We may earn a commission from links on this page.
If someone on your gift list wants a new tablet, it can be a daunting challenge. Like smartphones, taste in tablets is highly dependent on platform preference. If the person you're buying for has an iPhone, they may struggle with an Android tablet. Likewise, Android users may be looking for a tablet that runs the same OS as their phones, and an iPad won't help them there. Still yet, some people like to mix and match: some prefer an Android smartphone, but an iPad for tablet use. As such, I highly recommend asking your recipient what device they're looking for.
But even if you don't know the exact tablet model your friend or family member wants, you can still pick up a great gift. As long as you know whether they'd prefer an iPad or an Android tablet, and whether they have a casual interest in this device, or are a power user.
Best iPad to gift most people: iPad (A16)
Apple sells a lot of iPads, at a variety of sizes and price points. Whether you walk into a retail store or browse Apple's online marketplace, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the options. But unless your giftee has any specific requirements beyond "iPad," "iPad" is what you should buy.
At the risk of adding to the confusion, "iPad" is the official name for Apple's base model tablet. Some call it the 11th generation iPad, others call it the iPad A16, after the chip that powers the device. Either way, it is by far the best iPad for most people looking for an Apple tablet, whether your giftee is a student or a casual user. That's because it does almost everything you'd expect an iPad to do, all at a very reasonable price—especially when compared to Apple's other tablets.
This iPad has an 11-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2360 x 1640. It can reach 500 nits of brightness, which, while not the brightest screen Apple makes, should be enough for most use cases. It doesn't have some of the perks of some of Apple's other displays, like 120Hz refresh rate, P3 color gamut, or OLED, but for most people and most use cases, this screen will work just fine.
As mentioned above, this iPad is running Apple's A16 chip, the same Apple used for its iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15. That means you're getting a slower chip than in Apple's more expensive tablets, but there's more to it than that. iPadOS isn't macOS: This operating system requires far less horsepower to run, especially for lighter tasks like email, web browsing, and media consumption. This iPad isn't the choice for users who want to primarily design 3D graphics, edit 4K video, or play AAA games, but it will run just about most other tasks and apps just fine.
iPads aren't known for their cameras, but they can be decent. The same is true here: You get a 12MP camera on the back that supports 4K video. But, more importantly, there's a 12MP selfie camera that supports Center Stage. This automatically keeps you centered in the frame, which makes it easier to take FaceTime calls while moving around—say, if you're cooking. The iPad comes with plenty of other modern features, like a USB-C port, Wi-Fi 6 and 5G support. Of course, it supports the Apple Pencil, but make sure you buy the correct model. (Apple Pencil USB-C). It also supports Apple's Magic Keyboard, but you can find third-party alternatives as well.
This iPad starts at a great price, but like many of the options on this list, you're only getting 128GB of storage for it. That can be usable, but if your giftee is the type to keep a lot of files on their devices, you may want to opt for a higher-storage version. Luckily, this tablet is often on sale, so you might find the 256GB or 512GB options at a discount.
Best iPad to gift power users: iPad Pro
Apple's base model iPad is excellent, but I can't say it's perfect. Apple makes iPads with better displays, far more powerful processors, and support for better accessories. The iPad is the best tablet for most people, but if you're buying a tablet specifically for a power user, I'd point you towards the iPad Pro.
The Pro comes in two sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch. Either way, you're getting Apple's "Ultra Retina XDR display," with a 120Hz refresh rate and P3 color gamut. These are OLED displays, which means high contrast, deep blacks, and no visible backlight in dark scenes. These displays are brighter, too, reaching 1000 nits in SDR and 1600 nits when viewing HDR content.
While iPadOS is just about the same on the iPad Pro as it is on the iPad (A16), the hardware between these two devices couldn't be more different. The current iPad Pros run Apple's M5 chip, the same processors found in Apple's Macs. The entry-model Pros come with a nine-core CPU and 10-core GPU with 12GB of memory. Make no mistake: These really are touchscreen computers. Unfortunately for that hardware, it's running iPadOS, so for most tasks, you're not going to notice a wild difference between the iPad Pro and iPad—perhaps unless you start running multiple apps on-screen at once. Where you will notice a difference, however, is with AI: Apple's iPad can't run Apple Intelligence, so if your recipient is interested in the company's suite of AI features, the Pro has the iPad beat.
Again, you don't buy an iPad for the camera, and, like the iPad, the Pro comes with a 12MP rear camera. Unlike the iPad, however, the Pro supports ProRes video, a professional video codec. That likely isn't an important consideration, however, save for a very small niche that may be interested in recording and editing ProRes video entirely on their iPad. It also has a 12MP Center Stage camera, and a TrueDepth camera system like on the iPhone, as this iPad supports Face ID.
The iPad Pro supports Apple Pencil Pro, the company's newer stylus accessory, as well as the Magic Keyboard, which turns the Pro into a sort of laptop. (In both function and price.) It supports 5G, as well as Wi-Fi 7, which could provide faster speeds than the base iPad. At the end of the day, the iPad Pro is the optional upgrade here: It costs far more than the iPad (A16), so it's really the choice for a recipient who wants the most power possible in their Apple tablet.
Best Android tablet to gift most people: Galaxy Tab S10 FE
Ideally, this recommendation would be something in line with the iPad (A16). And typically, Samsung's "FE" tablet might not fit the bill, since its MSRP is considerably higher than Apple's budget iPad. But the Tab S10 FE often goes on sale, as it is at the time of writing. And at a discount, it's a fantastic choice for most people looking for an Android tablet.
The S10 FE comes with the Exynos 1580 running Android 15. The base model comes with 8GB of RAM, but upgrade to the 256GB option, and you get 12GB of RAM. According to Geekbench, the tablet scores a 1367 in single-core performance, and 3939 in multi-core performance. By comparison, Apple's iPad (A16) scores a 2572 in single-core and 5828 in multi-core. Apple has the advantage here, since it develops both the hardware and software for its tablets, but the S10 FE isn't the fastest tablet by any measure. Still, it's enough power to run the tasks you need on Android.
Like Apple's best iPad for most people, the S10 FE comes with a 10.9-inch IPS LCD. This one's a bit faster than Apple's display, though—whereas the iPad has a 60Hz display, the S10 FE has a 90Hz screen, which means swiping around the system will seem a bit smoother with a direct comparison. While you can't expect the inky blacks of an OLED display, this LCD has a resolution 1440 x 2304, which should be quite sharp. The S10 FE comes with one 13MP rear camera, and a 12MP front-facing camera. It supports Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, and USB-C (2.0).
This is not the tablet to get someone who is looking to run demanding apps or playing AAA games. However, if your giftee just needs an Android tablet for watching shows and movies, messaging, and getting lightweight work done, this is one of the best values in the Android tablet market—particularly when it's on sale. Also like its Galaxy S series, Samsung has pledged seven years of software support for the Galaxy Tab series, so you can expect to see updates for the S10 FE until 2032.
Best Android tablet to gift power users: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11
The Galaxy Tab S11 line is perhaps the closest equivalent to the iPad Pro line in the Android tablet space. It comes in two variants: The S11, which has an 11-inch display, and the S11 Ultra, which has a 14.6-inch display. Either way, you're getting a tablet with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and 1000 nits of typical brightness (with 1600 nits during HDR content). Like the iPad Pro, these displays are also OLED, which means your content will have better contrast and deeper blacks.
These tablets are running Mediatek Dimensity 9400+ chips built on 3nm tech. The base models for both come with 12GB of RAM, but if you get the 1TB Ultra, you'll get 16GB of RAM (though that starts to get into wildly expensive territory for a tablet). Your giftee should have more than enough power to run Android 16 on this hardware, as well as most any task they set their tablet to. CNET notes that the S11 tablets run about 25% faster than the previous generation, and that the tablet outperforms just about all others in most notable categories—minus CPU, in which the S11 comes second to the OnePlus Pad 3.
The S11 has two rear cameras: a 13MP main camera, and an 8MP ultrawide. While these are tablet cameras, reviews suggest they are perfectly usable, and the inclusion of an ultrawide could prove useful. The S11 is reasonably durable, especially against debris and spills, as the tablet has an IP68 rating against dust and water.
This is a true tablet, not a touchscreen PC, but Samsung does have some options for users who are looking for a more traditional experience. As with its Galaxy S series, the Tab S11 comes with DeX, which lets you connect the tablet to a monitor with a PC-like setup. This only works when connected to an external display, but you can, of course, replicate a laptop experience by connecting the S11 to a keyboard accessory.
Best small tablet to gift: iPad mini
Some tablets are "small," especially when compared to laptops, but few are tiny. If your recipient is looking for something that's essentially a big smartphone, your best bet is the iPad mini. The mini really is mini: Apple outfitted this model with an 8.3-inch IPS display, with a maximum brightness of 500 nits. It has a resolution of 1488 x 2266, with the same P3 color gamut as Apple's more premium tablets.
In addition, this iPad comes with Apple's A17 Pro chip, the same chip the company uses for the iPhone 15 Pro. That gives you a good balance between the Mac-level chips you find in the Pro iPads, and the older A16 found in the base iPad. What's more, this chip supports Apple Intelligence, so if you're interested in Apple's first-party AI features, the mini can run them. (Though expect some of the more demanding features, like Siri voice customization, to be inaccessible.)
The iPad mini has a similar 12MP rear camera to the base iPad, as well as 12MP Center Stage camera. However, one small knock here is that Apple still has the front camera placed in "portrait" orientation, meaning the camera is off to the side when holding the iPad sideways. Both the iPad (A16) and iPad Pro now place the camera in landscape, mimicking a laptop orientation. Not a deal breaker by any means, but something to note.
In many other respects, this is a modern iPad. It has a USB-C port, Wi-Fi 6E and 5G support, and support for Apple Pencil Pro. Apple doesn't make a keyboard accessory for the mini like it does its other iPads, but you can find third-party options online.
