Best tablet 2022

Pros

• Great design
• Large display
• Compatible with Pro accessories

Cons

• Awkward Touch ID placement
• A little pricey
• Thick bezels

While only featuring small tweaks compared to its 2020 predecessor, there’s little that really needed changing to make the best tablet on the market even better.

The main upgrades come in the form of a move to Apple’s M1 chipset, there’s a new 12Mp front-facing camera with the company’s face-tracking Centre Stage tech for use in video calls and the cellular variant now supports 5G speeds.

Beyond that, it offers up the same premium design in an array of colours, Touch ID and compatibility with Apple’s Magic Keyboard and second-generation Apple Pencil. All Apple’s really done is given its best tablet an even longer lifespan.

If you want that 120Hz ProMotion tech or thinner bezels, consider the 11in iPad Pro instead, but you’ll pay quite the premium for these extras.

Pros

• Compact design
• Apple Pencil support
• Superb performance

Cons

• A little pricey
• No Magic Keyboard support

The sixth-gen iPad Mini ditches the old form factor for something more akin to the iPad Air and Pro ranges; with an angular design, stereo speakers, Centre Stage technology and much smaller bezels than before.

The Mini’s 60Hz display has jumped to 8.3in, but without changing the physical size of the tablet – allowing for more display real estate without affecting its portable nature. It’s a gorgeous display too, with the highest pixel density of any iPad right now, even if it is a bit on the small side for true split-screen multitasking.

It’s powered by the same A15 Bionic silicon as the iPhone 13 range, making it more powerful than the iPad Air at a similar price.

The Touch ID sensor has been moved to the Power button – like with the iPad Air – and there’s support for the second-gen Apple Pencil to boot. However, the lack of a Smart Connector on the rear means that it doesn’t have its own Magic Keyboard; a real boon for the iPad Air and Pro ranges, and the only real chink in the Mini’s armour.

Pros

• Affordable
• Large display
• Great performance

Cons

• Dated design
• Lacklustre cameras
• Middling speakers

It might not be hugely different from the previous entry-level iPad, but Apple has yet again created a tablet that’s very hard to complain about.

If you’ve got the seventh or eighth-gen iPad, there might not be enough to tempt you, but there’s a lot to love here if you’re coming from an older device or want to dip your toe into the iPad experience.

The 10.2in screen offers TrueTone tech that’ll automatically adjust the colour balance based on your environment, and there’s improved colour accuracy too. There are also improvements to iPadOS, an upgrade to the A13 Bionic (the same chip as in the iPhone 11) and most importantly, Apple’s upgraded the base storage from an unusable 32GB to 64GB, while also offering up a 256GB model for those that need a little more space.

Considering the price hasn’t changed over the 2020 model, that’s an impressive feat for the budget iPad. Sure, it doesn’t have a laminated display, ProMotion display tech or an updated design, like pricier iPads, but so long as you don’t care about such extras, this is a great entry point that won’t break the bank and should last for ages.

Pros

• Best-in-class display
• Class-leading performance
• Upgraded front camera

Cons

• Expensive
• iPadOS can't take full advantage of M1 chip

Apple’s 12.9in iPad Pro is the most powerful tablet on the market right now, with the Mac-based M1 chipset beating just about every competitor in benchmark tests. However, limitations of iPadOS – including screen mirroring, rather than screen extending  – mean it can’t truly take advantage of all the power on offer.

The 120Hz micro-LED display (exclusive to the 12.9in model) is perfect for graphic design work and digital artistry, as well as watching movies and browsing social media. Meanwhile, the upgraded front-facing camera, with auto-tracking tech, is ideal for those working remotely.

Paired with the Magic Keyboard, it has the potential to be a true laptop replacement, but it’s a very pricey one, even surpassing the starting price of a MacBook Pro at the top end. 

It’s undoubtedly Apple’s best tablet, but if you’re not going to get full use out of the large display and powerful internals, you’d probably be better off with a different iPad.

Pros

• Excellent display
• Slick design
• Solid performance
• Impressive battery life

Cons

• Expensive
• Limited ports
• Tablet mode needs work

The Surface Pro 8 has been years in the making but for many, it’s the ultimate 2-in-1.

Microsoft has finally updated the Pro line’s design, with a larger 13in display within almost the same footprint. The screen itself is now 120Hz too, meaning the already-great viewing experience now comes with a super-smooth refresh rate to boot.

Performance from 12th-gen Intel chips is impressive, while both cameras are solid and speakers are excellent. However, a lack of ports means you’ll probably need to connect an adapter or hub.

It’s also worth highlighting the accessories – which transform the Pro 8 into a true laptop replacement – cost extra. The new Signature Keyboard and Slim Pen 2 stylus are the best they’ve ever been, but they’re also quite expensive.

Given Windows 11’s continued limitations as a pure tablet experience, these accessories aren’t really extras but essentials, but with the Pro 8 itself already significantly more expensive than its predecessor, the collective price tag may put some off.

If you can manage the premium required for the full Surface Pro 8 experience, however, you won’t be disappointed.

Pros

• Class-leading performance
• Highly portable
• Centre Stage

Cons

• Expensive
• iPadOS can't take full advantage of M1 chip

If the iPad Pro 12.9in is a little too big for your tastes, the iPad Pro 11in may make for a better fit.

It has most key features of the 12.9in Pro, including a 120Hz ProMotion display, the Mac-based M1 chipset, the Centre Stage tech that tracks you when using the front camera and even its own Magic Keyboard.

The only real difference is in the display department, where the 11in model features the same IPS tech as previous years, while the 12.9in version benefits from a more advanced micro-LED setup.

That’s not to say the iPad Pro 11in doesn’t feature a phenomenal viewing experience. It’s bright, crisp, detailed and ideal for creatives on the go, especially with Apple Pencil support; it just isn’t quite as vibrant as the larger 12.9in model’s panel.

Still, if that’s an acceptable shortcoming in your eyes, the M1-powered 11in iPad Pro is an incredibly capable tablet, touting some of the best benchmark results we’ve ever seen from a slate; making it perfect for both work and play.

Pros

• Stunning 120Hz display
• Stellar performance
• Included S Pen

Cons

• Price
• Middling software optimisation
• No charger in-box

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is an unusual beast in the tablet market, offering some of the best hardware Samsung’s ever thrown into a slate, wrapped up in a premium wafer-thin body that comes laden with a truly expansive 14.6in display.

Whether it’s productivity, multimedia or maybe even a bit of gaming, this is one of the most capable offerings outside of Apple’s iPads, right now, and undoubtedly the most powerful Android tablet ever.

There are some important caveats to consider before forking out for the Tab S8 Ultra, however. Its high price is top of the list but the fact that to get the most out of it requires the addition of a dedicated keyboard cover as an extra expense hurts even more. It’s also huge, making it one of the least portable Android tablets we’ve ever tested.

Pros

• Nice design
• Good battery life
• Impressive audio

Cons

• Underwhelming display
• Limited internal storage
• Slow charger in-box

The Galaxy Tab A8 makes an impressive return to Samsung’s tablet range, sporting an attractive design and other standout qualities, including impressive audio chops.

The display and the limited internal storage are its biggest shortcomings, holding it back from being an instant affordable media player recommendation, but it still offers respectable battery life and offers a fairly balanced all-round experience, especially for the price.

Pros

• Stunning display
• Good performance
• Slim design

Cons

• Lacklustre selfie camera
• MIUI not for everyone

It’s been a while since Xiaomi offered up a slate on the global stage but its return to the tablet space in 2021 – in the form of the Xiaomi Pad 5 – is pleasingly compelling.

The tablet boasts a thin design that’s fronted by a gorgeous 2.5K 120Hz display and comes backed up by great stereo speakers and solid performance to boot.

Just as with its phones, Xiaomi’s tablet-optimised take on its MIUI user experience won’t suit everyone but it’s wholly usable, and while the added connectivity found on the Chinese models doesn’t make it to most markets internationally, there’s still little else on the Android side of the fence we’d recommend, especially around the Pad 5’s asking price.

Pros

• Versatile design
• Sharp display
• Good battery life
• Decent value

Cons

• Average performance
• Android quirks

Lenovo Yoga Tabs have often experimented with unusual designs, embodied most obviously by their versatile integrated kickstands.

The Tab 11 might not be the most powerful slate on the block but it delivers a great audiovisual experience, strong battery life and convenient usability, thanks to that signature kickstand; all at a compelling price.

Android on tablets still isn’t brilliant but that’s not an issue unique to the Yoga Tab 11.