Watching movies in your leisure time or streaming while travelling on a plane is an excellent refreshment after a long day at the office, and tablets are a great device to watch movies.
Why? Because they have a big display and a large battery, it stays with you as your secondary device on which you can consume media or play games to stay entertained.
But not all tablets are good, so we have researched a bit and found out what features the best tablets for watching movies should have.
Buying guide for gaming tablets is live on our website, but this guide is specifically targeted towards the tablets for watching movies.
So if you have been thinking of getting a new tablet for watching movies, consider our below-recommended tablets because they are shortlisted here after a lot of research.
Best Tablets For Watching Movies & Streaming TV Shows
1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & S7+
Best Android Tablet For Watching Movies
Best Features
- HDR 10+ Certified
- Dolby Atmos Speakers
- 45W Super-Fast Charging
- 15 Hours Video Playback
- S-Pen Included
About the Tablet
If you are looking for the best android tablet for watching movies in the industry, the Tab S7 and S7+ are the best premium tablets from Samsung that compete with iPad Pro counterparts. These duos check all the boxes and are a complete package for watching movies, gaming, reading, and productivity.
Display & Viewing Experience
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 has a large 11″ LCD screen on the front with excellent sharpness and color for a true-to-life viewing experience. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, so watching movies feel super smooth and realistic, and the HDR 10+ capability further complements the binge-watching experience.
It gets super bright, and while viewing HDR contents, it reaches its peak brightness, so the experience stays uniform no matter the lighting conditions.
Whereas the more premium Tab S7+ houses a Super AMOLED display on the front with the best colors, brightness, and contrast on any tablet in the industry. It is super color-rich, and the deep blacks give excellent clarity, especially in dark scenes while streaming your favorite TV shows and movies.
The Tab S7+ also has a local dimming feature. It turns off the LEDs on a selected portion of the display with a dark scene to ensure uniformity and deliver excellent deep blacks. You might have notice blacks appearing grey in the dark because of the poor contrast ratio, and that is not the case with the Tab S7+.
The Tab S7 is one of the best tablets for watching movies, but if you need the industry’s best viewing experience, go with the Tab S7+ because its display is a game apart, and binge-watching your favourite action movies on it will be super thrilling.
Performance & Storage
Both the flagships house the same processor under the hood, and it is the Snapdragon 865 chipset, which is 5G+ certified. The overall speed and performance are top-notch. It never lags, and it seems ready for whatever tasks you throw at it.
The housings are top-of-the-line, and if you purchase this tablet solely for watching movies, it will not make sense. It is much more capable of serving your business needs, your productivity needs, and gaming needs.
The storage options are plenty, and it still houses a microSD card slot that lets you expand storage up to 1TB, so that makes it one of the best tablets for watching movies offline.
Battery & Connectivity
The battery life is decent on both flagships, and you would easily be able to clock 15 hours screen on time while watching movies and browsing the web. However, it does take a hit while doing heavy tasks such as playing games and editing videos, but the 45W fast charger does let the tablet juice up quickly.
There are also LTE versions available for these tablets for reading, and if you opt for that, the battery will be a little less. Still, you will get the luxury of staying connected to high-speed internet all the time, and you will be able to stream your favorite shows and movies on Netflix.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & S7+ does not have a headphone jack, so that is something you would definitely miss. Still, the addition of USB Type-C is excellent, and you will be able to connect accessories.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 review for more.
Specifications
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G+ |
| RAM | 6 GB RAM / 8 GB RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB |
| S7 Display | 11-inch TFT Display with 2560 x 1600 Pixels |
| S7+ Display | 12.4-inch AMOLED Display with 2800 x 1752 Pixels |
| Camera | Rear- 13 MP | Front- 8 MP |
| Operating System | Android 11, One UI 3.1 |
| Battery Life | 13 hours |
| Weight | 1.34 lb |
Should You Buy This?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & S7+ are the best tablets for watching movies, and in the Android segment, there is no better option than this. The HDR displays are excellent, battery life is decent, and the quad AKG Dolby Atmos-certified speakers make this the best Android tablet for watching movies.
Also a Nice Option – Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is the newest tablet from Samsung, and it is cheaper than the original Tab S7. It houses a 12.4-inch massive screen on the front, and it is LCD, so the colors and viewing angles are excellent for watching movies. However, it misses out on the AMOLED screen, and it is not HDR certified, but the screen quality is still outstanding.
The performance is decent, but it is a bit downgrade. The Snapdragon 750G never lags, but the tablet starts to slow down when you do heavy tasks such as editing and multi-tasking. So if performance is your top priority, get the original Tab S7.
The Galaxy Tab S7 FE comes in 64GB and 256GB storage options, and it also has a microSD card slot that lets you expand storage up to 1TB, making it the best tablet for watching movies offline.
2. Apple iPad Pro
Best Premium Tablet For Watching Movies
Best Features
- ProMotion Display
- Apple M1 Chipset
- Thunderbolt
- Wi-Fi 6 & 5G
- Up to 2 TB Storage
About the Tablet
The Apple iPad Pro is the best tablet for gaming and watching movies. It is the super-power in the industry of tablets, and it is a game apart from the competitors. It checks all the boxes, and it is a multi-capable machine that serves entertainment, study, business, productivity, and content-creation purposes.
Display & Viewing Experience
The Apple iPad Pro comes with an 11″ Retina display on the front. It is super bright, color-rich, and has deep contrasts. The display gets surprisingly very bright, and it reaches 600-nits, so outdoor visibility is excellent. The iPad Pro is HDR 10 and Dolby Vision certified so that you will get the best in class viewing experience on the iPad Pro, and it goes above 600-nits while viewing HDR content, making it the best tablet for watching Netflix.
The resolution is decent, and the visuals are crisp. You will not miss out on any small details while watching intensive movies because it is very sharp. The 265 PPI is excellent but is lesser than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 above. However, the gap is minor, so it is not going to make much of a difference. The iPad Pro supports a wide-colour gamut, so it excels in color demanding tasks apart from watching movies.
The iPad Pro has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate display, so binge-watching is like walking on the cake. It is the best tablet for watching movies, but the high refresh rate display broadens the boundaries, and it takes the Apple Pencil experience to the next level.
Performance & Storage
The performance of the iPad Pro is the most significant upgrade over its predecessors, and it now houses Apple M1 Chip under the hood. It is the same chip from the MacBook but with minor tweaks.
The performance is excellent, and it is highly suitable for heavy tasks. The iPadOS has evolved so much that it is one of the most powerful OS on a tablet. It has a multi-tasking mode, a dock at the bottom, and many more features that help increase productivity.
The iPad Pro is the best tablet for watching movies, but it is capable of much more than that. If you are a professional or content creator, the iPad Pro is a great choice, and if you are thinking of doing photo-editing, or video editing, it will be a breeze.
If you play games, then the experience is going to be thrilling on the iPad Pro. The powerful CPU & GPU combo ensures that you get the best gaming performance, and it seems so smooth on the 120Hz refresh rate display. It is like a portable gaming console, making the iPad Pro the best tablet for gaming and watching movies.
Apart from that, the iPad Pro has super-fast Wi-Fi, and it is 5G certified if you opt for the cellular model, so high-quality movie streaming and super-fast downloads are a breeze.
Battery & Connectivity
The iPad Pro has an excellent battery, and it lasts even two days if you do basic tasks such as reading and browsing the web over Wi-Fi. If you binge-watch, it will last a day, making the iPad Pro the best tablet for watching movies on a plane, especially long-haul ones.
The battery is not an issue because the M1 has excellent efficiency and Apple optimization we all are well aware of. It has a USB Type-C port, and it is Thunderbolt supported for connecting pro accessories and displays. Apple claims that the Thunderbolt delivers up to 40Gbps bandwidth for wired connections.
Specifications
| Processor | Apple M1 Chipset |
| RAM | 8GB RAM / 16GB RAM |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
| Display | 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD with 2388 x 1668 Pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision |
| Camera | Rear- 12 MP (Wide), 10 MP (ultrawide), TOF LiDAR Scanner| Front- 12 MP |
| Operating System | iPadOS 15 |
| Battery Life | 10 hours |
| Weight | 1.03 lb |
Should You Buy This?
The iPad Pro is a monster in the industry of tablets, and no tablet comes near to the perfection and quality of iPad Pro. It is the best tablet for watching movies, and if you utilize the potential it offers, it will do wonders.
A Budget Alternative For Watching Movies – Apple iPad Air
The iPad Air is a great tablet for watching movies if the expensive iPad Pro hurts your pocket. It has a design improvement over its predecessor, and it looks more like the iPad Pros now with those rounded corners.
It offers a great mixture between affordability and performance. The display is improved than the predecessor. It is a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina panel, and it is surprisingly very bright. The colors are rich, and the contrast ratio is decent for an LCD, making it one of the best tablets for watching movies.
Under the hood, the iPad Air houses A14 Bionic paired with Apple 4-Core GPU for best in class performance and gaming experience. If you are looking for an iPad but don’t have money to spend on the iPad Pro, then iPad Air is the perfect option to buy, and it is the best tablet for gaming and watching movies on the go.
Smaller Alternative – Best Tablet For Watching Movies in Plane – iPad Mini
The iPad Mini is the latest offering from Apple, and it was launched at the California Streaming Event at Apple. It focuses on providing top-notch performance and the iPad experience in a compact form factor. It has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display on the front, and it is surprisingly very sharp. It is sharper than the iPad Air and iPad 2021.
The compact form-factor of the iPad Mini allows you to slip this tablet into a sleeve or backpack easily, and it is super lightweight. The battery lasts 10 hours while streaming movies on Wi-Fi, which is excellent for such a small tablet. The lightweight and compact design with ultimate battery life make this one of the best tablets for watching movies on a plane.
Under the hood, the iPad Mini houses the new Apple A15 Bionic, which is very powerful and efficient. It seems ready for whatever task you throw at it. The best part is that it now features a USB-C port, allowing you to connect a wide array of accessories. It is 5G-ready, and it houses Wi-Fi 6, so streaming high-quality movies is never a problem.
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Best Budget Android Tablet For Watching Movies
Best Features
- Large Display
- Dolby Atmos Speakers
- DeX Experience
- Comes with S-Pen
- Binge-Ready Battery
About the Tablet
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is an excellent budget tablet for watching movies. It has a big display, a large battery, and Dolby Atmos-certified speakers for entertainment and everyday needs. It was launched a year ago, but it is still a great performer, and the price drop has made this tablet an excellent deal.
Display & Viewing Experience
The display on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is large, and it is one of the best budget large tablets in the industry right now. It is a 10.4-inch TFT display with 2000×1200 pixels that offers decent clarity. The colors are rich, but you would feel the brightness to be low in outdoor conditions.
It is an excellent display for watching movies because it is large and has rich colors, delivering an immersive viewing experience. The bezels are thin, but it has sufficient space around the display to hold the tablet without registering an accident touch.
Performance & Storage
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a budget-oriented tablet for watching movies, so the performance is decent, but it is not flagship level. The user interface seems snappy, and you would not notice any lag while opening apps. However, when you start doing heavy multi-tasking and the RAM gets consumed, you will begin to see lags.
It is an excellent budget tablet to buy for watching movies, basic everyday tasks, and drawing. Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite houses the Exynos 9611 processor, and it offers a nice mixture of performance and battery life.
It comes in 64GB and 128GB storage options, and Samsung also gives a microSD card slot which lets you expand the storage up to 1TB so you will never run out of storage again. So, if you are looking for a tablet to watch movies offline, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is an excellent choice because it offers expandable storage.
Battery & Connectivity
Samsung claims the battery life of 12 hours on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, but while watching movies, it will last around 8-9 hours, as you would expect from a large tablet. The tablet has 15W fast charging support, but it takes relatively longer to juice up.
Apart from that, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has a 3.5mm Audio Jack and USB Type-C port.
Specifications
| Processor | Exynos 9611 Chipset |
| RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB |
| Display | 10.4-inch TFT LCD with 2000 x 1200 Pixels |
| Camera | Rear- 8 MP| Front- 5 MP |
| Operating System | Android 11, One UI 3.1 |
| Battery Life | 12 hours |
| Weight | 1.02 lb |
Should You Buy This?
If you are looking for the best tablet for watching movies offline, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a great budget option. It has a large display, a long battery life, and an expandable storage option.
Cheaper Option For Watching Movies Offline – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
If you are looking for a cheaper tablet for watching movies, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 is an excellent option. It has the same display as the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, so if you only care about the display and viewing experience, consider the Tab A7 because it is the same package.
However, the Tab A7 does not offer S-Pen, so if you need a stylus for taking notes and drawing, you will need to buy a third-party stylus or you can refer to our buying guide for tablets with stylus.
Apart from that, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 comes in 32GB and 64GB storage options, plus it also gives you an option to expand the storage up to 1TB, so you never run out of storage.
4. Fire HD 10
Best Cheap Tablet For Watching Netflix
Best Features
- Fast & Responsive
- Long-Lasting Battery
- Vivid Display
- Headphone-Jack
- Hands-Free Alexa
About the Tablet
The Fire HD 10 has improved so much from its predecessor, and now it is a capable contender. It features a big screen on the front that serves entertainment purposes. It comes at an affordable price, and the collection of apps and features it offers makes it the best cheap tablet for watching movies.
Display & Viewing Experience
The display has been improved, and it was the main upgrade over its predecessor. It is a 10.1-inch IPS LCD with wide-viewing angles and excellent colors. While watching movies, you will notice that the colors pop out, and it has moderate color reproduction, not warm, not cool. It is the balance between both.
Apart from that, the display is sharp, and it has 224 PPI which is the same as Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite and Galaxy Tab A7, so you get identical picture clarity on all these three tablets. Amazon claims that the current Fire HD 10 has a 10% brighter display than its predecessor, which is a remarkable improvement for watching movies on the go.
Performance & Storage
The Fire HD 10 houses a powerful octa-core processor under the hood that promises a smooth overall user interface. It runs on Android, but it is a trimmed-down version made by Amazon called Fire OS. You get most of the popular apps, but not all, so the Fire OS sets boundaries.
The RAM is upgraded, and it is 3GB now, so it is a 50% bump over its predecessor. The overall experience is smooth, and you do not get to see any lag.
It is a perfect tablet for watching movies on Netflix, and it has enough processing power, but if you are someone who works on a tablet alongside, skip this one.
The storage on the base model is 32GB, and you also get the 64GB model. The best part is that the tablet has microSD card support, and it is expandable up to 1TB, which is impressive. So if you are looking for a cheap tablet to watch movies offline, the Fire HD 10 is a great choice.
Battery & Connectivity
The Fire HD 10 has the longest battery of the entire Fire tablet lineup. It lasts 12 hours on a single charge if you do basic tasks and reading and web-browsing. However, streaming movies will reduce the battery life to around 8 hours.
Connectivity-wise, the Fire HD 10 is adequate. It houses a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port. It is great to see manufacturers moving towards the USB Type-C ecosystem. It opens up the boundaries and lets you connect various accessories. Moreover, the fast Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 ensure that you get a seamless movie streaming experience.
Specifications
| Processor | Octa-Core Processor |
| RAM | 3 GB RAM |
| Storage | 32 GB / 64 GB |
| Display | 10.1-inch IPS LCD with 1920 x 1200 Pixels |
| Camera | Rear- 5 MP| Front- 2 MP |
| Operating System | Fire OS 7 |
| Battery Life | 12 hours |
| Weight | 1.02 lb |
Should You Buy This?
If you are looking for the best cheap tablet for watching Netflix, the Fire HD 10 is the best choice. It features a big display on the front that is entertainment-ready, has long-lasting battery life, and expandable storage to save and watch movies offline while on the plane.
Cheaper & Smaller Alternative For Watching Movies – Fire HD 8
The Fire HD 8 is an excellent value for the price. It comes at a very low price, but still, it is a perfect tablet for watching movies. It has a smaller display than Fire HD 10, and it is not sharper as such, but it gets the job done. It houses a Quad-Core processor on board and 2GB RAM that together delivers a smooth movie-watching experience.
Although it is a small tablet, it still packs a large battery, and it lasts the same 12 hours as the Fire HD 10, which is impressive. It still houses a 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port, and the speakers are Dolby Atmos certified.
5. Apple iPad (Latest Model)
Best Tablet For Watching Movies Offline
Best Features
- 10.2-inch Retina Display
- A13 Bionic Chip
- Up to 256GB Storage
- Stereo Speakers
- Touch ID
About the Tablet
The new iPad is an excellent tablet for watching movies offline. Why? Because it is the best budget tablet in the industry right now, and its top variant offers 256GB storage allowing you to save plenty of movies to watch on a flight or train where the Internet is not available.
Display & Viewing Experience
Apple gives the best quality on their products, and display on the latest iPad is no exception. It is a 10.2-inch Retina display, and we all are well aware of the colors, viewing angles, and sharpness iPads offer. It offers max 500-nits peak brightness, which is excellent for outdoor viewing, still not as high as the XDR display on iPad Pro.
The display features True Tone, which adjusts the color temperature depending on the ambient light, giving you a comfortable movie-watching experience in any lighting condition. It supports Apple Pencil, so if you are a digital artist or student, you can bundle it for 99 bucks.
Performance & Storage
Under the hood, the new iPad houses the old Apple A13 Bionic, which is a disappointment, but it still outperforms most premium tablets in the industry right now. It seems ready for whatever task you throw at it. It is a multi-capable device, and it supports heavy apps like Microsoft Office, Photoshop, and graphic-intensive games with ease.
The iPad offers 64GB storage on the base variant, which is perfect if you stream movies online, but if you need to download and store movies to watch later while on the go, we highly recommend the 256GB model.
Battery & Connectivity
The battery life on the new iPad is decent, and there is no improvement over its predecessor. It easily lasts 10 hours, and it may vary depending on the tasks you do. The 20W charging brick comes in the box has decent speed, and it charges the iPad from 0 to 100% in 2 hours and 45 minutes.
It still gets the lighting connector, whereas other iPads have moved to the USB Type-C.
Read our iPad 2021 full review for more.
Specifications
| Processor | Apple A13 Bionic |
| RAM | 3 GB RAM |
| Storage | 64 GB / 256 GB |
| Display | 10.2-inch Retina IPS LCD with 2160 x 1620 Pixels |
| Camera | Rear- 8 MP| Front- 12 MP |
| Operating System | iPadOS 15 |
| Battery Life | 10 hours |
| Weight | 1.07 lb |
Should You Buy This?
The iPad is the best tablet for watching movies offline because of its 256GB internal storage, and the iPadOS delivers the best experience on a tablet in the industry. Its 10 hours battery life also makes it ideal for watching movies on a plane.
Cheaper Alternative with Expandable Storage For Watching Movies Offline – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is an excellent alternative to the iPad if you are low on budget. It comes at a cheap price, and it offers expandable storage of up to 1TB, making it one of the best cheap tablets for watching movies offline.
An 8.7-inch screen on the front offers a perfect mixture between screen space and portability. It is easy to carry, it is lightweight, and it has thin bezels around the display, so that gives an immersive viewing experience. The screen clarity for watching movies is excellent, but it feels a little pixelated for other tasks such as reading, but that won’t bother most people.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is the best cheap tablet for watching movies offline because of its display, design, storage, and entertainment-ready features.
These were our most recommended tablets for watching movies. We researched a lot before making this buying guide and gathered customer reviews so that our readers do not have to do this.
We found all the positives and negatives of these tablets for watching movies. The first and most important thing to consider in a tablet for watching movies is its display. The display has to be large, clear, and color-rich for the best binge-watching experience.
We considered all the aspects these tablets above have qualified for watching movies because they have a large display and support for movie streaming apps. At the same time, some of them have expandable storage for watching movies offline and long battery life for watching movies on a plane.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best tablet to watch movies on is the Apple iPad Pro because it has the best display in the whole tablet industry. It has a high refresh rate, and it offers the best tablet experience. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is also an excellent option to consider.
The iPad Mini 2021 is the best tablet for watching movies and browsing the Internet because it has the sharpest display in the segment. It is sharper than the iPad Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, so the text clarity will be super sharp, making it best suited for browsing the web.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, Galaxy Tab A7 & A7 Lite mentioned above are the best tablets for watching movies offline because they offer an expandable storage option that lets you expand storage up to 1TB.
The best tablet for watching movies on a plane is the one that has long battery life. All the tablets mentioned above have the best battery life in the industry, making them ideal for watching movies on a plane.
We update this buying guide regularly with newer options, so if you are thinking of buying a tablet for watching movies, keep an eye here, so you do not miss the best contender for your purpose.
