The best Android tablets for every task

The latest edition of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy tablet — the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 — is impressive. It comes with a few upgraded features, all of which make it a serious contender to the mighty iPad.

First off, this edition is water resistant, which makes it especially good for travel — you can use it on the beach or at the poolside, no worries. Also, a Vision Booster feature makes its 11-inch AMOLED display clearer in bright environments — also handy for holidays, or generally for getting the display brightness just right wherever you are.

But it’s what’s inside that really counts. It has a beefed-up Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU that seriously boosts its processing power. There’s also an S Pen that attaches to the tablet itself, solid gaming, creative apps, and more.

The Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 is more than a tablet. It's an entertainment system. You can literally see how well built it is for pure entertainment, with a 13-inch 2K OLED display — plus Dolby Vision, Netflix HD support, and JBL quad speakers that immerse you in the action.

It's built with a kickstand that props the slate up like a mini TV. The stand also flips out, allowing you to hang the tablet from a wall, hook, or shelf. Indeed, you can watch the Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 just about anywhere. OK, maybe not anywhere. It's a big piece of kit, so it can be a bit cumbersome.

A micro HDMI port allows you to connect to other devices and use the tablet as a second screen. It's also equipped to handle AAA gaming. An all-round quality piece of tech that's geared towards entertainment.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is an attractive tablet that combines elements of the S7 and S7+ but pares down the overall spec for a mid-range price point (FE stands for Fan Edition). In truth, you’d need to be pretty picky to not appreciate this solid all-rounder.

It’s ultimately a contender to the iPad and has some edge over the Apple device. It has a bigger screen — a 12.4-inch LCD display — plus an S-Pen and better battery life. This tablet can go for up to 13 hours — one of the best batteries on this list. Impressive for a device that's now a few years behind the pack.

Where it struggles is its less-capable processor, a Snapdragon 750G, which can get sluggish compared to Apple’s offering. That might not be an issue if you’re only after something that’s well priced for everyday tasks and fun.

The high-resolution Huawei MatePad Pro is a great example of Huawei tablet technology, and isn't all that expensive. It features a 2K display, up to 12 hours of battery life, and plenty of power.

This tablet is also a great multitasker. It has 6 GB of RAM — which far outstrips the mighty iPad — plus a split screen feature, which allows you to run multiple apps side-by-side. You’ll feel the benefit if you’re already plugged into the Huawei ecosystem. It's still catching on in the UK, but there's no doubt that Huawei devices are impressive.

The MatePad Pro looks great too, thanks to a large 10.8-inch display that delivers impressive visuals and crisp colours. You'll also find that the curved design of the tablet fits comfortably into your hands. 

The lack of the Google Play Store means you can’t access some apps, but Huawei’s own selection of apps is always improving.

You might not think of Nokia as a go-to brand for tablets. Indeed, we mostly associate the Nokia name with gloriously retro mobile phones. But if you want an affordable tablet for watching Netflix, responding to emails, and general web browsing, the Nokia T20 is a stellar option.

It’s powered by the family-friendly Android 11. Kids Space keeps your little ones both entertained and safe online, while Entertainment Space puts all your streaming and entertainment apps in one easy-to-access location.

Its cameras are a bit lacklustre but it’s a hard-wearing piece of kit that will go the distance with regular, robust use. Sure, this can’t match the performance or complexities of a high-end Samsung Galaxy or the iPad, but at this price it’s unlikely that you’re looking for that calibre anyway.

If you want to go Android and premium, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. It’s big and mighty enough to challenge the iPad Pro for all-round performance. Sure, the S8 is the previous-gen model, but this is still impressive and comes for a slightly lower price than the S9 Ultra. Not that it's cheap, of course.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra packs in plenty of oversized spec — a 14.6-inch super AMOLED screen, 512GB of storage, 4K video recording, powerful quad speakers, and both rear (13MP) and front-facing (12MP) cameras. It also comes equipped with an S Pen for design tasks. Digital artists will appreciate the super low latency and seamless fluidity. It also attaches to the tablet itself, which is standard for the Galaxy Tab.

If anything, it might be a touch too big. The giant screen is impressive, but that could make it tough to lug around or stream on the commute.