If you’re looking for the best tablet to buy right now, this is our ranked and definitive list starting with the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) as our best overall pick.
The best tablets aren’t just smartphones with bigger screens. They can be as capable as laptops for productivity while being far more portable and offering touchscreen-first interactivity. Many also include stylus support to give you more flexibility with how you work.
That goes for whether you’re looking for one of the best iPads or one of the best Android tablets. Even some of the best cheap tablets offer a surprising amount of power and versatility for the price.
Alternatively, if you don’t want it all, there are always tablets that suffice well as entertainment devices ideal for video. Whatever you’re after, there’s a tablet that will suit your needs.
With so many different slates to choose from, it can be hard to know where to begin, which is why we’re here to help.
We’ve tested every major tablet and used them all for a broad range of purposes. We know what to look for and what’s worth your time and money. We’ve narrowed down our choices below, focusing on performance, software, screen quality, battery life, and accessory compatibility, as well as including some of the best Windows tablets on the market.
The list is updated regularly with new tablets coming out all the time, so check back often to see what’s changed. Looking for a power bank for your tablet? See our picks of the best power banks.
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) is – as of 2022 – Apple’s ultimate tablet, and one which packs laptop-class power, thanks to an M2 chipset. Arguably this is overkill, since almost nothing you’d do on a tablet can even tax the M1 from the previous generation, but it certainly makes this future-proof.
In most other ways this is much like the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021), including having a massive 12.9-inch screen that uses mini-LED to create a superior picture than you’ll find on smaller iPads.
It’s also remarkably thin and light for all the tech on offer, and has handy features like Face ID, capable cameras, and of course support for accessories like Apple’s Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2 – the latter of which is better than ever here, thanks to hover-detection, which makes this even better for drawing on than other iPads.
Yes, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) is very expensive, and it’s probably overkill for most users, but if you want a superpowered slate, this is it.
Read the full iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) review
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) is a spectacular tablet, with its headline feature arguably being the M1 chipset that powers it. This chipset was lifted straight from Apple’s top-end 2021 Macs, so you’re truly getting desktop power in a tablet here.
We were blown away when we tested the tablet – the chip was great for tasks like photo and video editing, as well as gaming. But that’s not all this tablet has going for it. For the first time in an iPad, it also has a mini-LED screen, with a remarkably high 1,600-nit peak brightness, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 2048 x 2732 resolution. It’s crisp, bright, vibrant, and all-round impressive.
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) also has a long-lasting battery, a decent camera, a premium aluminum design, and support for the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 – these are sold separately, but turn it into a real productivity machine, and we used them non-stop in our testing period.
So if you want to get some proper work or creation done on a tablet, or you’re just a big tablet gamer, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) will be the perfect device. But if your needs are lighter then you might find this too expensive and too big.
Read the full iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) review
With the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, Samsung isn’t just aiming to compete with the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022), it’s aiming to top Apple’s slate. And, in some ways it succeeds.
Samsung’s tablet has an even bigger 14.6-inch screen, and it comes with an S Pen stylus in the box – while with the iPad you have to buy an Apple Pencil separately. While we thought that we’d find the giant screen overwhelming, it’s actually great, whether you’re using it for art or just watching movies.
