The best tablets to suit your needs

Tablets are versatile tools that can be used for everything at school, work or home. Whether you're checking email, managing finances, testing your art skills or casually browsing YouTube and watching videos, a tablet can do it all. Finding the best tablet isn't hard, either, but knowing where to start can be overwhelming.

These three tablets below are among the best CNET has found in the recent crop of slates.

WHAT iPad Pro

THE COST $799

AVAILABLE FROM apple.com

Apple's 2022 iPad Pro refresh added a more powerful M2 chip, faster Wi-Fi 6E and optional 5G connectivity, and a new Pencil 2 "hover" feature that activates the display when the stylus is in close range. Not many apps take advantage of hover, though, and the rest of this iPad design is the same as the previous model.

The iPad Pro lineup is still the only one with models with faster 120 Hertz variable refresh rate displays, a step-up Mini LED HDR display on the 12.9-inch model, Face ID and depth-sensing lidar cameras and a faster Thunderbolt 4 port. If you don't mind that the front-facing camera isn't landscape-oriented like the 10th-gen iPad's — and you have the money to burn — this is the most advanced model.

WHAT Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus

THE COST $654.99

AVAILABLE FROM samsung.com

The Galaxy Tab S8 Plus is essentially the Android equivalent to Apple's iPad Pro. Samsung's DeX interface gives it an edge for productivity if you're looking for a more laptop-like feel from the tablet. It's built around a beautiful 12.4-inch, 2,800x1,752-pixel Super AMOLED display with a 120-Hertz refresh rate for smoother-looking visuals.

Samsung also includes one of its great S Pens, so you're ready to start sketching and taking notes right out of the box. The tablet can also double as a wireless display so you can extend your Windows laptop's screen space on the go.

WHAT Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus

THE COST $99.99

AVAILABLE FROM amazon.com

Amazon continues to make the best inexpensive tablets for media consumption. The Fire HD 8 is the middle of the lineup, hitting a sweet spot for price and performance. The 2022 model sports a thinner, lighter design, a faster processor and 13 hours of battery life. It's definitely a good low-cost option for streaming video, reading e-books and web browsing. It's worth spending an additional $20 for the Plus version, which adds 1 gigabyte of RAM, wireless charging and a 9-watt power adapter.