Why You Can Trust CNET Should You Buy a Cheap Tablet on Prime Day?
With another major sale event on the horizon for Amazon, we expect to see some impressive discounts on tablets -- including the brand's own Fire tablet lineup.
If you missed out on the first round of massive savings from Amazon this year, you'll be pleased to hear that you'll have another chance to save big this October during the second Prime exclusive sale of the year, Prime Big Deal Days. The event kicks off on Oct. 10 and should bring with it plenty of deals on low-cost tablet options.
Should you buy a cheap tablet during a Prime sales event?
The short answer: It depends. We'd highly recommend any of Amazon's Fire tablets, especially at the October Prime Day pricing we'll likely see during the Prime Big Deal Days event. However, the sub-$100 Android tablets you'll see around are not worth your time or money.
OK, but should you buy a cheap tablet during Prime Big Deal Days?
The longer answer: If you're considering buying a cheap tablet right about now, you might want to hold off on any purchases until Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days shopping event rolls around. We now know the event will kick off on October 10 and 11, and we expect tablets to be a category that gets some attention in the sale -- especially the affordable sort that Amazon makes.
While we might not see Apple's iPad Pro lineup fall to bargain-basement prices, we will surely see some colossal savings on Amazon's Fire tablets -- it's an Amazon shopping event after all -- and these are some of the best tablets around for the price-conscious.
Other inexpensive tablets from the likes of Samsung and Lenovo will likely fall in price too, and we may see some movement in price for the entry-level iPad. It's worth noting that you'll see some discounts on brands you've never heard of during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event and, with prices likely to be under $100, these tablet deals may be tempting, but we recommend that you stay away from those and buy something from a trusted brand instead, even if it costs a little extra.
Which cheap tablet should I buy?
The tablet market is dominated by Apple's iPad. If you want to stick with Apple and its familiar iPadOS software then you only have one choice when it comes to budget buys: the 10.2-inch iPad. Despite sitting at the bottom of Apple's lineup, it's still a very capable device, especially if your needs include simple browser and app-based tasks, though it's certainly not the cheapest option.
If you're willing to deviate from the Apple ecosystem, then Amazon's Fire line of tablets is the top choice for many. Its Fire 7 tablet has dropped as low as $30 during previous Prime Day sales and the company often takes as much as 50% off its kid-friendly tablets. Though they're cheap in price, the experience of using a Fire tablet is actually pretty good, especially for browsing, streaming video and, yes, shopping on Amazon.
Various Android tablet-makers produce lower-end devices and some of the products in the $200-to-$250 price range are worth a look if you are so inclined. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, Lenovo Tab M10 Plus and Nokia T20 are decent examples and may drop to new price lows, though most folks would still be better served by a cheaper Fire tablet.
