Tablets are incredibly affordable and are more convenient and portable than a laptop. It is an excellent alternative to a laptop for many ordinary tasks such as browsing the internet, streaming tv shows and movies, composing an email or reading email, etc. You can use all these tasks with the help of a tablet while saving some money. You are comparing it to a smartphone. The Tablet offers quite a few utilities over a smartphone. It’s easier to watch videos and play games with the help of its larger screen.

It is an excellent gadget for all those who are looking for an eBook or can get some work done or even if they want to video chat with the family.With so many competitors making tablets that support the Google operating system, getting yourself a cheap Android OS tablet is far more comfortable than Apple’s iOS tablets. You also get more variety in the android tablets.

In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices:

Here is a quick snapshot of our top-rated picks.

In this blog, we are going to talk about why you should get yourself a tablet, what budget tablets are suitable for, and the things you should consider before buying a tablet. With the help of the Tablet, you can do everything you do on your phone but a bigger screen, and we are going to help you do it in your budget. Tablets are ideal for great video players, eBook readers, and web browsers.When it comes to basic tasks, the bigger screen, and its light makes it more significant than a smartphone or a laptop. While spending more money can give you a great tablet, but that does not mean that you can’t get yourself a good tablet for a lower price.

However, The Tablet may not give as much performance as a phone in your hand can give you, but the screen size comes in handy if you mainly want to stream videos or play games. When you are thinking of getting yourself a cheap tablet, then you will have to make some computation. Before going for any random tablet, ask yourself thereal question: which features are you willing to give up?

Let’s look at the tablets which can help you save money while providing you performance:-

best tablet reviews

Best Tablet Under £200

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

This Samsung tablet is by far the best and the most crucial Tablet released by Samsung in ages. It has a sharp and colorful screen, and the design of the galaxy tab 10.1 is so close to that of £400 tablets. The galaxy tab 10.1 will give you the looks of an iPad without you having to pay the price of the iPad. The best alternative for those who want an iPad but can’t afford one.

Let’s have a look at some of its features:-

  • It comes with a display of 10.1 inches, as the name suggests.
  • It comes with the resolution of 1200×1920 pixels
  • The galaxy tab 10.1 comes with Exynos 7904 processor.
  • It has 2GB RAM and 32GB storage
  • The rear camera is 8 MP whereas the front is 5 MP
  • It comes with Android 9.0
  • The battery capacity is 6150mAh
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1-Inch 32 GB Wi-Fi - Black (UK Version)
  • Entertainment for All: Designed with the whole family in mind, the Galaxy Tab A has what it takes to...
  • Surround Yourself in Sound: Feel the action come to life all around you with immersive Dolby Atmos...
  • A Whole New World of Wonder: Watch, stream and browse on a 10.1 Inch Full HD corner-to-corner...
PROs
  • Sturdy design
  • Battery life
  • Great design and it provides a comfortable grip
  • Dedicated card slot and 4G
CONs
  • No HD streaming available on Netflix and Amazon prime
  • Only 32 GB storage

2. Amazon Fire HD 10

It is an excellent tablet for anyone to be that kids or even adults, and for this Tablet, you don’t even have to spend that much of your money. Even though it works on Android, it’s software feels and looks completely different from other Android tablets. It offers Appstore instead of the Google Play Store so, if you are someone who can’t live off the Google Play Store, then this Tablet is not for you. To cut costs, the Amazon Fire HD 10 body is made up of plastic.

Let’s have a look at its features:-

  • The display size is 10.10 inches.
  • It comes with the resolution of 1920×1200 pixels
  • The rear camera is 2 MP, and the front camera is also 2 MP
  • It runs on MediaTek processor
  • It has 32 GB storage and 2 GB RAM
Fire HD 10 Tablet | 10.1' 1080p Full HD display, 32 GB, Plum - with Ads (Previous Generation - 9th)
39,083 Reviews
Fire HD 10 Tablet | 10.1" 1080p Full HD display, 32 GB, Plum - with Ads (Previous Generation - 9th)
  • 10.1" 1080p full HD display and 32 GB of internal storage (add up to 512 GB with microSD).
  • Now 30% faster thanks to the 2.0 GHz octa-core processor and 2 GB of RAM.
  • Up to 12 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching videos and listening to music with USB-C port...
PROs
  • Easy to use
  • Great value
  • Expandable storage upto 512 GB
  • Upto 12 hours of battery life
CONs
  • Cheap quality build
  • Poor camera quality for video calls and taking pictures
  • No Google Play Store

3. Lenovo Tab 4 (10)

Along with the excellent battery life, the Lenovo tab gives you a big screen. This budget tablet has a good build quality and will give you a reliable performance. However, it’s the screen is not as colorful or sharp as that of its competitors. At such a reasonable price, the Lenovo tab 4 provides precisely what it promises.

Let’s look at some of its features:-

  • It comes with a 10.10-inch display
  • It comes with the resolution of 800×1280 pixels
  • It has 2GB RAM and 16GB storage
  • The rear camera is of 5 MP, and the front camera is of 2 MP
  • It runs on Android 7.0
  • It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
  • Battery capacity is 7000 mAh
Lenovo TAB 4 10 10.1 inches IPS Tablet PC - (Slate Black) (Qualcomm MSM8917 1.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Android 7.0)
  • Brilliant HD display - Enjoy a solid visual experience with the 10.1" HD display, which gives your...
  • Cinema-worthy sound - Make the most of your cinema therapy because Tab 4 10 contains two...
  • Easy sharing - Someone other than you using your device? The Tab 4 10 makes user sharing a breeze,...
PROs
  • Decent overall performance
  • Long battery life
  • Great built quality
  • Stock Android experience
CONs
  • The old version of Android
  • Grainy screen
  • Weak audio

4. Huawei Mediapad T5

The Huawei media pad T5 is built with high-quality material. It comes with a full metal body. The Huawei brand continues to prove that it is possible to build fully-featured suitable designed devices at a low price. Apart from the plastic up top, the back is mostly metal. The screen is an IPS LCD just like the Samsung and Amazon Fire HD 10. Mediapad supports exFat for microSD storage. It comes equipped with a Hisilicon Kirin 659 and an ARM Mali- T830 MP2 GPU. It doesn’t work the same way with Google as it used to since its first android device

Let’s look at some of its features:-

  • It has a 10-inch display.
  • It comes with a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels
  • It runs on Kirin 659 processor
  • It runs on Android 8.0
  • The front camera is 2MP whereas the rear camera is 5MP
  • The battery capacity is 5100mAh
  • It comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage
PROs
  • Support for GSM, 3G, and LTE
  • Good system performance
  • Preloaded apps can be easily uninstalled
CONs
  • High power consumption
  • Chunky bezels

5. Asus Zenpad S 8.0

The Zenpad 3S looks like the iPad, but it doesn’t have the quality like the iPad. Asus Zenpad provides a premium aluminum body with diamond cut bezels on the corners. Because of its gentle curves on the edges, it is very comfortable to hold. Asus tried to copy the iPad design, but it misses out on one element that is the overall build quality. The Zenpad looks and feels like a flagship device. The Zenpad provides you with lots of multimedia value for your money. The worst part of this Tablet is that it has short battery life. If it had good battery life, it would have been a good tablet.

Let’s look at some of its features:-

  • It has an 8-inch display
  • It comes with the resolution of 1536×2048 pixels
  • It runs on Intel Atom Z3580 processor
  • Battery life is upto 8 hours
  • The rear camera is 8MP, and the front camera is 5MP
  • It runs on Android 5.0
  • It has 2GB RAM and 16GB storage
Asus ZenPad S 8.0 Z580C-1A005A 8-Inch Tablet (Black) - (Intel Atom Z3530, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB, Android 5.0 -Lollipop)
  • Intuitive Asus ZenUI 2015
  • Latest quad-core processor technology
  • An enhanced visual experience
PROs
  • Beautiful screen
  • Feature-packed
  • Good performance
CONs
  • Older version of Android
  • Poor camera

6. Lenovo Smart Tab P10

A smart tab is a tablet that offers you both Android and Alexa. It is a hybrid smart display device that lives up to the hype. This Tablet doubles up as a smart display and a capable android. When docked into a companion Bluetooth speaker, the Tablet transforms into a capable Echo show clone.

Let’s take a look at its features:-

  • It has a 10.1-inch display
  • It comes with a resolution of 1920×1200
  • It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
  • It has 3GB RAM and 32GB storage
  • The rear camera is 8MP, and the front camera is 5MP
  • Its battery lasts upto 15 days
Lenovo Smart Tab P10 10 Inch (10.1”) FHD Tablet with Alexa Smart Dock – (Octa-core 1.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, Android Pie) – Aurora Black
  • Tablet and smart speaker dock: The Lenovo SmartTab P10 is a 10.1 Inch Android tablet that becomes a...
  • Ask Alexa: Transforms to an Alexa enabled Smart Screen when docked; control compatible smart devices...
  • Elegant design: No thicker or heavier than a glossy magazine, at only 7 mm thin and 440 g light;...
PROs
  • Great screen
  • Great value for the money
  • More flexible than the echo show
  • Works both as an Alexa smart display and as an Android tablet
CONs
  • Design is slightly outdated
  • No Hulu or NBC integration

Why Should You Get A Tablet?

Light And Portable

The one great advantage of tablets is that they are easy to carry. You can take them anywhere you want. If you are looking for something lightweight and want to complete your work on the got, then Tablet can be the perfect device for you.Most of the time, tablets weigh around one-third of the basic laptop hence, making the tablets far more accessible to carry than a laptop.

The standard screen size of the tablets is 7-10 inches making them easy to fit in the backpacks or briefcases. If you are one of those who travels a lot, then Tablet is all you need.

It Is More Affordable Than A Laptop

Personal computers nowadays are a basic necessity almost everyone has it. But if the only purpose of you using your computers is streaming videos, light browsing, Facebook, and some email, then a tablet will do just as well. Tablets can help you in saving money. It all depends on for what purpose you want to use the computer for.

Great Portable Entertainment System

Want to Netflix and chill? Want to read an e-book while you are on a long journey? Want to play games while traveling? Yes, you undoubtedly use your smartphone for that but don’t you guys think it will be so much better on a bigger screen. The bigger the screen, the more fun you can have and less strain on your eyes.

Comes In Handy When Giving Presentations

The use of tablets for running presentations has become a rising concept in business. With Tablet, you can share the presentation content with a screen in a meeting room. It’s a lot easier than a laptop to use when you are traveling around and giving presentations outside the office.

Can Get Connective Everywhere

The remarkable thing about the Tablet is that you can get the internet anywhere as long as the Tablet has 4G connectivity. With the help of the Tablet, you do not have to take your laptop around the cafe looking for free wifi, you just have to power up, and you get online. This particular feature of the Tablet comes in handy for the professionals.

What Are Budget Tablets Good For?

The budget tablets are useful for so many things, and nowadays, there are so many options available for tablets that have all the features and also act as a “money-saver.” All you need to do is to find yourself a reasonable budget tablet for yourself, and you will find it flawlessly able to run tasks like:

Watching Videos

If you love watching videos and you don’t like watching it on a small screen phone, then a tablet can surely help you with that. All the tablets are efficient in playing videos, but the only difference is in the screen quality, while some will provide you good quality, whereas some will provide lousy quality.

Video Calling and Taking Photos

You can find many budget tablets with cameras inbuilt. This area is where the quality can differ. The poor camera quality can make the images, and the video calls grainy. The lower the quality of the images.

Browsing The Internet

The essential tablets are also able to handle a bit of browsing, but with the less efficient models, it can be lagging in nature, with irritating delays.

Using Apps

When it comes to the latest 3D games or video editing suites and more power-hungry applications, the budget tablets will be good for most occasions. But the poorly built budget tables could lag and will be irritating to use.

Reading Books

You can also read books on Tablet though it will not be as efficient as e-readers like Amazon Kindle. Reading on a big screen can surely be much better than reading on a small screen on your phone. Though, the low resolution or the poor quality of the display can make it difficult for you to read and can put the strain on your eyes.

Things To Consider When Buying a Tablet

A lot of you must be having a question in your mind: what things should you consider before buying a tablet? Do not worry, and we will answer that question to make it easy for you guys. Before you start looking for a tablet, think about what is the primary purpose of you buying the Tablet. Are you planning on buying it just for entertainment purposes? Or are you buying it for your business work, for checking email, or running a presentation? Altogether, you should have the idea of how you want your Tablet to help or serve you. You may find some tablets which can be used for all purposes while there will be some tablets that will only be used for specific purposes.

If you consider yourself a big amazon consumer or if you have a Prime account, then the Amazon Fire HD 10 will be perfect for you because then all your favorite amazon features, including prime video, audible, Amazon photos, and more will be easily accessible to you. If you do not consider yourself one, then the Amazon tablet is not suitable for you as then you will not take advantage of many of the pre-installed apps on the Tablet.

Size

When looking for a tablet, size does matter. Tablet sizes range from a little bigger than your smartphone or to almost the same size as the laptop and everything in between. The bigger screen comes in handy when you are using it for entertainment purposes like watching videos, gaming and working. A bigger screen is a perfect fit for all these things, whereas the smaller screen is excellent for reading and casual browsing on the go. To stay between the standard size (7-12 inches) tablets is a good idea. The larger the screen, the costlier will be the Tablet.

Resolution

Resolution plays an integral part in tablets. When you are looking for a tablet, take a close look at the resolution before buying it. 1200×800 pixels will provide you a decent experience for an entry-level tablet. Tablets that provide 1080 pixels (1920×1080) will give you a much better experience. And if you want a better experience, then you have to pay more. The better the resolution, the more significant the price you will have to pay.

Performance

It plays a vital role in providing your Tablet a smooth run. You should go for at least 2GB RAM if you want the apps to run smoothly. Before purchasing any tablet, you should read some reviews on how the device performs and doesn’t just fall for the specs. The specs won’t tell you the whole story. The more power your Tablet will have, the longer it will take to annoy the hell out of you.

Battery

If you want your device to last longer, then going for a bigger battery is a great choice. You should ask or look about the battery before buying the Tablet. It is going to be much worse in 12-18 months for you if your newly purchased Tablet cannot hold a charge for a few days.

Storage

The more storage the Tablet has, the better it is going to work. Most of the Android and Windows tablets offer expandable storage. It is much easier and cheaper to add more space with the help of a microSD card. If you are going to use the Tablet for entertainment purposes, then downloading the games and storing movies will fill the 16GB storage quickly. You should need to think more carefully about storage before buying a tablet. Now, you won’t be able to get much storage in a budget tablet, but it is all good if the Tablet that you choose supports microSD.

Connectivity

The more ports and ways the Tablet has to connect, the better it can be used. Before buying a tablet, make sure it supports the latest Bluetooth standard. USB and micro USB are essential, and Micro HDMI is suitable as well.

Cameras

You should not expect high-quality photos or videos from the budget tablets. No budget tablet will give you excellent quality photos or videos. Most tablet cameras are much more inferior than the average smartphone. And if camera quality is important to you, then you should read some reviews to see which Tablet has the least lousy camera.

Software

If you think that the fire is not for you, then Android will be a good alternative for you since Apple does not fall under the budget category, so we will not be talking about it.

The operating system determines which apps will be pre-installed, not only that it determines which apps you can download and use. Since Google Play Store got a vast selection of apps, it is scarce not to find an app that is on Apple App Store and not available to the android users.

Conclusion

It all depends on the user’s needs. For what you want to use a tablet for. Before buying any laptop, you should consider every aspect of the Tablet. Think and see carefully before you go on to buy yourself a new laptop so you won’t regret it later. If you love this post, then feel free to share it with your friends and family, and for any queries and suggestions, ask us in the comment section.

Alexander Cunningham
Author

Alexander Cunningham is a passionate technology and electronics expert with over a decade of experience in the field. He holds an MSc in Electronic Engineering from Imperial College London. His career embarked as a software developer before transitioning into tech journalism. Prior to joining our team, he worked as a systems analyst for a major tech corporation and co-authored several papers on emerging electronic technologies. Beyond his knack for the technical writing, he is huge enthusaiat about retro computing and loves spending time in restoring vintage electronics.

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