The best Android tablets you can buy in 2022

Apple’s iPad isn’t the only tablet in town, though sometimes it feels like it. While major vendors have scaled back on new tablets over the past few years, there are several great Android tablet options available. If you’re integrated into the Android ecosystem and rely on Google apps, an Android tablet is a sure bet for you. We present the best available Android tablets for 2022 so you can decide which one best suits your needs.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus

Best Android tablet overall

Why should you buy this? If you want a tablet that can work and play with you — and you want it to run Android — this is the best one out there.

Who’s it for? This is a tablet that business professionals will be proud to pull out of their briefcase, thanks to a design that exudes premium quality.

Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus: The tablet is a home run, with superlative design and build quality. It’s absolutely gorgeous and comes equipped with an expansive 12.4-inch, 120Hz AMOLED panel with a 1752 x 2800 resolution. That display has sharp contrast and color reproduction, is covered in Gorilla Glass 5 for protection, and offers great viewing angles to boot. The tablet also has a fingerprint sensor on the right side for when the tablet is in landscape orientation. The Armor Aluminum frame is sturdy, with a premium look and feel.

On the inside, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 128GB of onboard storage, and 8GB of RAM. It comes with an S Pen, a great device that’s easy to hold and write with. The combination of high power and the S Pen means this tablet lets you write, videoconference, and move through tasks with ease. The front-facing camera is a 12-megapixel, 120-degree ultrawide lens that looks good during video meetings, with a wide field of view that captures plenty of the background.

The tablet is powered by a 10,090mAh battery that can be charged at 45 watts. Battery life is very good with 20% to 25% left in the tank after a full workday.

Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab

Best multimedia Android tablet

Why should you buy this? The Lenovo Yoga Smart tab delivers a great cinematic and musical experience and is so versatile it can serve as a screen-enabled smart home hub at the same time.

Who’s it for? Anyone looking for an all-around multimedia and home smart device.

Why we picked the Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab: This tablet feels ultra-refined thanks to its fine craftsmanship, and that’s backed up by its iron-gray aluminum build, with an elegant soft-touch back color finish. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 Processor, while the dual JBL Hi-Fi speakers get a boost from the tablet’s Dolby Atmos smart power amplifier, which is optimized by for a superlative audio experience. It weighs 1.28 pounds (581 grams) and the 10.1-inch Full HD IPS display provides a crisp, vibrant visual view from any angle. The tablet also reduces harmful blue light that causes eyestrain, so using it is safe and comfortable.

In addition to its viewing and listening qualities, you can employ this tablet to turn up the thermostat or make a hotel reservation thanks to Google Assistant functionality. With Google Assistant’s Ambient Mode, the tablet doubles as a screen-enabled smart home hub. The sensitive 360-degree far-field voice recognition feature picks up voices even from across the room.

Amazon Fire HD 10

Best budget Android tablet

Why should you buy this? The Amazon Fire HD 10 has a nice big screen, with enough processing power to satisfy most users, and it works excellently within Amazon’s ecosystem.

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants a big screen for basic video-streaming and social media.

Why we picked the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021 version): The Amazon Fire HD 10 has a lovely display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels at 224 pixels per inch. It’s flanked by stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, making it optimal for watching movies.

The updated Fire HD 10 version features 3GB of RAM on a quad-core processor and offers a split-screen feature for Fire OS that shows two compatible apps open side by side for multitasking. Other specs include a 2MP front-facing and 5MP rear camera with 720p HD video recording. The Fire HD 10 also features dual-band Wi-Fi for connecting to 2.5GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi bands for fast download speeds.

You can buy the Amazon Fire HD 10 with 32GB or 64GB of storage, but it also supports microSD cards (sold separately). It should last a respectable 12 hours on a single charge. This tablet runs Amazon’s Fire OS — an operating system based on Android — so any future software and security updates, guaranteed over four years after purchase date, will come from Amazon. Alexa is built-in for hands-free voice commands, but as it isn’t a traditional Android tablet, there’s no Google Play Store. Instead, you have to download apps directly from Amazon’s App Store.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

Best midrange Android tablet

Why should you buy this? This tablet offers high-end processing with a modern design at a moderate price.

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants a decent tablet for web browsing and social media without having to spend a ton of cash.

Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8: If the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus is a little too expensive, you might be tempted by the more affordable Galaxy Tab A8. It’s light and slim, offers excellent battery life, and has a beautiful, high-resolution screen.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers more than enough to enjoy tablet work and play. The Unisoc Tiger T618 can handle most demanding tasks in the mid range — no problem. The 10.5-inch TFT display is clear and crisp, and it’s lightweight and slim, so it won’t weigh you down. While 32GB of storage is a little limited the 64GB model is just right — though there is room for a microSD card as well, in case you need the extra space.

Amazon Fire HD 8

Best small-screen Android tablet

Why should you buy this? The Amazon Fire HD 8 has all the same features offered by the Fire HD 10, but in a smaller, more portable package.

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants the cheapest Android tablet out there that’s also portable enough to take on the road.

Why we picked the Amazon Fire HD 8: The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) features a USB-C port and a faster processor, but its real advantage is it’s inexpensive while offering a small and portable design. The display has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, and while it’s not the sharpest, it’s good enough to watch movies on.

The Fire HD 8 is also available in a range of different colors, and you’ll get Dolby Atmos speakers around it that deliver decent audio quality. And, as you would expect, the tablet deeply integrates with Amazon services, like Amazon Prime Music and Prime Video. Alexa also works pretty well on the device.

Battery life is impressive. You’ll get up to 12 hours of mixed use, which can include reading, gaming, and streaming. The Fire HD 8’s Fire OS software, a customized version of Android, isn’t for everyone. But folks immersed in the Amazon ecosystem will appreciate the For You interface, a recommendation engine that puts videos, apps, games, and movies from the retailer’s library on your home screen.

You won’t find a perfect tablet for less than $100, but the Fire HD 8 is a solid package.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro

Best Android tablet for kids

Why should you buy this? Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro has built-in parental controls and comes with a ton of great kid-friendly content.

Who’s it for?Anyone who wants a solid tablet for their kids that allows them to keep track of their activities on the device.

Why we picked the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro: This model is a superlative tablet for parents and guardians who want something to entertain and educate their kids. It’s perfect for storing books, games, and other media. There’s a microSD card, too. It has the same 10.1-inch display and hardware as the non-Pro model.

Amazon has upgraded its Kids offerings and now offers this Pro model. Specifically designed for kids between 6 and 12 years old, the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro comes with one year of free access to Amazon Kids+, a comprehensive warranty, and a colorful kickstand case. Without access to the Google Play Store, the number of available games is limited, but there’s still plenty to choose from on the Amazon App Store.

It’s great for videos and apps as well as games, making this a strong choice if you’re looking for a big-screen device. Kids can even make video and voice calls over Wi-Fi to pre-approved contacts and install apps like Zoom or Minecraft.

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