Best Android tablets (November 2017)
Android tablets make great gifts, and the best thing about them is that everyone can use them, from a three-year-old to your grandma. But with so many devices out there, how can you make sure you get the best Android tablet for your money? There are probably hundreds of Android tablets on Amazon, and avoiding the overpriced and the plain bad can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be that hard.
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Just take a look at the tablets below – they are the very best Android has to offer, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Without further ado, here’s our list of the best Android tablets available so far in the year 2016.
Best high-end Android tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
If you’re looking for a high-end Android tablet, look no further. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S3 is one of the best tablets you can buy right now.
The Galaxy Tab S3 sports an HDR-enabled Super AMOLED display, quad speakers for stereo audio, and a battery that recharges very quickly, making this a true multimedia powerhouse. Not only that, the Tab S3 also comes with an S Pen that’s perfect for taking notes and drawing.
Oh, this thing is beautiful, too. It’s designed with Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones in mind, with glass surfaces on the front and back, complete with an all-metal frame around the edges. There’s no denying the premium aspect in play here, one that’s further accentuated by its svelte chassis and lightweight feel. All of this, of course, helps to justify its more premium price point.
The Galaxy Tab S3 is a bit pricey at around $600, but if you’re in need of a capable Android tablet, the high price point may be worth it.
Specs
- 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 2048 x 1536 resolution, 264 ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
- 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Non-removable 6,000 mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 237.3 x 169 x 6 mm, 429 g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 review
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 pricing and availability
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 officially announced
Best pure Android option: Google Pixel C
Google surprised many of us at its 2015 Nexus event when it unveiled the Pixel C, an in-house built tablet that’s made for productivity. While it may be a tad overpriced, the Pixel C does a lot right. It comes with a big 10.2-inch display, a 34.2 WHr battery and 7.1 Nougat, all powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra X1 processor and 3 gigabytes of RAM. There are quite a few decent official accessories available for the tablet, too, like the official keyboard or folio keyboard.
Like we mentioned earlier, the Pixel C is overpriced for what it offers, though it’s still a great Android tablet if you have the extra money to spend.
Specs
- 10.2-inch LTPS LCD display with 2560 x 1800 resolution, 308 ppi
- 64-bit 1.9GHz octa-core NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor
- 3 GB of RAM
- 32/64 GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
- 8 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
- Non-removable 34.2 WHr battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 242 x 179 x 7 mm, 517 g
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Best small Android tablet: Huawei MediaPad M3
On paper and in person, the Huawei MediaPad M3 definitely delivers on what Huawei set out to do: create an affordable tablet with few compromises.
With its compact yet sizable 8.4-inch display, long-lasting battery and dual-1W Harmon Kardon speakers, this tablet’s name says it all. From YouTube videos to movies, this is one of the best options out there if you’re looking for a tablet on which to consume media. Even though we’ve found gaming to be somewhat choppy at times, it is capable of playing high-end 3D games with few issues.
The Huawei MediaPad M3 offers an immersive display, great audio and long-lasting battery life and while gaming can be somewhat choppy, it is capable of playing high-end 3D games with few issues. You can also make phone calls with it, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Specs
- 8.4-inch IPS LCD display with 1600 x 2560 resolution, 359 ppi
- Octa-core Hisilicon Kirin 950 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
- 8 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
- Non-removable 5,100 mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 215.5 x 124.2 x 7.3 mm, 310 g
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Best budget pick: Amazon Fire family
Amazon’s Fire family continues to get better, and cheaper too! The Fire 7 starts at just $49.99, the Fire HD 8 starts at $89.99, and you can get the Fire HD 10 for just $150.
The Amazon Fire 7 includes a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 IPS display. Inside, it has an unnamed quad-core 1.3 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, a VGA front-facing camera and a 2 MP rear camera. The battery life for the new Fire 7 has been upgraded from 7 hours to 8 hours on a single charge. It also has dual-band Wi-Fi hardware for the first time. You can purchase the tablet in black, yellow, blue or red colors.
The Amazon Fire 7 starts at the near rock-bottom price of $49.99 with 8 GB of onboard storage and “special offers” that appear on the tablet’s launch screen. You can also get the tablet for $69.99 with 16 GB of storage and “special offers”. Both versions have a microSD card slot for adding even more storage. You can get rid of those ads on the launch screen if you pay $15 more for either model.
The new version of the Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet has an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 display, 1.5 GB of RAM, and up to 12 hours of battery life. It shares the same processor, cameras, Wi-Fi hardware and color options with the smaller Fire 7. Prices begin at $79.99 with 16 GB of onboard storage and “special offers”, or $109.99 with 32 GB of storage and “special offers”. Again, you can purchase the tablet without those pesky Amazon ads for an additional $15.
You also have the option to buy the “Kids Edition” of both tablets if you want to give one to your children, or friends with kids. They both include a tough “kid proof” case, a two-year “worry-free guarantee” and free access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which offers kids access to 15,000 curated books, videos, educational apps, and games, along with parental controls and other content. The Fire 7 Kids Edition, with 16 GB of storage, is priced at $99.99, while the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, with 32 GB of storage, costs $129.99. Thankfully, neither comes with “special offers”.
Last but not least, the new Fire HD 10 is an amazing value, starting at $149.99. For that price you get a 10.1-inch 1080p display, 32GB storage (64GB option also available for $180), microSD expansion, unlimited cloud storage, and more. The device is powered by a MediaTek quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM.
What really makes the Fire HD 10 stand out is its integrated Alexa functionality. While all the Fire family now offers this, the Fire 10 is hands-free. That means you can essentially use it in a similar way to devices like the Amazon Echo family. As with the others, you don’t get Google Play and have a very customized Android experience, but at this price point — it’s hard not to be impressed.
Specs
Amazon Fire 7
- 7.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1,024 x 600 resolution, 171 ppi
- 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 8 or 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- 2 MP rear camera, VGA front camera
- Up to 8 hours of battery life
- 192 mm x 115 mm x 9.6 mm, 295 g
Amazon Fire HD 8
- 8.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1,280 x 800 resolution, 189 ppi
- 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- 1.5 GB of RAM
- 16 or 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- 2 MP rear camera, VGA front camera
- Up to 12 hours of battery life
- 214 mm x 128 mm x 9.7 mm, 369 g
Amazon Fire HD 10
- 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1200 resolution
- MediaTek quad-core: 2 @ 1.8GHz, 2 @ 1.4GHz
- 2GB RAM
- 32 or 64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- 32 or 64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- Up to 10 hours battery life
- 262 x 159 x 9.8mm, 500 g
There you have it – our picks from the best Android has to offer right now. Missed anything? Tell us in the comments!
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