A tablet for school or university is the cheapest computer most students buy. The price steps are narrow, and each one buys something specific. These are the typical UK prices from the first week of October 2026.
Typical prices in the UK
Each figure is the middle value of the readings we took at the UK retailers we follow. The reading count sits in the last column, because a price built on twenty readings carries more weight than one built on four.
| Model | Typical price | Screen | Storage | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo Tab K9 | £139.49 | 8.7 in | 64 GB | 4 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 | £179.56 | 8.7 in | 64 GB | 23 |
| TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus | £238.20 | 11.5 in | 256 GB | 9 |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Pro | £353.03 | 12.7 in | 256 GB | 10 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE | £499.00 | 10.9 in | 128 GB | 19 |
Around £150: small screens, 64 GB of storage
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 is the model with the deepest price history behind it: 23 readings, a typical price of £179.56 and a low of £124 during a promotion. Its 8.7 inch screen and 64 GB of storage cover notes, reading and video. The Lenovo Tab K9 reaches a similar specification at £139.49. Both run Android, so the study apps a course expects are available.
Around £250: the screen becomes usable for documents
The TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus moves to 11.5 inches and 256 GB, with a 120 Hz panel, at a typical £238.20. That is about £60 more than the Tab A11 and it changes the daily experience: a large screen makes reading set texts and marking up slides comfortable. It is the first step in this table worth paying for.
Around £350 and £500: size, then the pen ecosystem
The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro reaches 12.7 inches and 256 GB at a typical £353.03. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE is smaller at 10.9 inches and dearer at £499. It comes from the Samsung line built around pen input, and the Tab S10 FE page shows the price history behind that figure. If handwriting is part of your course, price the pen in before comparing: a stylus can add a large share of the tablet price, and only some models support one.
When to buy
The Galaxy Tab A11 has been recorded at £124 against a typical £179.56, so the gap of £55 is worth waiting a week or two for. The Lenovo Tab K9 runs from £134.99 to £139.49 and barely moves. The NXTPAPER 11 Plus sits at £212.99 against a typical £238.20, and the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro at £312.72 against £353.03.
What a term of study takes
Slides, notes and PDFs take a few gigabytes. Photos and video take far more. A 64 GB tablet holds a term of documents with room to spare once you keep media off it, and 256 GB removes the worry for the length of a course. All five models in the table run the standard study apps.
How to decide
- Reading, notes, video, £150: the Tab A11 at £179.56, or the Tab K9 at £139.49 if the price matters most.
- Long documents and handwriting, £250: the NXTPAPER 11 Plus. The screen is the upgrade you notice daily.
- Replacing a laptop for lectures, £350: the Idea Tab Pro gives 12.7 inches and 256 GB.
- Storage first: 64 GB fills with apps and slides inside a term. 256 GB is the comfortable level, and it appears at £238.
Our student tablets under £150, the under £350 guide and the under £550 guide list the models that pass our checks in each band.
Where these prices come from
The figures are the middle values of the daily readings we recorded at UK retailers between 2 and 8 October 2026, one row per model per retailer per day. Prices include VAT.