Best Android tablet 2021

The best Android tablet available right now is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7. It has a big screen, high-end specs, tons of features, a stylus, and support for a full keyboard. But, of course, it's pricey and not the right pick for someone who prefers a smaller, more portable tablet. Still, as an all-around device, it can't be beaten. For those with different needs (or budgets), a few other picks work just well for media consumption and won't break the bank.

What is the best Android tablet for you?

There's much more to a tablet than just its display, but it's hard to deny an important role that particular spec plays. The Galaxy Tab S7 has one of the most impressive displays on any device we've used. It's able to get pretty bright and even bears support for Samsung's S Pen stylus. Of course, the Tab S7 also packs incredibly powerful specs elsewhere, and you can even buy a 5G-capable variant for a bit more money.

If you really want to go the extra mile, Samsung's larger and pricier Galaxy Tab S7+ is an even more powerful choice. You'll trade the Tab S7's LCD for an AMOLED one and gain quad speakers and a larger battery. Both tablets feature the same Snapdragon 865+ processor and S Pen stylus.

For the absolute best value, though, Amazon's Fire HD 8 is an unbeatable offering. The specs are nothing to write home about, but performance is surprisingly good, and you get a great media consumption device for an extremely competitive price. The only catch? The Fire HD 8 runs Amazon's Fire OS rather than a more typical Android build, meaning you'll need to download apps from Amazon's app store rather than Google's.

Bottom line: The Tab S7+ is appealing but expensive. The Tab S7 offers a nearly identical experience in a smaller, more affordable package.

The Galaxy Tab S7 is Samsung's de facto flagship offering in the tablet space, with a comfortable size and potent specs. It's built on the same tenets as the Tab S7+ but takes small, strategic cuts back to be more affordable — and that makes it all the more enticing.

You get a manageable 11-inch LCD, which feels dramatically better for handheld use than the S7+ and still features a 120Hz refresh rate and the same 6GB of RAM, 128GB to 512GB of storage, and high-quality quad speakers. The battery is a little smaller, but at 8,000mAh, it's still plenty large enough to deliver reliable battery life.

The entire body has a sleek aluminum design that feels extremely high-end and impossibly thin and light, at just 6.3mm thick and 498 grams. That makes it great for media consumption and handheld use in ways that even the Tab S7+ isn't. But you can still attach a hardware keyboard and jump into DeX desktop mode to get some serious work done just as well.

Bottom line: It's Samsung's ultra-premium tablet, and it can do it all. Solid specs, a great display, and long battery life are all selling points.

The most important things to have in a full-sized Android tablet are a great screen, loudspeakers, robust build quality, and software that makes use of the extra screen size. That's what makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ well worth the extra cash for power users — it has a combination of everything.

Its spec sheet leaves little to be desired, with a super-fast Snapdragon 865+ processor, 6GB of RAM, plenty of storage, and well-optimized software. Since it's a Samsung product, you're getting a best-in-class display — coming in at 12.4 inches with an ultra-smooth 120Hz refresh rate — and a fantastic metal build. You also get an in-display fingerprint sensor, which was missing on prior models.

Beyond the specs, you get extras like excellent quad speakers, a microSD card slot, and an S Pen stylus included in the box that attaches to the tablet's back for charging when not in use. Despite being thin and light, it gets great battery life, as well. You can add a tremendous first-party keyboard cover to get some work done and then jump into the DeX desktop-style interface for a more laptop-like experience.

If you want a do-everything Android tablet and you're willing to spend the money, there's nowhere else to go but the Galaxy Tab S7+.

Bottom line: The Tab S7 FE offers much of the Tab S7's best features, plus it brings a slightly larger screen and an included S Pen.

Following in the footsteps of its immensely popular Galaxy S20 FE smartphones, Samsung decided to offer up a Fan Edition version of its best Android tablet in the form of the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. Like the phone, this tablet variant brings bright colors, a gorgeous screen, and impressive battery life at a lower price point than the other S7s.

The Tab S7 FE offers a big 12.4-inch display, perfect for watching Netflix marathons or sketching out your next great idea. Thanks to the included S Pen, you'll be able to write, color, or draw to your heart's content without having to spend extra on the accessory. Its large size makes it well-suited for DeX mode if you want to browse several apps while it sits on your desk. And the S7 FE features a large 10,090mAh battery that should last up to 13 hours of use — likely two full days of casual use.

In exchange for its lower price, the S7 FE makes some downgrades compared to the S7. Its Snapdragon 750G chipset and 4GB of base RAM fall short in performance, it only sports dual speakers instead of quad, and it only hits 60Hz instead of 120Hz. Despite these downgrades, we found it performed respectably in our tests, and you can always upgrade your RAM and still have it cost less than the S7 for more display space.

The tablet is available in attractive colors, including Mystic Black, Mystic Pink, Mystic Green, and Mystic Silver.

Bottom line: This budget-friendly tablet won't blow you away with its screen or specs, but it offers Android at an unbeatable price.

If you're looking to buy a tablet for the first time and don't have any stringent needs, the Galaxy Tab A series is an excellent option for a fraction of the Tab S7+'s cost. While you likely won't be blown away by its specs or features, the Tab A manages to still offer a metal body and, unlike Amazon's Fire tablets, a fully functional version of Android, complete with Google services like the Play Store — meaning you can download whatever apps you want.

The Galaxy Tab A is available in both 8-inch and 10.1-inch configurations, but I think the former is a perfect starting point for first-time tablet owners. The smaller display and overall design make the Tab A extremely portable and comfortable to hold in one hand while still being large enough to consume media from streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and Disney+.

Bottom line: The Fire HD 10 gives you the essential tablet experience with the option of enhanced productivity features.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is one of those deals that's almost too good to pass up if you're after a device with a large screen and a smaller price tag. It's simply the best big Android tablet for doing the basics, from watching movies and TV shows to browsing and playing casual games.

What makes this deal even better is that the 2021 edition comes with a Productivity Bundle option, which includes a custom Bluetooth keyboard and a 12-month subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal edition. With a bump in RAM from 2GB to 3GB and the new hardware and software options, the package is compelling for those who want a secondary productivity machine. Amazon also released a Fire HD 10 Plus version, which features 4GB of RAM, wireless charging capabilities with a wireless charging dock accessory, and comes in a stately slate color.

This device won't replace a desktop or laptop computer, but it is the perfect portable productivity machine for students on the go. With a steady keyboard and Microsoft apps, it's great to take notes in class or do a little research in the library. Plus, it is much lighter than a traditional laptop or larger tablet.

The big caveat to keep in mind with an Amazon Fire tablet is that you don't get the Google Play Store or Google's great apps and services. Instead, you'll rely on the Amazon App Store, which has a dramatically more limited app selection. But for this price, that's an OK trade-off for most people.

Bottom line: This 13-inch beast of a tablet works as a great Entertainment Space or Kids Space for streaming and can also double as a monitor.

The best Android tablet for most people tends to come from Samsung or Amazon, but don't sleep on Lenovo, making a series of tablets and smart displays for premium and budget shoppers. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 falls at the higher end, offering an alternative to the Galaxy Tab S7+ if you want a tablet the size of a laptop display — and the power to match.

With a Snapdragon 870 chipset and 8GB of RAM, the Yoga Tab 13 will respond to your Google Assistant commands or navigate through menus with no lag to speak of. Its built-in kickstand helps it naturally stand up on a desk without buying an expensive accessory case. Thanks to the stand and its micro-HDMI port, it works naturally as a monitor for your computer or other devices without taking up much room on your desk. Or, if you do prefer to hold it, the Yoga Tab 13 has soft Alcantara fabric on its back that makes it especially comfortable to prop in your arms.

Thanks to its Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, plus its 2K resolution and 400 nits of brightness, the Yoga Tab 13 looks stunning when streaming your favorite films and shows. It has a special Google TV Entertainment Space that organizes your favorite shows across all your logged-in streaming services, plus Google's new Kids Space software for making it more child-friendly. There's even an Ambient mode where it works as a smart display. Its software versatility gives the Yoga Tab 13 plenty of uses.

Bottom line: A light and portable tablet at a great price — there isn't much you can complain about in that equation.

Amazon also makes the best super-inexpensive Android tablet available, the Fire HD 8. The latest version delivers an 8-inch HD display, comes with 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, a 30% faster processor, and it finally charges with USB-C.

It still comes in various neat colors, which can keep things interesting for kids and adults alike. You can spend a little more to get 64GB of storage for apps and video and also opt to pay a little more to remove Amazon's "Special Offers" lock screen ads.

Like the Fire HD 10, it doesn't have the Google Play Store or Google apps. But you're even more likely to look past that when you're spending this little on a tablet. So this is an excellent choice for media consumption, browsing, or handing to your kids.

Bottom line: With up to 12 hours of battery life and over 20,000 titles of kid-approved content, your kid will have plenty to keep them occupied.

Amazon expanded its Kids edition Fire tablets in 2021, adding a Pro tier for older children ages 6-12 and keeping its standard Kids Edition tablet options with content and features appropriate for children ages 3-7.

The latest and greatest of these devices is Fire HD 10 Kids Pro, which is filled with the best hardware and software you could ask for as a parent. Amazon took its top big tablet, loaded it with parental controls, kid-specific content for older children, and wrapped it in a durable and functional case. While the screen size could be difficult for some, the provided case includes a kickstand for viewing.

The 1080p display provides solid colors and clarity for content. The HD 10 Kids Pro also has the same awesome dual-speaker setup as the grown-up version. However, when you'd like to limit the noise, there's a standard headphone jack.

Since this is a kids' edition from Amazon, it gets a free year of Amazon's Kids+ service. This provides parental controls for you and over 20,000 age-specific titles for your kids. Not only that, but the tablet also gets two years of "worry-free" guarantee — if the tablet breaks, Amazon will replace it. That could be the most important feature of all.

Bottom line: With up to 12 hours of battery life and over 20,000 titles of kid-approved content, your kid will have plenty to keep them occupied.

If you have younger kids, probably ages 3-7, the Fire 7 Kids Edition is an excellent buy for your family. It still features age-appropriate content, but that content is specifically geared towards a much younger audience.

The Fire 7 Kids Edition tablet is much smaller and easier for smaller children to hold, but it still retains the fun and colorful protective cases with kickstands. The screen isn't as sharp, and it only has a mono speaker, but I doubt your little ones will mind those details that much. The bigger concern is the shorter seven-hour battery life. You probably don't want your kids on the screen for seven hours at a time, but it does mean you'll need to remember to charge it more frequently.

Like the larger Pro devices, this tablet comes with a year of Amazon Kids+ service, so you don't have to worry about what they're watching or how rough they are on their tablet.

Now that many of us are working from home, or at least flex working from home, you might be looking for a tablet for productivity or just fun around the house. The number of great Android tablet options is limited, but there are a few worthy of considering. The best Android tablet experience comes from Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 with high-end materials, a great screen, capable software, hardware keyboard support, and a stylus.

If you're willing to spend the extra money to truly get the best possible specs and experience, Samsung also makes the Galaxy Tab S7+. For a bit more, you get a larger canvas for drawing, watching movies, and even gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, as well as a larger, more comfortable keyboard to type on — not to mention the quad speakers tuned by AKG. For those who don't need every bell and whistle under the sun, the Amazon Fire HD 10 and HD 8 offer an excellent media experience without costing you an arm and a leg — so long as you can live without Google Play services. The Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle also brings a full year of Microsoft Office 365 and a bespoke Bluetooth keyboard at an excellent price point.

There are plenty of different use cases for tablets that might influence which one you should buy. Yes, the Galaxy Tab S7 is the best overall option with the most horsepower and even the capability to replace your laptop. Still, you don't need all of that if you want to stream videos and play casual games occasionally. Know your needs, and don't overpay for a tablet that does more than you need.

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