The best deal of the Cyber Monday tablet sales I've found this year is not an iPad, but my favorite Samsung tablet. I've been using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE as my work device for several months, but this sale makes it easier to recommend it to anyone, even iPad fans, looking for a practical tablet among the Cyber Monday deals.

Android tablets are not as established as Apple tablets. In fact, I can't think of anyone outside of my tech journalism colleagues who has a tablet other than an iPad or Amazon Fire. But even as an avid Mac, iPhone, and iPad user, I have come to love this tablet.

First, the price is attractive: the 2021 Tab S7 FE (Wi-Fi/US) is $429 on Amazon ($100 off $529) and the Tab S7 FE (5G/UK) is £449 on Amazon (£140 off the £589 MSRP). Yes, the $579 iPad Air had a similar discount, but a) it's already a year old and b) those deals are long gone.

You also get a lot of tablet for your money: the Tab S7 FE's 12.4-inch frame is larger than any iPad (except the 12.9-inch iPad Pro) and features a narrow bezel that the 9th-generation iPad has yet to abandon.

And this entry-level iPad has not been on sale so far this season (and look for sales in our Cyber Monday iPad Deals roundup). We've also seen $100+ discounts on the iPad Pro, but those are on the more expensive and costlier models. The most frequent iPad Air and mini deals we've found are around $50 off, which isn't exactly thrilling.

The Tab S7 FE also has a more elongated design than the iPad, with the front camera located on the long side of the display, making it very easy to use in landscape mode when used with a stand or keyboard cover.

We've heard horror stories about Android tablets being difficult to use, and that probably applies to tablets running stock Android as well. However, Samsung's tablets are equipped with OneUI, a heavily modified version of Android that works just like a smartphone on a large display, and with a resized app interface and a simple, easy-to-use multi-app display mode, the extra space is smartly The app interface can be resized and a simple, easy-to-use multi-app display mode allows for smart use of the extra space.

My favorite part of the experience is the S Pen; unlike the iPad, which costs $100, the S Pen is included. It also comes with physical buttons to enable additional features and Air Command controls that provide shortcuts to apps and functions without touching the screen. Another useful benefit is that it does not use the built-in battery, so it can be used at any time, unlike the battery-powered Apple Pencil.

A stylus is an important accessory for any tablet, but fortunately writing with the S Pen is great. I don't mind the 1st generation Apple Pencil that I use on my 7th generation iPad, but it is not a "pen" but a hard-tipped "pencil" and does not provide much feedback when writing. However, the S Pen, with its soft tip, is very comfortable to write with. This makes the Tab S7 FE useful as a notepad for taking notes at meetings or jotting down quick ideas to review again later.

This is not to say that Samsung tablets have a complete advantage. Even the base iPad is much more powerful than Samsung's tablet, thanks to Apple's powerful A-series chips, and all iPads benefit from superior displays, longer-lasting batteries, and effective cameras. Plus, it would be hard to say no to the iPad, given its ability to work with iPhones, AirPods, and Macs through Apple's "Continuity" system.

But if you're not adhering to Apple's walled garden, this is a deal I heartily recommend. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has become my work companion at my desk and during my commute. If you need something that covers the roles of laptop, notepad, and streaming device, this could easily be yours too. While not class leading in all respects, the Tab S7 FE is very effective for the price, and it's hard to say no to it this Cyber Monday.