What's the best cheap Android tablet? Here are our top 8

Smartphone displays keep getting bigger and better, but a tablet is still the best way to enjoy a large screen. Shows, games, and e-books make the most of the extra real estate. You don’t have to spend anywhere near a thousand dollars to get a great tablet, either. There are plenty of good, budget-friendly options, and we’ve tried almost all of them. Here are the best cheap Android tablets you can buy right now.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is the best cheap Android tablet

Success for a cheap Android tablet is about finding the right balance. It’s about landing at an achievable price point and pairing it with the best combination of specs and materials, and there’s one option that we feel does this better than the rest — the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8. The large-screen embodiment of Samsung’s budget Galaxy A series checks all the boxes that make the budget lineup popular and adds key improvements to the mix.

Above all else, we praised the Galaxy Tab A8’s strength as a streaming option. This tablet is designed to work well with streaming services and modern aspect ratios. Its 10.5-inch LCD panel carries a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, but the wider 16:10 aspect ratio makes it work so well. We used it to binge the second season of Netflix’s The Witcher and didn’t find ourselves drawn to watch Geralt’s adventures on a TV instead. Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers — two on each side — reinforce the streaming strength further, offering solid clarity at higher volumes.

Samsung’s cheap Android tablet delivers in terms of battery life and configurations, too. We were able to lean on the Galaxy Tab A8’s 7,040mAh battery all day long and then some. Whether streaming, browsing emails, or playing light games. If there’s one drawback to the excellent battery life, it’s the underwhelming 15W charging. However, you have to make a trade-off or two at this price bracket. It’s easy enough to use the tablet while charging. You’re not always in as much of a rush as you are with a smartphone. As for configurations, Samsung readily offers three different storage tiers and the option for either Wi-Fi or LTE connectivity. There’s plenty of flexibility without raising the cost too much.

We mentioned trade-offs above when talking about charging. Samsung manages to avoid most of the pitfalls that tend to hamper budget-friendly devices. The Galaxy Tab A8 rocks a mostly aluminum build that feels good in the hand. It should also stand up to wear and tear. It’s especially noticeable when many of the alternatives on this list turn to plastic construction to save costs. Features like the headphone jack and landscape-oriented selfie camera also help to reinforce the idea that this is a media streaming tablet, first and foremost.

Of course, the Galaxy Tab A8 wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Samsung’s One UI and its update commitment. One UI has grown into one of the better Android skins over the years, and it offers an experience similar to that of a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The navigation will feel immediately familiar if you have a Samsung phone in your pocket. Also familiar is Samsung’s commitment to updates. The Galaxy Tab A8 won’t see quite as much support as Samsung’s smartphones, but it’s set for two full Android versions and four years of quarterly software patches.

What makes it stand out:

• Wide aspect ratio: Samsung’s selection of a 16:10 panel means that modern widescreen movies and shows fill the 10.5-inch display almost perfectly with minimal bezels.
• Crisp Dolby Atmos speakers: The stereo setup gets impressively loud without sacrificing clarity, making this a tablet for streaming on your own or sharing shows with friends.
• Solid metal construction: Many budget-friendly Android options choose plastic over metal, but the Galaxy Tab A8 feels built to last as long as its update commitment does.

The best of the rest: Seven other cheap Android tablets worthy of your consideration

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 might be the best cheap Android tablet right now, but it’s not your only option. Here are a few others that we recommend:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab s9 FE is the best high-end tablet that is still relatively affordable.
• Amazon Fire Max 11 is the biggest, baddest, largest Amazon Fire tablet around. It is also the most expensive, but it has a low enough price to be considered affordable.
• Amazon Fire HD 10 combines a large, sharp display with a great base RAM in the Fire tablet family. It’s second only to the Fire Max 11.
• Lenovo Tab P12 is a good option for media consumers who want a larger 12.7-inch screen. It also has a 3K display and JBL speakers that are Dolby Atmos-tuned.
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is our pick for a good travel tablet. It has a large enough display to watch movies and shows, but it’s small enough to easily fit in a backpack or purse.
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is an excellent tablet for kids. The price is low enough that you won’t worry too much about it, and Samsung’s Kids Mode offers peace of mind when you’re not looking.
• Amazon Fire 7 is the most affordable tablet we recommend at just $60. It’s the closest you’ll find to a small Android tablet, and it’s a good Kindle alternative.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab s9 FE is the best high-end tablet at a relatively low price

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is among the very best tablets in the market, but it is mighty expensive, with pricing starting at $799.99. If you don’t want to pay that much, but feel like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is not powerful enough for your needs, you might find a suitable balance in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE, which starts at $449.

It still comes with a very capable Exynos 1380 chipset, 6-8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage at its base configuration. We found its performance to be pretty good, albeit not outstanding. Regardless, casual users will have a hard time slowing it down. The screen is still great at 10.9 inches, and it features a 1,440 x 2,304 resolution. The 90Hz refresh rate is also pretty nice.

You also get a stunning design that’s nearly indistinguishable from the high-end Galaxy Tab S9 series. The aluminum frame and back are nothing short of premium. If you’re looking for a device with a bigger screen, you can also go for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus ($599 at Samsung).

What makes it stand out

• Stunning design: This device’s aluminum frame and back look and feel nearly identical to the high-end, much more expensive Galaxy Tab S9.
• Great bang for your buck: It’s a bit expensive, but you also get a near-premium experience for your money.
• Good performance: While not high-end, the Samsung Exynos 1380 is a pretty capable chipset.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is the best Amazon tablet

If you want the absolute best Amazon has to offer, there is no better than the Amazon Fire Max 11, at least in the Amazon tablet family. It features a large 11-inch display with a 2,000 x 1,200 resolution. A pretty capable octa-core processor also powers the device, and while its 4GB of RAM isn’t amazing, this amount is good enough for most casual tasks.

The tablet is pretty thin and light, measuring 10.2 x 6.44 x 0.3 inches and weighing 17.28 ounces. But you can sacrifice a bit of portability for functionality, as Amazon also offers a detachable keyboard and stylus, which can be purchased separately.

You get to pick between 64GB or 128GB of storage. This may not seem like much, especially for an 11-inch tablet, but you can expand the storage by up to 1TB with a microSD card.

By the way, this is the most expensive Amazon tablet, but it is by no means pricey. The MSRP sits comfortably at $229.99, making it one of the best cheap Android tablets around. This is definitely the best cheap Android tablet if you want a premium experience.

What makes it stand out

• Amazon’s largest display: You won’t find a Fire option with a display larger than 11 inches, nor can you top the 2,000 x 1,200 resolution. Plus, the 16:10 aspect ratio works well for streaming, like the Galaxy Tab A8 above.
• Excellent price: Amazon might lean on ads to keep the costs low, but you can’t argue with results. This is an 11-inch tablet that can be had for just $229.99.
• For the Alexa user: Whether you have a Fire TV or a series of Echo speakers, adding one more Alexa-enabled device to the mix goes a long way in building an Amazon smart home.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is the next-best Amazon tablet

The Fire HD 10 is Amazon’s almost-perfect answer to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A8, but only if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber. We consider it nearly a requirement to have access to Amazon’s premium content to get the most out of the Fire HD 10. We’re active Prime subscribers, so it didn’t hamper our testing, but it’s worth pointing out. That Prime membership gives access to Prime Video, Amazon Music, and features like Amazon Kids Plus. This will help to round out the Fire HD 10’s default set of apps. If you don’t have Prime, you won’t be able to access those video or music streaming apps and will instead have to rely on third-party services like Netflix and Spotify.

As for the Fire HD 10, the tablet is almost the same size as the Galaxy Tab A8 (10.1 inches instead of 10.5), has the same 16:10 aspect ratio, and has a similarly sharp Full HD Plus resolution. The tablet has 3GB of RAM, which isn’t amazing, but it is great for a $139.99 MSRP. Although the plastic construction doesn’t feel as premium in hand, we appreciate that the rounded design is comfortable to hold for hours on end. It’s a cheap Android tablet that you could use for its full 13-hour battery life with no complaints.

However, the Fire HD 10 offers a different software experience thanks to Amazon’s Fire OS instead of a standard Android skin. It skips the Google apps and Play Store that you’re probably used to in favor of Amazon’s versions. This can sometimes be a two-edged sword, but the tablet makes up for it as an excellent control center for an Amazon smart home. We love how easy it is to set up with our various Echo speakers and Fire TV devices. You can deliver Alexa commands as you would with a speaker, and there are optional stands that turn the Fire HD 10 into an Echo Show of sorts.

Amazon achieves all this at a price that undercuts the Galaxy Tab A8 by a wide margin. There aren’t too many 10-inch tablets available for less than $200, which makes the Fire HD 10 shine just a bit brighter. It relies on ads to keep the price low, which we don’t love, but you can pay a little extra to remove them permanently.

What makes it stand out

• A pretty nice display: It’s no Fire Max 11, but this device still has a great display at 10.1 inches, and it gets a Full HD Plus resolution. Plus, the 16:10 aspect ratio works well for streaming, like the Galaxy Tab A8 above.
• Excellent price: This is a 10.1-inch tablet that can be had (with 32GB of storage) for just $139.99.
• For the Alexa user: Whether you have a Fire TV or a series of Echo speakers, adding one more Alexa-enabled device to the mix goes a long way in building an Amazon smart home.

The Lenovo Tab P12 is amazing for media consumption

Lenovo isn’t usually one of the first brands that spring to mind when discussing Android tablets, but the Tab P12 is working to change that. It brings impressive size and specs to the cheap Android tablet market without raising the price too much. It has a 3K display with a 1,840 x 2,944 panel and slim construction. The result is a budget-friendly option that looks and feels like something more.

Performance tends to vary in the cheap Android tablet segment, as it covers such a wide range of prices. However, the Lenovo Tab P12 often feels better equipped than most to handle daily tasks. It relies on a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor to keep the lights on. You get 8GB of RAM, as well as 128GB-256GB of storage. In either case, there is also a microSD card slot.

The Lenovo Tab P12’s design lends itself almost perfectly to streaming. The wide 16:10 aspect ratio and 3K resolution are a great start. It also brings four JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning.

The current Android skin is light and easy to navigate. All told, Lenovo’s Tab P12 is easily one of the best cheap Android tablets for streaming. It also comes with a stylus, and battery life is estimated at 10 hours of streaming, thanks to the sizeable 10,200mAh battery. It can also charge pretty fast at 30W.

The best part? This tablet retails for just $349.99. And it’s common to see it discounted.

What makes it stand out

• Gorgeous, large screen: The 12.7-inch screen is large, and the 3K definition really takes things to the next level. Especially for such an affordable tablet.
• Awesome sound: Lenovo tapped four Dolby Atmos-tuned JBL speakers to deliver premium sound.
• Improved battery life: Despite the huge, high-definition display, this tablet is estimated to last 10 hours on a single charge, while streaming. And 30W charging is outstanding for a cheap tablet.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) is the best tablet for travel

Not everyone who wants a cheap Android tablet is after the largest device on the market. The 2022 Fire HD 8 Plus offers many of the perks of the Fire HD 10, just in a slightly more portable package. While we loved its larger sibling for movies and shows, the Fire HD 8 Plus shines a little brighter in portability, or for ebooks and mobile games.

It’s also a good reminder that Amazon’s design apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It stuck to the same rounded plastic design we saw on the Fire HD 10, and it’s just as comfortable to hold. We can appreciate that the smaller design didn’t come with any hardware sacrifices, either. You still get a headphone jack, a microSD slot, and stereo speakers on the left side. The selfie camera placement hints that this cheap Android tablet is meant to be used in landscape orientation. However, for obvious reasons, we found that portrait orientation is more comfortable when using the Kindle app.

Mentioning the Kindle app, the same Amazon Prime restrictions apply to the Fire HD 8 Plus as a whole. You’ll need to be a subscriber to get access to Prime Video and Amazon Music, which make up a good chunk of the content that the Fire HD 8 Plus promotes. If you don’t have an Amazon Prime subscription, you’ll still see the same set of ads; they’ll just encourage you to sign up first. Even though Fire OS isn’t the same as a standard Android skin, it still packs most of the top third-party apps like Netflix and Hulu, so there’s always something to watch. Plus, with some fidgeting, you can install the Play Store on it, too.

We chose the Fire HD 8 Plus for our list over the standard Fire HD 8 for a few reasons. For starters, this version has wireless charging. That’s not always a given in the budget realm — even on smartphones that cost three times as much, so it’s great to see on a cheap tablet. This version also picks up an extra gigabyte of RAM, offering 3GB to the Fire HD 8’s 2GB. We feel like 3GB still isn’t enough at times, but it’s a step in the right direction.

As always, the biggest selling point for the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is that it nails the price point of a cheap Android tablet. It starts at just $119.99 (with ads), and the 64GB version tops out at $164.99 if you skip the ads.

What makes it stand out

• Size matters: While bigger tablets might be better for video streaming, the Fire Tab HD 8 Plus is just as an e-reader or a light gaming tablet with its 8-inch display.
• Battery beast: The Fire Tab HD 8 Plus offers excellent battery life thanks to a large cell and a power-sipping processor. It’s a great travel companion.
• Kindle who?: Support for the Kindle app (and the rest of the Fire OS platform) means that the Fire Tab HD 8 Plus can easily replace your e-reader and comes with a full-color display.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is the best cheap tablet for kids

Tablets aren’t just for adults — there’s plenty for kids to enjoy with the larger display and long-lasting battery life. Of course, you probably don’t want to invest too heavily in a premium tablet, as kids have been known to put tech through the wringer, but that makes a cheap Android tablet fit so well. Mix in Samsung’s dedicated Kids Mode, and you have a low-stress, affordable way to entertain your kids.

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite makes our list not only for the kid-friendly options. It can grow with them over time. You’re not restricted to Kids Mode on the tablet, so you can easily switch to the full Android experience. Samsung has also promised to keep its budget tablet current longer than most competitors. It’s offering three years of Android updates with four years of security patches. It’s already received Android 12, but we’ll be happy to see Android 13 and 14 further down the pipeline. Sticking with longevity, we’re pleased to see a microSD slot for up to 1TB of additional space. You can keep as many Kids Mode games and downloaded streaming titles as you want.

We have to applaud Samsung for its choice of materials, as the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite feels more premium than a comparable Amazon tablet while staying at a familiar price point. Most of the case is made from sturdy aluminum, with thin plastic strips across the top and bottom. In our testing, we also found that the slightly wider 5:3 aspect ratio works well for mobile gaming. Most titles are optimized for the slightly taller display rather than the wide 16:10 setup of many budget tablets.

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite isn’t marketed as a processing powerhouse, and our testing revealed as much. It might struggle under the load of heavier titles like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile. But it can easily handle browsing and video streaming. While it’s a top-tier option for kids, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite could work well for grandparents, too. The 8.7-inch display is large enough to read emails and play crosswords, and the optional LTE connectivity could make it an easy phone replacement for the visually impaired.

What makes it stand out

• Making connections: Wi-Fi and optional LTE means that you can keep this cheap Android tablet connected. Whether at home or on the go.
• Material world: The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite sports a partially metal construction, which feels solid and well-built.
• Software superiority: Samsung’s update commitment shines at even the most affordable tiers, with multiple Android versions and years of quarterly security patches.

The Amazon Fire 7 is the most affordable Android tablet we recommend

If you’re not sure you need a cheap Android tablet, the Amazon Fire 7 might be for you. It’s larger than the biggest smartphone displays. Yet it’s cheap enough that you won’t regret the purchase if you don’t use it all that often. However, you might find that the extra real estate will go a long way after you spend your $60. In our testing, we decided that it’s a great travel tablet for killing time at an airport or on a rainy day at the beach.

Let’s get it out of the way — the Fire 7 won’t win a specs race against, well, anything. It’s an entry-level tablet with just 2GB of RAM and a simple 2.0GHz MediaTek processor. The base storage isn’t great, but you can expand it by up to 1TB with the microSD slot. Despite all of that, it’s still an enjoyable tablet for light use. We’d rather carry around a tablet loaded with our favorite Kindle titles than try to fit one more book inside a carry-on. Have you figured out that there’s a very specific use case here? Right now, it has a pretty solid hold on the small, cheap Android tablet segment.

We were nervous about the small tablet’s battery life when we started testing. Amazon seems to have figured out the right formula. The lower-resolution display and modest processor sip power rather than chug it. The cell makes the most of its limited footprint. Amazon’s wired charging is slow at just 5W, but we were comfortable using the tablet while charging without overheating.

It’s always worth a reminder that the Fire tablet runs Fire OS. That still means no Play Services or Play Store and a load of Amazon-first content. It’ll do the trick if you’re on vacation and want to leave Google Drive and Gmail behind, if nothing else. What it lacks in Google support, it makes up for in Amazon integration. The simple, low-res Fire 7 can act as a portable control panel if you already have a selection of Echo and Fire devices. It answers to hands-free Alexa commands and has all the important Amazon ecosystem apps already installed.

What makes it stand out

• Budget friendliest: You won’t find another Android tablet — or any tablet — at this price. Seriously, with ads, it’s cheaper than a PlayStation 5 game.
• Storage for days: No, 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage isn’t that impressive. You can expand it up to 1TB with the microSD slot. That’s enough room for quite a few Kindle titles.
• Keep it simple: The Fire 7 is a no-frills, no-fuss tablet for those who want to occasionally read an ebook or watch a movie but not much more.

What to look for in a good cheap Android tablet

If you’re shopping for a cheap Android tablet, you’ve already made an important first decision. Settling on Android means that you won’t have to complicate your choice with iPads of any kind. However, there are still quite a few things you’ll want to consider. Here are other critical factors in choosing a tablet:

• Ecosystem: Choosing a cheap Android tablet that integrates with your already existing tech is a great idea. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab lineup is a natural choice for Galaxy smartphone users. Amazon’s Fire tablets make sense for those with Echo devices in their homes. You can, of course, choose another tablet if you’re the type to switch devices often. Or if you’re not worried about smooth integration.
• Display size: There aren’t too many small Android tablets. The difference between an 8-inch display and a 10.5-inch display is no joke. Smaller tablets might excel as e-reader replacements as they’re closer in size to books. Larger tablets make more sense in place of small laptops when streaming from Netflix or Hulu.
• Storage options: Cheap Android tablets often start with less storage than their smartphone counterparts. However, many make up for it with expandable storage. Finding a tablet with 64GB or even 128GB of base storage is usually a good idea. Regardless of whether you plan to use a microSD card.
• Software support: Like cheap smartphones, cheap tablets are still playing catchup regarding software support. Samsung has started to offer multiple Android versions and longer security coverage. It’s a bit of an exception, though. You should be aware that not all budget-friendly options will stay current long into the future.
• Hardware: Many cheap tablets opt for plastic constructions and lower-quality displays to save costs. You probably won’t mind if you just plan to use your tablet as an e-reader. That said, you may want to look for a sharper display if you plan to stream movies or videos. Aluminum construction will also handle the wear and tear better than plastic over time.

The best tablet for kids

We all know the little ones at home belong to a very special type of user. The best Android tablets for kids should be resistant, user-friendly, safe, and likely affordable. We have a few recommendations for you if you’re looking for a device specifically for your kids.

• Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro ($189.99 at Amazon): This might be the very best full-sized tablet for kids. It has a large 10.1-inch screen, good performance, a 13-hour battery life, and a bumper case that will keep the device safe from drops. You also get to enjoy pretty solid parental controls and a two-year worry-free guarantee.
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro ($149 at Amazon): Those looking for the best balance between price and performance will love this Amazon tablet. It offers pretty good performance, a nicely sized 8-inch HD display, 32/64GB of storage, a 13-hour battery life, and more. Of course, you also get great parental controls and a two-year worry-free guarantee.
• Amazon Fire 7 Kids ($349 at Amazon): If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest option for the best Android tablet for kids, but still want something good enough, it’s hard to beat the Amazon Fire 7 Kids. Its specs are modest, but it has a $109.99 MSRP, and it often goes on discount.
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite ($121 at Amazon): This tablet isn’t specifically made for kids, but it is a great “normal” tablet for the little ones. It has a $159.99 MSRP but is often offered for $120 or less. It has alright performance, an excellent design, and you can access the Samsung Kids app.
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 ($179.99 at Amazon): Some kids will prefer a larger tablet, especially if it will be for school, homework, and other more serious tasks. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 keeps a healthy price tag while offering more screen real estate at 10.5 inches.
• Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 ($480 at Amazon): This is not exactly an Android tablet, but the Chromebook tablet does have access to Android apps, so it can be used as one. It’s a bit pricier, but can be a much more comprehensive school tool. It comes with Chrome OS, an included stand cover, and a physical detachable keyboard.

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