The Best Tablets To Buy Now

BEST FOR AFFORDABILITY: AMAZON FIRE 7 TABLET

Price: £49.99
Storage: 16GB / 32GB
Battery Life: Up To 10 hours

Amazon’s Fire 7 is a solid, unfussy option. Both the 16GB or 32GB models come with 7in screen and two cameras. Battery wise, the Fire 7 keeps up with higher-end models, lasting up to ten hours before needing a recharge. It also comes with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, meaning you can go hands free. If you’re after something just a tad smarter, upgrade to the HD option – the Fire 8 – which has a slightly clearer display and longer battery life.

Available at Amazon.com

BEST FOR WORK: MICROSOFT SURFACE GO 2

Price: From £399
Storage: 64GB with the option to add up to 1TB
Battery Life: Up To 10 hours

Whether you work your way around the device via the clip-on keyboard, stylus pen, mouse or touchscreen display, the Surface Go 2 will help make WFH easier. Built-in Dolby Audio means it’s also a great choice for listening to music, streaming shows and taking Zoom calls, while ten hours of battery life ensures you’re never caught without power. Users get access to all the standard Office apps, as well as the OneDrive Personal Vault, so you can rest easy knowing your files – from work docs to personal finances – are secure.

Available at Microsoft.com

BEST FOR AN ALL-ROUNDER: APPLE IPAD

Price: From £329
Storage: 32GB
Battery Life: Up To 10 Hours

There’s a reason Apple’s iPad family continues to dominate the tablet market. The combination of a sleek design, stunning Retina display and an abundance of extra apps and features makes it a solid all-rounder no matter what you plan to use it for. The standard iPad, released last year, is one of the best. Lightweight, slim and easy to use, it has everything you could ever want from a portable device, including an 8MP camera, high-powered app performance and speedy charging. The downside? Like most Apple products, the battery life isn’t amazing, and with shiny new models released almost annually, you’ll be tempted to replace it as soon as the upgrade is announced.

Available at JohnLewis.com

BEST FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: LENOVO SMART TAB M10

Price: £129
Storage: 32GB
Battery Life: Up To 9 Hours
 
For an entry-level device the whole family can use, opt for the Lenovo Smart Tab. Much like a traditional computer, it has dedicated user profiles and parental controls, as well as a Kid’s Mode that only shows curated, child-friendly content that adults have pre-approved. Crystal-clear audio and a hi-res display as well as a headphone jack – something which lots of tablets now omit – mean it’s suitable for everything from private calls to family-friendly Netflix sessions, while the addition of eye-protection technology helps reduce eye strain. The Lenovo Smart Tab also boasts one of the easiest set-ups, with a step-by-step process that takes just minutes.

Available at Amazon.com

BEST FOR STREAMING: SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S7

Price: £619
Storage: 128GB
Battery Life: Up To 15 Hours
 
With over 120GB of storage space as well as up to 15 hours of battery life once fully charged, Samsung’s S7 is the tablet to invest in if you’re into streaming. Four speakers and Dolby Atmos deliver an immersive surround sound whether you use wireless headphones or not, while the 11in, curved-edge screen offers a stunningly clear picture no matter the setting. The S7 comes with the brand’s coordinating S Pen, a stylus you can use as a remote while you’re streaming or as a standard mouse. It’s pricey, but if you’re not an Apple fan and you want the best of the best, this one’s worth it.

Available at Selfridges.com

BEST FOR A LIGHTWEIGHT MODEL: IPAD MINI

Price: From £399
Storage: 64GB
Battery Life: Up To 10 Hours
 
For something pocket-sized that’s easy to travel with, look to the iPad Mini. Featuring a 7.9in Retina display with True Tone colour and light auto-adjustment, it boasts all the much-loved Apple features just in a smaller, lighter package that costs a fraction of the price of the brand’s higher-tech models. The latest Mini weighs just 300g and is 6.1mm thick, meaning it will comfortably fit in your hand as well as any bag or briefcase. Plus, the ten-hour battery life lasts you the entire day.

Available at Apple.com