Jump to:<\/strong><\/p>\n Choosing the best tablet will ultimately come down to what you need it to do, but there are a few points to keep in mind. We\u2019ve explained these below:<\/p>\n Ultimately, it depends on what you\u2019re buying a tablet for. On-the-go streaming or gaming will lend itself better to a smaller tablet \u2013 between 8 and 10 inches. If you want a viable laptop alternative, you\u2019ll find a screen that stretches up towards the 13-inch mark will give you more room to work with. Generally, smaller tablets are cheaper and less powerful, and larger ones cost more because you get more.<\/p>\n The majority of the tablets we\u2019ve reviewed and included in our best tablet list measure around the 10-inch mark. There are a couple of exceptions, but between 10 and 11 inches seems to be standard, and tablets of this size hit a sweet spot of usability and portability.<\/p>\n It\u2019s then a case of deciding which is the best 10-inch tablet from this selection if you want a device for entertainment, work, and everything in between.<\/p>\n When it comes to buying the best tablet, how much you should spend really depends on how much you can afford. You don\u2019t always need to spend a fortune to get decent specs, but, as a rule, the more expensive the tablet, the more it offers in terms of features, design, battery life, storage and so on.<\/p>\n To give you a range to work with, the most expensive model in our list below costs from \u00a3799, but some can cost in excess of \u00a32,000 \u2013 the price of a decent laptop \u2013 if you opt for all the bells and whistles. The cheapest comes in at just \u00a3109.99. The rest of the models sit at various points in between, and there is a great selection of top tablets in the mid-range market.<\/p>\n We recommend that you decide why you want the tablet in the first instance. Is it a family device? Will you use it more for streaming or working? How important is having built-in storage versus storing files in the cloud?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for the best gaming tablet, for instance, having one with a great display and refresh rate will be a priority. If it\u2019s going to be used for remote working, a lower quality display but better battery life may be more important.<\/p>\n Best tablet money can buy<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Key specs:<\/strong><\/p>\n If money was no object, we\u2019d recommend the iPad Pro all day long. In fact, even where money is an object, if you can stretch a little to buy this flagship tablet, you won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n Want a fantastic display for streaming and gaming? You\u2019ve got it. Want an immense amount of power, capable of carrying out even the most intense creative tasks? Sure. Want a tablet that doubles up as a viable laptop replacement? Apple has you covered.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a hardcore pro user, there is a 12.9-inch model with a Liquid Retina XDR display, up to 2TB of storage, up to 16GB RAM, a 12MP wide and 10MP ultra-wide camera setup and five studio-quality microphones. Many of the technologies and components on display in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro are borrowed or adapted from those seen on Apple\u2019s range of MacBook computers. This should be your first indication as to just how effective the iPad Pro doubles up as a work computer.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t stretch to this flagship model but want many of the same specs and features, then the 11-inch version comes with the same M1 chip but offers slightly lower-spec storage and display technology \u2013 all for around a \u00a3200 reduction in price.<\/p>\n Alternatively, we highly recommend the iPad Air<\/a> in place of an iPad Pro if budget is a concern. You can read more about this in our iPad Pro vs iPad Air<\/a> head-to-head.<\/p>\n The only fault we could really find with the iPad Pro during our testing is that its price will push it beyond many people\u2019s budgets.<\/p>\n Read our full Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) review<\/a>.<\/p>\n iPad Pro 11-inch<\/strong><\/p>\n The iPad Pro 11-inch is also available from the following places:<\/p>\n iPad Pro 12.9-inch<\/strong><\/p>\n The iPad Pro 12.9-inch is also available from the following places:<\/p>\n Best mid-range tablet<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Key specs:<\/strong><\/p>\n As we described in our iPad Air review<\/a>, the iPad Air is the goldilocks of the Apple range. It\u2019s not too big, and it\u2019s not too small. It\u2019s not too expensive, and you barely need to sacrifice features or performance.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t come with all the bells, whistles and the kitchen sink that accompany the iPad Pro, but it also won\u2019t set you back a grand in the process.<\/p>\n When compared to its siblings and a number of rivals, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7<\/a> and Tab S7 Plus<\/a>, the iPad Air\u2019s display does leave us a little wanting. That\u2019s not to say the display isn\u2019t great \u2013 it is \u2013 it\u2019s just when you\u2019ve experienced the next-level screens on those other models, the iPad Air doesn\u2019t quite compete.<\/p>\n This small shortcoming can be so easily forgiven because, with the iPad Air, Apple has hit a sweet spot between entertainment and productivity, housed in an attractive, well-built device. Not to mention the fact it supports the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard. It\u2019s a shame these accessories require a separate purchase on top of what is already a relatively pricey machine. But we think it\u2019s worth the investment.<\/p>\n Read our full Apple iPad Air review<\/a>.<\/p>\n The iPad Air is also available from the following places:<\/p>\n Best Android tablet<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Key specs:<\/strong><\/p>\n Awarding the Samsung Tab S7<\/a> the best Android tablet<\/a> title almost feels like a backhanded compliment, but it\u2019s not meant that way. In a sea of Android tablets, coming in at various price points and sizes, the Tab S7 leads the pack, but it\u2019s also an extremely worthy alternative to Apple\u2019s iPads.<\/p>\n Like the iPad Air, the Tab S7 offers flagship specs without a sky-high flagship price. Its display is stunning, and it showcases colours and details in an almost unprecedented way. The only display that beats the Tab S7\u2019s is the one found on Samsung\u2019s more expensive model, the Samsung Tab S7 Plus<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Tab S7\u2019s screen isn\u2019t perfect. It collects fingerprints and is highly reflective, which makes viewing the screen in sunlight near-on impossible, even with the brightness turned up to the max. But, all that aside, we\u2019d still recommend it.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, the Tab S7 is fast, responsive and easy to use. Like the iPad Air, its performance only stuttered when we pushed it really hard with multiple apps, video calls and tasks all running at the same time, and even then, it never ground to a halt like Amazon\u2019s models have a tendency to do.<\/p>\n Samsung claims the battery life on the Tab S7 will last 15 hours, but we maxed out at a little over 10 when streaming a Full HD video on repeat, which is a tad disappointing. The Tab S7 lasted much longer, at more than three days on standby. When using the tablet as an everyday device \u2013 to make the odd video call, browse the web, play SimCity, catch up on Netflix and listen to podcasts \u2013 we got just shy of a day\u2019s use out of it.<\/p>\n Unlike the iPad Air<\/a> and the rest of the iPad range, Samsung bundles in its superb S Pen as standard. You don\u2019t have to pay a premium for the tablet and then fork out another hundred pounds for an accessory. And the S Pen more than stands up against the Apple Pencil in terms of features. It\u2019s not quite as stylish, but it\u2019s not far off.<\/p>\n The Samsung Android tablet starts at \u00a3619, and this gets you a 128GB model backed by 6GB RAM with Wi-Fi. For an extra \u00a3100, you can add 4G to this or boost the built-in storage to 256GB with 8GB of RAM and Wi-Fi for an extra \u00a370. The fact the S Pen stylus is included in this price gives Samsung an edge over rivals like Apple and Lenovo.<\/p>\n Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 review<\/a>.<\/p>\nHow to choose the best tablet<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What size tablet should I buy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How much should I spend on a tablet?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Best tablets at a glance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Best tablets to buy in 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n
iPad Pro, \u00a3749<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\""iPad\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/iPad-Pro-Apple-Pencil-RT-1812dd7.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"iPad\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\niPad Pro 11-inch deals<\/h5>
iPad Pro 12.9-inch deals<\/h5>
iPad Air, \u00a3579<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\""Apple\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/05\/iPAd-Air-apps-on-screen-d6437ec.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Apple\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Latest deals<\/h5>
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, \u00a3619<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\""Samsung\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/11\/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S7-ea5da46.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C400"\" "\\"\"Samsung\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nLatest deals<\/h5>