Improved displays across the range, Alexa voice assistant support, microSD expandability and an easy-to-use operating system in Fire OS all help each and every Fire tablet serve as an instant recommendation. It would be easy to say you’re a fool for buying anything different, but the Fire range has a few sticking points: they’re not standard Android tablets and don’t support Google apps natively. That’s where brands like Samsung and Nokia come in. They also serve up ads, unless you pay more for an ad-free version. More generally, you really need to be careful buying cheap, generic tablets with names you’ve never heard of. These can suffer from poor screens, lacklustre performance and underwhelming battery life; always look at reviews before you buy, and if you can’t find any then we’d avoid the purchase altogether. If you’re looking for a cheap tablet for a child, then check out our dedicated best kids tablets chart.
Best budget tablets 2023
If you’re unsure whether a tablet is the right device, read our laptop vs tablet buyer’s guide and take a look at our best tablet stands roundup.
Best selection of tablet-optimised apps Large, bright 10.2in display Support for Apple Pencil
Dated design More expensive than other budget tablets
The iPad experience is a premium one no matter the model you opt for, with iPadOS 16 offering a suite of tablet-focused features and functionality that make it easy to use, even if you’ve never used an iPad before. It also has the widest and most high-quality selection of tablet-optimised apps of any tablet in our budget chart, with everything from Microsoft Office to pro-level drawing apps like Procreate and 4K video editing apps like iMovie. It doesn’t boast Apple’s latest chipset, but the A13 Bionic (used in the iPhone 11) is still a capable chip that can comfortably run most apps, though you might not be able to run the absolute highest graphical settings on some games. The display is big and bright at 10.2in, and boasts Apple’s TrueTone tech that automatically adjusts colour balance based on your environment. There’s also support for the first-gen Apple Pencil, providing a high-end stylus experience from an entry-level tablet, ideal for everything from note-taking to art.
Premium design Large, high-res display Decent performance 18W fast charging
No fingerprint reader 60Hz refresh rate Middling camera performance
The 10.36in IPS LCD display sports an impressive 2000 x 1200 resolution, with vibrant colours and great viewing angles combined with quad-speakers making it ideal for watching content on the go. The only catch is that it’s capped at 60Hz. While that’s fairly regular for a budget tablet, it’s worth noting that the Redmi Pad boasts a 90Hz display for just a little more money. Performance is in line with other budget options with a Snapdragon 680 processor, though it does perform better than both the Nokia T20 and Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 in most benchmarks. There’s also a boosted 64GB of base storage to store your apps and games. There are sacrifices to be made – the camera performance is middling, there’s no fingerprint reader and Oppo’s ColorOS isn’t the ideal UI for big-screen tablets – but if you’re looking at a decent all-rounder at an entry-level price, the Oppo Pad Air is a tempting option.
High-quality design and build Quad-speakers Decent battery life
Poor TFT screen Slow charging No fingerprint scanner
Of course, something’s gotta give at the budget end and with the A8, that’s both the screen and internal storage. The display is a rather basic 8in TFT LCD panel that, while sufficiently sharp, isn’t particularly vibrant or colour-accurate. The entry-level 32GB of internal storage will likely leave some wanting more – and without a microSD slot, that simply isn’t possible. You can opt for a 64- or 128GB model at checkout though, something we’d recommend for longevity. Still, it’s a great all-rounder that can already be found well below RRP.
Impressive 2K display Great battery life Near-stock Android
Basic cameras Middling performance
Software aside, the premium build quality, impressive 2K display and decent battery life make the T20 a capable budget tablet – though don’t quite expect the same level of performance as Samsung’s A8, with the T20 trailing just behind in benchmarks. Still, it’s a great alternative to the sea of (relatively unknown) manufacturers that tailor to the budget Android tablet space.
Compact form-factor Hands-free Alexa Decent battery life
Entry-level performance Limited selection of apps Getting more expensive
This is a limitation that some will be happy to accept at such a cheap price point, and it does offer great value for money for those that simply need a tablet for light browsing and everyday tasks, but with price rises and increasing budget competition from Android tablets, the Fire HD 8 isn’t as tempting as it once was.
Stylish design Good performance Nice screen
Limited apps Slow charging Basic cameras
Even without the extras, the HD 10 is still a great budget entertainment slate, also boasting better performance and better cameras to boot. It also features always-on Alexa support, so you can fire off queries, even when the HD 10’s display is off. You have the option of a Plus model with wireless charging and it does better than expected as a productivity machine, but in every case, the tablet’s low price tag versus more conventional Android-based competition comes with the caveat that FireOS doesn’t support Google Play Store apps natively, so you won’t necessarily find all the experiences you’re looking for with this slate (i.e. check before you buy).
Great battery life Affordable price tag USB-C connectivity
Sluggish performance Poor cameras Low-res display
Essentially, it’s a handy portable tablet if you’re on a really strict budget, but if you can afford a little more, there are plenty of great alternatives in our chart.
Stylish & lightweight Good warranty Well-designed case
No Alexa in kids profiles Lacks Prime Video content Overpriced
The HD 10 Kids Pro runs on the same underlying hardware as its general-purpose alter ego but comes with a protective case, one year’s access to Kids+ (which includes entertainment, apps, books etc.) and a two-year warranty that includes a no-questions-asked replacement if your little ones manage to decommission the slate the first time around. The included case is a little more grown-up looking than the conventional kid bumper, as is the UI that shows up on-screen. The user experience is closer to that of stock FireOS but makes for easy activity monitoring and leaves out access to certain age-gated content or apps (like Netflix), which have to be approved by a parent before being installed. It’s a shame the kid-friendly version of Alexa isn’t supported – even though the tablet itself does facilitate such functionality – and certain kid-suitable Prime movies just don’t make an appearance without reason.
Aluminium body Nice screen Good battery life
Ageing hardware Underwhelming performance
It lacks raw power when it comes to gaming and the hardware is getting on a bit compared to 2023 alternatives, but affordable Google Play-capable slates are still hard to come by; meaning this is still a viable buy if you can get it with a discount. Look for an IPS screen (or better yet, an OLED screen), as this technology is almost guaranteed to offer superior colours and viewing angles versus a basic TN display. It doesn’t say too much about brightness and contrast, but almost all the IPS screens we’ve seen should be good enough for most users’ needs. Resolution isn’t as important as you might think. Pixel density is a better guide: you need fewer pixels on a smaller screen and vice versa. Look for at least 220 pixels per inch (often abbreviated to ‘dpi’) to keep things looking crisp. Consider 16GB a minimum for internal space, though 32GB or higher is ideal. Whether that’s down to expanding storage via a microSD card slot will depend on the tablet you opt for. Android is a great operating system, but it doesn’t follow that all cheap Android tablets are great. There are plenty of no-name brands out there, but as with most tech, you can’t buy one based on specifications alone. The operating system determines not just which apps are pre-installed, but also which you can download and use. The Google Play store has a massive selection and it’s rare to find an app that’s only on iPad and not available to Android users, but it does happen – especially on the tablet front. iPadOS is arguably the most capable and easy-to-use of all the tablet operating systems, though you’ll be paying a premium for Apple’s hardware. Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
