The Best Tablets, E-Readers, and E-Notes of 2023

Tablets proceed gaining crushed successful nan market, moreover arsenic laptop computers slim down capable to fit successful insubstantial envelopes. They’re useful arsenic some highly portable productivity devices and arsenic intermezo devices—whether you’re a gamer, binge watcher, aliases an avid reader. Sometimes, you conscionable don’t request a full keyboard attached to your portable computing device. But complete 13 years aft nan original iPad debuted, it now seems for illustration location are excessively galore tablet devices to take from.

Jump to:

• The Best Tablet For Most
• The Best Android Tablet
• The Best Tablet for Portability
• The Best Budget Tablet
• The Best E-Reader for Most Users
• The Best Budget E-Reader
• The Best E-Reader for Those Who Don’t Want to Decide
• The Best E-Note

The Buying Forecast

With astir companies timing their merchandise announcements and releases to guarantee they’re successful consumer’s minds, and connected shop shelves, successful clip for nan vacation shopping play later successful nan year, we’re not expecting a batch of caller hardware anytime soon. But backmost successful 2022, Apple debuted its M1 iPad Air upgrade successful March, truthful new hardware isn’t wholly disconnected nan table.

There are besides immoderate breathtaking innovations connected nan sky erstwhile it comes to surface exertion different than LCDs and OLEDs. E-readers person agelong been constricted to monochromatic screens owed to nan limitations of E Ink’s physics insubstantial technology, but while a handful of colour E Ink devices person debuted complete nan past fewer years, nan capacity and value of nan displays has been lacking.

That’s astir to alteration very soon, arsenic e-reader and e-note makers will soon beryllium debuting devices utilizing 2 caller surface technologies. E Ink’s caller Kaleido 3 screens committedness amended colour saturation, colour depth, and improved resolutions for devices wherever speedy surface refreshes are critical, while nan company’s Gallery 3 e-paper displays boost nan colour fidelity from conscionable 4,096 shades to complete 50,000, utilizing a “four particle ink system: cyan, magenta, yellowish and white.” Gallery 3 besides pushes resolutions to 300 DPI, matching achromatic and achromatic E Ink displays, and is expected to debut connected devices for illustration Pocketbook’s Viva very soon.

The editorial unit of Gizmodo independently trial and reappraisal each merchandise recovered successful our Buyer’s Guides. If you acquisition thing utilizing our connection links, G/O Media whitethorn gain a commission. Affiliate linking does not power our editorial content.

The Best Tablet For Most: Apple iPad (10th Generation)

Image: Apple

Artists relying connected Photoshop aliases those utilizing their tablet arsenic a video editing instrumentality should see nan iPad Pro aliases nan iPad Air, which characteristic nan aforesaid M1 and M2 processors utilized successful Apple’s laptops and smartphones. But if you request a tablet for gaming, watching streaming content, reference books and magazines, and web surfing, nan $449 10th procreation iPad, which debuted conscionable past month, is simply a coagulated choice. It has a batch of nan aforesaid features arsenic nan pricier $599 5th procreation iPad Air, including a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina display, a USB-C charging port, Touch ID biometric security, and support for nan original Apple Pencil stylus, but moves nan 12MP front-facing camera to nan separator of nan tablet truthful it’s easier to make FaceTime video calls successful scenery mode. It’s besides powered by nan A14 Bionic spot that debuted successful 2020, which should still supply capable powerfulness for astir users, moreover those wanting to usage nan iPad arsenic a basal productivity tool.

The Best Android Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8

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Apple and Amazon’s tablets are (out of nan box, astatine least) walled plot devices that limit wherever users tin get contented and apps, and not everyone is simply a instrumentality of that approach. It’s 1 of nan galore reasons that Android has thrived, and while fantabulous tablets moving Google’s mobile OS are harder to find, location are still immoderate coagulated options available, for illustration nan $699 Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. It’s really nan smallest and cheapest action of three Samsung tablets announced early past year, pinch an 11-inch show and a biometric fingerprint sensor connected nan broadside of its housing. It’s compatible pinch Samsung’s S Pen stylus for note-taking aliases much creator endeavors, and nan included 256GB of retention tin beryllium expanded pinch a microSD representation card—a characteristic you won’t find connected immoderate iPad.

The Best Tablet for Portability: Apple iPad mini (6th Generation)

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Despite being $50 pricier than nan overmuch larger 10th procreation iPad, it’s intolerable to find personification who’s not wholly enamored pinch nan $499 6th procreation iPad mini nan instant they prime it up. It’s everything awesome astir nan larger iPads successful a overmuch smaller and lighter package, pinch an 8.3-inch surface that’s still ample capable to publication afloat colour comic books, schematic novels, and magazines. It really features a somewhat much powerful processor than nan latest iPad—the A15 Bionic chip—and supports nan caller Apple Pencil 2 for note-taking aliases conscionable doodling. The Apple Pencil 2 tin besides magnetically connect to nan separator of nan iPad mini and complaint while connected.

The Best Budget Tablet: Amazon Fire HD 10

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As gateways into Amazon’s music, ebook, and video streaming services, nan company’s tablets are priced arsenic loss-leader devices, and nan Fire HD 10 tablet, pinch its 10.1-inch 1080P display, tin beryllium had for conscionable $110. It is heavy tied into Amazon’s services, pinch a customized front-end, and while it doesn’t person entree to nan Google Play store, it still has entree to celebrated third-party apps including Spotify, Disney+, Netflix, Zoom, Hulu, and moreover Microsoft Office. It’s champion suited arsenic a media depletion device, and fixed its price, it’s besides a awesome action for younger kids who aren’t nan champion astatine taking attraction of their technology.

The Best E-Reader For Most Users: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 5

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Arriving successful precocious 2021, nan Kindle Paperwhite 5 came pinch immoderate awesome improvements complete erstwhile models, including a larger 6.8-inch, 300 PPI E Ink screen, USB-C and wireless charging, and surface lighting pinch colour somesthesia adjustments allowing for warmer tones astatine night. The biggest logic to splurge connected nan $140 Paperwhite 5 is that it’s wholly waterproof, truthful it’s safe to usage astatine nan beach, by nan pool, successful nan tub, aliases during a hurricane, moreover if it gets wholly submerged.

The Other Best E-Reader For Most Users: Kobo Clara 2E

Image: Rakuten Kobo

Looking for an replacement to nan Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 5 (or Amazon successful general)? The $130 Kobo Clara 2E offers a somewhat smaller six-inch, 300 PPI E Ink screen, but 16GB of retention by default, which is perfect for storing some ebooks and audiobooks. It’s besides wholly waterproof, truthful users don’t person to beryllium arsenic diligent astir taking attraction of it. And dissimilar nan Paperwhite 5, Kobo boasts nan Clara 2E’s lawsuit is made from 85% recycled plastic, pinch 10% of it originated from integrative that was ocean-bound.

The Best Budget E-Reader: Amazon Kindle (2022 Model)

Image: Amazon

If you only attraction astir reference books pinch tons and tons of text, nan basic Amazon Kindle, recently updated past September, is an easy choice. The latest exemplary offers USB-C charging, 16GB of onboard storage, an improved E Ink surface pinch much solution truthful matter looks sharper and easier connected nan eyes, and entree to Amazon’s well-stocked ebook store. It’s $100 for nan type featuring ads connected nan lockscreen, aliases $120 without.

The Other Best Budget E-Reader: Kobo Nia

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Although a fewer years aged astatine this point, nan Kobo Nia hits nan $100 value constituent without immoderate advertisements speech from nan recommendations made successful nan Rakuten Kobo ebook shop that’s conscionable arsenic good stocked arsenic nan competition’s. It’s a coagulated alternative for those who’d rather skip Amazon’s hardware and eco-system, offering wider support for various ebook formats, but pinch a fewer compromises including a surface pinch little solution and conscionable 8GB of storage—although that’s easy capable for storing a downloaded room of 6,000+ ebooks.

The Best E-Reader for Those Who Don’t Want to Decide: Onyx Boox Leaf 2

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In nan marketplace for an e-reader but don’t want to fastener yourself successful connected either Amazon aliases Kobo’s stores? Onyx mightiness not beryllium arsenic recognizable a marque arsenic Amazon aliases Kobo, but nan $200 Boox Leaf 2 is nan astir powerful e-reader connected nan market. It’s sewage a seven-inch, 300 PPI E Ink surface pinch colour adjustable surface lighting, 32GB of onboard retention that’s expandable done representation cards, built-in page move buttons, and it runs Android 11 pinch afloat entree to nan Google Play app store. That intends that you tin load your ebook and PDF files straight onto nan Boox Leaf 2, and download some nan Amazon Kindle and Kobo apps and shop for titles done whichever ebook shop happens to connection nan champion value astatine nan time.

The Best E-Note: reMarkable 2

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The reMarkable tablet was nan first E Ink instrumentality designed to switch a notebook and pen pinch integer paper, and nan $400 (plus nan costs of a stylus) reMarkable 2 took everything great astir nan original and made it moreover better. Using Wacom’s tried-and-tested stylus exertion intends nan pen ne'er needs to beryllium charged, and penning connected nan reMarkable 2's surface is arsenic accelerated and responsive arsenic penning pinch a existent pen connected existent paper. It’s nan modular to which each different e-note devices are compared, and still manages to impressment pinch an incredibly bladed creation and a robust record syncing strategy that makes documents instantly disposable connected PCs and smartphones.

Add nan caller Type Folio keyboard case accessory, which replaces nan reMarkable’s on-screen keyboard pinch a beingness one, and nan tablet becomes a overmuch amended instrumentality for taking elaborate notes during an hours agelong gathering aliases presentation.

The Best E-Note For Kindle Users: Amazon Kindle Scribe

Image: Amazon

Amazon is comparatively precocious to nan e-note game, a word utilized to picture larger E Ink devices pinch support for a stylus for taking notes, but don’t count nan institution out. The precocious announced Amazon Kindle Scribe, which starts astatine $340, boasts a 10.2-inch, 300 PPI E Ink surface and an asymmetrical creation pinch a thicker bezel connected 1 broadside making it easier to clasp successful 1 hand. It’s champion characteristic mightiness beryllium a self-organized strategy of sticky notes that tin beryllium utilized to annotate ebooks and different documents, positive entree to nan expansive Amazon ebook store—one point nan reMarkable 2 does not.

The Best E-Note For Kobo Users: Kobo Elipsa 2E

Image: Kobo

Although Kobo did negociate to get an e-note instrumentality retired nan doorway earlier Amazon did, nan original Kobo Elipsa near america wanting some a amended pen connected insubstantial acquisition and a amended reference experience. Two years later, nan Kobo Elipsa 2E has arrived, bringing pinch it galore invited upgrades. Although it doesn’t connection arsenic bully a surface arsenic nan Kindle Scribe—it’s E Ink show is still stuck astatine 227 PPI alternatively of nan Scribe’s 300 PPI—it does connection an improved reference acquisition pinch nan summation of a lukewarm glow mounting for reference astatine night. For nan aforesaid $400 value tag arsenic nan original, it besides introduces an upgraded magnetic stylus pinch a dedicated eraser connected nan end, a beefier processor improving nan penning experience, and nan action to sync notes and documents to Google Drive. And, for illustration nan original, it offers entree to Kobo’s expansive ebook shop correct connected nan device.

The Best E-Note For Power Users: Bigme Inknote Color

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If you’ve been tempted by nan colour physics insubstantial screens that E Ink has been making complete nan past mates of years, nan Bigme InkNote Color is some a awesome e-reader that won’t limit comic books to achromatic and white, and an fantabulous e-note to boot. It allows users to return notes pinch an included stylus utilizing a simulated pen connected insubstantial acquisition that’s difficult to beat. It besides runs Android 11, pinch afloat entree to nan Google Play app store, truthful you tin download reference apps from companies for illustration Amazon and Kobo, productivity apps including mobile versions of Microsoft Word and Excel, and plentifulness of games.

Want much of Gizmodo’s user electronics picks? Check retired our guides to nan best phones, best laptops, best cameras, best televisions, and best tablets and eReaders. And if you want to study astir nan adjacent large thing, spot our guideline to everything we cognize astir nan iPhone 15.