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5 tablet deals you can’t afford to miss this Memorial Day

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Get your hands on a shiny new tablet and score discounts with this year’s huge Memorial Day sales. Best Buy and Amazon currently have the prices of the highly-rated Apple iPad 10.2 and new iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 and Tab A, and Microsoft Surface Pro 7 slashed for up to a whopping $230 off. Whether you need a tablet for work, reading, or multimedia consumption, look no further.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1

 – $200, was $230

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 review
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a basic tablet that combines nice build quality and a decent mix of features. It flaunts a 10.1-inch screen with brilliant backlighting and a 1,920 x 1,200-pixel resolution, making everything look crisp, vibrant, and vivid. Samsung claims its 7,300 mAh battery can last up to 13 hours on a single charge, which allows you to enjoy your favorite apps and activities for longer. The tablet is also built with a dual-camera system, with impressive features such as continuous shots and panoramic modes.

With an octa-core Exynos 7870 chipset and 2GB of RAM at its core, the Galaxy Tab A is able to deliver the right combination of reliable performance and power efficiency. You can count on it for smooth response, stunning graphics, and speedy multitasking. The tablet only has 16GB of storage capacity, but a MicroSD card is available should you need memory expansion.

Content sharing and file sharing are a breeze with this tablet. Its Samsung Smart Switch features make moving your contacts, music, and other media to your Samsung Galaxy device quick and easy. There’s also the Samsung Quick Connect which is convenient for sharing media between the tablet and your Samsung Smart TV.

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iPad 10.2

 – $250, was $330

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The seventh-generation model of the standard iPad is one of the best tablets out there. While it’s not a match to the bells and whistles of the beefier 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro, it truly is a great entry-level, budget-friendly, all-around tablet that you can count on for productivity.

Apple built this iPad with the A10 Fusion processor at its heart complete with an embedded M10 co-processor and 3GB of RAM. This chip may not be as fast as the A12X or A12Z used by the Pro models, but all you need to know is that it does a good job of running tasks smoothly. Whether you’re skipping in and out of apps, surfing the web, watching movies, or playing the latest games, the tablet can handle it all with zero lag. The larger screen just makes the experience better, offering more space for multitasking, multimedia consumption, and productivity.

In addition to its beefed-up support for Apple Pencil, this iPad’s compatibility with the Smart Keyboard (accessories sold separately) is what makes it a capable productivity machine. You’ll also be able to experience desktop-grade experience, thanks to the new iPadOS that ushers in a whole lot of improvements compared to the altered version of iOS previously used by iPads.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

 – $550, was $650

Julian Chokkattu / Digital Trends

Light in weight and heavy on performance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is the best tablet that runs on Android. This model is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, a processor found in most flagship Android phones last year. Even with multiple browser tabs and several apps windows open at the same time, this tablet will not slow you down.

Those who can live with some quirks and don’t rely heavily on specific desktop applications to get some work done can make use of the Galaxy Tab S6 as a capable laptop replacement. You’ll need to buy a keyboard cover to enjoy its full potential, though, but you can still maximize its capabilities with the included Bluetooth S Pen. This stylus magnetically attaches at the back of the tablet for storage and charging and lets you do a variety of things — from pausing and skipping at a press of a button to taking notes, signing documents, and doodling.

Complementing its performance and versatility is a stunning AMOLED screen. It packs a 2,560 x 1,600-pixel resolution that makes everything appear crisp and maintains a perfectly readable interface even in direct sunlight. Visuals are truly a delight — blacks are deep, colors are vibrant, and dim scenes aren’t difficult to see. Multimedia consumption is further elevated with the dynamic quad-speaker in place.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 7

 – $699, was $1,029

Image used with permission by copyright holder

With Microsoft jumping in on the hardware game, you are no longer stuck with just iOS or Android. If you want a tablet that runs on Windows, there’s no better choice than the Microsoft Surface Pro 7. Packed with everything good about the Surface Pro 6 along with some enhancements, it’s no surprise why Digital Trends named it as the current best Windows tablet and best 2-in-1. It runs a full version of Windows 10 and works with the Type Cover (included) and Surface Pen (sold separately), offering powerful portable productivity perfect for students, creative professionals, and everyone in between.

One upgrade of the Surface Pro 7 over its predecessor is the new 10-generation Intel Core i3 processor. More than 20% in multi-core performance boost is guaranteed along with improved graphics, lag-free multitasking, and swift launching and processing of applications. When it comes to battery, Microsoft estimates this tablet will get you through a whole day of mixed usage on a single charge.

The spectacular 3:2 PixelSense touchscreen of this Surface tablet is in the same league as the 2018 iPad Pro. From surfing the web and reading to scrolling through photos and binge-watching Netflix, it’s a gorgeous display to consume media on and looks better than the usual 1080p laptops. Stereo speakers capable of producing crisp, loud sound only make the entertainment experience mode wonderful.

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New iPad Pro 12.9

 – $963, was $1,000

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you want some serious power on an iPad, we recommend the latest iPad Pro. This 2020 model is built with powerful hardware that’s on par with most Chromebooks and laptops. It works with a stylus and keyboard, making it a truly capable productivity machine or work station.

The new iPad Pro’s Liquid Retina IPS screen flaunts a 2,388 x 1,688-pixel resolution, ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate technology, True Tone colors, and 600 nits of brightness. Combined, they make for a wonderfully calibrated display with a snappy touch response. From swiping through menus and browsing the web to playing games and watching videos, everything looks great and buttery smooth.

Another upgrade of this iPad over the 2018 version is the chip. This model uses the new Apple 12Z Bionic processor with octa-core graphics, allowing for performance that claims to be faster than most PC laptops. Intensive and hardcore tasks like 4K video editing and graphic-intensive gaming all run without any lag or slowdown.

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Erica Katherina
Erica Katherina
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I find deals and write about them to help Digital Trends’ readers save on quality tech products.
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