But a good tablet needs to be able to keep up with increasing app and OS requirements. At this writing, we draw the line at Android 12-a tablet running anything older than that isn’t worth buying. The tablet should also be able to last through at least a full day of heavy use-eight or more hours of browsing the web, streaming video, and running apps. If a tablet’s standby time can’t be measured in days, it’s not good enough. The last thing you want when coming back to your tablet is a dead battery. Watching video is one of the most common uses for a tablet, and no one wants to be staring at a dingy, low-res screen while they binge Netflix.

Display: A good tablet must have a high-resolution screen with a wide brightness range.