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Top 5 Android tablets you can buy today

With so many Android tablets flying around it's tough to find the best one for you. We've picked five of our favourites to help you choose.

Andrew Lanxon Editor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Expertise Smartphones, Photography, iOS, Android, gaming, outdoor pursuits Credentials
  • Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
Andrew Lanxon
3 min read
Watch this: Top 5 Android tablets you can buy today

Android might be the dominant name in smart phones at the moment, but it's still got a way to go to beat Apple's ever-popular iPad. With better components, more user-friendly features and, crucially, lower pricing, 2013 could be the year Android slates start to really take hold.

To help you find the best Android tablet for your needs, let me take you through our favourite five right now.

Google Nexus 7

Clearly not happy with the existing Android slates, Google decided to wade in to the arena, hand in hand with Asus, showing everyone else exactly what a good tablet should be.

The 7-inch Nexus 7 packs in a high-definition display, a super-charged quad-core processor and the latest version of Android Jelly Bean. Best of all though it starts at the ridiculously low price of £160. It's not only a superb option if you want a high-end portable slate, it's cheap enough to be the best choice if you're looking to take your first steps into the tablet world.

Google Nexus 10

If 7 inches doesn't quite cut it for you then check out Google's Nexus 10, this time made in partnership with Samsung. Its 10-inch display crams in a ludicrous number of pixels making it phenomenally sharp, while the nippy dual-core chip manages to plough through demanding tasks without breaking a sweat.

At £320, it's not the same casual purchase as the Nexus 7, but it offers a heck of a lot for the money.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

If the name didn't give you a glaring hint, Samsung's own Galaxy Note 10.1 is also a 10-inch slate. Its bright, bold screen accompanies a powerful quad-core chip with a generous 2GB of RAM.

It separates itself from the herd though by packing a stylus in the bottom. It lets you hand-write all your notes, doodle little pictures when you're bored and take advantage of the various pieces of Samsung software designed specifically to work with the pen.

If you want a big slate with a stylus for note-taking at the office or sketching on the sofa, the Note 10.1 might be a good option.

 

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 700

Tablets might be great fun for swiping and poking around colourful apps, but trying to type anything more than a couple of sentences is as about as pleasant as a sneeze in the face.

Enter, the Asus Transfromer Pad Infinity 700. The tablet packs a high-resolution display, a quad-core chip and slots into a keyboard dock, turning it into a laptop.

If you want the fun of a touchscreen but need something that will let you get on with some real work, the Transformer Infinity could be for you.

Toshiba AT300

Toshiba's AT300 might not have any special skill like a keyboard or stylus, but that doesn't mean it's not a nice bit of kit. Its 10-inch screen is bright and bold and the quad-core processor gives a generous helping of power.

It's also incredibly slim and lets you pop in full-sized SD cards making it particularly handy for photographers. It was pretty pricey initially, but you can now pick it up for a very reasonable £230.

There are of course a whole host of other slates around and a load more expected to come this year. Make sure you keep your eyes firmly fixed on CNET UK for all the latest news and the very best buying advice, and of course let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or over on our Facebook page.