Which tablet to buy in 2020: the best models for every budget

In order for the tablet to successfully cope with all the tasks, it is important not to make a mistake with its choice. I have selected the best options and collected them in this article, distributing the devices by price categories. I chose devices based on their technical characteristics, size and quality of the display, battery capacity and the availability of software and accessories. For maximum objectivity, I also tried to point out all the existing shortcomings of each model. Along the way, in the article, I explain what characteristics of devices you should pay attention to, so thanks to this topic, you will also understand how to choose a tablet.

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So if you want to buy a good tablet, but don’t know which tablets are better than others, this article is for you. Naturally, all the models assembled in it are of good quality — there are both very cheap models and excellent ones in any of the price segments. We can safely say that all the gadgets from this selection are the best tablets to buy in 2021.

Attention: a more recent article about the best tablets is already available.

The best cheap tablets under 11,000 rubles

Devices from this category are quite compact and have sufficient performance for basic tasks. They are suitable for watching videos, surfing the web or reading books.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 2021

11 000 rubles

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 2021 | pokde.net

It is unlikely that in this category it will be possible to find something better than the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0. All competitors are hopelessly outdated, and only Samsung offers an up-to-date device for 11,000 rubles. This compact tablet packs an 8-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM and Snapdragon 429, and a 5100mAh battery. It is also important to note the relatively up-to-date Android 9.0 on board.

Huawei MediaPad T3 8.0

10 000 rubles

Huawei MediaPad T3 8.0 | RootNation

If, for one reason or another, the Samsung Tab A 8.0 is not suitable (or, for example, it is not on sale), you can pay attention to the Huawei MediaPad T3 8.0. Of course, it’s worse than Samsung because it has older specs and Android 7.0, but it still has the same 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280 × 800, and you can use this tablet if necessary. However, Tab A 8.0 is still the best option under 11k.

What inexpensive tablet to buy

For navigation in a car, experts recommend choosing compact models of tablet computers that can be conveniently fixed in the car. At the same time, you need to pay attention to the speed of finding satellites, the quality of the screen and its readability in the sun, as well as the availability of SIM slots. If you are looking for a good “reader” for learning and recreation, a good device for movies or simple games, you should choose devices with a diagonal of 10 inches, presented in the third category of our rating of inexpensive tablets.

The best budget and inexpensive tablets under 20,000 rubles

Tablets located in this category have a sufficient set of functions and good hardware for comfortable content consumption and even not the most resource-intensive work.

It was very difficult to choose the winner in this category. Two tablets claim the first place at once: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 and Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 10.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 10

19 000 rubles

Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 10 | 9to5Google

A tablet with a 10.1 ″ display and Full HD received an older Android 8.0, but overtook the rival in other, more significant parameters, such as the presence of useful chips. The Huawei device boasts a larger battery capacity (7500 mAh for the MediaPad M5 Lite versus only 6150 mAh for the Tab A 10.1), four speakers, support for the proprietary M Pen stylus, and the presence of a fingerprint scanner. That is why I put it in first place in this category.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1

18 000 rubles

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 | MyNextTablet

The device from Samsung captivates with a more recent Android 9.0 with a proprietary One UI shell, but loses in terms of the presence of useful chips and features. Despite the fact that the devices are close to each other in terms of characteristics (the Exynos 7904 and Kirin 659 processors are similar in performance, as well as the same size 10.1 ″ IPS displays with Full HD resolution), MediaPad should be preferred in this category. M5 Lite.

Huawei MediaPad T5

15 000 rubles

Huawei MediaPad T5 | MyNextTablet

If you need to choose a tablet cheaper than the MediaPad M5 Lite, you can look at another Huawei product — MediaPad T5. It is available in two versions at different prices: 2 / 16 GB for 15 thousand or 3 / 32 GB for 17 thousand rubles. The specifications of the T5 are almost the same as those of the older M5 Lite (including the display), except for the battery: here it is only 5100 mAh. It also lacks the features that made the MediaPad M5 Lite take the top spot in this category: a fingerprint scanner and stylus support. However, T5 is still cheaper than Samsung Tab A 10.1, which means it is preferable.

The best tablets under 30,000 rubles

These tablets fully justify their cost — with their help, you can fully engage in serious work without any compromises. Devices in this category are very versatile and suitable for a wide variety of tasks.

Apple iPad 10.2″ 2019

from 28 000 rubles

Apple iPad 10.2″ 2021 | Mac World

A particular tablet from Apple is the undisputed leader in the mid-budget (and not only) segment. In addition, this is the cheapest current iPad — they ask for 28,000 rubles for it. It received a powerful A10 processor with 2 energy-efficient Hurricane cores and 2 more high-performance Zephyr. Despite the modest performance and age, the «stone» provides excellent performance. In addition, the 7th generation iPad has a chic 10.2 ”Retina display with pleasing color reproduction, a capacious battery of about 8827 mAh, which is quite worthy for such a lightweight device, support for Apple Pencil (unfortunately, a convenient attachment for it they didn’t “bring” here) and, most importantly, iPadOS with a huge amount of software and games.

This tablet turned out to be very balanced and, as a result, very versatile: it is perfect for both students and artists, as well as those who just need a device for content consumption and web surfing. The only and main drawback of this particular configuration is the small amount of memory — only 32 GB, which is categorically small in 2021. For 64 GB, you will have to pay another 6 thousand, and if you are by no means ready to go beyond 30,000 rubles, but a large storage is extremely necessary, you can look towards the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite with 64 GB of memory.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

from 29 000 rubles

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

But keep in mind that the S6 Lite is worse than the iPad in almost every way. A weaker processor, lower battery capacity, a 10.4-inch screen with a reduced resolution (2000 × 1200, iPad has 2160 × 1620), and a higher price all together make it not the best option. Therefore, I would recommend either limiting the iPad to 32 GB, or pay extra and buy an iPad with 64 GB of memory for 34,000 rubles. Yes, it’s more expensive, but it’s worth it.

Huawei MediaPad M6 10.8

25 000 rubles

Huawei MediaPad M6 10.8

Another analogue in the price range up to 30 thousand, with 64 GB of memory. The characteristics are very similar to Samsung, and in some places even surpasses it. For example, the MediaPad M6 boasts a fingerprint scanner, a larger 10.8″ display with a resolution of 2560 × 1600 compared to the S6 Lite, and a larger battery. At the same time, it is several thousand cheaper than Samsung. The main drawback is the standard problem for fresh Huawei — the lack of Google services. If this does not bother you, then I would even advise you to consider the MediaPad M6 instead of the S6 Lite. But again, let me remind you that by paying 3 thousand, you will get an iPad with much more features and long support, albeit with less memory.

Choosing a tablet for entertainment and work: 10 popular models from Aliexpress

Tablets have been predicted oblivion for many years, but they stubbornly do not give up and continue to be in demand among a certain part of users. Yes, smartphones can do the same thing as tablets and their capabilities are enough for most, but the screen size still decides.

Smartphones displaced and completely replaced tablets with small diagonals, but those, in turn, simply moved into the 10″-12″ weight category, where they actually began to step on the heels of netbooks and ultrabooks. The large screen and at the same time the minimum size and weight make them very convenient gadgets. It is convenient to use browsers and read on the tablet. They are ideal for watching video content. With their help, it is convenient to solve certain working issues. And you can take it with you everywhere, whether it’s a business trip or a trip to the country. Today I will show popular tablets from 3 Chinese manufacturers: Chuwi, Teclast and Alldocube. All of them can be ordered on Aliexpress. If the selection is relevant, then I will continue with other manufacturers.

CHUWI HiPad X

Ask for a price

The HiPad line at CHUWI is a real long-liver and has been on sale for many years. Of course, once a year — or two, they release an updated model on more powerful hardware, thereby maintaining its relevance. The HiPad X is the 2021 model and is interesting in several ways.

Firstly, it has a slot for a SIM card and supports 4G, which means you will always have communication, Internet and navigation. Secondly, the tablet can be bought along with a keyboard that attaches itself to special contacts and actually turns it into a laptop. Thirdly, the tablet is based on the well-established energy-efficient eight-core Helio P60 chip. Yes, and other characteristics at the level: 6 GB of RAM + 128 GB of storage, a high-quality IPS screen with a diagonal of 10.1″ and Android 10 on board.

CHUWI HiPad Plus 2021

Ask for a price

CHUWI HiPad Plus is a new product for 2021, equipped with 11″ screen with 2K QHD screen resolution of 2176×1600, visually very similar to the popular iPad. With a slim 6.9mm metal body and a weight of only 500g, this model is very handy and easy to take with you on trips. The HiPad Plus is based on the new productive MediaTek MT8183 chipset with the Mali-G72 graphics accelerator. It easily handles 4K video and high-performance games, while still being quite economical with its 7300 mAh battery. The RAM is 4 GB, and the built-in storage is 128 GB. Like the previous model, the novelty can be bought with or without a keyboard docking station. The tablet runs on the Android 10 operating system.

CHUWI Ubook

Ask for a price

If you need a tablet not only for entertainment, but also for work, and Android capabilities are not enough for you, then take a closer look at CHUWI UBook. This is a tablet on the Windows 10 operating system, which allows you to run and work with classic programs, be it an office or a graphics editor.

By the way, the tablet also works with a stylus and a keyboard docking station, but you need to pay extra for these options. But even in stock form, the tablet can surprise you, because a metal stand is built into its body, which will help you install it on a horizontal surface and conveniently use it to watch video content or work in a browser.

The model is based on the Intel Celeron N4120 processor and is equipped with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD drive. The diagonal of the IPS screen is classic 11.6″, and the resolution is 1920×1080.

Teclast P20HD

Ask for a price

Teclast P20HD is very popular on aliexpress, primarily because of the price-performance ratio. Yes, not the most powerful Spreadtrum SC9863A chipset was used here, so in games the graphics settings will have to be set to low. But the tablet is ideal for watching videos, which is facilitated by an IPS screen with a diagonal of 10.1″ and a resolution of 1920×1200, as well as a slot for SIM cards with 4G support. Watch YouTube or movies, use your browser and be online anywhere and anytime.

Teclast M40

Ask for a price

If the previous tablet seems weak to you, then you may be interested in Teclast M40. The UNISOC T618 chipset is more productive, and this model has more memory — 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage + a separate slot for memory cards. It is already much more pleasant to play here, because in Antutu the tablet is gaining more than 200,000 points. The tablet also supports 4G, which will allow you to use the Internet outside your home. The rest of the specifications are identical: a 10.1″ IPS screen with a resolution of 1920×1200, a dual-band WiFi module and Android 10 on board.

Teclast M30 Pro

Ask for a price

Another mid-budget model is the Teclast M30 Pro. The popular Helio P60 chipset was used here, which shows good performance without draining your battery too quickly. The battery is installed here at 7500 mAh, it lasts for 10 hours of continuous online video playback. To do this, you can use the connection to a WiFi network (working in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands is supported) or mobile 4G Internet (there is a slot for a SIM card). The tablet is thin and nice looking, and its back cover is made of aluminum alloy.

Teclast T30

Ask for a price

My personal favourite. It was bought 1.5 years ago for my mother, who spends a lot of time on business trips. The tablet during this time showed itself only on the good side. He never let me down and 100% worked out his value. Unfortunately, on the last trip, the tablet was stolen in a hotel… But let’s not talk about sad things, let’s look at the characteristics: The Teclast T30 with 10.1″ IPS FullHD + has an improved Mediatek Helio P70 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, an excellent 8000 mAh battery , there is support for 4G. Here it is possible to connect a keyboard — a docking station, which also acts as a cover. You can read my full review here.

ALLDOCUBE iPlay20 Pro

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Another manufacturer that produces inexpensive multimedia tablets is ALLDOCUBE. Their iPlay20 Pro model is focused primarily on multimedia content. The diagonal of the IPS screen is 10.1″, and its resolution is 1920 × 1200. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with an oleophobic coating on the surface, and the back cover is made of aluminum alloy. 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of internal memory (with support for micro SD memory card expansion up to 512 GB) and an octa-core SC9863A processor provide normal performance for everyday tasks such as browsing and multimedia playback. You can also play, but in the most demanding games, the graphics settings must be set to low. The tablet supports 4G networks. Review on ALLDOCUBE iPlay20 can be read here.

ALLDOCUBE X NEO

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ALLDOCUBE X NEO is the solution for those who are looking for top value for their money. Judge for yourself: a bright and colorful super AMOLED screen with support for the DCI-P3 color space and a resolution of 2560×1600, on the surface of which a high-quality oleophobic coating is applied. The heart of the tablet is an 8-core Snapdragon 660 AIE processor with an Adreno 512 gaming GPU. The tablet supports 4G networks and is equipped with a dual-band WiFi module. A 7700 mAh battery can last 9.5 hours of video playback, and it also supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging. What else? Stereo speakers, metal back cover and the ability to use the tablet along with the keyboard — docking station.

ALLDOCUBE KNote5pro

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KNote5pro is another solution for Windows 10 tablet fans. The quad-core Intel Gemini Lake N4000 up to 2.4 GHz and Intel HD Graphics 600 GPU make this tablet a good machine for internet and video, and by connecting a magnetic keyboard to it, you get a compact and a lightweight netbook. Unfortunately, it does not have mobile Internet support, only WiFi.

In general, it will not be difficult to find something for your tasks on aliexpress, but still from this selection I would single out 2 models that, in my opinion, are slightly superior to competitors: Teclast T30 and CHUWI HiPad Plus 2021. This is if we talk about Android tablets . If we talk about tablets on Windows, then I consider the CHUWI UBook model to be successful.

The best tablets over 30,000 rubles

Real flagships are located here — some of them are so powerful and functional that they can compete with expensive and productive laptops.

I decided not to distribute devices more expensive than 30,000 rubles into any specific categories. Firstly, they are difficult to compare with each other due to completely different characteristics. Secondly, many of them have different configurations, the prices of which vary greatly. Therefore, I decided to tell separately about the most interesting models with a price of more than 30 thousand rubles.

Apple iPad 2019

from 33 000 rubles

Apple iPad mini 5 | MacWorld

Let’s start with the iPad mini 2021, perhaps the most powerful compact tablet in this collection. For 33 thousand rubles (64 GB version with Wi-Fi), you get a high-performance A12 and 5124 mAh, which should be enough for about 10 hours of work. The tablet is great for taking notes or sketching thanks to the crisp Retina 7.9″ with Pencil support. If you’re looking for a flagship model that doesn’t take up a lot of space and is easy to carry around, this is the best choice. The only thing that can upset is the lack of a convenient attachment for the Apple Pencil.

Apple iPad Air 2019

from 43 000 rubles

Apple iPad Air 3 | MacWorld

Another Apple gadget that can be included in this article is the iPad Air. But it is immediately worth noting that this is a slightly specific device. For the most part, the Air isn’t that different from a regular iPad. It can only be recommended to those people who lack 128 GB of memory. To take Air for 64 GB for 43 thousand rubles, in my opinion, does not make sense, because for 8 thousand cheaper you can buy a regular iPad, but with 128 GB. What about processors? A12 is undoubtedly more powerful than A10, but if you need high performance, it is better to take a closer look at the more expensive iPad Pro, otherwise A10 should be enough for most tasks. And the difference in display sizes is hardly noticeable: only 0.3″ in favor of Air.

Huawei MatePad Pro

49 500 rubles

Huawei MatePad Pro

One of the kings of Android tablets can safely be called Huawei MatePad Pro. The large 10.8-inch high-resolution WQXGA display with thin bezels, the Kirin 990, and the included 4096 pressure levels stylus and keyboard make this a cutting-edge device. The lack of Google services prevents him from becoming the best. Without them, the tablet essentially turns into a pumpkin. Of course, thanks to enthusiasts, services can be installed manually, but the need for extra time does not add any pluses to the device, especially considering its cost of almost 50,000 rubles. Another drawback is not the largest battery (7250 mAh). True, this is still more than the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, which, nevertheless, rightfully occupies the status of a flagship Android tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

from 56 000 rubles

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 | Android Authority

And the Tab S6 earned the title of the best Android tablet with really good equipment: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, S Pen support, the latest Android 10, a 10.5-inch AMOLED display with WQXGA resolution and thin bezels, an optical fingerprint scanner and even a shameless design. It looks like Samsung has finally managed to release a decent tablet that can compete with the iPad. In terms of price, by the way, Tab S6 is also trying to catch up with Apple: the price for it varies from 56 to 63 thousand, depending on the availability of LTE. But it’s unlikely that Apple devices will be forced out of the position of S6 leaders: there is much less professional software on Android, so the usefulness of Android tablets as a whole is being questioned.

Apple iPad Pro

from 70 000 rubles

Apple iPad Pro | vc.ru

A truly ultimate tablet for serious tasks can unconditionally be called the iPad Pro. At the moment it is one of the best solutions on the market. A huge and bright 120Hz Liquid Retina display paired with the A12Z processor allows for high-quality design and photo editing on the iPad Pro, for example, using the Affinity suite or the Procreate app. And the presence of the Magic Keyboard with trackpad takes interaction with the system to a whole new level. The price of the tablet meets the amazing specifications: the base 11-inch version with 128 GB will cost 70 thousand.

The larger version, at 12.9″, will cost from 87 thousand. It is much more expensive, but it is this version that you should choose when buying Pro. Such a huge display for a tablet will allow you to get as close as possible to a full-fledged desktop experience. By the way, the most expensive version of the iPad Pro costs about the same as the MacBook Air in a good configuration. It may sound too loud, but in some use cases, the iPad Pro can replace a laptop. It looks like two different Apple devices are starting to compete with each other, which is highly unusual.