Hi, seeking an android tablet for under $200 if possible. I've checked out a few on gearbest but not sure if they're good quality etc.
Wondering if anyone has any experience with cheaper end tablets which have performed well.
Preferably somewhere around 8" would be the go. The Xiaomi Mipad2 looks nice but it appears closer to $300 on gearbest.
(but "decent" is very much in the eye of the beholder IMHO so you need more detail as to what specs are your minimum)…watch the price on my link as I think its US dollars, there are several tablets mentioned there at your price point that I personally rejected (shortish battery life and/or no SD slot etc etc) but that are very "decent", my personal "minimum specs" ruled them out.
You may not know what you want (no sin), IMHO reading a number of reviews AND comments will educate you on desirable features, they did me.
The link above or
The sub $200 market is pretty slim for quality.. there is a night and day difference when you make the switch say from a brand new lenovo tab 2 A10-70 to a second hand Samsung galaxy tab S.
Personally your best bet is getting a second hand on eBay or gumtree but if you have to absolutely buy new which I highly don't advise then go with the lenovo.
Second hand Samsung galaxy tab s line is still the best for bang for buck for sub $200 they are very rare but do exist just gotta watch the post listings on gumtree everyday but if you can fork out a little bit more maybe opt for a nvidia shield tab.
If you want a solid high performer and still great value get either an Asus Zenpad 3S or Huawei Mediapad M3 but this is now entering $400+ AUD territory so I'll stop now.
Trust me I have done all the research and the legwork when I say this.. don't get the lenovo it's severely showing its age and even the nvidia shield tab is starting to die out. If you want your devices to last the longest given our available options now Samsung galaxy tab s would be the lowest device worth considering unless or course your use case is much more different to mine I.e you might only need emails simple small browsing and maximum 720p YouTube usage then the sub $200 category should be just fine. The ram might be an issue in some use cases but as long as you don't overwhelm it too much you should be alright.
Buying in Australia (land of the Australia tax) I would consider one of the Lenovo Tab models from Officeworks/Good Guys, etc.
7 inch or 10 inch model. 7 inch model has budget cameras and no compass, but that's par for the course at this price. Everything is 'acceptable' for the budget. In fact I have little desire for anything more.
Mine is rooted (as entusiasts do), with all the Google spyware removed (that includes useless phone-home auto-updates and all 'standard' Google apps, including Play Store). Google is an NSA whore, for those wondering. I don't play games on this device (except some of the spyware-free ones on F-droid). It is mostly used for videos, web browsing and file management.
It runs as fast as I want it. It has USB on-the-go (so you can attach a keyboard and mouse to it with a simple USB on-the-go cable from ebay). It has USB Mass Storage option - acting just like any USB stick (not just silly MTP mode as some models have). It has a MicroSD slot (I have 64GB in there). It has adequate resolution for my needs. It has an IPS LCD. The only thing that I would consider upgrading on the 7-inch model is the camera. Having a compass can be nice to have too, but no biggie to me. Under $100, you cannot really complain.
If I didn't mind the bigger size, I'd go for the sub-$200 10-inch Lenovo Tab model from Officeworks (etc.)
I have a mipad 2. Don't get a mipad 2.
The device itself is pretty nice and well built, nice screen, decent enough battery life. The OS is shit, however, and there aren't many custom ROM options out there. The ROM that will ship with the device will be full of adware too.
You won't have much options for under $200 except the Lenovo ones. I had the Lenovo Tab 7 and it was ok but I wasn't expecting much. Wasn't fast, screen was meh (low res, washed out colours) but it had a Micro SD card slot which was handy. Ran stock android which made it workable but with Lollipop (5.0).
I'd suggest the Nvidia Shield K1 or Asus Zenpad S8 if you can increase your budget. Links from Amazon
Zenpad S8 - https://www.amazon.com/Asus-Zenpad-Z580C-B1-BK-inches-Tablet…
Nvidia Shield K1 -https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA-SHIELD-K1-Tablet-Black/dp/B0171BS9CG
or look at 2nd hand ones
Not sure about those "washed out colours" you mentioned. Only the camera would do that; not the screen. I can't think of a single tablet under $100 (at Australian retail) that has a better screen than what the Lenovo offers. Yes, it isn't the last word in resolution or pixel density, but all things must be put in context of price. Certainly much better than so many TN panels seen under $100.
Thanks man. The zenpad S8 looks great value at $194. I can't seem to find on the site, even after getting to the point where I enter my credit card details, if that's in AUD or not though.
Its in USD from Amazon so its about 270 AUD including shipping. Might be a bit out of the price range (damn exchange rate)
But when I was in KL a few weeks ago, they were adversting a cheaper variant called the Asus Zenpad 8 (not to be confused with the Zenpad S 8 that I mentioned)
https://www.amazon.com/Android-PixelMaster-TouchScreen-Quad-… - cheaper model but can't ship to Aus unless you get a forwarder
i bought a asus TF101 3 yrs ago for $220. it was a 10 inch tablet. still working even though i've dropped it on the floor a few times in the last 3 yrs.
several months ago, i saw officeworks was having a clearance end of line stock of this model and was selling them for under $150. i think they where selling it for $120? said the deal was available in store only. it was such a bargain that i called up every officeworks store trying to get my hands on a 2nd one cos i was happy with the first one and thought it was bargain but it was sold out in every officeworks store. :(
Not sure if you can still find this model. they where still selling it till just a few months ago.
Have you checked Amazon Fire Tablet 10 or Wecool Tablet? If not then check this https://www.thecrazybuyers.com/best-tablets-under-100-dollar…
You could look at something like: http://www.bestchinatablets.com/cube-iwork8-air-z8350-update…