The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4
The $180 Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is a fine budget tablet at a decent price, offering capable performance and a decent screen. But as prices fall on older devices and newer, cheaper models become available, it's ultimately eclipsed.
The Tab 4 packs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, which is good enough for zipping around menus or the Web, and playing casual games. The battery offers around 10 hours of battery life.
Samsung's TouchWiz interface takes over the Android experience, changing just about every facet of the OS.
I personally prefer pure Android, but TouchWiz does offer a fresh new look, and Samsung has added some new apps and features into the mix.
Multi Window
Multi Window is one of the new functions baked into Samsung's TouchWiz, and it offers real multitasking on a tablet. Performance suffers a bit on the Galaxy Tab 4, but it's still pretty cool.
Use Samsung's WatchOn app with the IR Blaster on the side to control your TV.
There's only a measly 8GB of onboard storage, so you'll want to grab a microSD card -- the tablet will support up to 32GB capacity cards.
The 3-megapixel camera on the rear takes unsatisfying shots.
The 1.3-megapixel camera up front will suffice for video chatting, but don't expect stellar selfies.
You'll be better off skipping the single, tiny speaker on the rear, as it's easily blocked and pumps out unsatisfying sound.