The Best Tablets Under $300 (2013)
Want to own a tablet but don’t have enough money to buy one? If the iPad is out of your reach don’t fret because there are other cheaper alternative tablets. And no I am not talking about getting those Android tablets from China. Below are the top 5 best tablets under $300 that are good enough for you to enjoy.
5. Acer Iconia Tab A100
Acer’s Iconia Tab A100 was one of the first tablets to ship with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2, a dual-core processor partnered with a powerful graphics chip. This 7” tablet comes with stereo speakers with Dolby mobile sound enhancement which is good news for video and music lovers. You can enjoy two cameras on this one: on the rear is a 5MP shooter while a 2MP one is found in front. The default Android version that’s running on the Iconia Tab A100 is Android 3.2 Honeycomb. However, Acer promises to send an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update soon. A microSD slot is present to extend storage plus HDMI port, Bluetooth 2.1 and SNS integration.
Pros: Good screen and sound. Great cameras.
Cons: No Jelly Bean (latest Android). Dual-core Tegra 2 is outdated.
Specs:
| OS | Android 3.2 Honeycomb |
|---|---|
| CPU/RAM | Dual-core 1GHz Cortex A9/1GB |
| Display | 7" 600 x 1024 Capacitive |
| Storage | 8/16 GB w/ microSD slot |
| Camera | 5MP read/2MP front |
| Battery Life | 4-5 hours |
Where to Buy:
Acer Iconia TAB A100-07U08U 7-Inch Tablet (8GB)
Price: $299.99
(222 customer reviews)
Other offers: 52 used & new available from $115.00
4. BlackBerry Playbook 7”
If you want a tablet that helps your productivity, the BlackBerry Playbook could be the one for you. The Playbook OS is built for professionals who are always on the go; its BlackBerry Bridge feature allows you to access BBM, calendar, and tasks from your BlackBerry phone and the built-in Adobe Reader and DocsToGo apps makes reading documents anywhere easier. It also has a good screen and a solid built.
Pros: Integrates perfectly with BlackBerry phones. Rarely stutters thanks to dual-core processor. Feels and looks tough and has a good screen.
Cons: Apps are few compared to Androids and iPad.
Specs:
| BlackBerry Playbook | |
|---|---|
| OS | BlackBerry Tablet OS |
| CPU/RAM | Dual-core 1GHz Cortex A9/1GB |
| Display | 7" 600 x 1024 Capacitive |
| Storage | 16/32/64 GB w/ microSD slot |
| Camera | 5MP read/3MP front |
| Battery Life | 6-7 hours |
Where to buy:
Blackberry Playbook 7-Inch Tablet (16GB)
Price: $156.00
(1114 customer reviews)
Other offers: 158 used & new available from $98.98
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch
When talking about Android tablets, it’s hard not to include Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2. This is not the fastest tablet but the Tab 2 is fast enough to handle almost all games and apps on the Google Play Store. You can choose between 8, 16 and 32 GB models plus you can boost that memory by adding a micro SD card up to 32 GB. It is also one of the most good looking 7-inch tablets out there.
Pros: Cheap but fast with enough features. You get Android 4.0, two cameras and you can even use this as a remote.
Cons: Display is not that good. Also, you wouldn’t like to take pictures using either of the cameras of the Galaxy Tab 2.
Specs:
| Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 | |
|---|---|
| OS | Android 4.0 ICS |
| CPU/RAM | Dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP 4430/1GB |
| Display | 7" 600 x 1024 Capacitive |
| Storage | 8/16/32 GB w/ microSD slot |
| Camera | 3.15MP read/0.3MP front |
| Battery Life | 7-8 hours |
Where to buy:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-Inch, Wi-Fi)
Price: $179.00
(2303 customer reviews)
Other offers: 110 used & new available from $149.99
2. Kindle Fire HD
The original Kindle Fire became the most successful Android-based tablet because of two reasons: price and Amazon’s ecosystem. The new Kindle Fire retains these two plus a much better screen. Is 16 GB of memory not enough? Then choose 32 GB and you would still only pay $250. Is 7-inch too small? Add $50 and get the 8.9” version. Add Dolby Audio to all of these and you have one of the best sub-$300 multimedia tablet that you could buy.
Pros: Good built, screen and sound at an affordable price. Easy access to lots of Amazon content.
Cons: Performance is suspect. Amazon ads can be annoying.
Specs:
| Kindle Fire HD 7 | |
|---|---|
| OS | Modified Android 4.0 ICS |
| CPU/RAM | Dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4460/1GB |
| Display | 7" 800 x 1280 Capacitive |
| Storage | 16/32 GB |
| Camera | 1.3MP front |
| Battery Life | 10-11 hours |
Where to buy:
Kindle Fire HD 7″, Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 16 GB – Includes Special Offers
Price: $199.00
(12445 customer reviews)
Other offers: 20 used & new available from $174.99
See our Kindle Fire HD full review.
1. Google Nexus 7
It’s impossible not to dub the Nexus 7 as the top tablet under $300. There’s no doubt that this is currently the best tablet your $250+ could buy. You’ll get the latest Android OS, a super-fast quad-core processor and a superb screen. Sometimes I wonder how Google managed to sell the Nexus 7 at this price.
Pros: Good built, fast performance, great display and the latest Android.
Cons: Bad cameras and memory is non-expandable.
Specs:
| Nexus 7 | |
|---|---|
| OS | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean |
| CPU/RAM | Quad-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4460/1GB |
| Display | 7" 800 x 1280 Capacitive |
| Storage | 16/32 GB |
| Camera | 1.2MP front |
| Battery Life | 9-10 hours |
Where to buy:
Asus Google Nexus 7 Tablet (8 GB) – Quad-core Tegra 3 Processor, Android 4.1
Price: $231.88
(199 customer reviews)
Other offers: 34 used & new available from $160.00
Still undecided? Check out more cheaper tablets (under $200) or the the cheapest ones (under $100).
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Bye
Really cool info. nice comparison but I think the levono 7″ tab should make the list.