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Tablets can serve everyone in many ways, and watching movies and TV shows is a great tablet experience. You can carry a large-screen device easily and enjoy your favorite content anywhere you want to. Likewise, we have handpicked the best tablets for watching movies and TV shows you can get right now.
Everyone is busy, and not everyone has the time to sit in front of a TV to enjoy the latest content on OTT platforms. Hence, tablets are great devices if you want to watch media and use them for work, browsing the internet, creating notes, and even illustrating designs. However, there are some factors to remember before finally purchasing a tablet.
Note: Products on this list aren’t in any order of preference.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is the first entree on the list of the best tablets for watching movies and TV shows. Samsung re-entered the tablet market dramatically and has been quite successful. There haven’t been many good, high-performing Android tablets that are also affordable, but the Tab S7 FE changes that.
It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon SM7225 CPU and is an excellent choice for everyday tasks – including taking notes and watching media. The Android tablet experience has seen its ups and downs, but it’s an excellent time for Android tablets in 2023. Moreover, unlike almost everyone in the market, Samsung also includes the S-Pen to use with it for taking notes and designing.
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon SM7225 |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Display | 12.4-inch 2560 x 1600 Display |
| Battery | Up to 11 hours (advertised) |
| OS | One UI based on Android 12 |
| Weight | 1.34 pounds (or 610 g) |
| Compatible Accessories | S-Pen, Samsung Book Cover |
If you prefer Windows as your primary operating system over other tablet OSes, the Surface Go 3 is an excellent choice. Microsoft’s Surface lineup has improved significantly compared to its first iteration, and the Surface Go 3 can easily be considered among the best tablets for watching movies and TV shows. Moreover, you can do much more with Windows 11 than with other operating systems and make use of a fully-fledged laptop.
Powered by an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y, the Surface Go 3 can easily let you browse, create documents, and watch media. Paired with the Microsoft Surface Pen, you can bring your creativity to life or take class notes. Overall, the Surface Go 3 is a viable tablet for everyday tasks, especially watching movies and TV shows.
| SoC | Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Display | 10.5-inch 1920 x 1080 PixelSense Display |
| Battery | Up to 11 hours (advertised) |
| OS | Windows 11 Home in S Mode |
| Weight | 1.2 pounds (or 544.3 g) |
| Compatible Accessories | Microsoft Surface Pen, Microsoft Surface Go Type Cover |
Next up, the iPad (9th Generation) makes it the list of the best tablets for watching movies and TV shows. While the 9th Gen iPad isn’t the latest model that Apple offers, it still is the tablet that offers the highest value for money, making it a suitable choice for watching media, and much more. The 2021 iPad is great for watching Netflix (and other OTT platforms) and everyday tasks and can handle all essential workloads easily.
It offers a great display and long-lasting battery life in a compact, easy-to-carry package. While the A13 Bionic on the 2021 iPad is an older chip, it’s sufficient for most users that want an everyday device for reading or watching media. All in all, the 2021 iPad is an appropriate choice for readers that will prove its worth.
| SoC | Apple A13 Bionic |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| Display | 10.2-inch 2160 x 1620 Retina Display |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Apple iPad OS |
| Weight | 1.06 pounds (or 484.77 g) |
| Compatible Accessories | Apple Pencil (1st Gen), Apple Keyboard |
Samsung is widely known for its premium S-series tablet range, but it’s lesser known for its budget tablet options. One of these tablets is the Galaxy Tab A8, which is an ideal choice if you just want a device for watching YouTube and browsing the internet.
Moreover, it’s extremely inexpensive for tablets as you can buy one for under $200. Likewise, it doesn’t have a high-performing CPU, but it’s perfectly adequate for watching media and scrolling through social media apps. Overall, it’s an ideal choice among the best tablets for watching movies and TV shows in 2023.
| SoC | Unisoc T618 |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB |
| Display | 10.5-inch 1920 x 1200 Display |
| Battery | Up to 8 hours (advertised) |
| OS | One UI based on Android 11 |
| Weight | 1.12 pounds (or 508 g) |
| Compatible Accessories | Samsung Book Cover |
Finally, the iPad Air is next-in-line among the best tablets for watching movies and TV shows. It comes with Apple’s new iPad design, a great display, a USB-C port, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. However, that isn’t all it offers; with the M1 chip, you can do much more on the iPad Air compared to the regular iPad.
If you require high-performance, future-proofing, and something that checks all boxes, the iPad Air is the way to go. Housing Apple’s M1 silicon chip, the iPad Air can handle almost anything you throw at it. All in all, you can rely on the iPad Air for design, watching media, browsing, and much more.
Tip: You can also get a deal on the previous generation refurbished 2021 iPad Air from Apple’s website to save some money.
| SoC | Apple M1 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| Display | 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Apple iPad OS |
| Weight | 1 pound (or 458 g) |
| Compatible Accessories | Apple Pencil (2nd Gen), Apple Magic Keyboard |
There are quite a few tablets in the market, but not all of them provide the right value for your money. Here are a few things to keep in mind before getting a tablet for watching movies and TV shows.
Screen Resolution: If you’re watching the latest content on OTT platforms, you need a device that can display the highest resolution that the content comes in. Hence, a regular 1080p display would be sufficient, but not as enjoyable as a high-resolution screen.
Aspect Ratio: Tablets come in various aspect ratios and shapes, but to have the best media-watching experience, you would want something that doesn’t have huge black bars on the top and bottom of the video. Hence, an ideal tablet for watching movies and TV shows should have an aspect ratio that doesn’t interfere much with the video content.
Battery: If you’re someone who binge-watches everything, then a great tablet should be able to withstand your long Netflix sessions without running out of battery. Preferably, look for something that could easily last you more than a day.
Performance: There has been an absurd trend with manufacturers not providing a capable CPU in a machine that’s supposed to perform several tasks. Hence, an ideal tablet should have an SoC (System on a Chip) that can easily handle everyday tasks and let you multitask whenever possible.
There are a lot of tablet options in the market right now, and finding one for a particular niche can be a challenging task. However, we have only picked the ones that will offer you the best media-watching experience. If you want an Android Tablet that can also help you with everyday tasks, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a viable choice. Although, the 2021 iPad is an excellent choice if you want something for watching media, taking notes, and browsing social media.
Like this list? Check out the best tablets for reading in 2023.
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