Open-source tablets move from hobby to habit, with new choices for privacy, power, and play in 2025.
A tablet asks for trust. You touch glass and expect a reply. You expect updates, working sleep, and a pen that tracks your hand. Linux tablets in 2025 meet that bar in parts. They miss it in others. The draw is freedom and control. The cost is patience and choice.
One path looks familiar. Purism sells the Librem 11 with PureOS and PureBoot. It ships with a keyboard and pen. The screen is an 11.5-inch 2560×1600 AMOLED panel. Inside sits Intel’s N5100, 8 GB of RAM, and up to a 1 TB NVMe drive. Purism announced the model in September 2023 and set the pitch on privacy in a short launch post. For buyers who want a clean handoff from box to desk, this is still the easy pick.
A second path favors power with familiar desktop apps. Juno Computers’ Juno Tab 3 uses Intel’s N100 and a 12.1-inch 2160×1440 display in a 3:2 shape. Memory is 12 GB LPDDR5. Storage starts at 512 GB. You can order Ubuntu 24.04, Kubuntu, Mobian, KDE Neon, or Debian. Independent previews pegged the launch price at $699, and the spec sheet matches that tier, as covered by Tom’s Hardware and CNX Software.
A third path puts openness first and speed second. Pine64’s PineTab 2 is an ARM tablet built for tinkering and repair. It uses a Rockchip RK3566 and ships with DanctNix Arch Linux. The 10.1-inch panel runs at 1280×800. Trims include 4 GB/64 GB and 8 GB/128 GB. Early runs listed prices from $159.99 to $209, and the store still shows those tiers.
Then comes the RISC-V milestone. Pine64’s PineTab-V now ships with Debian 12 and GNOME. Community listings place current pricing near $225, with earlier batches at $159. The machine is not fast, yet it edits documents, plays video, and browses the web. That matters for RISC-V, which long lived on boards and lab kits.
You can buy an Android-class tablet that runs a mobile Linux as well. The Volla Tablet offers a 12.3-inch panel and a MediaTek G99. You can order Ubuntu Touch, then run Android apps in a container with Waydroid. UBports pushed OTA-9 in June 2025, with VoLTE improvements and updated Waydroid support. That mix covers light tablet work and keeps a clear line between free software and the apps you still need. Volla’s own page confirms Ubuntu Touch availability.
FydeOS aims at a different crowd. The Fydetab Duo runs Chrome-like containers, Linux apps, and Android. It feels closer to a Chromebook you can hold. The device is not a pure Linux tablet, yet it fills a real use case. Specs and options sit on the official sheet.
Makers keep their lane. RasPad 3 turns a Raspberry Pi 4 into a 10.1-inch tablet with full ports and a simple frame. CutiePi uses a CM4 in an 8-inch body and ships a touch-first shell. The team maintains open hardware and code on GitHub. These kits teach more than they replace an iPad. They reward people who open a case and fix a cable.
Software is steadier than in past years. Phosh anchors PureOS and Mobian, with project notes on the Purism site and on the official page. KDE’s Plasma Mobile logged steady tablet work through the summer, with updates in the June dev log and weekly posts on KDE Blogs. Mobian outlined device support and packaging in a February status post. Touch targets feel saner. Keyboards attach without drama more often than not. Sleep still needs care on some models.
Some readers want mainstream 2-in-1s that run Linux well. That route is fine. The linux-surface project improves support on many Surface models. Lenovo’s ThinkPad X12 Detachable has a record of workable installs, with user reports in r/linuxhardware and long-term reviews at sites like LaptopMag. You get strong chips and better panels. You give up official Linux branding on the box.
So what should you buy? Start with use. If you write daily and care about privacy, pick the Librem 11. If you want x86 speed in a tablet frame, the Juno Tab 3 makes sense. If you want to learn and repair, the PineTab 2 hits the right notes. If you want to cheer for RISC-V and accept limits, the PineTab-V is the one. If you want Ubuntu Touch with Android apps in a box, the Volla Tablet is ready. If you want a lesson more than a product, RasPad or CutiePi will keep your hands busy.
Linux tablets still ask for attention. The win in 2025 is choice that holds up in the hand. The field is small, but it is no longer a rumor. It is a shelf you can shop.
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