The best tablets you can buy in Australia

While the hype around tablets as the next big thing in personal computing has largely settled down, the category remains in a pretty vibrant place. For many consumers, tablets haven't quite replaced the traditional laptop. However, they remain an indispensible device for things that are a little too big for modern smartphones to handle.

If you're in the market for a new tablet in 2024, we've put together a shortlist of the best options.

It might be an overstatement to suggest that Apple invented the tablet, but it's fair to say that they made it mainstream in a way that earlier efforts can't come close to matching. The latest iPad Pro pushes the potential of Apples's take on the tablet to the max, thanks to the same M4 processor seen in recent refreshes of the MacBook and MacBook Air.

For what it's worth, we'd favor the 11-inch model unless you're seriously looking at using it as a full-time laptop replacement. The smaller model still has all the same features, from 5G connectivity to Face ID, and it's a little more versatile when it comes to working as both a content creation and consumption device.

While the performance and lower price seen in the standard Apple iPad are likely to tempt budget buyers, those who can afford to spend the extra $100 and pick up the iPad Mini instead are likely to find its well worth the upgrade.

Updated in 2021, the new iPad Mini features a gorgeous 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and comes powered by the same A15 Bionic processor found in the iPhone 13. It's also got a significantly more modern design, incorporating a USB Type-C port rather than Apple's own Lightning cable, support for the second generation Apple Pencil and 5G connectivity.

Even if it's not the absolute cheapest tablet, the new iPad Mini sets a new high bar for cheap tablets to aspire towards.

The flagship Microsoft Surface Pro 11 isn’t necessarily going to be the most powerful 2-in-1 PC that Microsoft makes, nor is it the most portable. However, if you're a fan of the hybrid form-factor, it’s hard to beat.

The new Surface Pro comes in one 13-inch size with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The tablet is available with either an LCD or OLED display and the option of 5G connectivity. As usual, the design is one of the Surface Pro 11's biggest assets. the Surface aesthetic is nice to look at and the iconic kickstand keeps things practical in almost any kind of work environment.

Where the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 differs from the previous models is that it runs on  Snapdragon's new ARM processors. This isn't Microsoft's first go-around with alternatives to the traditional x86 architecture but the early results seem more promising than its previous efforts.

Even if that screen is a little smaller than the average 2-in-1 laptop, the portability and performance here leave the Surface Pro 11 looking like a good option. Thanks to the ever-reliable kickstand and a notable spec bump, the latest addition to the Surface Pro line continues to set the bar for detachable 2-in-1 PC experiences.

The price-tag is hard to miss, but if you're after the best and brightest that the Android tablet scene has to offer, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra takes away the top prize. The hardware here is solid, and the software does a good job of covering for the usual shortcomings and downsides that come into play with Google's answer to iPadOS.

Those who want an Android tablet solely for content consumption can probably save a few hundred bucks by opting for one of the many cheap Lenovo tablets out there or the  Galaxy Tab S9 FE, but those who want an Android tablet capable of competing with the iPad Pro or a traditional laptop will likely find a lot of value in the big screen experience available here.

ASUS' ROG Flow Z13 refines their earlier forays into gaming tablets and delivers on the promise of something that's as powerful as it is portable. Even if it's saddled with a price that leaves it out of the reach of all but early investors, there's a lot to like about the results that the hardware inside this tablet achieves.