You probably want a great mobile device for using social media or accessing your email on the go, but you may not have a ton of money to spend.
Can you really get a worthwhile tablet by only spending $50 or less? The answer is a resounding “yes!” so long as you learn to manage your expectations.
Android or the Amazon Fire OS will be your only options at this price point, as you won’t find any iOS devices at under $50.
While you won’t get blazing fast speeds or extremely high end displays, there are three tablets currently available that are well worth buying at $40 – $50.
Recommendation for October 2023
- Amazon Fire 7 – High Performance
- Ematic Quad-Core EGQ347BL – Cheap Android Tablet
- UJoyFeel Kids Tablet – Tablet For Kids
- Premium RCA Voyager 7 – Unique Design
- Haehne 7″ Tablet – All-Around Entertainment
- Pritom 7″ Tablet – Bigger Storage
- Fusion 5 – Best 10.1 ” Pick
- RCA Viking Pro – With Detachable Keyboard
best cheap tablets under $50 in 2023
Amazon Fire 7 – High Performance
Although you may think of Amazon devices as glorified eReaders, the Fire really is the best all-around cheap tablet on the market right now.
It handles nearly anything, from reading your eBook library to watching YouTube videos to downloading apps like with any other device.
The 7” display fits comfortably in your hands and works well for browsing magazine articles or playing apps downloaded from the Google Play store.
There’s one very important thing to be aware of here, however.
While this model has one of the best screens for the price, the Fire 7’s display and speaker quality aren’t as high end as you’d get with a more expensive tablet.
This device simply isn’t meant for high volume audio playback with only a single speaker.
You will need to invest in some headphones if you plan on streaming your Amazon music library or watching movies.
The Fire 7 comes loaded with plenty of extra features to make up for that downside.
If 8GB isn’t enough space and you want to store more videos, you get an SD card slot for extra storage.
You can also customize the Fire 7 when buying, as this model comes available in multiple colors.
Best of all?
Since this is an Amazon-branded product, you get a free month of Prime to check out the media giant’s music and video catalog.
Fire 7 is also Alexa support-enabled, so it can be used to make calls and command your home’s Echo devices.
Recommended Configuration For Amazon Fire 7
CPU: Quad-Core 1.3 GHz| Graphics: ARM Mali-450 MP4| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 7-inch 1024×600 Touchscreen IPS display| Storage: 8GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Fire OS| Battery Life: up to 8 hours | Weight: 0.65 lbs
Ematic Quad-Core EGQ347BL – Cheap Android Tablet
It’s hard to believe you can now get a powerful tablet for $50 or less, but manufacturers like Ematic show it can be done.
While sporting very similar overall hardware specs, the EGQ347BL is actually lighter than the Amazon Fire 7.
If your primary concern is finding a lightweight model for carrying around all day that also has decent performance, you can’t go wrong with this unit.
As with all budget tablet options, note that you can run most games, but some of the more graphics-intensive Android apps will be a bit sluggish.
While it ditches all the Amazon bloat of the Fire 7, note that there is one downside here.
This model doesn’t have an IPS screen, so you’ll need to manually find your best viewing angle when browsing news sites or reading eBooks.
At around $45, you just aren’t going to find a more powerful tablet with a better design or screen than this Ematic.
Recommended Configuration For Ematic Quad-Core EGQ347BL
CPU: Quad-Core 1.2 GHz| Graphics: Integrated GPU| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 7-inch 1024×600 Touchscreen display| Storage: 8GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Android| Battery Life: up to 4 hours | Weight: 0.58 lbs
UJoyFeel Kids Tablet – Tablet For Kids
Does your kid love to steal your tablet? Why not buy one for them and engage them in a fun learning experience.
The kid’s tablet comes with pre-installed apps and games for your kid, with protective cover for safety.
It has a 12MP rear camera so you can take pictures out of it, or practice your child to take photos. You’ll never know they’ve got a talent for it.
It has tons of kid’s learning apps so your child learns while playing.
Sporting a Quad-Core processor and 16GB storage to ensure smooth learning experience and you have enough space for your files. It also comes with a microphone for immersive playing experience.
Surely a fun and educational way to keep your kids entertained with an affordable price tag.
Recommended Configuration For UJoyFeel Kids Tablet
CPU: Quad-Core 1.2 GHz| Graphics:ARM Mali-400 MP2| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 7-inch 1024×600 Touchscreen display| Storage: 16GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Android| Battery Life: up to 4 hours | Weight: 0.70 lbs
Not all users need the fancy bells and whistles of an Amazon device or the sleek, lightweight design of a more expensive unit.
If your main goals for a tablet are to check your messages and browse mobile-friendly websites, then RCA has you covered with the Voyager.
This is the epitome of a barebones, entry-level tablet, but it offers decent performance for a very nice price.
So why pick this model when some of the others listed above are lighter or faster?
There is one key area where the RCA stands out from the competition — more starting storage space.
If you don’t want to buy a separate SD card, you get more storage space here for saving PDF files, MOBI eBooks, family photos, and so on.
The Voyager utilizes a different design than the other models above that could be a pro or a con depending on what you are looking for in a tablet.
On the other hand, some users prefer the larger two-handed style. That’s particularly true if you are using your tablet as a drone display or hooking up to a security cam.
If you want to hold your device with both hands to get a wider viewing angle, that can be a plus instead of a negative.
Recommended Configuration For Premium RCA Voyager 7
CPU: Quad-Core 1.2 GHz| Graphics: Integrated GPU| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 7-inch 1024×600 Touchscreen display| Storage: 16GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Android| Battery Life: up to 6 hours | Weight: 1.1 lbs
Haehne 7” Tablet – All-Around Entertainment
The Haehne table comes with long battery life, perfect for watching movies and listening to music.
It tuns on the latest Android 9 Pie operating system so you won’t fall behind on what’s new on the play store.
It is powered by Quad-Core 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of RAM to power up your entertainment need while the IPS display makes sure you have an immersive viewing experience.
The 16GB storage can store many games and apps to play along to your tablet, a perfect tablet for someone who loves to do something while waiting or just bored. The storage is uogradeable through a micro SD slot that can cater to up to 128GB of memory.
All in all, this tablet is pretty cheap for your entertainment needs and everyday use.
Recommended Configuration For Haehne 7” Tablet
CPU: Quad-Core 1.5 GHz| Graphics: Rockchip 3126, Cortex A-9| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 7-inch 1024×600 Touchscreen IPS display| Storage: 16GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Android| Battery Life: up to 8 hours | Weight: 1.32 lbs
Pritom 7” Tablet – Bigger Storage
Temporarily unavailable
Pritom 7” tablet is very affordable yet it features double the storage capacity and also IPD display.
It is powered by a Quad-Core 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, enough to run all basin apps and install games on play store.
While others only have 16GB of ROM, this tablet features a 32BG storage which is perfect for installing more apps and saving more files for offline viewing or access. You can upgrade the storage via micro SD if it comes to it, it is upgradeable up to 128GB memory card.
The IPS display is crucial feature if you want a tablet specifically for watching movies to ensure vivid image and great video quality for immersive viewing experience.
This tablet is surely a great buy, cheap, and entertaining tablet for you.
Recommended Configuration For Pritom 7” Tablet
CPU: Quad-Core 1.5 GHz| Graphics: Mali-G31 MP2| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 7-inch 1024×600 Touchscreen IPS display| Storage: 32GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Android| Battery Life: up to 5 hours | Weight: 0.55 lbs
Fusion 5 – Best 10.1 Tablet
If you can step up to $50 budget and stretch for up to $100, one of the best choices is the Fusion 5 table that features a large IPS display, perfect for binge-watching Netflix movies.
It features an HDMI port that enables you to connect it to an external display for a bigger view if you opt to.
Powered by Quad-Core A35 processor and 1GB of RAM to give you a powerful tablet enough for entertainment and everyday use. While the 16GB storage is upgradable via micro SD card for up to 128GB memory if you want to download offline movies for offline watching or save some files to it.
You don’t need to worry about getting a faulty unit because it comes with 12 months warranty and USA service centers are available.
You can play any apps on this tablet without any compromise, others would say that this tablet is just perfect for watching movies and playing games.
Recommended Configuration For Fusion 5
CPU: Quad-Core A35| Graphics: Integrated GPU| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 10.1-inch 1280×800 Touchscreen IPS display| Storage: 16GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Android| Battery Life: up to 5 hours | Weight: 1.52 lbs
RCA Viking Pro – With Detachable Keyboard
If you like your tablet to have a physical keyboard for typing, go for this tablet and see for your self.
It sports a 10.1-inch HD display for immersive viewing experience and quality visual output, you can use it as tablet or as a mini laptop with its detachable keyboard.
Powered by Quad-Core 1.3GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, you can play any apps and games without compromise.
While the 32GB storage that is upgradeable to 128GB via micro SD card, allows you to store an ample amount of files for offline viewing or access.
It has 2MP rear and front camera for selfies and video calling, decent enough for the price.
The battery could last for up to 6 hours, a really good table for entertainment on the go. You don’t need to worry about getting drained instantly.
A recommendable table for those who like it with a keyboard and also cheap.
Recommended Configuration For RCA Viking Pro
CPU: Quad-Core 1.3GHz| Graphics: Integrated GPU| RAM: 1GB RAM | Screen: 10.1-inch 1280×800 Touchscreen display| Storage: 32GB Flash Memory| Operating System: Android| Battery Life: up to 6 hours | Weight: 2.4 lbs
Picking The Best Cheap Tablets Under $50 in 2023
Performance
While you want a budget option, you should still expect fast touch screen response time and very little lag while web browsing.
In our research, we’ve found that the vast majority of negative reviews for budget tablets focus on slow app load times, freezing when running multiple apps, and general sluggish behavior.
Manufacturers may cut corners when offering low priced models, and you want to avoid all of those issues as much as possible. For most users, we recommend a minimum of a quad core CPU, 1GB of RAM (or more if possible), and 8GB of flash storage for a budget tablet. Anything less than that won’t offer acceptable performance for streaming video or using apps.
Versatile Connectivity
Most people buy a tablet as a secondary device rather than their main computer, so you want to pick a model that can do a little bit of everything and connect to other hardware even if you pick the cheapest model available.
Do you plan on using GPS for finding addresses, downloading apps to play games in line at the store, streaming Netflix videos on break at work, or reading eBooks in your down time?
No matter the price, your tablet should be able to do anything a laptop can do and then some. Don’t forget about the connectivity options either, as we recommend picking a tablet that can use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, miniUSB, and at least one other type of connection. Whether that’s microSD, HDMI, or a full size USB port is up to your individual needs.
Durability
Nearly everyone drops their portable device at some point, so even when picking a tablet based on a limited budget, you want your investment to be able to survive normal wear and tear.
Even if you bought an extended warranty, broken tablet screens are typically more expensive to replace than just simply outright buying a whole new device. Because they are less bulky than a full laptop, it can be easy to accidentally drop a tablet or knock it off a countertop.
Comfortable design
You’ll notice most tablets at this price range are the same size, but not all of them are designed in the same way, as some are flat out more comfortable than others.
Whether you leave your tablet on your lap or hold it upright in your hands, you want to be comfortable 100% of the time. Before making your final purchase, you need to make sure your tablet has a comfortable hand design and isn’t too heavy to handle for long periods.
We recommend 7 to 8 inch tablets that are under a pound for maximum comfort if you plan on holding the device directly for long periods.
Screen quality
At budget prices you’ll always get lower screen resolution, but you can still find some models that are much clearer than others.
After performance issues, the #2 cause of negative reviews in our research was easily low screen quality that resulted in fuzzy text and eye strain. Be certain not to overlook this critical feature!
We recommend a minimum of an 1024 x 600 resolution and in particular would urge buyers to look for models with an IPS display. If you can find a model with 1080 resolution instead, that will offer much better quality when streaming YouTube videos or watching your Amazon Prime movie collection.
Resources
- Marcus Herbich,Amazon Fire 7 Tablet Review, NotebookCheck
- Brian X Chen,What You Get (And Don’t Get) For A $50 Fire Tablet, NY Times