Best Android Tablets for Phone Calls - Samsung Galaxy Tab a - Lte - Review
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The Best Android Tablets for 2022
Looking for a tablet primarily for consuming media? Here's what to wait for in an Android tablet forth with our top choices.
Our Experts Have Tested 26 Products in the Tablets Category in the By Year
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You might think that Apple'due south iPad has won the tablet wars, but think again. High-terminate iPads and Windows tablets dominate the top of the field with impressive tools for productivity, simply Google'southward Android operating system is very popular at lower price points. The least expensive new iPad costs $329. The range of Android tablets is much broader, with an option for every budget. Android tablets too sometimes testify up with interesting and unusual features, such as E Ink screens.
In 2022, most Android tablet options fall in the upkeep category. You can discover an endless array of no-name, plasticky sub-$100 slates sold at your local CVS or through mysterious "fulfilled by Amazon" drib-shippers. Acer, Asus, Lenovo, and Samsung used to evangelize solid iPad competitors, but they've all slowed down their tablet production. Samsung did announce a new lineup of S8 tablets recently, notwithstanding.
The onn. 8-inch tablet is a serviceable, low-toll Android option (Photo: Zlata Ivelva)
First With Software
Android tablet manufacturers rarely use the latest version of the OS, and software upgrades are even less common. Though most Android smartphones ship with Android 12, it's difficult to detect a tablet that runs the latest version. We recommend skipping over tablets running annihilation older than Android 10, except for those in Amazon'due south Fire lineup.
Speaking of Amazon, it and other large manufacturers like Samsung like to customize Google'due south OS by adding a bevy of features, new app stores, and completely revamped user interfaces. Information technology'south not for everyone, just those who are familiar with Amazon's Fire Bone or Samsung'due south One UI should requite the latest devices from each visitor a try. And if you're already heavily invested in Amazon's ecosystem, you might want to stick with i of the latest Fire tablets.
Even if you don't take the most recent OS iteration, Android continues to exist the most configurable tablet operating system you lot'll detect. It's a principal multitasker, with an splendid notification system and top-notch integration with Google services similar Gmail, See, and Google Maps.
Android is domicile to enough of groovy apps, though there are far fewer tablet-specific versions than you'll find on Apple's App Store, and they tend to be updated less ofttimes.
Should You lot Purchase a Cellular or Wi-Fi Tablet?
All of the major carriers offer a small selection of cellular-enabled tablets. It's easy to find them on promotion when you're upgrading your program or bundled with a new smartphone purchase. Tablet data plans tend to run around $10 a month, although some carriers offer daily plans.
T-Mobile sells unlocked tablets, simply some take very limited band support if you determine to switch carriers. AT&T and Verizon tablets are locked by default, just Verizon will unlock tablets lx days after purchase, provided they're paid off. If you're thinking of switching to a different carrier in the soon, bank check out LTE and 5G ring support to make sure your tablet will piece of work without any hiccups.
Amazon's Fire HD 10 tablet is great for media streaming (Photo: Molly Flores)
Frequent travelers and car commuters will notice cellular connectivity to be a must. If you're the type who primarily uses your tablet for streaming at home, Wi-Fi connectivity will save you lot some money. Virtually carriers allow you to use your phone as a hotspot for those times when you're not close to Wi-Fi, and many newer cars have born LTE connectivity for road trips or keeping your kid occupied while you lot sit in traffic. Of course, hotspotting quickly burns through your telephone battery, but that's where power banks come in. Make sure to cheque out the details of your telephone plan before making any decisions, though, because carriers limit the amount of information that you tin apply with a mobile hotspot.
Don't Forget Near Pattern
Performance on even the least expensive tablets is typically fine for media streaming or surfing the web. At that place'south too a slim chance you'll encounter a software upgrade that offers a performance boost likewise. What won't change, still, is the build, so think twice earlier buying a tablet with a flimsy plastic body.
Low-toll tablets besides tend to have wearisome 1,024-by-600 or 1,280-by-800 screens that can await grainy fifty-fifty to those who ain budget phones. Higher-quality tablets are often in the 2,048-by-1,536 range, which is notably sharper.
The Alcatel Joy Tab 2 has a cute clear screen (Photo: Steven Winkelman)
In that location are enough of deal options out there promising the same Android experience as big names. Many of these off-label tabs are perfectly serviceable, but nosotros recommend choosing a brand you can count on for software support and hardware quality control. For more, see our favorite budget-friendly models.
These are the best Android tablets we've tested. If y'all're looking for a nifty telephone to complement your new tablet, caput over to our roundup of the all-time Android phones. Or if you lot want to look beyond the realm of Android, cheque out our roundups of the best tablets overall, which includes our favorite Apple options.
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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-android-tablets
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