The best tablets of 2025, tested and reviewed

Screen size: 10.9 inches | Storage: Starts at 128GB | Rated battery life: 10 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi (cellular 4G/5G optional) | Warranty: 1 year

I get it. There's just something about the iPad. Give Apple credit for crafting a tablet that really stands out against the competition.

In the new-for-2025 model, there's a little prestidigitation at work, starting with nomenclature: Although it's the 11th generation of this model, Apple is no longer referring to it as such. Instead, it's the "iPad (A16)," the parenthetical referring to the A16 processor that's the brains behind the operation.

Similarly, no more calling this the "iPad 10.9" in reference to its screen size. It still has a 10.9-inch screen, mind you — the same Liquid Retina beauty as before — but Apple is now rounding up and referring to it as an 11-inch.

Indeed, to look at this year's iPad is to see last year's; they're physically identical, including the four color choices — blue, pink, silver and yellow — and they're able to use the impressive Apple Pencil stylus (sold separately, of course).

The two notable changes are internal: The A16 chip (which Apple says delivers "a big jump in performance") and the 128GB of storage in the base model. That's double the amount in the 10th-gen iPad, yet Apple kept the starting price at $349. That's an unexpected and pleasant surprise given the 40% price jump in the latest entry-level iPhone, the 16e.

(Side note: You might think the smaller iPad Mini would be the "budget" iPad to pick, but it starts at $499.)

So. The new iPad is faster and has twice the storage for the same price. It's a ridiculously capable device, more or less on par with an iPhone but with a much larger screen. Granted, I never found the last model to be slow in any way — quite the opposite — so the processor bump doesn't excite me much. The extra gigabytes, however, represent a big win. That's a lot more space for games, movies, recorded videos and the like.

Of course, you still have the option of adding cellular to the mix, though it adds a hefty jump to the price of whatever model you choose. (The Wi-Fi-only iPad is $446 with 256GB, $595 with 512GB.) There's also the monthly cost of cellular service, but that's to be expected. Very few competing tablets offer this capability at all.

There's one fairly surprising thing missing from the iPad (A16), and that's Apple Intelligence. This integrated suite of AI tools can summarize e-mails, improve your writing, generate custom images and more; it also includes an upgraded Siri.

That makes this the only current Apple device with a screen to lack the company's next-gen smarts. That said, some would argue Apple Intelligence — in its current, not-fully-realized form, anyway — is nice to have, but hardly essential.

I'm in that camp. If you agree, then I can easily, wholeheartedly recommend this iPad. It's beautiful to look at, affordably priced and arguably more versatile than any competing tablet.

Screen size: 8 inches | Storage: Starts at 32GB (expandable) | Rated battery life: 13 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Warranty: 90 days

The Fire HD 8 isn't the sexiest tablet in town, but it delivers incredible bang for the buck — especially when it's on sale (which is often).

Indeed, although Amazon lists it at $100, you can frequently find the Fire HD 8 marked down to the $60 range (give or take $5).

Whatever price you pay, there's an embarrassment of tablet riches to be found here. The Fire HD 8 features a sharp display — iPads offer more pixels, but trust me when I say you won't notice in most apps — and something you can't get from any iPad model: expandable storage. If you fill up the included 32GB, just pop in an inexpensive MicroSD card for up to 1 terabyte more.

Other Fire perks: USB-C connectivity, dual speakers, hands-free Alexa voice controls for your smart home ecosystem and support for something called Show Mode, which effectively turns the tablet into a poor man's Echo Show 8. A forthcoming software update will add a few AI-powered features, including a writing assistant that promises to "proofread, polish and adjust the tone of emails, notes and more."

Is it perfect? Not quite: The front and rear cameras are pretty low resolution — fine for Zoom calls and such, but not great for shooting photos and video. I also don't love Amazon's short warranty, which expires after just 90 days. And it runs something called Fire OS, an Android variant with an interface that's less than intuitive compared to iPad and stock Android. Amazon's Appstore has a few notable app omissions, too.

Still, if you're primarily looking to consume entertainment — books, music, movies and TV, games and so on — this is an incredible deal, especially if you pick up a pair of great noise-cancelling headphones to go with it.

Read our complete Fire HD 8 (2024) review to learn more.

Screen size: 11 inches | Storage: 128GB (expandable) | Rated battery life: 10 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Warranty: 1 year

Reading the spec sheet for the Lenovo Tab M11, I'm convinced I'm looking at a premium tablet, not a budget one. But with a price tag that's currently $180 at Walmart and sometimes as low as $140 at Amazon, the budget part is definitely accurate. And that's for the M11 bundled with the Lenovo Tab Pen, meaning you can scribble notes and drawings right out of the box. (Don't need a stylus? Look for the M11 without it and you might walk away for even less.)

As for what's premium about it, start with the spacious 11-inch screen: 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, bright, vivid, gorgeous. It's flanked by four speakers outfitted with Dolby Atmos and fronted by an 8-megapixel camera that can not only capture selfies, but also use facial recognition to unlock the tablet. I find that highly preferable to tapping out a code or using a fingerprint reader.

The rear camera also tops out at 8 megapixels, which isn't great by any means — but good enough for a budget tablet. And although it had a bit of difficulty focusing in low light, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the photos.

Meanwhile, you get an impressive 128GB of storage for photos, videos, apps and the like, and it's expandable thanks to a microSD slot.

Though the M11 was originally outfitted with Android 13, my review sample came with Android 14 preinstalled; Lenovo has committed to an Android 15 update at some point. While this "pure Android" OS is certainly preferable to the likes of Amazon's highly customized Fire OS (which can't access the Google Play Store), I wish it had text labels for icons in the taskbar and Quick Settings menu. A lot of them are incomprehensible.

I tested Lenovo's stylus with the bundled Nebo note-taking app and was impressed by how smoothly the digital ink flowed and how well handwriting-to-text conversion worked. However, as with most tablets, the screen is almost too smooth; note-taking feels slippery without the bit of grit afforded by the best writing tablets. And because the pen has no magnets for clipping onto the side of the tablet, a case with a pen holder is all but essential.

That gripe aside, I have only one real complaint with the M11: performance. Despite the presence of a reasonably capable MediaTek Helio G88 processor, the M11 feels a little laggy at times, even with basic tasks like swiping up to exit an app. After disabling animations (via the Accessibility settings menu), some of that sluggishness disappeared, but overall it lacks the silky-smoothness you get from, say, Apple's iPad.

On the whole, however, this is an impressive budget tablet, especially for anyone who wants a pen in the mix.

Screen size: 8 inches | Storage: Starts at 32GB (expandable) | Rated battery life: 13 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Warranty: 2 years

Full stop: There's no better tablet for youngsters than Amazon's Fire HD 8 Kids. For one thing, it's more affordable than any iPad, with a starting price of $150 (and frequent sales dropping it to $100, sometimes even less). 

Equally appealing, the HD 8 Kids lives up to its name by arriving in a colorful case that's designed to withstand a lot of abuse. In fact, Amazon backs the tablet with an unparalleled two-year warranty, one that covers not only the usual stuff but also accidental breakage. So if Junior sits on, drop-kicks or tries to flush the thing, you can get a replacement.

The case is not only amazingly rugged, it's also cleverly designed. There's a built-in stand that can prop it upright for watching videos or, if you flip the tablet around, lay it flatter for games and other interactive activities.

Amazon includes a free year of its Kids+ subscription service, which offers unlimited access to a generous library of age-appropriate books, games, apps, videos and so on. Take note, however, that because this runs Amazon's specialized operating system, you can't access the full gamut of Android apps; you're limited to those available in the Amazon Appstore. This probably won't be an issue, especially for younger kids, but be aware that YouTube is one of the more notable Appstore omissions.

The tablet has front- and rear-facing cameras for fun with photos and video and baked-in parental controls you can monitor and update remotely.

If you have older kids (I'd say in the 8-12 range), the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro has a more "grown-up" case and more advanced parental controls. In nearly all other respects it's the same, including price and warranty.

Although Amazon offers 10-inch versions of both models, they cost at least $60 more. I don't see much advantage to the slightly larger screen, which will just be heavier and harder for little hands to hold.

The Fire HD 8 Kids is a slam-dunk product, without question the best tablet for children.

Screen size: 11 inches | Storage: Starts at 128GB | Rated battery life: 11 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Warranty: 1 year

If you're looking for a tablet that delivers a "pure Android" experience, go straight to the source: The Pixel Tablet comes from Google, and Google makes Android. That means you won't get any unwanted apps or have to learn your way around a heavily modified interface (looking at you, Amazon Fire tablets).

But there's more here than just the clean, familiar operating system: Google also supplies a magnetic dock that not only simplifies charging but also turns the Pixel into a smart screen and home hub. That means when you're not using it for portable tablet things, you can dock it on, say, your kitchen counter for watching recipe videos, or your nightstand for clock/weather duties. I keep it on my desk and ask for a live feed of my Eufy E340 video doorbell.

The dock isn't just a display stand and wireless magnetic charger, either — it's also a speaker. A small one, yes, but definitely an improvement over the four tiny speakers built into the tablet itself. And if you're listening to music or watching a video and then dock the Pixel, it quickly and automatically "hands off" audio to that speaker. 

I did encounter a few setup glitches. The operating system wanted me to plug a cable into an existing Android device or iPhone, or iPad to copy over my data; why not do it wirelessly? Later, I was presented with a "let's finish setting up your tablet" wizard that seemed to get stuck in a loop, asking me repeatedly to copy my data (which I'd already "skipped," intentionally). And following a tablet reboot, the Pixel "forgot" which screensaver I'd selected and reverted to the default clock.

Those glitches aside, this is a fast, stylish and well-rounded tablet. I like its roomy 11-inch screen, which has a wider aspect ratio (16:10) than the iPad 10.9 (4:3) and is therefore better suited to watching movies and TV shows. (The image fills more of the screen, with smaller black bars at the top and bottom.) I also like the 128GB of storage in the base model — plenty of room for downloading movies and TV shows — but wish it had a memory-card slot for expansion.

I also wish Google offered a keyboard and stylus for those interested in productivity and creative pursuits, but you'll have to rely on third-party products.

Mostly, though, this is a great tablet not just for travel, but also for around the house. The dock may seem like a trivial addition, but it greatly expands the Pixel's usefulness and makes me wish Apple offered something similar for its iPads.

(An important note on the price: While this tablet/dock combo ostensibly costs over $100 more than the standalone tablet, I've also seen it thrown in for free — so do keep an eye out for that discount.)