Trying to find a brand new pill in 2023 might be fairly the duty, with a wide selection of choices to select from. It’s a jungle on the market, with tablets boasting completely different processors, screens and extra. Determining which one fits your wants generally is a actual problem, particularly should you’re on a decent price range.
When you don’t wish to compromise on efficiency and battery life, you additionally don’t wish to overspend on options you don’t want – you don’t want a 12.9-inch iPad Professional if all you wish to do is play Sweet Crush, in spite of everything.
That’s the place the Trusted Opinions group are available in. Our group of consultants has completely examined and evaluated a variety of budget-friendly tablets, being attentive to essential components like battery life, processing energy, design, and extra to offer you an knowledgeable advice.
We all know that it’s not simply in regards to the specs; it’s about how the pill performs in real-world conditions. That’s why we’ve personally used every pill for at the very least per week, testing them with industry-standard benchmarks and documenting our experiences with the pill’s options and performance.
Along with working these checks, we pay attention to any points we come throughout throughout day-to-day use that influenced our expertise. By doing so, we will offer you sensible recommendation based mostly on real-world utilization that can assist you select the very best pill in your wants.
Our thorough round-up of all the very best price range tablets beneath £350/$400 features a vary of choices by way of worth, energy, battery, and design so that you just don’t by accident put money into a sub-par gadget.
Whether or not you’re searching for a pill for informal looking and note-taking or want a tool with a big show for movie-watching, we’ve bought you coated.
When you’re searching for a extra specialised pill, be sure to additionally try our greatest lists on the very best pill for youths, the very best Android pill, the very best iPad and the very best pill, to offer you a good broader view of what’s in the marketplace.
Finest low-cost tablets at a look
How we take a look at
Each pill on this listing has been correctly examined and used for an prolonged time period by one in every of our product consultants. We categorically don’t advocate a product except it has been put by way of our lab checks and utilized by the reviewer as their predominant pill for at the very least 5 days.
Lab testing consists of colorimeter checks to gauge display screen accuracy and max brightness ranges, artificial benchmarks to judge graphics and basic efficiency, and battery drains to evaluate common discharge charges for primary workplace duties, streaming video and gaming.
Our reviewer will then transfer on to contemplate the pill’s efficiency for on a regular basis use. This may see them use it as their major pill and enact frequent duties similar to film streaming, gaming, internet looking and video calling. If the gadget is focused at a particular market similar to digital artists, they’ll additionally take into account areas similar to digital stylus help and whether or not it may possibly successfully run related purposes.
When a tool is distributed in for overview with optionally available extras, similar to a stylus and keyboard cowl, we’ll assess its efficiency each as a standalone product in addition to with any accompanying peripherals.

Honor Pad 8
One of the best low-cost pill
Professionals
- Massive display screen
- Good cameras for a pill
- Massive battery
- Good efficiency
Cons
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
- No IP score
- LCD reasonably than OLED show
In order for you a terrific worth pill and don’t thoughts if it runs Android then the Honor Pad 8 is the very best we’ve examined this yr. Regardless of costing surprisingly little, the pill options a couple of key options you received’t discover on different tablets at this worth. The largest boon is the inclusion of a 12-inch display screen.
Large screens are uncommon on a pill at this worth and provides the Honor Pad 8 a singular place out there. Testing it, whereas it doesn’t supply the deep blacks and HDR efficiency of flagship tablets just like the Galaxy Tab S8 Extremely, you’ll battle to do higher at this worth. Mixed with reliably loud audio system the pill provided an immersive movie-watching expertise throughout our checks.
As an added perk, regardless of working on a middling Snapdragon 680 chipset CPU, we didn’t expertise any noticeable slowdown when utilizing the gadget, which is a quite common subject we expertise on tablets at this worth.
Add to this its prolonged battery life, with the Tab 8 providing over 10 hours of display screen time throughout our checks and it turns into a straightforward advice for any pill purchaser on a price range.
Reviewer: Peter Phelps
Full overview: Honor Pad 8 overview

Apple iPad 9
One of the best worth iPad
Professionals
- Vast collection of optimised apps
- Superb entrance digicam
- Sharp display screen
Cons
- Design feels a bit drained
- Doesn’t work with newer Apple accesories
The iPad 9 is the most cost effective Apple pill we’d advocate to consumers on a price range. Although it didn’t impress us as a lot as its lighter, extra highly effective iPad Air 2022 after we bought it in for overview, the iPad 9 stays the very best worth possibility should you’re 100% dedicated to getting an Apple gadget.
Whereas the display screen doesn’t have a variable refresh price and the bezel surrounding it’s undeniably chunky, you’ll battle to discover a higher possibility at this worth, particularly should you’re an Apple fan. The ten.2-inch Retina Show is the sharpest you’ll discover on this listing and, due to dependable black ranges and excessive most brightness, it’s very best for watching Netflix on the go.
The pill can be solidly constructed and comes with a wide range of case choices, together with some with keyboards, which suggests it’s an excellent possibility for older children who want a tool for college work in addition to leisure.
The A13 Bionic chip powering the iPad 9 signifies that, except you’re doing high-end video modifying or vector graphics, you received’t endure any efficiency points based mostly on our exhaustive testing. The one draw back is that, despite the fact that it’s low-cost by Apple requirements, the iPad 9 continues to be the costliest possibility on this listing, which is why we will’t advocate it for younger kids.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Evaluation: Apple iPad 9 overview

Realme Pad
One of the best low-cost Android pill
Professionals
- Unbelievable construct high quality
- Detailed display screen
- Highly effective audio system
Cons
- Not probably the most highly effective gadget
- Display screen isn’t that shiny
We normally have a tough time recommending Android tablets over iPads as a result of their software program isn’t optimised for large screens, so apps generally is a little clunky, particularly if you wish to do workplace or inventive work. However should you simply need an affordable pill to look at Netflix on or learn the morning headlines, then the Realme Pad is a superb possibility.
Throughout testing, we have been impressed at how good the pill was contemplating its worth. Not like a variety of the cheaper tablets we take a look at the Realme Pad has an aluminium physique, reasonably than plastic. We discovered this made it really feel so much sturdier and higher constructed than every other pill we’ve reviewed at this worth.
The ten.4-inch display screen was additionally significantly better than we anticipated, providing a pointy decision, fairly correct color replica and sufficient distinction to offer motion pictures and video games sufficient immersion to be gratifying. The one actual draw back is that its brightness ranges don’t come near matching what you’ll get on the iPad 9.
Battery life additionally proved stable, with it providing round 10 hours of display screen time with common use throughout our checks. That’s similar to what we bought on the iPad 9, and fairly par for the course for a pill this measurement.
Reviewer: Ian Morris
Full overview: Realme Pad Evaluation

Nokia T21
One of the best low-cost pill for leisure
Professionals
- Excessive-res 2K show
- Reasonably priced
- First rate battery life
- Optionally available mobile connectivity
Cons
- Sluggish efficiency
- Entry-level digicam setup
- No excessive refresh price
When you’re out there for a handsome pill with a high-res show for watching motion pictures, the Nokia T21 is a stable possibility at a reasonably tempting worth.
The T21 does an excellent job of hiding its price range price ticket with a premium construct that features a solid-feeling steel rear with a two-tone design. It’s additionally surprisingly light-weight given the ten.3-inch show on supply at 471g, making it simple to make use of one-handed.
That 10.3-inch IPS LCD show is among the predominant causes to go for the Nokia T21 because it boasts a 2K decision (1200 x 2000) that’s nice for watching motion pictures from apps like Netflix and movies from YouTube. There’s additionally wi-fi second-screen performance on supply, however it’s laggier than extra premium options.
It additionally lasts fairly lengthy on a cost due to a big 8,200mAh battery, normally offering round eight hours of use cut up throughout a couple of days.
A part of the rationale why it lasts so lengthy is that the pill is notably underpowered, that includes the almost-unknown Unisoc T162, a chipset just like the Snapdragon 660 launched in 2018. Which means you received’t be enjoying video games or doing something too processor-heavy because the pill merely lags and may’t deal with it.
That’s why it’s very best for leisure and extra particularly, watching video content material. It might probably deal with couch browsing on Netflix and perhaps even some gentle work (i.e. replying to emails) however other than that you just may be disillusioned with the expertise elsewhere.
Reviewer: Sean Cameron
Full overview: Nokia T21 overview

Oppo Pad Air
One of the best light-weight low-cost pill
Professionals
- microSD card help
- Little in the way in which of bloatware
- Stable battery life
Cons
- Can’t deal with as we speak’s video games
- So-so basic efficiency
- Poor viewing angles
If portability is among the key components in your shopping for determination, the Oppo Pad Air must be of significant consideration. At 440g and 6.9mm thick, the ten.36-inch pill is lighter than Apple’s iPad 10 and even the light-weight iPad Air whereas nonetheless delivering that large-screen expertise.
It’s not simply light-weight both; the gunmetal aluminium shell is clean and modern, serving to the pill really feel extra premium than it really is, and it comes with useful options like a microSD card slot to develop the 128GB of storage on supply.
The ten.36-inch IPS LCD show is sufficiently sharp at 2000 x 1200 and is completely serviceable for scrolling by way of web sites and watching motion pictures on Netflix, although with simply 360 nits of brightness, it’s not the very best in shiny out of doors circumstances.
It’s not a powerhouse of processing energy both, with the Snapdragon 680 delivering advantageous – however not speedy – on a regular basis efficiency, although it may possibly’t fairly deal with high-end AAA video games so avid gamers could wish to look elsewhere. Even sure worlds in Roblox would sluggish the Pad proper down.
It’ll final round 15 hours on a cost with first rate standby occasions and though it takes over two hours to cost, that’s according to the iPad 10 and Xiaomi Pad 5.
All this boils all the way down to a light-weight, transportable pill that’s nice for scrolling by way of TikTok, looking the net and watching motion pictures on Netflix, although it’ll in all probability not suffice for almost all of avid gamers.
Reviewer: Josh Brown
Full overview: Oppo Pad Air overview

Amazon Hearth HD 10 Youngsters
One of the best low-cost pill for youths
Professionals
- Tremendous-chunky case gives a variety of safety
- Wonderful parental controls
- Fear-free assure
- Vivid display screen
Cons
- A bit of costly
- Restricted app library
When you’re searching for an affordable, easy-to-replace pill for youthful children then the Amazon Hearth HD 10 Youngsters is the most suitable choice we’ve examined.
The gadget isn’t a technical marvel, even by inexpensive requirements, however it nonetheless impressed our reviewer for a wide range of causes. For example, the kids-focused bumper case proved nigh indestructible. Unleashing a rampaging toddler on it the gadget simply survived all the things from rage throws to animated “contact” inputs from our over-excited take a look at topic.
Even when the child does break it, Amazon additionally has a no-questions-asked alternative coverage that allows you to get a brand new unit within the occasion the primary breaks for the primary two years after buy.
This, plus the pill’s strong parental controls and secure app retailer significantly impressed our reviewer and makes the Hearth HD 10 Youngsters the most suitable choice for folks searching for a tool to maintain youthful kids entertained.
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full overview: Amazon Hearth HD 10 Youngsters overview
We additionally thought of…
FAQs
The standard of low-cost tablets varies much more than what you’ll discover within the flagship finish of the market. However, based mostly on our expertise testing them, there are a variety of nice worth choices in the marketplace in the meanwhile. The primary factor is to be sure to’re making the proper compromises. No matter worth, you want a pill with first rate battery life. You additionally don’t wish to sacrifice on key issues, like display screen decision, should you plan to look at numerous Netflix on it.
The reply to this query hinges on what you wish to do with the pill. We are inclined to outline an affordable pill as something beneath £350/$400. However should you solely need one to maintain the children entertained you will get one which’ll do the job for as little as £100/$100, based mostly on our expertise reviewing merchandise like Amazon’s Hearth HD Youngsters tablets.
The reply to this query is dependent upon the pill you’re speaking about. Since Google launched the primary technology Nexus 7, we’ve seen a gentle stream of nice worth inexpensive Android tablets go by way of our labs. However for each good low-cost Android pill, we additionally get at the very least three that aren’t value your cash. Frequent points are poor construct high quality, horrible efficiency and no assured updates to future variations of Android.
Trusted Opinions take a look at information
You may see a full breakdown of the take a look at information we collected reviewing all of the tablets on this information utilizing the desk beneath.
Geekbench 5 single core
Geekbench 5 multi core
Geekbench 6 single core
Geekbench 6 multi core
Max brightness
1 hour video playback (Netflix, HDR)
30 minute gaming (intensive)
30 minute gaming (gentle)
1 hour music streaming (offline)
Time from 0-100% cost
Time from 0-50% cost
30-min recharge (included charger)
15-min recharge (included charger)
3D Mark – Wild Life
3D Mark – Sling Shot Excessive
3D Mark – Sling Shot
GFXBench – Aztec Ruins
GFXBench – Automotive Chase
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Comparability specs
You may evaluate the specs of all a budget tablets included on this listing utilizing the desk beneath.
UK RRP
USA RRP
EU RRP
CA RRP
AUD RRP
Producer
Display screen Dimension
Storage Capability
Rear Digital camera
Entrance Digital camera
Video Recording
IP score
Battery
Quick Charging
Dimension (Dimensions)
Weight
ASIN
Working System
Launch Date
First Reviewed Date
Mannequin Quantity
Decision
Refresh Price
Ports
Chipset
RAM
Colors
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