Best Android tablets of 2021: which should you buy?
Our best Android tablets guide could be getting a new addition soon, as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite is rumored to be launching before long. Check back here once it does - and once we've put it through a full review - to see where it ranks.
With Prime Day 2021 scheduled for some time in June, if you're considering buying a new Android tablet, it might be worth waiting for the ~20% discounts the deals day could bring.
In the meantime though there's no shortage of other excellent Android tablets - including more from Samsung, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus.
In fact, Samsung is one of the two biggest names in the world of Android tablets, alongside Amazon, which tends to pump out lower end but still quite notable slates like the Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020).
But it's not all Samsung and Amazon, with the likes of the Huawei MatePad Pro and Lenovo Tab P11 Pro also making our list.
With all these options and more, there's no shortage of choice, and while the Android tablet market is dominated by two companies, the best Android tablets cover an extensive range of sizes, prices, and features.
Below you’ll find our favorites listed in order of preference, along with an overview and specs list for each, and the key good and bad points about them.
That should give you a good idea of which to buy, but if you need more details then make sure to click through to our full reviews, or if you need other options then check out some of our other tablet guides below.
We’re regularly updating this article, so come back soon to see if any new options catch your eye. If you prefer the Windows environment, on the other hand, check out the best Windows tablets.
- Check out our other guides: best tablets | best cheap tablets | best iPad
Best Android tablets in 2020 at a glance:
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
- Lenovo Tab P11 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
- Huawei MatePad Pro
- Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus
- Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019)
- Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)
Best Android tablets: which should you buy?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is the best tablet Samsung has ever made, and a serious rival to the iPad Pro range.
In fact, its screen arguably has those slates beat, as it’s a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED one with a 2800 x 1752 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The iPad Pro range can match much of that, but those slates have LCD screens, which aren’t quite as good.
You also of course get a whole lot of power from the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus’s Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, and a premium metal build that’s incredibly slim at 5.7mm thick.
There’s also a 5G model for speedy mobile data, and Samsung’s S Pen stylus comes bundled with the slate. Chuck in a keyboard (sold separately) and this is a serious productivity machine. But even without that this is a top-end slate and great for media.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus review
Samsung has long been ruling the high-end Android tablet world, but it now faces an unlikely challenger in the form of the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro. Lenovo isn’t well-known for Android tablets, but with the Tab P11 Pro it’s delivered a real rival to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus.
This slate has an 11.5-inch 1600 x 2560 OLED screen, so it’s big, sharp, and packs punchy OLED tech. It also supports HDR10, so it’s a joy to view content on, with the only slight let-down being its conventional 60Hz refresh rate.
Coupled with loud quad-speakers, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro makes for an accomplished media machine, and with its long-lasting 8,600mAh battery it’s a great travel companion.
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro packs an attractive metal build too, and it supports both a keyboard and a stylus, transforming it into a capable productivity device – though one that’s still no match for a typical laptop. Its performance is middling and its cameras aren’t up to much, but with its surprisingly reasonable price tag, those are sacrifices we can live with.
Read our full Lenovo Tab P11 Pro review
Happy to sacrifice a few of the features of the Galaxy Tab S6 in trade for a cheaper tablet? If yes, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the product you want to consider.
The chipset isn't as powerful as its sibling, the cameras aren't as impressive, and the screen isn't as beautiful... but it's around half the price, and all of its specs are still quite impressive for a slate at this price.
It's a remarkably good product considering how much you're spending on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. It isn't particularly smaller than the Galaxy Tab S6 - and ironically, it's actually heavier too - but if you don't want to spend top-dollar you may love this.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite review
While it's not the newest model, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is still a great Android tablet, with a plethora of brilliant features.
It comes with an S Pen stylus in the box that you can use to take notes, draw and much more on the tablet's display. You can also buy a smart keyboard to make it an experience that is close to a laptop.
The 10.5-inch AMOLED display on the Galaxy Tab S6 is one of the highlights with an impressive resolution of 1600 x 2560. This tablet also comes with two cameras on the rear too, so you can get better photography than on many other slates.
It's not the perfect device - there isn't a 3.5mm headphone jack and the user interface has its own quirks - but it's still a top Android slate.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 review
The Huawei MatePad Pro is Huawei’s attempt at taking on the iPad Pro range, and in a lot of ways it’s a very strong rival, from its high-quality 10.8-inch screen, to its top-end power and its long-lasting battery.
The Huawei MatePad Pro also has a stylish, slim, and lightweight design, plus an optional stylus and keyboard, so it’s premium and built for productivity. However, in our tests we found that those accessories were simply okay, and the big problem faced by the MatePad Pro is its lack of Google services – meaning no access to the Google Play app store, and no Google apps, such as Maps.
That’s going to be a major issue for a lot of people, but if you can live without that then this comes closer than most Android slates to matching the iPad Pro experience.
Read our full Huawei MatePad Pro review
The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) is the best of Amazon’s 8-inch slates. It’s no premium tablet – far from it in fact, so you’re not getting top-end performance, but with 3GB of RAM you do get a boost on the standard Fire HD 8 (2020).
Arguably the real highlight of this Plus model though is its support for wireless charging and the optional dock you can therefore get that turns it into a smart display like the Echo Show.
Beyond that it’s a fairly basic tablet, but with all the basics covered, a respectable amount of storage, and the same compact build as the non-Plus model.
Read our full Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus review
The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) is essentially built for Amazon Prime members, since its big 10.1-inch 1200 x 1920 screen is a great way to consume the films, TV shows and even ebooks it gives you access to.
And the Amazon-centric interface used – which won’t appeal to everyone – ensure you’re never far from Amazon Prime content.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t buy the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) if you’re not an Amazon Prime member. This is a durable, affordable slate with reasonable specs for the money, so it’s also a strong choice for anyone on a tight budget. But some of the options above in this list will likely be a better fit if money is no object.
Read our Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) review
The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) is - along with the Fire HD 8 Plus - the latest version of Amazon’s 8-inch tablet, and by opting for this rather than the Plus model you get slightly less RAM and no wireless charging, but an otherwise near identical slate at a lower price.
It’s an upgrade on its predecessor thanks to 30% more power, improved battery life, double the storage, and the presence of a USB-C (rather than micro USB) port, but that aside this is familiar territory if you’ve used an Amazon slate before.
You’re locked in to Amazon’s ecosystem, which isn’t quite as rich as full-fat Android, but if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber then much of your content will be front and center, and you’re paying a lot less than you would for most comparable Android tablets.
Read our full Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) review
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