Best Android tablet to buy in 2021

You'd think having less choice would make it easier to find the best Android tablet, but relatively little separates your options. Android, for the most part, looks and feels the same across all models.

This means that your selection will largely come down to price, and what the individual tablet makers add on to differentiate their product. Some Android tablets are better suited to work, while others are perfect for gaming or streaming. Some come with a stylus as standard, others charge extra for them.

We’ve spent the past two months putting the best Android tablets in 2021 to the test, to find these points of difference and to help you choose which is the best model for you and your needs.

From entry-level Android models such as the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus to the premium devices from Samsung’s Tab S7 range, there should be something to suit all tastes, budgets and needs.

Jump to:

• How to choose the best Android tablet
• What size tablet should I buy?
• How much should I spend on a tablet?
• Best Android tablets at a glance
• Best Android tablets to buy in 2021
• How we tested Android tablets

How to choose the best Android tablet

Choosing the best Android tablet will ultimately come down to what you need it to do, but there’s a few points to keep in mind:

• Battery life: The quoted battery life on many manufacturer pages is based on specific testing in lab conditions. This should be used as a guide, but is not set in stone. The battery life will depend on how you use the device so, while it’s important, it shouldn’t always be the key factor that sways your decision.
• Design: If you’re planning to share an Android tablet with other people in your family, particularly if you’re sharing it with kids, consider a device that is robust and can handle being dropped or bashed. Or think about investing in a case.
• Accessories: Keyboards and styluses are nice extras to have but if you’re not planning to use the tablet for work you may not get much use from them. If they come included, great. If they don’t, it might be worth putting the extra money towards a microSD card, a case or getting a more expensive tablet.
• Phone compatibility: Again, this isn’t a dealbreaker, but you’ll get the most out of devices that run on the same software. So if you’re already an Android phone user, you’ll get the best value from an Android tablet because your account and settings will be synced across the entire range. That’s not to say that if you use an iPhone you can’t, or shouldn’t, get an Android tablet. It’s just worth bearing in mind.
• Connectivity: Many of the tablets in our selection offer Wi-Fi-only models, or you can upgrade to models that have Wi-Fi and 4G. The latter is great if you’ll regularly use the tablet out and about, but it can add a big chunk of money onto your purchase. Not only will you pay extra for the tablet in the first place, you’ll also need to pay for a mobile data plan. If you’re only planning to use the tablet out of the house occasionally, we’d recommend getting a Wi-Fi only model and hotspotting off your phone’s data.
• Storage: All of the best Android tablets we’ve featured in this buying guide offer built-in storage, with the option to expand this storage via microSD. It's always tempting to go for a tablet model with the largest storage size, and pay extra for the privilege. This isn’t always the best route. If you’re using the tablet largely for streaming content, or working on projects in the cloud, you won’t need much physical storage. All Google accounts come with 15GB of free storage as standard, and there are other cheap cloud storage options if you need more. It can also work out cheaper to buy a tablet with less storage, and then buy a microSD card instead of paying extra for the larger tablet size.

What size tablet should I buy?

Android tablets used to come in sizes ranging from 6-inch up to 14-inch+ but, over time, as smartphones have increased in size, displays have plateaued somewhat. The average is now around the 10-inch mark. This size is the sweet spot between good portability and enjoyable viewing experience. On a 10-inch screen, you can easily stream shows, play games and work with online documents.

If you’re using the tablet exclusively for work or creative tasks, a larger screen may be better. If you want the tablet to act as an e-reader with web capabilities, or if you want a more family-friendly device, a smaller screen will suffice.

Just bear in mind that as screen size increases you may find that apps don’t render as well. This depends on the software and is a small point, but one worth noting.

How much should I spend on a tablet?

Budget will likely be a major consideration when it comes to buying the best Android tablet, and how much you should spend really depends on how much you can afford, and what sacrifices you’re willing to make.

The most expensive model in our list below costs £800, while the cheapest comes in at £110, so there's quite a range. The rest of the models sit at various points in between. As you’d expect, the models at the higher end of this spectrum come with bells and whistles, including some that you may not need or want. At the lower end, you sacrifice display quality or speed for the lower price.

We suggest that you decide what you'll use the tablet for first, and then be led by that within your budget range. If you’re looking for the best Android tablet for gaming, you will need to pay more to get a better display and refresh rate. If remote working is your go-to, you can get away with a lower quality display but battery life may be more important. The best Android tablet, with all of these things considered, is the Samsung Tab S7 at £619, while the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a great, cheaper alternative.

Best Android tablets at a glance

• Best overall Android tablet: Samsung Tab S7, £619
• Best Android tablet for work: Samsung Tab S7 Plus, £799
• Best Samsung alternative: Lenovo P11 Pro, £449.99
• Best budget Android tablet: Amazon Fire HD 10, £149.99
• Best value-for-money Android tablet: Lenovo Smart Yoga Tab, £249.99
• Best Android tablet for on-the-go streaming: Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus, £109.99

Best Android tablets to buy in 2021

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, £619

Best overall Android tablet

Key features:

• 11-inch Quad HD tablet powered by Android 10.0
• Two storage and RAM options: 128GB + 6GB RAM, 256GB + 8GB RAM , both extendable to 1TB via microSD
• Dual cameras on the rear (13MP and 5MP) with an 8MP front-facing camera
• Fingerprint scanner
• Fast charging technology and a 14-hour battery life

Pros:

• Bright, clear and vibrant screen
• Fast and responsive
• Slick software
• Great, attractive and robust build quality
• Comes with the S Pen Stylus as standard

Cons:

• Fingerprint scanner can be temperamental
• Tendency to crash or freeze if trying to do too much
• Vast number of features can feel overwhelming

In the battle for the best Android tablet, the Samsung Tab S7 takes the crown. It’s not the most expensive Android tablet – that award goes to the Samsung Tab S7 Plus – nor is it the highest spec, but it’s a near-perfect way to get a flagship device without the flagship price.

Firstly, its display is stunning – one of best tablet screens we’ve ever had the pleasure of watching Netflix and gaming on. Secondly, it’s fast, responsive and easy to use. A fingerprint scanner adds an extra level of security, even if it can be a tad temperamental, and the addition of the S Pen as standard is a nice touch.

The Samsung Android tablet starts at £619, which gets you a 128GB model backed by 6GB RAM with Wi-Fi. For an extra £100 you can add 4G to this, or boost the built-in storage to 256GB with 8GB or RAM and Wi-Fi for an extra £70. The fact that the superb S Pen stylus is included in this price gives Samsung an edge over rivals like Apple and Lenovo, and this pen works wonders with Samsung’s skin on the Android 10 software. A fantastic all-rounder.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 review.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7:

• Amazon
• John Lewis
• Argos
• AO.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, £799

Best Android tablet for work

Key features:

• 12.4-inch Android 10 tablet with 120Hz refresh rate
• S Pen as standard
• Two storage and RAM options: 128GB + 6GB RAM, 256GB + 8GB RAM both extendable to 1TB via microSD
• Dual cameras on the rear (13MP and 5MP) with an 8MP front-facing camera
• Fingerprint scanner
• Four speakers tuned by AKG
• 4K video recording
• Fast charging technology and a 15-hour battery life

Pros:

• Best screen we’ve ever seen on a mobile device
• Lightning fast and responsive
• Elegant and luxurious design
• Comes with the S Pen Stylus as standard

Cons:

• Expensive

The larger, faster, more expensive sibling of the Tab S7, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, earns the award for having the best tablet display we’ve ever seen on a mobile device. It takes the great display technology of the smaller, 11-inch Tab S7 and ramps things up a notch. By replacing the 11-inch LCD screen with a 12.4-inch AMOLED panel, it gives the Tab S7 Plus more screen real-estate upon which to stream, game and work. It also makes it brighter and more vibrant. Colours are vivid when streaming and gaming, blacks look inky and lines are sharp when reading or working.

We love the way the Samsung skin on the Android software works with the S Pen and there are so many ways to interact with this device from voice, to gestures and touch. This adds a level of productivity we haven’t experienced with other devices and makes this an ideal tablet for working on.

Its high price aims the Tab S7 Plus more towards power users than casual tablet fans – which is where this flagship model loses out to the smaller, cheaper Tab S7. However, if you’re looking to use it as a replacement for your laptop, which it's more than capable of being with a keyboard attached, it almost justifies the £800 starting price. Even if you do have to pay extra for the keyboard to reap these rewards.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus review.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus:

• Amazon
• Argos
• AO.com

Lenovo P11 Pro, £449.99

Best Samsung alternative

Key features:

• 11.5-inch Android 10 tablet
• Powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730GB processor
• Four JBL speakers compatible with Dolby Atmos
• Up to 6GB RAM and 128GB built-in storage
• Fingerprint reader, face unlock and PIN security features
• Up to 15 hours battery life
• A dual 13MP and 5MP camera on the rear, with an 8MP on the front

Pros:

• Bright, sharp display
• Excellent battery life
• Well-rounded sound from impressive speakers

Cons:

• Confusing and temperamental software
• Productivity Mode promises a lot but delivers little

While Samsung continues to make the best Android tablets around, Lenovo still regularly comes out fighting and its P11 Pro is a flagship device that offers a whole lot for not a huge amount, relatively speaking.

The display, alone, would be enough to warrant the price tag – it’s fantastic. It doesn’t quite live up to those seen on the Samsung Android tablets, but it’s not far off. All while being £170 cheaper. This means if you’re looking for a large Android tablet for streaming and casual use, the P11 Pro more than does the job.

This screen is matched by an equally impressive battery life. The P11 Pro will last for 13 hours with heavy use, and more than a day and a half with less intense use.

What’s more, the tablet can be turned into an alternative to the £179 Google Nest Hub Max simply by switching it into Ambient mode. You can then use Google Assistant in largely the same way you would on Google’s Home and Nest range of products.

The compromises you make for its lower price tag are performance, and software tweaks. It’s not a super slow device, in fact it can more than handle everyday tasks, but if you push it too hard – when playing games with rich graphics, or trying to stream, work and browse the web at the same time – it starts to struggle. The software skin on the P11 Pro is also lacking. Lenovo positions the P11 Pro as a laptop replacement and it doesn’t even come close. Its Productivity Mode is frustrating and clunky and does the opposite of what it promises

Overall, it’s a well-built, well-designed and versatile tablet that offers a number of premium features for a slightly less premium price.

Read our full Lenovo P11 Pro review.

Buy the Lenovo P11 Pro:

• Lenovo
• Amazon
• AO.com
• Very

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7, £219

Best overall budget tablet

Key features:

• 10.4-inch Full HD tablet powered by Android 10.0
• Single storage option, expandable via microSD
• 8MP on the rear with a 5MP selfie camera
• Facial recognition
• Fast charging technology and a 14-hour battery life

Pros:

• High-quality screen
• Great battery life

Cons:

• Slightly cheap design
• Lags after heavy use

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 punches well above its weight, not only in the best budget tablet category, but the best Android tablet category as well.

Its Full HD, 10.4 inch display shines bright and looks colourful, making it ideal for streaming shows or creating content. This high-resolution screen, while lacking in comparison to the other Samsung models in this list, is far better than we’d expect for a tablet of this price. It also means lines are sharp and clear when reading or working on this device.

The Tab A7 runs the latest version of Android – Android 10 – with a Samsung skin on top. This skin can get in the way on occasion, but on the whole it’s largely non-offensive and runs almost identically to pure Android, albeit with the odd Samsung flourish here and there.

Despite its bright display, which we’d expect to be super power hungry, the battery life on the Tab A7 lasts around 10 hours when streaming video, and a day and a half with more casual use.

Performance-wise, the tablet is fast and responsive as long as you regularly clear your cache and you’re not trying to do too much, with too many windows and apps open. You’ll soon see the tablet struggle if you’ve got a lot of processes running in the background. However, a quick refresh usually sorts that out.

Another downside is that while, from a distance, the A7 and S7 look strikingly similar, the former is much cheaper and low-quality when used close up. It has larger bezels, and it’s not as well-balanced and comfortable to hold.

Despite these criticisms, almost everything on this device punches well above its weight and it’s the best budget tablet we’ve had the pleasure of getting our hands on.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7:

• Samsung
• Amazon
• Currys
• Argos
• AO.com

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021), £149.99

Most versatile budget tablet

Key features:

• 10.1-inch Full HD tablet powered by Fire OS – Amazon’s take on Android
• 32GB or 64GB of storage, both expandable to 1TB via microSD
• 3GB RAM
• 12 hour battery life
• 2MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear-facing
• Alexa-built in means this tablet doubles up as an alternative to the Echo Show 10

Pros:

• Full HD display
• Now comes with expandable storage up to 1TB
• Simple to set up and use
• Part of the Amazon Climate Friendly Pledge
• Three gadgets in one – a Fire tablet, Echo Show and Kindle

Cons:

• Lacks wireless charging
• Plastic design
• No support for native Google apps – including Drive, YouTube and Gmail

At the end of May, Amazon refreshed part of its Fire devices line-up with the launch of the Amazon Fire HD 10 2021 Edition.

On first impressions, little appears to have changed between this model and the one that came before, but when you dig a little deeper into the specs there are some stand-out differences.

Firstly, you can now expand the storage on the 2021 model to 1TB. The previous version was only expandable to 512GB. The processor on the new model is backed by 3GB of RAM, rather than 2GB. The cameras on the 2021 model have been boosted from 2MP front and back to 2MP on the front and a 5MP on the back.

The latest model can be used as an alternative to the £240 Echo Show 10, thanks to the continued support for Show Mode, which is a positive thing. More negatively, Amazon has stuck with the same plastic, cheap design, offers relatively poor built-in storage, and still doesn’t offer support for Google Play Store or Google apps (Drive, YouTube, Gmail etc).

Elsewhere, the 2021 Amazon Fire HD 10 does represent a number of firsts for the brand.

The new Amazon Fire HD 10 comes as part of a so-called Productivity Bundle. For £257 – or £210 when it’s on offer – you get the tablet, a keyboard and a year’s subscription to Microsoft 365. Amazon has also launched this tablet as part of its Climate Friendly Pledge. This means it’s made from 28% post-consumer recycled plastics, 96% of this device’s packaging is made of wood-fibre-based materials from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources, and the product was designed for improved energy efficiency.

Read our take on its predecessor in the our Amazon Fire HD 10 review.

Buy the Amazon Fire HD 10:

• Amazon
• John Lewis

Lenovo Smart Yoga Tab, £249.99

Best value-for-money Android tablet

Key features:

• 10.1 inch Android tablet
• Powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor
• Kickstand doubles up as a handle, or hanger
• Two JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos
• Up to 4GB RAM and 64GB built-in storage
• Up to 11 hours battery life
• A 8MP camera on the rear, with an 5MP on the front

Pros:

• Impressive display for such a well-priced tablet
• Good battery life
• Well-rounded sound

Cons:

• Sluggish at times
• Crowded software

If you’re looking for a budget Android tablet without having to make too many compromises, the Lenovo Smart Yoga Tab ticks a lot of boxes, whether you’re buying it for streaming, gaming or just for casual browsing.

Firstly, its Full HD display is highly impressive for a tablet of this price. Colours are vibrant and bright, more so than on the Amazon Fire HD, and lines are a tad sharper on text. Depending on the content being watched, the black can sometimes look a little dull, but this is barely noticeable and isn’t across the board.

Secondly, it’s well-built and this makes it super robust and perfect as a family-friendly device.

Just like the P11 Pro, you can use Smart Yoga Tab in Ambient mode and transform the 10.1 inch tablet into a Google Nest alternative. However, the Smart Yoga Tab also has Google Assistant more widely embedded throughout the software, meaning you can use many of these smart-home, voice-controlled features without needing to put it in Ambient mode first.

Even though Lenovo’s software skin is a little obtrusive sometimes, it’s easy to forgive. Plus, you get the full catalogue of Android apps on the Lenovo, which can’t be said for the Amazon range.

This Android tablet doesn’t have the latest and greatest software, nor are its internals up to some of its flagship rivals. It’s also not the most streamlined and elegant device, but it’s still a decent piece of kit for an affordable price, making it great value for money.

Read our full Lenovo Smart Yoga Tab review.

Buy the Lenovo Smart Yoga Tab:

• Lenovo
• Amazon
• John Lewis
• Currys
• Argos

Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus, £109.99

Best Android tablet for on-the-go streaming

Key features:

• 8-inch HD tablet powered by Amazon’s take on Android – Fire OS
• Wireless charging (charger sold separately)
• Built-in Alexa voice controls
• Doubles up as an Echo Show in Show Mode
• Up to 12 hours battery life

Pros:

• Easy to set up and use
• Wireless charging
• Decent battery life

Cons:

• Mediocre display
• Basic, cheap design
• Sluggish at times
• No Google apps – including Google Drive and Google Docs

Just like its larger 10 inch sibling, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus represents an affordable way to watch content and read books on the go. Not only does it have the same wealth of content available at your fingertips, but it works well as both an Echo Show (in Show Mode) and a Kindle e-reader. If you were to buy all three devices individually – the HD 8, the Echo Show 8 and a basic Kindle – you’d end up paying in excess of £280.

The battery life is decent, too. The Fire HD 8 Plus was the only tablet we tested that exceeded the promised battery life of 12 hours, coming in at 12 hours 17 minutes even under heavy use. The Fire HD 8 Plus also offers wireless charging, being the first Amazon device to offer the added convenience afforded by this technology.

That’s not to say the Fire HD 8 Plus is perfect. Its design is basic and feels cheap. We’re not sure if it’s the smaller size or the lighter weight, but it doesn’t feel as robust as the 10 inch model, and it’s not as well-balanced. This makes it less comfortable to hold, despite its smaller frame. The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus can also be frustratingly slow and sluggish when trying to do simple tasks like switching between apps. Following suit with the rest of the Amazon Fire tablet range, the software is mediocre and doesn’t support Google apps. There are ways around this, but for some this will be a dealbreaker.

If you’re looking for a versatile tablet that won’t break the bank, you’ve found it. You just need to make a few sacrifices along the way.

Read our full Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus review.

• Amazon
• Currys
• AO.com

How we tested Android tablets

All tablets are tested in the same way, regardless of price or operating system. They are marked against a scorecard that assesses how well they perform in various categories, and how well this performance aligns with other tablets on test.

This includes timing how long it takes to set up each tablet out of the box – from signing in, to syncing account content (where relevant) and downloading popular apps including Netflix, TikTok and Facebook (if not already pre-installed). We then perform a video streaming test, during which we play a Full HD video on a loop, at 70% brightness over Wi-Fi to see how long it takes the tablet to go from full charge to flat. Our toddler is then let loose with the tablets to determine how easy they are to use and navigate, as well as how robust they are in little hands.

From here, we use the tablet as we normally would for five days, from browsing the web to playing SimCity, watching TikTok videos, streaming Disney+ in the car for our children and video calling our parents. During this period, we record how long it takes the battery to go from full to flat and take the average time as the battery life benchmark.

At each stage, the tablets are marked out of 10 for both their specs and how they perform. This includes:

• Display resolution
• Price
• Built-in storage options
• Cameras
• Size
• Weight
• Set-up
• Ease of use
• Speed/performance
• Design, including how well-balanced the tablets feel
• Sound quality
• Any additional features or accessories

From this, the tablets each achieve an overall score out of a possible 120.

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