With the release of the new Nexus 9 and an interesting new offering from Lenovo, there are more great Android tablets on offer than ever before and with Android 5.0 Lollipop more than likely heading to most of this list, these tablets should only get better over time. So, let’s take a look at what’s on offer for October, shall we?
10. Amazon Fire HD 6 and 7
Amazon’s Android tablets might not feature the same sort of Google Services that a lot of us would be accustomed to on a tablet, but they’re great for content consumption as well as handing over to the little ones without fear of ruining your pride and joy. Coming in at either 6 or 7-inch versions, these aren’t much to look at, but they’ll make excellent first-time tablets or indeed ones those for casual users as well kids. With a two-year worry-free guarantee that ensures a replacement Fire no matter what your little ones manage to get up to, these are great options for the whole family.
09. Amazon Fire HDX 8.9
For those a little more discerning, the Fire HDX 8.9 is one of the best displays available with a stunning 2560 x 1600 resolution in just 8.9-inches. It’s a great tablet with some of the best horsepower available as well thanks to that Snapdragon 801 and 2GB of RAM. Still, if you’re too invested in Google services, then this isn’t immediately the one for you. Having said that, Amazon’s offerings now have all the digital content you’d need as well as many of the best Android apps available from Google, too.
08. Yoga Tablet 2 Pro
Not too long ago, Lenovo introduced follow-ups to their original Yoga tablets and out of those was the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro, which features a 13-inch Quad HD display with a subwoofer thanks to the JBL sound system. While large thanks to its massive display, the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro also features a Pico Projector for taking things to the true big screen. It’s also got all the ‘modes’ that the other two smaller tablets have and is really one of the more versatile tablets available right now. That versatility will cost you however, and this Pro tablet is Pro in price as well as its features.
07. Google Nexus 7
The little tablet that could is still alive and kicking, and while it’s nowhere as impressive as the newly announced Nexus 9, the Nexus 7 still has one of the best 7-inch displays (with a resolution of 1920 x 1200) available on the market and it’ll be getting upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop pretty soon, too. An excellent package for the price, the Nexus 7 continues to prove great value for those looking for something small, versatile and up-to-date.
06. Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Sony has been making excellent tablets for some time now, and while they’re not the most affordable out there, the new Z3 Tablet Compact should go some ways to alleviating that problem as this isn’t quite as pricey as previous models were in the past. It’s still pretty pricey, but it’s built to be waterproof and has 3GB of RAM as well as a Snapdragon 801 under the hood, so it’s easy to see where the price tag comes from. Having said that, it would have been nice to see a slightly higher resolution and maybe some extra features, but with the ability to play PS4 games and some of the best specs available, Sony’s latest is pretty good.
05. NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet
If you’re more into playing Android games on your Android tablet, then the NVIDIA SHIELD is your next best friend. It’s packed with the same Tegra K1 that makes the Nexus 9 so damn powerful and this guy has a somewhat more portable 8-inch display, with the ability to hook up a dedicated controller to get your game on while on the move. More than that though, NVIDIA’s SHIELD tablet allows you to play Steam games from your PC on your tablet, which is just downright cool. For hardcore gamers, this is one of the best available.
04. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
Perhaps the best “middleground” tablet, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has the right boxes ticked, with big, golden ticks. The display is excellent at 2560 x 1600, but the 8.4-inch panel really comes to life when you take a look at that Super AMOLED display and see those rich colors. Great for reading magazines, watching movies and generally anything that involves a lot of color and images, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is the take-everywhere tablet that has the specs and display of something a little larger.
03. Samsung Galaxy Note – 2014 Edition
For those that want to do more with their tablet, Samsung’s aging Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition is the one for them. The display is good, it’s powerful and the S-Pen can really help you get things done in a way no other tablet can. At 10.1-inches it’s a standard size and still quite portable, and there’s more enough room to use the S-Pen to its fullest while on the move.
02. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
That’s Super AMOLED display is even more impressive on a display just begging to replace your TV, the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is the tablet to take with you on long trips to watch your favorite TV or movies on and it’s also a great all-rounder as well. It offers the same sort of size as an iPad, has an arguably far superior display and the widescreen format is great for movies, YouTube and playing games. It’s got it where it counts on the inside, too and this is easily one of the best tablets Samsung has ever rolled off its production line, for now, at least.
01. Google Nexus 9
There’s a new king in town and it’s not who you might expect. The Nexus 9 is finally among us and while it’s not yet shipped out to folks as of writing, it’s available to pre-order and many have been waiting for it. The Tegra K1, 8.9-inch Nexus 9 is built by HTC this year, not ASUS, and the aluminum frame and overall build quality has shot through the roof. Where the Nexus 7 was praised for being great “for its price tag” or “for a tablet of this price”, the Nexus 9 is a great tablet, period. With a keyboard cover as well, Google is trying to make the first tablet to launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop the tablet to do everything, rather than the Nexus 7 which was best at home playing games or consuming media. It’s pricey, that’s for sure, but the Nexus 9 might be the best Android tablet ever made.