The 9 Best Tablets of 2025

The Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch (M4) excels in the 'Best Overall' category, primarily due to its seamless blend of power and elegance. At its heart, the M4 chip ensures phenomenal performance, allowing for smooth multitasking and handling of graphics-intensive tasks. This makes it an ideal companion for both creatives and professionals.

The 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR display truly elevates the visual experience, offering striking brightness and color accuracy. Whether you're designing, editing videos, or just scrolling through your favorite apps, the display doesn't disappoint. Coupled with up to 2TB of storage, users can store hefty files, including 4K videos, without breaking a sweat.

iPadOS is another standout feature, making the iPad Pro intuitive and versatile. The compatibility with Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard enhances productivity, transforming the tablet into a hub for creativity and efficiency. While some may find the price steep, the value it delivers in terms of performance and versatility is undoubtedly remarkable.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ impressively stands out in the 'Best Android' category with a combination of cutting-edge features and practical functionality. At the heart of this device lies a powerful processor that ensures smooth performance whether you're multitasking or indulging in demanding applications. Its 12.4" Dynamic AMOLED 2X display offers stunning visuals, reducing glare and producing vibrant colors, ideal for both work and entertainment.

The integration of AI tools, like Sketch to Image and Note Assist, highlights Samsung's commitment to innovation, adding a creative and productive edge to everyday tasks. The S Pen, powered by Galaxy AI, takes creativity to a new level, catering especially to artists and note-takers. Features such as Circle to Search make navigation seamless, while the SmartThings Home Insight Widget enhances connectivity within your smart home ecosystem.

Though its standard productivity features might be average, the overall package of the Galaxy Tab S10+ makes it a leader among Android tablets, providing a rich user experience.

The Apple iPad Air 11-Inch (M3) strikes a fantastic balance between performance and affordability, making it a top contender in the best value for money category. Its M3 chip delivers impressive power, handling everything from graphic-intensive games to seamless multitasking with ease. This makes the iPad Air not just a tablet but a powerhouse for both creative endeavors and everyday tasks.

One of the standout features is its 11-inch Liquid Retina display, which offers vibrant colors and sharp details, enhancing any viewing experience. The integration of Wi-Fi 6E ensures fast and reliable connectivity, so whether you're streaming or working, you won’t be left waiting. Also, its all-day battery life means more productivity and less time tethered to an outlet.

Though the storage options are generous, topping at 1TB, and the camera capabilities are excellent with 12MP sensors for crisp photos and videos, some might find the starting storage a bit limited for heavy users. Nonetheless, the combination of features, performance, and Apple's robust ecosystem makes this iPad Air a tremendous value for what it offers.

The Google Pixel Tablet stands out as a strong contender in the mid-range Android category, thanks to its combination of productivity and entertainment features. The 11-inch screen offers vivid colors and adaptive brightness, making it ideal for streaming and photo editing. Multitasking becomes seamless with its Split Screen feature, which efficiently handles multiple apps simultaneously.

Google AI plays a pivotal role in enhancing both ease of use and functionality. Simple tasks become more intuitive, and the Magic Editor takes photo editing to the next level with smart tools for altering backgrounds and repositioning objects. Integration with Google Pixel devices further enriches the user experience by enabling quick swaps between connected gadgets.

The Pixel Tablet's ability to interface with smart home devices and optimize Android apps for its expansive display also contribute to its appeal. While features like the Charging Speaker Dock are sold separately, this tablet still provides a compelling package for productivity and entertainment needs.

The Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) firmly holds its ground in the 'Best Compact' category due to its sophisticated blend of portability and high performance. Its lightweight design, combined with the powerful A17 Pro chip, makes it a standout choice for users seeking a mini powerhouse. The 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is stunning, offering vibrant colors and sharp detail that enrich any visual experience—be it reading, gaming, or streaming.

What sets this device apart is its compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro, enabling seamless note-taking and creative endeavors on the go. Moreover, the 12MP Ultra Wide front camera enhances video calls with Center Stage, ensuring you're always in focus. Although its starting storage option of 128GB might be middle-of-the-road for some, it generally suffices for everyday tasks and media.

Its integration with Wi-Fi 6E ensures fast connectivity, while the intuitive iPadOS and enhanced privacy features blend productivity with security, making the iPad Mini (A17 Pro) an excellent compact tablet option.

When it comes to productivity, the Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 shines brightly, making a remarkable impression with its advanced features. The standout Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus or the even more potent Elite processor, equipped with an efficient NPU, delivers exceptional performance. This makes multitasking seamless and faster than many competitors, including the MacBook Air M3—a notable accomplishment.

Another key feature boosting its productivity prowess is the AI-accelerated Copilot+. Whether you're searching for past documents or transforming text into visual art, this AI capability streamlines your workflow, saving time and enhancing creativity.

The versatile 13-inch touchscreen and the optional Surface Pro Flex Keyboard transform it from a tablet to a laptop effortlessly. The 14-hour battery life ensures you can work all day without interruption, adding to its appeal for professionals on the go. While details like accessory pricing or upcoming features aren't fully disclosed, the current offerings present a very promising option for those seeking a flexible, powerful device to maximize their productivity.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 emerges as a stellar choice for media consumption, thanks to its expansive and vibrant 11-inch display. With 2.4 million pixels packed into its 2000 x 1200 resolution screen, it offers striking clarity and colorfulness, making it a delight for watching movies and playing games. Its design not only catches the eye with its sleek aluminum finish but also promises durability, significantly outlasting the iPad 10.9-inch in tumble tests.

Performance-wise, the Fire Max 11 doesn't disappoint. Powered by a robust octa-core processor and accompanied by 4 GB of memory, it ensures smooth streaming and multitasking. With the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6, buffering is hardly a concern, allowing for seamless enjoyment of online content.

An impressive 14-hour battery life means you can binge your favorite shows without constantly reaching for the charger. While some might find the camera quality average, its 8 MP resolution is more than adequate for video calls. Overall, if you're seeking an immersive media experience, the Fire Max 11 stands tall as a formidable option.

The Amazon Kindle Scribe is a remarkable contender for the best note-taking device, thanks to its seamless integration of reading and writing functions. One of its standout features is the upgraded Premium Pen, which offers a writing experience akin to pen on paper. With its flush-front display and uniform white borders, the Kindle Scribe harmoniously blends the visual appeal of a book with the functionality of a notebook. This is enhanced by the 10.2" glare-free, 300 ppi front-lit display, making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor use with minimal distractions.

Writing in books is a breeze with the Active Canvas feature, which smartly adjusts to accommodate extensive note-taking. The built-in notebook feature is versatile, allowing users to create and convert handwritten notes to text effortlessly. While some aspects might be considered average, such as basic AI notebook tools, the Kindle Scribe nonetheless excels at keeping users focused and productive, sans the interruptions of social media and notifications.

When it comes to finding a budget-friendly tablet that doesn't skimp on performance, the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a standout choice. Its 25% faster performance compared to previous generations ensures that you can stream, read, and even game without any hiccups. The 3 GB RAM is certainly a boost, contributing to the seamless experience.

One of its most impressive features is the 10.1" 1080p Full HD display that offers stunning color and clarity for your entertainment needs. With a 13-hour battery life, you can binge-watch to your heart's content without constantly searching for a power outlet. Plus, the tablet offers 32 or 64 GB of internal storage, expandable up to 1 TB with a micro-SD card, accommodating all your media files and apps.

The tablet's durable design, made of strengthened aluminosilicate glass, adds to its appeal. Not only is it twice as durable as some of its competitors, but it's also light enough to carry around effortlessly. While features like the 5 MP front-facing camera are fairly standard, it's perfect for video calls or casual content creation.

For creative minds, the Fire HD 10 also pairs wonderfully with the Made for Amazon Stylus Pen, offering a natural writing and sketching experience. This, along with the integration of Amazon's smart assistant, Alexa, makes it a versatile choice for anyone looking for an affordable yet capable tablet. Don't forget, it's also designed with sustainability in mind and includes family-friendly features like Amazon Kids for safe content consumption.