Digital entertainment is at an all-time high with so many people staying home right now. Luckily for those who want to take the plunge into the tablet world, there are more awesome options than ever.
Whether you want something for your kids to play and learn on, something for creative work or even a laptop substitute, there’s a tablet out there for you. Tap or click for 5 things you didn’t know your tablet could do.
Below is a list of our favorite tablets on the market right now, organized by manufacturer. Read through to find a quality tablet that can best meet your particular wants and needs. We certainly found ours!
Apple
1. iPad
Apple made the first tablet with its iPad, and it’s still a great option for an all-around great tablet. Take notes, and play games on its 10.2-inch retina display, and enjoy its 10 hours of battery life.
You can write and draw on the iPad too, but you need to buy an Apple Pencil for that. It’s a worthwhile investment, but since the iPad generally costs between $300-$400, an extra $100 might be a little steep for some folks.
2. iPad Mini
If you’re on the go a lot and want a tablet for your travels, we recommend the iPad Mini. It has all the functionality of an iPad, but at 7.9 inches, it’s better for more purses and backpacks than the iPad itself.
3. iPad Air
Want a big screen, but don’t want to lug around the weight of an iPad? The iPad Air weighs just one pound while having a 10.5-inch retina screen display. So for traveling with a bigger display, the iPad Air is the way to go.
4. iPad Pro
For the creative types out there, your best tablet is the iPad Pro. With its 12.9-inch retina screen and greater computing power, the iPad Pro is perfect for drawing and animating at home or while out in the world.
For this tablet, which can also have up to 1 TB of storage, the Apple Pencil is essential for getting everything out of it. If you’re not much of a digital artist though, you may want to get another tablet.
Samsung
5. Galaxy Tab A
If you want a tablet primarily for entertainment, the Samsung Galaxy tablet line is a great place to look, and the Galaxy Tab A is a great place to start. With its 10.5-inch screen and 32 GB of RAM, this is a great tablet for kids.
They can play games on it (many of them educational!), and watch videos comfortably and happily, without the tablet being too complicated. For young people, or the extremely tech-averse, a Galaxy Tab A is a great investment.
6. Galaxy Tab S4
The Galaxy Tab S4 is the same size as the Tab A, and looks similar too. But with more computing power, a better display, and a built-in S pen that lets you draw, write, and make gifs, the S4 is definitely the grown-up version.
It costs twice as much as the Tab A on average, but for a great productivity tool that lets you work easily outside the office, and still have fun, the Tab S4 is the way to go.
7. Galaxy Tab S6
Want an equivalent to the iPad Pro, but an Android version? You want the Galaxy Tab S6. Not too different from the Tab S4, the Tab S6 has more S pen capabilities, so it matches the Pro and Apple Pencil easily in art and power.
Microsoft
8. Surface Pro 7
Let’s be honest; some of us like tablets just because we want a computer to have a touch screen. The Galaxy Tab S6 can get you close to that, but the Surface Pro 7 fully gives you the tablet/computer hybrid experience.
Often sold with a keyboard cover, the Surface Pro 7 comes with a stylus pen and touch capabilities, but also 8 GB of ram, matching most laptops in terms of power, but being more mobile by weighing just 1.7 lbs.
Its 10.5-hour battery life makes it a longer-lasting than most tablets on this list, and it’s fast too. It’s expensive for a tablet but cheaper for a laptop and it runs Windows 10, so if you want a computer substitute, get the Surface Pro 7.
9. Surface Go
For something that can still act as a laptop as well as a tablet, but that’s cheaper and just a little weaker than the Pro 7, get the Surface Go. It’s lighter than the Pro and has the same screen size.
The Surface Go has its keyboard and pen sold separately, however, and it runs Windows 10 in S mode, making it more tablet than computer. If you don’t need that much computing power, the Go is a great choice.
Amazon
10. Fire 7
Maybe you just want a simple tablet that can run a few apps. Kind of like having all the fun parts of a smartphone, for a lot less money. If you also particularly love eBooks, the Fire 7 tablet is right up your alley.
The Fire tablets don’t come with styluses, but they’re still touch screens, and the Fire 7’s 7-inch display makes it great for traveling. If you like the idea of a Kindle with more internet access, and game options, get the Fire 7 for sure.
11. Fire HD 8
The Fire 7 sounds appealing, but maybe you want a bigger and better screen and more battery life. The Fire HD 8 is 8-inches with an HD display, and it can run for 12 hours, which is five more than the Fire 7.
The Fire HD 8 also comes with more RAM than the 7, so streaming videos and using apps is even easier on it. Again, the Fire tablets are very basic, but for very young people, and the elderly, they’re great intro devices.
12. Fire HD 10
The biggest and most powerful of the Fire tablets, the Fire HD 10 has a 10.1-inch display and faster charging. It has the same storage capabilities as the Fire HD 8, but a better, 1080p screen. Its RAM is the same though.
If you’re looking at the Fire HD 10, you might just want to upgrade to a fancier tablet, like the ones in the list above. But for an incredibly inexpensive and beautiful tablet, the HD 10 is definitely your friend.
Tablets are incredibly versatile devices, and different ones are better at different things. No matter what at least, there’s a tablet in your price range that can let you travel, read, and have fun, so they’re always worth getting.