Why go with a bulky, expensive laptop when you can get a lighter tablet with just as much functionality for far cheaper? We’ve researched dozens of different options in every size and OS variety to find the top best 3 tablets under $150!
If you don’t want to spend more than $150 but still want a great mobile computing experience, there are three tablets in particular you should consider buying.
Ready to get started? Let’s dive right into the top three picks and our criteria for choosing these high-end, low-cost models.
Recommendations for June 2023
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A – Minimal Bezel
- Fusion5 – Amazing for Presentations
- Simbans TangoTab – Impressive Display
- Fire HD 10 – For Viewing
- Vankyo MatrixPad S20 – 3 GB RAM
- Dragon Touch M7 – 178 Degree Wide View
- Lenovo Tab M10 – For Voice Recording
- Vankyo MatrixPad S7 – Energy Saving CPU
Best Tablets Under $150 In 2023
Samsung Galaxy Tab A – Minimal Bezel
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A is easily one of the best picks on this listFor such a low price, you get a very high quality product here from Samsung.
One of the features most consistently mentioned by reviewers is the solid feel of the tablet’s body. The Tab A may be a budget device, but it definitely isn’t cheaply built.
The sound quality and high megapixel resolution of the rear camera are also often cited as main positives by reviewers.
It also has a standard 32 GB of space which is pretty large for a tablet. But if you think 32 GB of space won’t last long however, so be sure to factor in the cost of a microSD card to your purchase price.
The tablet has a 512 GB SD card so you better include it or buy one if you want more space.
Recommended configuration for Samsung Galaxy Tab A
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425| Graphics:Integrated graphics| RAM: 2GB RAM | Screen: 8-Inch 1280×800 display| Storage: 32GB| Operating System: Windows 10| Battery Life: up to 13 hours | Weight: 0.76 lbs
Fusion5 – Amazing for Presentations
There aren’t many tablets that have a powerful processor available at budget prices, but the Fusion5 is definitely an exception. With its strong processor you’ll be able to run most programs smoothie, very useful if you’re presenting something.
Besides getting the latest Android Pie operating system, the big draw to Fusion5 ’s offering in our lineup is the beautiful full HD screen.
That being said, there are a few caveats to keep in mind if you go this route.
It’s important to understand that a tablet with 2GB of RAM isn’t meant to be a full laptop replacement.
You can run the tablet smoothly for checking email, web browsing, and so on, but it isn’t meant for heavy duty gaming or running multiple apps at once.
What’s nice about the Fusion5 is that it has the latest android operating system.
What does that mean? It means you start off with absolutely no bloatware!
Even with all the third party crud culled out, you still won’t have a ton of space left over with a full installation of Windows, however. Be sure to buy a microSd card to make full use of this device.
Recommended configuration for Fusion5
CPU: Quad Core, 1.2 GHz, Cortex A7 | Graphics: Mali 400 | RAM: 2 GB RAM | Screen: 7″ IPS Screen | Storage: 32 GB| Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie| Battery Life: 5 hours | Weight: 0.64 lbs
Simbans TangoTab – Impressive Display
You may have never heard of the brand before, but let us assure you — Simbans has a real winner on its hands here.
The TangoTab absolutely blows the competition out of the water, and even beats out the bigger name brands.
For well under $150 you get excellent specs for snappy, responsive performance no matter what kind of apps you use.
There are plenty of extra bells and whistles here as well, like an HDMI port and an included carrying case at no extra cost.
Want a 10 inch tablet with plenty of power that comes from a more well known brand name? Amazon’s Fire HD 10 is another very solid option that’s available for just under $150.
Recommended configuration for Simbans TangoTab
CPU: Quad Core MTK8163 1.3GHz | Graphics: ARM Mali-T720| RAM: 2 GB RAM | Screen: 10” touch screen, 1280 x 800 pixels resolution | Storage: 32 GB | Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat | Battery Life: 5 hours | Weight: 1.26 lbs
Fire HD 10 – For Viewing
One of the biggest issues with budget tablets is that they don’t have powerful specs. The best they can do is probably around 3 GB of RAM with an octa core processor. Additionally they’re very small as well which makes it hard to read what the display is saying or enjoy watching your favorite Youtube Channel.
The Fire HD 10 still suffers from the low specs since it has only 2 GB of RAM. However it does have a powerful Mediatek MT8183 processor and an ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. And hey, as for storage goes you have an initial 32 GB of it and you can upgrade it later to be 512.
From all of these features alone, you could tell that the Fire HD 10 is a very reliable tablet. Its reliability is also bumped knowing that this tablet has over 12 hours of battery life and its very portable despite having a 10 inch display. Weighing about 1.1125 pounds, you can take this tablet wherever you go.
But what truly makes it stand out is its 10 inch display. With the Fire HD 10’s screen, you’ll be able to enjoy a FHD resolution for hours on end. This makes the tablet one of the best when it comes to viewing, reading, and simply enjoying an affordable gadget with a large screen.
Recommended configuration for Fire HD 10
CPU: Mediatek MT8183 2GHz octa-core | Graphics: ARM Mali-G72 MP3| RAM: 2 GB RAM | Screen: 10.1” high definition touchscreen, 1920 x 1200 resolution at 224 ppi, 1080p full HD video playback | Storage: 32 GB initial upgradable to 512 GB| Operating System: Fire OS 5.5 | Battery Life: 12 hours| Weight: 1.1125 lbs
Vankyo MatrixPad S20 – 3 GB RAM
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You won’t find another tablet on this list that has specs like the Vankyo MatrixPad S20. Its a 10 inch tablet that has a pretty decent resolution of 1200 x 800 pixels. But what truly makes the tablet stand out is that it has 3 GB of RAM at your disposal.
You’ll be able to multitask quite easily with the Vankyo MatrixPad S20 running multiple programs at once without problems. Of course the RAM isn’t the only thing powerful about this tabler. It features octa-core processors with each core capable of going up to 1.6 GHz.
Don’t forget about its IMG8322 which allows for basic rendering which is pretty nice for a budget tablet under $150. Lastly, its other features are remarkable as well like 10 hours of battery life and a decent storage space of 32 GB.
Overall, the Vankyo MatrixPad S20 is probably the best tablet you can get under $150 that’s really suited for gaming.
Recommended configuration for Vankyo MatrixPad S20
CPU: Octa-Core 1.6 GHz | Graphics IMG8322 😐 RAM: 3 GB RAM | Screen: 10-inch IPS HD screen 1280 x 800 pixels | Storage: 32 GB | Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie | Battery Life: 10 hours | Weight: 1.10 lbs
Vankyo MatrixPad S7 – Energy Saving CPU
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If you want a cheaper alternative to the Vankyo MatrixPad S20, then you might like the Vankyo MatrixPad S7. The tablet might not be as powerful as the S20 but that’s because the S20 is the most powerful tablet in this list.
This means that the Vankyo MatrixPad S7 holds its own against the other tablet on this list. It has a fairly reliable quad-core processor that can go up to 1.3 GHz each. A Mali-G31 to render most multimedia files, and 2 GB of RAM which is the standard specs for the tablets in this list.
Despite being 7 inches, the tablet has a decent resolution of 1280 x 800 which allows you to easily admire cinematography as well as the games you are playing on the tablet. Lastly, the tablet features an energy saving CPU, the quad-core processor isn’t just meant for power alone.It’s also meant to prolong the tablet battery life up to 8 whole hours.
Recommended configuration for Vankyo MatrixPad S7
CPU: Quad-Core 1.3Ghz | Graphics: Mali-G31| RAM: 2 GB RAM | Screen: 7” 1280×800 HD IPS display | Storage: 32 GB | Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie| Battery Life: 8 hours| Weight: 1.2 lbs
Dragon Touch M7 – 178 Degree Wide View
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The Dragon Touch M7 tablet is one of the most popular brands when it comes to cheap and affordable tablets. Although they’re fairly new to the market, they are competing with big brands like Lenovo and Apple by providing a much cheaper alternative to the $1000 tablets that these companies are selling.
The Dragon Touch M7 features the latest Android 9.0 Pie allowing for smoother run times as well as less bloatware for your gadget. It also has a fairly decent 1024 x 600 IPS display which isn’t pretty bad considering that this is a 7 inch tablet.
But what makes this small tablet reliable for viewing is its 178 degree wide view which enhances the screen making it bigger than it normally is. You’re getting a portable mini-theatre with the Dragon Touch M7.
Recommended configuration for Dragon Touch M7
CPU: Quad-Core, 1.5 GHz | Graphics: PowerVR SGX544 GPU| RAM: 2 GB RAM | Screen: 7” 1024 x 600 IPS display | Storage: 16 GB| Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie| Battery Life: 3 hours | Weight:
Lenovo Tab M10 – For Voice Recording
The Lenovo Tab M10 os a powerful and reliable tablet that comes with a standard 32 GB of initial storage which also houses a space for microSD cards of up to 2 TB. This makes the laptop ideal for storing large video and audio files.
This means you can watch quality movies with the Lenovo Tab M10 10 inch 1280 x 800 resolution display and enjoy them how they were meant to be, in a cinematic experience.
Of course this large memory also helps in your audio recording as well. If you’d like to record yourself sing or record lectures form class, this is probably the best tablet in the list. It comes with Dolby Audio-tuned speakers which gives you crisp quality playbacks.
Recommended configuration for Lenovo Tab M10
CPU: Qualcomm Quad-core processor| Graphics:Integrated graphics| RAM: 2GB RAM | Screen: 10.1-Inch 1280x800p display| Storage: 32GB| Operating System: Android 9 Pie| Battery Life: up to 9 hours | Weight: 0.67 lbs
Picking The Best Tablets Under $150 in 2023
High Performance
When spending up to $150, your primary concern should be bang for buck, so make sure you pick a model that won’t lag or freeze up frequently!
Android tablets have a leg up over laptops in that they don’t have to use as much overhead as with a full operating system, but they can still lag if you don’t pick a model with high end specs.
For the best performance, we recommend either 1.5GB or 2GB of RAM if you want your apps to run smoothly.
On the CPU front, be on the lookout for newer quad core models. Don’t forget to look at the OS version either, as some newer tablets still come with older iterations of Android.
Comfortable Design
While performance should be a top priority, body build and screen quality are just as important for maximum comfort while using your tablet for hours at a time.
Budget tablets tend to be built with cheap plastic components that aren’t incredibly comfortable, and their screen quality may be quite low.
We recommend looking for solidly constructed devices where reviewers rave about the overall quality and feel. You want to find a tablet with HD capabilities for streaming video clips, whether that’s 1200 pixels at the minimum or 1920 pixels on the higher end.
Storage Capacity
Tablets aren’t meant to hold large numbers of files like a laptop, but you still need extra space to save all your apps.
While you can save most info in the cloud to free up space, your tablet still needs a minimum amount of storage capacity for running Android programs.
We recommend a bare minimum of 8GB of internal storage space, but if you go that low, make sure to get a microSD card as well so you don’t run out of room for installing new apps immediately. In general, 16GB is a much better way to go for a budget to mid-range tablet.
Portability
Buying a tablet is all about getting portability, which doesn’t just mean low weight but also high battery life.
Like a laptop, tablets come in many different sizes and weights. If you don’t want an uncomfortable experience, we recommend staying under a pound for 7 or 8 inch devices and to only go over a pound if you pick a 10 inch or larger tablet.
In general, don’t accept anything with less than 5 – 6 hours of web browsing battery life, but 10 or more is a better way to go if you use your device for extended periods.
Camera Quality
With their portability and online capabilities, tablets make excellent video chat devices — so long as they have a quality camera!
Camera quality is one way in which manufacturers can cut corners to offer more budget-friendly tablets.
If you intend to use your tablet as a camera to grab snapshots of your daily family life — or if you want to chat with family far away — we recommend 5.0 mega pixels on the rear camera as your bottom line expectation.
Anything higher than that will bump up the price, unless you find a killer online sale.
Resources
- Andras Kilian, Samsung Galaxy Tab A Review, Notebookcheck.net
- Consumer Reports Editorial, About Galaxy Tab A, ConsumerReports
- Seth Horowitz, NuVision Windows Tablet Review, Sanvada
- Andrew Freedman, Is Microsoft Window’s Signature Edition Worth It?, Laptopmag