Nexus 7 (2013) During a Google Event at San Francisco, 2013
Hugo Barra, director of Product Management at Android, holds a new Nexus 7 tablet during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco, California, July 24, 2013.Reuters

The technology world has seen a plethora of tablets, running on the leading mobile OS Android, releasing this year. Google's famed OS is said to be improving at a faster rate than other rival platforms thanks to the regular release of updates and a wide range of applications to choose from different sections on the Google Play Store.

Following are some of the best Android-powered tablets of 2013. The tablets are classified based on their size.

Three best small tablets in 2013 are:

Google Nexus 7 (2013)

The Asus manufactured Google Nexus 7 (2013) is one of the much popular tablets which was released this year. This thinner and lighter successor of its 2012 version features a 7-inch 1920x1200 resolution display with 323 pixels per inch.

It comes with a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB RAM to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

The tablet comes with Android Jelly Bean OS has already received the Kitkat OS update. The 16GB in-built memory variant Google Nexus 7 (2013) can be bought from Amazon for $234.99, while the 32GB variant is priced at $274.49.

LG G Pad 8.3

LG offered its G Pad tablet with an 8.3-inch 1920x1200 pixel resolution display this year. Its Google play Edition was released just a few days ago.

Since the screen resolution is the same as Nexus 7 (2013), the tablet comes with a lower number of pixels at 273 per inch, making its visibility a bit lower.

The specifications are however top notch with a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded via a microSD card slot.

The tablet costs more than Google Nexus 7 (2013). Besides backed by a 4,600mAh battery capacity, the tablet needs to be charged every night.

The standard version of LG G Pad 8.3 with LG's UI and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS can be bought from Best Buy for $299.99 while the Google Play Edition with stock Android 4.4 Kitkat OS can be bought from Google Play for $349.

Asus MemoPad 7 HD

Besides manufacturing the Google Nexus 7 (2013), Asus also introduced its MemoPad 7 HD in the markets this year. This budget tab offers a 1280x800 resolution screen with 216 pixels per inch.

It also includes a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A7 processor paired with 1GB RAM. Its specifications may not be high-end, but it includes has an edge over Nexus 7 (2013) i.e. an external MicroSD card support to expand storage capacity.

The average specifications of the tablet are justified by its competitive price of $150, which goes up to $162.99 based on the colour variants available on Amazon.

Three best big tablets in 2013 are:

Google Nexus 10

This device was released last year is still said to be the best selling-Andriod tablet of 2013. The Samsung manufactured Google Nexus 10 features a high quality 2560x1600 resolution screen giving 330ppi on a 10-inch display.

The Google Nexus 10 tablet has already received the Android Kitkat OS update. It runs on a 1.7GHz dual-core A15 processor backed by 2GB RAM. However, like Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 10 also misses lacks external MicroSD support. 

The tablet costs around $399 and can be bought from Amazon.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z

Sony released its much-hyped tablet in the Xperia line-up, Xperia Tablet Z. The tablet is known for its water-resistance feature and a sleek profile making it light and handy.

However, the tablet, being one of the latest, stands behind the Nexus 10 when it comes to specifications. Sony Xperia Tablet Z includes an outdated 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor along with 2GB RAM and Adreno 320 GPU. The display has 1920x1200 pixel resolution with 244ppi.

The device is said to have great battery back-up and also includes MicroSD support.

The 16GB storage variant of Xperia Tablet Z can be bought from Amazon for $436.99, while the 32GB costs around $520.99.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014) carries some of the most powerful features under the hood such as a 2560x1600 pixel resolution at 299ppi on a 10-inch display. The hardware specifications include 1.9GHz Exynos 5420 quad-core processor with 3GB RAM.

Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014) also comes in 16GB and 32GB in-built storage variants along with MicroSD card support. It has a high battery capacity of 8,220mAh.

The tablet's UI is smooth like that of Galaxy Note 3 and also features an S-Pen. 

With top hardware specifications along with a sleek design, the tablet's price falls in the higher end. The 16GB white/black colour variant costs $549 and the 32GB White/Black variant costs around $599.99 on Amazon.

(Source: Android Authority)