Best Android tablets (July 2015)
Android tablets make great gifts, and the best thing about them is that everyone can use them, from a three-year-old to your grandma. But with so many devices out there, how can you make sure you get the best Android tablet for your money? There are probably hundreds of Android tablets on Amazon, and avoiding the overpriced and the plain bad can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be that hard.
Just take a look at the tablets below – they are the very best Android has to offer, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Without further ado, here’s our list of the best Android tablets available in July 2015.
If you’re interested in some great, cheaper tablets, check out our Best Cheap Android Tablets Guide!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
Update – Price drop to $363.00 – if you want the fastest performance and most incredible display of any compact tablet on the market then this is the one to get. Most of us use tablets for watching movies, reading, and playing games. So it makes sense to go for the very best display you can get, and it’s hard to find anything better than the Galaxy Tab S 8.4. The Tab S 8.4 is one of the few tablets with an AMOLED screen and a super crisp Quad HD at that, with an excellent 359 ppi pixel density. Being AMOLED, the screen will show deep blacks and vivid colors, perfect for games and movies. The portable Tab S 8.4 combines the portability of smaller devices with the screen real estate afforded by larger tablets. Plus, this 8.4-incher is fast and feature-rich, making it good for just about any task.
Specs
- Dimensions: 212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6 mm (8.38 x 4.94 x 0.26 in), 298 g (10.51 oz)
- Display: 8.4-inch AMOLED, Quad HD (2560 x 1600) resolution, 359 ppi
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2.3GHz quad-core
- GPU: Adreno 330 GPU
- Memory: 3GB RAM
- Storage: 16/32GB
- microSD slot: Yes, up to 128 GB
- Cameras: 8 MP rear, 2.1 MP front
- Battery: 4,900 mAh
- OS: Android 4.4.2 KitKat with TouchWiz
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi/3G-LTE
- Others: fingerprint scanner
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S officially announced: here’s what you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 review
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S devices proven to carry the best tablet displays
- Best Galaxy Tab S 8.4 cases
Nvidia Shield Tablet
Nvidia is known for video cards, not Android tablets, but the Shield Tablet is definitely worth of your attention, especially if you’re into gaming. That’s because the Shield Tablet is powered by a mighty Tegra K1 processor and comes with Nvidia’s TegraZone portal, that gives you access to dozens of Tegra-optimized Android games.
The rest of the specs are nothing to sneeze at, and build quality and design are top-notch. The Shield’s stereo front-facing speakers are great for gaming, video, and music, and the stylus that comes in the box will amp up your productivity. On the downside, this device is a bit heavy and the battery life tends towards the lower end of the spectrum.
Specs
- Dimensions: 221 x 126 x 9.2 mm (8.70 x 4.96 x 0.36 in), 390 g (13.76 oz)
- Display: 8-inch LCD, Full HD (1920 x 1200) resolution, 283 ppi
- Processor: Nvidia Tegra K1, 2.2GHz quad-core
- GPU: Kepler (192 cores)
- Memory: 2GB RAM
- Storage: 16/32GB
- microSD slot: Yes
- Cameras: 5 MP rear, 5 MP front
- Battery: 5,200 mAh
- OS: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi/3G-LTE
- Others: stylus, stereo speaker
Read more
- NVIDIA Shield Tablet review
- Best NVIDIA Shield tablet cases
- NVIDIA Shield Tablet – Gaming Experience
- Nvidia launches Tegra K1-powered Shield tablet, starting at $299
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
Don’t let the mouthful of a name fool you – the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is as sleek as Android tablets get. This 8-inch device impresses through its lightness and very slim profile – at 6.4 millimeters, this is the thinnest tablet you can get. But the Z3 Tablet Compact has more than good looks. On the inside, the fast Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM ensure you will be flying through the screens of Sony’s minimalist user interface.
The LCD screen is not Quad HD, but Sony’s unique display technology ensures you get vivid colors that are similar to what you get on AMOLED. Another unique attribute of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is its water resistance. Yup, you can take this device to beach or the hot tub without worrying about dropping it in the water.
Specs
- Dimensions: 213.4 x 123.6 x 6.4 mm (8.40 x 4.87 x 0.25 in), 270 g (9.52 oz)
- Display: 8-inch LCD, Full HD (1920 x 1200) resolution, 283 ppi
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, 2.5GHz quad-core
- GPU: Adreno 330 GPU
- Memory: 3GB RAM
- Storage: 16GB
- microSD slot: Yes, up to 128 GB
- Cameras: 8.1 MP rear, 2.2 MP front
- Battery: 4,500 mAh
- OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi/3G-LTE
- Others: IP68 water resistance
Read more
Google Nexus 9
The brand new Nexus 9 from Google and HTC is an Android fanboy’s dream. It runs the purest, most recent version of Android – Lollipop 5.0 – and it will stay current for at least two years. There are no OEM additions (though stock Android may be a little too minimal for your taste) and therefore nothing to bog down the user experience.
The Nexus 9 is just as impressive on the hardware side – you get a 64-bit Tegra processor, a beautiful 1536 x 2048 pixels screen, stereo front speakers (disguised under the protective glass) and a big battery. However, like all Nexus devices, there’s no microSD card slot. The device features a utilitarian, yet elegant design, with an aluminum frame that gives it rigidity without adding much heft.
Specs
- Dimensions: 228.2 x 153.7 x 7.9 mm (8.98 x 6.05 x 0.31 in), 270 g (9.52 oz)
- Display: 8.95-inch IPS LCD, 1536 x 2048 resolution, 281 ppi
- Processor: Nvidia Tegra K1 Denver, 2.3 GHz dual-core
- GPU: Kepler DX1
- Memory: 2GB RAM
- Storage: 16/32GB
- microSD slot: No
- Cameras: 8 MP rear, 1.6 MP front
- Battery: 6,700 mAh
- OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi/3G-LTE
Read more
- Nexus 9 vs the new iPads: specs comparison
- Best Nexus 9 cases
- Another Nexus 9 hands-on video shows buttery smooth performance
- Nexus 9 official: here’s what you need to know
- Nexus 9 vs the competition
Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet
Sony may be having a difficult time in the mobile device market, but that is certainly not because of a lack of good products. An extremely appealing line of devices that the company should be proud of is their high-end tablet series, with the latest addition to the line introduced back at MWC 2015. Sony continues to push the boundaries in terms of design, with the Xperia Z4 Tablet managing to be even sleeker than its ultra-thin and light predecessors. Of course, this tablet packs the latest and greatest when it comes to hardware, and the Sony staple feature of dust and water resistance is also retained, making for a very compelling device. The Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet may be at the higher end of the price spectrum, but it is still worth it, and certainly deserving of a place in our roundup of the best Android tablets currently available.
Specs
- 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1600 resolution (299 ppi)
- 2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor
- Adreno 430 GPU
- 3 GB RAM
- 32 GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 128 GB
- 8.1 MP rear camera, 5.1 MP front-facing camera
- 6,000 mAh battery
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- 254 x 167 x 6.1 mm, 389 grams
Dell Venue 8 7000
Dell may not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of OEMs that provide fantastic Android tablets, and while the company does have some really good low-cost tablets available, they managed to impress with one that can be conservatively considered “premium mid-range.” What makes the Dell Venue 8 7000 stand apart from its competition at this price range includes a premium, industrial design that will give even far more expensive devices a run for their money, a solid media consumption experience courtesy of nice sounding front-facing speakers and a beautiful edge-to-edge high resolution display, and for those who want it, a decent camera experience with a setup not unlike the Duo Camera system of the HTC One M8. With an impressive performance and even better battery life, the Dell Venue 8 7000 manages to provide a lot, without the premium price point that would usually be associated with such a package.
Specs
- 8.4-inch OLED display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution (359 ppi)
- 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor
- PowerVR G6430 GPU
- 2 GB RAM
- 16 GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 512 GB
- 8MP rear camera with Intel RealSense 3D technology, 2 MP front-facing camera
- 5,900 mAh battery
- Android 4.4.4 Kitkat
- 215.9 x 124.2 x 6.1 mm, 305 grams
Read More
Lenovo Tab 2 A10: best bang for the buck
The Lenovo Tab 2 A10 is one of the best among those featured in our best cheap Android tablets list, which is also reason it makes it way over to this roundup as well. Introduced back at MWC this year, this 10-inch tablet certainly brings a lot to the table at an extremely affordable price point, being one the first tablets to feature Dolby ATMOS 3D Cinema audio enhancements, which aims to make your audio experience much clearer, while taking advantage of the beautiful, large Full HD display.
Performance is impressively smooth, and while mobile photography isn’t a key feature when it comes to tablets, this device does offer a solid camera experience. If you’re looking for a large-screen tablet experience on a budget, look no further than the Lenovo Tab 2 A10 certainly provides the best bang for your buck.
Specs
- 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution (218 ppi)
- 1.7 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT8165 processor
- 2 GB RAM
- 16 GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 64 GB
- 8 MP rear camera, 5 MP front-facing camera
- 7,000 mAh battery
- 247 x 171 x 8.9 mm, 509 grams
- Android 4.4 Kitkat (planned upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop at the end of June)
Read more
- Lenovo announces the Tab 2 A10 and Tab 2 A8 tablets at MWC 2015
- Lenovo Tab 2 A10 hands-on and first impressions
There you have it – our picks from the best Android has to offer right now. Missed anything? Tell us in the comments!
For more tablet information head on over to the TabTimes blog for more tablet news, reviews and information.
AIVAnet 