How we test tablets

At Which?, we take a unique approach to testing tablets. We put every model through the same assessments in our lab, mixing technical tests and measurements with real-life ease-of-use testing. 

That means we find out which tablets have the clearest, brightest screens, the longest-lasting batteries and enough processing oomph to run the apps you want to use. But we also get to the heart of how you actually use a tablet every day, so our tablet reviews will tell you what you need to know to make the right choice.  

We don't accept tablets from manufacturers. We buy from the shop, just like you, so we aren't beholden to brands or PR representatives, and we don't have 'modified' devices with extra Ram or more processing power. 

Our team of dedicated lab experts has decades of experience running these tests, so we're not swayed by one person's impressions after a few days of use.

Nobody goes to the lengths we do to find the best tablets

Tablet performance: will it feel quick and responsive or sluggish and slow?

We don’t rely on subjective impressions of a tablet’s speed. We run technical benchmarks to see whether its processor can handle demanding apps or with running several apps at the same time. 

This means we can tell you whether your tablet will cope with new versions of the operating system and the latest games and apps, or if it’s likely to sputter out when you give it something tough to work on.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

The worst tablets grind to a halt when asked to do much more than read your emails, run an app or two, and search online. They're unlikely to be able to run more demanding apps, such as intensive video or image editing.  

The very best can run multiple demanding apps smoothly at the same time, and run power-hungry software for things like video editing or 3D rendering. 

However, there's no point splashing out on tons of Ram and the fastest processor if all you want a tablet for is to enjoy smooth, colour-accurate video footage and effortlessly scroll on a screen bigger than your phone. So, our objective lab tests also highlight models that excel at doing what most people want and cost a lot less than a fancy flagship.

Jamie Darlow, Which? tablet expert, says:

'Top-tier flagship models usually cost up to £1,000, and sometimes more, but our lab data proves you don't need to spend that much to get a Great Value tablet.' 

'Over the past year, we've unearthed a handful of budget gems that will let you go online, stream video and run a range of apps, and even outperform premium brands' tablets.'

Screen quality: is the display sharp, with natural colours and contrast, and is the touchscreen responsive?

We use a panel of three lab experts to judge how good the screen is. They use specialist software to produce intricate light and colour patterns on a tablet's screen, measure the actual light emitted, then compare the two. This tells us which screens produce true-to-life, rich and vibrant colours.

We repeat each test twice, once at maximum screen brightness to recreate being outside on a sunny day, and once at standard brightness to represent typical indoor conditions. This means that before you buy, you'll know whether you'll be able to easily see your apps – or just the sunlight reflecting from the screen.

Not every tablet screen looks good if viewed at an angle, which will annoy you if you plan to use yours to watch TV shows or films with someone else. We check whether the detail and colour accuracy suffer if you're not sitting straight on. 

Most tablets don’t come with a physical keyboard, so a responsive, accurate touchscreen is crucial. We check how much force you need to use before the screen responds and assess how accurately it tracks your finger’s movement on the surface.

We also type with the on-screen keyboard to see whether you’ll be happy writing emails on it or be frustrated by the number of mistakes.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Some tablets are hard to look away from because their screens are so good, with punchy colours, incredible brightness and fantastic depth. The worst screens are dull, with pixelated text and low contrast, and they're often not helped by reflective surfaces or poor viewing angles.

Battery power: does it last long enough to see you through a full day's use?

We run three sets of exhaustive tests. First, we surf the web over a wi-fi connection until the tablet runs out of battery. After a full recharge, we then play video continuously until the screen goes dead. Finally, we charge the device for 30 minutes from flat to see how much life you can squeeze from a quick charge. 

If a device comes with a separate keyboard, we repeat the same tests to see if that affects power consumption. 

What separates a good result from a poor one?

The best tablets last upwards of 16 hours from a full charge – more than enough to watch the latest series of The Traitors. At the other end of the scale, some tablets that are otherwise surprisingly good manage less than 10 hours of video streaming, and recharge slowly too. 

Ease of use: will navigating the menus and setup stress you out?

Three lab experts evaluate every tablet to determine how easy it is to use right out of the box. 

We then replicate the same tasks that tablet users will be doing every day – whether that’s setting up accounts, browsing the web, sending emails or making a video call. This shows how well the tablet can cope with everyday tasks.

We also consider how easy the tablet is to hold with one or both hands and use in portrait and landscape mode. We also consider things like whether the buttons are recognisable and easy to reach. 

Audio and cameras: how does the tablet sound, and will your photos and videos look good?

Most tablets have front and rear-facing cameras, so we check whether images and videos look precise and accurate. 

We take multiple clips and images in a controlled environment with consistent overhead lighting, and analyse the results. We look for overenhanced and sharpened images and video, whether there are 'noisy' or blurred pixels, and whether the movement is smooth and the focus is consistent. We score the cameras by how well they display their images on the device's own screen, so you'll get a realistic review of how your own images will turn out. 

We also judge speaker quality as part of our video tests. We record a series of audio and speaking tests before playing back the footage through the device's own speakers and getting our experts to rate it for clarity and sound quality. 

We benchmark each tablet against a pre-recorded file featuring presenter Melvin Bragg. We rate the sound for clarity and check that it's in sync with the video. 

This ensures you'll know whether films, music and voices on video calls will sound good. 

What separates a good result from a poor one?

We rarely have high hopes for tablet cameras, but a select few manage the fine detail, depth of field and vibrant images and video we've come to expect from smartphones. The worst are grainy, dark and prone to 'noisy' images that present as fine dots on the screen.

Tablet speakers are notoriously difficult to get right because they have to be small enough to fit into the slim case. The best produce loud, distortion-free sound with plenty of bass. The worst sound so bad that you'll need headphones instead of relying on the speaker.

Which? members can filter all our tablet reviews by performance, screen quality, battery life and more of our expert test results

How we calculate the scores

Jacob Compton, Which? scientist, says:

'To ensure our reviews reflect how you actually use your tech, we regularly consult Which? members to find out exactly what they expect when buying a new tablet. We then use this direct feedback to shape our rigorous lab testing. Because members said processor performance matters most, this has a higher weighting than other testing elements when calculating the final total score.'

All these assessments factor into our Which? total test score, and we don’t take price into account. This makes it easy for you to compare rival models and identify the best tablets.

Here are the weightings for each element of the test:

• 35% processor performance
• 20% ease of use
• 20% screen quality
• 15% battery
• 10% features

We updated our test program in April 2025 to better align our scores and reviews with your needs when buying a new tablet. 

This means scores and star ratings for tablets tested before this date aren't directly comparable to those given to newer models, although we're still happy to recommend good products and Best Buys. If you're considering one of these models, focus on the written review, key features and Best Buy status, alongside the star ratings.

How we choose the products

We never accept free product samples from manufacturers or brands. Instead, we spend thousands of pounds a year buying tablets directly from retailers. This ensures our reviews are 100% independent, and we're not in any brands' pockets.

We test more than 20 new tablets a year, fast-tracking the models we know are the most important to you, including Great Value and Best Buy tablets from Apple, Lenovo, Samsung and more. 

We cater to a range of budgets, from less than £200 to more than £1,000, and include a variety of sizes, from 6-inch tablets up to 11 inches and above. This means we can showcase premium Best Buy models alongside Great Value tablets that offer you more for your money, so you can invest in the one that best suits your needs.

Finn Rainbird, Which? market analyst, says:

'I source tablets from the heavyweight tech companies like Apple, Lenovo and Samsung. To ensure we have the best market coverage, I also pull in devices from brands such as Honor, Xiaomi and more.' 

'This means I track all the new launches, consider market trends and consumer search habits to test tablets that people actually buy.'

Is it a Best Buy tablet? What our verdicts mean

Use our recommendations to build a shortlist of potential products, but it's always best to read our reviews in full to make sure the tablet does everything you need it to before splashing out.

Best Buy-recommended tablets

We give our Best Buy recommendation to tablets that impress us across most of our test areas. A device must score 79% or more overall.

It will have a sharp, accurate screen, a lengthy battery life and a fast processor that's futureproofed for operating system updates.

Great Value-recommended tablets

A Great Value tablet must score at least 65% and cost less than most other models.

As tablets come in several different sizes, we treat each bracket differently.

When we check the average price of a 7-inch tablet to determine what price we consider to be Great Value, we don't include the cost of a 13-inch one. 

The size brackets are:

• 6 to 7.9-inch tablets
• 8 to 10.9-inch tablets
• 11-inch tablets and above

A Great Value badge on a tablet means it's good enough to consider buying and costs less than most other tablets of similar quality. 

Great Value tablets can also be Best Buys, but don't have to be. 

Don't Buy tablets

A Don't Buy is a tablet to steer well clear of. It's everything a Best Buy isn't: awkward to use, sluggish, with a dull screen. All tablets with a score of 45% or less are Don't Buy tablets.

Our tablet experts

Lab testing more than 20 tablets a year is a group effort, with scientists, market analysts, editors, lab technicians and writers all contributing to bring you our reviews.

We thoroughly re-evaluate our testing processes every year to ensure they're useful to you, and we ask the Which? community to tell us what matters the most when choosing a new tablet.

Here's the team that makes it happen:

• Senior researcher & writer, Jamie Darlow: Jamie’s a whizz at translating technical lab reports into in-depth, unbiased product reviews that everyone can understand. With 20 years of experience writing consumer product reviews, he can see marketing fluff and technical jargon a mile off, and cuts through it to break down each tablet's pros and cons.
• Which? Tech magazine editor, Lisa Barber: Lisa makes sure our reviews zero in on precisely what you need to know about a tablet to help you choose the right one. Always well informed, she looks at the latest research and developments from the tablet market and combines it with our own testing and polling to bring you clear, expert advice you can trust.
• Scientific advisor, Jacob Compton: Jacob developed our test programme, which means he helps the lab devise tests to discover the best tablets. He meticulously converts the hundreds of data points our lab technicians measure and score for each tablet into easy-to-follow product scores and star ratings. His in-depth analysis reveals the top-performing models that get our Best Buy badge, as well as the Great Value recommendations. 
• Market analyst, Finn Rainbird: Finn keeps up to date with all the latest developments in tablets and expertly curates our testing line-up by visiting brands and trade shows, and studying market research. You can be sure that our top-rated models really are the very best available to buy. 

Compare all our tablet reviews and use the Great Value filter to see the highest-scoring models that cost less.