Tablets are quickly dominating the mobile computer market and becoming a hotter commodity even than full laptops. If you’re looking to pick up a new mobile device, you’re probably wondering — what is the best budget Android tablet 2023?
Luckily you don’t need to spend hours researching all the options, because we’ve covered all that hard work for you already! After sifting through hundreds of options from every manufacturer, we’ve come up with the 8 best overall picks for any kind of user.
Whether you need a budget Android pick, the fastest and most powerful option, or even just need a high quality screen for reading eBooks, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s get started comparing all the best models so you can make a confident buying decision!
Recommendation for March 2023
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – Large Size Pick
- Lenovo Yoga Book – Quality Reader Choice
- Amazon Fire HD 8 – Cheapest Option
- Symbians TangoTab – Bloatware-Free Stock Android
- Dragon Touch K10 – Best Budget Android Tablet
- AOYODKG 10″ Tablet – Best For Gaming
- Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 – With Projector
- Samsung Galaxy S3 – iPad Alternative
- Samsung Galaxy S6 – Best Overall
- Fire HD 10 – Best Android Tablet From Amazon
Best Android Budget Tablets In 2023
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – Large Size Pick
You don’t have to pick a tiny 7 inch tablet if you want a tablet. In fact, some tablets are now fully replacing laptops altogether.
That’s what the Galaxy S4 aims for — giving you both a tablet and a laptop in the same experience.
With the keyboard cover and DeX mode, you get the best of both worlds. The included S pen also gives you the feel of a full iPad Pro while still sticking with Android.
Between the facial recognition feature and high battery life, the S4 has something to offer for any kind of user.
Not super excited by the exceedingly high price?
You can save yourself over $150 by tweaking a few options at checkout. The price becomes more manageable if you ditch the keyboard and drop from 256GB to 64GB of internal storage.
Recommended Configuration For Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
CPU:Qualcomm MSM8998 | Graphics: Adreno 540 | RAM: 4GB RAM | Screen: 10.5-inch 1600×2560 AMOLED display| Storage: 256GB | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 14 hours | Weight: 1.06 lbs
Lenovo Yoga Book – Quality Reader Choice
When looking for a reading tablet, your main focus should be on screen quality and comfortable design.
That’s what you get with the YogaBook, whether you prefer a good mystery novel, want to keep your D&D collection fully digital, or just read a lot of PDFs.
With the 360 degree hinge, you can position the tablet into whatever shape matches your preferred reading experience.
Want to hold it like a folded back book, set it flat in your lap, or prop it up at an angle to set on the desk? Any of those are easy to attain with a little change to the hinge configuration.
Since this device is 10.1 inches, Microsoft lets you edit Office docs for free via their Android app as well. That can be a huge plus if you frequently edit or read Word files.
Want something a little smaller so it feels more like the size of a paperback in your hands?
The Fire HD 8 is an excellent choice as well, and it’s available for less than half the price! Note that it features Amazon’s Fire OS rather than the full Android OS, however.
Recommended Configuration For Lenovo Yoga Book
CPU: Intel Quad-Core Atom x5-Z8550 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB RAM | Screen: 10.5-inch 1920×1200 IPS display| Storage: 64GB SSD | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 15 hours | Weight: 1.52 lbs
Amazon Fire HD 8 – Cheapest Option
This tablet is made for entertainment and it comes with a very affordable price! You’ll never have to spend too much for your entertainment needs.
You are certainly aware of how efficient recent Fire HD tablets are and if not then we are telling you that in terms of performance, these super cheap tablets can exceed your expectations.
Reading, browsing, and even gaming! This tablet can do that all for a measly $60! Who doesn’t like that?
The Full HD display is perfect for binge watching and long hours reading, it gives a great viewing experience.
There is nothing more capable tablet than FIre HD 8 for a price tag this cheap.
Recommended Configuration For Fire HD 8
CPU: Quad-Core 2GHz | Graphics: Adreno 640 | RAM: 2GB RAM | Screen: 8-inch 1080 Full HD IPS display| Storage: 32GB or 64GB eMMC | Operating System: Fire OS (Heavily Modified Android OS) | Battery Life: up to 12 hours | Weight: 1.1 lbs
Symbians TangoTab – Bloatware-Free Stock Android
Just like with Windows laptops, tablet manufacturers tend to insert their own OS tweaks and extra apps — especially with budget models.
Unfortunately, that can slow down your overall experience as Android gets bloated with extra features it doesn’t need.
If you want a “stock” Android experience with just the base OS and nothing extra, this is the model to buy.
With absolutely no third party tools pre-installed, you get blazing fast speeds at a very reasonable price.
Unfortunately the screen quality isn’t quite full HD — so you won’t get crystal clear 1080p streaming — but the lack of bloatware more than makes up for the trade off.
Recommended Configuration For Symbian TangoTab
CPU: Quad-Core MTK8163 | Graphics: ARM Mali-T720 | RAM: 2GB RAM | Screen: 10.1-inch 1280×800 IPS display| Storage: 32GB SSD | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 5 hours | Weight: 1.26 lbs
Dragon Touch K10 – Best Budget Android Tablet
If you want your tablet to be 5G supported then this pick is perfect for you, the Dragon Touch K10 is a versatile laptop that is very affordable you can buy it without hesitation.
Powered by a Quad-Core processor and 2GB of RAM so you can do what a tablet is purposely made for, though the RAM is not that big it is enough for almost everything a tablet can do.
Powered by the latest Android operating system, you can make sure that any new application there is compatible with this tablet.
Good thing about this tablet is that the body is made of metal so you can make sure that it is sturdy and compact.
For its price and hardware configuration this tablet is definitely the best if you’re on a budget.
Recommended Configuration For Dragon Touch K10
CPU: Quad-Core 1.3GHz | Graphics: ARM Mali-T720 | RAM: 2GB RAM | Screen: 10-inch 1280×800 IPS HD display| Storage: 32GB SSD | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 6 hours | Weight: 2 lbs
AOYODKG 10” Tablet – Best For Gaming
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Successfully keeping up with the latest mobile gaming entries is all about finding a tablet with three main elements:
- Fast speeds from the CPU / RAM
- Comfortable design
- High quality HD display
You get all three here with the AOYODKG 10” Tablet.
With an 8 core CPU and 4GB of RAM, you won’t find any apps you can’t smoothly run.
Plan on gaming for long periods of time? That’s no problem, because the rounded glass design is extremely comfortable to hold for hours at a time.
With a full 2k display, you won’t miss anything and are guaranteed a crisp, clear, high definition gaming experience.
That’s not all though!
This model has a quad speaker setup, so you get better sound for your games if you don’t want to use headphones.
Recommended Configuration For AOYODKG
CPU: Quad-Core 1.3GHz | Graphics: ARM Mali-T720 | RAM: 4GB RAM | Screen: 10-inch 1920×1200 IPS HD display| Storage: 64GB | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 5 hours | Weight: 1.1 lbs
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 – With Projector
Want to jump into the world of mobile computing with a tablet, but don’t have hundreds of dollars just lying around?
If you want a wide range of features and high quality specs at a low price, the Yoga Tab 3 will be your best budget Android tablet option.
The big draw to this model is that the Yoga line features a small rotating hinge.
Why does that matter?
This low profile design lets you set the tablet in multiple configurations, but without the bulk of picking a full 2-in-1 device.
Besides the movable hinge, you can even rotate the camera for the best possible angle when video chatting or taking pictures and the built-in projector is a must for movie enthusiasts.
This unit may not have the extremely high end 2k display of other contenders, but you won’t beat this price to spec ratio anywhere else.
Recommended Configuration For Lenovo Yoga Tab 3
CPU: Intel Atom x5-Z8550 | Graphics: ARM Mali-T720 | RAM: 4GB RAM | Screen: 10-inch 2560×1200 IPS HD display| Storage: 64GB SSD | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 18 hours | Weight: 1.47 lbs
Samsung Galaxy S3 – iPad Alternative
There was a time when the iPad was the gold standard for any tablet, but these days you can find devices that are just as high quality from other brands.
If you want something on par with the iPad but prefer Android to iOS, the Galaxy S3 is one of your best options.
The extremely high screen quality here is easily on par with Apple’s retina display, and you get a built in stylus for extra functions.
With a fast CPU, brilliant colors, and four speakers, you get a very well rounded device that can do a little of everything.
Note that the 32GB of storage space is a bit less than our other contenders, however. Make sure to save your work in the cloud or factor in the price of a microSD card for the best experience!
Recommended Configuration For Samsung Galaxy S3
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 | Graphics: Integrated Graphics | RAM: 4GB RAM | Screen: 9.7-inch 2048×1536 IPS HD display| Storage: 32GB eMMC | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 12 hours | Weight: 0.95 lbs
Samsung Galaxy S6 – Best Overall
If you want an Android replacement for your iPad the go for premium choice, though it’s quite expensive if you are just a casual tablet user.
Powered by Snapdragon chipset and backed by 6GB of RAM, you can make sure that it is fast, responsive and able to multitask.
The display on this tablet is super AMOLED so you can expect some quality viewing that is perfect if you like binge-watching movies or reading ebooks.
The storage is big enough to store many files but in case you need more, you can mount an SD card to maximize the internal storage.
The S-Pen is included in the purchase so you don’t have to spend for a plus feature, if you do digital arts then the S-Pen is a great tool for you.
Recommended Configuration For Samsung Galaxy S6
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Graphics: Adreno 640 | RAM: 6GB RAM | Screen: 10.5-inch 2560×1600 Super AMOLED display| Storage: 128GB eMMC | Operating System: Android | Battery Life: up to 10 hours | Weight: 1.65 lbs
Fire HD 10 – Best Android Tablet From Amazon
This is Amazon’s biggest tablet but don’t fret that this bigger device may have a mediocre battery life, which in this case is not a problem. It has 12-hours long battery life so you don’t really have to worry about the battery.
The Full HD resolution on this device is a breath of fresh air for those who binge mode and those who want to do more.
This is the only tablet in Amazon’s line with the reversible charging port, up until the FIre HD 8 added USB-C as well, all the latest tech are packed on this device.
So, if you want the perks of having a Prime Membership partnered with Fire HD 10 then you may get the best Android tablet from Amazon.
Recommended Configuration For Fire HD 10
CPU: Octa-Core 2GHz | Graphics: Adreno 640 | RAM: 2GB RAM | Screen: 10.1-inch 1080 Full HD display| Storage: 32GB or 64GB eMMC | Operating System: Fire OS (Heavily Modified Android OS) | Battery Life: up to 12 hours | Weight: 1.1 lbs
Picking The Best Android Tablets In 2023
Performance Quality
No matter what price you are planning on spending, you should expect a tablet that offers quick speeds and minimal lag when running multiple apps.
Tablets may operate a bit differently than laptops, but you can still make your buying decision based on a series of basic hardware specs.
For budget models, we recommend a minimum of 2GB of RAM or you will start to get missed frames and major speed reductions when playing games or browsing the web.
If you want a top of the line experience, we instead recommend sticking to 4GB of RAM and a quad or octa core processor.
Display Clarity
Since the tablet’s screen is the component you will be interacting with most often, you don’t want to skimp on display quality.
Since they tend to have smaller sizes, you can often get away with lower resolutions on tablets than with a full laptop.
That being said, if you intend to streaming HD 1080p video through your favorite movie app, we highly recommend sticking with a minimum 1920 pixels resolution.
The only reason to drop below that threshold is if you need a lower budget option, or if you are picking a much smaller 7” tablet.
If you want the best possible viewing experience, it’s a better idea to go with a 2k screen. We’ve included several options with that display quality for the videophiles out there.
Lightweight Comfortability
A tablet will generally be held in your hands more often than other types of devices, so if there’s one feature to look out for, it’s a comfortable design coupled with low overall weight.
Tablets come in many different form factors and build types, from plastic to metal to rubber.
No matter what brand or model you are picking, we recommend sticking to around 1 pound or less for the most comfortable experience.
Always be on the lookout for models that have additional comfort features included, like rounded glass that fits seamlessly into the metal chassis.
Storage Capacity
With online storage space easy to find, storage capacity isn’t as important with a tablet as with a laptop, but you should still expect a minimum amount for storing your files.
For an Android device, you should expect a minimum of 32GB of internal storage space unless you are picking a much less expensive model.
We recommend a minimum of 64GB at this point to make sure you have room to save your PDFs, videos, screen grabs, and so on.
Keep in mind that all of these models can take additional space with a microSD card, so you can bump up the internal storage fairly cheaply in most cases.
Additional Features
Every manufacturer has their own quirks and extra options, so after comparing the basic specs, always be on the lookout for more features to get more bang for your buck!
What specific additional features to look out for will depend entirely on your usage needs, but there are some options that are always nice to have.
In general, we recommend picking a tablet that includes a stylus out of the box so you don’t need to buy one later.
If you don’t have constant access to wi-fi, make sure to also look out for models that have a SIM card slot to work on your mobile carrier.
App Store Compatibility
To give you the best Android experience, we checked the App Store compatibility of each device and while the Fire Series are in exception, they have their own store which you can still have the full Android experience with little imitations.
Android tablets must be able to download and install any apps on Apps Store for you to call it a day, so every one of these devices are surely capable though you may need to add some storage if you want to install many apps.
Stress Test
We tested the tablets like we owned them, opened tabs after tabs and apps after apps to see if they could surpass our expectations and to see if they can handle multi tasks without compromise.
We also made sure that each device can handle apps and usage based on their specs, so we gathered only the best we could find.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Android Tablets Worth It?
Yes, Android tablets have become considerably useful and in terms of performance, there are pretty astonishing tablets available in the market for a fair price. And if you need a budget friendly tablet, Amazon has some affordable tablets to consider.
But if you mostly need a tablet that can be used as a laptop, you can go for 2-in-1, Android 2-in-1 are best for major entertainment but if you need something for your productivity then Windows is your best bet.
Should I Pick iOS Or Android Tablets?
That is for you to decide but we’ll give you a hint on how those two differ and what same feature they may have.
iOS is known for its ease of use and best-in-breed software which makes it the best choice for most people, while Android has more complex usage and tend to be overwhelmed by iOS however, Android has gotten useful and adapted somehow, it is also more open so you can do almost everything.
Both of them offer other applications and almost if not all applications have iOS and Android versions, so you’ll never have to worry about that.