As the saying goes: cheap can be expensive, and this in terms of technological devices is always good to keep in mind. Of course, when it comes to buying a tablet, we can’t always afford an iPad or a Chromebook, especially if we already have a high-end smartphone.
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For this reason, we often debate whether it is better to buy one of those cheap 100-$ tablets, which we may have to replace in a year or two or spend a fortune on a high-end device that exceeds our lifetime.
If you find yourself in that situation, here you will find the solution! We offer you some cheap models with excellent value for money, as well as some tips on what we can consider cheap in terms of tablets (and technological devices in general).
After testing them, these are our recommendations for cheap tablets for each type of use:
Top 5 best cheap tablets in 2022
Once we know what features we can find in the cheapest tablets, we propose you to know our selection:
1. The best cheap tablet for gamers
[amazon box=”B09N3YBXCN” template=”horizontal”]Our first option comes from Samsung, this model of the A-series (mid-range of the brand) is the Galaxy Tab A7: A device with a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor and 3 GB of RAM, a successful combination at the same time economical for those who wish to enjoy the latest generation of video games.
The 32GB storage is fair, but it can be expanded up to 1TB – enough for you to install all the games and store the data you want. It has 4 Dolby Atmos speakers, and surround technology. In addition to a 10.4-inch screen with Full HD resolution, which maintains its resolution even when streaming content.
2. The best cheap tablet to view content
[amazon box=”B094Q89NKH” template=”horizontal”]We continue with a 10.3” tablet from the manufacturer Lenovo, which comes with Full HD resolution. The processor is eight-core and together with the 4GB of RAM, it provides fluid performance, especially when playing videos, browsing and playing games of average demand.
It has 64 GB of storage, which can be expanded up to 256 GB, which will allow you to store enough content to enjoy offline.
3. The cheapest tablet with very good features
[amazon box=”B07G9QNT6P” template=”horizontal”]We continue with a very attractive option for less than 150 $ : the Jusyea J5 .
It is a Chinese-made tablet, which comes with Android 10 and includes a good number of accessories , including a keyboard and mouse.
It has a MediaTek 8389 octa-core processor and 4 GB of RAM, which performs very well for office use, watching videos and browsing. The best thing is that the 64 GB of RAM is free of bloatware, so you won’t have to get rid of unnecessary apps.
The 8,000 mAh battery offers excellent autonomy, and this together with adequate hardware and software performance makes it a very suitable option.
4. The best cheap tablet for office use
[amazon box=”B096R8S5L4″ template=”horizontal”]The Blackview Tab 8 model has an eight-core processor and 4 GB RAM, which allows excellent performance in all kinds of non-professional use apps. It surprises with a 13 MPx rear camera, considering the price range of this tablet. The 10.1-inch screen is retina type and has Full HD resolution.
It incorporates a Dual SIM slot and increased security through the Facial Unlock option. The 64 GB of storage is enough for everyday use, although it can also be expanded up to 128 GB via micro SD.
The tablet is equipped with the WPS Office suite, which is why even the manufacturer has considered that office use will be the main objective of buyers. In addition, it includes a Parental Control Mode especially designed for children.
5. The best cheap tablet with 4G and 5G
[amazon box=”B07MCHG68M” template=”horizontal”]The most attractive features of the Teclast P20 HD tablet are due to its connectivity: LTE 4G at 2.4 GHz and at 5.0 GHz . It has a SIM card slot and has VoLTE support.
These features facilitate access to the Internet from anywhere, and it is also a very favorable point for the consumption of streaming content or for online games . The 10.1-inch screen has a resolution of 1080p Full HD, and does not lose quality on platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. The internal storage is adequate, but it is still possible to expand it up to 256 GB .
The design is elegant and with very thin frames, the finish is made of aluminium alloy that ensures lightness and resistance. The 6000 mAh battery is enough for 2-3 days of daily use, or 5-6 hours of continuous video playback.
Buying guide: How do we choose a good cheap tablet?
First of all, even before the selection criteria, we must consider the price range that tablets usually have in this case, but that can be applied if you are also going to buy a smartphone or a laptop as well. Let’s see:
- Less than €150: For this price, you will find an average Chinese-made device, which may or may not last, depending on the use. It is considered a mid-low range price range, although some brands offer good performance at these prices, such as JUSYEA and CHUWI.
- Between €150-200: You will find a mid-range tablet with enough features for most tasks and good manufacturing materials. Depending on the brand, you will also find mid-high range tablets that have been launched on the market for more than 2 years.
- Between €300-400: This range corresponds to a mid-high or high-end tablet, but with more than 2 generations. Example: the iPad 8 that costs €359
- From €500 onwards: You will find mostly high-end and hybrid tablets (2 in 1).
If what you are looking for is a durable tablet that is cheap, but at the same time efficient, we recommend saving a little and investing between 150 and 200 $. In any case, in this comparison, you will also find an option below that price since we have been quite careful to choose based on price.
Now, once you have in mind the approximate budget that you should invest, it is good that you take into consideration some characteristics: it is not strange to find tablet offers with a price higher than its benefits. Pay attention to the specifications of a good cheap tablet:
Design and finish
In terms of design, cheap tablets are not usually very innovative: although they vary in thickness and weight, they keep their buttons and charging ports to a minimum. It is the high-end terminals that usually include mini HDMI and other ports that facilitate connection with other devices.
As for the finish, tablets under 100 $ are almost always made of resistant plastic. This is not such a good idea considering the temperature reached by the components and the poor heat dissipation capacity of this material.
In the range of 150 to 200 $, most tablets have a metal or aluminium alloy finish, which is much more efficient in keeping the components free from the danger of overheating.
Screen size and resolution
Currently, you can find 10-inch tablets in all price ranges, and this is certainly an adequate screen size for a more versatile use of the device.
If you want something bigger, to use it as a TV or combine it with a keyboard, you can find 11-inch and 12-inch options. But remember that those sizes might not be as comfortable to carry around in your bag or backpack.
Another important aspect is the panel’s manufacturing material, LCD screens are the cheapest but have good image quality, there are also OLED, AMOLED and Super-AMOLED (organized based on image quality and colour). price).
Finally, the resolution: HD is very common in tablets under 100 $, this is quite basic and offers medium sharpness, so we recommend choosing Full HD and QHD resolutions.
Hardware
A tablet between 100 and 200 $ already comes with a processor that can be quad or eight cores, which is a good start to ensure you go from one app to the other smoothly and obtain good results in general performance. Now, the brand of the processor is what makes the difference worthwhile.
Processors from AMD and MediaTek are the cheapest, while still providing a good experience for watching videos, browsing, checking email, and playing low-demand games.
Then there are the Qualcomm Snapdragons, which can be paired with Qualcomm Adreno graphics co-processors, for better gaming performance. Depending on the series, this manufacturer’s processors can be mid-range (such as the Snapdragon 400-600 series) or high-end (Snapdragon 700 series).
A good starting point for RAM should be 3 GB, especially considering the demands of today’s applications. You will find good options with this amount of memory. And if the tablet is going to be for a child, you might not even have to aim that high and go for a 2GB option instead.
Another thing to note is that you shouldn’t expect much from cheap tablet cameras, not even mid-range ones: They usually come equipped with 2 MP, 5 MP or 8 MP cameras. Of course, this often does not bother buyers, since they already have a Smartphone with a gazillion pixels that meet the needs of a good camera.
Operating system
In terms of operating systems: Android offers the cheapest terminals, while Apple focuses more on high-end devices. It is very common that you come across offers of Android tablets at a very good price, but that have outdated versions of the software. For example Android 9, Android 8, etc.
It is best to opt for an updated version of the operating system since most tablets and manufacturers do not support updates of this type in their products.
Internal storage
Your need for storage in a tablet will depend on the use you will give it. If most of the content you will consume will be online, a good start will be the options that have 32 GB: this will ensure you have enough space for the apps. With a good micro SD, you can supply the rest of your needs.
In any case, cheap tablets are becoming more and more frequent, and they come with basically 64 GB of storage.
Conclusions
After having known each of our options that are more than cheap, which are a good example of tablets with a great value for money, we offer you the one that after several months of testing has given us the best result…
When we consider a cheap tablet, the price may not be as close to 200 $ as it is to 100. However, we must bear in mind that since it is a brand that generates trust in buyers, a price according to this factor.
The Samsung A7 tablet is the cheapest you’ll find from the brand, and we reckon it’s the closest competitor to iPads. Its features are adequate for average use, and above all, we will expect an excellent duration and the possibility of continuing to update the software.
