Money is tight. Christmas gifts, petrol, New Years parties, and the incessant noise of your children asking to be fed. After that, what money is there left over for yourself? You can’t just go out and purchase the latest iPad – unless you’ve got R25,000 (on a good day) sitting idle in your wallet. If you do, this article probably isn’t for you. Our tablet entries here lean more towards the ‘budget’ end of the equation.
We’ve compiled a list of the best little budget busters we could find. We’ve excluded any that need to travel via boat or plane to arrive at your house. That would defeat the point a bit, wouldn’t it? No, in our books, ‘budget’ constitutes a tablet that can be bought for under R8,000 at the very least. After that, it all starts to look the same – with Samsung and Apple dominating the market.
These haven’t been chosen just because they meet the R8,000 and under criteria. Nope, these five tablets have all you need to get the job done (though some can do the job just that little bit better and faster). Let’s stop gabbing and get to it, shall we? Here are the five best (and most affordable) tablets in South Africa.
Apple iPad 10.2in 9th Gen | From R7,300
Picture a tablet in your head right now. You probably thought of an iPad, right? Okay, fine, the heading is right there – but the point still stands. Often, Apple’s iPads are at the forefront of our minds when we think of tablets. And for good reason. They’re the best in the business. Say what you want about Apple’s products being overpriced (because you’re probably right) but that doesn’t change the fact that since 2010, every brand has tried to copy its success.
Incidentally, the only iPad on this list is also the most expensive. Go figure. If you’re looking for something under the R5,000 range just keep reading. You’ll find one eventually.
This is the most basic iPad that you can still buy from Apple’s shelf, and yet it manages to be one of the more reliable, speedy, and sleeker models compared to anything on this list. The A13 chip will plug away at whatever task you throw at it. What do people actually do on their tablets? Watch YouTube or Netflix? Either way, the 10.2in Retina display is perfect. It’ll still look great if you’re sending emails, yes, but the bigger issue is; why are you sending emails from your tablet? Our biggest issue with this one is the fact that it’s WiFi-only. It’s nowhere near being a dealbreaker, but it’s certainly a red flag. Still though, if you just need this to be an ‘at-home’ tablet, you can’t go wrong here.
Amazon Fire 10in HD (2021 Model) | From R3,200
Besides being a mouthful, the Amazon Fire 10in HD is the cheapest entry on our list. It’s no iPad, something that is definitely noticeable if you’ve used either product before. Still, the Fire 10in HD is a wonderful piece of tech that manages to come in for less than half of Apple’s cheapest tablet. That’s because it’s packed with a MediaTek MT8183 Helio P60T coupled with a camera that’s not even worth mentioning twice. The OS is FireOS 7, similar to that of Android 9. And it’s a perfect candidate to fill the Kindle-shaped hole in your heart. It’s not a perfect e-reader, but it’ll do its best.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 10.5in (X200) | From R4,800
Following Apple, Samsung is next-in-line for the ‘best tablet’ award. Usually, folks forget about second place, but here, it’s welcome. Samsung diminishes Apple’s presence ever so slightly and pumps out good-quality tablets for (sometimes) a fraction of the cost.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is no different. It sports a 10.5 1,920 x 1,200 display, powered up by a Unisoc Tiger T618 chipset. If you, like most, don’t know what that means, just know that it’s a great chipset for a very decent price. This one only features 32GB of storage, though we’re not sure why you’d need much more than that. If it is a necessity, a 64GB option is available too. The 4GB of RAM is non-negotiable, but that’s okay. Camera-wise (who uses the camera on a tablet?), you’re left with 8MP on the back and a 5MP sensor staring into your soul. That’s… fine though we doubt you’ll be bleak about a sub-par camera on a tablet.
This is the best Samsung tablet you’ll find for under R10,000. If you need more than that, you’re in the wrong place.
Lenovo Tab M10 HD | R3,300
Despite being the second cheapest tablet here, with probably the least-known name, the Lenovo Tab M10 HD is a solid little 10.1in 1,280 x 800 monster. Yes, the 2GB of RAM is a slight concern for some – and we don’t blame you. But for the price and only R100 more than Amazon’s entry on this list, it’s easy to see why. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 processor, and up to 32GB of storage is available. (You can stick in a 256GB SD card if need be). Unfortunately, this model missed out on the USB-C revolution, but somebody’s gotta preserve the legacy stuff, right? The Lenovo Tab’s biggest issue is that it’s running Android 9. It’s an older version, but it still checks out. We recommend this be the tablet you stick in front of your baby’s face to keep it quiet for a couple of minutes. Netflix’s Cocomelon will play perfectly here.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (P613) 10.4in | From R7,000
Like most entries here, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is WiFi only. You won’t be taking it with you on any journeys unless you’ve thought ahead and downloaded all five seasons of Riverdale. If that’s the case, the lack of a SIM slot won’t distract you from the moderately-sized 10.4in display and the extremely generous 7,040 mAh battery. That’s better than most new phones nowadays. With 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, it would be hard to find a better tablet at this price point. The inclusion of Android 12 and the fact that it’s complying with the EU’s new USB-C charging laws two years before the due date make this one a no-brainer purchase (if you’ve got the cash). Oh, and it’s got a stylus that slots right into the body. ‘Nuff said.