Despite fierce competition from increasingly powerful smartphones, tablets remain versatile devices perfect for home and on-the-go use. Surf the internet, tap out a quick email, watch TV via iPlayer or Netflix, play games – tablets are the go-to devices for when you want to sit back and enjoy everything the internet has to offer.
However, with hundreds of models in different shapes and sizes, not to mention different operating systems and prices, it can be hard to know exactly where to start.
Below you’ll find a brief at a glance list summarising our top picks, along with our selection of the best tablets money can buy. If you need a bit more help in terms of what to look for, there’s a comprehensive guide at the bottom of the page detailing which features you should prioritise.
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Best tablet: At a glance
The best tablets you can buy in 2020
1. Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020): The best budget tablet
Price: £90 | Buy now from Amazon
Amazon’s 2020 update to its 8in tablet is its best yet, featuring a more powerful processor, twice the base storage and improved battery life. RAM has also been given a minor boost from 1.6GB to 2GB and although the 1,200 x 800px display is a little fuzzy compared to Apple’s tablet offerings, the Fire HD 8 (2020) is an absolute steal at under £100.
All of those tweaks equate to a 30% increase in power as evidenced during our in-house testing. The 2020 model achieved impressive single- and multi-core CPU scores in the Geekbench 3 CPU test and hit twice the framerate of the 2018 iteration during our on-screen graphics test. The general user experience feels fluid on the whole, though we did experience some juddering while switching between applications.
Amazon tablets still suffer from a limited app library but with battery life upwards of 12 hours, in-built hands-free Alexa support and the addition of USB-C charging, the Fire HD 8 remains the budget tablet to beat.
If you’re willing to pay a bit more for the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2020), you’ll get improved battery life, 1GB more RAM, wireless charging, a faster charger included in the box AND Kindle Unlimited free for three months.
Read our full Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Quad-core MediaTek MT8168; Screen: 8in, 1,280 x 800px; Storage: 32GB; Size: 202 x 137 x 9.7mm; Weight: 335g; Operating system: Android (Fire OS)
2. Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020): The most powerful tablet ever
Price: £969 l Buy now from Amazon
Though the latest 12.9in iPad Pro isn’t a huge improvement on the 2018 model, it’s the most powerful tablet on the market by some margin. The new A12Z Bionic processor outperforms the already exceptional A12X Bionic chip in its predecessor and that raw power allows you to do everything from type emails to edit 4K video. The display remains one of the best around, with 97% coverage of the sRGB colour space and excellent colour accuracy. It’s Dolby Vision-enabled, too, making it perfect for enjoying all of your favourite movies and TV shows on.
New to the 2020 model are a 10MP f/2.4 wide-angle camera and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanner, which facilitates the accurate measurement of distances as you move the camera over them. Both are welcome additions without falling into the essential features category. If you’re after a cheaper and more compact option, the 11in model offers everything the 12.9in version does but has a smaller, lower-resolution display.
Read our full 12.9in Apple iPad Pro (2020) review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Apple A12Z Bionic; Screen: 12.9in, 2,732 x 2,048px; Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB ; Size: 280.6 x 214.9 x 5.9mm; Weight: 641g; Operating system: iOS 14
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus: The best Android tablet
Price: £799 | Buy now from Amazon
With laptop-like performance and 5G capabilities, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is a tablet to be reckoned with. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus CPU inside it excelled during our in-house tests, showing the S7 Plus to be a powerhouse capable of handling pretty much any task thrown at it.
The 120Hz, HDR10+ Dynamic AMOLED display delivers rich and bold colours regardless of your viewing angle and features two colour profiles to choose from – “Natural” and “Vivid” – with the former providing better coverage of the sRGB colour space and superior colour accuracy.
Like its predecessor the Tab S6, the Tab S7 Plus features DeX mode: an interface is designed to work with a mouse and keyboard. Sadly, you’ll have to fork out for Samsung’s two-part keyboard cover to get the most out of it, but if you do, the Tab S7 Plus effectively doubles up as a laptop.
With its impressive DeX mode, free S Pen stylus, superb performance and the potential for 5G connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is an Android tablet capable of taking on the mighty iPad Pro.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus; Screen: 12.4in, 2,800 x 1,753px; Storage: 128GB or 256GB; Size: 285 x 185 x 5.7mm; Weight: 575g; Operating system: Android 10 (ONE UI 2.5)
4. Apple iPad mini 5: The best compact tablet
Price: £377 | Buy now from Currys PC World
On the outside, not a lot has changed between the iPad mini 4 and the iPad mini 5. In fact, nothing has changed at all. The new mini looks just like its predecessor, with identical dimensions, button placement and display resolution. On the inside, however, the difference is huge. The iPad mini 5 packs Apple’s all-new Bionic A12 chip (as seen in the 2019 iPhone lineup), 3GB RAM and a decent 8MP, f/2.4 rear camera.
Of course, it also runs on the latest iOS 12, which you can’t say for the circa 2015 iPad mini 4. What’s more, the 5th-gen iPad mini is compatible with third-party styluses, meaning you’re no longer to turn over £90 for the Apple Pencil. For a 7.9in device, the iPad mini 5 is amazingly powerful, and it’s the best tablet of its size you can buy.
Read our full iPad mini 5 review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Apple A12 Bionic; Screen: 7.9in, 2,048 x 1,536px; Storage: 64GB; Size: 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1mm; Weight: 300g; Operating system: iOS 12
Buy now from Currys PC World
5. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite: The best value Android tablet
Price: £349 | Buy now from Amazon
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 may be our favourite Android tablet but the Lite version of the S6 comes a close second and is significantly cheaper.
While performance is a little sluggish compared to its Apple rivals, the 2,000 x 1200px screen is vivid, sharp and has a searing maximum brightness of 432cd/m², while battery life clocks in at a highly impressive 15 hours, significantly longer than the 10.2in iPad. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite’s 8MP rear camera and 5MP selfie-cam will cater for all your photographic needs and the tablet comes with Samsung’s handy S pen stylus included in the price.
Don’t be fooled by the Lite in its name, this is one mighty tablet.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Exynos 9611; Screen: 10.4in, 2,000 x 1,200px; Storage: 64/128GB (128GB version not available in the UK); Size: 245 x 155 x 7mm; Weight: 467g; Operating system: Android 10.0
6. Apple iPad 10.2in (2020): The best-value iPad
Price: From £329 l Buy now from Amazon
The eighth-generation 10.2in iPad is a shining example of a well-executed iterative update. Nothing’s changed in terms of design – the dimensions are exactly the same as before and the screen is identical – but there’s been a significant upgrade to the processor powering it. The A10 Fusion chip has been replaced with a six-core A12 Bionic chip and the result is a device better equipped to handle demanding tasks such as video editing and rendering. Battery life has also seen a marginal improvement: the more energy-efficient chip saw the 2020 model last 12h 45m in our battery rundown test, 16 minutes longer than the 2019 version.
Apple’s new iPad OS 14 throws in a handful of useful features, best of which is Scribble, the company’s attempt at integrating handwriting recognition into its tablets. It’s intuitive and fun to use despite not being compatible with the full suite of iOS apps just yet. The 2020 10.2in iPad isn’t perfect – webcam quality is mediocre and there’s still no USB-C port – but it remains the best tablet in its class in almost every area.
Read our full Apple iPad (2020) review for more details
Key specs – Processor: A12 Bionic; Screen: 10.2in, 2,160 x 1.620px; Storage: 32GB; Size: 250 x 174 x 7.5mm; Weight: 493g; Operating system: iPadOS 14
7. Microsoft Surface Pro 7: A tried-and-tested 2-in-1
Price: From £799 | Buy now from Amazon
Microsoft’s seventh-generation tablet-laptop hybrid isn’t a huge departure from its predecessor but does finally add a USB-C port and the internals have received an upgrade. The Surface Pro 7 now houses an Intel 10th-gen processor, which is available in Core i3, i5 and i7 versions; the Core i7 model we tested demonstrated much-improved graphical performance.
The design remains pretty much unchanged, but that isn’t a bad thing; the entire device feels polished and is undoubtedly one of the best-looking 2-in-1s we’ve come across. The integrated kickstand can be used to set the Surface Pro 7 to any viewing angle you wish and the 3:2 aspect ratio display is perfect for working on while in laptop mode. Other nice touches include an 8-megapixel camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel Windows Hello authentication camera on the front, making unlocking your tablet/laptop a breeze.
It may only be a marginal update, but the Surface Pro 7 is a solid 2-in-1 for those looking for portability and versatility. That said, if you can find yourself a cut-priced Surface Pro 6, you won’t be missing out on too much.
Read our full Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Quad-core 1.3GHz Intel Core i7-1065G7; Screen: 12.3in, 2,736 x 1,824px; Storage: 256GB; Size: 201 x 292 x 8.5mm (without keyboard); Weight: 775g (without keyboard); Operating system: Windows 10
8. Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2: A rugged Android tablet for outdoor types
Price: £499 l Buy now from Amazon
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Active 2 caters to a niche target market of tech-loving adventurers and professionals who work outdoors. This ruggedised 8in Android tablet is water-and-dust resistant up to IP68 and has been designed to survive harsher conditions than your average touchscreen device. While you couldn’t quite call it weatherproof or drop-proof, it’s tougher than its non-rugged siblings such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4. The nifty garaged stylus is easy to keep track of and the replaceable battery means it could potentially last twice as long on a camping trip.
Barely any changes were made over the previous Tab Active device so we were critical of the steep launch price – the Tab Active 2 was released at £439. Luckily, this has dropped down to a far more reasonable £330. For a hardy 8in tablet (which can double up as a phone, thanks to its SIM slot) that seems an acceptable bargain.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Samsung Exynos 7870; Screen: 8in, 1,200 x 800px; Storage: 16GB; Size: 128 x 215 x 9mm; Weight: 413g; Operating system: Android 7.0
How to choose the best tablet for you
What do you need your tablet to do?
On paper, all tablets do mostly the same things. The difference comes in how well they perform. If you just want a tablet for browsing the internet, watching Netflix and maybe a little light gaming, a 12.9in iPad Pro is overkill, even if it does handle all the tasks brilliantly.
Likewise, if you want to use your tablet for any kind of demanding work – chopping up 4K video or playing the greatest mobile games – the cheap and cheerful £80 Kindle Fire 8 HD isn’t going to cut it, either. If you’re caught somewhere in the middle, you’re looking at a price between the two. Set aside a budget of somewhere between £250 and £350 and you’ll have plenty of choice – especially if you’re happy looking at the previous generation of hardware for bargains.
Does the operating system matter?
Tablets come with three main operating systems: iOS for iPads, Android or Windows 10 for everything else. Amazon’s Fire HD tablets also come with their own OS but in reality, this is a heavily modified version of Android designed to sell you Amazon goods more effectively.
In some respects, it makes sense to stick to what you know. It’s certainly easier to stay within the same ecosystem, as everything will have a great familiarity about it – and Apple products, in particular, are very good at syncing between Mac, iPhone and iPad. Likewise, if you’ve only ever used iPhones and Windows laptops, taking the plunge with Android will take a little getting used to. But, in truth, it doesn’t matter which one you use that much, what with cloud storage being what it is. It’s very easy to get your documents and files between all three, be it through Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive.
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How much storage space will you need?
As with the last point, on one level this simply doesn’t matter anymore. Cloud storage works across all the tablet platforms – so keeping your files in reach, but not taking up precious local space, is easy.
On the other hand, you probably don’t want to be constantly juggling files to keep your tablet from getting full. Look out for tablets with microSD slots, and remember that this has never applied to iPads – so, if you have a lot of files, the cheapest 32GB iPad may not be right for you.
Do you want to draw or type with it?
Tablets are designed to be poked with the finger, although as a general rule, iOS and Android have a better handle on this than Windows. All the same, certain devices have their own pressure-sensitive stylus for drawing or note-taking. In the case of iPads, this is the Apple Pencil for the iPad and first-gen iPad Pro tablets or the second-gen Apple Pencil for the more recent iPad Pro tablets. Microsoft Surface devices all support the Surface Pen, which is again sold separately. A number of Samsung’s tablets come with the company’s own S pen in the box, including the Galaxy Tab S6, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus.
Included keyboards are even less common, but as a rule of thumb, you can use any old Bluetooth keyboard with a tablet. Some, such as Logitech’s K780, are designed to be used with multiple Bluetooth devices and even contain a raised lip to hold your tablet in place.
An all-around better solution is to buy a cover with a keyboard built-in so it’s there whenever you need it. Apple’s official iPad keyboard case starts at £159, while similar options for the Tab S4 and Microsoft Surface go for £100. You can save a few bob by going for third-party alternatives, which exist for all the most popular tablets, but be sure to check customer reviews before investing as they may behave oddly or not be up to snuff.
The post Best tablet 2020: The top tablets from Apple, Microsoft and more appeared first on abangtech.
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