The best cheap tablet deals in April 2023: iPad, Samsung Galaxy and more

For years now, tech brands such as Apple, Microsoft and Samsung have told us the future of computing is tablets, instead of laptops.

These companies produce tablets with a broad range of screen sizes, features and prices. Some can be bought with detachable keyboards, others have convenient kickstands, and many work with digital styluses to help unleash your inner artist.

Tablets are often lighter, thinner and generally more portable and convenient than a laptop, with a broader price range and smartphone-based operating systems to make them easy enough for anyone to use.

When thinking of tablet computers, it’s easy to jump straight into the Apple Store and pick up an iPad. Yes, the iPad range is larger than ever – with prices stretching from over £350 for the latest iPad (from £369, Apple.com), to more than seven times that for a fully loaded 12.9in iPad pro (£2,679, Apple.com) – but there are plenty of alternatives out there, too.

Brands such as Lenovo, Samsung and Microsoft all offer a range of tablets to choose from. If you don’t own any Apple devices, and aren’t in the company’s ecosystem, looking at an alternative manufacturer can be a great idea – and it can potentially save you some money, too.

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Confusingly, Amazon says this is the “old version” of the Galaxy Tab A8, but there’s actually no such thing. The model number listed is that of the current model, which is the latest in the A series of affordable Android tablets. It launched in early 2022 alongside the top-end Galaxy Tab S8. This model takes a SIM card and supports 4G connections.

If you’re simply after a portable screen so you can watch your YouTube videos in the bathtub, we can’t recommend this tablet highly enough. The A8 has quality where it counts. Samsung has saved money by skimping on storage and RAM (which you don’t need much of for streaming) but focused on build quality, a long battery life, top security specs and proper stereo speakers.

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Though it’s now a few generations old, the 2021 version of Microsoft’s best-in-class hybrid laptop still comes highly recommended, especially at this price. A touchscreen tablet running the full-featured version of Windows, the Surface Pro 7+ is a genuinely portable workstation. With the addition of the optional keyboard cover case, it transforms into an excellent all-round laptop.

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Here’s a small discount on the iPad Pro. This is the 2022 model with an 11in display and 128GB of storage. It’s finished in space grey and is powered by Apple’s own, super-speedy M2 processor. Our reviewer gave the tablet a score of 9/10 and said: “The M2 is far and away the most effective chip in any tablet, and it is faster than many high-end laptops as well. Apple says graphics performance is 35 per cent faster than on the previous iPad Pro... And that’s the point of the iPad pro – to have the headroom to do anything you need effortlessly, now and in the future.”

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The previous generation Surface Go launched in 2020, and since the Surface Go 3 came along it’s tumbled in price to less than £300. Less powerful than the main Surface Pro series, the Surface Go is aimed at students who want the features of a laptop in the shape of a tablet.

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This deal sees the current-generation iPad Mini reduced to £723.99. This is the 2021 model with an 8.3in dislay and 256GB of storage. The tablet is finished in a colour Apple calls starlight, which is really a sort of soft champagne-gold, with a black display bezel. Features include a Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the power button, 12MP cameras on the front and rear, and, on this particular model, 5G connectivity. Our reviewer gave the table a score of 9/10 and said: “In terms of a slick, capable tablet that you can take anywhere, the new iPad mini has the lot.”

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There’s £60 of the 2020 version of the top-tier Samsung Galaxy tablet at Very. We consistently rate the S series of Samsung’s tablets as the best Android tablets you can buy, and though it’s a few years old now, the S6 Lite is still a fantastic and affordable device.

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The 7in Fire 7 is one of the best-value tablets you can get at just £49.99, and runs on Amazon’s own version of the Android operating system. Available in black, blue and pink, and with a 12-hour battery life, it’s the perfect tablet to binge-watch your favourite TV series.

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For the latest discounts on tablets and other tech offers, try the links below:

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Looking for more insight? Read our guide to the best tablets you can buy in 2023