The 10 Best Tablets of 2026

The iPad Pro 13 M4 is the most beautiful tablet ever made. Tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR has the best display on any portable device in the category. M4 means it can edit 4K video and run Logic and Final Cut at desktop performance. Wired UK and other UK reviewers rate it the iPad that finally justifies the Pro name. The catch is the price — once you add the Magic Keyboard and Pencil Pro, you're well into premium territory. For most readers, the Air is the right pick.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is the largest, brightest premium Android tablet you can buy. 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a 120Hz refresh, S Pen included in the box (the iPad equivalents charge separately for the Pencil), and Galaxy AI tools that are genuinely useful for note summarisation and image generation. TechRadar rank it the best Android tablet ever, but the size makes it desk-only — at 14.6 inches it's not a sofa device.

The 11-inch iPad Pro M4 is the right pick if you want Pro Tablet performance in a more portable size. Same M4 chip and tandem OLED display as the 13-inch, in a chassis that fits in a smaller bag. Tom's Guide UK rate the 11 over the 13 for most users — a smaller screen is easier to hold one-handed, and the Magic Keyboard adds the missing real-estate when you need it.

The Surface Pro 11 with Snapdragon X Elite is the best Windows tablet ever made. Tech Advisor and other UK reviewers consistently describe it as the iPad Pro for people who need Windows. Real Windows 11, Copilot+ AI features, OLED touchscreen, and 16-hour real-world battery thanks to ARM. The Type Cover and Slim Pen are sold separately, but for productivity replacement work, this is the only credible iPad Pro alternative.

The iPad mini with A17 Pro is the one-handed reading and gaming tablet most reviewers rate as the best small tablet money can buy. Apple Intelligence support out of the box, A17 Pro means it runs every app the bigger iPads do, and the 8.3-inch screen is the right size for a Kindle replacement that also handles email. TechRadar rate it best small tablet 2026 with no real competition.

The OnePlus Pad 2 is the dark-horse Android tablet of 2026. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 12.1-inch 144Hz 3K display (genuinely better than the iPad Air's 60Hz panel for video), six-speaker Dolby Atmos, and 12GB RAM at the mid-range tier. Stuff and other UK reviewers describe it as the Android tablet most readers don't realise they should buy. The catch is OxygenOS for tablets is less polished than Samsung's One UI.

The cheapest current iPad. A16 Bionic is more than enough for browsing, email, video and casual gaming. The 11-inch Liquid Retina display is the same size as the iPad Air, just without the Pro Motion 120Hz refresh. For a child's first tablet, a kitchen device, or a backup iPad, this is the easy answer. Don't buy it if you'll do serious creative work — at that point, step up to the Air.

The Fire Max 11 is the best cheap tablet you can buy. The 11-inch 2K display is bright and sharp, 14-hour battery is real, and Alexa hands-free is genuinely useful in the kitchen or by the bed. Wareable describe it as 'the Kindle Fire that finally feels like a tablet'. The catch is no Google Play Store — you're locked into Amazon Appstore, which means most apps are there but a few aren't (Disney+ in 2026 is, Sky Go isn't).