Android might be the dominant name in smart phones at the moment, but it's still got a way to go to beat Apple's ever-popular iPad. With better components, more user-friendly features and, crucially, lower pricing, 2013 could be the year Android slates start to really take hold.
To help you find the best Android tablet for your needs, let me take you through our favourite five right now.
Google Nexus 7
Clearly not happy with the existing Android slates, Google decided to wade in to the arena, hand in hand with Asus, showing everyone else exactly what a good tablet should be.
The 7-inch Nexus 7 packs in a high-definition display, a super-charged quad-core processor and the latest version of Android Jelly Bean. Best of all though it starts at the ridiculously low price of £160. It's not only a superb option if you want a high-end portable slate, it's cheap enough to be the best choice if you're looking to take your first steps into the tablet world.
Google Nexus 10
If 7 inches doesn't quite cut it for you then check out Google's Nexus 10, this time made in partnership with Samsung. Its 10-inch display crams in a ludicrous number of pixels making it phenomenally sharp, while the nippy dual-core chip manages to plough through demanding tasks without breaking a sweat.
At £320, it's not the same casual purchase as the Nexus 7, but it offers a heck of a lot for the money.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
If the name didn't give you a glaring hint, Samsung's own Galaxy Note 10.1 is also a 10-inch slate. Its bright, bold screen accompanies a powerful quad-core chip with a generous 2GB of RAM.
It separates itself from the herd though by packing a stylus in the bottom. It lets you hand-write all your notes, doodle little pictures when you're bored and take advantage of the various pieces of Samsung software designed specifically to work with the pen.
If you want a big slate with a stylus for note-taking at the office or sketching on the sofa, the Note 10.1 might be a good option.
Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 700
Tablets might be great fun for swiping and poking around colourful apps, but trying to type anything more than a couple of sentences is as about as pleasant as a sneeze in the face.
Enter, the Asus Transfromer Pad Infinity 700. The tablet packs a high-resolution display, a quad-core chip and slots into a keyboard dock, turning it into a laptop.
If you want the fun of a touchscreen but need something that will let you get on with some real work, the Transformer Infinity could be for you.
Toshiba AT300
Toshiba's AT300 might not have any special skill like a keyboard or stylus, but that doesn't mean it's not a nice bit of kit. Its 10-inch screen is bright and bold and the quad-core processor gives a generous helping of power.
It's also incredibly slim and lets you pop in full-sized SD cards making it particularly handy for photographers. It was pretty pricey initially, but you can now pick it up for a very reasonable £230.
There are of course a whole host of other slates around and a load more expected to come this year. Make sure you keep your eyes firmly fixed on CNET UK for all the latest news and the very best buying advice, and of course let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or over on our Facebook page.
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Comments 19
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anonymous 29 January, 2013 12:55
Not very thorough are we! for less than £200 you can get 9.7" retina screen Android Tablets from Cube, Chuwi, Freelander to name a few
Andrew Hoyle 29 January, 2013 13:44
As clearly indicated, this is our top five tablets, not a list of every tablet for under £200.
Peter Hudson 29 January, 2013 14:35
Ooo snap, that's her told.
anonymous 29 January, 2013 14:36
@anonymous your ridiculous and a very stupid comment. If cnet make a mistake fair enough but you're here just to try and ridicule.
anonymous 29 January, 2013 15:20
Excellent timing Mr Hoyle!
I'm desperately trying to decide between Nexus 10 and Samsung Galaxy Note. I could definitely see a use for the Stylus, but having not 'lived' with the Note for 2-3 weeks I don't know if I'm just sold on the gimmick on if it really would be game changing. Tell ne: are the screen resolution, top of the range specs and 'Pure Android' aspects of the Nexus enough to turn my decision Google's way? I don't like the idea of a disappointing display and performance on the Note 10.1, but I'd hate to pick up a Nexus and then drop more cash (on e.g. a Stylus, note taking apps) trying to make it more Samsung like...
Love the website and the reviews, keep up the good work!
anonymous 29 January, 2013 15:22
* or
** me
Apologies for the above typos :)
Andrew Hoyle 29 January, 2013 15:33
Hi, Anonymous 15:20
Both tablets are really great, the question is basically do you need a stylus? Having used one for quite a while (and the Galaxy Note 2 with its stylus) I found it great for sketching/doodling/writing notes. If you think you'd get the use out of a stylus then it's worth going for. The stylus is specifically designed for that screen (it has a solid tip) whereas third party styluses for other screens have wider, spongy tips that aren't as accurate.
The screen on the Note 10.1 is lower resolution, but it's still plenty sharp enough -- I'm not sure you'd ever really have a problem with itunless you saw the two side by side. It's V bold and bright too so it's good for videos. Stock Jelly Bean on the Nexus is good but Samsung has some great software features that are helpful on a screen that size.
In short, you're getting a great tablet either way -- it's just down to whether you want a stylus enough!
Hope that helps
anonymous 29 January, 2013 16:44
I thought I'd better chip in here to the vague defence of the first poster, who pointed out the omission of a number of different tablets from the roundup. Whilst it was reasonably pointed out that this article is just a "top tablets you can buy today", I fear this actually makes the article less than useful, primarily because every man and his dog with a blog can tell you exactly the same thing. There has been very little change in the market in the last 6 months or so as to what the best tablets are.
With the release of the Nexus 7 the sub £200 tablet market (both 7" and 10") has gone into overdrive, trying to pump out 7" clones or lower spec 10"s to compete with it.
Whilst I cannot speak for the nation, judging from some of the largest UK shopping forums, moneysavingexpert.com & hotukdeals being just two of them, there is a huge demand for these types of tablets, not only for kids (sub £100) but for cash strapped adults (sub £200).
The thing is, the mainstream media, cnet being one such site, seem to ignore such tablets, leaving independent blogs and forums to scoop up the traffic that would unboutably be theirs, should they deign to actually pick up a few and start reviewing them. Bear in mind the average user probably just wants to surf the web at a decent speed, check facebook, watch a few vids or play angry birds. You dont need a (£300) Nexus 10 to do that comfortably.
I recently brought a Cheap £80 tablet for my 3 year old (her old man's a techie, she was always going to be a mini geek!) and I was shocked at how responsive and snappy it was, and I've used near on every tablet on the market. It wasnt a grey import from China, and it is readily available online here in the UK. I wont mention it here as I dont want to detract from my point, which is get out their an get your hands dirty cnet! You could easily pick up some huge increases in traffic if you kept your eye on the underdogs, rather than the big boys all the time.
See what is trending on the forums, XDA developers, slatedroid, etc and lay down some reviews.
ps: Oh and another thing. Keep an eye on pricing. I realise you've done this with the Toshiba, but tablets are being discounted left right and center. At certain price points, older tablets (initially reviewed poorly at full price), suddenly become very desirable. Maybe you could put an addendum to the review scores?
I guess I criticise because I love. :)
Damien2501 29 January, 2013 16:48
A brilliant list of tablets Mr. Hoyle! Do you know any dual OS tablets? And are they any good?? I'm looking for a tablet that can run both Android and Windows.
anonymous 29 January, 2013 18:52
Following on from Anon 16:44, a 'Top 5 Android Tablets You've Never Heard of' article would be good.
The quality of Chinese tablets can be variable but that makes it more important to see some proper independent reviews. Currently most reviews are from people who get them free for giving good reviews. There is some really good stuff out there (my chinese tab was smaller, lighter and had better connectivity than my Nexus 7) but without some mainstream reviews it's always a risk going for one.
anonymous 29 January, 2013 21:35
Also and much cheeper is the Onda V972
Quad Core CPU and 8 Core Power VR SGX544MP2 GPU,
A 9.7 inch Retina IPS screen with 2048*1536
Stuart Perchard 29 January, 2013 21:49
I to have a Chinese Pad if you look at the specs they are to the ipad:-
CHUWI V99 QUAD CORE, CPU CORTEX A7 QUAD CORE, CPU model ALLWINNER A31 4x1.5Ghz, Android 4.1, RAM 2 Gb, Internal memory 16 Gb' Micro SD slot, Screen size 9.7, Resolution 2048x1536, Multitouch 10 points' 3G, USB, WIFI 802.11 b/g/n, Facecam, 2.0 MPixels, RearCamera, 5.0 MPixels
All for £185, you can keep your top 5 and ipad. I'd rather have the change in my pocket thankyou
anonymous 29 January, 2013 22:11
One other Android tablet maker making strides to offer quality Android tablets at competitive prices is Ainol Electronics - which has previously won runner up for "Best Tablet of the Year" at CES 2012 and this month has introduced the Novo Quad Core Series of Android tablets -- including the Novo 7 Venus which launched this week - with one U.S. reseller - a site called TabletSprint offering this new model for $149--
The Novo 7 Venus offers an excellent quality build and compares to the Nexus 7 tablet but for considerably less -- matching key features, including a Quad Core processor, a high resolution multi-touch 1280x800 IPS screen, 16GB memory, a front camera, Android O/S and Google Play Store preinstalled - while also offering a number of features the Nexus 7 doesn't -- including a 2-megapixel rear camera, a MicroSD memory card slot, an HDMI 1080p port to download and watch movies directly from a tablet on a large screen TV and also project & play video games on to a big screen; plus more ways to connect to the internet, including Ethernet as well as 3G/4G Wireless connection through its USB port with a 3G/4G USB adapter.
Also this week, the Novo 9 Spark is released, and this is probably the most exciting tablet to date - which features a Quad Core processor along with a 9.7 inch 2048x1536 (Retina) screen – and a powerful 10,000 mAh battery, 4K Digital HDMI, and a 5 Megapixel Rear Camera with AF and Flash all for $269.
It should be interesting to see how the new Novo Quad Core Series fares in 2013 as this company gains more presence in the tablet market. The site TabletSprint also offers $25 in Bonus Apps, along with an option for free monthly nationwide 4G service, which includes a 4G USB adapter and 500MB of data that works with all models they carry.
Stuart Perchard 29 January, 2013 22:45
maybe Hoyl ought to look at top quality not top famous makers, sorry tablets :-)
Rick Martin 30 January, 2013 09:20
One of the most exciting tablets from Ainol Electronics becomes available in February - the Novo 9 Spark is released, which features a Quad Core processor along with an impressive
9.7 inch 2048x1536 (Retina) screen – and a powerful 10,000 mAh battery, 4K Digital HDMI,
and a 5 Megapixel Rear Camera with AF and Flash -- all for £170 ($269 USD) -- comparable to the iPad and Nexus 10 for a considerably less price point -- of course Ainol doesn't have the mass advertising cost of Apple and Google, so ultimately the savings ends up in the consumers pocket.
It should be interesting to see how the new Novo Quad Core Series fares in 2013 as this company gains more presence in the tablet market. One reseller, a site called TabletSprint offers both the Novo 7 Venus and the Novo 9 Spark and also includes $25 in Bonus Apps with all models they carry.
anonymous 30 January, 2013 10:18
Clearly my post(first one) provoked claws out from Hoyle and a couple of others, but as to the majority caused some major thought which is a good thing, plus "AS CLEARLY INDICATED" in your first paragraph you clearly state that you consider android to be inferior to apple which is a shame
Howard10000 2 February, 2013 13:43
The Chipad manufacturers don't advertise on the CNET website
anonymous 24 February, 2013 01:49
You can decide that which device you want to buy:
Smartphone, laptop or tablet. But I think Tablet device is best for the businessman because of many reason. Many branded company sell their tablet but you should take a look on some tablet review site before you buy it so that it will help you to have some knowledge about its feature, its benefit, U can compare them for justifying that which of them is best.
anonymous 22 March, 2013 16:41
Hi,
Do you want the best tablet of the world?Then watch here.I think you will get what you want.Here are tablets of different brands and models. for more information please visit