Best 10-Inch Tablet in 2021
The best tablets whether you’re watching, working, browsing, or gaming
- Last Updated May 26, 2021
With tablets standing tall as a viable alternative to a full-blown computer, the market is awash with options. While Apple has certainly cornered the market with its iPad range, its products still command a substantial premium, and there are many worthy Android alternatives that flirt with the performance and functionality at a much more palatable price. New contenders are popping up all the time to give existing mainstays like Apple and Amazon a run for their money.
As always, the difficult part is sorting the wheat from the chaff to settle on a tablet that will put you in good stead whether you’re using it for work, browsing the internet and social media, catching up with the latest from the likes of Netflix, or enjoying a spot of gaming.
Today, we’ll be pulling together a selection of the best 10-inch tablets money can buy. We’ve included both Apple and Android options to cover a wide range of budgets and uses. By narrowing down what’s out there to a few choice picks, we aim to simplify the buying process and hopefully set you on the right path to picking up a tablet that will serve you well for the years ahead.
Products at a Glance
How We Picked
With our tablet display size set to 10-inches, factors such as price, screen resolution, battery life, weight, connectivity, storage, performance, memory, and camera largely steered our selection process. In other words, everything you should look out for when shopping around for a 10-inch tablet yourself. We scoured the market for tablets that combine all these factors into a versatile, well-rounded product.
The tablets we chose are, in our estimation, the best available right now. It goes without saying that there are many more decent tablets out there, but the five you’ll find reviewed below stood out for us. We’ve included various brands, specifications, and prices to cater to different needs as best as possible. Whether you’re looking for a budget option for light entertainment or a versatile alternative to a laptop, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get into it.
Best 10-Inch Tablet in 2021
While an Apple tablet was always going to feature at the top of our best 10-inch tablet list, the challenge was narrowing it down to an iPad that strikes a balance between affordability, reliability, and performance. We ultimately settled on the 2020 refresh of the Apple iPad 10.2-Inch.
An iterative update to the 2019 model, Apple iPad 10.2-Inch doesn’t reinvent Apple’s flagship tablet but provides a few choice improvements to make it one of the most well-rounded options out there. It’s particularly suited to those looking for a compact alternative to a laptop or a reasonably priced introduction to the Apple ecosystem.
Among them is a 20 W battery that dramatically speeds up charging times and the inclusion of an A12 Bionic chip that improves performance considerably over last year’s A10 Fusion chip. Multi-tasking fairs much better thanks to the upgrade, and the Apple iPad 10.2-Inch is equipped to handle all and any gaming, basic work, and entertainment demands thrown its way. It also packs in the excellent screen quality we’ve come to expect from Apple products, so visuals are crisp and bright.
Under the hood, the Apple iPad 10.2-Inch sports 3 GB of RAM, a 10.2-inch display, a screen resolution of 1620×2160, either 32 GB or 128 GB storage, an 8MP rear camera, and a 1.2MP front camera. The 32 GB version fills up quickly and makes it somewhat redundant for anything other than casual browsing, so we highly recommend the 128 GB model.
Apple iPad 10.2-Inch isn’t without its faults, though. Chiefly, the cameras are starting to feel somewhat outdated, especially the front-facing 1.2MP. Additionally, intensive creative work will be somewhat of a chore here, and you’d be better served by the Pro model.
Moving away from Apple devices, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 stood out as the best affordable Android 10-inch tablet. Rather than a lesser option, Samsung’s device stands tall as a worthy alternative to the Apple iPad at a lower price and with better battery life to boot.
Unabashedly a lightweight, modest tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 delivers everything the average tablet user would ever want – excellent web browsing, streaming content, or playing the occasional game.
Powering the tablet is a Qualcomm SM6115 chip, Adreno 610 GPU, 3 GB of RAM, either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, 8 MP back camera, 5 MP front camera, 10.4-inch display, and a 1200×2000 resolution. In terms of raw performance, it’s not the most responsive or speediest out there, but it doesn’t pretend to be. Samsung knows what it’s going for – an affordable all-around personal entertainment system – and hits the mark. With a thin profile and sturdy metal chassis, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 is a device you won’t mind lugging around and can trust not to fall apart at the slightest knock.
Charging demands more time than the iPad, performance lags behind Apple’s device, the cameras leave quite a bit to be desired, and the screen doesn’t offer the same degree of brightness despite being suitably vibrant. Still, at roughly $100 cheaper, these are minor sacrifices to make for an otherwise excellent tablet. Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7’s slimmer bezels, Dolby Atmos Surround Sound quad-speakers, and facial recognition feature are usually reserved for much pricier models if you’re shopping over at Apple.
With great sound, good visuals, and enough power to binge your favorite series, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 epitomizes the perfect entertainment tablet.
At $150, the Amazon Fire HD 10 sits at the lower end of the price spectrum. Cheap and cheerful by design, it’s a perfect option if you’re comfortable in the Amazon ecosystem (Prime, Kindle, etc.) and want to consume its content on a portable device with a larger display than a phone.
The specifications and build quality of the Amazon Fire HD 10 reflect the low price. It features an octa-core 2 GHz chip, 10.1-inch display, full HD 1080p resolution, either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM, 12-hour battery life, and 2 MP front and rear cameras. Consequently, the feel isn’t as snappy and responsive as other options and does tend to slow when web browsing or jumping between apps. However, it performs admirably when playing video, downloading movies, and running simple games, its chief function as a media-focused device.
The display is surprisingly good for the price, with vibrant colors ideal for consuming 1080p streaming content. The Amazon Fire HD 10 does feel cheap with a plastic-like material enveloping the back, but once again, this is expected for $150.
Designed as a conduit for Amazon content, the Android-based Fire OS limits access (or throws up tedious workarounds) to non-Amazon apps, and the offering is considerably lighter than pure Android and iOS devices.
The cheapest 10-inch tablet on the market, the Amazon Fire HD 10 is virtually unrivaled in this price bracket, despite its clear limitations. If you go in with the right expectations, you’ll be more than satisfied with what Amazon has bundled into the tablet.
With ever more manufacturers jumping on the tablet bandwagon, the onus is on creating a product that sets itself apart. In the Microsoft Surface Go 2’s case, it brings all the functionality and familiarity of Windows 10 to a portable device that sits somewhere between a traditional tablet and a small form factor laptop.
Much like the Fire HD 10 appeals to those invested in Amazon’s ecosystem, the Microsoft Surface Go 2 targets those accustomed to the Windows environment and all its productivity benefits.
The specifications would be more at home in a small laptop – 8th Gen Intel Pentium Core m3 chip, 4 GB or 8 GB of ram, Intel UHD Graphics 615, 10.5-inch display, 1920×1280 resolution, Dolby Audio, and a 5 MP front-facing camera, and 8 MP rear-facing camera. Battery life is respectable at 10 hours on a full charge. The screen produces clear and colorful images, while the cameras fare well for good quality video-calls and even photos.
Paired with a keyboard, it’s a viable alternative to a primary laptop or desktop when you need to browse the web, jump onto video calls, answer emails, and perform basic work tasks on the go or from the comfort of the couch. Don’t expect to edit photos in any intensive fashion or do complex multi-tasking without tangible slow down and lag. Nevertheless, it still streams media well, as you’d expect from a tablet, and fares reasonably well when running games from the Microsoft store.
Another tablet marketed as a 2-in-1 laptop, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is our top pick for the best high-end Android 10-inch tablet thanks to impressive specs, superb battery life, and gorgeous display. It is the ideal solution for users who want a laptop’s performance in a compact, high-end, portable device.
On the specifications front, we are looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip, 10.5-inch display, 2560×1600 resolution, 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM, 128 or 256 GB of storage, 7.040 mAh battery with enough juice for 15 hours of use, Dolby Atmos quad-speakers, 13MP/5MP dual rear camera, and 8 MP front-facing camera.
Pulling most of the weight is the AMOLED HDR display that produces gorgeous, vibrant colors, crisp details, and superb brightness levels. Viewing videos on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a genuine pleasure. The cameras also capture excellent video and snap quality photos.
Unfortunately, the keyboard marketed as part of the 2-in-1 capabilities is sold separately and does command a premium. Nevertheless, when paired, the two pack in excellent productivity credentials.
Things To Consider
Our Verdict
As our top pick among the best 10-inch tablets, the Apple iPad 10.2-Inch offers speedy performance alongside iOS’s crisp, fluid, and intuitive environment and a very reasonable price tag. For casual users and those wanting versatility, it’s a worthwhile investment.
On the high-end front, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a portable powerhouse with performance that edges very close to a full laptop. The price may be prohibitive for those looking for a budget option, but it’s worth every penny if a fluid experience with plenty of excellent features tops your list of requirements.
For a more affordable Android option, we suggest eyeing up the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7, which offers an impressive entry into the world of tablets. Similarly, for $150, the Amazon Fire HD 10 should suit those who already consume most of their media via Prime and the like. Finally, the Microsoft Surface Go 2 brings Windows 10 to a 2-in-1 tablet with good specifications and decent performance.
With that, we’ll wrap up our guide to the best 10-inch tablets out there. Feel free to visit the comments section below should you have any questions.