Choosing the best student tablet requires carefully compromising between affordability and performance. The tablet shouldn’t break the bank but should have good battery life, productivity features, and streaming service and game support (for when it’s time to relax). Productivity features are essential when picking a tablet for students, but these aren’t universal across devices. Some offer E Ink displays, perfect for note-taking, while others support keyboards and styluses for staying on top of coursework and projects.
Fortunately, there’s a wide Android tablet variety, so there’s no compromise when picking an educational tablet (and, we’ll reluctantly admit, some iPads are okay, too). This list includes the best options for students looking for something more versatile than the best student Chromebooks without sacrificing the productivity of a laptop.
At just shy of $500, the OnePlus Pad is a remarkable achievement for the company’s first Android tablet. Students will appreciate the dedicated accessories that turn it into a versatile workstation, while the capable chipset can handle multitasking with ease.
The optional keyboard and stylus accessories increase the overall price to $700, which is unnecessarily expensive, but fortunately, these are often available at discounted bundle rates. You may only need one or the other; either way, you won’t be disappointed.
The OnePlus Pad’s battery is the most attractive feature for students. Not only can it handle multiple days without a charge, but it’ll barely drain the battery on standby and will charge to full in less than two hours. It’s perfect if you want a tablet that lives in your bag most of the time.
We guarantee you won’t be disappointed if you’re willing to shell out the $1000 to pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+. If you’re looking for a tablet to take you through your entire tenure at college without getting sluggish in your final year, this is the best Android tablet you can buy.
The regular Galaxy Tab S9 is $200 cheaper and doesn’t sacrifice performance, but its smaller 11-inch screen isn’t ideal for productivity. The Tab S9+’s 12.4-inch display is perfect for Samsung’s DeX mode, which turns the Tab S9+ into a PC with a couple of taps.
The Tab S9+ ships with either 256 or 512 GB storage, enough to handle all your files and media. Those looking to spend extra might be eyeing up the Tab S9 Ultra, but that tablet really is overkill for all but the most demanding students.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is an excellent budget tablet and great value. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 695 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. The storage can be expanded up to 1TB using a microSD card, making it great for housing lots of files and documents and backing up work.
The tablet provides great general performance for running basic apps like PowerPoint, Word, and the entire Google Suite. It’s also great for doing research, browsing, messaging, and watching movies on the large 11-inch LCD. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Galaxy Tab A9+ is far from the most powerful tablet out there, and while it’ll be adequate for basic tasks, it struggles with multitasking, and it’s not recommended for gaming.
That said, if all you’re after is an affordable tablet with a great display, a small form factor, and enough power to plow through the day on a single charge, the Tab A9+ should be a great choice. It fits in most backpacks and there’s even a model option with 5G connectivity that enables you to connect to the internet when there isn’t Wi-Fi access, though sadly this is limited to the less powerful 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version.
Starving students will need to fill a massive penny jar if they’re to afford the premium price of the Lenovo Tab P12. Less a dedicated note-taking tablet and more a gaming dynamo, a financially comfortable freshman can use it as a part-time entertainment hub, one that’s entirely capable of recording lesson plans thanks to the included detachable stylus.
Rife with accessorizing mojo, the P12 gears up for on-the-go studying. A 2-in-1 keyboard, complete with a built-in trackpad, easily attaches to provide more focused, laptop-like interactions with the super-bright OLED display.
The Lenovo Tab’s display is larger than the previous year’s model, yet it holds a charge for an entire day. By the way, perfect for studying, or gaming, on a sunny college quad, the 600-nit screen won’t wash out when lessons are being reviewed outside. Similarly, large-windowed classrooms filled with midday sunshine won’t cause an issue.
If you’re a student looking to read, draw, annotate, and traditionally consume content, you might be interested in the Onyx Boox Note Air3 C. It features a beautiful 10.3-inch paper-like color display that’s covered by glass. It has a pressure-sensitive layer, helping you take advantage of the included pen to write notes.
The tablet weighs less than other similarly sized tablets and is just as compact and portable. It can fit in most backpacks and can last all day on a single charge, even with continuous usage. The reason why you might want to choose this model, instead of a traditional tablet, is because it lets you annotate and take notes on a display that feels a lot like paper. It’s also backlit for times when you have no natural light, and the screen is excellent for reading books, comics, handwritten notes, and even research papers.
You can use the built-in browser to get even more power out of this E Ink tablet, and with the included Google Play Store, you have the option to download any app you want. Streaming favorite songs and even watching videos is also possible, although you might want to limit binge-watching to your phone or laptop, as this device is primarily aimed at binge-readers who require pen input and the ability to use modern apps.
Happily, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE doesn’t feel as if it’s living in the flagship device’s shadow. Students will appreciate the included S-Pen, plus that large, bright screen, which is perfect for lectures in brightly lit spaces, although not as bright as an OLED display. It’s a fair trade-off, given the price difference.
Mostly, students will find the big bang-for-your-buck price too tempting to refuse. The price does go up a little when accessories enter the equation, with the pairing of note-taking keyboard cases adding to the final price. The already significant weight of the budget-priced 521g Samsung tablet will only gain heft when a wireless keyboard is paired.
Tradeoffs aside, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a more than capable touchscreen classroom notetaker and multitasking device that receives a passing grade from us. The inclusion of an S Pen, a feature not emulated by a famous competitor, makes the tablet an appealing option. Better yet, although defined by its Fan Edition label, this Samsung product doesn’t feel as if any shortcuts have been taken, except perhaps with the display.
Chromebooks are an excellent way to carry out work in remote places, classrooms, and at home. They’re excellent alternatives to Android tablets, iPads, and Windows laptops, costing much less. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 offers the best of both worlds. It’ll act as a laptop, thanks to the included kickstand, and transform into a 13.3-inch tablet. The display is sharp and colorful, making it excellent for watching movies, editing, and working.
The Duet 5 can also run Android apps and Linux applications, such as Gimp, making it a portable and versatile productivity workhorse to study and do classwork. While Android and Linux apps work well on this machine, it’s important to keep in mind that Windows apps won’t run, and some Linux and Android apps can be limited in terms of functionality. Performance-wise, the Duet 5 will be able to cope with most tasks, as long as you don’t push anything too demanding that would require additional graphics.
Whether you want to take notes, enjoy movies, listen to music, or games while you’re not studying, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 will make for a great companion. It’s perfect for students looking for an affordable laptop and tablet, and while it doesn’t come with a stylus by default, it can often be found for less than $50 at select retailers.
Almost futureproof, that’s the two words that come to mind when picking up an iPad Air 5. The amped-up M1 powerhouse processor prepares the tablet for the latest games and apps, but there’s no corresponding upgrade made to the life of the battery. At 10 hours, though, that’s more than enough for an extra-long college curriculum.
For students, aside from the prestige associated with the Apple name, there’s the opportunity to buy an Apple Pen 2 or a keyboard folio; it’s a pity a stylus isn’t included, though. If you do own the Pen, mark up documents, sketch, then break for lunch simply by magnetically attaching it to the iPad.
Class, the premium functionality kind, that’s what the iPad Air Gen. 5 is all about. There are a few areas still requiring a little polishing, but the device is so responsive, pixel-perfect, precise, and attractive that such minor concerns can be forgiven. And it’s now more blazing-fast than ever because of the M1 chip.
Xiaomi is known for its excellent, affordable tablets. The Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE is a budget tablet, albeit one featuring premium build quality, enough performance to do work and enjoy a bit of entertainment on the side, and all the features you need in a compact and light form factor.
The Redmi Pad SE has an 11-inch LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s fast, responsive, and sharp. It’s great for consuming media, viewing images, and researching on the big screen. It’s not the brightest panel out there, but it’ll be more than adequate for getting work done inside, and even outside in the shade. Speaking of work, the device is capable of handling most productivity apps, and some light, non-demanding games.
The tablet can last a full day on a single charge thanks to its 8,000mAh battery, and while it won’t be the fastest to charge back up to 100%, the 18W wired charging is on par with other devices in this price range. If all you need is a tablet that can multitask using a few lightweight office apps, consume media, and browse the web, the Redmi Pad SE is an excellent option.
Focusing on classroom lectures, there’s no time to pore over complex tablet interfaces, which is why the reMarkable 2 and its E Ink display have been built to automatically transform quickly noted words into easy-to-read digital text. Clean and easy to read, there’s no issue reviewing lessons after a student has returned to the dorm.
That same natural writing experience, scribbling words and drawings onto the paper-feel E Ink screen, is responsive and precise, as comfortably performed on the lithe 14-oz form factor.
The reMarkable 2 won’t leave students struggling, not with two weeks of battery power in reserve. It features PDF reading and converting and sharing capabilities. There’s even the expected cloud syncing function, too. Students can, therefore, organize and access their work on other devices, although not without signing up for a paid subscription.
Thanks to its excellent battery life, powerful hardware, and a price that won’t break the bank, the OnePlus Pad is the best overall student tablet. It’s a capable midrange Android tablet that packs a strong chipset, beautiful display, and decent software experience while costing half the price of the premium pick. You’ll have to pay extra if you want the magnetic keyboard or stylus, but if you do, you’ll have everything you need to complete your daily workload.
Depending on your projects, you may want a model with more oomph than most tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ might seem expensive, but for the price, you get a large screen and the hardware to multitask with ease. For students who want to carry out even more work on a tablet, it’s the perfect choice.
Students looking for a more budget-friendly option might be interested in our best value selection, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+. It’s an excellent wallet-friendly device that usually costs less than $200. Despite its reasonable price tag, it has enough power to use basic apps, research, and watch movies when you finish your studies.
Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app they will start using it!
