Best tablets under $200
Asus ZenPad S 8.0
Cnet rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 The good: The ZenPad is affordable, lightweight and thin, with a sleek design. Its brilliant screen is razor sharp and can be color-corrected with preloaded Asus software. Adjusting the screen’s color balance, saturation and sharpness is a breeze thanks to its user-friendly UI, and its microSD card slot expands up to 128GB.
The bad: The front-facing speakers are weak, and the camera takes underwhelming photos. The cost: $190 to $266
The bottom line: The ZenPad is one of the best Android tablets around, with a price that belies its impressive quality.
Amazon Fire HD 8
Cnet rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 The good: The latest Fire HD 8 delivers faster performance, a bigger battery and more base storage than the previous version for almost half the price. Its 8-inch screen is bright, the speakers are loud and it offers expandable microSD storage and ample parental controls. Amazon Prime members can access gobs of free video, music and other content with their subscription.
The bad: Display isn’t as sharp as that of current iPad Mini models; to truly take advantage of what the tablet has to offer, you need an Amazon Prime membership; slow charging (takes 6 hours to fully cap the battery).
The cost: $90 The bottom line: Despite some small drawbacks, you just won’t find a tablet with these features and performance at this price.
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3
Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 The good: The Yoga Tab 3 has a practical design that features a built-in kickstand. There is a rotatable camera that takes sharp photos and front-facing speakers that provide rich and clear audio. Battery life is long. The bad: It’s a bit heavy for its small size. Large games are slow to load. The cost: $119 to $171 The bottom line: The Lenovo is the tablet to get if your needs are simple and your budget is low.
Acer Iconia One 10
Cnet rating: 3.0 stars out of 5 The good: The Acer is cheap, has clear-sounding front-facing speakers and an expandable microSD card slot. The bad: The screen looks pixelated. It’s clunky to use and feels flimsy. The cost: $150 to $201 The bottom line: If you’re strapped for cash, the Acer is one of the most affordable 10-inch tablets to get. However, if you want a good tablet, you’ll need to spend more.