The Best Tablets for Work and Play
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Julian Chokkattu Daniel Thorp-Lancaster Christopher Null Scott Gilbertson Nena Farrell Louryn Strampe Condé Nast
We’ve tested all the top slates, from Apple’s iPads to Android and Windows devices, and rounded up our favorites.
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WIRED
The 10th-gen iPad (7/10, WIRED Recommends) got an official price drop from Apple after the company phased out the 9th-gen model. This price is much more reasonable for what you get. The iPad has a uniform, slim bezel around the 10.9-inch LCD screen. There's no home button like on older iPads—instead, the Touch ID fingerprint sensor is embedded into the power button at the top edge of the slate; the headphone jack is also gone. It has a USB-C port, which means you can use the same cable as your MacBook or iPhone 15 to recharge it. There's also 5G support on the cellular model, and the 12-MP selfie camera now sits at the center when you hold the tablet horizontally—no need to awkwardly look to the side during video calls.

At $349, the iPad does everything you'd want it to. It has plenty of power to play top-end games, thanks to the A14 Bionic chipset, the screen is sharp and bright enough to watch hours of movies and shows, and it's just large enough to use for some light work if you connect it to a keyboard. (It supports the Magic Keyboard Folio and the Smart Folio case, but I suggest saving your cash and sticking with a third-party keyboard) You can use it with a first-gen Apple Pencil or Apple Pencil USB-C for a decent drawing experience. But there is an air gap between the screen and the glass, so it's not a top choice for sketching as it won't feel as responsive as on other iPads.

OnePlus' first tablet, the OnePlus Pad (8/10, WIRED Recommends), was a phenomenal value when it debuted last year. Its successor is the OnePlus Pad 2, and it has nice spec updates across the board, like a slightly larger 12.1-inch LCD screen that's a touch brighter and sharper. It's now powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the flagship processor in most 2024 Android phones, with double the RAM and internal storage. The only downgrade? It no longer comes in green, but a fairly boring “Nimbus Gray.” There's also still no biometric authentication, so you need to manually enter your passcode or pattern to get into the home screen. Oh, and naturally, there's a price bump.

This is a smooth-performing Android tablet that does an excellent job on the entertainment side of things, but also a brilliant job when you need to do some light work. I've taken the OnePlus Pad 2 to several meetings and had no trouble typing on it in my lap with the detachable Smart Keyboard (sold separately). You can also snag the Stylo 2 if you like using styli, and this one supports more levels of pressure sensitivity and can even double as a laser pointer on the screen.

But what makes the OnePlus Pad 2 stand out is Open Canvas. This is the multi-tasking technology the company ported over from its OnePlus Fold folding phone. It lets you have three apps up on the screen side by side, and you can scroll horizontally between them, which is an excellent way to juggle multiple tasks and conversations without having to exit an app. My favorite approach is to put two apps side by side, then drop a third at the bottom—you can scroll up or down to move between them. If you want a tablet for catching up on Baby Reindeer before bed but also a machine that can help you fly through emails in the morning, this is the best Android tablet for the task. I'd also suggest keeping an eye on the original OnePlus Pad, which the company says will still be available until stock runs out. The OnePlus Pad 2 will receive three Android OS updates and four years of security upgrades.

Google's Pixel Tablet (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is part tablet, part smart display. This 11-inch slate is like a big Pixel phone, with a sharp LCD screen, good speakers, and slick software. It's powerful too, thanks to the Tensor G2 software inside. However, it comes with a hub, so when you're done using it as a tablet, you can magnetically dock it to automatically start recharging. This hub doubles as a speaker, and since the Pixel Tablet is the first to support Chromecast, you can cast music or shows to it from your phone or laptop and get beefier sound out of the system. When you're not using it, you can have the display show a clock or friends and family from your Google Photos library like a digital picture frame.

The best part is multi-user support. The Pixel Tablet supports up to eight profiles, so every family member can switch to a personalized profile, securely locked via fingerprint. Each profile can be configured with specific widgets, apps, and layouts, so it's easy to make it feel like your own slate even if it's a shared device.

Google now sells the Pixel Tablet as a standalone slate in case you don't care much for the speaker dock—a nice way to shave off $100 bucks. Whichever way you go, I highly recommend getting the official Pixel Tablet Case ($79), as it adds a much-needed kickstand and doesn't interrupt the hub attachment point.

Amazon's Fire tablets aren't for everyone. They really push Amazon Prime services and apps, but they're great for leisurely tasks, like playing games and watching movies. There's no Google Play Store (though there's a workaround), and not every Android app is readily available. Still, for $140, it's hard to beat the 2023 Fire HD 10, which is our favorite Fire Tablet. The update over the 2021 model is largely just a processor bump, making it slightly faster. It has enough power for most tasks, even some light work if you pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard (get the keyboard bundle!). There's a USB-C port, so you can charge it with the same cable as your laptop or phone, and it has hands-free Alexa support, meaning it can double as an Echo Show.

Note that Amazon steeply discounts its Fire tablets on Prime Day, Black Friday, and for shopping holidays like back-to-school season, so try to avoid paying full price. That's why it might be worth looking at the Fire Max 11, which is a faster, better quality tablet, but has far too high of an MSRP. When it dips to $150 or less, it's worth it.

The best iPad to buy, if you don't mind splurging a bit, is not the iPad Pro, but the iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends). This recently revamped model looks like the previous iPad Air, but you now have two screen size options: 11 or 13 inches. It's powered by the M2 processor, the same chipset found in some of Apple's MacBooks, and despite the “Air” moniker, it's not the lightest iPad in the lineup anymore. Go figure. But the blend of a large, bright screen at a reasonable price, powerful performance, support for the top-tier Apple Pencil Pro, a fully laminated screen for more responsive sketching, and solid battery life make it a machine you'll want to tote from room to room. There's no Face ID, but Touch ID is integrated into the power button.

★ The ultimate iPad: The 11-inch or 13-inch iPad Pro (6/10, WIRED Review) are more expensive than ever ($999 and $1,299, respectively) and are completely overkill for most people. If you have the funds, they're excellent slates, but you'll feel the limits of iPadOS more after spending this much, as it's still not going to replace your laptop. There are several upgrades from the Air though, like a 120-Hz screen, the faster M4 chipset, a brilliant OLED display with a nanotexture glass add-on to reduce glare, better speakers, Face ID, and a lidar sensor.

I've been using the ReMarkable 2 for a few years as a digital notebook, and it's hard to imagine life without it. Writing with the stylus feels closer to paper and pen than any other digital notebook I've tried (we've tested others here). You can choose between the Marker and the Marker Plus. The latter has an eraser at the other end, but I don't think it's worth the higher cost. The company has done a (sorry not sorry for the pun!) remarkable job of keeping the software updated while adding more organizational features. You can add tags and make folders or notebooks, and the slate does a decent job of converting handwriting to text. You can send files to your email in a few different formats too. You don't need to subscribe to its Connect service ($3 per month), but it gives you unlimited cloud storage and the ability to access and make notes on desktop and mobile.

What upped the game for me was the new Type Folio Keyboard Cover ($199). This handy accessory magnetically sticks to the tablet and adds a tiny keyboard! It connects via pogo pins, so you never have to recharge it. The keyboard takes some getting used to, as the layout is cramped, but I love using it to write when I need to get away from all the distractions (Slack, email, and other messaging apps). Best of all is the ReMarkable's long-lasting battery—I plug it in once a week if not less.

The 2022 Fire HD 8 (6/10, WIRED Review) doesn't add much over the 2020 model outside of a slightly faster processor and thinner design. For the money, you get decent performance, a USB-C charging port, stereo sound, and hands-free access to Alexa—all of this in a travel-friendly 8-inch size. The screen isn't as nice as the Fire HD 10, and it can be a little tough to see images and text clearly if you're outside, but this is the best tablet you can get for around $100. There's no Google Play Store, but a workaround can net you access to more apps.

Paying the extra $20 for the Fire HD 8 Plus is wise, as you get extra RAM (which helps when scrolling the web or juggling multiple apps) and wireless charging, so you can recharge it on almost any charging pad. You can also use an official wireless charging dock, which props up the tablet and turns it into an Echo Show while it's juicing up. Either way, consider picking up Amazon's magnetic cover to hold the tablet steady when you're bingeing TV shows.

★ Even cheaper: Amazon refreshed the Fire HD 7 ($60) in 2022 to offer better performance and USB-C connectivity. You only get 16 gigs of storage (though there's a microSD card slot), and the screen is still tiny (7 inches), but it's a fine option.

When giving a tablet to a kid, you want something durable and cheap so that it's unlikely to break and, if does, a replacement won't be too costly. Amazon offers kid-friendly versions of all its Fire tablets, and the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition sits in the sweet spot of having a kid-friendly size and a wallet-friendly price. It's the same as the Fire HD 8 above, but the extra money you spend adds a bulky case to protect the tablet and a two-year worry-free damage plan. That means if your kid breaks it, you can return it and Amazon will send you a replacement for free. You also get a year of Amazon's Kids+ service, which provides access to kid-friendly books, movies, games, and apps, all with parental controls. It's $8 per month after the first year ($6 for Prime members).

There's also the larger Fire HD 10 Kids Edition, which comes in two variants: one for kids aged 3 to 7, and a Kids Pro Edition for kids aged 6 to 12. Both are pricier and might be too big for younger children to comfortably use. Check out our Best Kids Tablets guide for more ideas.

Who says tablets need to run operating systems originally designed for smartphones? Microsoft's Surface line employs Windows, making it suitable for heavy, desktop-grade workflows. The new Surface Pro 11th Edition (6/10, WIRED Review) has a great OLED display and excellent battery life, with pretty good performance. It's powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus or Snapdragon X Elite chipsets (on the ARM architecture), so not every Windows app will work perfectly just yet. Microsoft has a translation layer called Prism that will allow nonnative ARM apps to work on these processors, but it's not all-encompassing. Skip this machine if you plan on doing a lot of graphics-intensive tasks.

The best parts are the built-in kickstand, which lets you plop it down on almost any surface, and the new Flex Keyboard ($450), which offers a brilliant trackpad and typing experience. It's not as polished as an iPad in tablet mode, but Windows 11 has larger touch targets that make it easier to use. The main problem? It's so expensive. Sure, you can get an absolute base model for $1,000, but you'll still need to add a keyboard, as it's not included. The upgrades and accessories, which are really what make this machine stand out, will push you closer to $2,000.

We recommend the Surface Pro (11th Edition) with the Snapdragon X Elite, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1-TB SSD for most people.

We test tons of tablets every year. Here are a few others we like, just not as much as our picks above.

iPad Mini (2021, 6th Gen) for $389: Want something a little bigger than your phone, but still pocketable and easy to travel with? The 8.3-inch iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) should be up your alley. You get a compact tablet with a modern look. It has the A15 Bionic processor, the same powering the iPhone 13 range, and Touch ID embedded inside the power button. It also features Center Stage in the camera, which will adjust the frame to keep you in the shot, and USB-C for charging. It's unbelievably small and cute, and you can attach the second-gen Apple Pencil to it for on-the-go sketching. It's worth noting that Apple is expected to announce a successor either in September or early 2025, so if you are in no rush, it's worth waiting.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus for $500: The Galaxy Tab S9 FE is the “Fan Edition” version of the flagship Tab S9 series, meaning it makes some sacrifices for a more palatable price. It comes in a Plus and standard variant—I tested the former—and both include a stylus. It performed much better than the older Tab S7 FE tablet I tested with fewr stutters. The 12.4-inch LCD screen is vast and a rarity to find at this price in the world of Android tablets, but it's a bit tricky to comfortably hold, especially when browsing apps in bed. I prefer the OnePlus Pad 2 and Pixel Tablet over it.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series for $500: Whether it's the Tab S8, Tab S8+, or Tab S8 Ultra, it's always smart to buy the previous flagship tablets when they go on sale. (Make sure you don't pay MSRP!) They're not too different from the newer Tab S9 series, except the smallest slate is stuck with an LCD panel here instead of AMOLED, and there is no IP68 water resistance rating. You still get a stylus that magnetically sticks to the back of the tablet, Samsung's DeX mode to get some work done, and long software support.

Barnes & Noble Nook 9-Inch Lenovo Tablet for $150: Want a cheap Android tablet with the Google Play Store (aka, not an Amazon Fire Tablet)? Check out the new Nook from Lenovo and Barnes & Noble (6/10, WIRED Review). It runs Android 13 and isn't a very powerful machine, but it's adequate for browsing social media, reading, and catching up on some shows.

TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G for $240: You can only buy this TCL slate if you are a Verizon customer, which is disappointing, but it's an otherwise pretty nice Android tablet for the money. The star of the show here is TCL's Nxtpaper technology, which offers a matte, glare-free display that's easy on the eyes. It does have a backlight, unlike some previous versions, so you can use it in any lighting. Performance has been pretty solid overall, I haven't seen too much lag as I browse the web or scroll through Instagram, and it has excellent standby battery life. The 5G option is a nice touch if you want connectivity wherever you go.

TCL Tab Pro 5G Android Tablet for $400: This model is slightly older but it has better specs, with a 2K-resolution LCD screen. Its speakers are nice, as is performance—it ran all the usual apps just fine. However, the 10-inch screen size isn't large enough to make some apps split into two columns when in a vertical orientation. At least you get a fingerprint scanner. It's only available through Verizon.

Tablets often don't come with kickstands or enough ports, so it's a good idea to snag a few accessories to enhance your experience. These are some of our favorite tablet accessories, many of which you can also find in our Best iPad Accessories guide.

Satechi Aluminum Desktop Stand for $45: This is my favorite tablet stand, so much so that I've taken it with me on trips. It packs down relatively well, and it is very stable—there's no wobbling around here. You can also adjust the angle quite a bit. It can handle huge sizes too—it worked perfectly with my 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Twelve South Compass Pro Stand for $50: This is made for iPads, but I've had no trouble using it for plenty of other tablets. It's more travel-friendly than the Satechi above and fairly stable, but when I lift the tablet off, the back leg tends to change positions. You can angle it pretty low for sketching or keep it upright for watching movies. Unlike the Satechi, it's not a great option for keeping the tablet upright on a mattress.

Twelve South StayGo Mini USB-C Hub for $60: This works with iPads and other tablets just fine. You can either plug it in and keep it flush with the edge of a slate or use the included cord to keep it extended. You get a USB-C port you can use for pass-through charging, a USB-A, an HDMI, and a headphone jack.

Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder for $28: I've used this on my bed frame to hold up various tablets for more than a year. The gooseneck requires a bit of finagling to get to the right position, and if you're constantly tapping the tablet, it will jiggle around. But it's a great hands-free way to watch movies. You can affix the clamp to any surface, like a desk or kitchen counter.

Twelve South HoverBar Duo Mount/Stand for $80: You can use this as a stand or as an arm mount, and Twelve South makes it really easy to switch between the two. That means you can easily affix your tablet to your bedside arm mount, and then put it on the stand in your home office in the morning. Both are sturdy, and the arm mount is decently adjustable. Best of all, it doesn't wiggle around as much as the Lamicall above when you tap the screen.

Keychron K3 Pro Mechanical Bluetooth Keyboard for $100: If you want to use a third-party Bluetooth keyboard with your tablet, a cheap one (like this Logitech) will do the job perfectly. But if you're a mechanical keyboard snob like me, this Keychron is an upgrade that's pretty easy to tote around. You can connect it to multiple devices and switch between them quickly; the keys light up in different, configurable colors; and best of all, it delivers the clickety-clackety experience you want with a mechanical keyboard. It needs to be recharged every three to four days, but you can also use it plugged in.

Anker Nano 3 30-Watt Charging Adapter for $20: Most tablets charge at around 18 watts, so this 30-watt charger from Anker is more than capable. The plugs fold up, and it's pretty compact. If your tablet does support faster charging, then I recommend Satechi's 108-watt three-port USB-C charger ($75). This will let you charge your phone, tablet, and laptop all off the same plug.

Einova Ultra Fast Power Bank for $47: This power bank is slim enough to store next to a tablet in your bag, and it has enough capacity (20,000 mAh) to recharge an 11-inch tablet twice. You can fast-charge with the USB-C port and use the two USB-A ports to recharge other devices.