Your guide to the latest and best Android tablets you can buy. Check out our reviews and buying guide on the top Android tablets for this year
Sure, most people’s go-to slate will likely be an iPad but there are plenty of reasons why an Android-based tablet might make for a better fit, and we’ve rounded up host of options worth consideration.
Android tablets vary in size and quality, but some are exceptionally good value and can make very superb iPad alternatives. In the chart below we rank the best Android tablets available to buy in the UK in 2022, so far.
If you don’t specifically need an Android tablet, be sure to check out our list of the best tablets for any operating system, including the latest iPads and the occasional Windows tablet.
Best Android Tablets 2022
1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – Best overall
Pros
- Stunning 120Hz display
- Stellar performance
- Included S Pen
Cons
- Price
- Middling software optimisation
- No charger in-box
Provided you’re not put off by the Tab S8 Ultra’s sheer size or sizeable asking price, it stands as the most capable Android tablet available right now.
On the front, you’ll find an expansive, crisp and colourful 14.6in 120Hz AMOLED display with support for the included S Pen stylus. Performance is top-notch, thanks to the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and when paired with the dedicated keyboard cover (sold separately) the Tab S8 Ultra is equally at home as a killer multimedia machine or a productivity slate.
Samsung has done well to tailor its user experience to the Tab S8 Ultra’s large display, but Android has its own native quirks that present a few challenges to any tablet running on Google’s mobile OS.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ – Superb performance
Pros
- Stunning display
- Stellar performance
- Great speakers
Cons
- Middling software optimisation
- S-Pen charging is awkward
While the Galaxy Tab S8 series is expected to be right around the corner is the obvious choice at the top end of the Android tablet market, 2020’s Galaxy Tab S7+ is still a superb slate worth considering, especially as its price continues to fall.
As with its successors, it’s so capable that what the S7+ really highlights is the disparity between the hardware and the underdeveloped nature of Android as a tablet OS.
Samsung has worked hard to optimise the user experience on its Tabs and it’s also helped in no small amount by the slate’s raw power and excellent S Pen stylus.
This also makes for a superb media slate, thanks to its stunning screen and excellent speakers.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ review3. Xiaomi Pad 5 – Great value
Pros
- Stunning display
- Good performance
- Slim design
Cons
- Lacklustre selfie camera
- MIUI not for everyone
It’s been a while since Xiaomi offered up a slate on the global stage but its return to the tablet space – in the form of the Xiaomi Pad 5 – is pleasingly compelling.
The tablet boasts a thin design that’s fronted by a gorgeous 2.5K 120Hz display and comes backed up by great stereo speakers and solid performance to boot.
Just as with its phones, Xiaomi’s tablet-optimised take on its MIUI user experience won’t suit everyone but it’s wholly usable, and while the added connectivity found on the Chinese models doesn’t make it to most markets internationally, there’s still little else on the Android side of the fence we’d recommend around the Pad 5’s asking price.
Read our full Xiaomi Pad 5 review4. Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) – Most affordable
Pros
- Nice design
- Good battery life
- Impressive audio
Cons
- Underwhelming display
- Limited internal storage
- Slow charger in-box
The Galaxy Tab A8 makes a welcome return to Samsung’s tablet range, sporting an attractive design and other standout qualities, including impressive audio chops.
The display and the limited internal storage are its biggest shortcomings, holding it back from being an instant affordable media player recommendation, but it still offers respectable battery life and offers an otherwise balanced all-round experience, especially for the price.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 review5. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE – Great for productivity
Pros
- Nice design
- Great battery life
- Stylus in-box
Cons
- Underwhelming display
- Middling performance
- Pricey
The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is definitely more of a basic productivity and entertainment slate, rather than a laptop replacement, like the full-fat entries in the Tab S7 family that it followed, but that means its talents lie in its featherweight design and as a brilliant tool for note-taking, with Samsung including its S Pen stylus in-box, for good measure.
A 60Hz LCD panel is the biggest upset, as displays are an area where Samsung’s tablets – particularly within its Tab S family – usually excel.
Competition in the mid-range tablet space is also finally hotting up, with Xiaomi’s Pad 5 trumping it at practically every turn, for less.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE review6. Lenovo Yoga Tab 11 – Great all-rounder
Pros
- Versatile design
- Sharp display
- Good battery life
- Decent value
Cons
- Average performance
- Android quirks
Lenovo Yoga Tabs have often experimented with unusual designs, embodied most obviously by their versatile integrated kickstands.
The Tab 11 might not be the most powerful slate on the block but it delivers a great audiovisual experience, strong battery life and convenient usability, thanks to that signature kickstand; all at a compelling price.
Android on tablets still isn’t brilliant but that’s not an issue unique to the Yoga Tab 11.
Read our full Lenovo Yoga Tab 11 review7. Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 – Great for entertainment
Pros
- Large display
- Convenient kickstand design
- Decent performance
Cons
- Only 60Hz LCD panel
- Android quirks
- Overpriced
If the Yoga Tab 11 is too small for your needs, Lenovo also released a 13in model, which boasts superior performance and even better audio output from its quad-speaker setup.
It shares in the Tab 11’s standout design, complete with an integrated kickstand, although build quality isn’t quite as polished as we’d like and we would have loved an OLED panel in place of the LCD that features.
A bigger form factor also means a larger battery, helping with its strengths as a media player, while its ability to function as a second screen is a neat party trick too.
Like the 11in model, it falls foul of Android’s inflexibility on tablets and it’s more expensive than its hardware would suggest, which might be enough to put some off.
Read our full Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 review8. Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (2021) – Best for kids
Pros
- Stylish & lightweight
- Good warranty
- Well-designed case
Cons
- No Alexa in kids profiles
- Lacks Prime Video content
- Overpriced
Both a big tablet for kids and a tablet ideal for bigger kids, this is the first time Amazon has taken one of its child-centric slates ‘Pro’.
The HD 10 Kids Pro runs on the same underlying hardware as its general-purpose alter ego but comes with a protective case, one year’s access to Kids+ (which includes entertainment, apps, books etc.) and a two-year warranty that includes a no-questions-asked replacement if your little ones manage to decommission the slate the first time around.
The included case is a little more grown-up looking than the conventional Kids bumper, as is the UI that shows up on-screen. The user experience is closer to that of stock FireOS but makes for easy activity monitoring and leaves out access to certain age-gated content or apps (like Netflix), which have to be approved by a parent before being installed.
It’s a shame the kid-friendly version of Alexa isn’t supported – even though the tablet itself does facilitate such functionality – and certain kid-suitable Prime movies just don’t make an appearance without reason.
Read our full Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro review9. Realme Pad Mini – Most Compact
Pros
- Premium, compact design
- Great battery life
- Affordable
Cons
- Poor cameras
- Slow charging
- Limited update support
Small Android tablets are few and far between, especially from established brands like Samsung or Lenovo, and now it’s Realme’s turn.
Despite being new to the tablet market, Realme is expanding its tablet portfolio with the Realme Pad Mini, which offers a surprisingly premium design in a small 8.7in form factor, and for an impressively low price.
Great battery life and a clean user experience, make this a great slate for basic media consumption, productivity and even full-colour eReading, however, its low-resolution display and mediocre performance hold it back from being an instant recommend.
Read our full Realme Pad Mini review10. Nokia T20 – Highly versatile
Pros
- Good display
- Solid battery life
- Highly affordable
Cons
- Underwhelming performance
- Basic cameras
- No productivity accessories
For the money, there’s little else in the stock-Android space we’d recommend, tablet-wise.
Nokia’s return to the tablet market looks to fill a space that’s littered with poor quality unknown brands by offering the T20 up with many of the sensibilities that make its budget smartphones so appealing.
A tasteful design, nice 2K display and great battery life are the main highlights, while cameras and general performance are less capable than we’d hoped (although not entirely surprising, considering the T20’s affordable nature).
Read our full Nokia T20 reviewWhat size tablet should I buy?
The first thing to consider (apart from budget) is screen size. This ranges from around 7in to 13in, although for most people, an 8in or 9in tablet represents the best compromise between usability and portability.
With bigger screens comes more weight. Aim for a maximum of around 450g, as anything heavier can be uncomfortable to hold for long periods, such as when watching a film. That said, if you intend for your new slate to spend most of its life propped up on your lap or on a desk, weight isn’t likely to be so much of an issue.
How much storage do I need?
Ideally, you should aim for 32GB of internal storage as a minimum, but more is better for downloading media.
Many, but not all, Android tablets feature a microSD card slot, so you can add more storage when you need it. If you’re going for a tablet with no slot, make sure you buy the biggest capacity you can afford, as videos and some apps can use up an awful lot of storage in a single hit.
And don’t forget that the big number on the box – 32GB, say – is the total amount. The usable amount, i.e. the amount which is empty and available for you to use after the Android OS itself is installed, can be quite a lot less than that headline figure.
What about the screen?
Few tablets these days have poor-quality screens, but some do. Look for an IPS LCD or (better yet) OLED/AMOLED screen and avoid anything with a ‘TN’ screen as these have poor viewing angles.
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