Android & iPads We’ve Tried and Tested

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ wins because it keeps everything that makes the Tab S12 Ultra the best Samsung tablet, in a size most people will carry. It has the same Dimensity 9500 chip, the S Pen in the box, the IP68 rating, and seven years of updates. What it drops is 2 inches of screen and $200. It beat the Ultra for this spot on size, since a 14.6-inch tablet mostly lives on a desk. It beat the iPad Air M4 on what’s in the box, because Samsung includes the S Pen and Apple sells its Pencil separately. Add an Apple Pencil Pro to the iPad, and the price gap narrows.

We haven’t tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Plus. No one here has used one yet, so this page has no battery or charging results for it.

Four things decide whether the Tab S12+ is right for you: size, the S Pen, battery life and DeX.

Size is why you’d pick it over the Ultra. At 12.6 inches, it’s still a big screen for split-screen work, but it fits on a tray table and in a normal bag. After reviewing the 14.6-inch Ultra, I’d trade those 2 inches of screen for a tablet that doesn’t need its own bag. A smaller, lighter tablet is also easier to hold through a long movie or a long read.

The S Pen changes how you use it. Because it ships in the box and sticks to the back magnetically, it’s there whenever you need it. On the Ultra, I took notes with it in two meetings, and it read my handwriting, which is terrible. The Plus uses the same S Pen and the same Samsung Notes app.

Battery life is where the Plus has to prove itself. It has a 10,600mAh battery, 1,000mAh less than the Ultra, but it also powers a screen 2 inches smaller. The Ultra ran 19 hours 44 minutes in our video test and finished a full DeX workday at 42%. We haven’t run that test on the Plus, so I won’t put a number on it here.

DeX turns it into a laptop when you need one. With a keyboard cover, it runs windowed apps on the same Dimensity 9500 chip as the Ultra. On the Ultra, three windows plus DeX caused only an occasional app reload. At 12.6 inches, you get less room for those windows than on the Ultra. If DeX is the main reason you’re buying, the Ultra’s extra room is worth the $200.

Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra ($1,399.99): The Ultra wins on screen size, battery capacity, and DeX room. The Plus wins on everything to do with carrying it. Buy the Ultra if the tablet will live on a desk with a keyboard. Everyone else should save the $200.

iPad Air M4 ($749): The iPad Air costs about $450 less and has the better app library for tablet-first apps. The Plus wins on its OLED screen, the included S Pen, IP68, and the microSD slot. Add an Apple Pencil Pro and the gap shrinks. If you use an iPhone and a Mac, buy the iPad. If you use Android, buy the Plus.

Galaxy Tab S11 (last year’s model): It’s the cheaper way into a flagship Samsung tablet, with a smaller 11-inch screen and an older chip. Buy it if $1,199.99 is too much. The Plus is the better tablet.

After writing half of my Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review in DeX, I came away convinced that Samsung makes the best tablet software on Android. The Galaxy Tab S12+ gives you that same software, the same chip, and the same S Pen in a size that doesn’t need its own bag. That’s why it’s my pick for most people, even though I lived with the Ultra. The $1,199.99 price is the hardest part, especially with no charger in the box. If you want a Samsung tablet for the couch and the commute, buy it. If that price is too much, wait for a deal rather than stepping down to a weaker model, because seven years of updates make this a tablet you keep for a long time.

Buy it if you want a flagship Samsung tablet you’ll actually carry, complete with a stylus.

Skip it if you want the biggest screen for DeX work (get the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra), or if you’d rather not pay over $1,000 for a tablet that comes with no charger (look at the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2).

• Launch MSRP: $1,199.99 (12GB / 256GB, Wi-Fi)
• Release: October 2026
• Display: 12.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2800 x 1752, 120Hz
• Chip: MediaTek Dimensity 9500
• RAM/storage: 12GB / 256GB or 512GB, microSD
• Battery: 10,600mAh, 45W wired
• Durability: IP68
• Software: Android 17, One UI 9
• Updates: 7 years of OS and security updates
• Stylus: S Pen included

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the best Samsung tablet because nothing else Samsung sells offers this much screen space to work on. I wrote half of my review on it in DeX with the keyboard cover. It ran 19 hours 44 minutes in our video test, about 2.5 hours longer than the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. It beats the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus for screen real estate, since a 14.6-inch screen fits three apps side by side and each stays usable. It beats the iPad Pro M5 on value for work, because the S Pen comes in the box and the updates run through September 2033.

Four things decide whether the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra earns its $1,399.99: DeX, multitasking, battery, and size.

DeX is the reason to buy it for work. Working in DeX with the Book Cover Keyboard feels like a Chromebook with an OLED screen. At 14.6 inches, windowed apps have room to breathe in a way they don’t on the 12.6-inch Plus.

Multitasking holds up, with one catch. Samsung Notes, Chrome and YouTube ran side by side in Multi Window, and each window stayed usable. With three windows open and DeX running, background apps reloaded once or twice. It’s rare, but you’ll notice it on a heavy workday.

The battery lasts through a workday. A full day in DeX with the keyboard at 70% brightness ended at 42%. Used mainly after work, it went almost a full week on one charge. I also watched an entire season of Boston Blue on it, propped on the kitchen counter, on a plane, and in the car on a drive to Ohio. Refilling it is the slow part: about 95 minutes at 45W.

The size is the trade-off. At 692g, it’s light for its screen, but 14.6 inches is a lot of tablet. I trusted the S Pen in a backpack, but not on a bumpy train without the Book Cover. Plan on a case and a bag that fits it.

The S Pen deserves one more line. I took notes with it in two meetings, and it read my handwriting, which is terrible. It also handled quick photo edits in the preloaded Photoshop.

Galaxy Tab S12+ ($1,199.99): Same chip, same S Pen, same updates and IP68, on a 12.6-inch screen. The Ultra wins on DeX room, speaker space, and battery capacity. Buy the Plus if you carry the tablet more than you dock it.

iPad Pro M5: Our review found the iPad Pro faster in raw benchmarks and lighter to hold. The Ultra wins on screen size, the included stylus, and a desktop mode that runs apps in windows. Add Apple’s Pencil and keyboard, and the iPad costs much more. Buy the iPad Pro for pro video and creative apps. For work on Android, the Ultra is my pick.

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra: It has an identical design and is about 2.5 hours shorter in our video test. If you own one, our review says to skip this upgrade.

No one makes tablet software like Samsung. Want it to perform like a giant Android phone? It can do that. Want it to be your replacement laptop? Thanks to DeX, it can do that too. And with the S Pen in the box, it doubles as a meeting notebook. If you want a tablet that can do more than just streaming, and do it well, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the way to go. It lasted 19 hours and 44 minutes in our video test, and seven years of updates keep it current through 2033. Buy it, unless you already own a Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

You want a tablet that replaces your laptop for documents, email, and multitasking in DeX.

You own a Tab S11 Ultra, or you want a tablet that’s easier to carry (get the Galaxy Tab S12+)

• Launch MSRP: $1,399.99 (12GB / 256GB, Wi-Fi)
• Release: October 2026
• Display: 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2960 x 1848, 120Hz
• Chip: MediaTek Dimensity 9500
• RAM / storage: 12GB / 256GB or 512GB, 16GB / 1TB
• Battery: 11,600mAh, 45W wired
• Weight / thickness: 692g / 5.1mm
• Durability: IP68
• Software: Android 17, One UI 9
• Updates: 7 years of OS and security updates (through September 2033)
• Stylus: S Pen included

The Astra 2 wins because it’s the fastest tablet we’ve tested, and it outlasts the other gaming tablet here. It scored 4,541,092 on AnTuTu, the highest of any tablet in our testing, ahead of the Legion Tab Gen 5’s 3,945,194. It also ran 10 hours 46 minutes in our video test, nearly two hours longer than the Legion. Then there’s the screen: a 9.06-inch, 185Hz OLED where the Legion uses an LCD. The Legion holds steadier in the 3DMark stress test, at 80.8% stability to the Astra 2’s 54.6%. In real games, though, the Astra 2 stayed cool through three to four hours of Genshin Impact.

Four things decide whether the Astra 2 is your gaming tablet: long sessions, the screen, how it feels in your hands, and the battery.

Long sessions are where the cooling pays off. Our reviewer played Genshin Impact for three to four hours at a time, and the tablet stayed noticeably cool. After a 90-minute Genshin session, it measured 94.8°F. The 3DMark stress test is less flattering at 54.6% stability. Still, performance held up after hours of high-end games in his month with it.

The 9.06-inch OLED is the reason to pick it over an LCD gaming tablet. It runs at up to 185Hz and peaks at 1,600 nits. Justin ran Arknights Endfield and Call of Duty: Mobile at 120Hz, and the big open worlds in Genshin looked vibrant, with deep blacks.

It’s easy to hold for hours, with one adjustment. At 363g and 6.9mm thin, it doesn’t wear out your wrists, and the thicker bezels kept his palms from triggering stray touches. The catch is the speakers. With his hands covering them in a normal grip, he changed how he held it.

Battery life is the known flaw, and fast charging softens it. It lasted 10 hours 46 minutes in our video test, nearly two hours less than the original Astra’s 12 hours 39 minutes. That’s still nearly two hours longer than the Legion Tab Gen 5 lasted in our testing. It refills from 1% to 100% in 59 minutes 58 seconds. One quirk: charging kept stopping and restarting on the bottom USB-C port with a Google 65W brick. Moving to the side port fixed it.

Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5: This is the real cross-shop, with the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 on a smaller 8.8-inch, 165Hz LCD. The Legion is steadier under sustained load, holding 80.8% stability in 3DMark to the Astra 2’s 54.6%. It also adds a microSD slot and comes with a folio case. The Astra 2 wins on raw speed, at 4,541,092 on AnTuTu to 3,945,194, and on battery, at 10 hours 46 minutes to 8 hours 56 minutes. It also has an OLED screen. I’d take the Astra 2. Buy the Legion if you want expandable storage.

iPad Air M4 ($749): It costs $50 more and does far more than gaming. It isn’t built for hours of high-end gaming, and it has no gaming tools like the Astra 2’s Game Space. Buy the iPad if games are one use among many.

Galaxy Tab S12+ ($1,199.99): It has the same tier of speed and a bigger OLED, but it costs $500 more and isn’t designed around gaming.

After a month with the Astra 2, our review gave it 5 out of 5 and called it the best mobile gaming hardware we’ve used. What stood out was how it behaved hours in. It was still cool after three to four hours of Genshin Impact, on a tablet light enough to hold the whole time. The battery is the trade-off, lasting nearly two hours less than the original Astra. A full recharge in under an hour makes that easy to live with. If you’d rather have microSD storage and steadier performance under long loads, the Legion Tab Gen 5 is the better buy. If you play demanding games for hours, buy it. If you mostly play casual games, skip it.

You play demanding games for hours and want an OLED screen on a tablet you can hold comfortably the whole time.

You mostly play casual games, or battery life matters more than speed. In our test, it lasted nearly two hours less than the original Astra, and the Galaxy Tab A11+ costs far less for light games and video.

• Launch MSRP: $699 (12GB / 256GB). $799 for 16GB / 512GB
• Release: August 2026
• Display: 9.06-inch OLED, 2,400 x 1,504, up to 185Hz, 1,600 nits peak
• Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• RAM/storage: 12GB / 256GB or 16GB / 512GB
• Battery: 8,300mAh dual-cell
• Charging: 75W wired, no wireless charging
• Weight/thickness: 363g / 6.9mm
• Durability: IP54
• Software: Android 16, REDMAGIC OS
• Updates: Limited. RedMagic doesn’t promise as many years as mainstream makers
• Colors: Eclipse Black, Starfrost Silver

The Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 is the best tablet under $500 because it offers the most screen and power at this price. For $399.99, you get a 13-inch, 3.5K, 144Hz display, a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip and the Tab Pen Plus in the box. It beat the Galaxy Tab A11+, which is cheaper but has an 11-inch, 90Hz LCD and a midrange chip. It beat the iPad 11 by including a pen, which Apple charges extra for. The only tablet here with a bigger screen is the Tab S12 Ultra, which costs far more. That makes it the cheapest way onto a 13-inch screen on this page, at less than a third of the Ultra’s $1,399.99.

Three things determine if this $400 Lenovo tablet is right for you: its screen, pen, and support lifespan.

The screen is the reason to buy it. Thirteen inches is laptop territory. A full PDF page fits without zooming, and two apps side by side each get plenty of room. The 144Hz refresh rate is higher than the 120Hz on the $1,199.99 Galaxy Tab S12+. The trade-off is the panel type: this is an LCD, while the Samsung is OLED. The size also means weight: at 598g, it’s a tablet you prop up more than hold.

The included pen widens who it’s for. With the Tab Pen Plus in the box, it covers note-taking and markup from day one. On the iPad 11, the same job means buying an Apple Pencil on top of the tablet’s price. Lenovo also offers a matte, paper-like finish on this model, which makes it a faster alternative to the TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER for note-takers.

The chip is a step above its price class. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 sits one tier below the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Astra 2 and Legion Tab Gen 5. That’s more headroom than the MediaTek MT8775 in the Tab A11+ or the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 in the TCL.

Software support is the known flaw. Samsung promises the cheaper Tab A11+ seven years of updates. Lenovo’s promise ends around 2030, with two Android upgrades. If you keep tablets until they stop getting updates, that gap matters more than the screen.

Galaxy Tab A11+ ($299.99): It’s $100 cheaper and gets seven years of updates and Samsung DeX. The Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 has a bigger, sharper, and faster screen, a much faster chip, and a pen in the box. Buy the A11+ if you’ll mostly stream and browse and want the longest support. Buy the Lenovo if you’ll work, draw or game on it.

iPad 11: Apple’s cheapest iPad has the best tablet app library at this price and Apple’s long support record. The Lenovo has the bigger screen, the higher refresh rate, and an included pen. Buy the iPad if you use an iPhone. Buy the Lenovo for the best screen for your money.

This is the tablet I’d point to when someone wants a big screen and a pen without spending flagship money. At $399.99, it gives you a 13-inch, 144Hz display and a pen in the box, which none of the other tablets under $500 here match. That’s a third of what the Tab S12+ costs, for a bigger screen. What holds it back is time, because Lenovo’s update promise is much shorter than Samsung’s. If you replace tablets every few years, buy it. If you keep yours until it stops getting updates, skip it and buy the Galaxy Tab A11+. Add Lenovo’s keyboard case, sold separately, and it covers schoolwork and email too.

You want a 13-inch tablet with a pen in the box for under $500.

You plan to keep your tablet for six or seven years, since its shorter update promise is its known flaw (get the Galaxy Tab A11+), or you want an OLED screen (get the Galaxy Tab S12+).

• Launch MSRP: $399.99
• Release: Spring 2026
• Display: 13-inch 3.5K (3504 x 2190) LCD, 144Hz
• Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
• Storage: Up to 512GB, microSD
• Battery: 10,200mAh, 45W wired
• Weight: 598g
• Software: Android 16
• Updates: 2 OS upgrades, security updates to about 2030
• Stylus: Lenovo Tab Pen Plus included

The Galaxy Tab A11+ is the best tablet under $300 because it’s the only one at this price that Samsung will support for seven years. That’s the same OS and security update promise as the $1,399.99 Tab S12 Ultra. It runs through about 2032, which means a tablet bought for a kid or a kitchen this year is still getting patches in 2032. It beat the TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER on support and on DeX, Samsung’s desktop mode, which you rarely see at this price. For a tablet that gets handed around a house for years, support matters more than the screen or the chip.

We haven’t tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 Plus. No one here has used it yet, so this page has no battery or charging results.

Three things make the Galaxy Tab A11+ worth $299.99: how long it lasts, what it’s built for, and where it saves money.

Seven years of updates is the receipt. Cheap tablets often stop getting updates after two or three years, and then apps start dropping support. Samsung promises this one seven Android upgrades, the same as its flagships. That’s about two years more than Lenovo promises for the $399.99 Idea Tab Pro Gen 2. It changes what $300 buys. This isn’t a tablet you replace in two years.

It’s built for the couch, the kitchen and the kids’ room. Streaming, browsing, recipes and video calls are the jobs it’s made for. The quad speakers with Dolby Atmos and the headphone jack fit that. So does the microSD slot, which takes up to 2TB of downloaded shows for a long car ride.

DeX is a surprise at this price. With a Bluetooth keyboard, you can run apps in windows for homework or email. It’s the same desktop mode the Tab S12 Ultra uses, on a much smaller screen and a midrange chip. With 6GB of RAM on the $299.99 model, I’d keep DeX to two apps at a time.

The screen and battery are where it saves money. A 90Hz LCD at 1920 x 1200 and a 7,040mAh battery with 25W charging are what you give up. That’s the known flaw. The 25W charging is also the slowest of the Android tablets here, below the 45W on the Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 and the Tab S12 series. If you want a sharper, faster screen, the Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 costs $100 more.

Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 ($399.99): For $100 more, you get a 13-inch, 144Hz screen, a much faster chip and a pen in the box. The A11+ wins on update years and price. Buy the Lenovo if you’ll use it for work or drawing. Buy the A11+ if you’ll mostly watch and browse.

TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER: It has a matte screen made for reading, a bigger 12.2-inch display, and a stylus in the box. The A11+ wins on updates, DeX, and Samsung’s software. Buy the TCL if you mostly use it for reading or notes.

The Galaxy Tab A11+ is the cheap tablet I’d recommend to almost anyone, because seven years of updates is something no other tablet at this price offers. Samsung’s track record with updates on its phones is why I trust that seven-year promise. It won’t impress anyone with its screen or battery. It will still be getting security patches when most $300 tablets are e-waste. For a kid’s first tablet, a kitchen tablet or a parent who mostly makes video calls, it’s the one I’d hand over. For video, browsing and a family tablet that lasts, buy it. Samsung discounts it often, so it’s worth waiting a few days for a deal.

You want a cheap tablet that will still be supported in 2032.

You want a sharp, fast screen or long battery life, since those are its known flaws (get the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2), or you’ll mostly read on it (get the TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER).

• Launch MSRP: $299.99 (6GB / 128GB, Wi-Fi)
• Release: January 2026 (US)
• Display: 11-inch LCD, 1920 x 1200, 90Hz
• Chip: MediaTek MT8775
• RAM / storage: 6GB / 128GB or 8GB / 256GB, microSD up to 2TB
• Battery: 7,040mAh, 25W wired
• Weight: 477g
• Software: Android 16, One UI 8 (at launch)
• Updates: 7 OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates

The TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER wins because its screen is built for reading and writing. TCL’s NXTPAPER display is matte and cuts glare, so pages look more like paper than glass. A physical NXTPAPER Key switches it into a reading mode, and a stylus and flip case come in the box. It beats the Galaxy Tab A11+ in this category with its matte screen, larger 12.2-inch display and included pen. It also does what an e-ink reader can’t: it runs full Android apps, video and color. No other tablet here switches to a paper-like look with one press of a button.

We haven’t tested the TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER. No one here has used it yet, so this page has no battery or charging results.

Three things will help you decide whether this tablet is for you: the screen, the pen, and the speed.

The matte screen is the main selling point. Glossy tablets reflect every lamp and window. NXTPAPER diffuses that glare, so reading by a window doesn’t mean fighting your own reflection. At 12.2 inches with a 2.4K resolution, a full PDF page fits without much zooming. The 120Hz refresh rate also keeps scrolling through long articles smooth, which e-ink readers can’t do.

The included pen makes it a notebook. The T-Pen comes in the box, so handwritten notes and markup cost nothing extra. A matte surface also adds some friction under a pen tip, which is why paper-like screen protectors are popular with people who write on glossy tablets. Here, that surface comes built in.

Speed is the known flaw. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 with 6GB of RAM is built for reading, notes and video, not heavy multitasking or games. If you want a pen tablet that’s also fast, the Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 has a much quicker chip. Software support is short too: one major Android update and security patches through August 2029, the shortest promise on this page.

Who should buy an e-ink reader instead? If you only read books, a Kindle or Kobo lasts weeks per charge and reads better in direct sun. Buy the TCL if you want books, notes, PDFs, email and video on one device. It costs more than a basic Kindle, so the extra money only makes sense if you’ll use the pen and the apps.

Galaxy Tab A11+ ($299.99): It gets seven years of updates and DeX. The TCL wins on the reading screen, the bigger 12.2-inch display, the included pen, and twice the base storage. Buy the Samsung for video and long-term support. Buy the TCL for reading and notes.

Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 ($399.99): It’s much faster, with a 13-inch, 144Hz screen and an included pen, and Lenovo offers an optional matte finish. Buy the Lenovo if you also work or game on your tablet.

An e-ink reader (Kindle, Kobo): It’s better for reading in sunlight, with weeks of battery life. The TCL is better for everything else.

The TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER is the tablet I’d point a reader or note-taker to, because its screen is designed around what they’ll do most. Most tablets treat reading as an afterthought. TCL built the matte display, the reading-mode key and the included pen around it. The slow chip and short update promise are the trade-offs, so it’s the wrong pick for games, heavy multitasking or keeping for years. For a student who reads PDFs and marks them up, it covers both jobs for less than an iPad Air M4 plus a Pencil. If you read and write more than you watch or play, buy it. TCL often discounts it, so wait for a deal if it’s at full price.

You read and take notes more than you watch or play on your tablet.

You game or multitask heavily, since the entry-level chip is its known flaw (get the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2), or you only read books (get an e-ink reader).

• Launch MSRP: $399.99
• Release: August 2026
• Display: 12.2-inch 2.4K NXTPAPER LCD, 120Hz
• Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
• RAM / storage: 6GB / 256GB, microSD up to 2TB
• Battery: 10,000mAh, 33W wired
• Software: Android 16
• Updates: 1 major Android OS update, 3 years of Security updates (through August 2029).
• In the box: T-Pen stylus, flip case

The iPad Air M4 is the best iPad because it puts the M4 chip and 12GB of RAM in a $749 tablet. That’s the chip Apple first used in the iPad Pro, and it has 50% more memory than the M3 model. For students, it covers notes, papers, and video projects without the iPad Pro’s price. It beat the iPad 11 on speed, memory, and Apple Pencil Pro support. It beat the iPad Pro M5 on value, because most students won’t use the extra power they’d be paying for. It also works with the same Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard as the Pro.

We haven’t tested the Apple iPad Air M4. No one here has used it yet, so this page has no battery or charging results.

Buying an iPad Air means thinking past the tablet itself: how fast it is, which accessories you’ll add and how much storage you’ll need.

The M4 is more powerful than most students need. Apple put it in the iPad Pro first, and here it’s paired with 12GB of RAM. Notes, research tabs, essays and video projects for class sit well within what it was built for. It’s the same chip family Apple uses in the MacBook Air, which shows how much headroom it has. That headroom is also why it should last through four years of school.

For students, the Pencil is the reason to buy an iPad. Handwritten notes in Goodnotes or Notability are where the iPad still leads Android tablets in apps, and Procreate is iPad-only. The catch is the cost. The Apple Pencil Pro is sold separately, so add it to the $749 before you compare it with a Samsung that includes its S Pen.

The keyboard turns it into a laptop for papers. With the Magic Keyboard, you get a trackpad and a full keyboard for essays and email. The keyboard also lifts the screen to eye level for video calls on the landscape front camera. Add the keyboard and Pencil, and the total lands in laptop territory, so budget for both.

Storage is the known flaw. The $749 model has 128GB with no microSD slot, so offline lectures and video projects fill it quickly. The 256GB model costs $849, and many students should pay the extra $100. With a Pencil, a keyboard and 256GB, you’ll spend more than the $1,199.99 Galaxy Tab S12+, which comes with its S Pen and takes a microSD card.

iPad 11 (cheaper): It runs the same apps for less money, but it has an older A-series chip, less memory, and no Apple Pencil Pro support. Buy it for streaming and light homework. Buy the Air if you’ll use it for four years of classes.

iPad Pro M5 (pricier): It’s faster, lighter, and has an OLED screen. Our Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review found the iPad Pro M5 beat the Ultra in raw benchmarks. For students, the Air does almost everything for much less. Buy the Pro only for pro creative work.

Galaxy Tab S12+ ($1,199.99): It has an OLED screen and includes an S Pen, but it costs $450 more. Buy the Samsung if you use Android.

The iPad Air M4 is the iPad I’d recommend to most people, and the one I’d pick for a student. The M4 and 12GB of RAM give it room for four years of classes. Meanwhile, most students won’t miss the iPad Pro’s extra power and OLED screen. Just don’t treat $749 as the real price. With a Pencil, a keyboard, and 256GB of storage, it costs a lot more. If you use an iPhone or a Mac, buy it, and buy the storage you’ll need on day one. Check Apple’s education pricing before you pay full price. If you use Android, skip it for the Galaxy Tab S12+.

You’re a student or Apple user who wants an iPad that will last through school.

You need lots of storage without paying for an upgrade, since the 128GB base model with no microSD slot is its known flaw. Also skip it if you want a stylus in the box and an OLED screen (get the Galaxy Tab S12+).

• Launch MSRP: $599 (128GB, Wi-Fi). 13-inch: from $799
• Current MSRP: $749 (128GB, WiFi). 13-inch from: $949
• Release: March 2026
• Display: 11-inch Liquid Retina
• Chip: Apple M4 (8-core CPU, 9-core GPU)
• RAM / storage: 12GB / 128GB to 1TB
• Cameras: 12MP rear, 12MP landscape front
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 7. The cellular model uses Apple’s C1X modem
• Updates: Apple doesn’t publish a fixed number of years
• Stylus: Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil (USB-C), sold separately

The Legion Tab Gen 5 is the smaller gaming tablet, and it came close to taking the Best Gaming Tablet title. It runs the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 as the Astra 2 on an 8.8-inch, 165Hz screen. In our review, it scored 3,945,194 on AnTuTu, and it held 80.8% stability in the 3DMark stress test, the steadiest result of the two gaming tablets.

It didn’t win because the Astra 2 scored higher on AnTuTu, at 4,541,092. The Astra 2 also lasted longer in our battery tests, 10 hours 46 minutes to the Legion’s 8 hours 56 minutes, and it has an OLED screen where the Legion uses an LCD.

What it does better is practical. The side USB-C port lets you charge while you play, and our reviewer did exactly that during long sessions. It has a microSD slot, and the box includes a folio case and screen protector. Genshin Impact, Diablo Immortal, and The Division Resurgence ran at maxed graphics, and it stayed comfortable to hold after hours of play. A typical day of music, Reddit, and a few hours of games took it from 100% to about 35-40%.

The catch is PC game emulation. The Witcher 3 crashed on launch, while Hades II ran at a steady 60 fps or so.