Best back to school tablet sales in August 2026

The 2025 iPad features a larger 11-inch (2360 x 1640) screen, A16 CPU, 12MP rear/front cameras, USB-C connectivity, and Magic Keyboard Folio ($249) support. The base model features 128GB of storage, which is double the capacity of its predecessor. It's available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities. Note: Apple increased its price to $449 in June.
Price check: $449 @ Best Buy

The iPad mini is getting a discount, and any price cut to this small tablet is welcome. We're big fans of its incredibly portable design and long battery life (it lasted 10 hours in our battery life tests.) It comes with speedy performance thanks to Apple's A17 Pro chip, and has a gorgeous 8.3-inch (2,266 x 1,488) Liquid Retina display. You also get 12MP cameras on the front and back and Wi-Fi 6e support. In our iPad mini 7 review, we said it delivers the full iPad experience in a tiny size. Note: It's been as cheap as $399 in the past, so we recommend waiting for a bigger discount if you can. Note: Apple increased its price to $599 in June.

The 2026 iPad Air packs Apple's M4 processor, which Apple states is up to 30 percent faster than iPad Air with M3. It also has an 11-inch LED (2360 x 1640) display, 128GB of storage, 12MP rear camera, and 12MP front camera. The tablet now supports Wi-Fi 7 a well as Bluetooth 6 and Thread. In our iPad Air M4 review, we said the upgrades are modest, but the iPad Air remains the best tablet out there. Note: Apple increased its price to $749 in June.

This iPad Pro packs Apple's latest M5 processor paired with a stunning 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR OLED (2420 x 1668) display. The new M5 processor features 9 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores. It also features a landscape 12MP Center Stage camera and a 12MP Wide camera with adaptive True Tone flash. In our iPad Pro M5 review we said this is "the most powerful tablet ever." Note: Apple increased its price to $1,199 in June.

If all you need your tablet to do is stream media and casually browse the web, Lenovo's affordable Tab One has you covered. It's equipped with a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, and an 8.7-inch HD (1340 x 800) display.

On the hunt for a super affordable and lightweight tablet? The Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 is it. This Lenovo tablet features a 12.1-inch 2.5K 2560 x 1600 multitouch 120Hz display, MediaTek Dimensity 7400 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB SSD, 13MP rear camera, and 8MP front camera.

If you're looking for a more powerful Android tablet that's still affordable, the TCL Tab A1 Plus is a solid choice. This model features a 12.2-inch 2.4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 16GB of RAM, and a generous 128GB of storage. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor inside is more than capable for streaming videos and even some light gaming.

This Lenovo Tab M11 might not be the most powerful slate out there, but it'll get the job done if you mainly want to watch streaming videos or do some sketching. It has an 11-inch 1920 x 1200 LCD display, a MediaTek Helio G88 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD.

This one's for the artists (and doodlers) out there. TCL's NXTPAPER 14 offers a 14.3-inch 2.4K paper-like display that works great when used with the T-Pen stylus (that's sold separately). But it also delivers great image quality for watching shows or scrolling through the web in regular mode. Whether you're a student or artist, this is a great bet.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a tablet with a premium feel, but wallet-friendly price tag. This mid-range tablet comes with an S Pen stylus, a splendid 13.1-inch LCD panel, and a 15-hour battery life. This is great value for money! 

Don't miss out on your chance to grab this great tablet at its lowest price yet. With a bright and vibrant 11-inch display, the Mediatek Dimensity 9400+ chip, a 13MP rear camera and a 12MP front, there's a lot to love. Not to mention the 8,400 mAh battery, meaning you'll keep a charge for longer than ever.