Tablets, compared to smartphones and laptops, are fairly new devices, and many consumers are wondering if such a newfangled gadget is needed in the family. In this situation, it is more logical to purchase a budget tablet and evaluate whether it is useful in life. Now dozens of manufacturers offer many options for affordable products with good performance. If in doubt which inexpensive tablet is better to buy, reviews from the owners of specific models will help determine their strengths and weaknesses. After all, “naked” technical data will not always tell about the quality and convenience of the device.
Some statistics
The fact that budget devices are sold much more intensively than representatives of the middle and elite categories, says dry statistics. According to the dataone of the mobile leaders of the Russian market - the Megafon company, the tablet sector due to the crisis at the end of 2014 noticeably "dipped". In the whole country, sales in this segment decreased by 5% over the past year, although in Eastern Europe this trend is positive: + 4.4%.
Sale of more expensive products (over 10,000 rubles) fell by 20%. On the other hand, cheap “tablets” (Tablet PC) worth up to 5,000 rubles won 50% of the market and even increase sales (+ 21% by 2014), which, however, is not surprising, because these are inexpensive, but good tablets. Devices, the price of which ranges from 5000-10000 rubles, occupy a share of 37%.
According to MTS, the January statistics are depressing. For the first time in history, a rapid decline in demand for these cutting-edge devices has been recorded. During the month, 520,000 tablets were sold, which is 17% less than in January 2014. In monetary terms, the losses are even more significant: - 29%. Apple and Samsung lost most of all - their prestigious models (more expensive than 15-20 thousand rubles) began to be sold worse by 40%.
Which brands are the most popular
According to IDC analysts, Samsung holds the lead among tablets of all categories in Russia. Even the depreciation of the ruble and the decline in the income of Russians did not prevent the Korean corporation from losing ground to more affordable Chinese brands. Among the inexpensive ones, seven-inch tablets are the most in demand. The prices and features of models like the Galaxy Tab 2 and Galaxy Tab 3 allow them to dominate the budget market.
Top five best-selling brands ahead of Newyear looked like this:
- Samsung (Korea) - 15%.
- Lenovo (China) - 14.8%.
- Apple (USA) - 14.3%.
- Digma (Hong Kong) - 11.6%.
- ASUS (Taiwan) - 7.5%.
Which inexpensive tablet is better to buy
Reviews of many people say that choosing an inexpensive device is not so easy. And the reason for the "pangs of choice" lies in a wide variety of models. Various authoritative specialized publications make lists of the best "pills". Based on them, we will consider popular tablets that are relevant in 2015.
What to look for when comparing tablets? Prices and specifications are, of course, the most important guides, but be aware that complex electronics can fail. Therefore, the availability of service centers in your region that provide repair of specific devices, including warranty, must also be taken into account. For example, thousands of people order cheap Chinese noname devices through online stores straight from China, but if there are technical problems, it is problematic to fix such a gadget.
Oysters T72M 3G
One of the most affordable Tablet PC in Russia. You can buy it for less than 2000 rubles. In Megafon, the model is offered for 2990 rubles. with warranty service. This is an excellent tablet for children - it is not a pity, as they say. Despite the extreme cheapness of the Chinese product, the characteristics of the gadget are comparable to the average of past years.
7 inch TFT screenstands out with a good resolution (1024 x 600 pixels), cellular communication is supported, including 3G. RAM tablet 1 GB - this allows Oysters T72M 3G not to slow down when visiting web pages, watching videos, playing light games. Relatively fresh Android 4.4 operating system installed.
When considering the question "what is the best inexpensive tablet to buy" reviews of Oysters owners will not help much. Some tap users speak negatively about the model, while others consider it ideal among cheap gadgets. The main complaints are the quality of the case and the TFT-screen. At the same time, the T72M 3G can handle everyday tasks quite well: the Internet, reading e-books, videos, casual games.
iconBIT NetTAB SKAT
Another "tablet for children", but a class higher than the previous representative. It has good ergonomics and ideal dimensions typical for gadgets with a screen of 7.85". Its cost - up to 5000 rubles - attracts potential buyers. An IPS-type screen with a decent resolution (1024 x 768) is optimized for surfing the Internet and watching videos. Cameras - main (5 MP) and selfie (2 MP) - allow you to take good pictures in sufficient light. The device supports 3G. Most users rate SKAT at 4 and 5 points (out of five).
The iconBIT NetTAB brand from Hong Kong is quite popular in Russia. About 500 of its representatives operate in the country, which provides a wide network of sales and repair services. In addition to SKAT, a wide range of models is offered - likemore affordable and more technological.
Galaxy Tab 4
A worthy continuation of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 and 3 lines. The family is represented by six modifications, prices start at 8,000 rubles. As can be seen from the characteristics, the 7-inch tablet offers the clearest image, otherwise the internal filling (RAM, processors, camera) is the same for everyone. All these parameters are clearly shown in the table below.
| Price, rub. | Screen | Memory, GB (RAM/flash) | Camera, MP (main/secondary) | |
| 7.0 SM-T230 | 7990 | 7.0" (1280x800) | 1.5/8 | 3/1.3 |
| 7.0 SM-T231 | 11990 | Different by the presence of 3G | ||
| 8.0 SM-T330 | 11990 | 8.0" (1280x800) | 1.5/16 | 3/1.3 |
| 8.0 SM-T331 | 15990 | + 3G | ||
| 10.1 SM-T530 | 14990 | 10" (1280x800) | 1.5/16 | 3/1.3 |
| 10.1 SM-T531 | 18990 | Built-in 3G module | ||
BIn general, Galaxy Tab 4 is rated by users as inexpensive, but good tablets - 4 points out of five. Among the minuses are such moments: the battery is quickly discharged, a short recharging wire, a mediocre camera. Pleased with the quality and performance.
Lenovo IdeaTab A5500
One of the best-selling models of the largest Chinese brand, whose cost does not exceed 11,000 rubles. These inexpensive tablets in Moscow and other cities can be purchased from authorized dealers. The quad-core MediaTek MT8382 processor is very fast, it will not allow applications to “lag”. The bright 8-inch (1280 x 800) IPS multi-touch matrix deserves special mention. However, the lack of an oleophobic coating encourages the screen to quickly become covered with fingerprints.
Perhaps, a small drawback is the small "RAM" of 1 GB today, but, according to the owners, the device works confidently even with the resource-intensive "Android 4.4.2". Users also praise excellent sound quality for inexpensive gadgets. Lenovo A5500 works on a single charge for a long time: 5-8 hours. A wonderful mini-tablet is a worthy competitor to the more popular brands ASUS and Samsung.
ASUS MeMO Pad 7
The Taiwanese brand has always distinguished itself by the excellent quality of its products. Let's continue the review of tablets with the seven-inch ASUS MeMO model. The device leaves the impression of a monolith - nothing creaks, does not ring, does not hang out. The designers were original, providing the case with deliberately "sharp"rectangular edges. The device looks solid in both female and male hands. You can’t even say that this is an inexpensive device - its price is about 13,000 rubles.
The 7-inch tablet is equipped with an excellent quality IPS Full-HD matrix with an excellent dpi density of 323 ppi. The processor did not disappoint either - the quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 series shows miracles of speed. More expensive MeMO modifications are equipped with fourth-generation LTE communications. 2 GB of "RAM" coupled with 16 GB of main memory correspond to the top characteristics of the same Apple. ASUS MeMO, according to reviews, is equipped with good cameras (5 + 2 MP), but mediocre speakers: the sound is loud, but "dim". Due to the energy-saturated screen, battery life suffers.
Explay Tablet Mini
Explay's mini-tablet is equipped with a "small" display of 6 inches, but at the same time it has an "adult" stuffing. This combination will seem ideal to someone. The device is very compact, you can even put it in a wide pocket. Thanks to the small screen, the battery life is longer. At the same time, six inches is more than enough for reading e-books, surfing the web, listening to music. However, you can watch videos without straining.
Explay Tablet Mini supports 3G, and there are two slots for SIM cards on board, which is important. In fact, this is a large smartphone, but the manufacturer positions it as a Tablet mini. The device has a high-quality IPS technology matrix, non-standard resolution - 960 x 540.processor (1.3 GHz) is sufficient for most tasks. The manufacturer's recommended cost is 4990 rubles.
Chinese brands
Among the numerous large, small and "semi-underground" electronics manufacturers in the Celestial Empire, there are a number of brands that produce devices that are not inferior in quality to Korean, American, Japanese, Taiwanese. And they are noticeably superior in terms of characteristics, which allows us to draw certain conclusions in the question: "Which inexpensive tablet is better to buy?" Reviews of thousands of people who have purchased gadgets from large Chinese companies through online stores speak of the optimal ratio of price and quality.
First of all, Xiaomi is showing rapid growth. Innovative devices Mi1, and then Mi2 "blew up" the market, pushing the giants. In 2013, the Chinese sold 10 million Mi2 devices. The main secret of success is MIUI's own proprietary software shell, ultra-thin body and the most modern filling. Although the brand specializes in smartphones, MiPad tablets are also in high demand and receive rave reviews from owners.
Among the 200 Chinese brands that produce "pills", firms stand out:
- ZTE;
- Huawei;
- Ainol;
- Cube;
- Onda;
- PiPO;
- Freelander;
- Chuwi;
- Ampe;
- Ramos;
- Teclast and several others.
Conclusion
The review of tablets can be continued with dozens of other inexpensive, but worthy of mention, models. However, not allthey are available in each specific region. When choosing a portable gadget, it is necessary to take into account the cost of the product, quality and convenience, technical characteristics, terms of warranty and post-warranty repairs. For many, the possibility of purchasing on credit or by installments is relevant, which narrows the available model range.
However, even inexpensive modern "tablets", according to reviews, are able to satisfy most of the needs of an ordinary person, whether it be web surfing, social networks, watching movies, reading literature, listening to music and audio books, compiling text notes, GPS- navigation, numerous games and useful programs. It is much more important to purchase goods in trusted places, and not from random sellers. It is also necessary to carefully approach the bold decision to order an expensive product through online stores, especially those that do not have the appropriate details.
