- 05/07/2025
Looking for the best tablet of 2025? Whether you need to know the best tablet to buy as a powerful device for work, a budget-friendly option for casual use, or something in between, we’ve tested and ranked the top tablets to help you decide. From the affordable Amazon Fire 7 to the versatile Microsoft Surface Pro 11 and the powerful iPad Pro, we’ll break down the best tablets for content watching, best tablet for students, best tablets for gaming, best tablets for professionals and more. Watch now to see which tablet is right for you and check the links below for the best deals!
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00:00If you're here, I bet you're looking for the best tablet recommendations for 2025.
00:04Whether you're on a tight budget, need the ultimate productivity device, or you just want
00:07something small and portable, I've got you covered with the best picks for every need.
00:12I've even made it easy and linked every tablet that you'll see in the video description.
00:17The 2024 iPad Air is the perfect choice for anyone who wants a lightweight and powerful
00:22tablet at the right price. Starting at $599 for the 11-inch model or $799 for the 13-inch,
00:28you get large screen size options and power from the powerful M2 chip, which makes everything feel
00:33incredibly fast and responsive, whether you're gaming, browsing, or juggling multiple apps.
00:38And if you're into drawing or note-taking, the Apple Pencil Pro support adds a nice touch,
00:42turning the iPad Air into a solid Pro tool, though you'll need to shell out extras for
00:47that accessory. You can expect nearly 12 hours of battery life in our tests, which should be
00:51enough to last a day with mixed use. Now, you could use this as a laptop replacement, especially with
00:56the optional Magic Keyboard for an extra $300 to $350, but iPadOS can still feel clunky with
01:02multitasking and there's no Face ID for fast login, just the fingerprint scanner at the top.
01:08Still, overall, the iPad Air is the best option for most people, offering a perfect balance of
01:12performance and value. If you're on a tighter budget, you could look at the older model or the
01:18base iPad, but the Air gives you that extra power and lighter design that makes it our top pick.
01:23Next, we have the Amazon Fire 7, which is hands down the cheapest tablet you can get starting at
01:29just $60 or $75 without ads. For that price, it's hard to beat in terms of value. At just 9.9 ounces,
01:37it's incredibly light and easy to carry around, and you'll get nearly 11 hours of battery life
01:42from our tests, which is impressive for a budget tablet. It also has a micro SD card slot, allowing
01:48you to add up to one terabyte of storage, something even the priciest tablets usually can't match.
01:54That said, it's still a cheap tablet, and it really does feel like one. The plastic body feels pretty
01:59flimsy compared to more premium devices like iPads, and the 7-inch 1024x600 LCD screen is pretty poor
02:05for viewing media, with a resolution that's even too low for viewing HD video. The camera and speakers
02:11are similarly lackluster, but for under $100, it's still a solid choice for basic tasks,
02:17and it's perfect for kids or anyone who needs a no-fuss tablet that's easy to replace. Plus,
02:22it runs all the apps available on Amazon's App Store, and with Amazon's robust parental controls,
02:27it's also a great choice for a child's first tablet. Before moving on, I'll quickly give an
02:33honorable mention to the Fire HD 8. It recently received a refresh for 2024, and it comes in just shy
02:39of $100. It offers a really nice upgrade over the Fire 7, with better performance and similar battery
02:45life, making it a solid choice for streaming or light gaming. The Fire HD 8 only weighs 11.88 ounces,
02:52matching its predecessor in size and weight, and it often goes on sale for less than $60, matching or
02:58even beating the price of the Amazon Fire 7. And that altogether makes it a very compelling choice
03:04if you can grab one then.
03:05The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a standout in the world of Windows tablets, offering the full
03:11versatility of Windows 11 with the accessibility of a large tablet. It's a huge leap forward from
03:17previous Surface Pro models thanks to the inclusion of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chip and an option for
03:24a 13-inch OLED display. This makes it the fastest tablet on this list, just behind the iPad Pro M4.
03:30While also offering impressive power efficiency and over 12 hours of battery life from our test.
03:36So whether you're working all day or you're just using it casually, you can go all day without
03:40needing to plug it in. For $1,000, you get the base model with a 13-inch LCD display, which is solid.
03:45But if you want a display that really pops, the OLED version here, which costs about $600 more,
03:50gives you a brighter, more vibrant colors, outperforming even the iPad Air 2024 in our display test.
03:56While the tablet is great for productivity, especially for fans of Windows, be prepared to
04:01shell out for the extra accessories like the Surface Pro Flex, $349 keyboard, and the Surface Slim Pen
04:09too for $100. That brings the cost up significantly, making this a bit pricey for anyone looking for
04:15a complete productivity setup. Still, if you want the best Windows 11 tablet, the Surface Pro 11
04:21is our top choice. For our newest addition to the list, we've got the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10
04:28Ultra, which starts at $1,200. It's definitely the biggest and boldest tablet that Samsung's ever
04:33released. The standout feature here is its massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display. It's gorgeous, it's sharp,
04:39and it's very immersive. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus chip, it runs apps, games,
04:45and multitask very smoothly without any noticeable lag. But here's the catch. Despite all that power,
04:51it doesn't quite stack up to the iPad Pro M4, even though it costs about the same. But the real issue
04:57here is its size. 1.58 pounds doesn't sound that heavy, but its sheer dimensions make it awkward to
05:04use for extended periods of time. So if you're trying to hold this in your hands while also watching a
05:09show or playing a game, it can quickly become very uncomfortable. You'll probably find yourself
05:14propping up against a pillow or table just to manage the height and weight. It's definitely
05:18not the most portable device if you're looking for something that can be carried around easily
05:23for long stretches. But if you're after a tablet with a giant screen that also doubles as a laptop
05:28replacement, this could be a really solid choice. Just be prepared for all that extra bulk.
05:34I've said it already, the 2024 iPad Pro is the most powerful tablet you can get. And it's the first
05:39device to showcase Apple's cutting-edge M4 chip, outperforming every other tablet on this
05:44list. But it's not just about power. The 2024 iPad Pro also wows with its OLED display,
05:50which delivers stunning colors and brightness, up to an eye-searing 1510 nits for HDR content.
05:57And it looks great whether you're editing photos, streaming movies, or just browsing.
06:01For outdoor use, you can pay an extra $100 for the nano-texture glass, though that is exclusive
06:07to the one and two terabyte models. But that does help reduce glare and keeps the screen
06:13crystal clear. Add to that, it's 13-hour battery life that nearly tops this list,
06:18and you've got a premium tablet that's also practical as it is powerful. That said,
06:22this kind of performance starts at $999 for the 2024 11-inch model. Now, if you don't need all that
06:28speed or display quality, you're better off with the iPad Air 2024, which is much cheaper and still more
06:34than fast enough for most apps. But if you want the absolute best tablet that Apple has to offer,
06:39the 2024 iPad Pro is in a league of its own. The remarkable Paper Pro is easily the most unique
06:45tablet on this list and also was featured as one of our top picks for best e-readers,
06:50especially if writing and reading are your top priorities. If that's you, you're in for a treat.
06:54Its 11.8-inch color e-paper display helps give it the feel of pen and paper in a way that
06:59traditional glass screen tablets like iPads simply can't match. With 4,000-plus levels of
07:05pressure sensitivity, the included Remarkable Marker, or the Marker Plus, which features an
07:09eraser, delivers a truly tactile writing experience that's just perfect for jotting down notes,
07:15marking up PDFs, or even sketching. The display's size is nearly identical to that of an A4 notebook,
07:21so it feels natural to use for serious writing or document editing. However, this is a very niche
07:27device. The canvas color e-paper display has a noticeable lag when flipping through pages or
07:32rendering what you're writing. Also, aside from this being focused on reading and writing,
07:37it doesn't support major e-book apps like Kindle, or any other apps for that matter.
07:42Starting at $579, the Remarkable Paper Pro doesn't come cheap, especially when you consider
07:46the optional but pricey typefolio keyboard for another $229 for those who also want a laptop-like
07:53typing experience. That said, if you're a writer looking for the closest thing to pen and paper
07:58in a digital form, this is an investment worth considering. The iPad Mini 7 is Apple's smallest
08:04tablet with a compact 8.3-inch liquid retina display. Weighing just 0.65 pounds, it's the perfect
08:10choice for those who want the full iPadOS experience in a device that's light and easy to hold with just
08:15one hand. Despite its size, this tiny slate doesn't skimp on performance either. In our testing,
08:21the A17 Pro delivers speeds rivaling the iPad Air, making it a great choice for multitasking,
08:27streaming, or light productivity. Battery life is also impressive too, lasting about 10 and a half
08:32hours, which is more than enough to get through a busy day. There are some compromises though,
08:37like the front-facing camera placement, which is on this narrow edge. It's a little bit awkward to
08:42use during video calls. It also doesn't support the Apple Pencil 2, so you'll need to opt for the newer
08:47Apple Pencil Pro if you want stylus support, which brings better precision and features,
08:52but it's a bummer if you're like me and already own the older two. But starting at just $499,
08:58the iPad Mini 7 has a combination of portability and power to make it the best small tablet that
09:04you can buy right now. So which of these tablets fits your needs best? Are you leaning more towards
09:09the power of the iPad Pro, the versatility of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, or the Productivity Focus
09:14Service Pro 9? Let me know in the comments and don't forget to check out our full reviews on Tom's
09:19Guide. Thanks for watching and until the next one, I'll catch you later.
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