We don’t anticipate seeing new Galaxy Tab or OnePlus Pad models until later in the year, but hopefully the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that’s making waves in the Android versus iOS handset battle will crash into the tablet category with the same power. The best tablets of 2025 were the new iPad Pro M4 family and Apple’s sleek and thin new iPad Pro models. Will 2025 be the year that Android tablets close the gap on Apple’s premium tabs?
All of the tablets, including the incredible iPad Pro 11-inch—the tiniest tablet Apple has ever made—have been reviewed by us. The internal Apple M4 chipset can outperform the majority of desktop Windows machines. The eagerly anticipated iPad mini update, which included a more potent A17 Pro chipset and little else, has also been reviewed. Since there aren’t many little tablets available for purchase, it remains our favorite.
If you’re looking for the we’ve evaluated all of Samsung’s latest Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and the huge Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. You might want to check out our whole review before you commit to such a major purchase, literally and figuratively.
Table of Contents
- No 1 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
- No 2 Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display
- No 3 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus
- No 4 OnePlus Pad 2
- No 5 Apple iPad Air
Top 5 Best Tablets you Should Buy in 2025
No 1 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra

Apps run smoothly on the striking 14.6-inch AMOLED screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, the company’s newest and greatest ultra-large Android tablet, thanks to an improved CPU within. However, while being more expensive, this tablet is actually less powerful than an iPad Pro M4, thus its odd size is the only thing that makes it stand out from the competition.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra appeals to me because it has a striking AMOLED display and feels like a large, high-end Android tablet. Here are some particular features of this slate that I adore. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s 14.6-inch AMOLED display is one of my favorite features as I appreciate a good OLED screen.
I’m glad Samsung included such a wonderful screen on this slate because it’s large and has a 99% display, so you’ll be looking at your purchase all day.
We found that this slate can get fairly bright, peaking at about 775 nits when viewing HDR material, when we brought our Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra review unit into our testing lab and pointed our equipment at it. Despite my admiration for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s size and boldness, there are a few drawbacks you should be aware of before purchasing.
Pros
- Luscious 14.6-inch AMOLED display makes everything look great
- Speedy performance
- Included stylus is a nice touch
Cons
- Size makes use as a tablet awkward
- Costs nearly as much as iPad Pro M4, performs worse
No 2 Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display

The Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display will be right up your alley. If you’re constantly on the road, this thin, light, and fast tablet is a great option because of its amazing battery life. Nevertheless, it works best for low-intensity activities like browsing, taking notes, or streaming because of its Android operating system and constrained power.
Lenovo added the Tab P12 to its range of popular tablets a few years ago, so why are we writing about it now? That’s because the company has subtly unveiled a new version of its large-surface Android tablet, which has the same specifications but a gorgeous new matte display that looks like paper, making it even better for taking notes and drawing. Despite having a rather straightforward appearance, the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display is by no means unsightly.
It comes in plain packaging right out of the box, along with the stylus that is included and a few very basic instruction booklets. It is a great option for work or pleasure on the go because it is delightfully thin and light at 6.9mm, with curved edges that provide a smooth but uninspiring appearance. It’s not the most pleasant to hold for extended periods of time or while lying down because it’s somewhat huge, measuring 190.7 x 293.3 x 6.9 mm (without the camera bump).
Pros
- Affordable
- Supports variety of accessories
- New matte screen is lovely
Cons
- Not terribly powerful
- Android OS means no Windows legacy programs
- Battery caves under pressure
No 3 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 Plus makes no compromises in being an exceptionally premium device. Fast, with loud speakers and a beautiful display, this device covers enough bases to be a laptop replacement and a monitor companion.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is the best of both worlds, sitting between a phone and a laptop. It has perks if you prefer writing text, with its included S Pen stylus, and it aces tasks that take advantage of everything the stylus has to offer. But to the casual consumer, these specialized features would likely be a waste, and I’d instead push you in the direction of the Tab A series.The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus has exceptionally rich sound to match its beautiful AMOLED display, and it’s comfortable enough to hold for a while in its landscape form factor.
It’s no surprise that streaming content and listening to music with the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is so satisfying. Samsung still sells the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and its price is now more accessible, even though that tablet is a generation old. But if you want the best, you’ll want the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, and if you want a bigger screen, then consider the Tab S10 Ultra, which is the same tablet just bigger. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is meant to be used in landscape orientation, with the selfie camera located in the top middle, which is ideal for video calling. This mode feels perfectly comfortable.
Pros
- Gorgeous big display
- Brilliant battery life
- Included S Pen
Cons
- Cumbersome to hold in portrait orientation
- Prohibitively expensive for many
- Difficult to justify over Tab S9 Plus
No 4 OnePlus Pad 2

The OnePlus Pad 2 is an excellent update to the original thanks to its strong performance, bright display, booming speakers and incredible battery life. Though its unique centered back camera doesn’t snap the best photos, everything else about this slate makes it a winner. Right now, this is arguably the best Android tablet out there.
The OnePlus Pad 2 is an excellent upgrade to the original thanks to its vivid display, fast performance, stellar battery life and awesome speaker quality. The OnePlus Pad 2 looks virtually identical to the previous model. It has a metal-bodied design with curved edges and a big round camera block in the top center of the back when you hold it in landscape orientation. One major difference is that the new tablet comes in Nimbus Gray instead of Halo Green like before.
I prefer the new color, so I’m not complaining. The screen size is now 12.1 inches instead of 11.6 — a nice change that gives you more real estate to play with. Of course, the new tablet retains the original’s 7:5 aspect ratio, making it taller and wider than most tablets. In fact, the display’s shape is more akin to a laptop’s. The OnePlus Pad 2 retains the same thickness as the old Pad but it’s a heavier slate at 1.9 pounds over 1.2. Despite that, the tablet is still comfortable to hold for long stretches.
Pros
- Unique design
- Vivid display
- Strong performance
- Epic battery life
Cons
- Mediocre rear camera quality
No 5 Apple iPad Air

The iPad Air 13-inch (2024) has you covered. It’s an attractive and very portable slab that’s ready for just about anything. Artists will love it, as will creatives with an itch to make music and video.
Thanks to the M2 chip it’s also an able workhorse and, with the addition of the Magic Keyboard, does an excellent impression of an ultraportable laptop. You could spend less on a 10.9-inch iPad, but then you’d miss out on that next-generation Apple silicon performance, Apple Pencil Pro support, and the svelte 6.1mm frame. If all-out power is your thing, you might be considering the even thinner iPad Pro and its powerful new M4 processor; but if you’re reading this review, that will likely be overkill.
In my experience, the M2 chip has more than enough power for most iPad users. During my testing I used the new Air for everything from content consumption and web browsing to pro-level music editing and console-level gaming, and the iPad Air 13-inch and M2 chip had power to spare. If you’re looking for the perfect balance of price, performance, and screen size, the iPad Air 13-inch is the tablet I’d recommend and easily joins
Pros
- Huge screen
- Formidable power
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- No longer the lightest iPad
- No wireless charging
- No camera updates
What is the best brand of tablets?
Is the Apple iPad or the Samsung Galaxy Tab the best tablet brand, or is there another tablet brand to consider?
Tablet makers often match features to your smartphone, so the best brand of tablets for you may be the same brand as your phone. The Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab are two of our favorite tablet brands, and OnePlus boasts an excellent tablet, too: the OnePlus Pad.
What should I look for when buying a tablet?
The first thing to look for is the operating system, if you want to use your tablet alongside your Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone. If that doesn’t matter, you should consider the size of the display and how you’ll be carrying and using the tablet. If you plan on doing more professional work on your tablet as a laptop replacement, you should consider the tablet’s performance handling multiple apps or pro-level apps. Of course, price is always a consideration, because the least expensive tablets are surprisingly capable, and you may not need to spend more.
What tablet can replace a laptop?
The Apple iPad Air and iPad Pro models are also powerful enough to do work, but Apple does not make it easy to keep multiple windows and multiple apps open at the same time. Apple makes better keyboard accessories for its tablets, especially the Magic Keyboard, but that accessory is expensive, and most tablets will work with any Bluetooth or USB-C keyboard you find. Samsung makes better office productivity software for tablets, but its latest tablets lack a great keyboard option that equal the Apple Magic Keyboard.
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