The best Android tablets can be a huge asset for any creative; these slender but powerful devices make it easy to work on the go. With high-resolution touchscreen displays and powerful processors, Android tablets from the likes of Samsung make for brilliant tools for artists of all different persuasions; and unlike Apple, many Android tablets come bundled with a stylus, so there's no hidden extra cost there.
Why should you pick an Android tablet over an iPad? Well, one reason is the broader selection on offer; while the range of iPads available is tightly controlled by Apple, Android tablets are made by a whole host of different manufacturers. So this means that there is a much wider range of products, for a broader range of budgets. Though the flipside of this is that you have to be a little careful and do your research before clicking 'buy', as you really can't guarantee a product will be any good. Happily, that's where we come in.
When crafting our guide, we've picked Android tablets from a broad range of manufacturers, but also haven't hesitated to recommend multiple models from the same manufacturer if those happen to be the best. Many of these tablets work for drawing, but see our best drawing tablets guide if you want something specifically for your artwork. And if your Android tablet doesn't come with a stylus to your liking (or at all), have a look at what we think is the best stylus for Android devices.
The best Android tablets available now
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With its gorgeous 14.6-inch, vibrant screen, this Android tablet is definitely big. And we also happen to think it's one of the best out there. It's slim, at just 5.5mm, but robust and solid. It comes with the S Pen in the box, which works well for both drawing and note taking, and it's a bit of a 'beast' when it comes to performance. The only thing letting this Samsung tablet down is Android itself, Apple just offers more, better quality creative apps. But if you're happy with the apps available, then this is a corker of a tablet. Read our Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review for more info.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is a cheaper alternative to the 8 above, and is still the best Android tablet for most people. It pairs a gorgeous high-resolution OLED display with processing power to rival a desktop computer. The 120Hz refresh rate of the screen makes it a pleasure to use for hours on end, which you can do with impunity thanks to the generous 10,000mAH battery. It's incredibly slim but feels premium thanks to the all-metal build, and when combined with the bundled S-Pen stylus, it makes for a fantastic artist's tool. Note: If this tablet is a little out of your budget, consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, a slightly slimmed-down but still premium Android tablet.
Looking for a cheap tablet can be fraught with peril: it's all too easy to end up with a dud machine that doesn't do even the basics. The Lenovo Smart Tab M8 is a good choice for those who want a cheap Android tablet without compromising too much – although its 2GB of RAM do mean its not the fastest performer in the world, it'll run basic entertainment and productivity apps without too much trouble. Plus, the battery life is excellent, more than enough for a full day's use without needing a top-up. Don't expect miracles, but do expect a decent tablet for a very affordable price.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, as the name implies, is aimed at those who want something slim and portable. With a price tag more akin to cheap tablets than a Samsung flagship, it does an impressive job of providing a premium tablet experience anyway. Drawing on it with the included S-Pen stylus feels very intuitive and enjoyable, and while the processing power isn't quite enough to run high-end games, it does a the job where most productivity and leisure apps are concerned. The long-lasting battery is a nice inclusion as well, making the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite a great choice if you don't want to have to be meticulous about charging your tablet every single day.
The Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 is great for audiophiles and cinephiles alike. The 13-inch display has 2K picture quality, and JBL quad speakers provide total immersion, which is unusual for a tablet. It's good for some light gaming, and you can also use it as a second monitor for your tablet or laptop, which is another plus.
It comes with its own kickstand, but its slightly unusual design means it's tricky to find a cover for. If that doesn't bother you, then this is a decent buy.
The Google Pixel Slate isn't technically an Android tablet in the traditional sense, as it runs Google's other operating system, Chrome OS, it can run any Android app downloaded from the Google Play Store. With Chrome OS often feeling like a desktop version of Android, access to all the apps, we'd argue that the Google Pixel Slate is an Android tablet for all intents and purposes, and that's why it's eligible for our best Android tablet for drawing. So, why have we picked it? Put simply, the large 12.3-inch screen makes it an ideal tablet for drawing, giving you a huge amount of surface to draw on. Not only that, but the 3,000 x 2,000 resolution is one of the highest you can find on a tablet. This will ensure your drawings look the absolute best they can. The only downside (apart from the price) is that a stylus isn't included.
Samsung's A line of tablets may be cheap, but they're also surprisingly capable. Rather than hyping up features nobody wants like the unloved voice assistant Bixby, Samsung has focused on giving the Galaxy Tab A7 the features people do want. Namely, a good display, quality speakers and a generally pleasing user experience. While it isn't suited to intense use, with only 3GB of RAM, the Galaxy Tab A7 is more than enough for light entertainment or everyday productivity. It's another tablet with impressively solid battery life, as well, which is very welcome indeed.
Amazon isn't just the world's biggest online shop, it also does a great line of Android tablets, and the Amazon HD 8 Plus is our pick for the best Android tablet for gaming. The Fire HD 8 Plus is a 2020 refresh of a slightly older tablet, boasting slightly more RAM than the vanilla HD 8, as well as wireless charging. While you are a little restricted by using Amazon's homebrew version of Android, Fire OS, you still have a quality platform for gaming here, and a tremendous-value tablet with lots of nifty features.
If you're looking for the best Android tablet for kids, then the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is the one to go for. It's small enough to be carried around by little ones, and it has a rugged body that can survive being knocked about and dropped. The screen is a 10-inch version and really rather lovely, with high resolution and punchy colours for all the little one's favourite apps. It's easy to set controls and usage limits thanks to the nifty parental modes, and it also comes bundled with a year's subscription to Amazon Fire for Kids Unlimited, which provides loads of books, apps, games, moves and other fun stuff.
Read more:
- The best drawing tablets
- The best tablets for photo and video editing
- The best tablets with a stylus for drawing and note-taking
