If you are specifically interested in getting one spending as little as possible, we have a guide to cheap tablets that you can consult to see what you have to look at and which are the most interesting models that we currently have, but today we want to review by raising the price bar a bit, until the $200, paying attention to where it is worth investing a little more and where it is not.
Tablets for kids
Let's start with a case in which we are going to tell you that it is really not worth investing more: if there is a use for which tablets of 100 euros, or even less, are perfectly recommended, it is so that children can see videos, painting and playing. The MediaPad T3 7 (about $80) is probably the most interesting, since its main drawback, running Android Marshmallow, is not so interesting for this most basic use. If we want something a little cheaper, the Four 7 ($70) is a bit tighter but reliable enough. Of course, if you are going to renew your iPad, leaving the old one to the little ones is probably the ideal solution, because the tablet of Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), is ideal for them: there are many cases to choose from, it has great parental controls and a great selection of optimized children's apps in the App Store.
Tablets for occasional use
If the recipient of the tablet is an adult, but one who is not really going to use it too much or who is only going to do it for very basic tasks such as read, browse and watch videos, without many demands, opting for a cheap tablet is still viable, but here we would recommend raising the bar a bit and betting, at least, on the Fire 8HD ($110). This, in fact, is a great option for those who are very unfamiliar with mobile devices, because its Android customization puts us many more limitations than normal but, on the other hand, it is very intuitive. If we can spend a little more, in any case, our favorite in this area is the Lenovo Tab 4 8 (about $140, although it is frequently seen on sale), with a better processor, better audio and more battery.
Tablets to watch movies and series
The 8-inch tablets are very good to read, navigate and watch a YouTube video, but if we are one of those who are hooked on series and movies, we will surely appreciate a screen of at least 10 inches. The cheapest one that we think meets the minimum requirements for a good user experience, right now is the MediaPad T3 10 (some $150). It must be borne in mind, yes, that its resolution is HD and thinking of a tablet as a multimedia device, we will surely appreciate making the leap to Full HD for which we have two recommendations: the first, is the Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (some $180), and the second is to wait for the MediaPad T5 10, which will arrive in the second week of August with a slightly more expensive price ($200), but with a more powerful processor, metal casing and the latest version of Android.
Tablets to play
Whether for a child or for an adult, if we are thinking of a tablet that can really be played with, we have to choose much more carefully, and the truth is that it is difficult to find solvent tablets in this price range: to play to Candy Crash and similar any of the above is more than enough, but if we want one where PUBG and other fashionable titles can be played, we need a level processor and we will also appreciate good audio and a good screen. The Shield Tablet was the obvious recommendation before and today the reality is that the only one we would recommend is the Mi Pad 4, that we already told you this morning that you can find now for less than 200 euros. The tablets that are really worth playing, you have to get used to the idea that they are the ones that, in general, already go up to 300 euros.
Tablet to work
We end with a negative recommendation: if what you want is a tablet to work with, you really should not bet on any of the ones that you will be able to find for less than 200 euros, unless you handle Android very well (and always that do not have great demands). In that case, it is still possible to think about getting a tablet like the MediaPad T5 10 and a wireless keyboard for occasional work, but for those who want to go beyond that, nothing but frustration is likely to come. Above all, we must insist that the Windows tablets that we can find no longer for less than 200 euros, but even 300 euros, they will not give us the user experience that we expect. The most affordable Windows tablet that we could recommend giving a try is the Miix 320 and, except for an offer, it costs a minimum of 300 euros. And there are not many chinese tablets that are cheaper, although there is a recent exception which is the KNote 5.