Here Are the Best Tablets to Give As Gifts in 2026.
If someone on your gift list wants a new tablet, it can be a challenge. As with smartphones , tablet preferences largely depend on platform preference. If the person you’re buying a gift for has an iPhone, they may have a hard time finding an Android tablet. Similarly, Android users may be looking for a tablet that runs the same OS as their phone, and an iPad won’t help them with that. However, some people prefer a combination of devices: some prefer an Android smartphone but an iPad for tablet use. Therefore, I strongly recommend asking the gift 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 choose a great gift. The key is to know whether they prefer an iPad or an Android tablet, and whether they’re just casually interested in the device or are experienced users.
The Best iPad Gift for Most People: iPad (A16)
Apple sells a variety of iPads in various sizes and price ranges. Walking into a retail store or browsing the Apple online store can leave you overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. But unless the gift recipient has specific requirements beyond an iPad, an iPad is the one you should buy.
At the risk of further confusion, it’s worth noting that “iPad” is the official name for Apple’s base model tablet. Some call it the 11th-generation iPad, while others call it the iPad A16, named after the chip that powers it. Either way, it’s undoubtedly the best iPad for most people looking for an Apple tablet, whether they’re students or regular users. That’s because it does almost everything you’d expect from an iPad, and it does it all at a very reasonable price—especially compared to other Apple tablets.
This iPad features an 11-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels. It reaches 500 nits of brightness, which, while not the brightest Apple display, should be sufficient for most tasks. It lacks some of the advantages of other Apple displays, such as a 120Hz refresh rate, P3 color gamut, or OLED, but for most people and most tasks, this screen is perfectly adequate.
As mentioned above, this iPad is powered by the Apple A16 chip, the same one found in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15. This means you’re getting a slower chip than Apple’s more expensive tablets, but that’s not all. iPadOS isn’t macOS: it requires far less processing power to run, especially for simple tasks like email, web browsing, and media consumption. This iPad isn’t for users primarily focused on 3D graphics, 4K video editing, or AAA gaming, but it will handle almost any other task and app without issue.
iPads aren’t known for their cameras, but they can be quite decent. The same is true for this model: it has a 12-megapixel rear camera with 4K video support. But more importantly, there’s a 12-megapixel front camera with Center Stage support. This automatically centers the image, making it easier to make FaceTime calls while on the move—for example, while cooking. The iPad also has a host of other modern features, such as a USB-C port, Wi-Fi 6, and 5G support. Of course, it supports the Apple Pencil, but make sure you buy the right model ( the Apple Pencil USB-C ). It also supports the Apple Magic Keyboard , but third-party alternatives are available.
This iPad is a great value, but like many other options on this list, it only comes with 128GB of storage. While this is plenty, if your gift recipient stores a lot of files on their devices, it might be worth opting for a larger storage version. Luckily, this tablet is often on sale, so you can find 256GB or 512GB options at a reduced price.
The Best iPad Gift for Power Users: iPad Pro
Apple’s base iPad is excellent, but I wouldn’t say it’s perfect. Apple makes iPads with better displays, much 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 recommend the iPad Pro .
The Pro model comes in two sizes: 11 and 13 inches. Either size features Apple’s Ultra Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate and P3 color gamut. These OLED displays offer high contrast, deep blacks, and no visible backlight bleeding in dark scenes. These displays are also brighter, reaching 1000 nits in SDR mode and 1600 nits when viewing HDR content.
While iPadOS on the iPad Pro is virtually identical to the iPad (A16), the hardware inside these two devices is fundamentally different. Current iPad Pros run on the Apple M5 chip, the same processor found in Apple’s Mac computers. Base Pro models feature a nine-core CPU and ten-core GPU with 12GB of memory. Make no mistake: these are truly touchscreen computers. Unfortunately, this hardware runs iPadOS, so for most tasks, you won’t notice a significant difference between the iPad Pro and the iPad—except perhaps when running multiple apps simultaneously. However, the difference will be noticeable in the use of artificial intelligence: Apple’s iPad doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, so if your conversation partner is interested in the company’s AI features, the Pro outperforms the iPad.
Again, people don’t buy an iPad for its camera, and like the iPad, the Pro has a 12-megapixel rear camera. However, unlike the iPad, the Pro supports ProRes video—a professional video codec. However, this probably isn’t a significant factor, except for a very small niche of users who might be interested in recording and editing ProRes video exclusively on their iPad. It also has a 12-megapixel front camera and the TrueDepth camera system, like the iPhone, since this iPad supports Face ID.
The iPad Pro supports the Apple Pencil Pro , the company’s new stylus, as well as the Magic Keyboard , which turns the Pro into a kind of laptop (both in functionality and price). It supports 5G and Wi-Fi 7, which can provide faster speeds than the basic iPad. Ultimately, the iPad Pro is an additional option here: it costs significantly more than the iPad (A16), so it’s really the choice for those who want the maximum productivity from their Apple tablet.
The Best Android Tablet Gift for Most People: The Galaxy Tab S10 FE
Ideally, this recommendation would be for the iPad (A16). And typically, the Samsung “FE” tablet might not be suitable, as its suggested retail price is significantly higher than Apple’s budget iPad. However, the Tab S10 FE is often discounted, as is the case at the time of writing. And with the discount, it’s an excellent choice for most people looking for an Android tablet.
The S10 FE tablet is equipped with an Exynos 1580 processor and runs Android 15. The base model comes with 8GB of RAM, but opting for the 256GB variant gets you 12GB. According to Geekbench , the tablet scores 1,367 in single-core testing and 3,939 in multi-core testing. By comparison , Apple’s iPad (A16) scores 2,572 in single-core testing and 5,828 in multi-core testing. Apple has an advantage here because it develops both hardware and software for its tablets, but the S10 FE is by no means the fastest tablet. However, it’s powerful enough to handle essential Android tasks.
Like Apple’s top iPad for most users, the S10 FE features a 10.9-inch IPS LCD display. However, it’s slightly faster than Apple’s display—while the iPad has a 60Hz refresh rate, the S10 FE has a 90Hz refresh rate, meaning navigation will feel a bit smoother when compared side-by-side. While you shouldn’t expect the crystal-clear blacks of an OLED display, this LCD display has a 1440 x 2304 resolution, which should provide a reasonably sharp image. The S10 FE has a single 13MP rear camera and a 12MP front camera. It supports Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, and USB-C (2.0).
This tablet isn’t suitable for those planning to run resource-intensive apps or play AAA games. However, if your gift recipient only needs an Android tablet for watching TV shows and movies, messaging, and simple tasks, this is one of the best options on the Android tablet market—especially at a discount. As with the Galaxy S series, Samsung guarantees seven years of software support for the Galaxy Tab series, so the S10 FE can expect updates until 2032.
The Best Android Tablet Gift for Power Users: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11
The Galaxy Tab S11 series is perhaps the closest equivalent to the iPad Pro series in the Android tablet market. It comes in two variants: the S11 with an 11-inch display and the S11 Ultra with a 14.6-inch display. Either way, you get a tablet with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and a typical brightness of 1000 nits (1600 nits when viewing HDR content). Like the iPad Pro, these displays are also OLED, meaning better contrast and deeper blacks.
These tablets are powered by Mediatek Dimensity 9400+ chips built on a 3nm process. The base models of both come with 12GB of RAM, but if you opt for the Ultra with 1TB, you’ll get 16GB of RAM (though that’s quite expensive for a tablet). Your gift recipient should have enough power to run Android 16 on this hardware, as well as handle most tasks they’ll throw at it. CNET notes that the S11 tablets are about 25% faster than the previous generation, and that it outperforms nearly all other tablets in most important metrics—except for the processor, where the S11 ranks second only to the OnePlus Pad 3.
The S11 tablet has two rear cameras: a 13-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. While these are tablet-specific cameras, reviews suggest they’re perfectly usable, and the ultra-wide camera could have been useful. The S11 is quite rugged, especially in terms of dust and spill resistance, with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
It’s a true tablet, not a touchscreen PC, but Samsung has several options for users looking for a more traditional experience. Like the Galaxy S series, the Tab S11 comes with DeX, which lets you connect the tablet to a monitor, simulating a PC experience. This only works when connected to an external display, but you can, of course, simulate a laptop experience by connecting the S11 to a keyboard.
Best Small Tablet Gift: iPad Mini
Some tablets are “small,” especially compared to laptops, but tiny ones are practically impossible to find. If the recipient wants a tablet that’s essentially a large smartphone, the iPad mini is the best option. The mini is truly tiny: Apple has equipped this model with an 8.3-inch IPS display with a maximum brightness of 500 nits. The resolution is 1488 x 2266 pixels, and the P3 color gamut is the same as Apple’s more expensive tablets.
Additionally, this iPad is equipped with an Apple A17 Pro chip, the same one the company uses in the iPhone 15 Pro. This provides a nice balance between the Mac-level chips found in the iPad Pro and the older A16 used in the base iPad model. Furthermore, this chip supports Apple Intelligence, so if you’re interested in Apple’s own AI features, the mini will be able to run them. (Although, expect some of the more resource-intensive features, such as Siri voice customization, to be unavailable.)
The iPad mini has the same 12-megapixel rear camera as the base iPad, as well as a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. However, there’s one minor drawback: Apple still positions the front-facing camera in portrait orientation, meaning it faces the side when the iPad is held sideways. In the iPad (A16) and iPad Pro, the camera is now positioned in landscape orientation, mimicking the orientation of a laptop. This isn’t a critical flaw, but it’s worth noting.
In many other ways, it’s a modern iPad. It features a USB-C port, supports Wi-Fi 6E and 5G, and supports the Apple Pencil Pro . Apple doesn’t offer a keyboard for the mini like it does for its other iPads, but you can find third-party options online.