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Compare Deals and save hundreds of pounds Sim Only Deals Phone Deals While there are nowhere near as many tablets to choose from as smartphones, there is still a large number, and a lot of factors to consider.
Do you want iOS, Android or Windows? Do you want it more for productivity or entertainment? Do you want a big screen or small? And how much are you prepared to spend?
Whatever your answers to those questions there’ll be a tablet for you, and your best option is likely one of the five in this list, which covers every major category.
Among the best tablets you’ll find the flagship iPad Pro 11, the brilliant screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, and the powerful Microsoft Surface Pro 7. Read on to find out where they rank, and whether they’re right for you.
Windows is often ignored on tablets in favour of mobile operating systems, and that’s a shame, as slates are as much versatile laptop alternatives as scaled up smartphones, so Windows is an ideal choice.
And if you’re going with Windows, then you’ll be hard pushed to find a better tablet pairing than the Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
This is a seriously powerful slate, with desktop-level specs and multiple configurations, ranging from an Intel Core i3 and 4GB of RAM, to an Intel Core i7 with 16GB. You can also get up to 1TB of storage, plus a detachable keyboard and a stylus.
Opt for one of the top models and the Surface Pro 7 will cost you as much as a high-end laptop, which is its main issue, but it’s a lot more versatile than a typical tablet, since it runs a full desktop operating system.
Your window onto that is a 12.3-inch 1824 x 2736 screen, and with Windows 10 on board there’s almost no limit to what you can do with it. That said, the high price means we can only really recommend this if you plan to use this as both your laptop and tablet. Otherwise, there are cheaper options with or without Windows.
Apple makes most of the best slates, and it also makes options fit for most budgets and most size requirements, with the iPad Mini (2019) being both a small and relatively affordable option.
So this is no flagship, but its 7.9-inch 1536 x 2048 screen makes it compact enough to easily carry in even a small bag, and to not weigh you down.
And while it’s not a flagship, the iPad Mini (2019) still has decent performance, with a moderately powerful A12 Bionic chipset (the same as you’ll find in the iPhone XS), plus the latest version of iPadOS, which at the time of writing is iPadOS 13.
As such you also have access to the wealth of apps and games available on the App Store, all useable on a crisp screen. And it’s even compatible with the Apple Pencil. The design is a bit dated and creative types will probably prefer a bigger display, but as an affordable slate to take with you (rather than use at home) the iPad Mini (2019) is a winner.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is the best Android tablet money can buy at the time of writing and the closest Android rival to Apple’s iPad Pro range.
It also has a lot in common with the iPad Pro range, including a stylus (which you don’t even have to buy separately, unlike with Apple’s slates), and a keyboard cover (which you do have to buy separately).
The star of the show though is undoubtedly the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6’s 10.5-inch 1600 x 2560 Super AMOLED screen. It’s big, fairly sharp and very high quality.
The slate also has a high-end Snapdragon 855 chipset and up to 8GB of RAM, so there’s plenty of power. Android isn’t our favourite tablet operating system but if it’s yours then this is the slate to go for.
The iPad 10.2 is Apple’s latest ‘budget’ slate. It’s still not cheap, but it is reasonably affordable, and certainly good value.
Impressively it works both with Apple’s Smart Keyboard Cover and the Apple Pencil stylus, giving it many of the same productivity skills as the iPad Pro range.
That 10.2-inch screen is a good size too and reasonably crisp at 1620 x 2160, plus it’s running Apple’s latest tablet software, and it’s reasonably powerful, though notably less so than other recent slates offered by the company.
Still, those slates are either smaller (like the iPad Mini) or more expensive, so the iPad 10.2 strikes a good balance.
The iPad Pro 11 is not just the best iPad but also the best tablet at the time of writing. It has a great, premium design and a screen that to our minds is the perfect balance – not as awkwardly large as the iPad Pro 12.9, but plenty big enough to comfortably watch, play and work.
It’s also got plenty of power thanks to its A12X Bionic chipset and up to 6GB of RAM, plus of course it supports the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
The speakers are impressive too, making this a top media device, and with up to 1TB of storage there’s endless space.
Our only complaint is that it’s getting on a bit now. The fact that it’s still unmatched shows both how good it is and that the tablet space isn’t in the best of health, but despite those two things we’d imagine a tablet will have it beat soon – probably a newer iPad Pro model. But until then, the iPad Pro 11 is the best all-round slate, and it’s sure to remain one of the best for a long time to come.
So there you have it, the five best tablets money can buy. There’s the seriously expensive but seriously capable Microsoft Surface Pro 7, then the compact and affordable iPad Mini (2019), followed by the best Android slate in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, while second place is taken by the great value and surprisingly versatile iPad 10.2.
In first place though, of course, it’s the iPad Pro 11. An all-round excellent slate that should suit you well for almost any use.
But although the iPad Pro 11 tops this list, if you’re in the market for a new tablet any one of these could serve you well – just choose the one with the specs and features that most appeal.
