Are Android Tablets Finally Worth Buying? (2025)

Android tablets have long lagged behind Apple's iPad. For a while, it has appeared as if Apple was the only company with tablets worth buying, while the few options in the Android market were only available for the sake of it.

But following improvements to the software and launches from the likes of Google and OnePlus, it appears that Android tablets might now be worth another chance.

Let's take a look at the current state of Android tablets, considering the latest developments, to determine whether it is worth getting a unit or whether the iPad should still be your go-to choice.

Why Android Tablets Failed to Compete With iPads in the Past

First, we need to analyze why it has been tough to recommend Android tablets because, for the longest time, they have been overshadowed by Apple's iPad lineup. The story starts with the launch of the iPad in 2010. Seeing the iPad's success, different tech companies rushed to make cheap Android-powered tablets hoping to steal some market share from Apple.

Unlike the iPad, Android tablets were merely large-screen devices running Android, an operating system built for smartphones. There was no software optimization whatsoever—in fact, Android tablets flooded the market while Google was still working on Android 3.0 Honeycomb, a version of Android specifically meant to run on large-sized devices.

Honeycomb launched in 2011 with various optimizations to take advantage of the larger screens. Despite the enhancements, it could have been better. According to reviews, Honeycomb had frequent crashes, and few apps were available on the platform that could take advantage of the bigger screens. This, despite Google providing developers with tools to optimize their apps for large screens.

But with the small size of the market and so much variation in the hardware that needed to be supported, it wasn't worth the developers' time. That meant the software experience was half-baked. Not to mention Honeycomb itself was more challenging and un-intuitive to use than Apple's iOS on the iPad. It had a long way to go.

Android Tablets Deserved Their Bad Reputation

The reputation of Android tablets was damaged from its early days. Google's Honeycomb didn't manage to redeem the platform, nor did subsequent attempts. Key issues such as fragmentation, poor app optimization, and lack of an intuitive user interface plagued Android tablets in the following years. Android's inferior software update policy didn't help.

This made the iPad the de facto option for anyone looking to buy a tablet. Eventually, the selection of Android tablets on the market dwindled due to poor sales, while the iPad's popularity continued to strengthen. Google also neglected Android tablets for a while, introducing improvements to the platform on smartphones, but rarely anything for tablets.

Apple, on the other hand, continued to improve the iPad. With iPadOS, the platform is way better and easier to use, it has tight integration with Apple's other operating systems, and a wide selection of apps. If you put all of these together, it's a no-brainer why Android tablets have not been able to compete with iPads.

How Android Tablets Are Making a Comeback

Despite the gloomy past, recent developments show that Android tablets are finally making a comeback in various ways.

First, Google is finally taking the initiative to address the software issue. The company started with the launch of Android 12L in October 2021, an optimized version of the operating system targeted at making Android better on large-screen devices. Android 12L enhanced app compatibility and multitasking, bringing a new, improved user interface to make tablets easier to use.

Android 12L was released as a feature drop, but it didn't stop there. Google's renewed interest in tablets continued with Android 13, which brought new features for an improved Android experience on large screens, including split-screen app support, drag-and-drop functionality, a persistent taskbar, and a revamp of the notification shade.

Collectively, these features improved the software experience a lot. And if you've been a keen tablet user, you'll notice that these are some of the critical features that give iPadOS an edge over Android.

That was followed by app optimizations from Google and several third-party developers like Facebook and Canva to improve their apps on large screens. App optimization is still a work in progress as of July 2023, but it's good to see some developers committed to the cause.

Secondly, two of the major smartphone brands launched new tablets. Google introduced the Pixel Tablet, a 10.95-inch device powered by Google's Tensor G2 chip, starting at $499.

As the company that owns Android, Google's return to the tablet market signals a bright future for the segment. It symbolizes that the company is dedicated to ensuring that the overall Android experience on tablets is intuitive, something it has been paying attention to since 2021.

Besides Google, OnePlus launched its first tablet, the OnePlus Pad, with a slightly bigger 11.61-inch display powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9000, starting at $480.

The launch of the two devices adds more options for potential buyers, alongside the usual Samsung products. They will hopefully help reignite consumer interest in Android tablets, make the market more competitive, and ultimately provide more value for less to consumers, similar to what we see in the Android smartphone market.

Should You Buy an Android Tablet?

Well, that depends. Despite the recent developments, not all apps are fully optimized for Android tablets. So if you're primarily looking for a tablet-sized device with a developed ecosystem of apps for doing different things, that will be hard to find in the Android ecosystem.

Recent reviews of the Pixel Tablet show that most third-party apps are still blown-up smartphone apps with no large-screen optimization whatsoever. If you'd like to use your everyday apps that are not made by Google on your Android tablet, expect little as far as optimization goes. You'll be better off getting an iPad.

Which means, as it stands, the iPad should still be the go-to choice for most people looking for a tablet. But if you're more inclined towards media consumption rather than productivity, apps, or gaming, you can get any Android tablet, and you'll be fine.