It's tough to believe the tablet market has exploded as quickly as it has since the first iPad debuted four years ago. After all, smartphones, tablets, and laptops all fulfill similar needs, and the feature sets of these devices don't vary wildly. Often it comes down to whether you want to check Facebook, email your pals, or watch Netflix movies on a 5-, a 10-, or a 15-inch screen.
At the same time, here we are four years later, and there still aren't really many tablets that will truly replace both a laptop and a smartphone. A tablet is basically an extra thing to buy and carry. You probably don't need a tablet, but that doesn't mean you don't want one.
And if you know you want a tablet, you probably also have some idea whether you want an iPad, an Android, or a Windows model. (An important note: This list focuses mostly on lower-cost media-consumption tablets. Though there are some Windows 8 tablets listed here, if you're looking for a convertible tablet or one with with a laptop-grade processor, like the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, whose main task is productivity, The Best Windows 8 Tablets focuses on those models.)
There are some other important factors to consider as well. Do you need a tablet that offers hundreds of thousands of apps? Do you want a slate that you can easily hold with a single hand, or one with a larger 10-inch screen? Do you need memory card slots for additional storage? How about 4G cellular connectivity so you can use your tablet to get online anywhere? You get the idea.
If you're unsure which tablet to get, we present this list of the 10 best tablets we've tested as a good place to start your search. The list comprises Android, Apple, and Microsoft models at various price points ranging from $99 to $499. And since one tablet size doesn't fit all, we picked five large-screen (9- to 11-inch) and five small-screen (6- to 8-inch) winners to come up with our top 10. And since we're reviewing new tablets all the time, we'll update this list periodically.
Large-Screen (8.9-to-11-Inch) Tablets
Apple iPad Air 2 - $499
$449.99 at AmazonThe iPad Air 2 balances seamless ease of use, app abundance, and raw power in its ever-so-slender frame, continuing Apple's reign atop the tablet heap.
Apple iPad Air $399
$399.99 at Best BuyThe iPad Air is Apple's attempt to make the tablet disappear. The result is an unusually slim, well-built platform for the best array of apps in the business.
Asus Transformer Book T100TA
$399
£293.00 at AmazonFor a sub-$400 price, the Asus Transformer Book T100TA is a fully functional Windows 8.1 hybrid tablet, and the natural successor to the netbook ideal. And it avoids all the compatibility issues that plague tablets running mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, or Windows RT.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
$499
Best Price at Amazon
The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is the best large screen Android-powered media tablet available, but its not the best tablet you can buy.
Google Nexus 9 $399
$431.21 at AmazonThe Nexus 9 is a well-built Android tablet with a powerful processor, and it'll always be the first to get the latest Google OS updates.
Small-Screen (7- to 8-Inch) Tablets
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
$399
Best Price at AmazonWith a trim build and a gorgeous screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has supremely elegant hardware, making it worth the premium price.
Apple iPad Mini 2
$299
A $369.00 at Apple Official StoreThe iPad mini 2 has a super-sharp Retina display and packs all of the power of the iPad Air into a more portable package. It matches the newer iPad mini 3 on performance and overall experience, but costs $100 less.
Asus VivoTab Note 8
$329
$169.99 at TigerDirectOut of the latest group of Windows 8 slate contenders, the entry-level Asus VivoTab 8 distinguishes itself with a low price, and by including standard features that are options on competing tablets.
Nvidia Shield Tablet
$299
$299.00 at AmazonNvidia's gaming-oriented Shield Tablet is one of the first mobile devices to use the Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, and in sheer power, it blows other tablets out of the water.
Amazon Fire HD 6
$99
$99.00 at AmazonThe Amazon Fire HD 6 is a well-built, reliable small-screen tablet for under $100, but it really suffers from a lack of storage.
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