When it comes to tablets priced below $400, there are truly a lot of options. The best thing about mid-range tablets is that they typically offer the best value for your money. There's no need to spend $500 or more on a tablet, when you can get most of the features and specs for a price that won't break your bank. Let's take a looks at some of the best tablets on the market in the 400 dollar range.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is a truly powerful yet compact tablet. It features a beautiful display with rich and vivid colors, as well as solid battery life and a micro SD card slot, which means you aren't limited to your internal storage as is the case with iPad and some other tablets. The only thing we're not impressed with is the camera, but that's not an extremely important feature on a tablet and it's still one of the best cameras on this list.
If you're a fan of Apple's iOS and are looking for a tablet that's cheaper than $400, this is your best bet. The iPad mini 4 is an excellent combination of a compact tablet and powerful specs. It may not be as fast as iPad Pro or iPad Air, but it's a joy to use and all apps run really smoothly.
Google didn't pay a lot of attention to what's trendy when designing the Nexus 9. Instead, the company focused on what's really important, reliable and fast tablet, great display and sizable battery. The Nexus 9 isn't without its flaws though, as the built-in battery charges very slowly and there's a limited amount of internal storage and the lack of microSD card slot.
We live in an age where more pixels make for a batter tablet, and if the display comes with a low-resolution screen, it typically costs less. However, this is not the case with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7. Despite the lackluster display, the tablet itself is not that bad. If you don't mind the low-res screen, and somewhat higher price, it's an OK choice.
Big screen tablets are typically more expensive, but this isn't the case with the Amazon Fire HD 10. Unfortunately, they had to make compromises, which is why it comes with a low-resolution (1280x720) display. It is good for enjoying movies and TV shows if you aren't holding it really close, but it doesn't offer the best experience for mobile gaming.
This price range is quite possibly the most competitive one when it comes to tablets. Thanks to this, you can find tablets that offer more for the money than some high-end tablets, but you need to know where to look. This is why we decided to make it simple for you and review some of the best tablets under $400.
Our top pick in this price range is a no brainer — the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 deserves this spot. It packs a lot of power in a thin and attractive design. The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 has pretty much everything you'd want from a tablet — a gorgeous screen, decent battery life, the option to expand storage via microSD card slot and more.
Apple's iPad mini 4 comes in second, and it offers pretty much everything Samsung's tablet does. Which one are you going to buy depends on one thing — whether you love Android or iOS more... Our third choice is Google's very own Nexus 9. It's a perfect tablet for people who want raw power, rather than trendy features like a fingerprint sensor.
The last two tablets on our list are the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 and Amazon Fire HD 10. Both of them have big, low-resolution screens. Samsung's tablet runs more smoothly, but it costs more. If you're working with a smaller budget and don't care about the low resolution, than Amazon's tablet is a good choice for you.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0: 8 inches, 2048 X 1536 pixels
Apple iPad mini 4: 7.9 inches, 2048 X 1536 pixels
Google Nexus 9: 8.9 inches, 2048 X 1536 pixels
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7: 9.7 inches, 1024 X 768 pixels
Amazon Fire HD 10: 10.1 inches, 1280x720 pixels
When it comes to processors, the three best rated tablets in our comparison are the clear winners. As far as memory goes, 2GB of RAM seems to be the standard in this price range, with the exception of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 that comes with the whopping 3GB of RAM, while Amazon Fire HD comes with just 1GB of memory.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0: 32GB/64GB (microSD card slot)
Apple iPad mini 4: 16GB/64GB/128GB
Google Nexus 9: 16GB/32GB
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7: 16GB/32GB (microSD card slot)
Amazon Fire HD 10: 16GB/32GB (microSD card slot)
Cameras on most tablets aren't very impressive, unless we're talking about the most expensive models. Just as you would expect, the best cameras are found on more expensive devices in our comparison - Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0, Apple iPad mini 4 and Google Nexus 9. If we had to choose a single winner - we'd go with the camera found on the back of Apple's tablet.
If you want the best tablet your money can buy in the $400 price range, definitely go with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 or Apple iPad mini 4. The Google Nexus 9 is a good choice as well, especially if you're looking for a beefy tablet that you'll use for gaming and multitasking. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 is an OK tablet, but its big price makes it pretty forgettable, while Amazon's tablet is a decent choice if you have a smaller budget that's closer to $200 than $400.