Best Tablet Australia 2026: 6 Picks From a $329 Android to the M5 iPad Pro

A tablet is one of those buys where the gap between the right pick and the wrong one is mostly about being honest with yourself. Sit down and think about what it'll actually do most days. For a lot of people it's the couch device: the thing you grab for a show on the train, a recipe propped up on the bench, a bit of email before bed. For others it's a genuine work tool with a keyboard and a stylus doing real jobs. The best tablet for the first person is a waste of money for the second, and vice versa. This guide sorts the best tablets Australia shoppers can buy on Amazon AU right now in 2026 by what each one is genuinely good at, so you're not paying for an M5 chip to watch Netflix.

We've kept it to six picks across the range, from a Galaxy Tab that lands near three hundred bucks to the M5 iPad Pro that costs the thick end of two grand. Prices are AUD and were accurate at the time of writing. If you're still weighing a tablet against a proper laptop for study or work, our best laptops under $1000 rundown is worth a look first, and the full top 7 tablets for Australia page covers the wider field.

Quick Picks - Best Tablet Australia 2026

How to Pick the Best Tablet for You in 2026

Before the picks, three questions sort out most of the decision.

Apple or Android? If your phone is an iPhone and you've got AirPods and maybe a Mac, an iPad slots in so neatly it's almost not a choice - photos, messages and handoff just work across the lot. If you're a Samsung or Pixel household, a Galaxy Tab keeps everything talking the same language and usually throws in an S Pen for nothing. Neither camp is wrong. The friction is in mixing them.

How much screen do you actually want in your hands? An 11-inch tablet is the comfortable middle - big enough for split-screen, small enough to hold one-handed on the couch. Go to 13 inches and it's a brilliant lap-desk but a handful in bed. Drop to the 8.3-inch iPad mini and it's a paperback you can answer email on. Hold a friend's before you commit if you can.

Tablet or laptop? Be ruthless here. If you'll spend hours typing, wrangling spreadsheets or juggling a dozen browser tabs, a cheap laptop will out-work a mid-priced tablet every time and probably cost less once you've added the keyboard. A tablet earns its keep when the main jobs are reading, watching, drawing, notes and light email, with the occasional document. If you want it for study specifically, our best tablet for uni students guide gets into the keyboard-and-stylus side properly.

Best Tablet Overall: Apple iPad (A16)

Apple iPad (A16)Check Price →

The plain iPad is the easy answer for the simple reason that most people don't need anything more, and Apple has finally stopped being stingy with it. The current model runs the A16 chip and starts at 128GB, which is double the storage the old base iPad insulted everyone with. Around A$599 on Amazon AU, it does the lot - streaming, browsing, FaceTime, a thousand games, notes, the school portal - on a bright 11-inch screen with battery that comfortably clears a day.

The good: it's quick enough that you won't feel it ageing for years, the app library is the best in the business, and Apple supports these things with software updates long after the warranty's a memory. Resale value is daft - an old iPad still fetches real money.

The trade-off: the screen is a standard 60Hz panel, so scrolling isn't as glassy-smooth as the pricier models, and it works with the older first-gen Apple Pencil and Pencil (USB-C) rather than the fancy Pencil Pro. For a kid's homework device, a couch tablet or a parent who wants something that just works, none of that matters. This is the one to buy if you're not sure.

Best Android Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FECheck Price →

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S10 FE is the Android pick that makes the most sense for normal money. Around A$849 for the 256GB Wi-Fi version on Amazon AU, and crucially it comes with the S Pen in the box - no A$200 stylus to buy separately like the Apple side. The 10.9-inch screen runs at a smooth 90Hz, it's IP68 rated so a splash by the sink won't kill it, and there's a microSD slot if you want to bolt on cheap storage.

What earns it the Android crown is Samsung's update promise: seven years of OS and security updates, which is genuinely long-haul support that used to be Apple-only territory. DeX mode turns it into a rough desktop when you plug in a keyboard, and it plays nicely with a Galaxy phone and Buds.

The good: stylus included, expandable storage, water resistance, and a screen size that suits reading and note-taking. The trade-off: the Exynos chip is mid-range rather than mighty, so it's not the tablet for heavy gaming or 4K video edits, and Android's tablet apps still aren't as polished as the iPad's. For notes, browsing, streaming and the school run, it's plenty. If big-screen Android is more your thing, the 13.1-inch Tab S10 FE+ is the same idea with more glass.

Best Step-Up: Apple iPad Air (M3)

Apple iPad Air (M3)Check Price →

The iPad Air is where you land when the base iPad feels a touch slow for what you've got planned and the Pro feels like overkill. At roughly A$999 for the 11-inch 128GB on Amazon AU, you get the M3 chip - the same family of silicon that runs MacBooks - in a laptop-thin tablet that handles photo editing, music production and proper multitasking without breaking a sweat.

It takes the Apple Pencil Pro with the good barrel-roll and squeeze tricks, the laminated display sits right under the glass so drawing feels direct, and it comes in 11 and 13-inch sizes if you want the bigger canvas. Pair it with a keyboard case and it's a credible second machine for writing and email on the road.

The good: serious grunt that'll stay fast for years, Pencil Pro support, and that Apple-ecosystem glue. The trade-off: it's still a 60Hz screen at this price, which stings a little when the Pro and even some cheaper Androids go higher, and once you've added a keyboard and pencil you're knocking on laptop money. For a creative who's already deep in the Apple world, it's the sweet spot. Worth pairing with a decent dock - our best USB-C hubs guide covers options that work just as well with an iPad.

Best Budget Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+Check Price →

If the job is "something cheap for the kids" or a knockabout second screen, the Galaxy Tab A9+ does the basics for around A$329 on Amazon AU and doesn't feel like a toy. It's got an 11-inch 90Hz display - that higher refresh rate at this price is a nice surprise - quad speakers with Dolby Atmos that genuinely sound decent for YouTube and shows, and a microSD slot to expand the storage.

The good: a big, smooth screen and proper speakers for not much money, plus Samsung Kids mode for handing it to a six-year-old without worry. The trade-off: the chip is modest, so it'll stutter on demanding games and chug if you push too many apps at once, and the cameras are forgettable. None of that matters for streaming, reading, browsing and casual games, which is exactly what a budget tablet is for. Don't expect it to replace a laptop and you won't be disappointed.

Best Compact Tablet: Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro)

Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro)Check Price →

The iPad mini is the one for people who want a tablet they can actually hold in one hand on a packed train. The 8.3-inch screen makes it a brilliant e-reader, travel companion and note-taker, and the A17 Pro chip inside means it's no slouch - it'll run the same games and apps as its bigger siblings without complaint. Around A$849 on Amazon AU.

The good: pocketable in a jacket or bag, fast, takes the Apple Pencil Pro, and that small screen is genuinely lovely for reading in bed. Tradies and pilots love them as a glovebox or kneeboard device for exactly this reason. The trade-off: the price is steep for the size - you're paying for the engineering, not the screen real estate - and it's too small to be a serious productivity machine. If reading is the main event, also weigh it against a dedicated e-ink reader in our best e-readers guide, which is easier on the eyes and the battery for books alone.

Best Premium Tablet: Apple iPad Pro (M5)

Apple iPad Pro (M5)Check Price →

The M5 iPad Pro is the tablet for people who already know they want it - artists, video editors, and anyone running a tablet as their main computer. Around A$1,699 for the 11-inch 256GB on Amazon AU, and you can spend a lot more. What you're paying for is the best screen on any tablet - a tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR panel with 120Hz ProMotion that makes everything else here look ordinary - plus desktop-class M5 power and a build so thin it's almost silly.

The good: a stunning display, more performance than most laptops, Pencil Pro support and a keyboard that turns it into a near-laptop. The trade-off: it's a lot of money for a device that still runs iPadOS rather than a full desktop OS, so the software can hit a ceiling the hardware never does. Add the Magic Keyboard and Pencil and you're well past the price of a very good MacBook Air. Only buy this if you've got a specific job that needs the OLED screen and the grunt. If you're a sole trader weighing the work angle, our best tablet for sole traders guide digs into that side.

The Verdict: Which Tablet Should You Buy?

For the vast majority of people, the Apple iPad (A16) is the answer and the rest is detail - it's fast, cheap enough, beautifully supported and does everything a normal person asks of a tablet. If you're in the Samsung camp or you want a stylus thrown in without the surcharge, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE is the smart Android buy. Step up to the iPad Air (M3) only if you've got real creative or multitasking work in mind, drop to the Galaxy Tab A9+ for a wallet-friendly couch-and-kids device, grab the iPad mini if one-handed and pocketable matters most, and save the M5 iPad Pro for when a job genuinely demands it.

Whichever way you lean, buy the storage you'll need up front - you can't upgrade it later on the Apple side, and even on Samsung a microSD card is a band-aid, not a fix. For more on building out your setup, see the full top 7 tablets for Australia page, sort out a keyboard-and-laptop alternative in our best laptops under $1000 rundown, check the study-specific angle in our best tablet for uni students guide, or weigh a dedicated reader in our best e-readers in Australia roundup. Prices and availability were accurate at the time of writing - always check the live price on Amazon AU before you buy.