This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
Is it time for a tablet upgrade? Surely no home can do without one. Along with the smartphone and laptop, a tablet is one third of the holy trinity of must-have smart devices. Compact and sleek, you can take at tablet anywhere.
But tablets aren’t only about portability. Some tablets have the processing power and spec for serious work, creative tasks, and gaming. In fact, it’s difficult to find your perfect tablet because there are so many options to suit a whole array of smart device needs.
The trick is to ask yourself the necessary questions: Are you Apple or Android? Do you need Alexa? Do you need a tablet for heavy duty graphic design or for casual streaming? And what kind of battery life do you need? The answers to these questions will ultimately decide which tablet works for you. To help cut through the jargon, we’ve put together a quick guide and a selection of the best tablets in 2025.
Do you need a tablet?
Sure, a tablet isn’t for everyone. It might be surplus to requirements, but they’re also super handy and productive. If you do lots of video streaming and eBook reading on the go, or you simply need a portable device for work and play, a tablet is almost certainly for you. There are other benefits too. They usually pack plenty of battery power and handle apps (of which there are thousands) at lightning speed.
What is the best tablet operating system?
It generally comes down to a choice of four — Apple, Android, Windows, or Fire. Each has its own benefits. Apple is generally accepted as the slickest all-rounder, with its simple-to-use interface and intuitive syncing between devices.
Android is more customisable and is supported across various manufacturers (such as Samsung and Lenovo). Windows is designed as a cross-platform OS, which suits pretty much any device. Often people stick to their preferred OS — it’s a lifestyle choice as much as tech preference — so we’ve included options for each OS. Fire is for Amazon devices only, so you’ll get Alexa and other Amazon-specific features.
What features do tablets have?
Every model and operating system has its own spin on the user experience. Not to mention all those apps. But there a few basics that are worth bearing in mind:
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Battery Life — Tablets outstrip smartphones for battery life, but you’ll still want to make sure you get plenty of juice for your money. Look for 10 hours or more.
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Camera — Front and rear facing cameras are relatively standard on tablets and 12MP is pretty decent. Though even better cameras are available in top tablets.
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Ports — Make sure the tablet you’re buying has the ports you need. Do you have wired headphones? Then make sure there’s a headphone port (increasingly rare). Also check for USB and micro HDMI ports.
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Screen Resolution — This will be important if you’re a big time streamer or you like playing games. Tablets are generally HD — 1280 x 720 — or higher.
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Speakers — You might not buy a tablet expecting great sounds, but if streaming movies and shows is your thing, good sound is a must.
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Storage — This is important for keeping music, photos, and videos, plus offline downloads from streaming sites, such as Netflix. Around 38GB is standard for a mid-priced tablet, but they can go way over that — anything up to 1TB.
Keep these features in mind when shopping around for your next tablet.
What is the best tablet for kids?
Most tablets made specifically for kids are already equipped with parental controls. Things to keep in mind when shopping for a tablet for kids: screen resolution (depending on the amount of movie watching and gaming they’ll be doing), storage (they’ll probably have more apps than you do), the intensity of parental controls (for obvious reasons), and rugged-ness (because kids drop and break things — fact).
What is the best tablet?
To make your purchase easier, we’ve lined up a selection of the best tablets according to online reviews, with popular models from top brands like Apple and Samsung making the cut. You just need to consider all of these options and select the device that meets your day-to-day tablet requirements.
These are the best tablets in 2025.
