Looking for a bargain on your next tablet? You’re in luck because there are some great tablet deals right now with Prime Day officially opening its gates—big discounts and bargains on iPads, Amazon Fire tablets, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, and more.
I’ve been a consumer technology editor for over 10 years and I’ve been hunting for tech deals for most of my life. Here, I’ve curated the best Prime Day tablet deals based on price histories, my personal experiences, our PCWorld expert reviews, and brand reputations.
Keep reading for all the best tablet deals on Amazon right now. We also have a Prime Day 2024 deals hub for you to find big savings on other tech!
First published on July 12, 2024. Last updated on July 16, 2024.
iPads are tough to beat if you’re in need of a versatile tablet for everyday use—and doubly so if you’re already hooked into Apple’s ecosystem with an iPhone and/or MacBook.
Between these Prime Day iPad deals, the iPad mini is the better “deal” with its $120 discount versus the regular iPad’s $50 cut. But I’d personally opt for the iPad because I prefer the bigger screen size. If you prioritize portability, the iPad mini would be a win-win for you.
They both have Liquid Retina displays and 4GB of RAM, so they’ll both look and feel great. If you expect to play big games or download a lot of stuff, consider upgrading to either 256GB model.
These are the hottest Fire tablet deals right now, but if you ask me, one stands out above the rest: the Fire Max 11 offers the biggest discount and packs the biggest bang for your buck.
The 11-inch display is perfect for most use cases, and the 4GB of RAM plus octa-core processor offer the most responsive experience. Plus, it has the longest battery life. Plus, it has NO lockscreen ads.
If you want to spend half as much, the Fire HD 10 is a good deal, too. Just note that it’s partly so cheap because it DOES have lockscreen ads and it doesn’t have newer Wi-Fi 6 technology.
If you’re getting this tablet for a young child, though, you probably want a Fire Kids tablet. The Fire HD 8 Kids is a winner because it comes with kid-friendly content and a kid-proof case (available in blue and purple).
If you need a powerhouse Android tablet, you can’t go wrong with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line—and now’s a great time to jump on one because both the Tab S9 and Tab S9 Plus are on sale with huge discounts. (They’re almost identical except for screen size and battery life.)
For me, 11 inches is plenty for anything I’d do on a tablet, so I’d go for the Tab S9, which is one of the best Prime Day tablet deals this year. But if you seek maximum productivity, the extra screen space and battery life in the Tab S9 could be tangible and worth the extra cash.
If you want to save more and don’t need the absolute best performance, the Google Pixel Tablet is a great compromise—no AMOLED screen and less RAM, but it has better battery life.
PCWorld’s editors have curated tons of great deals across other tech categories. Check ’em out!
It might be. Tablets are great when you want to do phone stuff but wish you had a much larger screen, or when you need the portability and productivity of a laptop and can make do without specific apps that only run on Windows or Mac laptops.
Tablets are more convenient than phones for writing emails, watching videos, browsing the web, playing mobile games, reading ebooks, and more. Plus, doing all this on a tablet keeps your phone juiced up.
Tablets tend to have longer battery life than most laptops, so you can maintain tablet activity for longer before needing to stop and recharge. Add a wireless keyboard and you can do almost anything a laptop can.
Screen size is key as you want a lot more than your phone can offer, but not so much that it hampers portability. Battery life is also important and you’ll want one with at least 8 to 10 hours. CPU and RAM both affect how smooth and responsive it feels to use—the faster, the better.
Screen resolution and image quality can come into play if you’re working on spreadsheets, multitasking, or streaming movies/TV. Storage capacity is important if you intend to download a lot of files (e.g., games, ebooks, music, videos).
Tablet sizes range from 7 inches up to 13 inches and beyond, so the right size for you depends on how you intend to use your tablet.
If you’re going to do a lot of work or watch a lot of movies/TV, you can’t go wrong with the biggest screen you can afford. Stick to 10 or 11 inches if you prioritize a balance between portability, performance, and price. Only go below 10 inches if you need utmost portability or you have a tight, strict budget.
Most people should be fine with a basic 64GB configuration, especially if all you’re going to do is stream video, browse the web, and answer emails. But more is never bad if you can afford it!
If you’re going to be installing lots of high-end games, downloading lots of video, or working frequently with big files, then you’ll probably need at least 256GB. Is money no object? Go up to 512GB. And if you still need more space? Supplement with an external SSD.
Avoid 32GB models because you’ll likely regret it.
LTE and 5G tablet models only come in handy when you’re away from home, in an area that doesn’t have any Wi-Fi, and you still want internet access. Otherwise, you probably don’t need cellular features.
Note that you can always piggyback any tablet off your phone’s cellular data by enabling your phone’s mobile hotspot feature. This essentially turns your phone into a Wi-Fi point, allowing your tablet to use the internet through your phone’s LTE or 5G data.
If, for whatever reason, you’ll be using your tablet often without Wi-Fi access and without your phone, then cellular might be worth it for you.
