Bridging the gap between smartphones and laptops, thebest tabletsare indispensable tools for work, entertainment, and everything in between. Despite the clear benefits of cellular connectivity in tablets, however, it’s not a standard feature across all models. And although modern5G smartphonescan function as Wi-Fi hotspots, using them isn’t always feasible, as it can quickly drain your phone’s battery.
The good news is the cellular tablet market is finally catching up to our need for constant connections, offering just enough variety across all price points. Join us as we delve into the world of cellular tablets, exploring the best tablets with 5G/LTE cellular access. Keep in mind, though, that some tablets are limited to data only (no voice or texts), and some are tied to specific carriers at purchase.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+
TCL Tab 10 5G
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+
Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2024)
Blackview Active 8 Pro
TCL Tab Pro 5G
T-Mobile Revvl Tab 5G
Top tablets with 5G or LTE connectivity
A great tablet that doesn’t cost a ton
While not the absolute cream of the crop, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is one of the few Galaxy Tab S series models to get mobile internet support recently. It backs up a sleek form factor with powerful components and Samsung’s highly praised OneUI interface. So, it’s an excellent combination of performance and convenience.
Interestingly, only a couple of the latest round of Galaxy Tab S series models include optional cellular connectivity, and the other ones are considerably more expensive. For around $500, though, the S9 FE provides an excellent experience, pairing reasonably fast internals with a bright, colorful, 90Hz display.
The underlying OneUI interface is still as good as ever, too, and it’s well-tailored to take advantage of the 10.9-inch screen in terms of individual apps and multitasking.
We’re especially keen on the battery life, partly because the 5G modem will draw extra power on top of the standard hardware. Speaking of standard hardware, the S9 FE includes the high-quality S Pen, one of today’s best styluses by a wide margin. And despite its status as a midrange S FE model, it looks and feels every bit as premium as its more expensive relatives.
It does have minor drawbacks compared to more costly tablets, but the majority of users won’t really miss the more high-end features. The Exynos 1380 system-on-a-chip represents one such compromise, as it doesn’t perform as well as the Qualcomm chipsets found in industry-leading models.
Nonetheless, it’s easily powerful enough for how most people use tablets, even if it won’t stand up to running multiple resource-intensive apps simultaneously.
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You’re also limited to just 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the 5G model, which does compound that problem somewhat. But, in the end, the reasonable cost makes the sacrifices worth it, since cellular-connected slates can be notably more expensive than their Wi-Fi-only counterparts.
Fantastic performance and display
The Galaxy Tab S9+, the only entry in Samsung’s high-end lineup to get cellular data, also happens to be the biggest one that’s convenient for most people, and significantly more powerful than the S9 FE 5G. In fact, it’s arguably the best Android tablet on the market right now.
With the Tab S9 Ultra essentially serving as a laptop replacement, the S9+ remains the top premium choice for most Android tablet lovers. The display is arguably the best of any tablet, Apple’s included, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powering it makes quick work of some of the most demanding apps.
Samsung’s vaunted Android implementation does an excellent job enabling multitasking on this relative powerhouse, too, even if — like with the S9 FE 5G — mobile data’s only offered on the version with smaller storage (which has the same 12GB of RAM, anyway).
We did manage to find some minor quibbles with the device, like the predictable lack of a headphone jack and unsurprising last-gen charging speeds. (What’s up with that, Samsung?) But it shows no major faults and will receive four years of Android updates followed by an additional year of security patches.
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This high-end slate makes a great investment for those who want an all-around winner, capable of doing nearly anything you want a tablet to do. It’s a joy to watch movies on, thanks to HDR10+ playback, and it’s big enough to get some work done if you pair it with agood Bluetooth keyboard. The only major drawback is the price.
The clear entry-level winner
Where most always-connected tablets cost significantly more than their counterparts, the TCL Tab 10 5G costs less and doesn’t even come in a Wi-Fi-only version. It won’t win any benchmark competitions, but it’s a solid, 10-inch device that makes effective use of a SIM card.
Most manufacturers pick one of their existing tablets and tack on 5G support, but TCL periodically releases one-off models with built-in modems of their own.
The Tab 10 5G is one such model, and it’s as far from a high-end device as you can get that still delivers a reasonably smooth experience and capable feature set. It’s bright enough, fast enough, and even has good enough speakers to satisfy casual users while also offering passable 5G connectivity.
With that in mind, it’s far from perfect, and its flaws represent big trade-offs made to reach its impressive $150 price. It shipped with Android 12, still uses Android 12, and likely won’t ever see an upgrade. There’s only 32GB of storage inside, which limits the amount of advanced apps you’re able to use, since many must be loaded into internal memory.
It also only works on T-Mobile networks, but those are pretty ubiquitous at this point. And the reality is nothing else in this price range comes with a 5G radio.
We will take a second to note here that TCL announced a new,exciting tablet at CES 2024called the Tab 10 NxtPaper 5G, which uses the company’s novel display technology to drive a bright, colorful, paper-like screen. However, the tablet is only available via Verizon, and it’s considerably more expensive.
That smooth OneUI experience, on a budget
The bigger of Samsung’s two low-cost tablets, the A9+ is the only one to receive 5G support and does a good job for the price. It won’t knock your socks off in terms of performance, but it’s great for casual use and will get at least two full Android updates.
Samsung’s Tab A series takes a significantly different approach toward tablet supremacy than its world-beating Tab S lineup. Instead of cramming the latest high-end hardware into a slim, attractive, expensive package, the Tab A9+ sports components just powerful enough to provide a capable experience.
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Let’s get the biggest issue out of the way first: Its performance isn’t really anything to write home about, with an aging Snapdragon 695 system-on-a-chip behind the scenes. For that matter, 4GB of RAM (as found in the only 5G-enabled version) does hold it back in this day and age of code bloat. But at least the A9+ runs better than the vanilla Tab A9 and its MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, which actually won’t see a US release.
As long as you don’t insist on top-of-the-line performance, though, the Tab A9+ delivers. In particular, Samsung’s OneUI implementation remains the best among Android tablets. It’s intuitive right from the jump, and offers a level of customization no other OS flavor can match.
And if you do a lot of different things on a tablet, you won’t find any that jump from task to task as seamlessly as Samsung’s. That A9+ makes most use cases extremely easy, thanks to versatile multitasking functions and a generally low-overhead Android skin.
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A midrange tablet that neither stands out nor falls flat
It isn’t without drawbacks even outside of the middling performance, but the other downsides are awfully minor. The mediocre speakers are about what you’d expect from something this price, and we really would’ve like a fingerprint reader. Overall, though, the better-than-expected screen, excellent battery life, and luxurious, durable build quality make this a hard one to pass up.
If you’re OK with the OS, it’s hard to beat
Apple makes the most powerful and popular tablets around but has a particular kind of stranglehold on the 5G tablet market. It’s one of the few companies to release factory-unlocked devices that work swimmingly on a wide range of networks worldwide.
While the standard base iPad also offers cellular connectivity, the 2024 iPad Air really hits the sweet spot for most people when it comes to price and performance. It’s incredibly slim and light for its size, making it super comfortable to use for watching videos, browsing the web, or video calling friends and family.
Plus, with the powerful Apple M2 chip under the hood, it’s one of the most powerful tablets you’re able to buy, and it can handle pretty much any task you throw at it. To top it off, it often beats out other tablets when it comes to real-world 5G and LTE speeds, so you can expect a super speedy connection wherever you go.
Now, it’s not all sunshine and roses. iPadOS can still feel a bit limiting if you’re used to multitasking on other devices. And honestly, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher that the iPad Air still has a 60Hz LCD screen in 2024. While the screen itself is good, at this price, it would be nice to see a smoother 120Hz display or a higher-quality OLED panel.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the iPad Air is still an awesome tablet, especially if it fits your budget. The huge selection of apps available for iPads is a major plus, too. It might not be the best choice for those who are deeply invested in the Android world, but if you’re already familiar with Apple’s ecosystem or willing to learn the ropes, it’s definitely worth considering.
Impressive specs and resilience for the price
While Blackview isn’t exactly a household name, it makes competent phones and tablets that fill somewhat niche use cases. The 10.4" Active 8 Pro tablet could be the most rugged 4G LTE-connected tablet on the market, able to withstand complete submersion as well as pressurized water jets. If you can deal with the less-than-stellar performance and high weight, there’s nothing else like it.
There are simply not many entries in the rugged Android tablet market, and what is there tends to be pretty overpriced (like the Samsung Galaxy Active series). Enter the Blackview Active 8 Pro, which boasts specs that a $400-or-less tablet has no business including. Among them are 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an FHD+ display that looks far better than you might expect.
But its chief calling card is its durability. Almost no other tablets get the full slate of IP68/IP69K+ testing, which ensures it’ll withstand not just complete submersion but even pressurized water jets from any angle. It also uses Gorilla Glass 5, something often reserved for more expensive models from bigger names.
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Built to handle all of life’s challenges
Unfortunately, the Active 8 Pro’s experience is hamstrung for the casual user, entirely because of its weight. Tipping the scales at roughly 2 pounds, it’s far too heavy for convenient entertainment on your commute, for example. So you’ll only be purchasing this rock-solid device if you need something that can withstand extremely heavy use. And in that sense, nothing beats it. We do wish that it had a 5G modem, but the extensive 4G band coverage means it’ll work well with major US carriers.
Pricey, but engineered to leverage Verizon’s ultra-fast network
Verizon’s Ultra Wideband mmWave 5G gets incredibly high marks, and TCL’s Tab Pro is built to take advantage of it. Its internals are just fast enough to make short work of web browsing and even internet connection sharing, although tablet power users might find it a bit sluggish. If you’re looking for wide-ranging connectivity and are willing to opt for a carrier deal, though, it’s worth considering.
TCL makes few tablets, but does release a handful of mobile-focused slates. The Tab Pro 5G is one such offering, with support for all the frequency bands that make Verizon’s network so effective. It won’t win any awards for speed, unfortunately, as its Snapdragon 480 and 4GB of RAM leave a bit to be desired in terms of performance. But it’s one of the few that can fully leverage the nation’s top mmWave network.
It’s a great choice for long car rides or other times you’ll be away from a charger, as the battery lasts quite long even when connected to a mobile network. The screen also looks great, and while it could be a little brighter, the colors pop surprisingly well. The moderate weight and relatively slim construction also make it reasonably portable.
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It’s a great choice if you’re mostly looking for a super-high-speed internet portal, and it can push its 5G connectivity to as many as 10 devices at once via dual-band wireless hotspot. It won’t work well for resource-intensive games, and the cameras are even less impressive than they usually are on a tablet, but this utilitarian device gets the job done when you need mobile connectivity in a large-format device.
A great budget alternative for T-Mobile customers
The T-Mobile Revvl Tab 5G is an excellent budget tablet for T-Mobile customers. It supports 5G, and despite the low price, you’ll get a decent budget tablet that’s great for general browsing, reading, and catching up with friends. It’s also ideal for watching movies on the go on a larger screen. And while it’s not the best for gaming, it’ll do well for basic games that don’t require a lot of graphics.
The T-Mobile Revvls Tab 5G, as the name suggests, is a T-Mobile exclusive tablet. It costs just $200, and it offers decent specifications and a solid build quality. The tablet is ideal for watching movies, consuming content, browsing, and other light tasks. It has 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage, making it excellent for storing your favorite photos and videos, as well as apps.
The tablet has a USB-C port, a single Dark Shadow color option, and a 10.36-inch LCD with 1200 x 2000 resolution. It’s ideal for movies, TV shows, and videos, and the tablet is large enough to comfortably read books and use various social media apps. The tablet runs Android 13, and while we’re not sure how many updates it’ll receive, the device is expected to be a great viable budget option for those looking to buy a cheap tablet this year.
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If all you need is an affordable, portable device that can last a long time on a single charge, and you don’t want to multitask or play demanding games, the T-Mobile Revvl Tab 5G will do a great job.
The best tablets with 5G/cellular connectivity
Only select models offer the luxury of constant internet connection, but luckily, they’re often some of the best. For most users, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a great option to experience 5G connectivity on a tablet. It excels in everyday tasks and entertainment, and what it lacks in sheer power, it makes up for in affordability.
Power users who crave top-tier performance will find the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ and the iPad Air with its M2 chip to be worthy of consideration. These tablets effortlessly handle intensive tasks, from video editing to graphic design, making them perfect for productivity and creativity.
If your tablet usage revolves around streaming media and browsing the web on the go, there are affordable options that deliver impressive performance without breaking the bank. The TCL Tab 10 5G stands out as one of the cheapest 5G tablets on the market and still offers reliable performance. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ offers ample horsepower for daily use, but costs a little bit more.
Lastly, for adventurers and those who need a tablet that can withstand harsh environments, the Blackview Active 8 Pro is what you need. Its exceptional ruggedness, long-lasting battery, and IP68/IP69K+ rating make it the perfect companion for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals who work in demanding conditions.
All the 5G tablet most people need
More than capable of performing everyday tablet tasks, and even tackling more complex number-crunching like some high-end games, the Tab S9 FE offers the best combination of price, form factor, and capability, while retaining 5G connectivity.
