Android devices command the lion’s share of the smartphone market, but Apple has held its position as the top tablet maker for years now. The Apple iPad has stood as the tallest for awhile now, but other tablet makers are quickly catching up, with newer devices like the excellent Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – which is now on sale on for less than $500 – proving that Android tablets can definitely deliver what it takes to compete with high-end iOS devices like the iPad Pro.
Given Samsung’s status as a dominant player on the smartphone landscape, it should come as no surprise that this company also makes the best Android tablet out there today. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is our favorite Android-based iPad Pro alternative thanks to its superb build quality, gorgeous 10.5-inch 1600p display, long battery life, and solid performance for streaming and multi-tasking. Four built-in speakers are also a notable upgrade over the typical dual (or even single) speakers you see featured on most tablets.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 also makes for a pretty good 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrid when paired with the Book Cover Keyboard (which also happens to be on sale right now for $104, saving you $46). This basically converts your Tab S4 into a slim and lightweight laptop; while it won’t replace a full-featured PC, it’s an easy way to get the most versatility out of the tablet. As a nice bonus, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 comes with a stylus pen included for free — a handy accessory that iPad owners usually have to buy separately.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is a premium tablet designed to compete with other high-end models like the iPad Pro, and this is reflected in its usual price tag of $650 (which was one of our few criticisms of this device). That’s still cheaper than the iPad Pro, though, and this limited-time $152 discount lets you score the Galaxy Tab S4 with 64GB of storage for an even cheaper $498. This makes this not only the best Android tablet money can buy, but also one of the best tablet deals going right now.
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