5 Tablets You Shouldn’t Buy in 2020

If you’re looking around for a new tablet you’ve got a lot of great options, but there are some slates you should probably avoid if you want to buy something new in early 2020.

As we push into the year, the tablet rumor mill continues to churn. Apple is supposedly working on new iPad Pro models for 2020 with a release rumored for March. If you’re looking for a new tablet, those devices should be on your shopping list.

If you don’t want to wait for them to arrive, you don’t have to. There are some excellent slates on shelves right now including Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S6, Galaxy Tab S4, Galaxy Tab A 10.5, Galaxy Tab S5e, the 10.2-inch iPad, the iPad mini 5, the iPad Air 3, the 2018 iPad Pros, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, the Surface Pro 6, and many, many others.

If you don’t want to shell out a ton of cash for a flagship tablet you’ve got some budget options at your disposal as well, a list that includes Amazon’s Fire tablets. They might be cheap, but they’ll be good enough for many people.

So those are some of the tablets you should consider if you’re on the hunt for a new tablet. Switching gears, here are a few slates that shouldn’t be on your shopping list for one reason or another.

Our list includes a trio of iPad models, a Samsung Galaxy Tab, and a tablet from Google.

iPad Air

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If you're looking to buy one of Apple's iPads and you don't want to fork over a ton of cash, you might have your eye on the original iPad Air.  Apple's first iPad Air launched all the way back in 2013 and the company kept it upgraded with new iOS 12 software throughout 2019. The device runs pretty well on iOS 12 which is a good thing because it won't get upgraded to Apple's iPadOS 13 software. iPadOS 13 brings a ton of new features to Apple's collection of tablets. It's an exciting update to say the least.  Apple's decision means Apple will stop releasing regular bug fixes and security fixes for the device. So if you were to buy one and run into a problem, you'd be on your own for lengthy stretches of time. And if you typically store sensitive data on your device(s), you'd have to put your trust in iOS 12.  Buying an original iPad Air might be tempting, you can find it for cheap through retailers like Amazon, but you're better off going with a newer model.  Apple's iPad Air 2 is a solid alternative though you might want to buy the iPad Air 3 or an older version of the iPad Pro instead.

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