Since my debut feature for JC last year with the Smartphone Buyers Guide I’ve been overwhelmed with requests for advice on the next best device to have, especially Tablets. It’s confusing for us end users for we don’t really know what these devices do (except the obvious) and what they cannot do. Then there’s the price factor, I mean, not all of us can afford Apple’s iPad Airs and the likes.
Tablets are virtually tailor-made for everyday situations, whether we’re checking emails at the hotel, keeping up-to-date with notes (or tweets) in a lecture or watching movies on the Gaubus home. It’s now relatively significant to find a cheap, full-featured tablets – you know, those that can do everything your PC does but at a fraction of the size and price. The tablet landscape is changing rapidly and as there’s a gush of new tablets and gadgets alike reaching our shores every second month – or so – we put together this tablet buyers guide in efforts to help you decide which of these models is worth the space in your travel bag (and a chunk of your salary).
Less popular brands; Lenovo and Asus are on the list, and Windows tablets sit shoulder-to-shoulder with their mobile OS rivals. I’ve even gone as far as to bring back Alcatel to life thanks to updated software and a significant price cuts to its devices. Whether you’re looking for a productivity machine or just something to watch movies on, we’ve got a tablet that should fit the bill.
R999
Vodacom Smart Tab 3G
Here’s what you have to remember about Vodacom: Not only does it sell models from leading brands, but it also sells their own. So, after reading loads of unhappy user reviews from folks who bought cheap, no-name tablets, the network giant decided it could do better. The Smart Tab is the company’s attempt to blow all those other flimsy budget tabs out of the water. For as little as R999 (or R79 pm x24), you get a durable device offering long battery life, useful parental-control features and a crisp 1,280 x 800 screen — as sharp as anything you’ll otherwise find at this price. In other terms, it’s not perfect — it’s heavy for a 7-inch device, and the build quality is fairly low-end — but for such a low price, the value here is unbeatable.
Alcatel OneTouch Pop 7
Hold on, you may say — what happened to Vodacom’s Smart Tab 3G, wasn’t that enough? We still think that’s a good device, but Alcatel’s OneTouch is now our R999 7-inch Android tablet of choice. It lasts much longer on a charge than its Vodacom counterpart, offers a smarter control layout and supports HDMI video out that the Tab 3G lacks. You won’t even pay much more to get these features, since they’re all within the same price range. While you won’t get the Tab 3G’s calling capabilities, the Pop 7 is well-rounded compared to its peers.
R1700
Lenovo A3300
Well, Lenovo’s IdeaTab A3300 gives the user exactly what it promises – the ability to use the tablet as a smartphone, and that is to call brauzit not only where there is a Wi-Fi-coating for minimum money. All other features (design, display, platform, cameras, etc.) expectedly weak, but as we normally say, get everything at once can only be in a perfect world.
R2999
Microsoft Nextbook 10.1
The Nextbook remains a value champ among larger Windows tablets, even several months into its debut. As of this writing, around R2999 will get you a quad-core tablet that runs desktop Windows apps, lasts for up to 11 hours on a charge, carries 32GB of storage and comes with its own keyboard dock. The Nextbook doesn’t have the performance needed for more demanding apps, but it could still be ideal for anyone who wants a tablet that can double as a basic laptop. Only available at Makro.
R3000
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4
Whether you’re getting a 7-inch or 10.5-inch edition, the Tab 4 has one of the best-looking screens you’ll see on any tablet – it’s extremely bright and vivid (even when outdoors), yet produces deep blacks that you’ll notice in dimmer lighting. It also has some of the best battery life we’ve seen from any tablet, and the thinner, lighter body is that much easier to hold when reading that long book or slides from the morning’s lecture. You will take a bit of a performance hit versus the Tab Pros, but this should definitely be on your short list if you’re a frequent movie watcher. Our pick is the 7-inch model, since it offers all the Tab S features in a smaller, cheaper package; if you do a lot of multitasking or just want a big display, however, the 10.5-inch variant is also a fine choice.
R3699
Asus MeMo Pad 7
ASUS had a sleeper hit last year with their tablet range. During my review it wasn’t the most powerful tablet by any means, but it delivered better performance and software than devices costing twice as much. For that reason, we’re recommending the new MeMO Pad 7 — it builds on that successful formula with a more powerful Atom processor, refined software and a better front camera. There’s no big revolution here, but it’s a reliable choice among sub-R3000 tablets.
R5500
Apple iPad Mini (16GB, WiFi)
It may sound a bit clichéd, but Apple’s new iPad Mini really is the best tablet the company’s ever made. The design language the folks in Cupertino (that’s Apple’s headquarters for those who don’t know) have applied has barely changed since last year, but no matter — this year’s Mini is both noticeably thinner (18 percent) and notably faster (thanks to that A8X chip) than the version that came before it. That’s not to say Apple completely knocked it out of the park, though. Those performance gains and a slightly smaller battery mean your Air 2 probably won’t stay juiced up for quite as long as your old Air did, but hey — it’s one of the best all-around tablets money can buy. Who doesn’t love flashing the Apple sign anyways?
By Papi Mabele