The iPad Air is ruling the roost as the best tablet in the
world, but with prices starting at £399 and rising all the way to £739, it's
clearly priced in a bracket way above many people's budget.
Apple's sky-high prices mean those wanting a more affordable
tablet experience will have to look elsewhere, although the original iPad Mini
has seen a price cut since its successor, the iPad Mini with Retina display,
came onto the scene.
Google's Android operating system now adorns a multitude of
tablets, from those priced at the same lofty heights of Apple's offerings, to
those that can be picked up for less than £100 at your local supermarket –
although we'd advise against purchasing most of these, and instead check out
the superior options below.
For those of you who are still with us, well done. To reward
you for your loyalty, here are some top tablets for under £250.
1. New Nexus 7 (2013)
OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
Review score: 4.5/5
With a quad-core processor, beefy 12-core GPU, 7-inch full
HD display and being the first tablet to run the superb Android KitKat
operating system, the new Nexus 7 is quite simply the best budget tablet out
there.
The 16GB, Wi-Fi only version is available for just £199,
while the 32GB Wi-Fi model will set you back a still reasonable £239. It's
quite possibly the bargain of the century.
The only real shortcoming is there is no microSD card slot,
meaning you're stuck with 32GB at most – although that can be easily overlooked
at this startlingly attractive price.
2. LG G Pad 8.3
Price: from £229.99
OS: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Review score: 4.5/5
If the 7-inch tablet range is a little too small for your
liking, and the iPad mini 2 is just out of your price range then you'll love
the LG G Pad 8.3.
As you may have already guessed it sports a 8.3-inch
display, a full HD affair which looks great and with a 1.7GHz quad-core
processor and 2GB, the G Pad 8.3 has no trouble running Android Jelly Bean.
The metal finish means the G Pad 8.3 also feels great,
almost putting it on a par with the premium design of the iPad mini - it's a
lovely tablet which won't disappoint.
3. Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7
Price: from £199
OS: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Review
score: 4/5
The Kindle Fire HDX 7 may be an Android tablet at heart, but
fire it up and you wouldn't recognise Google's work. That's because Amazon has
completely rebuilt Android to its own liking, giving you instant access to all
the services the online retailer offers.
This means browsing Amazon's huge collection of eBooks,
watching a movie on LoveFilm or even just browsing the web is simple on the
full HD display - but anyone looking for flexibility here will be sorely
disappointed - the Kindle Fire HDX is almost as locked down as an iPad.
In short, if you're heavily invested in Amazon's ecosystem,
or want a hassle free (yet limited) user interface, the Kindle HDX 7 could be
the perfect tablet for you - if you want something more, keep reading.
4. iPad mini
Price: from £249
OS: iOS 7
Review score: 4.5/5
Apple's former CEO Steve Jobs famously slammed small tablets
a few years back, leading many to believe the Cupertino-based firm would never
dabble in the budget end of the market, but it's now on its second iteration.
While the latest iPad Mini 2 (with Retina display) doesn't
fall in the "£250 and under" bracket, its excellent predecessor is
still on sale and it's new lower, price means the original iPad mini is more
affordable than ever.
The slight downside to the iPad mini is that it misses out
on a Retina display, but you can easily justify its new price with its slick
operation and premium build quality, letting you know you still have a top
piece of kit in your hand.
5. Advent Vega Tegra Note 7
Price: from £129.99
OS: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Review score: 4.5/5
Now there aren't too many 7-inch tablets out there which
rock a stylus, but the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7 does, as well as packing
Nvidia's powerful Tegra 4 chip which is great for gaming.
The front facing speakers kick out a decent sound and the
Tegra Note 7 is blazingly fast in almost everything it does - plus it's pretty
cheap too.
When it comes to design it's not exactly a looker, and the
screen lacks the full HD resolution of some of the other tablets in this list -
but for its price the Tegra Note 7 isn't a bad shout.
6. Tesco Hudl
Price: from £119
OS: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Review score: 4/5
The Tesco Hudl. Yep, that's right, Tesco - the supermarket.
Don't let that put you off though, the Hudl is a fantastic tablet that will
cost you just a shade over £100.
Normally when a tablet is this cheap alarm bells ring left,
right and centre, but the Tesco Hudl is one of those rare £100 slates which you
can actually depend on.
The cameras are pretty shocking, it takes a while to charge
and it's not the snappiest tablet around, but with a sharp display and ample
storage as well as stock Android there's a lot to love about the Hudl.
7. Archos 80 Titanium
Price: from £120
OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Review score: 4/5
It might be rocking an old version of Google's Jelly Bean
platform, but the Archos 80 Titanium still offers a fluid experience at a low,
low price.
The 80 Titanium doesn't look or feel as good as the other
tablets in this run down, but considering you're getting a 1.6Ghz dual-core
processor, 1GB of RAM, 8-inch HD display, microSD slot and front and rear
cameras it's still a capable device.
If you're looking for a tablet with a decently sized screen
and won't cost you an arm and a leg the Archos 80 Titanium will do all your
basic tasks with minimum fuss.
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