The best tablets in 2025

We went ahead and found the best tablet for you.

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on August 17, 2025

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Overview

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

Is it time for a tablet upgrade? Surely no home can do without one. Along with the smartphone and laptop, a tablet is one third of the holy trinity of must-have smart devices. Compact and sleek, a tablet is essentially a computer you can take anywhere.

Indeed, tablets aren't only about portability. Some have processing power and spec for serious work, creative tasks, and gaming. In fact, it's difficult to find your perfect tablet because there are so many options to suit a whole array of smart device needs.

Just ask yourself the necessary questions: Are you Apple or Android? Do you need Alexa? Do you need a tablet for heavy duty graphic design or casual streaming? What kind of battery life do you need? And does it need to be kid-friendly? These questions will ultimately decide which tablet works for you. To help cut through the jargon, we've put together a quick guide and selected the best tablets in 2025.

Do you need a tablet?

Sure, a tablet isn’t for everyone. It might be surplus to requirements, but they’re also super handy and productive. If you do lots of video streaming and eBook reading on the go, or you simply need a portable device for work and play, a tablet is almost certainly for you. There are other benefits too. They usually pack plenty of battery power and handle apps (of which there are thousands) at lightning speed.

What is the best tablet operating system?

It generally comes down to a choice of four — Apple, Android, Windows, or Fire. Each has its own benefits. Apple iOS — or in this case, iPadOS — is generally accepted as the slickest all-rounder, with a simple-to-use interface and syncing between devices.

Android is more customisable and is supported across various manufacturers (such as Samsung and Lenovo). Windows is designed as a cross-platform OS, which suits pretty much any device. Fire is an offshoot of Android and used on Amazon-made devices, so you'll get Alexa and other Amazon-specific features.

Smart device users tend to stick to their preferred OS — it’s a lifestyle choice as much as tech preference — so we’ve included options for each OS.

What features do tablets have?

Every model and operating system has its own spin on the user experience. Not to mention all those apps. But there a few basics that are worth bearing in mind:

Battery Life — Tablets outstrip smartphones for battery life, but you’ll still want to make sure you get plenty of juice for your money. Look for 10 hours or more.
Camera — Front and rear facing cameras are relatively standard on tablets and 12MP is pretty decent. Though even better cameras are available in top tablets.
Ports — Make sure the tablet you’re buying has the ports you need. Do you have wired headphones? Then make sure there’s a headphone port (increasingly rare). Also check for USB and micro HDMI ports.
Screen Resolution — This will be important if you’re a big time streamer or you like playing games. Tablets are generally HD — 1280 x 720 — or higher.
Speakers — You might not buy a tablet expecting great sounds, but if streaming movies and shows is your thing, good sound is a must.
Storage — This is important for keeping music, photos, and videos, plus offline downloads from streaming sites, such as Netflix. Around 38GB is standard for a mid-priced tablet, but they can go way over that — anything up to 1TB.

Keep these features in mind when shopping around for your next tablet.

What is the best tablet for kids?

Most tablets made specifically for kids are already equipped with parental controls. Things to keep in mind when shopping for a tablet for kids: Resolution (depending on the amount of movie watching and gaming they'll be doing), storage (kids will probably have more apps than you do), intensity of parental controls (for obvious reasons), and rugged-ness (because kids drop and break things — that's a fact of life).

What is the best tablet?

To make things easier, we've lined up a selection of the best tablets according to reviews, with popular models from top brands such as Apple and Samsung. Consider all of the options and select the device that meets your day-to-day tablet requirements.

These are the best tablets in 2025.

Apple iPad 10th generation

The Good & The Bad

Nice colour selection
Apple fluidity & user experience
Syncs easily with Apple devices

Not as powerful as other tablets
Apple pencil not included

Why We Like It

Let's face it. The Apple iPad is the gold standard. Even if you're a Windows or Android user, the iPad is still the No. 1 name. Every other tablet is either made in the mould of the iPad or defined in opposition to it. When it comes to the interface, build quality, and app selection, the iPad just wins every time.

This 2025 edition hasn't changed all that much but it really doesn't need to. It's powered by Apple's A16 chip and runs on the slick iPadOS. Unless you're a graphic designer or you want Apple Intelligence — which is saved for alternative iPad models — this will suit pretty much anyone, particularly anyone who already has Apple devices for seamless synchronicity.

It's not the most powerful iPad out there — see below for the mighty iPad Pro — and it's not the lightest or smallest either. You'll need the iPad Air and iPad Mini for that. But with 4GB of memory and up to 128GB of storage (a bigger storage version is also available) this offers more than enough for casual users.

Details

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 tablet

The Good & The Bad

Vibrant AMOLED display
S Pen attaches to the device
Excellent processing power
IP68 waterproof
Compatibility with Samsung devices

No headphone jack, Bluetooth only
Apple users won't get the best from it

Why We Like It

When the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 hit shelves in 2023, it was a noticeable upgrade on the previous Tab model, largely thanks to its dazzling Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU and 11-inch AMOLED display. And if graphic design is your thing — or perhaps you’re an enthusiastic note-taker — it comes with Samsung’s S-Pen, which has super low latency for slick, fluid artistry.

Being a true alternative to the iPad, the Galaxy Tab S9 is a sensible choice if you’re already stocked with a Samsung Galaxy phone and earbuds. Just like Apple, its devices sync seamlessly for an all-encompassing ecosystem.

This tablet is all about big performance — immersive game playing, pro-level creative apps, and Vision Booster viewing for bright days — but if you want something bigger still, you can try the Galaxy Tab S9+ or Tab S9 Ultra.

Details

Fire HD 10 tablet

The Good & The Bad

Crisp Full HD display
Access to popular apps
Expandable storage
Colour choice

Made of plastic
Requires Prime subscription

Why We Like It

Armed with a Full HD 10-inch touchscreen display, the Amazon Fire HD 10 delivers crisp images and videos. Not only can it play Full HD movies, it also plays music from Amazon Music, runs mobile games from the Amazon App Store, and doubles as a hands-free smart home hub with built-in Alexa. Not even the Apple iPad can do the smart home thing like the Fire HD 10.

The tablet comes in 32GB and 64GB varieties, but it's also expandable up to a whopping 256GB with a microSD card. Prime members will also get access to thousands of books, magazines, songs, movies, and TV shows for free.

The Fire HD 10 can do so much for under £150 that it's really a steal. There is a more advanced version available, the Fire Max 11, though the reviews aren't quite as strong when you factor in the extra expense.

Details

Microsoft Surface Pro ablet

The Good & The Bad

Lightning fast performance
Plenty of power
Crisp OLED touchscreen
Currently discounted
Great feel in the hands

Usually very expensive
On the heavier side
Not built for gaming

Why We Like It

Meet the all-new Microsoft Surface Pro, the first of a new AI-enabled generation of Microsoft Surface (actually the 11th gen). It uses Copilot+ PC, which powers this 2-in-1 tablet's selection of AI features.

The big AI selling point is feature called Recall, which saves snapshots of your screen every few seconds, allowing you to easily search for specific screens you've visited or worked on from apps, websites, and documents. Simply describe text or imagery and Recall will pull it up for you.

The software had a bumpy start after its rollout and some reviewers think it's surplus to requirements. But this tablet also does the basics very, very well.

It's super fast thanks to a Snapdragon X Elite CPU, and it has an immense battery life. It a comes with a metal kickstand and detachable keyboard so you can set it up like a regular laptop, while the front and rear facing cameras are also AI assisted, giving you the best possible images and audio.

Details

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10+

The Good & The Bad

Great for gaming
Anti-reflection AMOLED display
Chews through creative tasks
S Pen included
Robust, water-resistant build

Quite a hefty unit
Battery could be better

Why We Like It

Samsung's mission to topple the mighty iPad continues with this latest effort, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10+. And Samsung might have achieved it this time around. For anyone willing to consider that Apple isn't the be all and end all of tech, the Galaxy Tab 10+ could be the best of the bunch.

It's not cheap but it has plenty of power, which comes courtesy of its MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ CPU. This gives you plenty of oomph for creative tasks and gaming, with superb graphics and fast performance overall.

We're also impressed by its AI features. These features include Google's innovative "circle to search" function, a series of "Assist" functions for various tasks, and improved image editing. Overall, it's a bit of a unit — and we'd like a bit more battery for the size — but it's the best Android tablet you'll find.

Details

iPad Pro

The Good & The Bad

Beautiful display for designers
Apple Intelligence included
High-end cameras
Next-level M4 processor
Supports WiFi 6E

Apple Pencil sold separately
Expensive (but worth the investment)

Why We Like It

There's a lot of hype surrounding the Apple iPad Pro, and it's well-deserved. In fact, it's the best tablet that Apple has ever made.

The 11-inch liquid retina display is nearly edge-to-edge. Its "ProMotion" technology helps make it seamless to draw on and its True Tone colour helps make it pop. Powered by the Apple M4 chip — with up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of storage — the iPad Pro is particularly suited to Adobe creativity apps. And while the 10-hour battery life isn't the best you'll find, it's still solid.

It's also built with Apple Intelligence, which offers new writing and communication tools, as well as AI image creation, ChatGTP integration, an upgraded Siri, and plenty more add-ons and improvements.

One downside of the iPad Pro is that you have to purchase an Apple Pencil to draw and sketch with it. This is an additional cost, but it's an investment worth taking on to get the most out of the iPad Pro.

Details

Fire HD 10 Kids Pro

The Good & The Bad

Durable kid-proof case
Excellent battery life
Includes a year of Amazon Kids+
Stacks of kids content
Surprisingly decent spec

Older kids may outgrow it
Clunky interface

Why We Like It

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is basic but it gets the job done for youngsters. It ships with a colourful and durable "kid-proof" case and has a two-year worry-free guarantee. If something happens to the tablet during that timeframe, Amazon will replace it with no questions asked.

The tablet comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+, which offers more than 20,000 books, movies, TV shows, and games made for kids. It’s safe too. Amazon Kids+ users can't use Alexa or social media, or make in-app purchases without a parent approving. It's super-safe for little ones.

Parents are also able to set restrictions on screen time, permissible websites, and curfews for each user. Speaking of users, there can be up to four different child profiles, so it will keep your entire brood entertained.