Looking for the cheapest tablets? We’ve compiled a list of the cheapest new, used, refurbished, in-contract, out-of contract and installment plan tablets here. The cheapest well-known tablet on the market is the Amazon Fire, with some models going for as low as $40 new. Other than the Fire, the cheapest brand new, popular tablets run about $100, with some refurbished tablets down around $30 to $40. The least expensive iPad currently sold by Apple is the iPad Mini 2 for $269 brand new, though you can get a new discontinued iPad 2 for $199 from Newegg. For the cheapest tablets in any configuration, take a stroll through the list below.
1. Amazon Fire: $40
2. Dell Venue: $80
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab: $99
Also see: What’s the Cheapest iPhone?
Cheapest Tablets: You’ll Pay from $40 $200
At the time of our research, the cheapest tablets on the market are the Amazon Fire series, with prices from $40 to $180 depending on screen size and memory. Other low priced tablets run from $98 to $200. The criteria for our search were that the tablets had to be well-known brands and they had to be new. That is, they couldn’t be previously owned. They didn’t have to be the newest tablets on the market or the most powerful, etc. Just the cheapest. Another stipulation was, they couldn’t be pieces of no-name junk that no one likes. By those guidelines, the best, cheapest tablets almost all come from Amazon and Samsung. Samsung makes a very popular, well-reviewed tablet called the Tab. Almost all of those get 4.5 stars on Amazon and Google Shopping. That’s slightly better than the Amazon Fire.
Cheapest Tablets | ||
---|---|---|
Tablet | Lowest Priced Model | Price |
Amazon Fire | Basic | $40 |
Dell Venue | 7 | $80 |
Samsung Galaxy Tab | E Lite | $99 |
Google Nexus | 7 | $120 |
LG G | 7 | $120 |
4. Google Nexus: $120
5. LG G: $120
Tied for fourth place on our list of cheapest tablets is the LG G. Like the other offerings above, this tablet has a range of options and models. At the high end of the range is the 10.1, first released in 2014 and costing $158 to $174. All the LG tablets get excellent reviews, scoring 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon and Google Shopping and getting high marks from several online reviewers. The cheapest of the line is the LG G 7, selling for as low as $120 new, with used options going as low as $65 online.
Related: Cheapest Watches for Sale on Amazon
iPad Mini 2
This wouldn’t be much of a cheapest tablets list if we didn’t include Apple. Apple tends to shun the lower price ranges. The least expensive model they currently have for sale is the iPad mini 2 for $269. We did find a discontinued iPad 2 still in the box at Newegg for $199. There are also some refurbished iPad mini 2’s on sale direct from Apple for $229. We found several good used offers for the mini 2 on Amazon and Google Shopping for around $150. As far as Apple goes, that’s rock bottom for an iPad.
Why Buy Used?
Consider Buying a Tablet Under Contract
The cheapest tablets in terms of up front money are almost always purchased under contract. The shopper still pays for the tablet, but the cost is folded into an increased monthly payment to a carrier like AT&T or Sprint. A quick search of all the major carriers turned up several “free” tablets online. The cheapest were all AT&T 2-year contracts. The exact monthly payments depended on multiple plan details. Full disclosure: the author doesn’t take any money from AT&T and the author’s boss didn’t have anything to do with this article or research.
Top 5 Tablets under contract | |||
---|---|---|---|
Tablet | Price | Retailer | Memory |
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 (Certified Like-New) | Free with 2 year contract | AT&T | 16 GB, 8 inch screen |
LG G Pad F 8.0 | Free with 2 year contract | AT&T | 16 GB, 8 inch screen |
LG G Pad F 8.0 (Certified Like-New) | Free with 2 year contract | AT&T | 16 GB, 8 inch screen |
AT&T Trek HD | Free with 2 year contract | AT&T | 16 GB, 8 inch screen |
ASUS MeMO Pad 7 LTE | Free with 2 year contract | AT&T | 16 GB, 7 inch screen |
Related: 35 iPhone Apps That Will Save You Money Now
The Cheapest Tablets We Don’t Trust: $30 to $35
Cheapest Tablets No One's Heard Of | |||
---|---|---|---|
Tablet | Price | Specs | Store |
Avatar Sirius S701-R2A ARM Cortex-A9 | $29.99 | 4GB, 7 inch screen, Android 4.1 | Newegg |
A23 Capacitive Dual Camera Tablet PC | $32.99 | 4GB, 7 inch screen, Android 4.4 | Newegg |
SKYTEX Technology Inc - SKYPAD SP717 | $33.74 | 8GB, 7 inch screen, Android 4.2 | Amazon |
Ogima Google Android Tablet (7 in) | $33.99 | 8GB, 7 inch screen, Android 4.4 | Amazon |
Insignia Flex Tablet | $34.99 | 8GB, 7 inch screen, Android 4.4 | Bestbuy |