Here Are The 8 Best iPad Competitors [2023]
If you want to buy a tablet that is not an iPad, you should take a look at the best iPad competitors to find a good alternative to the iPad.
The 8 best iPad competitors include:
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
- Microsoft Surface Pro 9
- Amazon Fire 7
- Microsoft Surface Go 3
- Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation)
- Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition
- Amazon Kindle Scribe
To compete with the popular iPad from Apple, a tablet should have solid specifications and a wide range of capabilities. Though I appreciate low-priced tablets when I’m on a budget, I find tablets with fast processors and great features can often make them worth buying.
Who Are Apple iPad’s Top Competitors?
Apple’s iPad is a beloved mobile device with a loyal fanbase, so it can be difficult for other companies to compete with it.
Among all iPad competitors, the Samsung Galaxy Tab line of tablets has probably done the best job at gaining market share.
I have been a big fan of Samsung since it emerged as a major rival to Apple.
Samsung has a reputation for designing and manufacturing cutting-edge products with outstanding features.
Samsung has been a big player in the tablet market for quite a while, so it’s not surprising they continually produce top competitors to the iPad.
Another top competitor to the iPad is the Fire line of tablets from Amazon.
Compared to the iPad, Amazon Fire tablets focus more on simplicity and lower pricing.
I don’t always like using a device with loads of applications that can be prone to bugs and malware.
Amazon Fire users typically value basic tasks such as reading, writing, and browsing over tablet activities that require higher-end processing power.
Another major competitor to the iPad includes the Surface line of hybrid tablets from Microsoft.
The Surface is typically a hybrid device that can be used as a tablet or a desktop computer with a keyboard.
People that choose a Microsoft Surface likely prefer using a desktop operating system rather than a mobile operating system like iPadOS.
Using mobile apps is fine for me at times, but there are often times where I can’t get by with mobile apps alone.
The 8 Best iPad Competitors
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy Tab line of tablets has been a strong competitor to the iPad for quite some time.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is one of the higher-end tablets to recently be released by Samsung.
There are a few tablets today that can compete with the Samsung’s Galaxy tab specifications and features.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra sports a hefty screen size of 14.6 inches and a pixel resolution of 2,960 x 1,848, which is larger than the Apple iPad’s 10.9-inch screen.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra weighs 726 grams with an overall dimensions of 326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5 millimeters.
Some of the strong points about this tablet is its relatively large screen and excellent picture quality.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a relatively thin tablet compared to the iPad and other premium tablets.
One of the standout features of this Galaxy tablet is its Super AMOLED screen, which is one of the best types of screens you can get for a tablet.
The picture quality on all my tablets with a Super AMOLED screen, including older tablets, are crisp and clear.
If you prefer a wider aspect ratio, you will appreciate the 16:10 ratio of the Tab S8.
This aspect ratio has more of a movie theater effect than a typical 4:3 ratio tablet.
The 120 Hz refresh rate of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra allows a majority of videos I watch to appear smoothly on the screen.
Even though this 5.5-millimeter thick tablet is considered thin, Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra feels durable enough to handle rough usage.
There are high-quality cameras on both sides including a 13 MP wide and 6 MP ultrawide on the rear and a 12 MP wide and 12 MP ultrawide camera on the front.
The chipset includes a Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Generation 1 processor with 8 to 16 GB of RAM, which can make applications load quickly and function smoothly.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s 11,200 mAh battery can provide up to 14 hours of video playback, which is more than enough for my regular video-watching needs.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
If you don’t want to pay top dollar for a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, one of the next best Samsung Galaxy alternatives is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ has a relatively large screen size at 12.4 inches and a pixel resolution of 2,800 x 1,752.
Since the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ was the premium Samsung Galaxy tablet when it was released in 2020, it is still considered a high-quality tablet.
Though it is no longer the highest-end tablet offered by Samsung, it is still a very good device compared to the iPad and other competitors on the market today.
Its processor is still powerful enough to run many of the latest applications quickly.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ comes with an S Pen Stylus to let users write and draw with great sensitivity and accuracy.
The rear camera has numerous settings that let you enhance photos taken at night, minimize a photo’s file size, and customize your overall photography experience.
The Scene Optimizer is particularly good for novice photographers and those wanting to optimize camera settings quickly.
The Single Take feature lets you touch the shutter button once and take many multiple photos for up to 10 seconds.
You don’t have to think as much about getting the right angle for a particular shot.
After a Single Take shot is taken, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ will automatically display different styles and formats for you to choose from.
Single Take makes the photography process easier when I don’t have much time to shoot and edit photos.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
If you’re looking for a tablet that can function as a desktop computer, you can’t go wrong with a Microsoft Surface Pro 9.
The 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is about the same size as many laptops on the market today with the user-friendly functionality and mobility of a tablet like the iPad.
The Surface Pro 9 is one of my favorite tablets to use when I need to run full-featured applications that aren’t available on the App Store or Google Play.
As a hybrid device, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 can be used as a swipeable tablet or a computer with an attachable keyboard.
Though an iPad can also be used with a standard keyboard, it can’t be used with a desktop operating system.
Though I find many mobile apps useful for certain purposes, I find using a Surface Pro 9 tablet with standard Windows software makes more sense for many of my business projects.
If you really want to run mobile apps on the Microsoft Surface Pro 9, you might be able to run a mobile operating system emulator, but your results could vary.
The cameras on the front and back of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 are not as good as other tablets, but they can be used to shoot high-quality videos and photos.
The front camera can shoot 1080p HD video, which can be great when making video calls.
The rear camera on the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 can shoot 10 MP photos and 4K video.
The Surface Pro 9 has an ambient color sensor that can brighten videos when the surrounding lighting is too dim.
As far as processing performance goes, the Surface Pro 9 comes with an Intel 12th Gen Core i5-1235U or i7-1255U processor, which is quite high-powered compared to other tablets.
There are two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports that allow you to conveniently connect external devices like drives and monitors.
Amazon Fire 7
If you’re looking for a lower-priced tablet that works well for standard tablet needs, the Amazon Fire 7 is a great choice as an alternative to the iPad.
Though the Amazon Fire 7 can not run apps from Google Play or the App Store, the apps it can run often deliver the tools and features many users need to stay organized and productive.
There is a wide selection of quality apps available for Fire OS, the operating system of the.
You can download and install plenty of video streaming, word processing, gaming, and other apps through Amazon.
Since Amazon is known for its Kindle reading devices, it’s not a big surprise that Amazon Fire 7 can work well for reading digital books.
For a lower-priced tablet, the Amazon Fire 7 comes with a respectable Quad-core 2.0 GHz processor and 2 GB of RAM.
The Amazon Fire 7 battery is capable of running the device for up to 10 hours on a single charge.
You also have the option to connect other devices to the Fire 7’s USB-C port, which is a standard connector for modern devices.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
A smaller version of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 I really like is the Microsoft Surface Go 3.
Though the device has a lower price tag, it has excellent features that make it a viable competitor to the iPad.
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 has a 2.5-inch screen with a 1,920 x 1,280 pixel resolution.
Like the Microsoft Surface Pro 9, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a hybrid tablet that runs Windows.
The front camera is 5 MP with 1080p full HD video and face authentication.
The rear camera is 8 MP with 1080p full HD video and auto-focus capabilities.
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 can be used as a standard tablet or connected to a keyboard and used as a Windows desktop computer.
The screen isn’t that large when compared to other leading tablets, but the smaller screen can be beneficial for those wanting a more compact computing device.
Though the Surface Go 3 can’t run applications that require a high amount of processing, it does do a good job at running basic applications for word processing, video streaming, and social media management.
It’s a great tablet I use for daily tasks involving text editing, spreadsheets, and collaboration tools.
One of the easiest ways to find good value for your money is to check out Samsung Galaxy Tab devices that suit your budget.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is an older Samsung device that can still offer great value.
This 10.5-inch tablet is more on the small side, but it has solid specifications that are more than enough to run standard apps well.
It has a dual 13 MP (wide) and 5 MP (ultrawide) rear camera that offers great flexibility for photography.
The 8MP camera on the front can be used to take selfie photos or conduct group video calls with colleagues.
The processing specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 may not be up to par with the latest Samsung tablets, but I think the cameras in the Tab S6 are still quite good.
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation)
If you’re not into Samsung or Amazon devices, you might want to check out the second generation of the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro.
Though this version of the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is not the highest-powered and best-performing tablet you can get, it is a solid overall tablet that offers good value for the price.
The 11.2-inch screen on this device is as large as some smaller laptop computer screens available today.
The main camera at the rear has a single 13 MP (wide) lens with autofocus capabilities.
The selfie camera at the front is 8 MP and can shoot 1080p video at 30 frames per second.
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation) can be a particularly good tablet for artists and designers that use illustration and image editing apps.
This Lenovo tablet can be connected to the internet through either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
There are multiple color options for the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation) including Storm Grey and Oat.
For illustrations and writing, you can use an optional stylus with good drawing accuracy and screen sensitivity.
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation) also supports tilt sensitivity, which is great for artists wanting to replicate analog drawing experiences.
Along with artistic projects, it works great for standard productivity, communications, and entertainment purposes.
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation) works smoothly with popular art-related apps such as Clip Studio Paint.
This tablet can run up to 10 hours with its Li-Po 8600 mAh battery and supports Quick Charge 3.0.
I particularly like the narrow screen frame, clean edges, and general symmetry of this tablet’s design.
The front camera on the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation) is smoothly integrated with the frame to help create an overall sleek and sophisticated look.
Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition
Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition is a wonderful tablet for kids that includes plenty of features at an affordable price.
If your child mostly uses the included apps, this table should be able to deliver solid functionality and processing speeds.
The tablet includes a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which has a treasure trove of educational and entertaining apps, videos, books, games, and other content kids can enjoy.
The Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition doesn’t have a top-quality camera when compared to industry standards, but the 2 MP front and rear cameras can at least be effective interactive tools for kids.
The storage in the Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition is relatively small at 16 or 32 GB, but I think it’s enough for children that don’t use many applications or shoot many photos or videos.
As a parent, I can appreciate not having to worry much about my child damaging the tablet since it comes with a 2-year guarantee.
If the device is thrown, dropped, or physically damaged in any way, Amazon will replace it without asking any questions.
Though the 2-year guarantee is nice to have in mind, it seems unlikely any damage will occur to the device due to its protective case.
The case is thick and sturdy and comes in bold color options including blue, purple, and red.
Parental controls allow parents to limit access to certain applications and allows them to activate games, books, videos, and other content they deem are appropriate for their child.
Amazon Kindle Scribe
Though the Amazon Kindle Scribe cannot run typical tablet applications, it can be easier on the eyes and more user-friendly for reading compared to an iPad.
Due to its limited functionality, the Amazon Kindle Scribe can maintain power for a relatively long time on a single charge.
It generally takes less than 3 hours to charge, but can last up to 6 weeks when used mostly as a reader and up to 3 weeks if the notepad is regularly used.
It’s also compatible with Microsoft Word, which is a common application among many desktop and mobile devices.
You can use Microsoft Word in the Kindle Scribe to create and edit journals, lists, letters, and a wide range of other text documents.
There are some weeks where I mainly use Microsoft Word or a similar text application, so the Kindle Scribe can actually be my primary work device at times.
When you don’t feel like typing with the keyboard, you can use a stylus pen with the Kindle Scribe to write by hand.
I often like using a minimal tablet like the Kindle Scribe to focus more on reading and writing without the calls, notifications, and other distractions that can suddenly pop up in other tablets like the iPad.
What Makes iPad Differ From Competitors?
When I consider the hardware characteristics of an iPad, I don’t see much difference when comparing it to other devices like a Samsung Galaxy Tab, Microsoft Surface Pro, or an Amazon Fire.
One of the major ways an iPad differs from competitors is its use of the iPadOS operating system.
The iPadOS is similar to the popular iOS operating system used in iPhones, so providing that familiar environment to its users is something iPad competitors cannot easily do.
What makes it particularly difficult for iPad competitors to compete with the iPad is the exclusive app and accessories bubble that surround Apple and its products.
I try to maintain a balanced approach when using tablets, because I often have different needs that require me to use different tablets.
I like using the iPad for certain purposes, but there is often software I need that isn’t available on the iPad.
Though the iPad certainly has a unique look and feel that makes it stand out, I think the main difference between the iPad and its competitors is its functionality and compatibility with Apple software, hardware, and services like iCloud.
If your priorities are geared more towards performance, flexibility, and getting the best value for your money, choosing an iPad competitor might make the most sense.
Key Takeaways
- Apple’s top competitors include the Galaxy Tab line of tablets from Samsung, the Fire line of tablets from Amazon, and the Surface line of hybrid tablets from Microsoft.
- Some of the top iPad competitors today include the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, Microsoft Surface Pro 9, Amazon Fire 7, and Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Generation).
- The iPad can be a valuable device for those that like using software, hardware, and services within the Apple ecosystem, but there are many competitors that offer better performance and lower pricing than the iPad.
