Best cheap Android tablets (January 2018)
While high-end devices are generally the stars of the Android world, there is a growing emphasis into quality on a budget, and that’s very visible in the tablet arena.
From companies that are willing to sacrifice profits for the sake of market share, to established players looking to improve their game in the mid-range, several companies have brought to market affordable Android tablets that are actually worth buying. Unfortunately, for every great cheap Android tablet, there are tons of poorly made, clunky, and underpowered slates out there, which can make buying tablets on a budget a pain. We’re here to help.
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If you’re looking for a good budget-friendly gift for a loved one, or just want to treat yourself, check out our list of best affordable Android tablets. One thing we want to mention before fully diving in is that some of these tablets aren’t exactly ‘new’ anymore (some as much as 2 years old), but the tablet market doesn’t move quite as fast as the handset market.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A
The Galaxy Tab A is a mid-range tablet that sports an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels. It packs a large 5,000 mAh battery that’s good for up to 14 hours of video playback, according to Samsung.
The device is powered by the Snapdragon 425 chipset, has 2 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of expandable storage (up to 256 GB). Other specs and features include an 8 MP primary camera, a metal body, and Android 7.1.1 Nougat.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A is a great device for kids. It supports Kids Mode, which provides children with games and videos from content providers Samsung has teamed up with. The subscription service includes 5,000 exclusive game and video titles from The LEGO group, including the popular apps LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham and LEGO NINJAGO: Shadow of RONI.
The device also comes with a free three-month subscription to YouTube Red that gets rid of those annoying ads before and between videos. You can order yours from Amazon for $200.
Specs
- 8.0-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 189 ppi
- 1.4 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor
- 2 GB of RAM
- 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
- 8 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Non-removable 5,000 mAh battery
- Android 7.1.1 Nougat
- 212.1 x 124.1 x 8.9 mm, 364 g
Lenovo Tab 4
You can choose between an 8- and a 10-inch version of the Lenovo Tab 4. Both tablets feature an HD display, the Snapdragon 425 processor, and 2 GB of RAM. They also come with dual front-facing speakers with support for Dolby ATMOS features.
The great thing about the tablets is that they allow users to set up separate profiles with their own settings and wallpapers, along with logins for social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. This is a great feature to have if the device is being used by the whole family.
Lenovo’s Tab 4 devices are also great options for children. Parents can make an account offering content that’s specific to and curated for kids, and set up usage limits with on-times and down-times.
The 8-inch version of the tablet is listed at $130 on Amazon, while the larger model will set you back $170.
Specs
Lenovo Tab 4 (8-inch model)
- 8.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 189 ppi
- 1.4 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor
- 2 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128 GB
- 5 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
- Non-removable 4,850 mAh battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 211 x 124 x 8.2 mm, 310 g
Lenovo Tab 4 (10-inch model)
- 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 149 ppi
- 1.4 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor
- 2 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128 GB
- 5 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
- Non-removable 7,000 mAh battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 246 x 170 x 7.6 mm, 506 g
LG G Pad II (8-inch model)
Even though it’s a few years old, the LG Pad II is still a great tablet. It sports an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels, is powered by the Snapdragon 400 chipset, and has 1 GB of RAM.
What sets it apart from the competition is that it features a full-sized USB 2.0 port, which can be used for things like transferring files to a PC. The device also has a built-in stylus that gets the job done, but isn’t as advanced as the one that comes with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3.
LG’s tablet offers 3G connectivity and is unlocked, so it works with all carriers. Other specs and features worth mentioning include 16 GB of expandable storage, a 5 MP primary camera, and a 4,200 mAh battery. As it’s an older device, it ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop on board.
The LG G Pad II is a great option for those shopping for a new tablet on a budget — you can get it for just $130 on Amazon.
Specs
- 8-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 189 ppi
- 1.4 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128 GB
- 5 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
- Non-removable 4,200 mAh battery
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- 210 x 124 x 9 mm, 348 g
Asus ZenPad 10
Asus’ affordable tablet sports a 10.1-inch display with 1,280 x 800 resolution and is powered by MediaTek’s 8163 chipset. It has 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of expandable storage, and an 18 Wh battery.
The device runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the company’s ZenUI skin on top. It’s equipped with a 5 MP primary camera and 2 MP selfie snapper.
The ZenPad 10 is packed with all sorts of features. You’ll find Asus’ Splendid Technology on board that lets you adjust image color, brightness, contrast, and sharpness for your own optimized viewing experience. Then there’s also the Bluelight Filter that reduces eye fatigue by minimizing blue light emission from the screen, and much more.
The tablet won’t break the bank, as you can get it from Best Buy for $180.
Specs
- 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 149 ppi
- Quad-core MediaTek 8163 processor
- 2 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 64 GB
- 5 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
- Non-removable 18 Wh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 251 x 171 x 8 mm, 490 g
ASUS ZenPad S 8.0
Want something smaller than the ZenPad 10? The ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 offers an 8-inch IPS LCD screen with a quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 processor running at 1.8 GHz with 2 GB of RAM. There are actually a few different versions of this tablet floating around, we’ll link below to one that has a slightly slower processor but 32 GB of internal storage for the same $179 price.
Specs
- 8.0-inch IPS LCD display with 2048 x 1536 resolution, 320 ppi
- 1.8 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 or Z3580 processor
- 2/4 GB of RAM
- 16/32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128 GB
- 8 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Non-removable 15.2 WHr battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 203.2 x 134.5 x 6.6 mm, 298 g
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Amazon Fire family
Amazon’s Fire family continues to get better, and cheaper too! The Fire 7 starts at just $49.99, the Fire HD 8 starts at $89.99, and you can get the Fire HD 10 for just $150.
The Amazon Fire 7 includes a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 IPS display. Inside, it has an unnamed quad-core 1.3 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, a VGA front-facing camera and a 2 MP rear camera. The battery life for the new Fire 7 has been upgraded from 7 hours to 8 hours on a single charge. It also has dual-band Wi-Fi hardware for the first time. You can purchase the tablet in black, yellow, blue or red colors.
The Amazon Fire 7 starts at the near rock-bottom price of $49.99 with 8 GB of onboard storage and “special offers” that appear on the tablet’s launch screen. You can also get the tablet for $69.99 with 16 GB of storage and “special offers”. Both versions have a microSD card slot for adding even more storage. You can get rid of those ads on the launch screen if you pay $15 more for either model.
The new version of the Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet has an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 display, 1.5 GB of RAM, and up to 12 hours of battery life. It shares the same processor, cameras, Wi-Fi hardware and color options with the smaller Fire 7. Prices begin at $79.99 with 16 GB of onboard storage and “special offers”, or $109.99 with 32 GB of storage and “special offers”. Again, you can purchase the tablet without those pesky Amazon ads for an additional $15.
You also have the option to buy the “Kids Edition” of both tablets if you want to give one to your children, or friends with kids. They both include a tough “kid proof” case, a two-year “worry-free guarantee” and free access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which offers kids access to 15,000 curated books, videos, educational apps, and games, along with parental controls and other content. The Fire 7 Kids Edition, with 16 GB of storage, is priced at $99.99, while the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, with 32 GB of storage, costs $129.99. Thankfully, neither comes with “special offers”.
Last but not least, the new Fire HD 10 is an amazing value, starting at $149.99. For that price you get a 10.1-inch 1080p display, 32GB storage (64GB option also available for $180), microSD expansion, unlimited cloud storage, and more. The device is powered by a MediaTek quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM.
What really makes the Fire HD 10 stand out is its integrated Alexa functionality. While all the Fire family now offers this, the Fire 10 is hands-free. That means you can essentially use it in a similar way to devices like the Amazon Echo family. As with the others, you don’t get Google Play and have a very customized Android experience, but at this price point — it’s hard not to be impressed.
Specs
Amazon Fire 7
- 7.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1,024 x 600 resolution, 171 ppi
- 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 8 or 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- 2 MP rear camera, VGA front camera
- Up to 8 hours of battery life
- 192 mm x 115 mm x 9.6 mm, 295 g
Amazon Fire HD 8
- 8.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1,280 x 800 resolution, 189 ppi
- 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- 1.5 GB of RAM
- 16 or 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- 2 MP rear camera, VGA front camera
- Up to 12 hours of battery life
- 214 mm x 128 mm x 9.7 mm, 369 g
Amazon Fire HD 10
- 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1200 resolution
- MediaTek quad-core: 2 @ 1.8GHz, 2 @ 1.4GHz
- 2GB RAM
- 32 or 64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- 32 or 64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- Up to 10 hours battery life
- 262 x 159 x 9.8mm, 500 g
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 8
Specs
- 8.0-inch display with 1,280 x 800 resolution
- 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- 2 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion
- 8 MP camera, can rotate 180 degrees
- Up to 20 hours of battery life
- 5.74 x 8.26 x 0.13 inches, 1.03 pounds
There you have it – our picks from the best affordable tablets Android has to offer right now. Missed anything? Tell us in the comments!
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