I review tech for a living, and these are the best Prime Day tablet deals
The best Prime Day tablet deals are difficult to find among the deluge of discounts that are drowning shoppers at Amazon.
Instead of scratching your head over which tablet deal is worth it — and which ones are worth skipping — wouldn't it be nice to simply ask an expert, someone who knows tablets, to help you make sense of it all? As it turns out, you're in luck. I happen to review tech for a living, including laptops, phones, and, of course, tablets.
I know which tablets are worth grabbing (i.e., the iPad Pro), as well as the ones you should pass on (like the new iPad Air). That being said, here are the best Prime Day tablet deals. (While you're at it, check out our Prime Day tech deals hub, which was also curated by an expert.)
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This list, curated by a tablet expert (i.e., yours truly), will contain a mix of both iPad and Android tablet deals. Based on my expertise, this list will only contain the best tablet deals.
11-inch iPad Pro (M4)
The latest, newest iPad Pro has dropped down to $919 on Amazon from its original price of $1,000.
Here are three reasons why I recommend the new iPad Pro, according to my testing:
It's the thinnest Apple product ever, making it super light, ultra-portable, and travel-friendly
The battery life, tested by Mashable, is out of this world
Mind-blowing performance that beats some laptops
To dive deeper into these three points, Apple boasted that its latest iPad Pro is thinner than an iPod Nano. But when I actually got a chance to play with it, as I mentioned in my review, it was like holding the whispers of technology in my palms.
Next, the battery life is incredible. I ran a TikTok rundown on the 13-inch iPad Pro, and to my surprise, it lasted 16 hours and 24 minutes on a single charge. With the 11-inch iPad Pro sporting the same M4 chip, it should offer a similar runtime.
And finally, after running some benchmarks, the iPad Pro has incredible performance, so much so that it even beats some MacBooks and PCs. The only downside I noticed during my testing, however, is that the iPad Pro can run hot while running some intensive tasks (e.g., gaming). Plus, if you want to transform your iPad Pro into a laptop-like setup, I suggest upgrading to the 13-inch model and pairing it with Apple's Magic Keyboard.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
This one is an oldie, but a goodie — and it's just $189 at Amazon, as of this writing. Lenovo, by the way, is one of the most respected laptop vendors in the world as the mastermind behind the ThinkPad line.
I own a Chromebook Duet — and it's the one of the best budget tablets on the market, particularly if you often work with the Android ecosystem. Here's why I recommend the Chromebook Duet:
It has a budget-friendly price tag of less than $200
It has a battery runtime of about 9 to 10 hours
Great for Google-focused workflows
The above selling points speak for themselves. The Chromebook Duet won't break the bank, and it delivers killer battery life. But keep in mind that it has ChromeOS built into its system, not Android, so this device is best for users with Google-focused workflows.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+
If you're a casual artist, or you love to take notes, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is my best recommendation for you. It's down to just $398 on Amazon for Prime Day from its original price of $600.
Here are the three reasons I suggest it:
It ships with an S Pen
Decent battery life (compared to similarly priced tablets)
Sturdy, waterproof build
Many tablets out there support styli (yes, styli is the plural of stylus), but they don't ship with an actual pen. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE, on the other hand, does come with the S Pen included, so you don't have to worry about purchasing one separately. On top of that, it's one of the best Android tablets (perhaps next to its pricier Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra sibling).
According to our sister site PCMag (we share the same parent company, Ziff Davis), the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ lasted about 8 hours on a charge (which isn't half bad compared to similarly priced competitors). My only caution is that this is a mid-range tablet, so its performance is not built to support heavy graphics rendering. If you want a turbocharged Android tablet, I suggest getting the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra instead.
OnePlus Pad
I highly suggest the OnePlus Pad, which is down to $369.99 for Prime Day from its original price of $480.
OnePlus is beginning to catch the attention of consumers who often only flock to Apple, Google, and Samsung for their mobile needs. After getting glowing reviews for its smartphone efforts, OnePlus is now getting praise for the OnePlus Pad. Here's why I recommend it:
It has a striking, vibrant, 11.6-inch, 2800 x 2000-pixel screen
Loud, booming speakers
Decent battery life
According to our sister site PCMag, OnePlus lasted about 8 hours on a charge. That's certainly not as long as the 16-hour iPad Pro, but it should be able to last an 8-hour work or school day. It also has a slick Android skin, punchy audio, and a gorgeous display. One thing to consider, however, is that the OnePlus Pad may not be able to keep up with more intensive workflows.
Samsung Galaxy A9+ Plus
The Samsung Galaxy A9+ Plus is another tablet I recommend, and it only costs $142.49 on Amazon for Prime Day (down from $220).
Here's why I suggest it:
Budget-friendly, giving you a lot of bang for your buck
Great software that facilitates productivity
Punchy speakers
Despite being less than $150 at Amazon, the software on Galaxy A9+ is seamless for anyone who wants to get light work done on it. As PCMag pointed out, it sports some "productivity boosters," including a hideable taskbar, the ability to use multiple apps at once, and easy sharing of media between other Samsung devices.
If you own a Samsung phone, the Galaxy A9+ Plus is my recommendation if you're seeking a wallet-friendly, smooth-and-seamless Android tablet.
Kimberly Gedeon, at Mashable since 2023, is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.
