Best Tablet 2024: Top 9 options reviewed and tested

The iPad Air 2022 is the best all-round tablet we’ve reviewed and the option we’d recommend to most people.

Reviewing the device, we struggled to find any serious issues with the tablet. Straight out of the box, the tablet presented the premium, well-built feeling that has assured iPad Air tablets have been consistent high scorers at Trusted Reviews. The metal finish feels nice to the touch and suffers no flex when pressed; following a fortnight with the device, and an accidental drop, our review unit remained free of any damage free.

As a piece of hardware, it’s also excellent. In tests we found the iPad Air 2022 more than powerful enough for everyday use. Powered by Apple’s M1 chip, the same silicon seen in its MacBook Air M1 and the last gen Apple iPad Pro line, the tablet blasted through every process thrown its way. Every game we opened ran hassle-free, and the device never once heated up, even when tackling large-scale vector graphics work in Affinity Designer. Trust us when we say – despite being part of Apple’s Air, not Pro, line of tablets, this is a powerhouse performer.

Apple’s iPadOS software is also significantly more developed than that of Android. During testing, we never struggled to find an app for the process we wanted to run. This makes it wonderfully flexible and suitable for use as a backup when paired with the option Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard.

The only minor issue is that, like all Apple peripherals, the keyboard and stylus are expensive additions. We also aren’t the biggest fans of the keyboard cover’s switches, which still feel a little squishy compared to most of the dedicated laptops we test. We’d only recommend it for taking notes during lectures, rather than for writing dissertations, as a result.

The 11-inch screen is great for watching video content, offering suitably bright and accurate colours for an immersive viewing experience. Our reviewer was also impressed with the tablet’s speakers, which offered surprisingly powerful and detailed audio, to make watching TV in bed a blast.

If that wasn’t enough, our tests showed that the iPad Air 4 is capable of offering users all-day battery life. Our reviewer regularly managed 10 hours of heavy use before the tablet required charging. Streaming 10 hours of a downloaded iTunes video, the battery still had 3% remaining during our tests.

Our only slight quibble is that, unlike many of its Microsoft and Google rivals, the screen is a basic LCD panel with a locked 60Hz refresh rate. This means the device fell slightly short of delivering the deep blacks seen from its Pro Mini-LED siblings and Android rivals such as the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which has an OLED screen.

We’d also have liked Apple’s Promotion to make an appearance. Promotion is a screen technology that boosts the tablet’s refresh rate to 120Hz, enabling it to render twice as many images per second. The feature works great and, based on our experience, ensures the Pro screens feel much smoother to use than those of the Air models.

Ordinarily, we’d have forgiven the Air considering its price; but, recently, we’ve seen rival devices at the same price, such as the Xiaomi Pad 5 with its 120Hz screen, pass through our labs. As such, the Xiaomi Pad 5 is a great alternative for those looking for an all-round awesome 11-inch tablet, but who aren’t embedded in Apple’s software ecosystem.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPad Air 2022 Review

If you’re not a fan of Apple’s iPadOS operating system, the Android 13-based OnePlus Pad may be more up your street.

Based on our results, the device is a powerhouse product that goes toe-to-toe with – at times, even beats – the iPad Air at a technical level. It sports a CNC-milled aluminium body with a slight 2.5D curvature that sits comfortably in the hand, and it’s pretty svelte at just 6.5mm thick. Like the iPad Air, the frame offered no flex at all when pressed.

The screen is LCD, like the Air’s, but it has a 144Hz refresh rate – faster than practically any other tablet on the market at any price point. It’s also larger at 11.65 inches. This makes the OnePlus Pad the ideal Android tablet for gaming, and Dolby Vision HDR makes content from supported apps like Netflix really pop.

The aspect ratio is also unique at 7:5, making it a solid option for split-screen multitasking and even work purposes when combined with the optional Keyboard case and stylus. The keyboard case was a particular highlight with a satisfying typing experience, though software improvements are needed to truly make the accessories shine.

Battery life is another highlight for the tablet, easily able to last 11 hours before needing a top-up, and standby time was equally impressive. OnePlus claims it can last up to a month on standby, and while we couldn’t verify those claims, it was seemingly always ready to go.

Besides, with 67W SuperVOOC charging – some of the fastest on a tablet – the OnePlus Pad can go from flat to full in just over an hour. It’s just a shame that the charger isn’t included in the box.

Some minor issues that stopped us from fully recommending the OnePlus on the same level as the iPad Air relate to the device’s software and use of a slightly less powerful (but still capable) Dimensity 9000 chipset. As is the case with nearly all the Android tablets we test, many apps aren’t optimised to run on screens of this size, and the OS lacks some key pro-level apps available on iPad too.

Still, if you’re looking for a competitive Android-based tablet with great hardware and a tempting price, the OnePlus Pad should be your go-to.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter
Full review: OnePlus Pad review

If you’re looking for a big-screen tablet with plenty of power to run some of the best games available on Android, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the ideal option.

The display is not only huge at 14.6 inches, but with Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display technology, it’s smooth, rapid and responsive in everyday use with a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate ideal for gaming. The size means it’s not as portable as other options in our chart, taking up a similar footprint to a MacBook Pro 13 in a rucksack, but the large dimensions will no doubt provide the edge in competitive online titles like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG.

What’s more, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra sports a unique top-end chipset that makes it more powerful than any other Android competitor – though still not quite up to the task of de-throning the M2 of Apple’s iPad Pro.

Still, the exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset packs a higher CPU clock speed and an additional GPU core compared to the regular 8 Gen 2, the Tab S9 Ultra can handle just about anything you can throw at it. That not only means AAA games with high graphics enabled, but split-screen multitasking, video editing and anything else you could think of.

Even if you’re not an Android mobile gamer, the gorgeous display is well suited to both cloud gaming and binging series on Netflix.

Elsewhere, the S Pen provides a satisfying writing experience with a faster response time than the Apple Pencil 2, and it comes in the box too. There’s also IP68 dust and water resistance, a rarity among tablets, and solid battery life that can comfortably get you through a week’s sporadic use.

It’s just a little annoying that, at comfortably over £1000/$1000, there isn’t a charger in the box to take advantage of the tablet’s 45W fast charging. Even the iPad range still comes with a charger in the box.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter
Full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Review

The iPad Pro M2 is the best tablet we’ve tested for those looking for pure high-end performance. If you’re a creative, an artist or someone looking to replace a laptop with a tablet then this is the best pick.

As the Pro branding suggests, this is the top-end Apple tablet and it boasts the most features. It’s also available in two sizes: 11-inch and 12.9-inch, with the larger model toting the very best screen we’ve ever seen on tablet.

In our tests, our reviewer was blown away by the display, with the Mini-LED 12.9-inch screen proving to be the best mobile panel for HDR content. We were wowed by the level of brightness on offer, and the accuracy of the colours displayed. The move to Mini-LED also made blacks look incrementally deeper than those rendered on the LCD iPad Pro M2 11-inch.

Cracking out our colorimeter, our naked-eye impressions were confirmed, with the iPad Pro delivering one of the best performances we’ve seen for a tablet marketed at creatives.

Our positive experience was further enhanced by the screen’s Promotion tech which is available on both sizes. This is Apple’s marketing term for high refresh rate and it means the iPad Pro M2 can display up to 120 images per second, up from 60 on the iPad Air. This makes everything feel a lot smoother, from drawing and sketching to gaming and scrolling Twitter.

The M2 chip powering the device is more than powerful enough to easily run every app tested, with our reviewer noticing zero performance issues, even when editing video. However, there are limited apps out there that will fully take advantage of this chip – at least at the time of review.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPad Pro M2

If you’re hankering after a big-screen tablet, but don’t fancy the iPad Pro 12.9-inch, then the Lenovo Tab Extreme is a solid – and even bigger, if you can believe it – alternative.

The Lenovo Tab Extreme embodies the extreme moniker with its huge 14.5-inch display, but it’s not just big, sporting a 120Hz refresh rate, a 3.5K resolution and OLED tech for vivid colours and deep, inky blacks that make streaming HDR content on Netflix an absolute dream. Paired with the sheer size, it’s a decent replacement for a TV when away from home and also proved a particularly well-suited option for cloud gaming.

Embedded around that huge display is an all-metal body that measures in at an exquisite 5.9mm thick, helping offset just how unwieldy the large tablet can be to move around. Still, it looks and feels just as premium as the iPad Pro does.

Trying to match the iPad Pro’s capabilities, the Tab Extreme is compatible with the Lenovo Precision Pen 3 and a new keyboard case, and the company sells a bundle with both included for £999/$949. The stylus is ideal for creatives with 4,000 points of pressure and minimal lag, while the magnetic keyboard case is perfect for getting some work done.

Battery life is also solid despite powering such a large display with a whopping 12,500mAh cell that’s comfortably larger than most external battery chargers. As such, the Tab Extreme had no problem lasting an entire workday with constant use, and with 68W charging, it charged from flat to full in just under 90 minutes.

When it comes to performance, the tablet is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For reference, that’s the same chipset as the OnePlus Pad that costs half the price, but that’s more a testament to OnePlus’ value for money than the Tab Extreme being underpowered for the price.

Everyday performance is solid with no stuttering or lag, though our reviewer noted that the display’s 3.5K resolution was just too much to power high-end games. Performance is also behind what you’ll find from Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple’s M2 processor, so those that need the most performance should look elsewhere, but for sheer streaming and cloud gaming capabilities, the Lenovo Tab Extreme is a particularly strong (if not pricey) option.

Reviewer: Sean Cameron
Full review: Lenovo Tab Extreme Review

If you want a tablet-come-laptop for work then based on our testing, the Surface Pro 8 is the tablet to buy. This is largely due to the tablet’s use of full-fat Windows 11. Our tests revealed that this made it the most versatile option as a working laptop replacement.

The tablet uses proper laptop processors and has access to every app and programme available on Windows. As such, our reviewer found that it was the only device on the list that could comfortably be used both as a 100% functional laptop for work and tablet for entertainment.

With every other device, including the iPad models, we experienced times where we had to move to a laptop to complete some work tasks. This usually occurred when we needed to plug peripherals such as colorimeter or older external monitors into the device, because iPadOS and Android had failed to recognise them.

Paired with a Type Cover, we also found the keyboard is one of the best available to a tablet. The new keyboard has a carbon fibre layer, which makes it feel a lot sturdier to type on, removing the flex I experienced with past Type Covers. The key’s switches also have a more pleasing and tactile actuation point than Apple’s Magic Keyboards, making it more comfortable to work on for prolonged periods.

From a hardware perspective, the Surface Pro 8 performed admirably. The 13-inch tablet uses an LCD panel, which means it wasn’t quite as nice as the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and iPad Pro 12.9-inch to watch Netflix on, which offer deeper blacks and generally more immersive viewing head-to-head. Nevertheless, screen quality is more than good enough for casual viewing on the go. I had no serious issues watching videos on a long train ride to Scotland.

The lack of a eGPU, like the 3050 Ti seen on the Asus ROG Flow Z13, meant we couldn’t get triple-A games to run locally at playable frame rates without radically downgrading the graphics. But the 120Hz refresh rate meant streaming games via GeForce Now felt suitably reactive with an Xbox controller connected.

During our review process we found battery life varied greatly, depending on what you were doing with the device. For office tasks such as word processing, video calling and managing Excel sheets, you’ll comfortably get a full workday’s use out of the Surface Pro 8, based on our experience with the device. But more intensive tasks, such as 3D modelling in Blender put a much bigger strain on the battery, with it lasting only around 3-4 hours. This is a lot less than the iPad Pro 12.9-inch.

Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full review: Surface Pro 8 Review

If you want a tablet that can easily fit into even the smallest of bags, then the iPad Mini 6 is the device for you.

We haven’t always been the biggest fans of Apple’s Mini iPads, with them tending to be the slowest to get upgraded in any significant way. The iPad Mini 5 offered a good but dull design that focussed on performance improvements and little more.

Which is the reason we were so surprised by the iPad Mini 6 when it entered our labs for testing. It was immediately apparent on taking the device out of the box that Apple had put much thought and care into upgrading the Mini for today’s market. The device sports a completely new, more modern design, and a number of small but important upgrades make it the best small tablet to pass through our labs in the last half-decade.

Design-wise, it looks like a shrunk-down version of Apple’s current-generation Pro and Air tablets. It’s been upgraded to feature Apple Pencil 2 support, too. The latter is particularly welcome, since it means the Pencil can be magnetically docked and charged on the tablet. The docking mechanism is much more elegant than that featured on the older model – which forced you to charge the Pencil using the tablet’s Lightning port – and made it far easier for us to keep tabs on the stylus through testing.

The A15 Bionic chipset isn’t as fast as the M1 that features in Apple’s more expensive iPads, but based on our benchmarks and experience using the Mini 6 as our daily tablet, it’s still more than powerful enough. In our time with the tablet, we never noticed any slowdown, with apps universally launching in milliseconds and running with zero performance issues.

The only downside is that while the size is great for people who want a portable tablet, the Mini isn’t quite as good for video streaming or gaming in a home environment as its larger Air sibling.

We found the 8.2-inch screen isn’t anywhere near as immersive for video viewing as the iPad Air, let alone the Pro or Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. As well as its small size, placing it next to the iPad Air, which also has an LCD screen, blacks weren’t quite as deep. Thankfully, its high max brightness meant it proved suitably dynamic for casual video in bed or while travelling.

The lack of Apple’s Promotion tech means it’s locked at a bog-standard 60Hz refresh rate. This coupled with its small size meant that although it’s fine for mobile gaming on the go, the device is ill-suited for more serious players looking for a tablet from which to stream triple-A games. We found the HUD and text on PC games running via GeForce Now were a little too small to comfortably read when the tablet was sitting on a desk.

For such users, the iPad Air or Xiaomi Pad 5 with their larger screens are far better options.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Apple iPad Mini 6 review

Amazon has its niche at the market’s budget end with a swathe of its own Amazon Fire-branded tablets coming in all shapes and sizes, from the small Amazon Fire 7 (2022) to the kid-proof Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids (2021). However, it’s the newest in the Fire tablet collection that truly stands out, even compared to fully-fledged Android tablets.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 stands at the top of the Fire tablet collection, not only in price at £249/$229 but size, sporting an 11-inch display. The display is one of the main reasons to opt for the tablet, boasting a 2K resolution that delivers pin-sharp visuals when watching movies, reading books on the Kindle app and browsing the web. It’s also fully laminated with no gap between the protective glass and LCD panel to create that horrid hollow tap sensation present on most cheaper tablets (and even Apple’s iPad 10).

It feels like a more premium device than others in the collection, with an aluminium body, rounded corners and relatively slim bezels. In fact, it looks a lot like the iPad 10, just much cheaper. It’s a shame that it’s only available in slate grey – more colourful options could help Amazon’s tablet stand out in a sea of grey tablets.

Performance is also surprisingly impressive considering it sports an unnamed octa-core processor and just 4GB of RAM, performing much better in CPU and GPU tests than most of the similarly priced competition, and everyday performance was refreshingly free of stutter and lag.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is compatible with an optional keyboard case and stylus, with the stylus magnetically attaching to the side of the tablet when not in use. Amazon hopes this will frame the tablet as a work device, but it’s not entirely up to the same standard as most competitors – and that’s down to Fire OS.

Despite running on Android 11, the Fire Max 11 (like all other Fire tablets) is devoid of Google services and Google Play, instead offering its own alternative in the form of the Appstore. While plenty of apps are available, including Microsoft Office, it lacks key apps like Google Drive or Dropbox that’d make it handy for work purposes. 

You will find most streaming apps, however, and plenty of free-to-play games, framing the tablet as more of a high-end (for Fire tablets, anyway) entertainment device than a work one. 

Reviewer: Lewis Painter
Full review: Amazon Fire Max 11 Review

Apple iPad 10th gen

Best cheap iPad

Trusted Score

Pros

• The design is a massive upgrade
• USB-C is far more convenient than Lightning
• Smart front camera placement
• Unbeatable tablet apps and software

Cons

• Huge price jump, especially in Europe makes its position in Apple’s iPad range confusing
• Odd Apple Pencil integration
• 64GB isn’t enough (256GB probably too much)

Apple’s newest iPad adopts a smart design, with slim bezels and fun colour options, and it’s practical too: USB-C has replaced the Lightning port for greater practicality, and the Touch ID button has been supplanted by a biometric power key.

The 10.9-inch screen is good but is rather let down by the lack of laminated protection against sun glare, though we have no such reservations about the impressive processing power, which is more than capable enough to deal with mobile games and more. It also supports handy accessories such as the Apple Pencil and the Magic Folio keyboard.

Battery life is also reliably strong, easily lasting through ten hours of video usage, and of course, you can count on Apple’s brilliant software to function very smoothly and give you access to an enormous library of great apps.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Apple iPad Mini 6 review

In our Best Lists, we tend to only include products which score 4 out of 5 – picking up a Recommended badge in the progress. However, Google’s first Android Pixel tablet is still deserving of a spot because for the right type of buyer it is a great device.

What really sets this apart from all the other tablets on this list – including the iPads and other Android tablets – is the wireless docking station included in the box. Dock the Pixel Tablet onto this and it turns from a standard 11-inch device into a home hub, capable of playing music, showcasing snaps from Google Photos or just the time. It makes the tablet a device that can be used all the time, rather than sparingly for checking emails or browsing the web.

We would like the speaker to sound better, and Google Assistant isn’t always reliable for voice commands however it’s nice to see a tablet try something different.

Elsewhere, it’s all fairly standard stuff. The screen is sharp, yet the 60Hz refresh rate can’t match the OnePlus Pad and it feels like a little slow as a result. There are no official keyboard or stylus accessories either, so this isn’t a great choice for those who want a laptop replacement.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Google Pixel Tablet review