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MagyarThe Best Tablets
Apple’s first iPad literally jump-started the tablet market from scratch. However, in recent years the choices have become fewer and fewer. On the one side, tablets are getting attacked by ever growing smartphones. On the other side, convertibles have become increasingly popular in the notebook space. What is left are a few established OEMs with various tablets for sale. In addition, numerous Chinese manufacturers are trying to attract potential customers through low prices. In return, you should not expect too much in regard to warranty and potential software updates. Please also consider the following lists before making any decisions:
The Best Tablets
Position | Total Rating | Date | Image | Model | Height | Weight | Size | Refresh Rate | Resolution | OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 93 % | 06/2021 New! |  | Apple iPad Pro 11 2021 Apple M1 Apple M1 8-Core GPU 8 GB Memory, 128 GB NVMe | 5.9 mm | 468 g | 11.00" | 120 Hz | 2388x1668 | Apple iPadOS 14 |
| 2 | 91 % | 06/2021 New! |  | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2021 A2378 Apple M1 Apple M1 8-Core GPU 8 GB Memory, 128 GB NVMe | 6.4 mm | 682 g | 12.90" | 120 Hz | 2732x2048 | Apple iPadOS 14 |
| 3 | 91 % | 11/2020 |  | Apple iPad Air 2020 Apple A14 Bionic Apple A14 Bionic GPU 4 GB Memory, 256 GB NVMe | 6.1 mm | 458 g | 10.90" | 060 Hz | 2360x1640 | Apple iPadOS 14 |
| 4 | 90 % | 10/2020 |  | Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) Qualcomm Adreno 650 6 GB Memory, 128 GB | 6.3 mm | 500 g | 11.00" | 120 Hz | 2560x1600 | Android 10 |
| 5 | 88 % | 10/2020 |  | Apple iPad 10.2 2020 Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic GPU 3 GB Memory, 128 GB NVMe | 7.5 mm | 495 g | 10.20" | 060 Hz | 2160x1620 | Apple iPadOS 14 |
| 6 | 88 % | 10/2020 |  | Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) Qualcomm Adreno 650 8 GB Memory, 256 GB | 5.7 mm | 575 g | 12.40" | 120 Hz | 2800x1752 | Android 10 |
| 7 | 86 % | 04/2021 New! |  | Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G Qualcomm Adreno 618 6 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.0 | 5.8 mm | 485 g | 11.50" | 060 Hz | 2560x1600 | Android 10 |
| 8 | 85 % | 10/2020 New! |  | Huawei MatePad 10.4 HiSilicon Kirin 810 ARM Mali-G52 MP6 3 GB Memory, 32 GB eMMC | 7.35 mm | 460 g | 10.40" | 060 Hz | 2000x1200 | Android 10 |
| 9 | 82 % | 03/2021 New! |  | Lenovo Tab P11 Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 Qualcomm Adreno 610 4 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.0 | 7.5 mm | 490 g | 11.00" | 060 Hz | 2000x1200 | Android 10 |
| 10 | 82 % | 11/2020 New! |  | Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020) Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 Qualcomm Adreno 610 3 GB Memory, 32 GB eMMC | 7 mm | 477 g | 10.40" | 060 Hz | 2000x1200 | Android 10 |
The table above contains an overview over the best tablets reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editors' Comments
Decreasing prices, age, and well performing new entries wreak havoc on this top 10 list. Apple’s new Apple iPad Pro 11 is without a doubt the highlight this quarter, and with the Huawei MatePad 10.4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 LTE we also see two affordable tablets enter this list.
1st – Apple iPad Pro 11 (2021)
The Apple iPad Pro 11 (2021) is very similar to its own predecessor and housed in the exact same case and equipped with the exact same camera module featuring an additional ultra-wide angle and a LiDAR sensor as before. Instead of a Bionic SoC the new iPad Pro now features Apple’s M1 SoC resulting in a massive performance boost.
If you are looking for a high-end tablet, there is almost no way around the Apple iPad Pro 11 (2021).
The new iPad does not only run applications incredibly smoothly, it also features a high-end quality display with a high-resolution high-contrast flicker-free panel running at a refresh rate of 120 Hz. At the bottom we find the new USB 4 port with Type-C connector, and as always there are a multitude of storage options with up to 2 TB of internal storage.
In addition to Apple’s own online store the iPad Pro 11 is also available through the usual retail channels such as Amazon with prices starting at $900.
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2nd – Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021)
Apple’s iPad Pro 12.09 (2021) features their own brand-new in-house M1 SoC in its most powerful variant. It performs very well when paired with at least 8 GB of RAM, and its hardware feels almost limited by the admittedly excellent iPad OS. However, considering that a new version of iPad OS is just around the corner, this should no longer be a problem in the near future. It comes with a fast USB 4 USB-C port.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is almost flawless but was incapable of utilizing its full potential at the time of writing.
Its highlight is the brand-new MiniLED display with a more even and flat illumination and a very high display brightness. Unfortunately, we found the display to flicker slightly, which could cause issues for sensitive users. This issue aside the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) is one of the most powerful and best tablets currently available.
In addition to Apple’s own online store the iPad Pro 12.9 is also available through the usual retail channels such as Amazon with prices starting at $1,200.
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3rd – Apple iPad Air 4
Apple's iPad Air (2020) inched just a bit closer to its Pro namesakes and features practically the same design language. Thanks to its brand-new 5 nm SoC supported by 4 GB of RAM its performance is superb. The new iPad Air also features a USB-C instead of a Lightning port at the bottom. Optionally available keyboards include the Smart and Magic Keyboard, and the new Air also supports Apple’s Pencil 2.
In our test we noted its color-accurate IPS display, its good battery life, its great speakers, and its sleek design. The only real downside was its somewhat slow Wi-Fi 6 chip, which could have been faster.
4th – Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 features an 11-inch large LTPS display and is powered by a Snapdragon 865+. Its 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage are not bad per se, but we would have wished for a little bit more to be honest. The fingerprint reader is embedded into the power button, and the included S Pen can be magnetically attached to the tablet’s rear side.
All things considered the S7 is a powerful premium tablet with support for USB 3.2 and Samsung’s integrated DeX UI. A cellular model is also available, although it does not yet support 5G networks.
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5th – Apple iPad 10.2 (2020)
Compared to last year’s model, the Apple iPad 8 remained virtually unchanged. Besides the much faster CPU it also comes with a more powerful charger that no longer features a USB-A but a more modern USB-C port instead. Lightning itself continues to be Apple’s only port of choice for the iPad. Accordingly, already existing accessories remain compatible.
The tablet features a 10.2-inch IPS panel with natural colors. It is powered by a fast Apple A12 SoC with 3 GB of RAM and either 32 or 128 GB of internal storage. Both models are optionally available with LTE cellular support.
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6th – Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ features a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and HDR support. It is powered by a Snapdragon 865+ with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal microSD-expandable storage. The optional cellular model already supports 5G networks. The S Pen is once again included by default with an optionally available keyboard dock.
Samsung offers a very powerful and large package that is only held back by its comparatively poor battery life.
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7th – Lenovo Tab P11 Pro
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is a premium tablet housed in a lightweight aluminum case. It may lack an IP-certification but is very robust and capable, nevertheless. Its colorful OLED display and its four speakers are decent, its performance is fast enough for most applications, and its memory (6 GB) and storage capacity (128 GB) are more than adequate.
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is a good multimedia tablet with a usable desktop mode.
If you need more space you can add your own microSD card, and the device also features a 3.5-mm headphone jack and a fingerprint reader. The Tab P11 Pro can also be connected to a monitor or used with the optional keyboard cover as desktop replacement. We liked the user interface. A keyboard cover and stylus are optionally available.
In addition to Lenovo’s own webstore the P11 Pro is also available on Amazon.
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8th – Huawei MatePad 10.4
The Huawei MatePad 10.4 is an all-rounder tablet with a 10.4-inch large IPS display running at a resolution of 2000 x 1200 and a display ratio of 5:3. Two SKUs are available, one with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage and one with 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and optional LTE. Both SKUs are expandable via microSD card.
Powerful performance, great connectivity, but no Google services – Huawei’s good-looking MatePad 10.4 is a great choice in almost every way.
Powered by a Kirin 810 the MatePad 10.4 runs applications smoothly and reliably, and we found both its display and speakers to be more than adequate for everyday use. Unfortunately, it lacks a headphone jack but in return offers long battery life and a well-usable camera. Keep in mind, however, that Huawei cannot offer the MatePad 10.4 with Google services preinstalled.
Huawei devices are not available in North America.
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9th – Lenovo Tab P11
The Tab P11 is another good all-rounder made by Lenovo. Despite its low price it manages to offer a well-made IP52-certified and grippy 11-inch case with a bright flicker-free 2K IPS display, four speakers with Dolby Atmos, and a powerful battery that can hold up all day long even under intensive use.
The Lenovo Tab P11 offers a surprising number of features at an affordable price tag, and it is fast enough for everyday tasks and challenges.
The Lenovo Tab P11 is a family-friendly multimedia tablet, which means that it comes with a kid’s mode in addition to its already built-in user account management features. Optional extras for this 11-inch tablet include a docking keyboard (around $100) and Lenovo’s Precision Pen 2 stylus.
At the time of writing, the Tab P11 was not yet available through the usual retail channels (Amazon, Best Buy, etc.) but only via Lenovo’s own webstore.
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10th – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 10.4
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A7 LTE is an affordable Android tablet with surprisingly solid hardware and features. Among 10.4-inch tablets its octa-core Snapdragon 662 SoC can be considered a mid-range chip and thus fast enough for all multimedia challenges including browsing the web, watching YouTube, or streaming videos on Netflix. Its quad-speakers with Dolby Atmos performed very well, and its battery lasts long enough under extensive use.
In its price brackets of up to $300 the Galaxy Tab A7 LTE is one of the best Android tablets we have ever had in review.
Its high-contrast display is a highlight and offers decent brightness as well as a high contrast ratio. Its camera setup is only good enough for occasional snapshots but in return, the device comes with a built-in LTE modem. A non-LTE variant is also available at a lower price.
The Wi-Fi only SKU is available on Amazon and starts at slightly over $200.
Pricecompare
Top 10 Tablets in Comparison
Test Results
| Apple iPad Pro 11 2021 | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2021 A2378 | Apple iPad Air 2020 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 | Apple iPad 10.2 2020 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus | Lenovo Tab P11 Pro | Huawei MatePad 10.4 | Lenovo Tab P11 | Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 68.7 | |||||||||
| sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | |||||||||
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 70.5 | |||||||||
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 58 (29.2, 28.8) | 40 (21, 19) | 46.8 (23.6, 23.2) | 45.6 (22, 23.6) | 39.2 (18.8, 20.4) | 3.2 (2, 1.2) | 4.4 (2, 2.4) | 38.4 (13.2, 25.2) | 48 (22, 26) | 47.6 (22.4, 25.2) |
| Response Time Black / White * | 27.6 (12.8, 14.8) | 45 (35, 10) | 25.6 (12.4, 13.2) | 20.8 (6.8, 14) | 20 (7.6, 12.4) | 2.4 (1.2, 1.2) | 4 (2, 2) | 21.6 (7.6, 14) | 23.2 (8.4, 14.8) | 32.8 (16.4, 16.4) |
| PWM Frequency | 19190 (100) | 59520 (21) | 245.1 (1, 1.73) | 60.24 (100) | ||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 627 | 620 | 509 | 554 | 477 | 441 | 372 | 511 | 454 | 365 |
| Brightness | 598 | 612 | 486 | 535 | 452 | 447 | 375 | 472 | 422 | 337 |
| Brightness Distribution | 88 | 96 | 93 | 91 | 86 | 98 | 95 | 85 | 83 | 82 |
| Black Level * | 0.44 | 0.39 | 0.33 | 0.5 | 0.53 | 0.57 | 0.26 | |||
| Contrast | 1425 | 1305 | 1679 | 954 | 964 | 796 | 1404 | |||
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.5 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 3.5 | 4.9 | 2.8 | 7.1 | 5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 10.3 | 8.4 | 7.8 |
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 2.5 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2214 0% | 2.21 100% | 2.32 95% | 2.23 99% | 2.01 109% | 2.29 96% | 2.19 100% | 1.96 112% | 2.12 104% |
| CCT | 6969 93% | 6892 94% | 6833 95% | 6623 98% | 7019 93% | 6469 100% | 6718 97% | 7553 86% | 7684 85% | 7702 84% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 99.3 | |||||||||
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 34 | 37 | 34.4 | 33.5 | 32.3 | 32.3 | 33.6 | 31.4 | 34.5 | 35.4 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 29.2 | 35 | 30.5 | 29.8 | 30.4 | 28 | 33.4 | 28.3 | 36.5 | 33.1 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 33.4 | 33 | 31.9 | 30.4 | 27.2 | 26.8 | 31.1 | 30.6 | 31.7 | 33.2 |
| Idle Bottom * | 28.7 | 30 | 30 | 24.6 | 25.8 | 24.4 | 29.7 | 26.4 | 30.5 | 29.9 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 2278 | 2039 | 1963 | 2241 | 898 | 1641 | 2020 | 2267 | 3192 | |
| H.264 | 932 | 818 | 671 | 885 | 934 | 620 | 851 | 1003 | 892 | 745 |
| WiFi v1.3 | 819 | 673 | 702 | 811 | 782 | 425 | 624 | 1190 | 957 | 757 |
| Load | 286 | 255 | 388 | 221 | 238 | 355 | 348 | 366 | 233 | 235 |
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 1.01 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.16 | 2.12 | 2.41 | 1.55 | 1.29 | 1.38 | 1.18 |
| Idle Average * | 6.2 | 9.6 | 7.89 | 4.42 | 6.43 | 3.4 | 4.91 | 4.57 | 4.56 | 4.92 |
| Idle Maximum * | 6.23 | 9.8 | 7.91 | 4.43 | 6.69 | 3.43 | 5.02 | 4.64 | 4.58 | 4.95 |
| Load Average * | 8.99 | 12.2 | 9.28 | 8.86 | 8.17 | 6.63 | 4.38 | 6.01 | 6.33 | 7.21 |
| Load Maximum * | 9.89 | 12.6 | 10.78 | 11.6 | 11.84 | 10.29 | 6.81 | 8.06 | 9.17 | 9.32 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
| Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPad Pro 11 2021 | |
| Apple iPad Air 2020 | |
| Apple iPad 10.2 2020 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020) | |
| PUBG Mobile - HD (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPad Pro 11 2021 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 | |
| Apple iPad 10.2 2020 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus | |
| Lenovo Tab P11 Pro | |
| Huawei MatePad 10.4 | |
