. A suitable choice for work and entertainment. Available in four colors.
This tablet delivers a lot of advertising and push content along with your entertainment.
According to our tech expert, this smaller Amazon tablet is an outstanding option for basic web browsing and entertainment.
Offers 1280 x 600 HD resolution for sharp images. Ideal for watching videos. Works with Alexa. Boasts up to 12 hours of battery life. Comes with 32 or 64GB of built-in storage. Dual speakers for stereo sound. Integrated 2MP front and rear cameras.
Our tech expert feels the smaller screen makes typing difficult.
With its screen and specs, the S8+ is a tablet that matches up with the top of the competition.
Big 12.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz. Capable of near-0 latency response from included S Pen. Supports DeX mode for increased productivity. Optional 5G connectivity and WiFi 6E support.
Doesn't come with fast charger.
We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.
Tablets are great for many computing tasks: web browsing, emailing, streaming TV shows and movies, gaming and more. They typically have better battery life than laptops, and the price tag on many Android tablets is lower than many laptops.
An Android tablet runs the Android operating system explicitly. They offer tremendous customization when it comes to settings, features, applications and layout. They’re also quite user-friendly. You can use an Android tablet to stream your favorite music, videos and podcasts and for practically anything else you can do on a smartphone. Think of a tablet as a larger smartphone that connects to Wi-Fi instead of a wireless network.
What should you look for in a quality tablet? For the most part, getting one with a powerful processor and enough random-access memory for multitasking and fast performance is crucial. You should also consider the quality and size of the display.
We tested and reviewed a few of the latest Android tablets in our Testing Lab to determine the best. Our top pick, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, is the best for a handful of critical reasons, but we love it primarily for its stunning display, fast processing chip and excellent camera setup. However, it is a pricey unit, so we recommend its cousin, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, as a suitable bargain alternative for anyone on a budget.
Samsung is known for making some of the best smartphones, but it’s also a notable player in the Android tablet market. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is our favorite Android tablet because of its impressive specs and features. It has a blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and a 14.6-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 120-Hertz refresh rate that’s great for streaming HD content, gaming and editing videos.
The camera setup of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is particularly impressive. It boasts an ultra-wide dual front camera for recording 4K video and a high-quality selfie camera. Further, it supports Samsung DeX for screen mirroring and includes an S Pen stylus that makes many tasks a breeze, such as taking notes, editing photos and drawing.
The Galaxy Tab S8 is an entry-level tablet and a fine choice for most casual users. It has an excellent camera and includes an S Pen stylus. Although the screen isn’t as big as the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, at 11 inches, it appeals to those who want a compact unit for traveling.
The Galaxy Tab S8 is a terrific bargain pick compared to other Galaxy tablets, and we feel you’d get the most bang for your buck with this one. Like the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, it has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and 8GB of RAM, so you can run multiple apps simultaneously without experiencing any lag or dip in performance.
We checked out the Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet in our Testing Lab and can confidently say that it’s an excellent choice. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but its user-friendly interface is a big plus, especially for anyone who’s never used a tablet.
The screen is 10.1 inches wide, making it an excellent portable tablet, and the battery lasts just under 12 hours on a full charge. Although the processor isn’t as fast as the ones found in Samsung tablets, it’s perfectly adequate for the average user who will use their tablet for things like web surfing, streaming movies and TV shows and light gaming.
If you’ve never owned a tablet or want something compact for traveling or casual use, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is for you. It’s not as powerful as other tablets, but unless you want to do graphic editing or run high-powered gaming applications, you should be fine with this tablet since the quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM still let it run smoothly.
It has a crisp 8-inch display and 64GB of internal storage, which can be upgraded to 1TB with a micro SD card. The battery life is comparable to other top tablets; it can last up to 12 hours on a full charge and supports wireless charging. Plus, you can access Alexa hands-free to set alarms and reminders, manage music playback, get weather updates and more.
Tested and reviewed in our Testing Lab, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is the middle-tier model of the latest Galaxy Tab tablets. We found it to be an excellent tablet for the price, and although the screen isn’t as large as the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, at 12.4 inches, it’s sufficient for streaming, gaming and more. Plus, it’s more portable and easily fits in backpacks and purses.
Similarities with the higher-end Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra that make this a solid alternative are the 120-refresh rate, 4K camera, fast processor, long-lasting battery life and included S Pen stylus. It’s available in 128GB and 256GB options, and unlike the Ultra, which is only available in a graphite hue, this tablet also comes in pink gold and silver.
If you have your heart set on a Samsung Galaxy tablet but don’t want to shell out the money for one of the newer Galaxy Tab S8 tablets, the Galaxy Tab S7+ is an older unit that’s still worth every penny. You’ll get it at a much lower price than any Galaxy Tab S8 tablet while enjoying similar performance, features and specs.
It has a crisp 12.4-inch edge-to-edge display with a 120-Hertz refresh rate and a side-mounted scanner for biometric security. It supports Quad, AKG and Dolby Atmos audio. The quad-core processor lets it run nearly as fast as the latest Samsung Galaxy tablets, and the battery charges fast through the USB-C port. An S Pen stylus is included as well as four months of ad-free Youtube Premium.
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The OnePlus Pad is a tablet that offers excellent performance at a lower price than comparable high-quality tablets. The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor is fast and, combined with 8GB of RAM, allows for lag-free multitasking.
The 11.6-inch display looks excellent, providing crisp visuals and vibrant colors, and it supports a 144-Hertz refresh rate, making it one of the best tablets for streaming sports, reading e-books and gaming. Plus, it supports Dolby Vision HDR imaging for enhanced picture quality.
The 7:5-ratio screen is an innovative feature that gives the screen a squared look for an improved view. Omnibearing Soundfield technology makes the integrated speakers sound better than most tablets, and the battery life lasts long and can be fully charged in under an hour.
After researching what each Android tablet offers, we tested the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and the Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet.
Every manufacturer has its own approach to Android tablets, from the quality of the build materials to the look and feel of the tablet. Many brands, such as Samsung and Amazon, have a strong reputation for making great Android tablets. It’s generally a good idea to stick with a brand you know that has a proven track record; it just may help you avoid getting an Android tablet that’s frustrating and underpowered.
A tablet with a powerful processor delivers better performance than one with a slower processor. A tablet with a slower processor takes longer to load apps and pages, and you may experience a significant dip in performance. That makes getting a tablet with a fast processor and at least 3GB of random-access memory crucial for efficient multitasking.
All tablets are portable, weighing anywhere between 2 and 5 pounds. That may not sound like much, but your shoulders will be able to tell the difference after a day of carrying your tablet around. If you plan on taking your tablet to many places, consider a lighter model or one with a screen on the small side. If you mainly keep your tablet in one place, portability matters a lot less, so that might be a good reason to go with a larger tablet.
A portable electronic device with poor battery life can be frustrating. The last thing you want is to only get a few hours of use from a fully charged tablet, so look for one that offers several hours of battery life with moderate use. The best tablets last 10 to 13 hours on a full charge. Some can last several days on standby mode.
The screen size defines the tablet. This is one of the first vital decisions to make when you set out to purchase one. If you want a portable Android tablet that fits in a purse or pouch, look at models of 7 to 8 inches. If you want one about the size of a sheet of paper, look for a mid-size option of 9 to 10 inches.
Although you may not purchase a tablet intending to capture photos and videos on the go, it’s a nice feature to have, especially if your smartphone should die on you and you can’t charge it. Most tablets don’t offer the same camera setups as smartphones, but they can be impressive. The best ones have rear cameras with 12 megapixels or more and can record 4K or HD video. Note that if you want to use your tablet for video calling, a high-quality front-facing camera is a must and should be at least 8 megapixels.
Using your fingers for tasks such as drawing or video editing can be frustrating, as it can be challenging to get pinpoint accuracy. Fortunately, some tablets come with a stylus pen or at least support them, giving you an extra layer of accessibility. Having a stylus makes tasks such as editing, taking notes and gaming much more manageable.
Most Android tablets are Wi-Fi-only, but some premium models contain an LTE or 5G radio. This means you can pair them with a subscription to your wireless provider and get LTE or 5G internet on your tablet.
If your tablet is primarily used in areas with Wi-Fi, you don’t need to get an LTE-enabled model. But if you’re often out and about without Wi-Fi and want to go online, you should consider getting one.
A. If you want a basic tablet for simple computing tasks such as emailing, web surfing and casual streaming, there are plenty of terrific options for $50 to $200. However, if you’re looking for something faster with a better display, you can expect to pay $200 to $500 for a mid-tier tablet. High-end tablets can cost up to $1,200. These offer premium features such as fast refresh rates, powerful processors, long-lasting battery life and a superior camera setup.
A. It’s not required, but it’s a good idea if you want to keep your tablet’s screen free of scratches and cracks. If you’re not going to get a protective case for your tablet, it’s probably a good idea to get a screen protector. But if you are planning to get a case, get one with a cover for the screen so you can skip the separate screen protector.
A. Not all tablets have upgradeable storage, and some SD cards can be relatively expensive. Also, storing all your local files in one place rather than across several locations is more practical. If you have limited internal storage space, you may have to use multiple memory cards.
A. Sort of. With the right app, you can use your Android tablet as an additional laptop or desktop computer screen, but you can’t use a tablet as a primary monitor for another computer. If you need to work with a monitor, another option is to purchase a high-end tablet like the Samsung Tab S8, compatible with the Samsung DeX system.
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