Best Tablet Deals: Big Savings on Galaxy Tab S6, Microsoft Surface Pro, iPad and More – CNET

Tablets are a great alternative to lugging around a laptop and spending the large amount of money that you’d need for something that’s even reasonably powerful. On the other hand, tablets are lighter, cheaper, and can do almost all the same things a tablet can, especially if you only need it for productivity and day-to-day stuff. That said, finding a good deal on them can be difficult, especially with how saturated the market is and with Apple throwing off prices. Luckily, we’ve done the majority of the legwork so you don’t have to and collected some of the best deals we could find below.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite on a white background Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite on a white background

Samsung

At its discounted price, this relatively budget Android tablet is a good pick as an affordable entertainment tablet for kids. It features a small (kid-friendly) 8.7-inch display with a 1,340×800-pixel resolution protected by a sturdy, metal (kid-resistant) enclosure. Note that the keyboard case isn’t included.

samsung-galaxy-tab-a8-bf samsung-galaxy-tab-a8-bf

Samsung

The Galaxy Tab A8 is a great option if you want a larger-screen tablet with budget pricing, as it has a 10.5-inch screen. You also get a reasonably 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded, and a somewhat entry-level Octa-core 2, which should be more than enough for most browsing and entertainment watching. If you grab it from Best Buy, you also get YouTube Premium for 3 months for new subscribers and 1 month of Xbox Game Pass.

samsung-galaxy-tab-s6-lite-bf samsung-galaxy-tab-s6-lite-bf

Samsung

The Tab S6 Lite is a great mid-range tablet that has a little bit more power under the hood. It also runs a 2000×1200 resolution screen that’s 10.4 inches. There’s also a similar 64GB of storage similar to other budget-friendly Samsung tablets, but you can expand it if you want to. Best Buy is also offering a deal where you get a 1-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass, as well as three months of YouTube Premium if you’re a new subscriber.

Apple iPad 2021 10.2-inch Apple iPad 2021 10.2-inch

Apple/CNET

The entry-level 10.2-inch iPad from 2021 should be your starting point for tablet shopping. This model lacks USB-C and still has the old-school home button, but it’s compatible with the Apple Pencil stylus (sold separately). The baseline iPad remains a great option for kids, families and anyone else who wants a best-in-class touchscreen and Apple’s full App Store and services support. Read our 9th-gen iPad review.

samsung-galaxy-tab-s9-fe-bf samsung-galaxy-tab-s9-fe-bf

Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is part of the latest lineup of Galaxy tablets, and while it’s not as powerful as the Ultra or the Plus, it is a lot cheaper. It’s 10.9 inches and runs a 2304 x 1440, and has a powerful Exynos 1380 processor that’s going to handle most stuff you throw at it. While the discount isn’t as large as others, the deal from Best Buy includes one month of Xbox Game Pass, three months of Youtube Premium for new subscribers, and a couple of other goodies.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 with S Pen Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 with S Pen

Samsung

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S lineup has long been among our favorite slates, regularly earning spots on our lists of the best Android tablets and the best tablets overall. With an easy-to-use Android OS and Microsoft 365 integration, the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S8 is designed for both work and play. This model features a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of local storage. With an SD card slot, it’s easy to expand the storage. Added to its value is the included S Pen stylus, which costs $60 on its own.

iPad Air 2022 on a red background iPad Air 2022 on a red background

Walmart

You can save $40 on Apple’s latest iPad Air at Amazon right now. It costs $599 from the Apple Store and features Apple’s M1 chip, found in the company’s iPad Pros, along with 5G and a wider-angle, front-facing camera with the Center Stage autofocusing video feature. CNET’s iPad expert Scott Stein still recommends the less expensive 10.2-inch iPad for most people but sees this iPad Air as a solid step up. Read our iPad Air 2022 review.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 on a table Microsoft Surface Pro 8 on a table

Dan Ackerman/CNET

The Surface Pro 8 was supplanted by the Surface Pro 9 at the top of Microsoft’s tablet lineup last fall, but the new model offers only a modest upgrade — newer Intel CPUs, a slightly faster type of RAM, 5G support, and some new color options. When you can find a Surface Pro 8 at a sizable discount, it makes a compelling cost-saving alternative to the Surface Pro 9. This Surface Pro 8 features a high-resolution 13-inch display powered by an 11th-gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. And this model includes the snap-on keyboard cover with your purchase. It’s a hefty $670 off at Target.

Read our Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review.

More tablet deals

The discounts below are less compelling than the ones above but remain on this list so we can highlight when the sale prices dip periodically.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE on a white background Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE on a white background

Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a midlevel Android tablet that occupies the space between a basic iPad and an iPad Pro. The baseline Galaxy Tab S7 FE (short for Fan Edition) with 64GB of storage is discounted by $31 right now at Amazon. The tablet features a roomy 12.4-inch display and includes Samsung’s S Pen stylus for drawing and jotting down notes.

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