Don’t Leave for College Without One of These Top-Rated Tablets in Your Bag

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Traveling around campus with all your books, assignments and notes is hard enough. Add other essentials like a portable charger, laptop, battery pack, and a bite to eat and suddenly your backpack can feel like an anvil. Luckily for college students, tablets have gotten so good that the best of the best can replace most of the books and papers in your bag.

The best tablets are lightweight and can easily handle textbooks, note-taking, lab work and down-time entertainment. But shopping for a great tablet can be a headache, with every company giving you multiple models to choose from. That’s why we’ve collected the best of the best for college students to take to school this fall. Read on for our top recommendations, plus essentials to consider before shopping.

Looking for more must-have devices, gadgets, gear and accessories for school? Check out our stories on the best Apple Watch charging stands, the best wireless headphones, and the best college laptops.

Best Tablets for College

What to Consider

The best tablets have a lot in common: a high-resolution screen, great software, long battery life and room to customize. Below are a few major points to keep in mind when picking your ideal tablet.

Operating System

Unlike computers, tablets run a wide variety of different operating systems. With any new tablet, it's best to match the software as closely as possible to your existing devices. Students using Windows and Android will be best served by a tablet running the same operating system. Similarly, anyone with a MacBook will find excellent cross-connectivity using an iPad.

Storage

Most tablets are sold with different amounts of storage built-in. Students working with larger files, such as photos and videos, may want to consider purchasing a tablet with at least 128GB of storage. Users working mostly online will be fine with the average 64GB models.

Accessories

Accessories like an attachable keyboard or digital stylus can transform your tablet experience. If you plan on using such accessories, make sure your tablet of choice is compatible.

How We Selected

Many of these recommendations come from hundreds of hours of in-house use. For the products we couldn’t test ourselves, we perform intensive research, reviewing content from expert sources like Wirecutter, CNET, Tom’s Guide, DigitalTrends, and others, as well as thousands of consumer reviews from online storefronts like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. As for the products themselves, we evaluated them on performance, design, build quality, and price. Also, every tablet we cover has an average customer rating of 4 stars or more.

iPad (2021)

Key Specs

• Display Size: 10.2 inches

• Display Resolution: 2160 x 1620 pixels

• Storage: 64GB, 256GB

• Weight: 17.6oz

At this point, the iPad is almost synonymous with the tablet. Apple dominates the tablet market in the United States with their high-quality, easy-to-use tablets. That quality and accessibility make 2021’s iPad our top tablet pick.

The iPad’s software experience is second to none, with intuitive menus, apps, file sharing and more. While this is Apple’s most affordable iPad, it still has great build quality and a plethora of compatible accessories. We only wish there were a 128GB storage option.

iPad Air

Key Specs

• Display Size: 10.9 inches

• Display Resolution: 2360 x 1640 pixels

• Storage: 64GB, 256GB

• Weight: 16oz

For Apple fans with a bigger budget, 2022’s iPad Air is one of the best all-around tablets on the market. This iPad is more modern than past models, with super slim bezels, USB-C connectivity, better color contrast and an excellent front and rear camera.

But the best addition has to be Apple’s M1 chip. Compared to iPads of the past, this M1-powered iPad Air delivers superior performance in apps, games and everything in-between. If your budget is over $500, this is one of the best all-purpose Apple tablets you can get.

Galaxy Tab S8

Key Specs

• Display Size: 11 inches

• Display Resolution: 2560 x 1600 pixels

• Storage: 128GB, 256GB

• Weight: 17.6oz

Samsung makes some of the best Android smartphones, so it's no surprise that their Android tablets are also critically-acclaimed. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is one of their more premium options, with a large screen, excellent resolution, huge storage, and fast speeds. It even has a micro-SD card slot, meaning you can add additional storage later on.

Students can easily sync their Windows or Android devices with the Tab S8. And unlike most tablets on this list, the Tab S8 comes with 128GB of storage by default. It also comes with the S Pen stylus included, making complex notes and basic art tasks that much easier.

Galaxy Tab A8

Key Specs

• Display Size: 10.5 inches

• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels

• Storage: 64GB

• Weight: 17.9oz

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers a similar experience to more premium Samsung tablets for a fraction of the cost. For less than $250, you still get a fast tablet that can tackle reading, writing and entertainment with ease.

The Tab A8 feels great to handle, thanks to a largely metal build and uniform design. While it may not have the standout features of higher-end tablets, it does feature a rare microSD card slot. This means that you can easily add hundreds of gigabytes of additional storage for less than $50.

Fire HD 10

Key Specs

• Display Size: 10.1 inches

• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels

• Storage: 32GB

• Weight: 16.4oz

If budget is your top concern and you already have a laptop for more complex tasks, consider Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet. While we wouldn’t recommend it for note taking or complex assignments, it is optimized nicely for books and entertainment, especially Amazon apps like Kindle and Prime video.

The Fire HD 10 tablet may not have the build quality or specs to match other tablets on this list, but at $150, it doesn’t need to. Especially if you have time to kill between classes, this tablet is great for reading and entertainment.

Surface Pro 8

Key Specs

• Display Size: 13 inches

• Display Resolution: 2880 x 1920 pixels

• Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

• Weight: 31.3oz

If you want your tablet to act more like a computer-replacement than a mobile device, the Surface series is for you. The Pro 8 is one of the most premium Surface models available. Paired with the right accessories, it can replace your laptop for most classes.

A two-in-one at heart, the Pro 8 feels more like a traditional laptop than any other tablet on this list. Powered by Windows 11, it can access more apps, websites and file types than most tablets. Games in particular look amazing on its high resolution, high refresh rate screen. Extra additions like a 1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and two USB-C ports only add to this tablet’s versatility.

Surface Go 3

Key Specs

• Display Size: 10.5 inches

• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels

• Storage: 64GB, 128GB

• Weight: 18.8oz

One of the main advantages tablets have over laptops is portability. Microsoft’s Surface Go 3 features that attribute while offering a laptop-like experience. Running Windows 11 allows you to access apps and software normally available only on full-sized laptops.

The Surface Go 3 may not be as powerful as the Surface Pro 8, but it still offers a versatile and enjoyable tablet experience for students. While it has a great operating system, webcam and battery, speed is its achilles heel.

iPad Pro 12.9-inch

Key Specs

• Display Size: 12.9 inches

• Display Resolution: 2732 x 2048 pixels

• Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

• Weight: 24oz

Art students working digitally have different computing needs than most. For many, a specialized drawing tablet is the preferred tool for bringing your art workstation with you. Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro aims to change that, offering incredible drawing capabilities alongside powerhouse performance. The standout spec for artists is the incredible display, which features stunning image quality and a high refresh rate.

Be aware that the cheapest 12.9-inch iPad Pro still costs over $1,000, and doesn’t come with an Apple Pencil stylus. Still, it's more affordable than buying a high-quality drawing tablet and regular computing tablet separately.

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