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Best tablets for reading in 2024
Amazon
If you’re aiming to read more this year, investing in a reading tablet can be a game-changer. Reading tablets and e-readers combine the portability of a tablet with access to a vast library of e-books. Many are designed to mimic the experience of reading a paperback book, reducing eye strain with e-ink technology or high-resolution displays.
You can download books from platforms like the Kindle library or Apple Books app, giving you access to a wide range of genres. Kindle Unlimited is a great option for avid readers, offering unlimited access to e-books and audiobooks for $12 per month.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the best tablets for reading in 2024, including the versatile Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, Apple iPad, Kindle Scribe and the eye-friendly Kindle Paperwhite.
Best Amazon Kindle tablets for reading
Amazon Kindles are often considered the best tablet for reading ebooks, as they offer the most paper-like experience. If you’re looking for a dedicated reading tablet and don’t care as much about streaming or getting work done on your device, a Kindle is an excellent choice.
Amazon Kindle
Amazon
The basic Amazon Kindle e-reader is the lightest and most compact Kindle. It features a six-inch 300 ppi high-resolution display designed to provide a glare-free, paper-like experience. It offers 16 GB of storage and a battery that can last up to six weeks on a single charge.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Amazon
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is one of the most popular Kindle models. It features a 6.8-inch display, adjustable warm light, and up to 10 weeks of battery life. The device is also waterproof, making it perfect for reading by the pool or in the bath. Additionally, it offers a simplified reading experience with access to a vast library of e-books and audiobooks through Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
Amazon
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition offers everything in the Kindle Paperwhite, plus wireless charging, an auto-adjusting front light, and 32 GB of storage. This option also supports a more seamless reading experience with faster page turns and enhanced performance. With ample storage, it’s perfect for users who want to carry a large library of books and audiobooks with them wherever they go.
Kindle Scribe
Amazon
The Kindle Scribe features a larger 10.2-inch screen and a stylus for note-taking or drawing. This makes it a superior option for students, business professionals and artists who want a portable e-reader with an option for taking notes on the go. It’s an overall excellent choice for avid readers who appreciate a distraction-free reading experience with the convenience of advanced technology.
Amazon Kindle Kids
Amazon
The Kindle Kids e-reader is built specifically to encourage reading. It does not have games, ads, or videos like other tablets to reduce distractions for young readers. The Kindle Kids comes with a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ which provides access to a number of kid-friendly books. There are four cover options to choose from including solid colors and fun prints.
Best Apple iPads for reading
Apple iPads aren’t necessarily considered reading tablets, but you can definitely read on them. Apple iPads come with the Apple Books app, making them great for quickly downloading and reading ebooks.
Apple iPad 9
Apple via Amazon
The 10.2-inch iPad 9, released in 2021, is the most affordable of Apple’s iPad offerings. It offers a 8 MP wide-angle back camera, and a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle front camera. It boasts stereo speakers, too. This iPad is powered by a A13 Bionic chip. It boasts up to 10 hours of battery life, and is compatible with the Apple Pencil ($99) for drawing or note-taking.
Available in two colors; prices vary.
10.9″ Apple iPad 10th generation
Amazon
The latest edition in Apple’s classic iPad lineup is the iPad 10th generation. This 10.9-inch tablet features a Liquid Retina display with Apple’s True Tone technology. It has Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, an upgrade from the iPad 9’s A13 chip. The iPad 10 is compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and 5G internet for fast performance.
The iPad 10 also offers all-day battery life, so that you can read all day or bring it with you to school, work or on vacation without having to worry about plugging it in mid-day.
11″ Apple iPad Pro 4 (2022)
Amazon
The latest iPad Pro comes with several major upgrades. One of the most notable changes is that the 2022 iPad Pros are equipped with the M2 chip, the same fast and powerful chip included in the latest MacBooks. The M2 chip makes this the fastest iPad yet — and an excellent choice for video editing, streaming or gaming.
Apple made some improvements to the writing and drawing experience on the new iPad Pros as well. When used with the Apple Pencil 2, the iPad Pro provides a more effortless experience. The Apple Pencil can now be detected up to 12 mm above the iPad Pro display, which allows users to draw with more precision and preview marks before they make them. It also makes it more efficient for the iPad to register handwriting and convert it to text with the Scribble app.
The new 11-inch iPad Pro comes in silver and space gray. Pricing varies based on storage and connectivity selections.
Apple iPad Mini 6
Apple via Walmart
The iPad Mini 6 is a compact tablet with an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display screen. Released in 2021, the Apple tablet is powered by an A15 Bionic chip. It features a 12 MP wide-angle back camera, and a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle front camera. It boasts landscape stereo speakers. Available in four colors.
Amazon also has a good deal on the Wi-Fi and cellular model with 64 GB of storage. Choose from four colors.
Best Amazon Fire tablets for reading
Amazon Fire tablets are another great budget-friendly option for reading.
Amazon Fire HD 8
Amazon
The new Fire HD 8 tablet (2022) offers 30% faster performance over the prior model. The tablet features a lightweight yet durable design with an 8-inch HD screen. It also provides enhanced battery life with 13 hours of watch time on a single charge.
Like all Amazon Fire products, you have a choice between ad-supported and ad-free models. The ad-supported models are less expensive, and feature advertisements on the tablet’s lock screen. The ad-free models don’t have these lock screen ads — a better choice for those who are gift shopping.
The Amazon Fire HD 8 is available in black, denim and rose colors.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus
Amazon
The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus offers includes fast charging and wireless charging capabilities. It comes with an improved 5MP rear-facing camera for clearer pictures. The Plus model includes 3GB of RAM for better multi-tasking.
Amazon also claims the Fire HD8 Plus is twice as durable as Apple iPad mini (2021), as measured in tumble tests.
The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is a great deal at only $20 more than the standard model. It comes in a dimpled gray finish with two storage options: 32GB or 64GB. It’s scheduled for release Oct. 19, though you can preorder now.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids
Amazon
The new Fire HD 8 Kids is built for kids ages 3-7. The tablet comes in a durable kid-proof case and has a two-year warranty. It also includes a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes thousands ad-free books, games, videos and apps suitable for children. The tablet includes parental controls to limit screen time and set content restrictions.
The tablet is offered in 32GB or 64GB storage options with a blue or purple kid-proof case.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro
Amazon
The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet is designed for school-aged kids. It comes bundled with a kid-friendly case, a two-year worry-free guarantee and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. The Kids Pro tablet also has access to a digital store where parents can buy and download additional content, including popular games like “Roblox” and “Minecraft.”
Best Samsung Android tablets for reading in 2024
Explore the best Android reading tablets from Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is a portable 2-in-1 device with PC and tablet functionality. It features Microsoft 365 integration for a better PC experience. It offers an 11-inch tablet screen size and a clear HD display for reading. The tablet also comes with an S Pen.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Samsung
The top-of-the-line Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is another great multi-use tablet for reading and work. It comes with a massive 14.6-inch screen (120 Hz), an ultra-wide dual front camera that records video in 4K and an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset.
An S Pen is included.
Best Samsung Tab tablets for reading
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is an excellent choice for reading due to its compact size, lightweight design and sharp display.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
Walmart
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 features an 8.7-inch display screen and an upgraded metal frame. It offers fast performance and a long-lasting battery and a sharp display, making it one of the best tablets for reading under $100. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 comes with 32 GB of memory.
CBS News
Rep. Mike Turner says all “candidates need to deescalate” after Trump assassination attempts
Rep. Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, responded Sunday to Eric Trump’s implication that his father’s Democratic opponents were responsible for the attempts on former President Trump’s life, saying the innuendo was “of course” inaccurate but political candidates on both sides of the aisle “need to deescalate” their rhetoric.
“No, of course not,” Turner said in his latest appearance on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” after being asked whether he believes there was truth to claims made by the former president, his son Eric, and his vice presidential running mate, Sen. JD Vance, at a rally where each either implied or suggested Democrats tried to kill him.
Trump returned Saturday to Butler, Pennsylvania, to speak to supporters gathered at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds, the site of the July 13 assassination attempt against him. A gunman facing Trump on the podium at that rally opened fire into the crowd, grazing Trump’s ear, killing one attendee and injuring two others, according to authorities. The gunman was killed by a Secret Service sniper, officials said.
Another apparent assassination attempt happened in September when a suspect pointed a gun in Trump’s direction on the Florida course where he was playing golf. The FBI has opened probes into both incidents.
CBS News
Trump, his son and Vance all acknowledged the assassination attempt in Butler at Saturday’s campaign event.
“Over the past eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me impeached me indicted me tried to throw me off the ballot and, who knows, maybe even tried to kill me,” said the former president, while Eric Trump claimed his father’s political opponents “tried to kill him, and it’s because the Democratic party, they can’t do anything right.”
Vance, in his remarks, addressed Trump’s Democratic challenger in the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris, and suggested that the Republican nominee “took a bullet for democracy.”
Brennan asked Turner: “You don’t mean to imply here anything that would suggest Eric Trump’s allegations that Democrats are trying to kill him?”
“No, of course not,” Turner responded. “But I do think that Vice President Harris needs to actively state and acknowledge that her administration is saying a foreign power, which would be an act of war, is actively trying to kill her opponent.”
The attempts on Trump’s life came after a citizen of Pakistan with ties to Iran was arrested and charged with allegedly planning a murder-for-hire scheme targeting Trump, among others. Although the timing of the charges coincided with the first attempt, there was no indication that the two incidents were related.
Turner criticized Harris for what he viewed as a failure to openly condemn the alleged plot.
“I think there’s certainly a role for her to play and for the president to play in this, in both identifying that there are threats against Donald Trump that need to be acknowledged and responded to, to deter,” he said. “I think all the candidates need to de-escalate, certainly in their language.”
But the congressman did acknowledge that a Biden-Harris Justice Department official, Matthew Olsen, the head of the national security division, said the U.S. government has been “intensely tracking Iranian lethal plotting efforts targeting former and current U.S. government officials — and that includes the former president.”
“I would say that we are very concerned — gravely concerned — about Iranian plotting,” Olsen told CBS News in a recent interview.
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 1 storm on Sunday, and it has set its path on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Forecasters predict Milton will make landfall around the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, bringing with it upwards of 120 mph winds and drenching an area still reeling from Hurricane Helene.
As of 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Milton was centered about 290 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 815 miles west-southwest of Tampa. It had maximum sustained winds of nearly 80 mph and was inching north-northeast at 6 mph.
Path of Hurricane Milton
A map from the National Hurricane Center shows Milton continuing to strengthen into a major hurricane as it approaches Florida’s western coast.
“Milton is forecast to rapidly intensify during the next couple of days and become a major hurricane on Monday,” forecasters said.
NOAA/National Hurricane Center
The storm is expected to remain north of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, with heavy rainfall expected as Milton makes its way northeast toward Florida. Tropical storm watches are currently in effect from Celestun to Cancún, Mexico.
NOAA/National Hurricane Center
The hurricane center said hurricane and storm surge watches could be issued for parts of Florida later Sunday.
Florida officials prepare for more impact
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that while it remains to be seen just where Milton will strike, it’s clear that Florida is going to be hit hard. “I don’t think there’s any scenario where we don’t have major impacts at this point,” he said.
“You have time to prepare — all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to be sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place,” the governor said. “If you’re on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, just assume you’ll be asked to leave.”
NOAA via AP
DeSantis expanded his state of emergency declaration Sunday to 51 counties and said Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruptions, making sure they have a week’s worth of food and water and are ready to hit the road.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, meanwhile, coordinated with the governor and briefed President Biden Sunday on how it has staged lifesaving resources.
“I highly encourage you to evacuate” if you’re in an evacuation zone, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “We are preparing … for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma. “
As many as 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state crews to remove debris, DeSantis said.
“All available state assets … are being marshaled to help remove debris,” DeSantis said. “We’re going 24-7 … it’s all hands on deck.”
An American climber was rescued after she and another alpinist from the U.K. were stranded for two days at more than 20,000 feet in the Himalayan mountains.
Michelle Dvorak, 31, and Fay Manners, 37, went missing on Thursday after their equipment and food tumbled down a ravine while trekking up India’s Chaukhamba mountain, CBS News partner BBC reported.
The pair sent an emergency message but search and rescue teams were unable to find them.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/Handout via REUTERS
Manners told the BBC they were “terrified” as they tried to make part of the descent down the treacherous mountains without supplies.
“I watched the bag tumble down the mountain and I immediately knew the consequence of what was to come,” she said. “We had none of our safety equipment left. No tent. No stove to melt snow for water. No warm clothes for the evening.”
The terrifying ordeal intensified when it started to snow. They took cover on a ledge while waiting for rescuers.
“I felt hypothermic, constantly shaking and with the lack of food my body was running out of energy to keep warm,” Manners said.
The rescue was made difficult because of the conditions, including bad weather, fog and high altitude.
“The helicopter flew passed again, couldn’t see us. We were destroyed,” Manners told the BBC.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/Handout via REUTERS
On the second day, the pair began to cautiously abseil down the mountain. They spotted a team of French climbers coming toward them. Manners said they shared their equipment and food and contacted the helicopter company with an exact location.
“I cried with relief knowing we might survive,” she said.
The Indian Air Force said in a post on the X social media platform that their helicopter airlifted the climbers from 17,400 feet after “battling two days of bad weather.”
Chaukhamba is a mountain massif in the Garhwal Himalaya in northern India.
Rep. Mike Turner says all “candidates need to deescalate” after Trump assassination attempts
Maps show track of Hurricane Milton as forecasters predict landfall in Florida this week
American and U.K. climbers rescued after 2 days stranded on Himalayan mountains in India
Rep. Mike Turner says all “candidates need to deescalate” after Trump assassination attempts
Maps show track of Hurricane Milton as forecasters predict landfall in Florida this week