These tablets are not only compact but also provide very interesting reading, writing, and drawing experiences.
If you're looking for a tablet with a screen around 10 inches, there are plenty of high-end Android tablets to choose from. Even on a mid-range budget, you can get a surprisingly great tablet with impressive specs and a quality screen.
Android Police has reviewed and highlighted a number of notable compact tablets, and this list includes the best:
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Apple iPad Mini 6
Apple's iPad lineup has easily taken over the tablet market. The 2021 iPad Mini looks a lot like a mini 2020 iPad Air in terms of design, with only a few sacrifices to fit it into a smaller body and a slightly lower price point.
The high resolution and good maximum brightness of the display makes it usable in most lighting conditions, although it's a bit disappointing with the 60Hz TFT panel, as many phones costing half this much have much better displays.
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Still, the iPad Mini has the high performance we expect from Apple, in this case the A15 Bionic. The updated iPadOS runs smoothly and without any hiccups, which is typical of Apple products. And at under 300g and under 7mm thick, it's quite much the lightest and thinnest sub-9-inch tablet out there.
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The only major downside, like some other Apple devices, is the price. The $500 list price for a device with only 64GB of storage is certainly disappointing, given that Apple has long refused to allow storage expansion via microSD cards.
However, it’s often discounted at various retailers, making it worth considering. Also, keep in mind that the 7th-generation iPad Mini is due to be announced sometime in late 2024, at which point it'll likely be a little cheaper and harder to find in new condition.
Lenovo Nook 9 inches
Lenovo usually releases its own tablets, so the partnership with Barnes & Noble really proves that the budget Nook tablet is mainly for reading. In this regard, the Nook becomes a great device, as the built-in apps work very well and it supports many of the e-reader apps available on the Google Play Store.
Despite its focus on reading, the Lenovo Nook can do more. The Helio G80 chip provides stable performance, meets the needs of use well. Gaming on the Nook 9 will be somewhat limited, but in the low-cost segment, it is difficult to ask for more.
If you only use a tablet for simple tasks, or want a good e-reader on the cheap and don't like e-ink screens, this is a great option.
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Supernote Nomad
E-ink displays are found on many of the best e-readers, and the Supernote Nomad is one of them. Instead of helping you read, however, the Nomad is designed to help you write by hand. Its matte surface almost looks like real paper, and it’s much smaller and lighter than a notebook. Its extensive software, unique touch surface, and stylus make the Supernote Nomad one of the best note-taking devices available.
To be clear, this isn't your average Android tablet. The quad-core RockChip processor will struggle to run graphics-intensive apps, but the Supernote's own software works well for note-taking, reading, and light entertainment.
According to Android Police, the Supernote Nomad is the smallest note-taking tablet around, and one of the best if you can stomach the hefty investment and the price of accessories, including the stylus sold separately. It's even pretty good for drawing.
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Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus
Amazon's Fire tablet line has a somewhat limited user interface, but you can take a few simple steps to tweak your Fire tablet, such as sideloading the Google Play Store to make it feel more like an Android tablet than Amazon wants it to be.
While not all Android apps work perfectly, you can customize your device to be more versatile and quite convenient.
Like other tablets in this size and price range, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus doesn't impress with its performance or display quality. But it's perfectly fine for watching your favorite movies or TV shows, or managing email and other media.
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Onyx Boox Tab Mini C
The Onyx Boox Tab Mini C, like other Onyx e-readers, is a really fun device. The Mini C's E-Ink display isn't really great for video, especially colorful video. But instead, writing and drawing become an absolute joy.
Part of this comes down to the nature of the display. Backlit E-Ink technology looks significantly different to conventional LED panels, and in this case adds color to the paper-like look we've come to expect from quality e-readers.
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Even more special is the stylus accessory from Wacom - a famous manufacturer of electronic drawing tablets and pens - making this on
