Inexpensive tablets can make great ebook readers, video players, or web browsers, and some of our top picks are well below the $100 mark. Here’s how to find the right balance of price and features.
Some tablets are pro-level laptop replacements, while others do humbler duty. Inexpensive tablets make great video players for kids, ebook readers, and alarm clocks, and can even work as digital signage. You don’t need to spend $300 or more to get a simple slate that fulfills those functions. There are plenty of good options in the $100 range, and some for even less. What to Look For There are a lot of cheap tablets out there. You’ll find them stacked up behind the counter at CVS and Walgreens, or sold under dozens of different names on Amazon. We can’t recommend most of them: They tend to be slow, unreliable, have dim screens, and run old versions of Android that are full of security flaws. When you’re shopping, keep an eye on screen resolution. An 8-inch,1,280-by-800 display will let you comfortably watch 720p HD video and read magazines, which won’t be nearly as enjoyable on a 1,024-by-600 screen.1,280 by 800 pixels across 8 inches works out to 189 pixels per inch, which is the minimum you should look for if you want to experience a reasonably sharp picture and text. See How We Test Tablets See How We Test Tablets At $100 or less, there are a few inexpensive new 10-inch tablets, but their screens generally have such low pixel density that they look fuzzy and difficult to read. Also, pay close attention to storage specs. As Android often has trouble moving apps to microSD memory cards, we recommend at least 32GB of storage. The additional RAM will let you install more apps and take more pictures and videos.
