The modern wave of tablet began in 2010 when
the first Apple iPads were delivered to customers in the United States.
Three and a half years later, tablets became common. As with most tech
products, the price of tablet computers has dropped while their capabilities
have grown significantly. New version tablets running Google’s Android
operating system are regularly advertised for as low as $99, while the top of
the line offerings from Microsoft, Samsung, and others continue to pursue the
envelope with smoother and sharper screens, faster processors, and thinner and
lighter bodies. Somewhere between the two extremes, a handful of incredible
values are waiting to be had. For $150 or less, you can get the best budget
tablet to fit your needs without breaking your wallet. Below are my picks for
the best budget tablets for 2014.
No-Name Tablets
(clone tablets)
I don’t recommend any of these tablets simply because it’s very
difficult to track quality control and customer service across so many new and
fly-by-night companies getting into the Android game.
An Android tablet for less than $100
certainly sounds like a great deal, but before you invest on it, think about a few
things. First, cheap tablets are generally made from cheap materials, whatever
the specs might say. Just because a tablet has a quality high-resolution
display, for instance, doesn’t mean the display is actually going to look good
or be responsive. Check out to see what version of Android comes pre-installed
on your device, as you may be stuck with it for a while. Lastly, check to see
if the tablet works with the Google Play Store before you purchase it. Tablet
manufacturers have to obtain Google Play certification or else their devices
won’t be able to access the Android world’s main source for unique apps, books,
music, and video content. A cheap tablet may not look like such a bargain if
you can’t load any apps on it.
Best Barnes and
Noble Tablet
Barnes and
Noble Nook HD+ (starting from $149)
Believe it! Barnes and Noble have been making
Android tablets for three years now. The original Nook Colour was one of the
first 7” tablets in the market, offering a customized Android-based experience
combining web and email access with the bookseller’s own catalogue of e-books,
apps, periodicals, and digital media. Today’s Nook High D and High D+ tablets
offer the recent add on of Google Play support, bringing access to hundreds of
thousands apps, movies and songs via Google’s own online Store.
While Barnes and Noble may or may not be
getting out from cutthroat tab game, they’re still selling the current Generation
Nook HD line at low bargain prices. Your best bet is the Android high-powered
Nook HD+, a 9” slate with a 1920 x 1280 full HD display, dual core processor,
and micro SD card slot starting at a mere $149. Nook HD can’t quite keep up
with the Nexus 7 performance-wise, but its display is simply the best for
reading and watching videos. Nook HD+ is easily modified to run the latest
stock versions of Android OS, turning it into a “Poor Man’s Nexus” device at a
lower price.
Specs:
·
Screen Size: 8 in.
·
Weight: 11.1 oz.
·
Storage: 8GB, 16GB
·
Operating System: Android 2.3
Best Budget
Tablet if You Own a Samsung TV
Samsung Galaxy
Tab 3 7.0 (starting from $179)
Samsung has become Apple’s top rival in the
smartphone game by offering advanced powered devices packed with cool features
and designed to play with the company’s ecosystem of TVs, home theatre
equipment, and other best gadgets. The Galaxy Tab line of tablets offers
Android-based alternatives to Apple’s iPad, and the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 slots in
as an iPad’s less rival at roughly half the price. The Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is a
light, sleek, and responsive tablet with a 7” display that’s compatible with
all of the apps and media in the Google Play Store. Samsung pre-installs a
handful of cool and quality apps on the Tab. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is
still a solid value backed by an established name in the consumer electronics
space.
Specs:
·
Screen Size: 7 in.
·
Weight: 10.5 oz.
·
Storage: 8GB
·
Operating System: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Best Tablet for
Amazon Prime Members
Amazon Kindle
Fire HDX 7” (starting from $229)
Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HDX line might be
the device you really want to have. Press a button on the device’s screen and
you’ll be connected through video chat to a tech support representative who can
walk you through whatever tablet-related help you need. Amazon tech reps can
even draw on your tablet screen to show you exactly what buttons to tap and
settings to tweak. Mayday is one of the amazing feature, and whether or not it
actually catches on; it’s a boon to the tech un-savvy and the relatives who run
phone support for them.
Beyond Mayday, the 7” Kindle Fire HDX is a
worthy iPad mini and Nexus 7 competitor, particularly if you frequently shop at
Amazon. With a 1900 x 1280 displays, quad-core processor, and optional cellular
connectivity, HDX is one of the most capable 7” tablets in the market. It is
very sleek and light to boot. But Amazon’s tablets are built to keep you in the
Amazon ecosystem as much as anything else. On one hand, that means free access
to thousands of streaming videos for members, and a user interface designed to
recommend all sorts of products you might want to buy next. While on the other,
that means less access to the Google services other Android tablet owners
enjoy. Kindle Fire owners get their apps from Amazon’s own App Store, whose
selection is very limited compared to Google Play.
Specs:
·
Screen Size: 7 in.
·
Weight: 10.7 oz.
·
Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
·
Operating System: Fire OS 3 Mojito
Best Budget
Tablet
Google Nexus 7
(starting from $229)
Google knocked this out of the park with the
original Nexus 7, and this year’s model adds a “Super High Definition” 1920 x 1200 display and Quad-Core processor to
the mix. The result is a thin, sleek, light, and fast tablet with a gorgeous
display suitable for everything from browsing the Web or watching full HD
video. Nexus devices also are first in line to receive the latest updates to
the Android OS. That means the Nexus 7 will claim the benefits of the new
KitKat (Android 4.4) OS long before other Android tabs.
The excellent “Google Now” service shines on
Android devices, and the OS widgets and notification system are preferred by
many over the iOS and Windows 8 systems. If you want a tablet suited to
one-handed use and don’t specifically need an iPad, the Google Nexus 7 is my
bet.
Specs:
·
Screen Size: 7 in.
·
Weight: 10.2 oz.
·
Storage: 16GB, 32GB
·
Operating System: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
So there you have it! Those are my top picks
for tablets that will surely suit your budget. If you happen to know more
budget wise tablets that I missed, then feel free to add them in the comments.
By: Robert Guinanao - Tech Support Engineer at Supportrix
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