IDK, I haven't used a tablet for years now.
I have a 6.7" Phone which is great for portability and easy to read, and when I want the bigger screen I use a "real" (old fashioned) computer, either laptop or desktop.
I still prefer the desktop format of a (Linux) PC. 32" desktop monitor is great IMO, and super for gaming.
The tablet fills a hole that doesn't exist for me anymore.

Tablets are worse laptops unless you’re a kid at a restaurant watching Bluey.

Wasn't the tablet market eaten up by iPads and 2 in 1 laptops?

Their hardware is meh, particularly for the price. I consider it GrapheneOS tax.

Android tablets anyway. Has there ever been a good one?

Get an iPad, there isn't a bad one, just less good ones. The $300 (or $330) base iPad is still better than like 95% of Android tablets, it can run Procreate, and it gives you access to the App Store. Nothing wrong with running an Android phone and an iPad. A lot of bloggers do it and recommend it, it's a good "best of both worlds" scenario, especially if you're into custom firmware on the Android side and tablet support is much less than it is on phones... might as well diversify at that point. Kind of like how if you're gonna get a PC, you maybe want Windows for gaming, but for a laptop, you'd be a fool to not just get a MacBook for its performance and battery life. Laptop gaming is streaming anyway, both platforms do it just fine. And again, there really aren't great PC laptops, and if they are, they're hard to find.

The original apple tablet was amazing for its time and then google put out something that was such a good deal for what you paid. Since only the fire sorta came close but its even more closed nature ruined it. I mean you could work around it but as you say its low powered and having to put that much effort sorta makes the cheap tablet thing meh.

I would be fine with a low spec tablet. But it should be priced appropriately. Currently using some old fire tablet that I got second hand for £15. Occasionally web browser runs out of RAM and crashes if I use reddit but not really had a problem with lemmy.

I could be tempted by a slight upgrade for like £30-50 though. Maybe.

Why even buy a tablet? The only thing you can install on it are social media apps or something. Just buy a laptop.