11 Best Tablets With 5G, 4G LTE & SIM Card Slot in 2024

Which are the best tablets with 5G, LTE and SIM card slots? Some manufacturers launch their tablets in a pure Wi-Fi version, but often also with Wi-Fi and 5G or LTE support. However, this is not always the case but can vary depending on the manufacturer and tablet. If you want to use your new tablet for mobile internet access, you have to make sure that you choose one with a SIM card slot. Otherwise, you will search long and in vain for the right slot.

Well, in this best list I have listed tablets that are also offered with 5G or LTE only and have space for a SIM card. I have been testing tablets since 2008 and have listed the best tablets with mobile internet support that you can buy right now. I have linked the reviews in each case. You can read all of them here.

Best tablets with 5G or LTE: An overview

Here is a quick overview of my recommendations.

• Best tablet with 5G: Apple iPad Pro (at Amazon*). The Apple iPad Pro is the best tablet on the market and thus also the best tablet with 5G since Apple offers corresponding models. You can get the Pro with an 11-inch or 12.9-inch display, as well as with the powerful Apple M2 chipset and numerous premium features.
• Best Android tablet with 5G: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series (on Amazon*). The flagship tablet from Samsung also represents the highest-end of Android tablets. With 5G support, a beautiful AMOLED display, and guaranteed updates for the future, the Tab S9 series sets the bar for roaming gaming and work uses.
• Best iPad Pro alternative with 5G: Apple iPad Air (on Amazon*). I consider the iPad Air to be the best alternative to the 11-inch iPad Pro. It offers the same basic design, the very powerful Apple M1 processor, and a similar 10.9-inch display that only supports 60Hz. You can also get the Air with 5G if you want.
• Best 8-inch tablet with 5G: Apple iPad Mini (on Amazon*). The Apple iPad Mini is the best 8-inch tablet with 5G built-in. It is not only more powerful than any Android tablet of this size, but also offers a high-quality build, Apple Pencil 2 support, a chic display, and with iPadOS up-to-date software with long updates.
• Cheaper S9 series alternative: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE & FE+ (on Amazon*). The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE edition are cheaper than its flagship counterparts, but they still perform at a high level. With 5G capability, the S9 FE and FE+ are great alternatives to the regular S9 series.
• Mid-range iPad with 5G and LTE: Apple iPad 10 (on Amazon*). The Apple iPad 10 is similar to the iPad Air in many aspects, but it is a bit cheaper and weaker. Apple also offers this tablet in a version with 5G and LTE. We get a high-quality design, a pretty display and powerful hardware.
• Best mid-range tablet with 5G: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (on Amazon*). The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ remains a great tablet for people who want something that has great versatility when you’re out and about.
• Cheapest iPad with 5G: Apple iPad 9 (on Amazon*). In my opinion, the Apple iPad 9 is the best 10-inch mid-range tablet on the market. It offers a very powerful processor, a chic display, a high-quality metal case, as well as iPadOS and long updates. The only regret is that the screen is not laminated. You can also get the iPad 9 with 5G.
• Dual SIM 8-inch Android tablet with LTE: Alldocube iPlay 50 mini Pro NFE (on Amazon*). The best choice for people who want dual SIM capabilities, call-taking and SMS functions, all packaged in an 8.4-inch tablet with a low price. Not recommended for gamers and other processor-intensive tasks.
• eSIM 8-inch Android tablet with LTE: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 (on Amazon*). Sporting a good display, solid performance and two major Android updates, the Galaxy Tab A9 is the tablet to have if you need eSIM capabilities in an eight-inch format.
• 9-inch Android tablet with LTE: Lenovo Tab M9 Review (on Amazon*). Here’s a budget 9-inch tablet that’s a bit bigger than most 8-inch tablets and performs well for its price.

Best tablets with 5G or LTE: All details

Let’s check out those devices in more detail.

Apple iPad Pro 2022: The best tablet with 5G

I consider the two Apple iPad Pro tablets to be the best pure tablets you can currently buy. And since Apple also offers both built-in 5G and LTE, they are also the best with mobile Internet reception. It is just a pity that you cannot make calls with them. Sure, hardly anyone does that, but it is possible with many Android tablets.

You can get the iPad Pro with an 11-inch or 12.9-inch display. The only differences between the two models are the display and the size. The 11-inch model has a classic LCD screen, while the 12.9-inch model has a Liquid Retina XDR display, which has noticeably lower black levels in direct comparison. Both support 120Hz, which is nice and bright with at least 600 nits, and are fully laminated.

Each has an Apple M2 chipset under the hood, which makes them more powerful than any Android tablet on the market. And by a wide margin. Depending on the version, there are 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or even 2TB of internal storage. Games can be played at the highest graphics settings, and intensive multitasking, photo editing, and even video editing are also possible thanks to the M1.

Numerous high-quality features are built in. For example, the iPad Pro has Face ID, it supports the excellent Apple Pencil 2, and Apple sells two different keyboard covers. The casing is completely made of metal, has good cameras at the front and back, and has a LiDAR sensor. Apple’s tablets are also exciting because they get very long iPadOS updates.

Apart from the high price, I only noticed one negative point of criticism in my review. When watching a movie on the 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, a kind of blooming or glowing effect can sometimes be visible. You can read more about this in my review. However, this is hardly noticed in everyday use.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series: My Android test winners

Samsung’s flagship tablet supports 5G across the three Galaxy Tab S9 tablets and it supports eSIM and nano SIM cards.

By far, it sets the bar for high-end Android tablets with its amazing AMOLED display, especially the 14.6-inch, 120Hz display on the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Not even the current generation of iPad Pros have this type of display.

The Galaxy Tab S9 also sets a new benchmark for Android performance with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, coupled with either 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, makes it a suitable roaming tablet for online games like PUBG or Fortnite, where 5G can actually provide decent performance.

The best part about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is also the S Pen, which allows for notetaking, drawing, and navigating the tablet’s interface. It’s amazing how nice it is to surf the web and annotate web pages directly on your display with the S Pen.

5G, eSIM and Samsung’s promise of four major updates for the S9 series ensures that this tablet will not be obsolete in the next few years.

Apple iPad Air: Best iPad Pro alternative with 5G

In my opinion, the Apple iPad Air is the best alternative to the iPad Pro if you are looking for a high-quality tablet with 5G and a SIM card slot, but want to save some money. You cannot make calls or send text messages with it, just like with the Pro. It is very similar to the 11-inch iPad Pro but is minimally smaller at 10.9 inches. This Liquid Retina display only supports 60 Hz instead of 120 Hz and is exactly 100 nits darker with 500 nits.

Inside sits the very powerful Apple M1 processor, making the Air more powerful than any Android tablet including the Galaxy Tab S8 series. It offers 8GB of RAM and 64GB or 256GB of internal storage. Demanding games like PUBG Mobile can be played at the highest graphics settings. And if you want, you could even edit demanding 4K videos on the Air thanks to the M1 chip.

Face ID is missing, but you can unlock it with the Touch ID fingerprint reader built into the power button instead. The speakers are a bit weaker than on the Pro, but still pretty good. It is certainly suitable as an entertainment tablet. And for work as well, since it supports the same Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Magic Keyboard that work with the Pro.

The iPad Air has a high-quality metal case that is only 6.1 mm thin. I did not notice any weak points in my test – except for the price. Typically Apple, it is comparatively expensive.

Apple iPad Mini: Best 8-inch tablet with 5G

The Apple iPad Mini is the best 8-inch tablet with optional 5G and LTE support. Especially for such a handy tablet, I think it is a shame that Apple does not allow us to make calls with it. Otherwise, it would be quite suitable as a cell phone replacement. Thus, it remains a cool and handy tablet that you can also use for mobile Internet access.

It is mainly exciting because of the 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, which has a high resolution of 2266 x 1488 pixels, is nice and bright with 500 nits, and supports the Apple Pencil 2. You can use it to write down handwritten notes or annotate PDFs. In my test, I noticed a jelly effect that is noticeable in some scenarios – you can read more about that in the review. However, there is no better alternative.

The Apple A15 processor provides decent performance, which makes the iPad Mini’s graphics performance in particular stronger than any Android tablet. Including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. Thus, it is also suitable as a mobile gaming machine. I love editing photos with Adobe Lightroom on the iPad Mini because it’s so powerful and so handy at the same time.

It does not support Face ID, but it does have a fingerprint reader. There are good speakers on the sides of the metal case, we get a USB C port, and a magnetic bar for charging the Apple Pencil 2.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE & FE+: Cheaper S9 series alternative

Slap a “FE” onto any Samsung product and that product instantly becomes cheaper, but don’t be fooled by the lowered price, the Samsung Tab S9 FE and FE+ are still very capable products that have 5G.

When we reviewed the FE+, we felt it kept the premium design, a good display and many premium features like a fingerprint reader, good speakers and long-term update support.

For on-the-go usage, you’ll love that you can play almost any game without any problems, but perhaps not at the highest settings. The S9 FE and FE+ also support the S Pen, which is great when you need to annotate websites or PDFs.

The FE has a 10.9-inch display while the FE+ has a 12.4-inch display, both 90Hz. The FE+ has a higher configuration spec with more RAM, and a larger battery but otherwise, the same Samsung Exynos 1380 processor.

Apple iPad 10: Mid-range iPad with 5G and LTE

The Apple iPad 10 is positioned between the iPad Air and iPad 9. You can also get this model with built-in 5G and LTE. Thanks to the pretty good Apple Magic Keyboard Folio, a new keyboard cover, it is also quite suitable as a work device on the road. It’s also a good entertainment tablet. The only drawbacks are the display and the Apple Pencil.

With the iPad 10, we get a 10.9-inch IPS display that is very high-resolution, renders colors nicely and has good contrast, as well as being quite bright at 500 nits. However, it’s a shame that it’s not laminated and thus an air gap is visible between the IPS panel and the touchscreen. Although most people will not notice this, it can be annoying when working with the Apple Pencil 1.

The first-generation Pencil, which has a Lightning connector, is supported. Therefore, the Pencil only works with the iPad 10 with an adapter that has to be purchased for 10 Euros. The tablet has a USB C port. Apart from that, the pen works excellently.

An Apple A14 processor provides decent performance, which is not quite as powerful as an M1 or M2, but probably snappier than any Android tablet on this list.

Best mid-range tablet with 5G: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ remains a great tablet for people who want something that has great versatility when you’re out and about.

There are two versions of the Galaxy Tab A9+ — one with just WiFi and another with 5G. Whichever option you choose, you’ll get a great user experience at a mid-range price.

Despite not having an AMOLED or IPS display, the A9+ has a good, 11-inch display that has a good 90Hz refresh rate, providing a smooth gaming and S Pen drawing and writing experience.

Its quad-speaker setup delivers impressive audio quality and for gamers, the Snapdragon 695 chipset might not allow you to play at the highest settings, but we still enjoyed gaming on the A9+.

We also liked the inclusion of Samsung DeX, which allows you to have a desktop-like experience. Pair DeX with a keyboard and you’ll be able to work on documents on-the-go with the convenience of always-on 5G internet.

Read: My Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE Test

Apple iPad 9: Best 10-inch mid-range tablet with 5G

The Apple iPad 9 is not a perfect tablet, but one with a pretty good price/performance ratio. Although it is very cheap, it can keep up with flagships in many aspects. When you buy it, you can also choose a version with 5G and LTE support, which then has a SIM card slot. In typical Apple fashion, you cannot make calls with this tablet.

The most exciting thing about the iPad 9 is its performance. Due to the Apple A13 processor, it is significantly weaker than an Apple M1 or M2, but still more powerful than many Android tablets like the Galaxy Tab S7. Games can therefore be played with very high graphics settings. The RAM is comparatively low at 3GB and you can get versions with 64GB and 256GB of internal storage.

It has many premium features like a high-quality metal casing and a Touch ID fingerprint reader. You can also get an official keyboard case for the tablet. However, the design looks pretty old, the good speakers are only on one side, and we have to live with the old Lightning connector.

The display is 10.2 inches, has a nice high resolution of 2160 x 1620 pixels, and is brighter than most competitors with 500 nits. However, it is quite unfortunate that the display is not laminated. An air gap is visible between the touchscreen and the IPS panel. This can be particularly annoying when drawing with the first-generation Apple Pencil. Apart from that, it works well.

Alldocube iPlay50 mini Pro NFE: Cheap 8-inch tablet with LTE

The Alldocube iPlay 50 mini Pro NFE is a dual SIM budget tablet that supports LTE.

This 8.4-inch tablet is great value for money because you get a FHD+ display, a Helio G99 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage.

With its Widevine L1 certification, you can stream copyright-protected videos from Netflix, Disney+ and many other platforms. You can also make calls and send texts from this tablet, making it both a phone and a tablet, but you will need to insert an earpiece or else you will have to make the call through the speaker.

The iPlay 50 mini Pro NFE is perfect for people who want a tablet that can have two SIM cards, and for people who don’t need a high-performing tablet that can play video games or do processor-intensive tasks.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9: eSIM 8-inch Android tablet with LTE

We like the Alldocube iPlay 50, but one weakness is not having an eSIM.

eSIMs are great because you can buy multi-country SIMs without going to a physical store. You can also buy data-only eSIMs since you might not call anyone on your tablet.

If you like going abroad with your tablet, then consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 instead because of its eSIM capabilities. This tablet performs really well for an eight-inch tablet. The display and performance are slightly better than the competition and I particularly like the fact that we get updates until Android 15.

Lenovo Tab M9: 9-inch Android tablet with LTE

We’re throwing the Lenovo Tab M9 into the ring because it’s another small tablet with LTE support and if you are seeking a bargain, the Lenovo Tab M9 has been sold on Amazon for $99.99 (as of March 2024).

The Tab M9 is a bit bigger than most eight-inch tablets, but not by much because some eight-inch tablets could be 8.7 inches, which approaches the nine-inch size of the Tab M9.

For its price, you get a bright display, decent performance, solid build quality, pure Android and a long battery life.

The original article was released on February 7th 2023. On March 27th 2024, it was updated by Xuyun.