Unless you're crunching through some 4K video editing or wanting to run the most demanding mobile games out there, a tablet doesn't really have to do much – a bit of web browsing here, a spot of Netflix watching there, and that's about the extent of it.
Kids too can benefit from a cheap and cheerful tablet, and don't necessarily need all the bells and whistles of an iPad Pro. With that in mind we present our picks for the best budget tablets that you can buy right now, complete with the pros and cons of each.
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1. SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A (10.1-INCH)
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 525gDimensions: 254.2 x 155.3 x 8.2mmOS: Android 6.0Screen size: 10.1 inchesResolution: 1200 x 1920CPU: Exynos 7870RAM: 3GBStorage: 16/32GBBattery: 7300mAhRear camera: 8MP f/1.9Front camera: 2MP f/2.2
REASONS TO BUY
+Bold and spacious screen
+Polished Android skin
REASONS TO AVOID
-Sound quality is pretty basic
Samsung actually makes some of the best premium Android tablets too, but here it's turned its hand to the budget end of the market, with a lot of success – the Tab A is a well-designed, relatively well-specced device that'll take care of most day-to-day jobs.
The 10.1-inch screen is sharp and vibrant, as you would expect from Samsung, while the 13 hours of video playback that the battery can offer should be enough for the longest car journey. If you need it, there's a special mode for kids built into the software as well.
2. AMAZON FIRE HD 10
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 500gDimensions: 262 x 159 x 9.8mmOS: Android 5.1Screen size: 10.1 inchesResolution: 1200 x 1920CPU: Mediatek MT8173RAM: 2GBStorage: 32/64GBBattery: 3830mAhRear camera: 2MPFront camera: VGA
REASONS TO BUY
+Large, high-resolution screen
+Solid build quality
REASONS TO AVOID
-Uses Amazon's version of Android
Amazon makes some of the best budget tablets around, offering decent hardware at compelling prices, but there's a big caveat: no Google Play Store access, so not as wide a choice of apps as you might be used to, with absentees including Gmail and YouTube.
If you can live with that (you still get apps like Netflix, Plex and Facebook), then the Fire 10 HD has a good size screen, plenty of storage, and up to 10 hours of battery life. These Fire tablets tend to be better built than other budget slates too, and are going to last you.
3. HUAWEI MEDIAPAD T3 (10-INCH)
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 460gDimensions: 229.8 x 159.8 x 8mmOS: Android 7.0Screen size: 9.6 inchesResolution: 800 x 1280CPU: Snapdragon 425RAM: 2/3GBStorage: 16/32GBBattery: 4800mAhRear camera: 5MPFront camera: 2MP
REASONS TO BUY
+Large screen with a good resolution
+Well-designed and lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
-Huawei's Android could be improved
You know you're going to get well-built, well-designed hardware from Huawei, and so it is with the 10-inch MediaPad T3. There's that capacious screen, plus internal specs that won't set the world alight but will handle all of the basic tasks you'll want to do on it.
Huawei's take on Android isn't the best-looking or intuitive out there, but you can easily customise the interface, and you do get access to all the big name apps you're going to want. If you don't need a tablet that's blazingly fast, the MediaPad T3 is fantastic value.
4. AMAZON FIRE HD 8
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 369gDimensions: 214 x 128 x 9.7mmOS: Android 5.1Screen size: 8.0 inchesResolution: 800 x 1280CPU: Mediatek MT8163RAM: 1.5GBStorage: 16/32GBBattery: 3210mAhRear camera: 2MPFront camera: VGA
REASONS TO BUY
+Very decent screen for the price
+Battery life that will last all day
REASONS TO AVOID
-Uses Amazon's version of Android
Find the Amazon Fire HD 10 (above) a bit too big and expensive? We present to you the Fire HD 8 instead, offering a little less screen space for quite a lot less money. With Alexa, Netflix, Facebook, Spotify, Amazon Video and so on, you can do a lot with this tablet.
As with all the Fire tablets, its design and build makes it look more expensive than it is, though as we mentioned with the Fire HD 10, you don't have access to the Google Play Store – that means you can't get Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube and other Google apps.
5. ASUS ZENPAD 8
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 350gDimensions: 209 x 123 x 8.5mmOS: Android 6.0Screen size: 8.0 inchesResolution: 800 x 1280CPU: Mediatek MT8163RAM: 1/2GBStorage: 8/16GBBattery: 4000mAhRear camera: 5MPFront camera: 2MP
REASONS TO BUY
+Strong balance of price and performance
+Screen is big enough for most tasks
REASONS TO AVOID
-Comes with a stack of bloatware apps
You'll find a lot of budget Android tablets out there by brands you've never heard of, but with an Asus gadget you know there's some hardware heritage here. The ZenPad 8 is an appealing compromise of price and performance, and it's a solidly put together tablet.
Despite its budget status, it's a relatively thin and light tablet, with perhaps the cameras and the screen resolution the more obvious cost-cutting areas. It comes loaded with a bunch of Asus apps too, so some uninstalling work is required if you don't want them.
6. LENOVO TAB 4 (8-INCH)
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 310gDimensions: 211 x 124 x 8.2mmOS: Android 7.0Screen size: 8.0 inchesResolution: 800 x 1280CPU: Snapdragon 425RAM: 2GBStorage: 16/32GBBattery: 4850mAhRear camera: 5MPFront camera: 2MPREASONS TO BUY
+Excellent value for money
+Impressive battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not for demanding tasks
Lenovo's Android tablet line-up is a little confusing, but here we're talking about the 8-inch version of the Tab 4 (there are four Tab 4s in total – keep up at the back). It's the cheapest of the bunch, but still offers enough build quality and performance to keep most satisfied.
At this price and with these specs you're going to be sticking to the basics, but the Tab 4 is fine for media consumption and a little light web work. What's more, the tablet is well put together, and can give you a whopping 12 hours of total battery life if you use it carefully.
7. AMAZON FIRE 7
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 295gDimensions: 192 x 115 x 9.6mmOS: Android 5.1Screen size: 7.0 inchesResolution: 600 x 1024CPU: Mediatek MT8127RAM: 1GBStorage: 8/16GBBattery: 2980mAhRear camera: 2MPFront camera: VGA
REASONS TO BUY
+Doesn't cost you much at all
+Works well with Amazon services
REASONS TO AVOID
-Uses Amazon's version of Android
Lastly in our trio of Amazon Fire tablets (see above for the other two), we have the cheapest and the smallest of the lot – at this price it's almost a no-brainer. You've got four sharp colours to pick from, Alexa on board, and up to eight hours of battery life.
Be under no illusions though, with the specs inside, you're only going to be able to stick to the basics (think media consumption and web browsing). Plus, as with the other Fire tablets, you're limited to the Amazon App Store, so you can't install any Google apps.
8. HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M3 LITE (8-INCH)
Weight: 310gDimensions: 213.3 x 123.3 x 7.5mmOS: Android 7.0Screen size: 8.0 inchesResolution: 1200 x 1920CPU: Snapdragon 435RAM: 3/4GBStorage: 16/64GBBattery: 4800mAhRear camera: 8MPFront camera: 8MP
REASONS TO BUY
+Solid specs and performance
+Decent cameras for a budget tablet
REASONS TO AVOID
-Costs more than the T3 tablet
We mentioned the Huawei MediaPad T3 above, and the M3 variant gives you some better specs for a bit more money, so it depends what matters to you most – as with the T3, you get the same quality craftsmanship and same slightly wonky software from Huawei.
You get a slightly better processor and camera, and improved RAM and storage options, and so on. The 8-inch model we've selected here means it's smaller than the 10-inch T3, but the resolution makes it sharper, and the tablet does come in a choice of screen sizes.
9. ACER ICONIA ONE (10.1-INCH)
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: TBCDimensions: 259 x 167 x 8.9mmOS: Android 6.0Screen size: 10.1 inchesResolution: 1200 x 1920CPU: Mediatek MT8163ARAM: 2GBStorage: 16/32/64GBBattery: 6100mAhRear camera: 5MPFront camera: 2MPREASONS TO BUY
+Polished design and build
+Two microUSB ports
REASONS TO AVOID
-Pricier than other budget options
With a design that's better than many budget tablets, the Iconia One is a perfectly fine choice for anyone wanting to pick up a tablet on the cheap. It does all the basics well, and according to Acer should give you around 10 hours of battery life with a mix of usage.
The dual microUSB ports are one of the more unusual touches on this tablet, for all your peripheral (or charging) needs, and the audio is another of the features where you get better performance than you might expect at this price – so perfect for movie watching.
10. CHUWI HI10 PRO
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 562gDimensions: 261.8 x 167.3 x 8.5mmOS: Windows 10Screen size: 10.1 inchesResolution: 1200 x 1920CPU: Intel Z8350RAM: 4GBStorage: 64GBBattery: 6500mAhRear camera: 2MPFront camera: 2MP
REASONS TO BUY
+The extra flexibility of Windows 10
+Clear and sharp display
REASONS TO AVOID
-Struggles with more advanced programs
Chinese firm Chuwi might not be the most instantly recognisable brand name in this list, but don't let its relative obscurity put you off – it's pushing out some fine budget tablets running Windows 10, though the specs are of course more modest than on rival slates.
While Windows 10 is in theory more capable than Android, bear in mind that those low-end specs will make running the likes of Photoshop and iTunes difficult. If you want to go Microsoft though, and just need a tablet for basic tasks, then the Hi10 Pro fits the bill.
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