10 best budget tablets

There will be tablets under many trees this Christmas, but they don’t have to cost hundreds. Here are 10 good-value but high-performing devices

1. iPad Mini Retina

The king of value tablets is at the more expensive end of the scale but it’s worth it. The new models come with a retina display: screens with a pixel density so high the human eye won’t notice individual dots. With specs to match the new iPhone 5S, the new iPad Mini is easily one of the best tablets around.

£339, apple.com

2. Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8

With its sleek design and stereo speakers, as well as a built-in stand, the Lenovo Yoga delivers a multimedia experience few tablets match. The Yoga is, in essence, a portable cinema – Netflix subscribers, for example, will love it.

£199, pcworld.co.uk

3. Amazon Kindle Fire HDX

It’s easy to forget that the Kindle range began with a humble series of e-readers – especially when you get your hands on the HDX. The Kindle Fire HDX has a huge screen and specs to match. Better still, it’s linked to Amazon’s huge media library the moment you open the box.

£199, amazon.co.uk

4. Google Nexus 7

Google’s Nexus 7 is the crème de la crème of tablet computers, offering a £350 experience for nearly half the price. The Nexus 7 has an almost unmatched screen quality, and comes with the latest Android.

£199, https://play.google.com

5. ARCHOS 97 Tablet

The Archos 97 8gb offers a huge screen (9.7”, about the size of a netbook), as well as many of the features of the Surface 2, for a fraction of the price. Archos are known for producing versatile kit at absurdly low prices; this is no different.

£139.99, pcworld.co.uk

6. Windows Surface 2

The Surface 2 is Microsoft’s flagship Windows tablet, and it’s easy to see why: it’s light, fast, has Office and runs for 10 hours on a single charge. Unlike the iPad, the Surface 2 has slots for memory cards and USBs, and has unmatched camera quality.

£339, argos.co.uk

7. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7”

Light and portable, the Tab 3 is a competitively priced tablet for those who live life on the move. If you own a Samsung Galaxy mobile, you’ll be right at home – the Tab looks and feels similar to use, but comes with a larger screen that’s optimised for reading and watching movies.

£139, direct.asda.com

8. Tesco Hudl

The UK’s biggest supermarket entered the fray earlier this year with the Hudl, a tablet designed to make purchasing products on the go easy. It might not quite have as robust a feel as the likes of an iPad Mini but it does more than shopping – there is full access to all the apps on Google Play, making it great value.

£119, tesco.com

9. Dell Venue 8 Pro

There’s never been a better time to own a Windows tablet, especially now the 8.1 update has been released – it’s faster than before. And with its high-definition screen and front-and-back facing cameras, it comes with everything you could want in a tablet PC for a bargain price.

£250, dell.co.uk

10. Nook HD 7”

Brought to you by Barnes and Noble, the largest bookseller in the US, the Nook is lauded for its low price and sleek design. The Nook HD offers full access to Barnes and Noble’s extensive eBook catalogue, and over a million apps, games and magazines on Google Play.

£89.99, currys.co.uk