The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) is great for media playback thanks to its 10-inch, 1,920-by-1,200-pixel screen and surprisingly loud speakers. It can also handle casual games and light productivity tasks. You get either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage but can add up to 1TB of additional space via a microSD card.

If you want the best balance of performance, screen size, and price within Amazon’s Fire tablet lineup, the HD 10 is the model you should buy, though it won’t provide access to as many apps as a full Android slate.

At a little over $200, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ provides a spacious, 1,920-by-1,200-pixel display and matches the performance of more expensive tablets thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip. It comes with just 64GB of storage to start, but a microSD card slot lets you add up to 1TB. Finally, the device features a streamlined design and will get OS and security updates until the fall of 2027.

If you want a low-cost Android tablet that’s enjoyable to use, reasonably fast, and will last for several years, the Galaxy Tab A9+ is the one to get.

The reasonably priced Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ offers an Exynos 1580 processor, a 13.1-inch screen with a 2,880-by-1,800 pixels-pixel resolution, excellent battery life, and a microSD slot that supports cards of up to 2TB. It also uses quality materials and sports an IP68 rating, meaning it’s fully dustproof and waterproof. Artists should like the included S Pen stylus as well. Samsung’s productivity and multitasking software is excellent too, and its promise of seven Android OS updates and security patches is top-notch.

If you want a capable Android tablet that doesn’t cost too much and can handle a bit of rough handling, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is for you.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ is Android’s answer to high-end iPads. Highlights include a vivid 12.4-inch display with a resolution of 2,800 by 1,752 pixels, a speedy MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor, 12GB of RAM, and a minimum of 256GB of storage. Excellent multitasking software and an IP68 durability rating round out the features.

If you don’t want an iPad but still want a high-end slate, the Galaxy Tab S10+ is your top Android option. It should particularly appeal to artists because it ships with Samsung’s smooth S Pen stylus and serves as a truly immersive canvas.

The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro comes equipped with a stylus for drawing and note taking, along with strong multimedia support with productivity-tuned software, making it well suited for students and artists alike. Its large screen, smooth performance, expandable storage and solid battery life only add to its appeal.

The Lenovo Idea Pad Pro is a good option for students, artists, or anyone who wants a stylus with their tablet to help with their productivity without breaking the bank.

Outside of portability issues, everyone loves a big screen, and Amazon’s Fire Max 11 offers a much larger panel than other budget-friendly tablets. Thanks to its 4GB of RAM and octa-core MediaTek processor, it performs better than most. The device also supports split-screen multitasking, which is unusual for tablets in this price range. A premium aluminum build further elevates the experience.

With an 11-inch, 2,000-by-1,200-pixel display, this tablet is ideal for watching movies and playing games. And despite being Amazon’s priciest model, it’s still an excellent value.

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is a petite gaming powerhouse. It packs a swift processor into an appealing 8.8-inch design with good battery life, making it an excellent portable gaming machine. On top of its impressive performance, the tablet also features fast radios, solid audio, and good cameras in this well-rounded device.

While anyone can enjoy this small tablet, its should be particularly appealing to gamers looking for a dedicated tablet for gaming on the go.

The Fire HD 8’s screen is an inch larger than that of the Fire 7 and benefits from a resolution bump to 1,280 by 800 pixels (compared with 1,024 by 600 pixels). Therefore, it’s a better choice for gaming and HD video playback. It also offers solid battery life, lasting 9 hours and 41 minutes in our tests.

If the Fire HD 10 feels too big or costs too much for your liking and you don’t want to go with a super-cheap slate like the Fire HD 7, the midrange Fire HD 8 splits the difference.

This tablet offers everything we like about the regular Fire HD 8 but is specifically great for kids because it comes with a durable kickstand case and a two-year warranty. You also get a six-month trial subscription to Amazon Kids+, which unlocks access to an age-appropriate library of smaller-format picture books, videos, and games. That service ordinarily costs $48 per year for Prime members and $79 for everyone else.

Of course, the Fire HD 8 Kids tablet from Amazon is for kids. The real target market is the parents who don’t want to worry about their child accessing inappropriate content or breaking an expensive device.

$60 usually doesn’t get you much in the tablet realm, but the Fire 7 is a perfectly serviceable slate. It won’t compete with the latest iPad or high-end Samsung models, but it runs basic apps just fine and doubles as a decent ebook reader. That’s about all you can expect from a device with an entry-level processor and 2GB of RAM.

If you just want a tablet for occasional entertainment and have no intention of running high-end games, the Fire 7 is a suitable choice. That said, you should upgrade to the Fire HD 10 or HD 8 if you watch a lot of movies because their larger, higher-resolution screens are more enjoyable for media consumption.