Top 10 tablets for the holidays

A gift guide by Washington Post tech blogger Hayley Tsukayama.

5 Seconds

00:00

iPad 2: The top dog in the tablet market, Apple's iPad 2 starts at $499 and is still a well-designed, solid and easy-to-use beauty. With an incredibly intuitive interface, excellent app store and integration with your other Apple devices, the iPad 2 is great for just about anyone who wants a tablet.

Jeff Chiu / AP

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1: One of the best Android tablets out there, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 starts at $499.99. Running Android 3.0 Honeycomb with a great screen and very little bulk, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a great alternative to the iPad 2. Verizon also offers a 4G version, for $529.99.

Jean Chung / Bloomberg

Amazon Kindle Fire: Amazon's low-priced tablet hit the market for $199 on Nov. 15 and is the company's first entry into the tablet market. With a form factor that looks like the BlackBerry PlayBook, the Fire isn't much to look at, but it packs a ton of functionality into its seven-inch screen thanks to access to Amazon's multimedia ecosystem.

Mark Lennihan / AP

Nook Tablet: Taking on Amazon's Kindle Fire head-to-head, the Nook Tablet is a $249 souped-up e-reader aimed at the bookworm who wants to go digital. While the tablet won't be able to replace your laptop, it's perfect for those who want a little e-mail and multimedia with their favorite books and periodicals.

/ Barnes & Noble

HTC Flyer/HTC EVO View: The Flyer, also known in its 4G version as the HTC EVO View on Sprint, is notable for its integration with its stylus. While styluses might sound like an accessory of the past, the Flyer's pen lets you highlight, annotate and draw with ease — perfect for those who love scribbling in the margins. The tablet starts at $299 or for $399.99 on Sprint.

/ AP

HTC Jetstream: AT&T's 4G tablet, the Jetstream is a powerful and snappy tablet that uses the same stylus as the HTC Flyer, but with much more integration. Although this tablet is a little on the heavy side, it has great cameras, solid battery life and a quality build. Quite expensive at $649.99, this is a serious tablet for serious people.

AT&T

Sony Tablet S: Sony's known for its great design and doesn’t disappoint with the gently sloping Tablet S, with a form factor reminiscent of a folded magazine. The slight angle also makes this tablet great for typing when flat on a desk. Sadly, the software on the tablet isn't as well designed as its outside, with an user interface that is at times confusing. But if you're looking for a comfortable — and, quite frankly — cool tablet, the S can be yours starting at $499.99.

Tim Fadek / Bloomberg

Toshiba Thrive: This is a tablet for those who want to get things done. The 10-inch version of this tablet, which starts at $379.99, may not be the sleekest thing you've ever seen, but makes up for it with a full USB port, full HDMI port and full-sized SD card. While its girth makes it less portable than its slimmer competitors, the Thrive is perfect for people who always find themselves working at home with its intuitive filing system and ability to connect to almost anything.

/ Courtesy of Toshiba

T-Mobile SpringBoard: A new offering from T-Mobile, this snappy 4G tablet packs a lot into its 7-inch screen and zips along at high 4G speeds. The build is solid but before you fall in love with this $179.99 tablet, remember that it comes with a two-year commitment. Even if you're dying for a tablet and enticed by its price, two years is a long time in an emerging market.

/ Courtesy of T-Mobile

Chromebook: I know this isn't a tablet, but bear with me here. If you want a tablet to do extra work from home — particularly if you want to create documents or presentations — consider this tablet/laptop hybrid, which has a new price tag of $299. Little more than a browser in a box, the Chromebook is hooked completely into Google's cloud services. It can be a bit useless without an Internet connection, but its 3G connectivity aims to make sure you're never in the dark for long.

David Paul Morris / Bloomberg

Featured Photo Galleries

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 29: Serena Williams of USA stretches to plays a forehand in her women's singles first round match between Serena Williams of USA and Virginie Razzano of France during day three of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 29, 2012 in Paris, France. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

French Open results: Serena Williams loses, Maria Sharapova cruises

The American tennis star lost in the first round of a Grand Slam event.

Winnie Pajcic, 9, holds on to a railing as she leans back in the wind during a visit to Stockton Park in Ortega, Fla., in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Beryl on Monday May 28, 2012. Beryl came ashore early Monday near Jacksonville Beach with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)

Tropical storm Beryl, Flugtag, Rolling Thunder, Memorial Day and more in the day in photos

Tropical storm Beryl, Flugtag, Rolling Thunder, Memorial Day and more.

Camels rest at a watering hole outside the town of Aleg May 25, 2012. REUTERS/Joe Penney (MAURITANIA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more in animal views

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more.

ANNAPOLIS, MD- MAY 29: Graduates cheer as the Blue Angels fly over during the 100th anniversary of the United States Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremonies in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. U.S Sec. of Defense Leon Edward Panetta gave the graduation address. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

U.S. Naval Academy graduation

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave the commencement address at the ceremony.

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 26: Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez (C) performs with dancers during the Q'Viva! The Chosen Live show at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 26, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Lil Jon, Eddie Van Halen, Mariah Carey and other celebrities.

Doc Watson, bluegrass and folk legend, dies at 89

The blind singer and guitarist was a Grammy winner, known for his flat-picking style of guitar playing.

Henry, a calf, sustained a head wound and required stitches after being slashed over the weekend.

Farm animals attacked in Fairfax

A calf, two goats and a chicken were slashed over the weekend at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon.

COVINGTON, LA - MAY 14: Brother Emmanuel Labrise of St. Joseph's Abbey prepares a casket for lining on May 15, 2012 in Covington, Louisiana. Louisiana law forbids those who are not licensed funeral directors from selling caskets. And since Hurricane Katrina leveled the timberlands that once provided the main source of funding for the abbey, the monks have attempted to make a living by building and selling simple cypress caskets. The monks won their first round last year, and have a hearing at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in June. (Photo by Sean Gardner/For the Washington Post)

Louisiana monks fight for the right to sell coffins

Federal court case pits a group of monks against the funeral home industry.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.