Why premium Android tablets aren't worth it

There are plenty of powerful Android tablets on the market, featuring sleek designs and super-bright displays. In many ways, they even offer more value for money than the iPad Pro.

Still, I can't bring myself to spend my hard-earned money on a high-end Android tablet. Their steep price is tough to justify when performance dips after just a couple of years.

On the other hand, an iPad feels like a smarter investment because I know it will deliver better value over the long run.

Lack of accessories

A thin ecosystem

iPads are infinitely more popular than Android tablets. It also helps that Apple sticks to the same design language for years before shaking things up. And thanks to this, there are just a lot more useful accessories available for the iPad than for Android tablets.

More than four years after its launch, I can still find plenty of cases for my M1 iPad Pro, all serving different purposes. In comparison, there are only a handful of cases available for the Google Pixel Tablet .

It's not just about cases. There are several affordable keyboard cases available for the iPad Pro. With the Pixel Tablet, you're limited to only two or three choices.

It's even more difficult to find useful accessories and third-party keyboard cases for low-end or mid-range Android tablets from other brands.

Given that I typically use a tablet for six to seven years, it's important for me to still get relevant accessories down the line.

An app ecosystem in deficit

The iPad's biggest advantage remains apps

A few years ago, the Android tablet app ecosystem was abysmal. While things have improved, it's still nowhere near what the iPadOS App Store offers.

There are plenty of pro-level apps available for the iPad that can simplify or speed up your workflow. Plus, the majority of popular apps are tablet-optimized and don't look or feel out of place on an iPad's large screen.

In comparison, you'll find all the basic apps for Android tablets on the Play Store. But professional-grade apps, such as Final Cut Pro on iPad, are largely missing.

I can use an Android tablet for content consumption — browsing the web, going through my emails, reading documents, and streaming content on Netflix, YouTube, and other services.

For actual productivity, the iPad still wins, offering a range of powerful apps that Android tablets simply lack.

On a long-haul flight, I can use my M1 iPad Pro to get some serious work done, ranging from catching up on emails to editing short videos.

With an Android tablet, I'm limited to watching videos or doing basic tasks like taking notes or replying to emails.

Slow and spotty updates

Support ends too soon

Software support in the Android ecosystem has come a long way. You can find several mid-range and flagship phones from Google and Samsung with seven years of updates, with other companies promising five years of software support.

However, the same support doesn't carry over to Android tablets. Samsung is the only exception, promising seven years of updates for its high-end Galaxy tablets .

Even Google falters in this area, with the Pixel Tablet slated to get only three years of OS updates and five years of security patches.

Unlike phones, I — and most other people — tend to use their tablets for much longer, which makes extended software support even more essential. And sadly, there are just not enough options in the Android ecosystem that fulfill this requirement.

I can get the M3 iPad Air for as low as $550 from Amazon, knowing that it will get updates for the next seven to eight years.

In the same price bracket, there is no single Android tablet that offers both the performance of the M3 iPad Air and years of software support.

Thanks to a combination of powerful internals and extended software support, I still use my 2018 iPad Pro. While it is not compatible with iPadOS 18, it works just fine for basic use.

Android tablets age poorly

A common issue with long-term use

Long software support is only one part of the equation. Longevity is another. Android tablets usually start to feel slow after three to four years of use. This is despite them packing the latest cutting-edge hardware at the time of release.

The blame lies in poor software optimization, as most manufacturers shift their attention to newer models, leaving older devices under-optimized and sluggish despite their capable hardware.

I got the Nexus 7 (2013) soon after its release. Within a couple of years, it slowed down to a crawl for even the simplest of tasks, like opening Gmail or browsing the web, making it more frustrating than useful.

This is not the case with iPads. Starting with the original iPad, which launched in 2010, I have used several of them for at least five to six years and have never faced such performance issues.

Yes, they slow down with time, but not to the point of being unusable.

Android tablets are great for casual use

Not all is lost with Android tablets. They still make sense if you only need a casual device for Netflix, YouTube, or light browsing.

There are plenty of affordable Android tablets out there — use one for a couple of years and then replace it. While a budget iPad would still last you longer, this way, you can at least enjoy the feeling of getting a new tablet every few years.

For my use, though, I will stick to iPads, especially with iPadOS 26 bringing some noticeable improvements to multitasking.

Given the current drawbacks, I don't see myself spending my money on a high-end Android tablet.