Top 5 cheap tablets with excellent performance - There’s no shortage of tablets for sale this holiday season, and there are plenty of budget models in the mix. But not all low-cost tablets are created equal. Here are five that won’t break your budget, or try your patience.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 (16GB, US$280)
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 (16GB, US$280)
This 8.4-inch tablet does a great job of combining work and play. Multitaskers can view and run more than one app at once—for example, browse through e-mail while watching a video. A stylus is included for working with the great apps Samsung includes for tasks like collaborative working. There’s also an office suite built in. The 359-pixel-per-inch display is finer than most, and battery life is quite good at close to 11 hours. Gamers will appreciate the excellent performance, which will allow them to play apps with demanding graphics.
Apple iPad Mini 2 (16GB, US$300)
The Mini 2 offers a great way to get a deal on an Apple tablet. It lacks the fingerprint identification you get with the newer Mini 3, but it’s otherwise the same. In fact, it takes the best qualities of the larger iPad Air and fits them into a smaller package without sacrifice. Performance was excellent, as was the 7.9-inch display, which has colors that were among the most realistic and natural-looking we’ve seen. Battery life was 12.8 hours.
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 10 (16GB, US$300)
At this price, it’s not easy to find a larger tablet, especially one that does a great job on every front. The Yoga Tablet 2 10 is a powerful performer, with a battery that will last well over 14 hours. It’s got a handy kickstand that gives it a little extra cachet. It also has GPS built in, a capability you don’t always find on Wi-Fi-only tablets. The display was very good, with accurately reproduced colors. It’s a bit dimmer than most other tablets, so it’s not the best for reading in sunlight, but it’s adequate.
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 (16GB, US$180)
This is the older version of Amazon’s 7-inch tablet, and it’s a great tablet at a fantastic price. Performance is excellent, even for demanding games. The display is also top-notch, with natural and realistic colors. If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber ($99 a year), you’ll have access to lots of content. There’s also free, quick tech support on-screen. Battery life was 9.6 hours. You’ll make a couple of sacrifices: There’s no camera or memory-card reader, and you’re limited to Amazon’s version of the Android app market.
Dell Venue 8 Pro (32GB, US$250)
Looking for a great deal on a Windows tablet? Dell’s Venue 8 Pro is well-stocked with 32GB of memory—more than most tablets. It’s a top performer, and it has an 8-inch excellent display. It’s great for gaming, as well as getting your Windows-based productivity work done. Battery life was decent at 10.6 hours. Apps come from the Windows app market.
by : Donna Tapellini