If you haven’t invested in Android yet, the iPad is generally a better tablet than current Android tablets, even for people who use Google apps and services. However, Android tablets have improved significantly in recent years, and if you prefer Android over iOS, your best option is the Google Pixel tablet. For $500, Google’s first tablet in years offers the best overall Android tablet experience with great hardware and solid performance. Google also includes a charging speaker dock that turns your Pixel tablet into a handy smart home hub. You can buy the Pixel Tablet as a standalone device without a dock for $100 less, but we recommend the pricier bundle. It’s worth it.
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Google’s Pixel tablets combine a great processor and screen to make a great all-rounder for streaming video and browsing the web. The included charging dock is worth the $100 upgrade.
The Google Pixel Tablet is a rugged 11-inch tablet with a bright, crisp, and vibrant widescreen display that comes with a full-featured dock (although you can buy the tablet without a dock for $100 less). ). The Pixel Tablet is powered by the same Tensor G2 processor as Google’s excellent Pixel smartphones, making it easy to handle multiple tasks and high-end games. The 5,000 mAh battery lasts for days on a single charge and can be powered via USB-C or the included charging speaker dock. A dock adds an extra speaker to your Pixel tablet, giving you even better audio and allowing you to use your tablet as a smart home hub. Pixel tablets are expected to receive system updates by 2026 and security updates by 2028. One drawback is limited stylus support.
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The Fire HD 8 has a smaller screen and lower resolution than the Galaxy Tab S8, but it’s still a great inexpensive tablet for reading and watching videos, especially if you get your content from Amazon’s store.
If you need an inexpensive tablet for video watching, reading, or very light web browsing, the 12th generation Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet, released in 2022, is a great choice. It doesn’t have access to the Google Play Store or Google’s apps, but it does give you easy access to Amazon content for just $100 with lock screen ads ($115 without). Amazon’s Android-based Fire OS runs very well on tablets, and the Fire HD 8 has an above-average battery life due to its lower screen resolution. The Fire HD 8 also has more extensive parental controls than other tablets, making it a great family device. However, it’s limited to Amazon’s app store, so it can’t offer as many apps and games as a regular Android tablet or iPad.
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The Galaxy Tab S9 has a stunning 11-inch OLED screen that’s sharper and brighter than Google’s Pixel tablets. It’s fast, sleek, and feature-packed, but it costs more than most people should spend on an Android tablet.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is the best Android tablet without compromise. The 11-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1600×2560 and a refresh rate of 120 Hz is one of the best screens ever on any device (Apple doesn’t yet make an OLED tablet). The display works with the included S Pen stylus, which allows you to take notes and draw. Featuring a faster Qualcomm processor, this tablet is powerful enough to run multiple apps in parallel, and the Samsung version of Android 13 has the best multitasking capabilities we’ve seen in our tests. . Samsung has promised updates through 2028, but the software includes features you’ll probably never use.
