Here’s a principle that Android users and fans can apply to both software and hardware: Android is all about diversity and the freedom of choice. But while the top-end race gets all the attention, there is a sector that has become increasingly interesting to watch, as the aforementioned race gets more intense: the ultra low-cost Android tablet market.
So, we’ve set to answer a seemingly crazy question. How far will $100-$125 get you when it comes to purchasing an Android tablet?
Not much if you’re planning to impress your buddy, owner of a new iPad. But if you’re willing to acknowledge that you do get what you pay for, you’ll find that basic web browsing and multimedia rendering are just a couple of tasks that all the following tablets are able to perform with ease. So let’s not waste any more time and take a quick look at the Android tablets you can buy for around $100-$125. Just don’t expect any mind-blowing specs!
Coby Kyros 7-inch Android 4.0 tablet
- Price: $125
- Android Version: 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- Display Size: 7.0 inches
- Display Resolution: 800 by 480
- Processor: 1 GHz 8803 CORTEX A8
- Ram: 1GB
- Internal Memory: 4 GB
- SD Expansion Slot: Yes
- Others: Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
- Buy here
Unbranded Tablet on Amazon
- Price: $132
- Android Version: 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- Display Size: 7 inches
- Display Resolution: 800 by 480
- Processor: A10 -1.2GHZ(cortex A8)
- Ram: 512MB DDR3
- Internal Memory: 4GB
- SD Expansion Slot: Yes
- Others: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
- Buy here
AVS 7″ Multi-Touch Capacitive A10 Tablet
- Price: $123
- Android Version: 2.3 Gingerbred
- Display Size: 7 inches
- Display Resolution: 800 by 480
- Processor: 1GHz Allwinner Tech BOXCHIP A10 Cortex-A8 CPU
- Ram: 512 MB
- Internal Memory: 4 GB
- SD Expansion Slot: Yes
- Others: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, support for external 3G dongle
- Buy here
Ainol NOVO7 Paladin
- Price: $110
- Android Version: 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- Display Size: 7 inches
- Display Resolution: 800 by 480
- Processor: 1Ghz CPU, single-core
- Ram: 512 MB
- Internal Memory: 8GB
- SD Expansion Slot: Yes
- Others: WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), support for external 3G dongle
- Buy here
Archos Arnova 7 G2 4GB
- Price: $110
- Android Version: 2.3 Gingerbread
- Display Size: 7 inches
- Display Resolution: 800 by 480
- Processor: 1GHz single core
- Ram: 512MB
- Internal Memory: 4GB
- SD Expansion Slot: No
- Others: 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
- Buy here
Conclusion
While there are other tablets out there in the $100-$125 price range, they are all almost the same when it comes to the specs. If you’re seriously planning to get a ultra low cost Android tablet, than your choices ultimately boil down to choosing the OS (Gingerbread vs ICS), the amount of internal storage, and 3G dongle support. As expected, all tablets in this price range have a 7-inch screen running at 800 by 480 and feature a 1GHz single-core processor alongside 512MB of RAM. Just make sure you read a few customer reviews before ordering one!
What are your opinions on ultra low-cost Android tablets? Do they hurt the ecosystem as a whole, or are they welcomed additions to the Android tablet universe? Let us know in the comment section below!
This article, Android tablets: What will $100 (or so) buy you? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com – Your Android News Source.
I have one of these no-name Chinese 7″ tablets based on a 1GHz Allwinner A10 CPU (looks a lot like the pix for Amazon and AVS above). Comes with ICS 4.0.3 and includes gmail and the android market/play apps. Running around $95 on ebay these days.
Overall, good build quality, bright screen, and reasonable performance for a single-core CPU; the only downside of the model I have is the small battery (maybe 2-3 hours of heavy surfing, max). Looks like 10″ models based on this CPU are starting to appear in the $150 to $175 range; this is getting interesting.