It was an interesting year for tablets as we saw hundreds of new slates hit the shelves. From compact offerings with flagship specs to established Ultra options from the likes of Samsung and a great selection of budget options, 2025 did not disappoint.
And while Apple dominated the tablet sphere in terms of shipments for yet another year, we also got some great offerings on the Android side. It’s generally difficult to single out the best device in a product category with so many releases, but we’ve gathered a bunch of our top picks for the best tablets of the past year and are presenting them in no particular order.
iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 13 (2025)
While the latest generation of Pro iPads isn’t that much different from their predecessors, they still represent the best of the segment. The M5 chip is arguably the most potent SoC out there, even though iPadOS is still a long way away from taking advantage of all the raw power it offers.
There are some tangible benefits, though, as the new Pros can now output at up to 120Hz to an external display while also adding support for Adaptive Sync (VRR). You also get 12GB RAM as standard across both sizes, alongside improved connectivity with Apple’s in-house N1 networking chip featuring the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The cellular versions also bring Cupertino’s in-house C1X modem, which has been a long time coming.
The Ultra Retina Tandem OLEDs on the iPad Pros are still among the best displays on any mobile device, and the premium build and thin industrial design are hard to beat if you’re willing to drop $999/€1,099/£999 for a tablet that’s still not ready to properly replace your laptop.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
But there are plenty of great iPad alternatives in the Android realm, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra could very well be the best big tablet out there.
It’s physically striking – a razor-thin 5.1mm aluminum unibody chassis with a giant 14.6-inch AMOLED panel paired with excellent quad speakers that just scream for content consumption. And you’re getting a bundled S Pen stylus for creative work, which is always a nice addition.
Add in the feature-rich One UI 8 based on Android 16, which, in tandem with Samsung DeX, unlocks a proper desktop workflow. MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400+ chipset posted excellent benchmark scores during our review period, and the 11,600 mAh battery delivered over 13 hours of usage in our active use score, which was among the best from the tablets we reviewed.
But much like the iPad Pros, Samsung is asking premium laptop money for a device that’s still not ready to handle proper laptop tasks.
OnePlus Pad 3
The OnePlus Pad 3 is another of our favorites from the past year, and it undercuts many of its flagship tablet rivals. With a starting price of $700/€599/£529, OnePlus managed to fit a high-resolution 144Hz LCD with outstanding brightness for a non-OLED panel, Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a respectable 12,140mAh battery with speedy 80W charging.
OnePlus Pad 3 ships with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, but it also supports Oppo O+ Connect, which allows you to remotly control your Mac or Windows PC from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection.
While the feature had its quirks during our review, we have to give credit to OnePlus for offering a genuine shot at replacing your laptop, which has been the Achilles heel of most other tablets.
RedMagic Astra
The RedMagic Astra was one of the pleasant surprises of 2025, combining flagship specs with a compact aluminum unibody. Built around a 9-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate, and featuring the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a respectable 8,200mAh battery with 80W charging, RedMagic Astra delivered a new avenue for mobile gamers.
But that’s not all. You also get a dual vapor chamber cooling system and a spinning RGB-lit fan, complete with a side-mounted USB 3.2 Gen2 port with bypass charging support while gaming.
It performed admirably in our benchmark tests, scoring among the best among its tablet peers, and we’re certainly fans of the compact form factor, which makes it a great gaming and media consumption device.
Infinix Xpad GT
The Infinix Xpad GT is another interesting tablet which comes with a decently sized 13-inch LCD 144Hz and incorporates a forgotten flagship chipset – 2020’s Snapdragon 888.
While the chip is mostly known for its tendency to overheat in flagship smartphones from 4-5 years ago, the larger chassis and adequately sized vapor chamber on the Xpad GT allowed it to perform admirably, giving modern upper midrange chips a run for their money.
This means you can play most modern games just fine, and you’re certainly getting better performance compared to entry-level SoCs. Add in the sleek aluminum body design, impressive eight-speaker setup and decently sized 10,000mAh battery, and you’ve got a great, capable tablet with a reasonable price $400/€355 price tag.
Redmi Pad 2 Pro
If you’re looking for a more budget pick under $300/€300/£300, then the Redmi Pad 2 Pro is a worthy candidate. It packs a high-resolution 12.1-inch 120Hz LCD, a capable Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip and an outstanding 12,000 mAh battery, which aced our endurance tests.
Like most of the other entries on the list, you’re getting a premium feeling aluminum unibody design combined with Xiaomi’s feature-rich HyperOS 2 software suite and nice selection of first-party accessories, which elevate the whole experience.
Redmi Pad 2 Pro also boasts two things you don’t find on many tablets nowadays – a headphone jack and a microSD card slot. It can handle everything you’d want from a tablet, from light work tasks with split screen multitasking, media consumption and web browsing just fine, and it’s a capable gaming option too.
