Finding a reliable tablet is not easy because there are just too many available. The hardship increases even more when the budget is limited. With $300 or less however, you can still get a good tablet that can help you do all the things you need to do. You may not get the best tablet out there but you will get one that can help get your work done and keep you entertained.
But there are many tablets under $300; which one should you choose? Here is a guide that will save you time and money. We will tell you what to look for in a tablet and give you some of our top picks. We hope that you will find this useful in your search for the best tablets under $300.
Things to consider
Pixels per inch (PPI)
This is the density of the pixels on the screen, that is, the number of pixels per inch of the screen. The more the PPI the clearer images appear on the screen. If the tablet is mainly to be used in watching movies, playing games and viewing images then a high PPI is necessary.
Screen Size
The size of screen that is perfect for you depends on what your intended use for the laptop is. The size ranges from 7 to over 12 inches in length. Small tablets are more portable and ideal for ebook reading and office work though they are not ideal for gaming and watching long videos.
Camera
If you are a picture fanatic then you will want to have a tablet that has a great camera. Look at its Megapixel rating to choose. The more the Megapixels the better the image quality the camera produces.
Best Tablets Under $300 in 2022
1. Apple iPad Mini 4
This is just like the iPad Air 2 except that it is more portable and has the same features. The iPad Mini 4 has a thin design and is light in weight. There are two versions weighing 299g and 304g. It has a screen size of 7.9inches. This makes it very portable. Just slip it into a large pocket or small bag and you can carry it wherever you want.
The iPad Mini 4 has a 326 PPI which is much higher than that of the iPad Air and Air 2. It has a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels and that in a 7.9 inch screen means more PPI. The processor powering this iPad is the Apple A8 chip which is fast. It is paired with M8 co-processor which makes it even more efficient.
The camera in place is 8MP which takes clear pictures. It has auto-focus and face detection capabilities. You can record videos in HD on this camera. The tablet has a large storage of 16GB. Beneath the home button on the iPad Mini 4 is a touch ID fingerprint sensor. It may not be as fast as that in iPhone 6 and later phones, but it does add to securing the contents of your iPad.
The tablet has a battery life of about 10 hours when used continuously but it can last longer in hands of an occasional user.
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2. Samsung Galaxy Tab A
This tablet has moderately sized bezels making the casing small but a little larger than that of the letterbox display. The original Samsung Tab A measures 10 by 6.1 inches while the S Pen measures 9.7 by 6.5 inches. They are both 0.32 inches in thickness and weigh 1.2 pounds. The exterior of this tablet is hard plastic. Like all Samsung products, this one is strong and does not bend or flex easily.
The 10.1 inch screen has a resolution of 1920 by 1200. This translates to a pixel density of 224 pixels which is quite decent. The processor in place is the 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos 7870 running an Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.
The camera is 8MP and has a flashlight for capturing pictures even in low light. The camera is however slow and the flashlight is too white and washes off bright colors. For video conferencing and taking selfies, the Tab A has a 2MP front facing-camera.
The battery in place has a capacity of 7300 mAh which is capable of keeping charge for up to 13 hours. The tablet will stay on for that long on a single recharge even if it is used for video playback or surfing the net. With such performance, it is no doubt that this is one of the best tablets under $300.
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3. Apple iPad with WiFi
The design is just like that of the iPad Air. It has a metal and glass design with curved sides. This design has been used on Apple iPad since the iPad 2. The screen is 9.7 inches long and has a resolution of 2048 by 1536 and has the Retina moniker.
Other than the clear display this iPad has much more to offer. The lithium polymer has a battery life about 10 hours on maximum use. The processor in place is the A9 third generation chip that has 64-bit architecture. The storage in place is 16GB while the OS is iOS 10.
Taking photos and shooting videos is easy and the results are clear thanks to the 8MP main camera and the front-facing 1.2MP camera. The latter has support for live photos making the device even more useful.
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4. ASUS ZenPad 3S
This tablet looks exactly like the iPad Pro 9.7. It has a 9.7 inch screen with a resolution of 1536 by 2048. The glass covering the display is corning gorilla glass 3 that is tough and offers extra protection. It is 5.8mm in thickness which is much thinner than the iPad Pro 9.7. As for the weight, this tablet weighs only 430g making it very portable.
Inside the Asus ZenPad 3S has a capable interior. The Media Tek Hexa-core chipset is supported by 4GB RAM to ensure the tablet performs fast even when playing games or watching videos. There is a whopping 64GB of storage space.
The battery in place is a 5900mAh battery that has a long lifespan. As for the camera, the back camera is 8MP and has autofocus among other features. On the other hand, the front camera has 5MP with good focus and high quality video calling and selfies. To increase security, there is a fast and accurate fingerprint sensor
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5. Microsoft Surface 3 Tablet
This tablet is thin and light. It is smaller and cheaper than the Surface Pro 3. It weighs 887g with a 265g keyboard attached. It feels unusual placed on the lap and is far less powerful than its competitors.
The Surface 3 can be used in tablet, desktop and landscape modes. It has a 4:3 aspect similar to that of an iPad which is unlike the 16:9 which was used in previous Surface tablets.
Controlling all the activities is an Intel Atom chip that powers Windows 10. The processor is very capable and plays high quality videos and games without a struggle. The tablet has a full size USB port, micro USB expansion and Mini DisplayPort Output for connectivity. To allow even more connectivity, it has Bluetooth 4.0 and AC Wi-Fi. At the back is an 8MP camera while the front side has 3.5MP camera which is enough to give high quality images.
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If you have been looking for the best laptops under $300, now you have them. You will notice that some of the laptops on the list are a little over $300. They however have some great features that you will appreciate having. Remember that the more capable a laptop is, the more expensive it is. This applies most of the time and you should always have that fact at the back of your mind.
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