Tablet Recommendations | Review - video Dailymotion

Tom's Guide

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!

Transcript

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 that accessory.

00:47You can expect nearly 12 hours of battery life in our tests, which should be enough to last a day

00:52with mixed use. Now, you could use this as a laptop replacement, especially with the optional

00:56magic keyboard for an extra $300 to $350, but iPadOS can still feel clunky with multitasking

01:02and 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 you

01:48to 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 1024 by 600 LCD screen is pretty

02:05poor for viewing media, with a resolution that's even too low for viewing HD video. The camera and

02:11speakers are 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. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a standout in the world of Windows tablets,

03:11offering the full versatility of Windows 11 with the accessibility of a large tablet. It's a huge

03:17leap forward from previous Surface Pro models thanks to the inclusion of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chip

03:22and an option for a 13-inch OLED display. This makes it the fastest tablet on this list,

03:28just behind the iPad Pro M4, while also offering impressive power efficiency and over 12 hours of

03:34battery life from our test. So whether you're working all day or you're just using it casually,

03:39you can go all day without needing to plug it in. For $1,000, you get the base model with a 13-inch

03:43LCD display, which is solid. But if you want a display that really pops, the OLED version here,

03:49which costs about $600 more, gives you a brighter, more vibrant colors, outperforming even the iPad Air

03:5520-24 in our display test. While the tablet is great for productivity, especially for fans of

04:00Windows, be prepared to shell out for the extra accessories like the Surface Pro Flex $349 keyboard

04:07and the Surface Slim Pen 2 for $100. That brings the cost up significantly, making this a bit pricey

04:14for anyone looking for a complete productivity setup. Still, if you want the best Windows 11 tablet,

04:20the Surface Pro 11 is our top choice. For our newest addition to the list,

04:25we've got the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, which starts at $1,200. It's definitely the biggest and

04:31boldest tablet that Samsung's ever released. The standout feature here is its massive 14.6-inch

04:37AMOLED display. It's gorgeous, it's sharp, and it's very immersive. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity

04:439300 Plus chip, it runs apps, games, and multitask very smoothly without any noticeable lag.

04:48But here's the catch. Despite all that power, it doesn't quite stack up to the iPad Pro M4,

04:55even though it costs about the same. But the real issue here is its size. 1.58 pounds doesn't sound

05:01that heavy, but its sheer dimensions make it awkward to use for extended periods of time.

05:06So if you're trying to hold this in your hands while also watching a show or playing a game,

05:11it can quickly become very uncomfortable. You'll probably find yourself propping up against a pillow

05:15or table just to manage the height and weight. It's definitely not the most portable device if

05:20you're looking for something that can be carried around easily for long stretches. But if you're

05:24after a tablet with a giant screen that also doubles as a laptop replacement, this could be a really

05:30solid choice. Just be prepared for all that extra bulk. I've said it already, the 2024 iPad Pro is the

05:36most powerful tablet you can get. And it's the first device to showcase Apple's cutting-edge

05:41M4 chip, outperforming every other tablet on this list. But it's not just about power. The 2024 iPad Pro

05:48also wows with its OLED display, which delivers stunning colors and brightness, up to an eye-searing

05:541510 nits for HDR content. And it looks great whether you're editing photos, streaming movies, or just

06:00browsing. For outdoor use, you can pay an extra $100 for the nano-texture glass, though that is

06:07exclusive to 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, and you've got a

06:18premium tablet that's also practical as it is powerful. That said, this kind of performance starts

06:23at $999 for the 2024 11-inch model. Now, if you don't need all that speed or display quality, you're better

06:30off with the iPad Air 2024, which is much cheaper and still more than fast enough for most apps.

06:36But if you want the absolute best tablet that Apple has to offer, the 2024 iPad Pro is in a league of

06:41its own. The remarkable Paper Pro is easily the most unique tablet on this list and also was featured

06:47as one of our top picks for best e-readers, especially if writing and reading are your top

06:52priorities. If that's you, you're in for a treat. Its 11.8-inch color e-paper display helps give it the feel

06:57of pen and paper in a way that traditional glass screen tablets like iPads simply can't match.

07:03With 4,000-plus levels of pressure sensitivity, the included Remarkable Marker, or the Marker Plus,

07:09which features an eraser, delivers a truly tactile writing experience that's just perfect for jotting

07:14down notes, marking up PDFs, or even sketching. The display's size is nearly identical to that of an

07:20A4 notebook, so it feels natural to use for serious writing or document editing. However, this is a very

07:26niche device. 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, it doesn't

07:37support major e-book apps like Kindle, or any other apps for that matter. Starting at $579, the

07:43Remarkable Paper Pro doesn't come cheap, especially when you consider the optional but pricey typefolio

07:48keyboard for another $229 for those who also want a laptop-like typing experience. That said, if you're a writer

07:56looking for the closest thing to pen and paper in a digital form, this is an investment worth considering.

08:02The iPad Mini 7 is Apple's smallest tablet with a compact 8.3-inch liquid retina display. Weighing just .65 pounds,

08:09it's the perfect choice for those who want the full iPad OS experience in a device that's light and easy to hold

08:15with just one hand. Despite its size, this tiny slate doesn't skimp on performance either. In our testing, the A17 Pro

08:22delivers speeds rivaling the iPad Air, making it a great choice for multitasking, streaming, or light

08:28productivity. Battery life is also impressive too, lasting about 10 and a half hours, which is more

08:34than enough to get through a busy day. There are some compromises though, like the front-facing camera

08:39placement, which is on this narrow edge. It's a little bit awkward to use during video calls.

08:43It also doesn't support the Apple Pencil 2, so you'll need to opt for the newer Apple Pencil Pro

08:48if you want stylus support, which brings better precision and features, but it's a bummer if

08:53you're like me and already own the older two. But starting at just $499, the iPad Mini 7 has a

09:00combination of portability and power to make it the best small tablet that you can buy right now.

09:05So which of these tablets fits your needs best? Are you leaning more towards the power of the iPad Pro,

09:10the versatility of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, or the Productivity Focus Service Pro 9? Let me know in the

09:16comments and don't forget to check out our full reviews on Tom's Guide. Thanks for watching

09:20and until the next one, I'll catch you later.

Tablet Recommendations | Review

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