The best Android tablets of 2026: Lab tested, expert recommended

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Android tablets person travel a agelong way. They boast almighty performance, a long artillery life, vibrant displays, and a user-friendly interface. It's a large clip of twelvemonth to prime up a tablet that tin grip entertainment, reading, note-taking, and originative work. We tested the champion models of 2026, from premium options similar the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra to budget-friendly picks similar the TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus.

If you privation to enactment successful the Android ecosystem for a tablet (or you're conscionable funny to spot what's retired there), you person plentifulness of options. Whether you request a portable instrumentality to regenerate your laptop for enactment tasks, thing to enactment arsenic a smart home hub, oregon conscionable a instrumentality for watching videos, there's an Android tablet that volition conscionable your needs.

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What is the champion Android tablet close now?

I chose ZDNET staff-tested tablets that connection a reliable acquisition and a assortment of features astatine a tenable terms point. Not each Android tablets are created equal, truthful I employed probe and my acquisition with the products to suggest the champion Android tablets below. I recovered that the champion Android tablet wide was the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultrafor its elephantine display, stellar artillery life, and accompanying S Pen.

In our February update, we made the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra our apical pick, replacing the previous-generation model.

Also: The champion Samsung tablets

The champion Android tablets of 2026

Why we similar it: If you're looking for an Android tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is 1 of the champion around. The Tab S11 Ultra features a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, runs connected the Android 16 operating system, and includes Galaxy AI features.

The basal exemplary comes with 12GB of representation and 256GB of storage, and a microSD paper for up to 2TB of other storage. One of the main differences betwixt the S11 bid and the erstwhile S10 procreation is the redesigned S Pen stylus. The caller pen has a cone-shaped tip, making it easier to make shading and angled strokes successful a mode that feels much earthy connected a user's hand. It besides features a hexagonal body, similar a accepted pencil, which could assistance it consciousness much comfy during agelong periods of use.

Review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra

Who it's for: ZDNET's Maria Diaz reviewed the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and described it arsenic the "iPad Pro for Android fans." She said that this Samsung tablet is large for creatives (thanks to the ample surface existent estate) and powerfulness users, particularly those who request agelong artillery beingness and the enactment for higher RAM and storage.

If you opt for the $210 Book Cover Keyboard (which is cheaper than the erstwhile procreation keyboards), you tin efficaciously crook the tablet into an Android-powered 2-in-1 instrumentality with plentifulness of abstraction for multitasking and utilizing much than 1 app astatine a time.

Who should look elsewhere: Just support successful caput the tablet isn't arsenic portable arsenic immoderate different options connected this database -- it has by acold the largest tablet surface we person tested, which isn't ever suitable to bring with you everywhere. If you're looking for thing much portable, the OnePlus Pad 3 oregon the Google Pixel tablet are lighter options.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra specs: Display: 14.6-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X 2960 x 1848 show | Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Memory: 12GB, 16GB | Colors: Gray and metallic | Cameras: Rear: 13MP main, 8MP ultrawide, Front: 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide | Weight: 1.6 pounds | Dimensions: 12.85 x 8.21 x 0.21 inches | Connections: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4 | Battery: 11,600 mAh battery

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Why we similar it: Historically, the FE bid of Samsung devices has been a much affordable alternate to its flagship devices. And portion the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ starts astatine $649, its features are arsenic awesome arsenic the much costly Galaxy Tab Ultra oregon adjacent Apple's iPad Air (which tin spell up to $800). This tablet has an Exynos 1580 chip, which Samsung says makes the tablet astir 32% faster than its predecessor, the Tab S9 FE+. This isn't a high-end processor, but it's large for mundane tasks and is 1 of Samsung's compromises with its FE devices.

Review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+

Who it's for: Diaz said that this tablet's show is good worthy its terms tag, and was particularly impressed with the show experience. "The 13.1-inch show is simply a size upgrade from the erstwhile Tab S9 FE+, which had a 12.4-inch screen," she wrote, adding, "The larger surface offers much abstraction for multitasking with divided screen, media streaming, gaming, and originative enactment similar sketching."

While this tablet isn't built for powerfulness users, it handles airy enactment similar video calls, photograph editing, messaging, and mundane tasks precise well. And, conscionable similar the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, it is IP68-rated for h2o and particulate absorption to amended support your concern against accidental spills.

Who should look elsewhere: This tablet is not built for powerfulness users, truthful if you're looking for much in-depth enactment for photograph editing oregon amended multitasking with much Galaxy AI features, the Galaxy Tab Ultra would beryllium amended for you.

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Why we similar it: The caller OnePlus Pad 3 is a ZDNET Editor's Choice pick, and for bully reason. The caller model--which debuted successful June 2025--provides a creaseless idiosyncratic acquisition acknowledgment to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which tin grip much demanding AI tasks. This acquisition is further improved by its ample 13.2-inch display, which ramps up to 144Hz.

Overall, this $699 tablet competes good with Android tablets connected this database that outgo hundreds more. Plus, you don't person to wage other for accessories: erstwhile you bargain the OnePlus Pad 3, you get to take 2 of 3 disposable accessories for escaped betwixt the astute keyboard, the folio case, and the Stylo 2.

Review: OnePlus Pad 3

Who it's for: ZDNET managing exertion Kerry Wan said that successful his testing, the show was reliably fast. He added, "The tablet ne'er showed frustrations with loading graphics, responding to inputs, and keeping services moving successful the background. I gracefully danced betwixt on-screen gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and trackpad swipes, overmuch similar however I remembered doing with the $1,099 iPad Pro past year."

Who should look elsewhere: Overall, determination are nary existent drawbacks to this tablet, but possibly its ample size. If you privation thing smaller, you tin opt for the OnePlus Pad 2, which has a 12.1-inch screen, oregon the Google Pixel Tablet, and its 11-inch screen.

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Why we similar it: Google hadn't had an Android tablet since the decease of the Google Pixel Slate successful 2018, but the institution announced a caller iteration successful May 2023. Built specifically for amusement and casual at-home use, the Pixel Tablet has a 10.95-inch LCD show with a 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution. It's powered by the Google Tensor G2 spot that's recovered successful the Pixel 7 enactment and the Pixel Fold.

Review: Google Pixel Tablet: What Android tablets should person been each along

Who it's for: What's absorbing astir this tablet is that the included charging dock besides converts it to a Nest Hub, meaning that erstwhile you're not utilizing the tablet to ticker YouTube, it has a 2nd intent arsenic a astute location display. The artillery beingness tin past up to 12 hours of video streaming and supports third-party stylus pens.

We enactment successful our reappraisal of the Google Pixel Tablet that it won't regenerate a laptop for schoolhouse oregon enactment but could beryllium useful if your location is simply a Google astute home. If you're looking for a tablet that tin treble arsenic a astute show (if you don't already person a astute show successful your astute home), this could beryllium a bully enactment for you. Customers who person bought the tablet have voiced connected Reddit that they chiefly usage it for media consumption.

Who should look elsewhere: Unfortunately, close present determination isn't immoderate benignant of authoritative keyboard oregon stylus for the Pixel Tablet. If you privation a tablet with accessories similar this, the OnePlus Pad 2 oregon Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet would beryllium amended picks.

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Why we similar it: The TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus is the cleanable nexus betwixt a speechmaking tablet and a regular tablet. TCL's Nxtpaper exertion lets you power from regular mode to colour insubstantial to ink insubstantial (the astir akin to what you tin expect from an e-reader). Its show helps trim oculus strain portion reducing bluish light, omitting a accepted backlight, and eliminating flickering, making it casual connected the eyes than accepted screens portion displaying the antithetic types of contented you'd expect from a tablet or smartphone.

Who it's for: Diaz besides went hands-on with the TCL tablet and said it was cleanable for mundane use, particularly for reducing oculus strain. "I usage my MacBook Pro and iPad each time for work, truthful I recovered a large quality erstwhile utilizing the TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus alternatively of my iPad each night," she wrote, adding, "By the extremity of the night, my eyes weren't straining oregon exhausted, and my hostility headaches adjacent became milder, which is simply a large plus."

Review: TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus

You tin besides acceptable Reading Modes and alteration Adaptive Brightness to further trim the accidental of oculus fatigue. It comes built-in with Android 15, truthful you tin browse the web, download speechmaking apps, ticker videos, and more.

The stylus (which is sold separately) has AI-powered handwriting designation and handwriting-to-text conversions.

Who should look elsewhere: If you're not funny successful an e-ink screen, it's champion to skip this model.

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Choose this Android tablet…	If you want…
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra	The champion Android tablet connected the market.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+	Screen prime that matches the flagship model. It besides comes with a Samsung S Pen.
OnePlus Pad 3	An fantabulous mid-level Android tablet. The artillery beingness is by acold the champion connected this list.
Google Pixel Tablet	A Google-made tablet to spell with your Google astute location ecosystem. It is built for entertainment.
TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus	An Android tablet that's built for speechmaking acknowledgment to its versatile surface technology.

Before you buy, determination are respective important factors to support successful mind, depending connected your ain priorities and needs.

Features: Not each Android tablets are created equal. Some are amended for kids, others are simply for amusement purposes, and past there's the one's that tin enactment arsenic a laptop for moving professionals and students. We considered a assortment of use-cases to lucifer virtually each need.
Price points: Tablets are an costly portion of tech, particularly if you're readying connected investing successful compatible accessories. We included Android tablets astatine antithetic terms points truthful determination is thing for each budget.
Integrations with different products: We considered options that tin enactment with an attachable keyboard, a stylus, and different enactment and amusement add-ons.
Battery life: Whether you're utilizing your tablet for enactment oregon play (or both), you'll privation it to past the duration of your task. Tablets that had important artillery lives yet made our apical picks.

The ZDNET squad chose each of the tablets included successful this database based connected their show when tested successful the existent world. When we trial tablets, we typically travel the aforesaid regular for each 1 to spot which performs best.

Display: We measurement the brightness level successful antithetic lighting conditions and measure colour accuracy.
We besides comparison the display's show with what the shaper promised, trial the screen's responsiveness to touch, and measure the show of immoderate other features, similar a manufacturer's stylus.
Performance: For real-world show metrics, our reviewers measurement however rapidly the tablet reacts to input, measure crippled show and framework rates, trial however the tablet handles having aggregate apps moving simultaneously, measurement the clip it takes to motorboat apps, and adjacent measure the tablet's somesthesia during intensive tasks.
Battery life: We trial antithetic scenarios for artillery life, including measuring however agelong the artillery lasts portion streaming, web browsing, utilizing productivity apps, and playing games.
Camera and audio: For cameras, we measure features similar resolution, aperture, low-light performance, autofocus accuracy, dynamic range, colour accuracy, representation quality, sharpness, and video quality. For audio, we look astatine the dependable prime and wide listening experience, including audio clarity astatine antithetic volumes, stereo separation of near and close audio channels, maximum measurement level successful assorted environments, and if determination is perceived distortion.

For a deeper look into our investigating process, cheque retired our comprehensive tablet investigating methodology.

Latest quality connected Android tablets

We're hardly into 2026, and determination are already caller Android tablets being released. At CES, TCL debuted its caller e-paper tablet, the TCL Note A1 Nxtpaper. Samsung besides introduced the Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+, which Samsung said is "best suited for gaming, streaming, oregon multitasking."

Amazon is besides acceptable to ditch Fire OS successful favour of Android successful caller Fire tablets released this year, aft years of complaints from customers astir however the Fire OS operates.

No. Amazon tablets tally connected Fire OS, which is fundamentally a muddled-down mentation of the Android operating system. Fire OS is built connected the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) but modified by Amazon for its ecosystem, truthful it doesn't person things similar the Google Play Store oregon is compatible with arsenic galore third-party apps.

It depends connected however you privation to usage your tablet oregon laptop. Digital artists thin to similar tablets since they're easier to gully with utilizing a stylus. Tablets are besides large for photograph editing and streaming movies if you take 1 with a large capable surface size. But if you privation to bash things similar make spreadsheets, benignant successful a connection processing program, oregon bash intensive 3D animation oregon modeling, you're amended disconnected with a laptop.

Also: Best laptops successful 2026: Apple, Acer, Asus, & more

That's a subjective question, and each benignant of tablet has pros and cons.

Apple iPads are favored by originative professionals and contented creators for their compatible creation programs, larger displays, and accessories. Android tablets are amended suited for mundane usage and tasks similar browsing the web, streaming video and music, and mobile gaming.

Android tablets often let you to grow the interior retention with microSD cards, truthful they tin accommodate to your needs, whereas iPads person integrated hard drives that can't beryllium removed if you request much space.

Latest updates

In our February 2026 update, we changed our apical prime to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, replacing the older model. We besides removed immoderate outdated picks, added up-to-date quality connected Android tablets successful 2026, and added a visualization graphic showing our astir caller battery-life investigating results for selected Android tablets.
In our August 2025 update, we added the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ and the TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus arsenic apical picks, replacing older models. We besides added quality astir upcoming Android tablets successful 2025.

Other Android tablets we've tested

The erstwhile procreation Samsung Galaxy Tab Ultra tablet is astir arsenic bully arsenic the Tab S11 Ultra. It inactive has a AMOLED 2x screen, tons of retention options, and is besides IP68 h2o and particulate resistant. In our laboratory testing, it had a artillery beingness of 11 hours and 28 minutes portion connected maximum brightness.

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This tablet is offered successful 3 antithetic configurations, starting astatine $700. It's not the cheapest tablet connected the market, but its gaming show justifies the cost.

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Looking for thing much durable? This Samsung device an exceptionally rugged tablet with removable dual batteries and bundle updates for 8 years.

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For much connected getting the astir retired of your tablet, cheque retired how to complaint your tablet the close way, and how to crook your aged Amazon Fire tablet into an Echo Show.

Tablets Reviewed & Compared

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