The Windows tablet market is a little bare these days, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. We've searched far and wide for the absolute best Windows tablets you can buy this year, ranging from flagships from Microsoft and dell, down to budget options like the Surface Go 3 and HP Tablet 11. There's something for everyone in the Windows tablet space.
The Surface Pro 9 5G is everything we've ever wanted out of a Windows 10 tablet. Rocking a custom-built Microsoft SQ3 ARM processor on the inside, this is a device that has 5G built-in and instantly wakes when you tap the power button, just like a tablet should. It has a huge 13-inch display with a screen resolution of 2880x1920 for crisp and clear image quality and a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth animations and playback. It has super thin bezels along the sides and a slim 7.3mm chassis with a built-in kickstand.
Ports include two USB-C and one Surface Connect port for fast charging. It also has an upgradable SSD, so if you ever need to swap out your drive for a new one, you can do just that without having to break open the entire device to do so. Battery life is pretty good, with usage lasting around 7-8 hours on a single charge. Thanks to the ARM processor, it consumes little power when you put it to sleep. So it should get you through a day just fine.
You can get the Surface Pro 9 5G configured with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage out of the box. Like any other Surface Pro, it also has an optional pen and keyboard accessories, with support for wireless charging the pen inside the keyboard cover itself.
If you grab yourself a Surface Slim Pen 2, the Surface Pro 9 5G will support its unique haptic features too, so you'll be able to feel subtle bumps and scratches as you write on the screen. Pretty neat!
This is our pick for the best Windows tablet as it's the closest thing to a real tablet, something that we think can rival the iPad in form factor and functionality.
The latest Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is quite the departure from previous models, which used to be more like a convertible laptop with a keyboard and trackpad you couldn't detach. The new one is a fully fledged tablet, complete with a keyboard folio accessory that you can buy separately to turn it into a laptop if you wanted.
The best thing about the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is its design. It's an excellent looking tablet, with a crisp 3K 13-inch touchscreen display panel that also supports pen, and a high-quality metal chassis that's cold to the touch. The pen magnetically attaches to the side of the device when not in use, and there's also two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports.
It can be configured with either 8GB or 16GB RAM, and either 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage. For processors, you can get it with an Intel Core i5-1230U or Intel Core i7-1250U, which offer excellent performance in such a thin package. The only downside really is the battery life is only average.
The optional keyboard folio case is a nice addition, but we think the design of the Surface Pro keyboard is a bit better, as it allows for the keyboard to be slightly propped up which makes it easier to use on a lap. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1's keyboard folio can only lay flat, which is fine when using it on a desk, but a little finicky when using it on a lap.
Featuring an incredible 120Hz, 2880 x 1920 3:2 display, 12th Gen U-series Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, up to 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD, you can't go wrong with the Surface Pro 9 for photo editing and more, which features the same great design as found on the Surface Pro 9 5G, but with more color choices and power under the hood.
This is the tablet for those who don't just browse social media and check email. It can be obscenely powerful if you configure it to be as such. Even on the entry-level model, you should be able to get by with medium to heavy multitasking, a few light edits in Photoshop, and home video editing at 1080p.
It's considerably more expensive than the Surface Go. Just like the Surface Go, it also doesn't come with the Type Cover bundled at that price. Considering the display's size, you're going to want to buy the Type Cover to take advantage of everything this tablet has to offer.
Battery life on the Surface Pro 9 can depend on the tasks you're doing. It should get you through a workday with ease, however, thanks to the 12th Gen Intel processors that are much more battery efficient in routine tasks. It also has two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB-C ports, meaning you can charge either with Microsoft's proprietary Surface Connect port or through USB-C. It supports fast charging too!
The Surface Pro 9 features Intel's 12th Gen processors, paired with upgraded Iris Xe graphics for a huge boost in GPU performance. Get this if you need to do video editing or light rendering work while on the go.
You can grab the Surface Pro 9 in a variety of colors, including Platinum, Graphite, Sapphire, and Forest colorways.
The Surface Go is the successor to 2018's Surface Go and features a 10.5-inch high-quality display in the same magnesium chassis you know and love.
On the inside, it features an Intel Pentium GOLD or Intel Core M3 processor with up to 8GB RAM, but it remains quiet while running. It has a great display for the price, and it has support for Surface Pen for all the handwriting and drawing you might want to do. If needed, you can choose a higher-end model with more storage if you need the extra room. There's also a microSD card expansion slot for additional storage when needed.
The best bit about the Surface Go 3 is that it's super cheap compared to other Surface products on the market. Don't be fooled by its affordable price, though, as this is still one incredibly premium tablet. The price does start to climb if you're interested in the additional accessories for it. The Type Cover will set you back about a hundred bucks, as will the Surface Pen, so costs increase accordingly.
Battery life is okay. It'll get you through a working day, but don't expect any miracles. It gets about 6-7 hours at most, mostly because this isn't a Windows on ARM device, meaning it's using an Intel processor that isn't as battery efficient.
The HP Tablet 11 is a small form factor slate designed for the workplace. Featuring an Intel Pentium N6000, 8GB RAM, and a beautifully crisp 11-inch display with a 2.1K resolution. It also supports pen input, and you can buy an optional keyboard accessory to turn it into a laptop if you need it.
The big selling point of this tablet is that it supports a webcam accessory that can be attached in any orientation. So, instead of being limited to the landscape orientation that most tablets are fixed to when you want to use the webcam, this device lets you attach a webcam to the device in portrait mode as well.
Plus, because the webcam is detachable, it features a much higher quality sensor at 13 megapixels, which also features Auto Frame for automatically keeping you or a group of people in frame.
The device also has a built-in kickstand, meaning you can prop up the device no matter where you are.
Summing up
Why you can trust Windows Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
There are many different tablets with Windows out there, but choosing what's best for you can be difficult. We think the Surface Pro 9 5G is the best all-around Windows tablet you can buy right now, featuring the same instant-on and 5G capabilities found in devices like the iPad while still being versatile and productive enough to get work done.
Of course, the Surface Pro 9 5G isn't for everybody, which we why we also recommend the Surface Pro 9 (non-5G) for those who need more power. And if you're looking for something small that doesn't break the budget, the Surface Go 3 is for you. If none of these appeals to you, be sure to check out our picks for best Windows 11 PCs on the market right now too!
