The Best Tablets - 2025 Update: The Best iPads, Android Tablets, and Windows Alternatives

[Amir Shoam]

Tablets aren't just couch screens anymore. In 2025, the best ones double as laptops, sketchbooks, and streaming hubs. From iPads to Android and Windows, here's what's actually worth buying.

Read the full article here.

The Best Tablets - 2025 Update: The Best iPads, Android Tablets, and Windows Alternatives

 

[Theinsanegamer]

The price of the mini is wrong. The amazon link is currently $449, not $399. In fact, most of these tablet prices are wrong, they are $20-100 higher when you check the amazon links. It might be better to list these by MSRP then include sales links you will find.

There is also one valid alternative to the ipad mini, the lenovo tab. Currently the gen 3 is on sale, MSRP is $549, sale price is $417. It is an 8.8" android tablet with a snapdragon 8 gen 3 and 12GB of RAM.

 

[Amir Shoam]

There is also one valid alternative to the ipad mini, the lenovo tab. Currently the gen 3 is on sale, MSRP is $549, sale price is $417. It is an 8.8" android tablet with a snapdragon 8 gen 3 and 12GB of RAM.

The Legion Tab is technically a tablet, but I'd say it's more like an Android version of the Legion Go console than an iPad Mini competitor.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

The Legion Tab is technically a tablet, but I'd say it's more like an Android version of the Legion Go console than an iPad Mini competitor.

The only thing shared between the two is the screen size (the tab has a higher refresh rate). The Tab has totally different hardware and a thinner case.

It's a tablet, no less so then an Ipad is a tablet. I dont know why you threw the "technically" in there, its a tablet, no less so then a Samsung Tab or Fire tablet.

 

[HardReset]

Why Apple is considered "Best of the best" as Oneplus Pad 3 is better? It has higher Metascore, is much cheaper, and can be considered better overall.

 

[Tantor]

The Lenovo Legion tablet is IMHO far better than the iPad mini, for my use case. The form factor is narrower (16:10 vs 3:2) and it has much thinner bezels . That makes it easier to handle and significantly reduces the black box effect when watching media. Refresh rate is 165hz vs 60hz. It has very good battery life, and uses the Snapdragon gen3, a premium phone cpu. It is incredibly smooth in operation. It comes with wifi 7 support. It has the fastest wifi of any of our home computers/tablets. The sound quality is excellent. Amazon has lots of aftermarket cases. Lenovo offers a decent pen, but it's more for note taking.

My criticism are the lack of an SSD port, and the gaming focus. It took me awhile to understand the gaming options.

The iPad mini with its fat bezels and excessive width is just not as convenient for media consumption or one hand use.

 

[Athlonite69]

I'm quite happy with Google's Pixel Tablet 10" Yeah it's a couple of years old now but it runs everything I've chucked at it so far without complaint and with a 7020mAH battery it lasts a fair while plus plenty of updates

 

[adisoftcafe]

Amazon tablet with 3 GB of RAM is good? With 3 GB of RAM? Really?

 

[Cruising711]

FYI, wanted to try a cheap Chinese tablet on Amazon to compare to my iPads.
Found one for $129 that actually performs as well as my iPad mini. This thing is fast as lightening and can handle anything I throw at it.
Only downside is one speaker but fine with earplugs. Android 13 only but again who gives a rats behind since I'm using it for average stuff like media consumption, emails, reading books etc.
Why give $500 to apple when this is available and expandable to 512 gig for about 1/4th the cost?
It's a great little 8" tablet; think about who actually makes iPad minis.
I haven't taken my iPad mini out of the drawer in weeks and don't plan to.

 

[AnilD]

The price of the mini is wrong. The amazon link is currently $449, not $399. In fact, most of these tablet prices are wrong, they are $20-100 higher when you check the amazon links. It might be better to list these by MSRP then include sales links you will find.

Prices on Amazon fluctuate by the hour, so I'm not surprised. However I checked and all tablet prices shown are accurate (in the US) except for the Mini which is $50+ more expensive right now.

Amazon tablet with 3 GB of RAM is good? With 3 GB of RAM? Really?

For $80 it's probably good enough.

 

[AnilD]

Why Apple is considered "Best of the best" as Oneplus Pad 3 is better? It has higher Metascore, is much cheaper, and can be considered better overall.

That OnePlus tablet looks like a monster all around... no surprises then it's winning the best Android tablet category. But as explained in the text, iPadOS > Android on a tablet, that's likely why. I have used both (not recently) and the iPad software and apps are generally more polished, better updated and supported, but also more expensive as an ecosystem.

 

[HardReset]

That OnePlus tablet looks like a monster all around... no surprises then it's winning the best Android tablet category. But as explained in the text, iPadOS > Android on a tablet, that's likely why. I have used both (not recently) and the iPad software and apps are generally more polished, better updated and supported, but also more expensive as an ecosystem.

Installing apps outside official store is much easier on Android. And that alone makes Android better choice IMO. As for OS, text (best of the best) doesn't say a single word about software.

Edit: Above that was told that Apple has "better" OS, despite AI is missing totally. Well...

And telling that 11 inch tablet is good for media consumption, while aspect ratio is very unsuitable for FHD videos, is like wtf am I reading. Anything less than 12 inch with aspect ratio 16:10 or 16:9 is bad for media consumption. I just don't buy those arguments as they are clearly invalid.

 

[AnilD]

Installing apps outside official store is much easier on Android. And that alone makes Android better choice IMO.

Different type of user, and that's alright.

As for OS, text (best of the best) doesn't say a single word about software.

In the first iPad:
The iPad line remains our default recommendation for most people for various reasons, key among them is the fact that iPadOS is the only operating system designed specifically for full-sized tablets.

And on the Android recommendation:
The only big drawback with this Android tablet may be Android itself. Many apps aren't optimized for bigger screens or the unique 7:5 aspect ratio, which can make the tablet feel like an oversized phone.

 

[WaphleStomp]

Any article with "Windows Alternatives" in the sub/headline is an article I'll actually share with friends and family if its written and researched well. I wish more tech sites got off the M$ bandwagon and worked harder to share alternatives so tech users knew they had options to M$'s brutally insecure, flawed, and bloated software.

 

[MaestroIT]

The Lenovo Legion tablet is IMHO far better than the iPad mini, for my use case. The form factor is narrower (16:10 vs 3:2) and it has much thinner bezels . That makes it easier to handle and significantly reduces the black box effect when watching media. Refresh rate is 165hz vs 60hz. It has very good battery life, and uses the Snapdragon gen3, a premium phone cpu. It is incredibly smooth in operation. It comes with wifi 7 support. It has the fastest wifi of any of our home computers/tablets. The sound quality is excellent. Amazon has lots of aftermarket cases. Lenovo offers a decent pen, but it's more for note taking.

My criticism are the lack of an SSD port, and the gaming focus. It took me awhile to understand the gaming options.

The iPad mini with its fat bezels and excessive width is just not as convenient for media consumption or one hand use.

Reading the article and comments on my legion tab 3.

It is a great android tablet, powerful, nice screen (although I prefer if it was OLED). Also stylus support is great for writing. I use it as a media consumption device during my commute.

 

[Beerfloat]

Why would you need a tablet for One-Hand Use... Ohh!