Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Tablets For The Techie On Your List

Best Tablets This Year

With the holidays just around the corner and a new tablet on the top of many wish lists, time is running out to figure out which tablet will make the perfect gift.

This year, the big names in the tablet world have pulled out all the stops. Some have spent the year perfecting longtime favorites like the iPad and Kindle, while others, like Huawei and Google, have made some new waves in the space with some impressive options.

With the holidays coming up fast, there just isn't time to go and check out every option out there. Luckily, CRN has done the legwork for you and put together this list of 10 tablets that stood out this year as the best gifts for your gadget lovers this holiday season.

iPad Pro 9.7

Price: Starts at $599

There is a reason iPad is the biggest name in the tablet world, and if you are in the market for one of the best tablets on the market, and cost isn't a concern, you might want to take a look at the newest Apple family member -- the iPad Pro 9.7.

The new 9.7-inch tablet is a more compact, faster and cleaner version of last-year's 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It has the same A9X processor, the same 10-hour battery life and is compatible with the same accessories as its bigger sibling.

But this smaller, newer version has all those capabilities packed into in the same exact body as the iPad Air 2. Not to mention, this year's model is available in four colors, which include the standard silver, gold and gray that the 12.9-inch iPad came in as well as a new color – pink.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

Price: $249 (8-inch) $499 (9.7-inch)

If you are looking for a tablet that is well equipped for day-to-day use, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 is one of the best tablets – and best deals - out there. To make sure the S2 can handle all of your streaming and browsing needs, Samsung fitted the Tab S2 with an eye-catching AMOLED display. The display is bright and colorful – perfect for streaming your favorite flicks, which you can do for up to 12 hours with the S2's impressive battery life.

Amazon Fire HD 8

Price: $89.99 (16 GB), $119.99 (32 GB)

Looking for an awesome tablet on a budget? Look no further, the Amazon Fire HD 8 is what you are looking for.

This tablet, which Amazon released in September, is not only an upgraded version of last year's model, it is one of the best deals you can find this holiday season for a brand-new tablet. The Fire 8 has double the storage and RAM than last year's Fire and has added a battery that lasts up to 12 hours. Sure, the display isn't as sharp as the screen on an iPad, but for a techie who wants to stream, read and browse, this tablet has got it all.

Surface Pro 4

Price: Starting at $899

If you have had enough of lugging a laptop around and are finally looking for a tablet that can replace your laptop, Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 is the tablet for you.

Admittedly, the Surface Pro 4 is a tad pricey, but Microsoft has pulled out all of the stops for its latest version of the Surface, fitting it with an Intel sixth-generation Skylake processor, Windows 10, a 12.3-inch PixelSense display, full-size USB ports, and a battery that can run for up to 9 hours.

And it still only weighs in at 1.69 pounds, finally giving tablet lovers a lightweight device that will allow them to leave their laptops at home.

Google Pixel C

Price: $499

For years, iPad has been sitting at the top of the tablet world. And for Android lovers, finding a great alternative to iOS has been difficult. However, Google's Pixel C is a top-of-the line Android device that might just be the one Android lovers have been looking for.

With its slim aluminum build and a bright and colorful 10.2-inch LTPS LCD display powered by a Nvidia processor, the Pixel C is a great tablet for streaming, gaming and browsing anywhere you need to go this holiday season.

iPad Mini 4

Price: Starting at $399

Last year, Apple revealed its newest upgrade to the iPad Mini line - the iPad Mini 4, and although the 7.9-inch version of the iPad has been out for more than a year, it is still one of the best extra-compact tablets on the market this holiday season.

The small size of this device is perfect for trips and daily use and the 10-hour battery life will get you through almost every holiday special you can download this season.

Huawei Media Pad M3

Price: $299

Android lovers looking for a mini alternative to the Google Pixel C can stop looking. The Media Pad M3 is Huawei's answer to the iPad Mini 4, and this device has the hearts of Android fanatics fluttering.

This 8.4-inch tablet comes standard with a 32 GB of storage and is powered by the Huawei HiSilicon Kirin octa-core processor. The display on this tablet is bright and colorful and comes with Harman Kardon speakers, which are louder than the speakers on the iPad 4, making this tablet the perfect mini-size gadget for streaming classic holiday movies -- like "Die Hard."

Amazon Fire Kids

Price: $89.99

The holiday season isn't really all about adults, and neither is this list. Tablets, at the end of the day, are fun gadgets and kids love fun gadgets.

Amazon's Fire Kids tablet was built with that idea in mind and features a ’kid-proof’ case and a two-year ’worry-free’ replacement guarantee. But, this tablet isn't a toy. It is a full-featured 7-inch Fire tablet with all the bells and whistles, including unlimited, free access to 10,000 kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps and games.

Plus, unlike that bicycle you got for them last year, you won't have to put seven hours aside to assemble it.

Sony Xperia Z4

Price: $559.00

With a 10.1-inch, 2K display, high-resolution audio and a battery that can stream up to 17 hours of video, Sony's Xperia Z4 tablet was made with the media junkie in mind. In fact, Sony made the Z4's screen 40 percent brighter than the previous model's screen, allowing viewers to really immerse themselves in the content.

However, even with a bigger battery, a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, 64-bit octa core and enhanced durability, which makes this tablet both waterproof and dust-tight, the Z4 is still very small, and weighs in at less than 14 ounces.

It's not often that the coolest present under the tree can fit in a stocking, but with the Sony Xperia, it can.

Lenovo Yoga Book

Price: $499.99

The Lenovo Yoga Book is the perfect tablet for those who feel a little more at home with a regular laptop. Technically a 2-in-1, the Lenovo Yoga Book comes with a stylus, an attached keyboard and is available with either an Android OS or Windows.

In fact, this tablet is blending the lines between tablet, computer and notebook, and allows you to make notes on paper, with real ink on its keyboard pad, which the Yoga Book will then transfer onto its digital display.

The Yoga Book is an impressive piece of tech and, at only 1.52 pounds, it has a battery that can keep going for an impressive 15 hours, long enough to keep your in-laws busy on their flight home after the holidays.