Mid-Price Tablets
The point where performance and quality
reach equilibrium. You'll never find the best tablets here, but unless you're
obsessed with having the newest, fastest device, there are actually some
bargains to be had by snapping up last year's old stock.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab 7.7 - $480 - $800
Bigger than most 7" tablets, but not
quite as impressive as a 10" device, the Galaxy Tab is, let's not forget,
a brand with a good reputation behind it. This was one of the best devices in
its class when it was released, and with Android 4.0, a 1,4GHz dual-core A9, 1
280x800 resolution screen and 1 GB of RAM, its specs are still more than
competitive. That said, it's rather strange to find a 3MP rear camera, which is
far below par. Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, the release of the
Galaxy Tab 2 line has knocked hundreds off the price of even the most costly,
meaning you can pick it up at truly bargain levels compared to its original
RRP. That said, the Galaxy Tab 2 itself is far cheaper, leaving earlier models
in something of a hinterland. Do you really want to pay close to £500 when
newer models are even cheaper?
Apple
iPad 2 - $525- $686
Still available despite the release of its
successor, the iPad 2 represents a reasonably affordable entry point into
Apple's tablet ecosystem. There's a 10" screen, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of
storage (models at higher capacities have been discontinued) and optional 3G.
echnologically speaking, it's starting to look a little creaky (the 1024x768
screen definitely looks weak compared to more recent devices) but the strength
of Apple's software, branding, support and services means that it's still a
very strong device. It probably best aimed at consumers with little to no
technical knowledge or a specific disinterest in fine control over their
software. Or, lest we forget, those who just want an Apple tablet as cheaply as
possible.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) - $480 - $575
First things first: for some bizarre
reason, it appears that you can knock $9.6 off the price of the Galaxy Tab 2
just by getting it in white, so it goes without saying that you should
definitely do that. The Galaxy Tab 2 is already cheap for what it is - an
Android 4.0 device with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a 1280x800 screen, but
Samsung's choice to shift it towards the middle of the market means it ends up
competing with products it's ill-equipped to fight. It's not actually much
different to previous Galaxy Tabs, and Samsung has simply tried to chop it back
into a price range away from the iPad rather than engineer something truly
competitive. At $480 it isn't awfully expensive, but it's ultimately a
disappointing entry from the otherwise strong Samsung.
Acer
Iconia Tab A700 - $608
Another Android 4.0 device, the Acer Iconia
Tab A700 runs a 1,3GHz Tegra 3 CPU, has a 10" 1920x1200 screen, dual
cameras, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It's not quite as impressive as the
Asus Transformer, which has similar specs, but then it is a great deal cheaper.
$608 is a good price for hardware like this - particularly the screen. It's
definitely thicker than the Transformer Prime and the iPad, but the real
concerns lie elsewhere. Aside from the screen size, it's surprisingly similar
to the much older and cheaper Iconia A510 - and the latter's smaller display
means that the experience actually feels smoother on the smaller device, despite
benchmarking performance being roughly equivalent. Ultimately, it's a device
that proves to be a jack of all trades, and master of none, too expensive for
buyers on a budget, but not quite powerful enough for those looking for
performance.
