10 New Tablets Worth Knowing This Autumn

Tablets are interesting again because their designs are moving in several directions at once. Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S12 series is pushing large Android slates towards laptop territory, Lenovo is pairing OLED screens with unusually capable accessories, and Microsoft has put its latest Snapdragon silicon into a compact Surface Pro. Alongside those launches, paper-like displays and sharper mid-range Android options make this a much broader category than iPad versus everything else. These ten current UK choices are the models worth knowing this autumn.

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The quick take

Why now

Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S12 series on 30 September, while Lenovo's latest Yoga and Idea tablets and Microsoft's second-generation 12-inch Surface Pro are arriving for autumn.

Choose the operating system

iPadOS, Android and Windows differ more in app libraries and workflows than their increasingly similar-looking hardware suggests.

Price the whole device

Keyboards, pens and chargers are sometimes optional, so compare the complete configuration you would actually carry rather than the tablet alone.

Recommendations

How to choose

Begin with the software you need. An iPad is often the safest all-round choice for creative apps and long support; Android gives you more hardware variety, flexible multitasking and distinctive displays; a Surface Pro runs full Windows software but behaves more like an ultraportable PC. Then decide how large a screen you are willing to carry. Twelve- to fourteen-inch tablets are excellent for split-screen work and films but awkward for one-handed reading, while an eleven-inch model is usually the more portable compromise. Check the display finish and refresh rate, storage, memory, update policy, battery size and port selection. If drawing or typing matters, confirm whether the pen or keyboard is included and try the accessory in person where possible. Finally, treat cellular connectivity as a deliberate upgrade: tethering to a phone may be enough for occasional travel.

The best new tablets are becoming more specialised, not more interchangeable. Samsung and Lenovo are building ambitious big-screen Android machines, Microsoft is keeping full Windows unusually portable, and TCL is making the display itself the point. Choose the operating system and size first, then pay for the screen, accessories and performance that support the way you will really use it.