If you’re looking to buy a tablet, you might want to put away your money and check out our list of the most exciting new tablets coming later this year. We cover all the best new tablets for 2017, including the best new Windows tablets,…
If you’re looking to buy a tablet , you might want to put away your money and check out our list of the most exciting new tablets coming later this year. We cover all the best new tablets for 2017, including the best new Windows tablets , best new Android tablets and best new iPads. Also see: Best new phones coming in 2017.
Also see: Best Tablet Deals
If you would rather buy a tablet today, check out our group tests of the best tablets , best Android tablets , best Windows tablets , best budget tablets and best kids tablets. Otherwise, read on >>
September is the time of year Amazon tends to focus on its Fire tablet updates, and in September 2016 we were treated to a new Amazon Fire HD 8 with longer battery life, twice as much storage, and an increased amount of RAM for faster performance.
But we’re still waiting for an update to the Fire 7 and Fire HD 10, which were announced alongside the HD 8 in September 2015. The former has been especially popular as one of the cheapest and yet still decent Android tablets money can buy, and has been a strong seller in the recent Black Friday sales and in the run up to Christmas.
In a new model we’d hope to see slightly faster performance and possibly more storage, and perhaps higher screen resolution. But these are likely to continue to be wallet-friendly budget tablets that will appeal to customers primarily for their value.
We’ll keep you posted with new Fire and Fire HD rumours as we hear them.
Having abandoned its traditional iPad launch event in October 2015, when we heard there would be an iPad announcement in March 2016 we were hoping to see a new iPad Air 3. In fact we got the smaller iPad Pro 9.7. The iPad Air 3 was also a no-show in Apple’s September and October 2016 events, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility of an iPad Air 3 coming our way soon, and Apple has not confirmed the death of the Air line.
Indeed, analysts are speculating that in 2017 there will be three new iPads: a 9.7in model that will be the new entry-level model, replacing the iPad Air 2; a 10.5in iPad Pro to replace the 9.7in iPad Pro, and a new 12.9in iPad Pro. The entry-level tablet should go into production in the first quarter, and the two Pros in the second quarter, but it’s possible that all three will be held back until the second half of the year.
Further evidence to suggest this is the case comes from Digitimes , which says sources have claimed these tablets may not be announced or even released in the market until the second half of 2017.
Nevertheless, our sister site Macworld UK predicts that we will see the new iPad Air 3 in March 2017, with the tablet going on sale around 10 days later with an estimated RRP of £399-plus.
While the entry-level 9.7in iPad will get an Apple A9 processor, the 10.5- and 12.9in models will allegedly get the Apple A10X. These Pro models will also get an upgraded Apple Pencil.
Some rumours circulating on a new iPad Air 3 suggest it will feature a Smart Connector on the left edge for connecting a Smart Keyboard, as well as Apple Pencil compatibility. Other changes might include a thinner 7000-series aluminium body (without reduced battery life) and faster performance with a processor upgrade. Expect it to come in silver, gold, space grey and rose gold, potentially with a new LED flash for the rear camera. Could we also finally see an increase to screen resolution, perhaps matching the 401ppi of the iPhone 7 Plus?
Read more iPad Air 3 rumours here.
Read more iPad Pro 2 rumours here.
We’re reasonably confident that Apple will unveil a new iPad at its next event, which should take place in March 2017. We’re getting to the stage now where it will need to announce a new iPad Air 3 (see the previous screen) and also overdue iPad mini 5 (last updated in September 2015), or confirm their death.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says there will be three iPad launches in 2017, but unfortunately for the iPad mini none will be compact models. We’re still holding out hope for Apple’s popular iPad mini, however, although we reckon it’s time for a refresh. Based on its previous iPad releases, something tells us the next iPad mini could be an iPad Pro mini.
The iPad mini’s design has stayed fairly constant throughout the generations, so we aren’t expecting any big changes here. We could see a new 7000-series aluminium chassis that is thinner but doesn’t adversely affect battery life – and probably with a new Rose Gold colour option. We’d be most impressed to see Apple make its mini iPad waterproof. The most likely change in the iPad mini 5 is a bump up in performance.
Read more iPad mini 5 rumours here.
We’ve seen various Android tablets from Google over the years, including the Nexus 9 , Nexus 10 and Pixel C , but none has proved so popular with consumers as the Nexus 7. Offering unparalleled value and a decent specification, you can still buy the Nexus 7 today.
We were teased with the idea that Google would finally put us out of our misery and unveil an update to its Nexus 7 in 2016, but what we actually saw was a move from Nexus to Pixel with the release of two new phones. Google has not confirmed the death of Nexus, but while we’re still hoping for a new Nexus 7 we may instead see a Pixel 7.
Huawei is thought to be the manufacturer of the new Nexus budget tablet, taking over from Asus which made the first- and second-gen Nexus 7 tablets. Inspiration is expected to come from the Pixel C, though, and it’s possible that as with that tablet Google will handle the manufacturing.
Rumoured specifications include a 7in Quad-HD display, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 or Nvidia Tegra X1 processor, 4GB of RAM, 4G support and a 3,000mAh battery. The new Nexus 7 could even feature a Force Touch similar to that found in Apple’s iPhones. It has to be said though, that’s an awesome – and slightly unbelieveable – spec for what is expected to remain a budget tablet.
Click here for more Nexus 7 (2017) rumours.
We’re now over a year from the launch of the Surface 3 , Microsoft’s cheaper alternative to the Surface Pro line-up, which means that if the Surface 3 is to be updated it will happen soon. Microsoft neglected to unveil either this tablet or a new Surface Pro 5 tablet during its October 2016 event, with the company expected to wait for the arrival of Kaby Lake and the Windows 10 Creators Update in early 2017.
Rumour has it there will be three new Surface hybrids coming in 2017, although it remains to be seen whether this will merely be Core i3, i5 and i7 versions of the Surface Pro 5, or whether it will include a new budget Surface model.
Leaks are very thin on the ground, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Surface 4 come with a slightly larger screen and smaller bezels, the removal of the physical Start button, a more easily adjustable kickstand and a magnet for storing the Surface Pen. USB-C will more than likely feature, as well as Windows Hello support.
Click here for more Surface 4 rumours and what we expect .
We’re not expecting to see a new Surface Pro Windows tablet until early 2017 following the launch of Intel’s new Kaby Lake Core processors (announced in January at CES 2017) and the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update, but when we do it will be one of the best Windows tablets money can buy (and it will cost a fair amount of money, most likely starting at around £749 – for a cheaper option see the Surface on the previous slide).
One of the changes we’re certain we’ll see is an upgraded Surface Pen, since Microsoft recently filed a patent for a stylus with a rechargeable battery that charges over a magnetic dock. The Surface Pro 5 is also likely to be fitted with a Kaby Lake processor for performance and battery life improvements, a USB-C connection, and a higher-resolution 4K display. The design will otherwise stay mostly the same when compared to the Surface Pro 4.
Click here for more Surface Pro 5 rumours .
Nokia recently made its comeback with the Nokia 6 Android phone. But this is not the only Android device the company is planning, and there is talk of a huge 18.4in Android tablet to debut in the coming months.
The rumoured tablet will feature a Quad-HD screen and a Snapdragon 835 processor, leading us to believe a MWC 2017 launch may be off the cards – Samsung’s Galaxy S8 has first dibs on this chip and isn’t launching until April. Should it come with a different chip, we may hear more at Nokia’s MWC 2017 event on 26 February.
Also expect the Adreno 540 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. GFXBench lists a 12Mp camera, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, a Compass and cellular connectivity (single-SIM).
Read more Nokia Android tablet rumours here.
As well as the rumoured Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (on the following slide), Samsung is expected to unveil an updated version of its professional TabPro tablet at MWC later this month.
According to The Leaker , the TabPro S2 will feature a 12in Quad-HD Super AMOLED display and be powered by a 3.1GHz Intel Kaby Lake Core i5-7200 GPU and 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM. There should also be 128GB of flash storage.
Expect to find 5/13Mp front and rear cameras, support for the S Pen stylus and keyboard cover, a 5,770mAh battery and two USB-C ports. We’ll bring you more details as we hear them.
Samsung’s premium Tab S line is among the very best tablets you can buy, and better than anything else we’ve seen in the Android world. We’re expecting great things from the next update to the line-up, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. The new Galaxy Tab should be announced at MWC 2017 in February, with a press conference scheduled for 7pm on Sunday 26 February.
Although previously we’ve seen little and large Galaxy Tabs, in 2017 it is thought that there will be just the one model with a 9.6in screen.
Whatever the Tab S3 is called, you can bet your last pound on the fact it will have a high-resolution Quad-HD display and way more power than anyone really needs. The Tab S3 is expected to feature a 1536×2048-pixel screen and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 or 835 processor, along with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
Cameras are likely to be 12Mp at the back and 5Mp at the front, while Samsung will likely adopt USB-C for charging. The Tab S3 is also thought to come with Samsung’s S Pen stylus.
Click here for more Galaxy Tab S3 rumours .
There might be rumours flying around that Sony has killed off its Z-series family of phones and tablets with the introduction of the Xperia X and XA at MWC 2016, but Sony has never officially confirmed this is the case, instead taking the line “never say never”. And its tablet series is long overdue an update, having not been refreshed since the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet – and the compact version is even older, having not been updated since the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.
Whether it arrives as a Sony Xperia Z6 Tablet, Sony Xperia Z6 Tablet Compact or even Sony Xperia X Tablet, Sony’s new tablet is well overdue. We’d hope to see one announced at MWC 2017, which takes place at the end of February/early March.
Expect the tablet to be a premium model with a circa-£500 price tag if history is anything to go by. This being Sony, you can expect an IP68 waterproof build and a sleek design. Other features might include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, a Quad-HD display, 4GB+ of RAM and 32GB+ of storage with microSD support.
Read more Sony Xperia Tablet rumours here.
Also see: Best new phones coming in 2017 .
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