No Wi-Fi? No problem. These 4G-enabled tablets can access the web on the go. These are some of the best tablets with cellular service on the market.
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iPad Air 2
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/apple-ipad-air-2/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)
The good: The iPad Air 2 has a great balance of size and weight. Crisp, bright display. iOS 9 runs perfectly, including split-screen apps.
The bad: Priced relatively high for a tablet; single speaker isn’t that loud compared to iPad Pro.0
The cost: $327.94 to $429.99
The bottom line: Apple’s aging midrange tablet is still the perfect mix of size and performance for nearly everyone.
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Amazon Fire HDX 8.9
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-fire-hdx-8-9/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 is the first tablet with Dolby Atmos audio-enhancing technology and Amazon’s item-identifying Firefly function. Its user-friendly operating system includes Mayday instant customer service, extensive parental controls and the ability to set up individual profiles. It’s still one of the lightest and slimmest tablets around.
The bad: Amazon’s curated app store has far fewer apps and games than Google and iOS app stores. The heavily modified OS leaves little room for customization and there’s no microSD card slot.
The cost: $429.99
The bottom line: Impressive Amazon features and an outstanding display make the the Fire HDX 8.9 one of the best and most affordable media consumption tablets.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-tab-s2/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has bright and vividly colorful screen. Its rail-thin design is comfortable and ultracompact. It comes with 32GB of storage, a microSD card expansion slot and fingerprint scanner. Battery life is long.
The bad: Unlike previous models, there’s no IR blaster.
The cost: $322.99 to $347.99
The bottom line: The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2’s brilliant screen, plentiful storage capacity and slender build make it a great tablet for everyday use at home or on the go.
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Asus ZenPad Z8
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/asus-zenpad-z8/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Asus Zen Pad Z8 starts at only $149 with 4G LTE. It’s slim and lightweight with a sharp, bright screen and smooth performance. The battery lasts longer than the vast majority of tablets and charges quickly via USB-C.
The bad: The front-facing speaker and camera quality leave a lot to be desired.
The cost: $249.99
The bottom line: While it’s not fit for writing your next term paper on, the Asus ZenPad Z8 is our favorite budget Android tablet and is perfect for casual use.
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The following CNET staff contributed to this story: Associate Editor Xiomara Blanco, Senior Editor Scott Stein and Senior Editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.
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