Best Samsung tablet 2024

best Samsung tablets 2022
best Samsung tablets 2022 (Image credit: Laptop Mag)

The best Samsung tablets are vicious competitors that can stand tall in the ring against the highly praised Apple iPad line, offering spectacular features and convenient perks that will satisfy your tablet needs.

The best Samsung tablets offer large, bright screens that make your favorite shows on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+ and other streaming platforms look like a visual treat. And if you're an artist, you can see your creative talents come to life in Adobe Photoshop Sketch and other creator-focused apps. Productivity on Android is pretty easy, too, thanks to apps like Google Docs and Microsoft Office

CES 2024 and Mobile World Congress is around the corner and with it we're hoping to see updates of the Galaxy Tab S9 series tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, which we went hands-on with. 

What is the best Samsung tablet?

Why you can trust Laptop Mag Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8

best Samsung tablet 2023: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (Image credit: Laptop Mag)
The best Samsung tablet overall

Specifications

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Display: 11-inch, 2560 x 1600
Size: 10 x 6.5 x 0.25 inches
Weight: 1.1 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Bright and vivid display
+
Included S Pen
+
Solid performance
+
Excellent cameras for a tablet
+
Great battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Performance pales in comparison to iPad Air

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is arguably the best Android tablet on the market. For less than $700, this slate offers a bright, vivid display with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth, seamless scrolling. It also comes with an S Pen for note takers and digital artists.

The Galaxy Tab S8 also delivers an incredible battery runtime of 12 hours and 53 minutes, so you don't have to worry about this tablet running out of juice too often. Finally, we were impressed with its cameras. Having the right hardware for video conferencing calls is a must these days, and with the Galaxy Tab S8 in hand, you don't have to worry about fuzzy, hazy picture due to poor camera quality.

The only downside you must consider is that the Galaxy Tab S8's performance pales in comparison to the iPad Air, but to be fair, the iPad Air is greatly overpowered. The Galaxy Tab S8's internals can manage most tasks without any issues.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 review

best Samsung tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

best Samsung tablet 2023: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Image credit: Laptop Mag)
Samsung tablets with the best battery life

Specifications

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
Display: 11-inch, 2560 x 1600 (S7), 12.4-inch, OLED (S7+)
Size: 10 x 6.51 x 0.25 inches (S7), 11.22 x 7.28 x 0.22 inches (S7+)
Weight: 1.1 pounds (S7), 1.3 pounds (S7+)

Reasons to buy

+
Improved S pen
+
Great speakers
+
5G support

Reasons to avoid

-
No headphone jack

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is one of the best Samsung tablets due to its battery life. This tablet can offer over 13 hours of battery life. Wow!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ both have excellent cameras: an 13MP main camera and a 5MP secondary ultra-wide lens. On the front is an 8MP selfie camera. Check out our full review to see our editor's pictures with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. Both tablets are updates of the Galaxy Tab S6 and feature an improved S pen that is included in the box. The Galaxy Sab S7 and Galaxy S7+ have faster processors and 5G connectivity.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is one of the best Samsung tablets, too, with its 12.4-inch,  2800 x 1752-pixel screen, but due to its magnificent AMOLED display, there is a dip in battery life (it lasts 8 hours and 51 minutes).

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus review.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

best Samsung tablet 2023: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE (Image credit: Phillip Tracy/Laptop Mag)
Best mid-range Samsung tablet

Specifications

CPU: Snapdragon 750G (5G); Snapdragon 778G (Wi-Fi)
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB (only option for 5G), 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Display: 12.4-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel TFT LCD (60Hz)
Size: 11.21 x 7.28 x 0.25 inches
Weight: 1.34 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
S Pen included
+
Long battery life
+
Premium design

Reasons to avoid

-
No fingerprint sensor

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was a hit among Android users who wanted to get a taste of all the bells and whistles the S20 had to offer without spending a fortune. Naturally, Samsung thought it was a good idea to extend the "FE" series to its Galaxy Tab S7 line, giving consumers an opportunity to snag a great tablet without breaking the bank.

In our review, we were most impressed with the Galaxy S20 FE's battery life. It lasted 13 hours on our battery test, which will allow you to last all day with your tablet without remaining tethered to an outlet. We also love that the S20 FE comes with the beloved S Pen. We gave the Galaxy S20 FE a solid four-star rating because it's an excellent sub-flagship device that offers excellent, lightweight productivity.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE review.

best Samsung tablet 2023: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

best Samsung tablet 2023: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The best Samsung tablet overall

Specifications

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB
Display: 10.5 inches, 2560 x 1600
Size: 9.6 x 6.3 x 0.2 inches
Weight: 0.95 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Fast performance
+
Integrated S Pen charging
+
BookCover Keyboard has a touchpad
+
Powerful speakers

Reasons to avoid

-
No headphone jack

The Galaxy Tab S6 isn't just an excellent tablet, but it also solves some of Android's limitations with DeX mode, a desktop-like interface that supports up to 20 windowed apps at once. Also making the Galaxy Tab S6 a viable laptop alternative is the new keyboard, which now has a touchpad. As expected, Samsung nailed the hardware; The Galaxy Tab S6 has a gorgeous 10.5-inch display surrounded by slim bezels, fast performance and an included S Pen.   

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 review.

How to choose the best Samsung tablet for you

With the variety of options available on the market, it may feel daunting to choose the best Samsung tablet. But as long as you clarify what needs you'll want your tablet to fulfill for you, choosing the best Samsung tablet should be breeze.

If you're an on-the-go student or worker who is constantly away from a power source, you'll want to opt for a Samsung tablet that can last for more than 8 hours. A good choice in this case would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, which has a battery runtime of over 13 hours.

And maybe, more than anything, having a gorgeous, eye-catching display is the one feature that is most important to you. In this case, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 might be the biggest draw for you.

How we test Samsung tablets

To offer our readers a thorough and exhaustive review of the Samsung tablets that come through our labs, we dive into testing battery life, display quality, performance, multitasking muscle, and even audio quality. If there are additional accessories like an S pen or detachable keyboard, we give it a whirl through real-world experience to give our readers the best description of what they can expect from the Samsung tablet review unit.

For performance, for example, we use the Geekbench benchmark to test the tablet's processing power. We also measure Samsung tablets' graphics capabilities using the 3DMark benchmark. 

We sift through the Samsung tablets' software to see what pre-installed apps and programs you'll get to play around with -- or delete -- once you get the Samsung tablet for yourself.

We also compare Samsung tablets with other competitors, such as the iPad Air 5 vs. Galaxy Tab S8, to give our readers a better perspective on which tablet would be the best slate for their needs.

Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!

With contributions from