Deal alert: The best tablets are on sale — Apple, Samsung, Lenovo and more

Before you go back to school, check out these deals on tablets. (Photo: Amazon)
Before you go back to school, check out these deals on tablets. (Photo: Amazon)

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While laptops are great for getting work done at school, as well as giving you a little bit of entertainment here and there, there’s nothing like having a dedicated tablet. Tablets are lighter, smaller, and more compact than a laptop, while also one of the best ways to casually consume media and content.

Tablets are great for watching movies and TV shows, while also reading the news in a more comfortable and natural form like a magazine or book. Although tablets are not yet as powerful as laptops, there are a few like the Apple iPad Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 that can almost replace them altogether.

If you’re going back to school, or just looking for a different online experience, we rounded up the best tablets that are currently on sale. These tablets have the lightweight build and ease-of-use you’re looking for, while also not pricey enough to break the bank.

Apple iPad

This is the newest model with a 9.7-inch display and Apple's powerful A10 Fusion chip. (Photo: Walmart)
This is the newest model with a 9.7-inch display and Apple's powerful A10 Fusion chip. (Photo: Walmart)

The 2018 Apple iPad is pretty much the default tablet for anyone looking to buy a new tablet. Even if you’re not caught up in Apple’s ecosystem of laptops and smartphones, the 9.7-inch standard iPad model is a good pick because of its ease-of-use, number of tablet apps available, and lightweight and premium build quality.

If you’re not sold on its industry-leading specs, then maybe its price point might pique your interest. The Apple iPad is now on sale for just $249, or $81 off its list price at Walmart. Now that’s a good deal!

Shop it: Apple iPad (32GB WiFi), $249 (was $330), walmart.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10

Samsung Galaxy Tab A has a wide 10.1-inch HD touchscreen. (Photo: Amazon)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A has a wide 10.1-inch HD touchscreen. (Photo: Amazon)

If you’re not a fan of the Apple iPad, the next best tablet to aim for is the 2019 Samsung Galaxy Tab A. The Android tablet comes with a wide 10.1-inch HD display with an all-metal and glass design that has a very high-end feel in the hand. This tablet has thin borders around its display for a deeper and more immersive experience, while its 13-hour battery life will keep you busy with work and entertainment options.

“I'm seriously impressed with this tablet,” wrote an Amazon reviewer pleased with their purchase. “It does everything I could want in a tablet smoothly, with a great screen, good sound and nice ergonomics. I even like the UI which surprised me coming from pure Android devices. If you're on the fence about getting this, just do it, the bang for the buck is outstanding!”

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A has a 4.3 out of five star review rating and is now going for $219 on Amazon. This is $11 off its retail price.

Shop it: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10, $219 (was $230), amazon.com

All-new Amazon Fire 7

The Fire 7 is all-new for 2019. (Photo: Amazon)
The Fire 7 is all-new for 2019. (Photo: Amazon)

With a compact and lightweight form factor, the Fire 7 is one of the best tablets you can buy for under $50. Amazon re-designed the tablet for 2019 with a faster processor, Alexa integration and new color options. It’s great for catching a quick episode of The Man in the High Castle on the Fire 7’s 7-inch touchscreen display between classes.

This tablet has a 4.2 out of five star review rating from more than 2,400 reviews on Amazon. Reviewers loved its low cost, quality and ease-of-use, while adding that the Fire 7 is “a great tablet and a great price.”

Shop it: Amazon Fire 7, $50, amazon.com

Lenovo Tab 4 8

Lenovo Tab 4 8 features a 1280 x 800 display resolution. (Photo: Amazon)
Lenovo Tab 4 8 features a 1280 x 800 display resolution. (Photo: Amazon)

The Lenovo Tab 4 8-inch tablet is a fantastic budget tablet for Android users. With a sleek and slim design, this tablet is a really good size for consuming media on its HD display and twin Dolby Atmos speakers with up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. While it comes with 16GB of storage built-in, the tablet is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card.

“This tablet is just beautiful. The battery holds for six plus hours while watching movies,” a very satisfied reviewer wrote. “The display is sharp, sharp and sound quality is better than most laptops. Lenovo hit a home run with this tablet. I have really enjoyed having it. This is my first Lenovo product and if this tablet is any indication of their build quality and performance I would not hesitate to buy from Lenovo again.”

The Lenovo Tab 4 8-inch tablet is now on sale for $119, or $11 off its list price on Amazon.

Shop it: Lenovo Tab 4 8, $119 (was $130), amazon.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab E

The Samsung Galaxy Tab E includes a 7,300 mAh battery for a long 12-hour battery. (Photo: Amazon)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab E includes a 7,300 mAh battery for a long 12-hour battery. (Photo: Amazon)

For less than $169, or $30 off its $199 retail price, the Samsung Galaxy Tab E is a great value for consuming media like movies, comic books and YouTube videos on a premium tablet at a budget-friendly price. This tablet features a 9.7-inch HD display and a 12-hour battery life, while its 16GB on-board storage capacity is expandable for an additional 128GB.

Although this tablet is a bit older than others on this list, Samsung is known for their great build quality and high standards, so the Galaxy Tab E can still offer a top-level experience at a value price. This tablet has a 4.5 out of five star review rating on Amazon.

Shop it: Samsung Galaxy Tab E, $169 (was $199), amazon.com

Amazon Fire HD 8

The Fire 8 is great for watching videos and reading Kindle e-books. (Photo: Amazon)
The Fire 8 is great for watching videos and reading Kindle e-books. (Photo: Amazon)

The Fire 7 is a really good tablet, but if you’re looking for a high-resolution display, the Amazon Fire HD 8 features an 8-inch 720p HD touchscreen — as it’s name suggests.

It still features all the bells and whistles as the Fire 7, but with a classic compact design, a longer 10-hour battery life (compared to the Fire 7’s seven hours), and a better display. This tablet also has a 4.1 out of five star rating with more than 16,500 reviews on Amazon.

If you’re a Prime Student member, the Fire HD 8 is a must buy!

Shop it: Amazon Fire HD 8, $80, amazon.com

Lenovo Smart Tab M10

Immerse yourself with the Lenovo Smart Tab M10's four Dolby Atmos speakers. (Photo: Amazon)
Immerse yourself with the Lenovo Smart Tab M10's four Dolby Atmos speakers. (Photo: Amazon)

If you’re looking for something that’s more than a tablet, the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 doubles as a tablet (of course) and a smart hub for your home. The tablet itself features a 10.1-inch full HD display, 32GB of storage and 3GB of memory — just like most tablets out there.

However, it comes with a smart dock with Amazon Alexa built inside. This dock allows the tablet to act as a smart home hub that can give you the latest news and sports information, recipes and the weather, while it also connects to all of your smart home devices to control them with just the sound of your voice via its smart assistant.

In addition, the smart dock features four full-range Dolby Atmos speakers, so when you place the tablet inside, it really beefs up the audio to fill your home with music and podcasts.

“The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 is absolutely amazing,” wrote a delighted Amazon reviewer. “Having tried several of the other Alexa products, I can definitely say this tops them all. Not only do I watch music videos, catch up on news while cooking meals in the kitchen, but I constantly find myself grabbing the tablet and taking it around with me instead of carrying my bulky laptop. The integration with Alexa is seamless and the tablet sits easily within the doc. To top it all, the speakers sound great and have Dolby Atmos!”

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 is now on sale for $234, or $16 off its list price on Amazon.

Shop it: Lenovo Smart Tab M10, $234 (was $250), amazon.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with S-Pen

The Galaxy Tab S4 tablet even comes with Samsung's S-Pen. (Photo: Amazon)
The Galaxy Tab S4 tablet even comes with Samsung's S-Pen. (Photo: Amazon)

With its massive 10.5-inch display, cinematic Dolby Atmos surround sound, and 16 hours of battery life, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is a premium tablet for both professionals and creatives.

It comes with Samsung’s DeX interface that transforms the tablet into a fully functioning personal computer (when paired with a keyboard and mouse). DeX comes in handy when you really need to deal with spreadsheets and presentations on-the-go. This tablet even comes with Samsungs S-Pen for drawing and sketching on the fly.

“I am so happy with my purchase of this tablet. I've always wanted a tablet I could actually write notes on,” wrote a satisfied Samsung reviewer on Amazon. “The drawing part is a huge bonus. The other night I was watching a YouTube video on sewing machines. It was so nice to be able to hit the pen icon, open up a notepad and take notes alongside of the video while the video played. This is exactly the type of device I've long been wanting.”

The Galaxy Tab S4 (with S-Pen) has a 4.5 out of five star review rating and is now on sale for $500, or $150 off its list price on Amazon.

Shop it: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with S-Pen, $500 (was $650), amazon.com

Apple iPad Pro

The latest Apple iPad Pro is perfect for professionals and creatives, alike. (Photo: Amazon)
The latest Apple iPad Pro is perfect for professionals and creatives, alike. (Photo: Amazon)

This is the heavy-hitter on this list. The Apple iPad Pro is a mighty powerful machine that’s more than capable of replacing your laptop altogether. It features a gigantic 12.9-inch edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display for crisp and clear images whenever you pick it up.

The iPad Pro is armed with Apple’s latest A12X Bionic chip, which is built for desktop-grade computers, 256GB of storage and 4GB of memory. Trust us, this tablet is fast, fast, fast and built for professionals and creatives, alike. It has a 4.6 out of five star review rating on Amazon with more than 340 reviews.

The online retailer has this pro-grade tablet on sale for $1,073, or $76 off its retail price.

Shop it: Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, WiFi, 256GB), $1,073 (was $1,149), amazon.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8's on-board storage is expandable up to 256GB with a MicroSD card. (Photo: Amazon)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8's on-board storage is expandable up to 256GB with a MicroSD card. (Photo: Amazon)

The Galaxy Tab A is Samsung’s zippy 8-inch tablet that’s made from glass and an all-metal frame. Weighing in just under one pound, this tablet is great for watching movies and TV shows, playing mobile games and listening to music on-the-go. It even comes with three months of YouTube Red and Google Play Music subscriptions for free.

“I love this tablet. The resolution is a lot better than I thought. I mean it looks fantastic. I'm so glad I got this one,” a very happy Amazon reviewer wrote. “I did a lot of research before choosing this one and it is the best deal I found. Plus, it's a Samsung. I do love it and would recommend it to all my family and friends.”

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8-inch has a 4.5 out of five star review rating and is now on sale for $198, or $32 off its retail price at Amazon.

Shop it: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8, $198 (was $230), amazon.com

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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