You don't need to spend a fortune to get a good Android tablet any more.
Updated April 2017: New format, no new additions to the lineup
You'll always have the high-end, the high asking prices, and the people who are willing to pay for them. But for many, just getting good hardware, a great experience, and not emptying your wallet is the most important set of factors in buying a tablet.
The Android tablet space has exploded in recent years and there are now some great choices to be made around the $200 price point and below. Here we've rounded up some of the best choices you can make.
NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1
The Shield Tablet is a gaming powerhouse featuring NVIDIA's cutting edge 2.2 GHz Tegra K1 processor. Forward-facing stereo speakers offer quality sound, and the now optional stylus opens up helpful functionality for day-to-day usage. But the Shield Tablet's software is what really sets it apart. Built right into the notification tray, for example, is the ability to stream what's on your screen to Twitch. Remote access software combined with the optional hardware gamepad allow you to play games that are running on your PC.
Alternatively, the Geforce Now cloud gaming service lets you do the same with games and computers hosted by NVIDIA. The Shield Tablet K1 recently received a mild refresh over the original, changing the exterior styling a little but more importantly reducing the price by $100. You no longer get a charger or the stylus included in the box, but the savings do give you enough extra cash to pick up the cover and controller. Which you really want if you're going to use the Shield to its fullest.
Even for those that aren't hardcore gamers, the NVIDIA Shield Tablet is a powerful tablet and is priced extremely competitively. While it currently runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, it's likely going to get Nougat, making the Shield Tablet K1 the best Android tablet you can buy at any price point.
Read our NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1 review
ASUS Zenpad S 8.0
In our sub-$200 category you're only getting the lower spec, 32GB storage and 2GB RAM option of the Zenpad S 8.0 from ASUS, but that's not necessarily a deal breaker. You're also getting a gorgeous 2048 x 1536 resolution display inside a light, well built Android tablet.
The Zenpad S 8.0 is perfect for one of the big uses of tablets: media consumption. Besides the top-notch display it also packs some powerful, quality sounding speakers that make watching videos or listening to music on the go a pleasurable experience.
There are a few areas to be aware of, notably the software which may not suit all tastes. Zen UI is fairly heavy and bloated, but performance of the tablet is thankfully very good. Overall it leaves you questioning why you might spend a good amount more on some other Android tablets.
Read our ASUS Zenpad S 8.0 review
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 3 8-inch
Now in its third generation, Lenovo's Yoga tablet remains one of the most distinctive offerings around. The design is unusual but it also makes it one of the best tablets money can buy for consuming media since you don't need to invest in a case with a kickstand.
You also get some great sounding front facing speakers with excellent volume, so you can just pop it down, kick back and watch a movie wherever you are.
The software experience won't suit everyone, but it's mostly inoffensive, and Lenovo adds a few useful apps and features instead of cramming it with bloat. But while the design is excellent in some regards, it does make it awkward to hold in landscape.
You do get superb battery life though. That bulge is full of battery, which means you get more life from a Yoga than a lot of other Android tablets.
Amazon Fire HD 8
Recently refreshed in October 2016, the Amazon Fire HD 8 has impressive specs and, starting at $89.99, a very attractive price point. It also features 12 hours of battery life, and a processor that's twice as fast as the previous generation. The 1280x800 pixel LCD display won't win any awards, but the 8-inch screen looks great at any angle — awesome for sharing the tablet with family.
And as with Amazon's other tablets, you can offline Prime Video to an SD card, which is a frequent traveller's dream.
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