The best tablet in Australia for 2024: the top tablets you can buy right now
These are the top options from Apple, Samsung and more
1. The list in brief
2. Best iPad
3. Best Android
4. Best for designers
5. Best iPad Pro alternative
6. Most fun Android
7. Best affordable iPad
8. Best display
9. Best tablet alternative
10. How we test
11. How to choose
12. FAQ
The best tablets are a lot more than just smartphones with larger screens – after all, that’s what the best foldable phones are for. What the top tablets offer is a middle ground between the best phones and the best laptops, often being bigger and more powerful than a smartphone while also more portable than a laptop.
Many also offer a versatility that smartphones and laptops just can’t match, such as offering stylus support and enough screen space to make them the ideal companion for graphic designers. While one of the best drawing tablets or best ereaders might be better options for certain needs, the best tablets overall are versatile and often deceptively powerful all-rounders.
In order to sort out the best from the rest when it comes to the top tablets in Australia, we've tested every major tablet and used them in everyday life for extended periods of time. In our testing, we’ve looked at a range of factors including performance, software, screen quality, battery life, and how well they interact with accessories.
To help you find the right device for your needs, we've gathered our picks for the tablets most worth buying in Australia for you to consider below.
The quick list
Below you'll find a quick roundup of our choices for the best tablets in Australia in 2023. We've selected a mixture of brands and screen sizes, and catered to a range of budgets. You can jump to a more detailed review of each pick, and shop the latest deals using our price comparison tool.
Best iPad
Best iPad overall
With more power than you could possibly imagine, the iPad Pro 12.9 is a genuine substitute for a laptop. It's not cheap, but you get a whole lotta tablet for your money.
Best Android
Best Android tablet
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra does more than enough to replace its predecessor on this list. Scintillating performance, a beautiful and excellent multitasking make it the Android tablet of choice.
Best for designers
Best tablet for designers
Get yourself the (sold separately) Slim Pen 2 and you'll be the owner of an unrivalled graphics tablet, thanks to its processing power, decently-sized display
Best iPad Pro alternative
Best iPad Pro alternative
The best iPad Pro alternative is still an iPad, just a more affordable one that serves up a similar design and delivers similar performance. If we had just one wish it would be to have a version with more storage, otherwise, it's near faultless.
Best affordable iPad
Best affordable iPad
Technically there is cheaper still, but we think the iPad 10.9 does more than enough to warrant the slightly more costly investment. The design, screen, battery life and cameras should satisfy most consumers and is the best and more affordable entry point to iPadOS.
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Best budget
Best budget tablet
If you don't have a bottomless back pocket but want a portable screen for media and web surfing, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 does an admirable job. Sure, there are compromises, but you'll be spending less than AU$500.
Best display
Best display
We still haven't given it the full review treatment, but hands-on impressions suggest the Tab S9 Plus' display is even better than the model it replaces, combined with a more affordable price tag.
Best alternative
Best tablet alternative
With foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 getting more capable and offering a near-tablet size screen at 7.6-inches when unfolded, you could benefit from consolidating two devices into one.
The best tablets in Australia for 2024
Why you can trust TechRadar
Below you can find more in-depth reviews of our choices for the best tablets, and you can click through the full reviews of each, written by TechRadar's team of technology experts.
The best iPad overall
1. Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) is – as of 2024 – Apple’s ultimate tablet, and one which packs laptop-class power, thanks to an M2 chipset. Arguably this is overkill, since almost nothing you’d do on a tablet can even tax the M1 from the previous generation, but it certainly makes this future-proof.
In most other ways this is much like the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021), including having a massive 12.9-inch screen that uses mini-LED to create a superior picture than you’ll find on smaller iPads.
It’s also remarkably thin and light for all the tech on offer, and has handy features like Face ID, capable cameras, and of course support for accessories like Apple’s Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2 – the latter of which is better than ever here, thanks to hover-detection, which makes this even better for drawing on than other iPads.
Yes, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) is very expensive, and it’s probably overkill for most users, but if you want a superpowered slate, this is it.
Read the full iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) review
The best Android tablet
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the ultimate Android tablet, just like its predecessor. It comes with polished OneUI software that takes advantage of its big and beautiful 14.6-inch screen, and the included S Pen stylus and optional keyboard should make this a great device for creating artwork, editing documents, taking notes, and other productivity tasks.
For a tablet of this size, the display is its selling point. It is massive, sure, but it is also beautiful at 1848 x 2960 resolution and smooth thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate. It packs a dedicated Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset with up to 16GB of RAM, and the storage goes up to 1TB. In other words, this really, really wants to convince you it can replace your laptop.
In our review, we were very impressed with both the software and its performance. Qualcomm's processor really put in the work here, and Samsung's OneUI software makes this feel like a real laptop with enhanced multitasking capabilities that you simply won't find on offerings from Apple or Google. Unfortunately, its biggest flaw is that it continues to feel like a real laptop without actually being one. If you want a laptop to do all the laptop things, you'll still be better served running a real laptop. But as a big tablet? Unmatched.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review
The best tablet for designers
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If you're on the hunt for a quality tablet with particularly unique potential for design and creative applications, look no further than the Microsoft Surface Pro 9. With ample battery life, large screen real estate and the Windows 11 OS, the Pro 9 might be at its very best when combined with the Surface Slim Pen 2, which turns it into an unrivalled graphics-tablet option for designers.
But its prowess certainly doesn't begin or end with how well it pairs for creative endeavours.
Usurping 2021's Microsoft Surface Pro 8 as the ultimate Windows tablet, the whisper-thin Pro 9 is an exceptionally flexible slate, particularly in its 5G compatible model. It isn't entirely without its issues however, with its capabilities for running more heavy-duty software sometimes spotty, and the fact that it doesn't come with accessories included is disappointing (but perhaps not surprising) given its premium price.
Still, that latter issue is one also shared by Apple's iPads; you'll have to pay extra to add a keyboard or case whether you go with an iPad or a Surface. All things considered, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is a tremendously capable tablet that shines especially with what it offers to professional creatives and artists.
Read the full Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review
The best iPad Pro alternative
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Apple's latest iPad Air has a lot more in common with the iPad Pro than with the company's entry-level slates. And, when we tested the thing, we had to keep checking which tablet it actually was.
There's an all-body display, M1 chipset, Apple Pencil compatibility and long-lasting battery. Oh, and of course it runs on Apple's iPadOS which is a supremely useful tablet operating system. On test, its performance is very close to the iPad Pro range, which is impressive when you consider its list price.
This is one of the best tablets we've tested, and the iPad Pro and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra only beat it in a few ways, like with their bigger screens, extra storage space and high-res displays. But if you don't have the money to stretch for those two premium tabs, this mid-range alternative could be great for you.
Read the full iPad Air (2022) review
The most fun Android tablet
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Google Pixel Tablet comes with Google's tablet-optimised take on Android that debuted in Android 12L and later reached maturity in Android 13. The Pixel Tablet is a genuine pleasure to use as the company has built out a suite of apps that now work well with large-screen devices and tablets, including the Google Suite of apps, including entertainment apps like YouTube, Google Play apps, and more.
The Pixel Tablet isn't meant for productivity, though. So if you're looking for a tablet to assist with work, or to even replace your laptop, then you'll want to look elsewhere. It's for this reason that the Pixel Tablet doesn't feature higher on this list.
It's still very deserving of a place though, as Google would explain it, you're meant to see it as an entertainment device, whether you lean into the company's positioning of this as a smart home device, or you use it simply as a tablet. With a lovely screen, a powerful speaker dock, and quick updates, the Pixel Tablet certainly lives up to the hype.
Read our full Google Pixel Tablet review
The best affordable iPad
6. iPad 10.9 (2022)
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The iPad 10.9 (2022) isn't the outright cheapest iPad you can buy – that accolade belongs to the 9th Gen edition, which you can still buy – but the substantial upgrade this 10th Gen model offers over its predecessor is what earns it its spot on this list as the best affordable model. It has a new, iPad Pro-like design, a big 10.9-inch screen, strong battery life, and improved cameras, with the front-facing camera now being on the long edge, which is an infinitely better position for video calls.
Add to that a selection of vibrant colours that you can buy the slate in, and support for various accessories such as the Apple Pencil, and you’re left with an excellent tablet – and one which is remarkably close to matching Apple’s iPad Air line, just at a lower price.
That said, the iPad 10.9 (2022) only supports the original Apple Pencil rather than the Apple Pencil 2, and in our review we found the screen more reflective than we’d have liked, so there are still some compromises here.
Read the full iPad 10.9 (2022) review
The best budget tablet
7. Samsung Galaxy Tab A8
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 presents itself as a great option for anyone looking for a larger-screen media device, but who doesn't want to spend big on one. The 10.5-inch screen could well be the sweet spot for most users, being small enough to make it portable, and large enough to warrant having it as a secondary device to your phone.
The metal chassis certainly belies its price point, and just adds to the argument that you really don't need to spend the big bucks to get a product of real quality. Of course, compromises need to made, and so you shouldn't expect the Galaxy Tab A8 to be as lightning fast in navigation and its handling of media compared to the beefier-specced Tab S8 series, but the A8 is certainly no slouch and should be more than adequate for the casual user.
We were surprised to find out how slow the Tab A8 was to recharge in our review, at least when compared to tablets costing similar money. You will get a day of use from it, and you could leave it on charge overnight to alleviate the slow charge woes, but ultimately, we expected a little more from Samsung. All in all, however, this is a fantastic budget tablet.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 review
The best tablet display
8. Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus has yet to be given the full, in-depth review treatment here at TechRadar, but we have gone hands-on with it and can already surmise that the brighter screen is even better than that of the S8 Plus it replaces.
As with the predecessor S8 series, the S9 Ultra is yet more accomplished than the S9 Plus listed here, but that tablet also costs even more money (and the S9 Plus is already a considerable investment). You may be thinking the Tab S9 Ultra has an even better display, and you would largely be correct. The reason we've selected the Tab S9 Plus as our pick for the best display is that the differences don't necessarily justify the difference in cost, and for most people, the Tab S9 Plus is going to impress.
If your primary use for a tablet is to stream the latest movies and shows, you might find there's no better option than the Tab S9 Plus in terms of how well it will present your favourites. Gaming also benefits here, with the S9 Plus featuring a 120Hz refresh rate and QHD resolution.
For productivity purposes, particularly with the idea of replacing a laptop, there might be better alternatives. But from an entertainment and content-consumption perspective, the S9 Plus has a great deal to offer.
9. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If your main reason for getting a tablet is to take advantage of a larger display for basic productivity or bingeing the latest and greatest movies and TV shows, then perhaps a foldable phone such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 could be the perfect device for you.
By combining a 7.6-inch screen when unfolded with a speedy and highly capable mobile experience, it really is two devices in one. Samsung has continued to tweak its software to maximise the productivity potential of the Z Fold, and so you can now split the 7.6-inch screen into multiple windows, running various apps at the same time.
A 7.6-inch screen may be smaller than anything else on this list, but it's still a big step up on the best smartphones. The Z Fold5 isn't cheap, and costs more than most tablets on this list, but consider it at two high-end devices in one svelte package and it soon becomes more justifiable.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 review
How we test the best tablets
Every tablet on this list has been thoroughly tested and put through a comprehensive review, so we know exactly what makes them tick and how they compare. From there, we've ranked them based on our findings, factoring in their price and value too.
How to choose the best tablet
When choosing a tablet, the first thing you'll need to decide is how much you want to do with it. Will it be an extra device for entertainment and productivity, or will it replace a laptop as a main computing device? Today's tablets can certainly handle all of the tasks of a basic laptop.
Then you'll need to decide on your price range, because tablets can range from cheap budget devices to very expensive cutting edge portables, far more expensive than the laptops they replace.
Finally, it would be helpful to choose between an Apple iPad OS tablet and an Android device, based on the services and software you prefer.
The best tablets in Australia: FAQ
What is the best brand for tablets
Different brands make devices aimed at different buyers, so there's no 'best' brand, there's just a brand that's best for you.
Amazon's slates are great for low-budget entertainment, but aren't as good for work or creativity. Samsung has some like that too, though its top-end slates are better for workers.
Apple's iPads hit all beats, though they cost a lot, so aren't great for everybody. Lenovo's tabs are great for working, especially for students, and its Yoga devices bring features that are great for entertainment too.
Other, smaller tablet makers generally focus on entertainment tools, though some are good for work and a select few are also useful for creatives.
What should I look for when buying a tablet?
The main things to consider are how much you want to spend, and what operating system you want - with Apple's iPadOS and Android being the two main options. Then think about what else matters to you in a tablet - be it size, power, camera or battery - and choose accordingly.
What tablet can replace a laptop?
If you're hoping to get serious work done on a tablet then an iPad Pro would be a good option. This has a big screen, lots of power, and supports a keyboard accessory. Alternatively, the screen size on offer with the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 will rival that of many laptops while boasting as good or better productivity prowess.
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Alex joined as TechRadar's Senior Phones Editor in June 2022, but brings over a decade's worth of experience to the role, with an expertise in smartphones, tablets and wearables. He's covered keynotes hosted by the biggest brands and attended the launches for some of the most influential mobile products of the last few years. His experience was amassed at some of the most reputable consumer technology publications out there, including GSMArena, TechAdvisor and Trusted Reviews.
- James CutlerStaff Writer