Ranking: Best tablets for under 300 dollars/euros

Its high display brightness of over 800 cd/m² as well as the 144 Hz refresh rate really help the Pad 7 stand out. Despite the great display, its real-world battery life leaves little to desire at around 18 to 20 hours. The SoC (Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7+ Gen3) is super fast for the price range.

Its build quality and speakers are very decent and for those who need it, stylus input is supported. A Xiaomi keyboard case is available for this tablet, too. Please note that 4G LTE or GPS are not on board, there is no fingerprint sensor and the base warranty is quite short [in Germany]. We don't expect this product to get many years of software updates, either.

The Xiaomi Pad 7 is an overall good offering thanks to its fast SoC, very good display with stylus support and long battery life.

In Germany, the tablet can currently be had for 279 euros from Kaufland, among other options.

The Alldocube iPlay 70 mini Ultra is finally an affordable 8.8-inch tablet with decent performance and a 144 Hz QHD+ display with high contrast and a brightness of over 500 cd/m², but the calibration leaves something to be desired. The performance of the built-in Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 is also more than double that of the Helios G99 of many cheaper tablets. You also get a microSD card reader and 5 years of security updates. The battery life of 16 hours is also impressive

Less ideal are the heat development under continuous load, the mediocre speakers and camera and the lack of biometric security options.

With the iPlay 70 mini Pro, Alldocube finally offers an affordable 8-inch tablet with decent features.

Despite an RRP of 400 euros, you can get the iPlay 70 mini Ultra from Alldocube for less than 300 euros on Amazon. With the voucher code "JMPLNUZZ" it is currently only 269 euros.

The most affordable Samsung tablet with S Pen support is the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024). Unlike the cheaper Tab A9+ (ranked 4th), its refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz, and it comes with just 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC storage.

The mid-range Samsung Exynos 1280 SoC is somewhat outdated and falls well behind the Snapdragon 870 5G in the Xiaomi Pad 6 (ranked 1st). However, battery life is impressive at 12.5 to nearly 16 hours, and the tablet features solid speakers and a sturdy metal case.

For those seeking an affordable tablet with S Pen support, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a solid option.

However, other budget tablets outperform it in most other areas. The 128 GB variant is currently available on Amazon DE for 222 euros.

In 3rd place was the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro as it is now available for less than 300 euros for the first time - not to be confused with the IdeaPad Pro Laptop series.

The 12.7-inch tablet offers a great deal: high-quality casing, stylus, fast Dimensity 8300, powerful sound, fast WLAN, expandable, fast memory and long runtimes. The 3K IPS display also offers 144 Hz, but is not very bright at just under 400 cd/m². The cameras are usable at best and the SoC throttles under load.

The Idea Tab Pro from Lenovo offers many advantages, but the low display brightness in particular limits mobile use.

The price of the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro has risen to 319 euroson Amazon.

The Honor Pad 9 features a 12.1-inch QHD IPS display with 120 Hz, 600 cd/m² brightness, and pen support, while the Snapdragon 6 G1 delivers mid-range performance and 11-hour battery life.

It sports a sturdy metal case among other good things. Among the things lacking are an IP certification, 5G, WiFi 6, and a fingerprint sensor.

The Honor Pad 9 is currently available on Amazon DE for 240 euros.

The Huawei MatePad 11.5 S features an 11.5-inch 2.8K 144Hz matte display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, pen support, and a fast Kirin 9000WL SoC.

Its premium metal case is just 6 mm thin and weighs only 510 grams, complemented by quality speakers and nearly 14-hour battery life. However, it lacks LTE, GPS, and its 450 cd/m² brightness is lower than some competitors.

The MatePad 11.5 S impresses with its work-friendly matte display but could improve in contrast and brightness. Saturn is currently offering it for 269 euros, with the next best price at 299 euros on Amazon DE.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ offers a 90Hz refresh rate on its 11-inch FHD IPS display, optional 5G, Samsung DeX, and four years of updates, with the Snapdragon 695 replacing its predecessor’s Unisoc T618.

It includes 64 GB of storage, 4 GB of RAM, expandable up to 1 TB via microSD (without setting it as internal storage), and a sturdy aluminum case. The four speakers deliver solid audio, and battery life reaches nearly 15.5 hours.

While the Tab A9+ provides a bright 90Hz display, DeX, and good performance at a budget price, drawbacks include slow 15W charging, no power adapter, and no fingerprint sensor. The base version is available for 165 euros on Amazon DE.

The 8.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, unlike the larger Tab A9+, features a 60Hz display with a lower resolution of 1,340 x 800 pixels and optional 4G.

For those seeking a compact tablet, the Galaxy Tab A9 is an affordable option, though it lacks a fingerprint sensor and does not include a power adapter.

It is powered by the MediaTek Helios G99 SoC paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Battery life reaches up to 19 hours, and Samsung guarantees updates for four years. Galaxus currently offers the base model for 122 euros with free shipping.

The Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE succeeds the Redmi Pad, maintaining a durable aluminum housing and an impressive 17-hour battery life, while increasing the screen size from 10.6 to 11 inches, though pixel density drops from 220 to 206 ppi. A headphone jack is now included.
The Snapdragon 680 4G is up to 30% slower than the Helio G99, particularly in single-core tasks.

Xiaomi delivers an affordable mid-range tablet with excellent quad speakers, but it lacks satellite positioning and a fingerprint sensor.

The 90Hz FHD+ IPS display is now 50 cd/m² brighter at 450 cd/m² and covers around 93% of sRGB. The 8GB RAM/256GB model is priced at 177 euros, while the 4GB/128GB version is available for 145 euros on Amazon DE.

The Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro 5G is a budget-friendly 12.1-inch tablet featuring a QHD+ 120Hz IPS display, a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC, and 6 to 8 GB RAM with 128 to 256 GB storage. While the cameras and speakers are underwhelming, and no charger is included, battery life is excellent at 15.5 to 17.5 hours.

The Redmi Pad Pro supports 5G and dual SIM, with an optional stylus available. However, it lacks dust and water protection and long-term software updates.

The 6 GB RAM/128 GB variant is currently available for 239 euros at Galaxus.