Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 11" SM-T870NZSEXAR Mystic Silver 2021

The Galaxy Tab S7 is a killer value at $250 refurbished, pairing a buttery 120Hz screen with an excellent included S Pen. Performance is its weak spot, lagging behind newer tablets, but battery life is top-notch. Buy this for notes and Netflix, not for heavy gaming or video editing.

The Snapdragon 865+ and 8GB of RAM keep things moving nicely for everyday tasks, but it's definitely showing its age in our database. CPU and GPU scores land in the bottom half of the pack, so don't expect to crush heavy 3D games or edit 4K video without some stuttering. The 120Hz display is the real star here, making scrolling and drawing feel way snappier than the processor scores would suggest. Battery life is a bright spot, holding up well above average and easily getting you through a full day of mixed use.

Stacked against the Apple iPad Air M4 or iPad Pro M4, the Tab S7 gets absolutely smoked in raw performance, there's just no contest. But those machines cost three to four times as much. The Xiaomi Pad 6 and Lenovo Idea Tab Pro are closer rivals, offering newer processors and longer update promises, though you'll often pay more and miss out on the refined DeX experience. If you want a laptop replacement, the Lenovo might be a smarter long-term buy, but for a pure media and note-taking slate, this refurb S7 holds its own.

For $250 as a Geek Squad Certified Refurb, this is a steal. You're getting a premium metal build, a fantastic stylus experience, and a screen that punches well above its price point. The main trade-off is raw power and long-term software support, but if your needs are centered on note-taking, streaming, and multitasking with DeX, it's hard to find a better deal. Just don't expect it to keep up with an M-series iPad in a rendering showdown.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is a bit of a time capsule at this point, but at $250 refurbished, it's a time capsule that still makes a lot of sense. You're getting a solid 11-inch 120Hz screen, the included S Pen with barely any lag, and DeX mode that genuinely turns this into a usable mini-laptop. It's not going to win any benchmark races against newer iPads, but for note-taking, media, and light work, it's still a smooth operator.

Skip this if you need a tablet for serious gaming, 4K video editing, or any heavy lifting. The aging Snapdragon 865+ just can't keep up with modern titles or demanding creative apps. Also, if getting the latest Android updates for years to come matters to you, look at something newer, this one's software journey is basically over.

This is the tablet for a student, a casual media consumer, or anyone who wants a digital notebook without spending a fortune. The included S Pen and DeX mode give it a productivity edge that cheap Amazon Fire tablets can only dream of. If you can live without the latest Android features and don't need a gaming powerhouse, this is an easy recommendation.