The 7 best tablets of 2026: Comparing iPads, Samsung, and OnePlus

If you prefer saving money over splurging on the latest tech, the Apple iPad (11th generation) gets the job done. It's the base model, meaning it won't have the fastest processor like the iPad Air's M4 chip or the latest features like Apple Intelligence. However, it is the most affordable Apple tablet. With the M4 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro models, this iPad's price dropped to $349 — a real steal for Apple.

Even though its tech is basic compared to the advanced iPad Air and Pro, it's great for someone who wants a portable screen for streaming, playing games, and reading. It's also a nice choice if you're interested in using your tablet as a laptop, but don't want to spend a ton of money. It's compatible with the Magic Keyboard Folio and together costs $598 — the same price as the iPad Air.

Plus, it's especially great for kids if you want to get them a tablet but don't want to spend a fortune on it.

Most of Apple's iPads now have the M-series of chips; however, the classic iPad has the A-series, typically found in iPhones. That being said, the 11th-generation iPad still offers enough processing power for everyday use thanks to its A16 Bionic chip. You'll be able to multitask without the system sputtering out, whether you're watching YouTube videos, playing your favorite high-res games, or just have a habit of leaving your apps running in the background. It also packs a decent amount of storage space. The base model starts at 128GB, so there's no need to pick and choose what apps and pictures you want to keep. Speaking of, it sports 12MP front and rear cameras with Center Stage, a feature that keeps you in frame during FaceTime calls.

Combine all these features with the functionality of iPadOS 26 (yes, the A16 iPad is compatible with iPadOS 26), and you have an iPad that looks unassuming but is anything but — and all for a pretty unbeatable price point. It's a fine choice if you're just dipping your toes into tablets; however, creative professionals might prefer the power of the iPad Air or Pro.

Not a fan of Apple products? No problem. While we do find that iPads are the pinnacle of value with their performance and affordability, there are suitable budget Androids. Our preferred model is the OnePlus Pad Go 2, priced at $399.99, just $50 more than Apple's base iPad. It's a straightforward, reliable tablet that tackles all your needs from streaming to reading to gaming.

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a suitable tablet for anyone, regardless of your preference for iOS or Android. With Google integration, setup is a breeze; all you need is a Google account. It has a well-organized home page that's easy to navigate with pre-downloaded apps.

For basic tablet needs, I consider it to be a master of streaming, reading, and gaming. It zipped through mobile games without any lag, but keep in mind I wasn't playing anything more demanding than Subway Surfers. Reading was no issue either; however, I did find it a little too large and cumbersome to do so, as I do on most tablets with 10-inch or larger screens.

But I most appreciated how it handled streaming demands. It has bright, high-resolution displays that played all my shows in vivid color. My only complaint is that the speakers could be better; the sound is fine, often a little tinny.

The cameras are disappointing on the OnePlus Pad Go 2, so you won't be using it for photography; however, both front and rear cameras will be totally fine for taking video calls. Don't expect this tablet to handle big tasks either. While the OnePlus Pad Go 2 technically has more RAM than the Apple iPad, it has a fraction of the computing power. The Pad Go 2 has a multi-core score of 3,030 on the Geekbench 6 test, compared to the Apple iPad's multi-core score of 6,233.

If you're an Android user who's seeking out a tablet that is well-equipped to handle all the tasks of a laptop, let us point you in the direction of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. It has a beautiful display and syncs automatically with Google accounts. Plus, it can handle multiple apps at a time, allowing you to split the screen between apps. It even comes with a stylus for illustration or note-taking.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is one of the largest tablets out there, with a 14.6-inch screen. The screen size admittedly feels overkill, making it difficult to use when you're just trying to watch a show or browse the internet. But on the upside, with that giant screen, you can use multiple apps at once, allowing you to watch and play games at the same time. However, reading on the S11 Ultra is difficult, simply because the device is just so oversized that it's hard to hold, and there's just too much screen size unless you shrink the window.

But it's built for much more than reading. It starts with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but goes up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The S11 Ultra tablet has a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor and a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 8,797. That makes it not quite as powerful as Apple's iPad Pro or Air, but the most powerful Android tablet we've tested. Not to mention it scores higher than the standard iPad's Geekbench 6 score.

Its battery life is extremely impressive. When conducting a battery rundown test, it lasted 16 hours and 6 minutes, potentially allowing you to work on it for two days before needing a charge.

The stylus comes included with the S11 Ultra, and it's a lightweight pencil with a button to control the settings with a simple click. It writes beautifully and allows for a lot of precision, though some might prefer something with a bit more heft behind it.

If you are going to do work on the device, I recommend getting a keyboard and cover that doubles as a stand. Since the tablet is just so large, it's awkward to hold and type on. The keyboard and stand, however, make it feel like a great laptop while still maintaining the convenience of a tablet.

Read our full review of the iPad Pro (M5).

Professionals looking for an iPad should go for the iPad Pro with M5 chip. Released in 2025, the new iPad Pro is loaded with Apple's fastest M5 chip, giving it way more power than the average user really needs. Graphic designers can store all of their creative work on the device, which has up to 2TB of storage. It's also a smart choice for video editors, though the premium nano-texture glass, which prevents glare while working in any environment, even full sun, will cost extra. Plus, the XDR Retina display lets you play back HDR video and use this tablet as a reference monitor.

For creative professionals, the Apple iPad Pro is a dream come true. It's also compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, a tool that features a unique squeezable design and a barrel roll feature, enhancing precision and control in design work.

While the iPad Air is going to be the best for most people, the iPad Pro levels things up for professionals.

The 2025 iPad Pro isn't just a great tablet but an outstanding laptop. Loaded with Apple's latest M5 processing chip, it's one of the most advanced options from Apple. When running the Geekbench 6 tests, it scored between 16,200 and 16,400. That puts it in the top 8 percent of all laptops we've tested. That's miraculous levels of power for such a sleek, razor-thin package.

You can often find 1TB of storage in computers, but 2TB is rare in a laptop and nearly unheard of with a tablet, so it can store large files without a problem.

Read our full review of the Microsoft Surface Pro 11.

If you're looking for a tablet that can act as a true laptop alternative, then the Microsoft Surface Pro really is in a class of its own. It is more of a laptop than a tablet — even though the keyboard and stylus are sold separately.

It has supreme multitasking abilities thanks to its 16GB of RAM, but remains portable and lightweight, so if you're shopping for a tablet that you can work on, this is it.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 2-in-1 is one of the most impressive 2-in-1s on the market. There's just one big problem: The keyboard and stylus are sold separately. We've been complaining about this for years, and probably will still be complaining five years from now.

As reviewer Adam Doud wrote, "The 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition is lightweight, powerful, and has really great battery life. It can handle almost any task you can throw at it. It is also easily upgradable — the SSD is placed under a small door in the back that has toolless removal. That's the kind of user friendliness you don't often see in laptops this thin."

If you want to spec out this Microsoft tablet, you can. Upgrade the standard Snapdragon X Plus 10-Core processor to the lightning-fast Snapdragon X Elite 12-Core processor. You can also upgrade the display, RAM, and memory — and that optional OLED display looks phenomenal.

Read our full review of the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (previous generation).

A tablet specifically made for kids has two main advantages: It will be cheaper with built-in parental controls. Those parental controls are key, giving parents peace of mind that kiddos are watching and reading appropriate content.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is really the ideal kids tablet, best for the most cautious parents, as this tablet has built-in safeguards to protect kids' privacy against spyware or malware.

The newly updated Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro has a faster processor, a better front-facing camera, and a longer battery life than its predecessor, but comes in at $10 cheaper.

Parents will love that new price tag — and the fact that it still has intuitive parental controls baked right into its operating system, making screen time limits, age filters, limited access to specific apps, and schedules easy to find and customize. (There's also a two-year worry-free guarantee in case of accidental drops or spills.)

Kids won't even notice those guardrails because there's that much content to explore; it includes a year's worth of educational (and ad-free) books, shows, movies, games, and apps via Amazon Kids+.

The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is designed for ages 6 to 12, so if you're looking for a tablet for younger kids, the Fire HD 10 Kids tablet is better for ages 3 to 5.