When looking back in recent years, the price for a device was a good indicator of quality. Usually, if you were on a shoestring budget and bought the lowest price tablet you could find, you would ultimately be met with disappointment. Low battery life, fragile screens, weak to no camera, and don’t get us started on the computing power.

Today, it is possible to find a quality, durable, functional, and beautifully designed tablet even if you are on a budget. This year has been a banner year for tablets. Here are some of the best affordable tablets on the market.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

Microsoft became a fierce competitor in the tablet game when they debuted the first Surface Pro. Now that they have delivered a few generations of them, the Surface seems to stay in a consistent lead among its rivals. This 12in slate comes fully loaded with a processor that will blow your mind. The Intel Core in the surface is on par to compete with traditional laptops.

Additionally, the camera that Microsoft has installed is remarkable. A few critics have cited that the lack of USB ports or HDMI ports have put this tablet behind. However, the Surface comes with an SD slot, which is becoming a bare necessity these days. With the appropriate keyboard, this tablet absolutely competes in the marketplace for a spot in the top tablets.

Specifications

• Weight: 800g
• Screen size: 12 inches
• Resolution: 2160 x 1440
• RAM: 4 or 8GB
• Storage: 64 or 128GB
• Front camera: 5.0 megapixel
• Dimensions: 292 x 201.3 x 9.1mm
• OS: Windows 8.1 Pro
• Battery: ~9 hours
• ONLY £799.99 on BargainShopUk

See the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 offer

Samsung Galaxy Tab S

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S is one of those tablets that if you can afford you can do no wrong. This tablet comes with amazing resolution and enough computing power to put a person on the moon. This tablet is a clear competitor with Apple’s iPad Air 2 because the Tab S comes with features that rival the Air 2, but at a fraction of the cost.

If you can save your pennies and front the cost on this tablet, you are sure to not be disappointed. Samsung has done its very best to accommodate those who consume large amounts of data while keeping their systems simple. The downsides to this tablet are the design and the internal storage. This tablet is not going to be the flashiest design but will be extremely functional.

Specifications

• Weight: 293g
• Screen size: 8.4 inches
• Resolution: 2560 x 1600
• CPU: 1.9GHZ quad core
• RAM: 3GB
• Storage: 16GB
• Front camera: 2.1MP
• Dimensions: 212 x 125 x 6.6mm
• OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
• Battery: ~10 hours
• ONLY £419.99 on BargainShopUk

See the Samsung Galaxy Tab S offer

Samsung Galaxy Tab A

As you will notice Samsung has double-dipped on our list. The reason for that, besides the phenomenal product they make, is that this tablet while affordable, it also delivers a professional quality user-experience at the price of an amateur system. You will find a better than average camera here, with the ease and convenience of the Android platform.

Lighter than most tablets, this one comes equipped to store more than your average tablet and provide you with some of the loudest speakers available. Perfect for the audiophile and for someone who works in a professional setting, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is bound to please. The OS is upgradable to v6.0.1 and comes with dual-band and hotspot capabilities. It also ranks as one of the cheapest options available to you. Truly a steal if you are up for the investment.

Specifications

• Weight: 450g
• Screen size: 9.7 inches
• Resolution: 1024 x 768
• CPU: Quad-core 1.2 Ghz
• RAM: 2G
• Storage: 16 or 32GB
• Front camera: 5MP
• Dimensions: 242.5 x 166.8 x 7.5mm
• OS: Android OS v5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: ~40 hours
• ONLY £179.99 on BargainShopUk

See the Samsung Galaxy Tab A offer

Apple iPad 4

And here you go. No list would be complete without a mention of the iPad 4. Apple has played something of a catch up game when it comes to tablet. There are so many good tablets on the market today that it is hard to pick. However, Apple has found a niche in the tablet world when it comes to the iPad 4. This versatile machine is cheaper than many of the others here and provides the classic Apple experience.

With an OS that is hard to beat (which is something coming from an Android fan) Apple caters to the user while providing a premium build that is truly unbeatable. They take such great care in crafting their products that it is hard to rival the quality of their product. This is definitely a wide choice for anyone looking to do simple to complex operations.

Specifications

• Weight: 662g
• Screen size: 9.7 inches
• Resolution: 1536 x 2048
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 16GB or 32 or 64 or 128GB
• Front camera: 5MP
• Dimensions: 241 x 185.7 x 9.4mm
• OS: iOS 6, upgradable to iOS 9.3.2
• Battery: ~9 hours
• ONLY £239.99 on BargainShopUk

See the Apple iPad 4 offer

Final Thoughts

This list is in no way exhaustive, but the tablets mentioned here are sturdy, designed better than most, and offer good operating systems and CPUs. There are lots of options out there for tablets, but what it comes down to is what you will be using it for. If you will be playing games, watching movies, or dealing with large amounts of data, you will need a specific tablet. If you are a student who needs the standard programs, then you will be looking for a completely different product.

No matter who you are, there is a tablet in this list for you.