Best Inexpensive Tablets 2022

The concept of “inexpensive tablet” is very conditional in 2021 due to the instability of the national currency. An approximate analogue of the tablet that is being sold now cost more than two times cheaper six years ago. So, speaking of inexpensive devices, we will limit ourselves to the upper bar of 20 thousand rubles (and the most affordable new iOS tablet costs even more). Below 10 thousand rubles, you can rarely find a decent device that you don’t want to smash against the wall after half an hour of interaction. So, let’s talk about inexpensive tablets, the quality of which is not ashamed.

Top 10 rating according to KP

Editor’s Choice

1. HUAWEI MatePad WiFi 64Gb (average price 19 thousand rubles)

One of the most enticing tablets from the Android world in terms of value for money in 2021. MatePad was released recently and features up-to-date hardware. For example, the HiSilicon Kirin 810 processor, which, together with the Mali-G52 MP6 video accelerator, provides excellent performance both in games and in daily use. The screen here is as much as 10,4 inches with a resolution of 2000 x 1200 pixels. It uses a high-quality IPS-matrix and even has the ability to work with a stylus (you will have to buy it). What to say about the type C connector, stereo speakers and a large 7250 mAh battery – all these are the absolute advantages of the device. Here, even 64 GB can be expanded with a memory card. And the minus, in fact, is one – this is the lack of support for services and applications from Google. Moreover, even craftsmen cannot install them on this tablet.

Advantages and disadvantages

2. Lenovo Tab M10 TB-X605L 16Gb LTE (average price 12 thousand rubles)

This tablet has been on sale for years, but it still holds its own against the competition thanks to its price and not-so-average specs. A large ten-inch model received, although not bright, but a high-quality IPS display, the resolution of which is FullHD. The Snapdragon 450 chip, of course, can hardly be called productive by today’s standards. In fact, this is the 625th underclocked from 2016. But even simple toys are up to him, because here the manufacturer even released an update to Android 9. Of course, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage is very little, but the latter can at least be expanded with a memory card. But here is Type C, a 3,5 mm audio jack. In short, a good option for a user who is looking for a bedside device to watch YouTube or browse social networks on a big screen.

Advantages and disadvantages

3. Blackview Tab 8 (average price 15 thousand rubles)

The “gray horse” of the rating is a tablet from Blackview, a well-known manufacturer among fans of “Chinese phones”. In general, Tab 8 looks strange in the name, because the screen here is with a diagonal of 10,1 inches. The tablet is built on the Spreadtrum SC9863A chipset – this is such a purely Chinese manufacturer of processors for inexpensive mobile devices. Its performance is low, but it has a lot of memory – 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of permanent memory. The latter is also expandable with a microSD card. Blackview Tab 8 works with 4G, there are already two slots for SIM cards. There is also support for modern Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0 standards. Display resolution – honest FullHD. A tablet can be a good choice if you are not going to play on it at all or load it with resource-intensive tasks. Well, do not be afraid of marriage, inherent in the “Chinese” of the third echelon.

Advantages and disadvantages

What other inexpensive tablets are worth paying attention to

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 SM-T515 32Gb (average price 17 thousand rubles)

10,1-inch tablet from Samsung, beloved by s. Although the model was released in 2019, it looks rustic in places. For example, 2 GB of RAM, along with a brooding Exynos 7904 processor, put an end to trying to play even in the average sophistication of a toy. The resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels adds problems – the hardware pulls it to the limit. The advantages include Android 9, a Type C port, mobile networks, high-quality assembly and good autonomy. But here they saved on trifles – there is no event indicator, vibration motor and magnetic unlock sensor.

Advantages and disadvantages

5. HUAWEI MatePad T 8.0 32Gb LTE (average price 9600 rubles)

The development of Huawei’s line of budget eight-inch tablets is going rather strangely. Rather, this is not even development, but some kind of regression. The current 8.0 MatePad T 2021 model still runs at the same 1280 x 800 resolution and uses a MediaTek MT8768 as a processor (although the predecessor had a Snapdragon). But the price remains at the same level, despite fluctuations in the exchange rate of the national currency. The RAM is only 2 GB, but the EMUI shell, based on Android 10, is quite responsive in operation. Of course, in games and resource-intensive tasks, the tablet starts to slow down. Its memory is 32 GB, but there is also a slot for a memory card. The tablet can work in a mobile network, and has a GPS chip. There is one specific problem with Huawei products – MatePad T 8.0 does not work with Google services, so you will have to install the YouTube client by workarounds.

Advantages and disadvantages

6. Lenovo Tab M8 TB-8505F 32Gb (average price 10,5 thousand rubles)

Very similar to the previous tablet model from Lenovo with an 8-inch screen. The resolution is still the same 1280 x 800 pixels, so it’s best not to look at the fonts. The MTK A22 processor is very similar to the solution used by Huawei, although, technically, the chipset was released a year earlier. There is no support for working in mobile networks, but there is a full-fledged GPS navigation. There is not much performance with 2 GB of RAM, but if the user is undemanding, then you can live with it. In addition, there are Google services, unlike the same Huawei.

Advantages and disadvantages

7. Apple iPad (2019) 32Gb Wi-Fi (average price 28 thousand rubles)

The most expensive tablet from our rating, which costs well over 20 thousand rubles. But there are reasons to include it in the top. Firstly, this is the most inexpensive modern tablet from Apple. Secondly, this is perhaps the most inexpensive mobile device from the “apple” company. Finally, this is a really high-quality gadget that you want to use. It uses the still current Apple A10 processor, an excellent IPS screen with a resolution of 2160 x 1620 pixels and support for the Apple Pencil stylus. The latter significantly expands the functionality of the device, making it an interesting solution for learning to draw or as a working tool for a designer. There is also such an “atavism” as a 3,5 mm audio jack, which will make communication with the tablet more pleasant. Finally, the Apple iPad (2019) is a good fit for mobile gamers. True, we must remember that there is very little memory here by modern standards, and it cannot be expanded.

Advantages and disadvantages

8. Irbis TZ197 (average price 9600 rubles)

A tablet from the category “it’s not a pity to give to a child.” At a price of about 10 thousand rubles (and you can find cheaper), Irbis TZ197 looks like a good deal. There is a metal case, and an IPS-matrix (albeit with HD resolution, but the hardware would not pull more), and work with 4G. You have to pay for this with a very modest performance of the MediaTek MT8735 chip, not very fresh Android 8.1 and modest autonomy with a 5000 mAh battery. There is only 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of permanent memory – which will only exacerbate the thoughtfulness of the system. But, as an option in a car or at the mercy of a child – why not?

Advantages and disadvantages

9. ECS TF10EA 4Gb 64Gb (average price 18,2 thousand rubles)

This device belongs to the almost extinct class of tablets based on Intel chipsets and capable of running both Android and Windows 10. Specifically, the ECS TF10EA looks even intriguing – there is a moisture protection case. But you need to take into account the disadvantages inherent in all dual-system tablets on Intel – the OS (especially Windows) lacks memory (even 64 GB), autonomy is much lower than traditional counterparts. In the mode of working with Windows, which still does not know how to use the normal scale of the interface, you will suffer without a mouse. But ECS TF10EA can replace a computer in office work. By the way, there is also a GPS.

Advantages and disadvantages

10. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 SM-T290 32Gb (average price 9900 rubles)

An inexpensive eight-inch tablet from Samsung, which, all of a sudden, runs on a Snapdragon 429 processor. This is a rather modest chip in performance, but it works more stable than its counterparts from MTK. Otherwise, this is a fairly typical device – 2/32 GB of RAM and permanent memory, screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, GPS. The tablet is charged using the microUSB connector, and the battery capacity is 5100 mAh.

Advantages and disadvantages

How to choose an inexpensive tablet

Buying a top tablet is often easier than choosing a budget device. About how to choose such a gadget, together with Healthy Food Near Me will tell Yevgeny Aliev, computer equipment seller.

Screen

In a tablet, the most important (and expensive) element is the screen. Ten-inch models, even with the same resolution, will cost more than eight-inch ones. The latter are losing popularity, because many modern smartphones have already approached 7 inches, and users are voting with their wallet for a universal device. Inexpensive tablets still use faded screens with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. And if at 8 inches it is still tolerable, then 10 inches with such a density of dots becomes a torment.

Performance

Although most tablets priced under 14-15 thousand rubles are offered with 2 GB of RAM, I strongly advise against buying this in 2021. Even your browser will constantly lag, but there is no need to talk about full-fledged work. Therefore, it is better to save up and look at models with 3 or 4 GB of RAM.

The processors are also modest, basically inexpensive MTK. But you will have to come to terms with this, if decent “offal” is already put into smartphones for this money, then they save on tablets.

Operating system and optimization

I won’t say anything new – but in 2021, you should not buy a device with Android below version 9. Budget devices are often not updated anyway, and if the version is also old, then problems with the software are inevitable.

Finally, producer optimization is important. For example, Huawei tablets, even with 2 GB of RAM, work more stable than any other name.

Additional Functionality

It is foolish to demand a lot from a budget device. But it’s always nice, for example, to get full-fledged GPS navigation. It will not be superfluous for motorists. You can also find a version with support for mobile networks, but this is already an amateur. I think that this is extra spending on an additional SIM card, the Internet can also be distributed from a phone that is always with you.