Most people use tablets for basic tasks such as streaming and doom-scrolling on social media, and nowadays you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a device to get one that’s perfectly capable of serving those needs.
Better yet, many budget tablets receive big discounts during sales – including November’s Black Friday season. Affordable tablets we test come in around or under the £300/$300 mark, but our award-winner is well below that price.
We’ve also included our close runners-up, with an option for all those locked in Apple’s walled garden. You can also read up on our other award-winning tech products of this year, and our top choices from 2023.
Best New Budget Tablet of the Year – Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9
Chris Martin / Foundry
Samsung is one of the top-leading brands in the budget phone market, and that sentiment also extends to tablets.
At just £169, the Galaxy Tab A9 (launched in late 2023) offers a lot for its money. It has a pleasing 8.7-inch display, a compact and lightweight form factor and a 5100mAh battery that can last up to 10 hours of continuous video streaming.
…if you’re on the lookout for a bargain tablet in the UK, it doesn’t get much better than this
While it’s a little slow to boot up, that’s to be expected at this price point. Once it’s up and running the performance is solid, being perfectly capable of running two apps side-by-side and even some light gaming.
Better yet, we’ve seen this tablet knocked down to under £100 during sale seasons, so if you’re on the lookout for a bargain tablet in the UK, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Unfortunately, the A9 isn’t available in the US. However, Americans can opt for the slightly larger (and still impressive) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 review
Best New Budget Tablet of the Year – First Runner-Up: Apple iPad 10th-generation
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
If you think an iPad is out of your budget, think again. The 10th-generation model from 2022 is frequently discounted and is currently retailing for just over £300/$300. It may not be new this year, but Apple doesn’t offer 2024 tablets for this price range.
Apple’s iPadOS is a seamless software experience, with the most tablet-optimised apps you could ask for. There’s also a ton of widgets, so you can really customise your home screen to suit your preferences. While Apple’s A14 Bionic Chip is two years old at this point, it’s still perfectly capable of great performance.
Add to that the big, bold and bright 10.2-inch display, a decent 12Mp front-facing ultrawide camera with Center Stage technology for video calls, and you’ve got a compelling tablet on your hands.
If this tablet is a little out of your price range, then you could also consider the 2021 iPad, which is currently available for £279/$229.
Read our full iPad (2022) review
$299
$299
$409.99
Best New Budget Tablet of the Year – Second Runner-Up: Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Xiaomi’s Redmi Pad SE launched at the end of 2023, and since then it’s received some big discounts that bring the price down to as low as £129.
For that price, you get a heck of a lot out of this Android tablet. It’s the biggest option of our award-worthy picks, with an impressive 11-inch 90Hz display. Like other budget rivals, it struggles a little to boot up, but once it’s going, you’ll find it works sufficiently for studying, streaming and even gaming.
The best thing about the Redmi Pad SE is its monster 8000mAh battery, which gives around two days of continuous heavy usage – you could stretch it even further if you were conservative. The powerful speakers also make videos and music a pleasure to listen to.
