Finding the Best 8-Inch Tablets

Welcome to our guide to the best 8-inch tablets available online based on reviews, consumer feedback and sales volume.

A more modern variation in tablet size, 8-inch tablets are popular among users who prefer a larger screen that’s still more comfortable to hold than traditional slate tablets. With the popularity of 7-inch tablets and 10-inch tablets it’s easy to ignore the lucky number eight. At one time, 8-inch tablets were rare, however today they have wowed consumers and experts alike and have risen in popularity. Many also prefer the size of an 8-inch display, being a comfortable medium between the more popular smaller and larger size displays. That’s why we have created this list of the best 8-inch tablets so you can choose the one that is right for you.

Top Pick >> Runners Up >> Honorable Mentions >>

Best 8-Inch Tablet – Top Picks

These top picks have been curated out of dozens of popular tablets at leading retailers for their performance, attention to detail and value for money.

Amazon Fire HD 8 – 32 GB (2017)

Amazon’s 2017 edition of the Fire HD 8 has earned itself a top spot in the bestsellers list on Amazon due to its great value and overall performance. This budget tablet features an 8-inch, 1280 x 800 LCD IPS screen, which many users found to be more than sufficient. However, the folks over at Trusted Reviews have found that the screen reflects quite a bit of ambient light, which could be a little annoying and inconvenient at times. Little complaints were directed towards its performance, with users finding that the 1.3Ghz quad-processor ensures a rather responsive tablet. The battery life is around 12 hours for most and it features Amazon’s super helpful and super intuitive AI, Alexa. FireOS is based on Android, but some found that it does take some time to get used to it. The Amazon Appstore is packed with apps, however, some of the best Android apps, such as the Google suite of apps, are absent, which may be disappointing for some. The Fire HD 8 also comes with useful parental control abilities and a rather impressive battery life of around 12-hours. The two stereo speakers have been commended by many, finding that they are loud and clear enough when used for both movies and music. The RAM is still the same as the previous version at 1.5GB, and as mentioned above, it allows for reasonable performance and makes multitasking fairly easy. The Fire HD 8 remains a popular budget tablet amongst Amazon customers, and thanks to its great price and decent performance, it will surely remain one of the top 2017 budget tablets.

Top 8-Inch Tablet – Runners-Up

Lenovo Tab 4

The 2017 Lenovo Tab 4 is a well affordable tablet that has received some already great reviews. That 8-inch tablet is able to deliver some reasonably snappy performances, even though it only has a Snapdragon 425 under its bonnet. The 2GB of RAM allows for smooth multitasking, and with its large 4850mAh battery, it certainly carries enough juice to be used for most of the day. The screen may only be 1280×800, but the HD LCD IPS screen has received a fair amount of praise from users, who thought it is clear and crisp. Although some reviewers did suggest that it is prone to glare. It comes with Android 7.1 Nougat, and Lenovo have tried to keep it to a mostly stock Android experience, with very little bloatware included on the device. THe 16GB of onboard storage is pretty slim, because the OS system files do take up just under half of the space, but you can easily expand that space with a microSD card, allowing one to add an additional 256GB of storage. The cameras are nothing to write home about. The rear camera is 5MP and front 2MP. The design did not receive much criticism, but some were fairly confused by the power button located in the middle of the side of the tablet, finding that the placement was rather inconvenient. The dual front facing speakers are quite soft according to some reviewers, wishing that it could be a tad louder. Lastly, some reviewers described the screen as being a fingerprint magnet, so be prepared for a lot of smudges.

Apple iPad Mini 4

If you already own an iPad Mini 3, there isn’t any compelling reason to upgrade to the Mini 4. However, users looking for a compact 8-inch tablet and those still using the original Mini will be happy with what the Mini 4 brings to the table. Sporting an all-metal aluminum build, the Mini 4 has the same look and feel of the original, although it is a tad thinner and lighter at 0.65 pounds. There is also a fingerprint sensor built into the Home button for advanced authentication. More significant changes can be observed in benchmarks thanks to the new A8 chip inside which is a lot faster than the old A5 chip. The A8-powered Mini 4 doesn’t experience any crashes or lag in everyday use but in heavy-duty tasks it lags behind the A9 powered iPhone 6S. The base model comes with just 16GB of storage, and since the Apple doesn’t include microSD card slot, if you plan on downloading tons of apps, the 64GB or 128GB version is recommended. The tablet’s 7.9-inch 2048 x 1436 pixel display is the same one used on the Mini 2 and Mini 3. With a pixel density of 326 ppi, everything on the screen looks very sharp and bright, and the screen size is ideal for e-book reading. Apple claims the Mini 4 lasts for 10 hours on battery, which means you will rarely need to charge twice in a day.

Huawei MediaPad M3 BTV-W09

The MediaPad M3 is designed to look like a larger Huawei P9, and it inherits the flagship phone’s metal unibody, clear-cut lines and chamfered edges. Sporting a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels, the 8.4-inch display is near-perfect for multimedia use. Colors are vivid, blacks are dark, viewing angles are spectacular and although the panel can be a little too reflective in the outdoors, it gets sufficiently bright. Speakers are an important aspect of a media tablet, and the M3 doesn’t disappoint. The dual speakers output excellent sound quality and the software provides additional tweaks that help balance the sound. Speaking of the software, the MediaPad M3 ships with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which brings more than a few useful refinements to the tablet. Unfortunately, despite receiving a recent update, the Emotion UI still remains one of the worst custom interfaces around. On the bright side, Huawei has fitted top-of-the-range hardware under the hood – a 2.3GHz octa-core processor, Mali-T880 GPU and 4GB RAM – to ensure everything runs smoothly. General tasks are handled effortlessly and not even the most demanding games are too much for the M3. The 8MP rear camera doesn’t disappoint, and with 32GB of internal storage, all your pictures have enough space to call home. Tucked under the chassis is a well-sized 5100mAh battery, which not only offers a good 11 hours of life, but is also commendably efficient while the device is in use.

ASUS Z380M-A2-GR Zenpad 8

The ASUS Z380M-A2-GR Zenpad 8 is yet another budget-friendly tablet that pushes the cost as low as it can by striking a commendable balance with design, performance and efficiency. It might be made entirely of plastic, but it still manages a slick and modern look due to its decorative polished metallic frame coating. The casing has rounded corners and soft-touch finish over a subtle crisscross pattern that make the tablet a pleasure to hold. Up and running, the device offers an 8-inch 1280 x 800 IPS display with LED backlighting. You won’t get the color reproduction and sharpness that is native to higher-resolution panels but the brightness is sufficient and the viewing angles are wide enough. The MeMO Pad 8 comes loaded with Android 6 Marshmallow, which is well supplemented by the popular Zen UI. The custom UI doesn’t interfere with any Android basics, but it adds a modern graphics design and a customized list of quick settings. The Android experience is nothing but exceptional, thanks to proper software optimization and a suite of preloaded apps, most of which are quite useful. Powered by a 1.3 GHz MediaTek MT8163 Quad-Core CPU and 2GB of RAM, basic tablet functionality is fairly smooth. Light to moderate gaming is also handled well, although you can expect stuttering when you subject it to more graphically-intensive titles. 16GB internal storage space and a 5-megapixel rear camera fit comfortably with the Zenpad’s price, but we were rather surprised with the battery life, which lasted a good 8 hours.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-T350 8-Inch

The Galaxy Tab A SM-T350 is Samsung’s latest 8-inch tablet featuring a refreshed design, powerful internal hardware and a longer battery life than the Galaxy Tab 4. With a 4:3 aspect ratio its display has a wider viewing area than a typical 8-inch display, which is preferable for users who spend a lot of time on ebooks and browsers on their tablets. However, the screen only has a 1,024×768-pixel resolution so the text can appear slightly pixelated, though not hard to read. On the plus side videos look sharp and clear. Like other Samsung devices, it’s made of plastic exuding a cheap feel, but its look is trendy thanks to its slim and lightweight construction. The edges are rounded and the back panel is smoothed out for a comfortable grip. It runs the latest Android Lollipop 5.0 customized by Samsung’s TouchWiz skin. The modified UI adds a bunch of useful features for easy navigation including multi-window function. It also comes bundled with Microsoft Office Package – a useful addition for productivity users. The Tab A is equipped with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of Storage with a microSD card slot expandable up to 128GB. Although not a beast, it can still sail through everyday tasks like email, web browsing, video streaming and basic mobile gaming. On a full charge, its battery lasts up to 13 hours or more depending on your usage. If you want an everyday tablet with an exceptional battery life without breaking the bank, the Tab A SM-T350 is among our top recommendations.

8-Inch Tablet – Honorable Mentions

 

iPad Mini 2

For those looking for a great iPad experience on a tight budget, the Mini 2 ME276LL/A now with a reduced price, will save you a lot of money. While it lacks the speed and the fingerprint reader of the Mini 4, it offers the same metallic design and high resolution screen as well as enough power to satisfy any basic users. The Mini 2 features a stunning all-metal aluminum design that is unmatched by any of its Android rivals. The Dell Venue 8 7000 is one of the few Android tablets that comes close to mimicking its elegant look and feel. With slim bezels and a thin body, it is comfortable to hold in one hand despite a relatively wider 7.9-inch display. The Mini 2 has a gorgeous 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution display with excellent brightness, color accuracy and viewing angles. The 4:3 aspect ratio feels more natural while reading, giving the iPad Mini an edge over other 7 or 8-inch tablets. The tablet is powered by a dated but still adequate A7 64-bit processor backed by 1GB RAM. It can handle most of the applications and games currently on the app store. However, if you are a power user who wants a more future proof device, the iPad Mini 4 or Air 2 with the newer A8 and A8X chips offer a significant performance boost. Overall, the iPad mini 2 offers a premium iOS experience on a compact package for an affordable price.

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Lenovo Tab3 A8

The Lenovo Tab3 A8 is the larger of the two in their new cheap and family friendly tablet line. The design is strictly functional, with a plastic build. This is to be expected due to its budget nature, however, it still feels solid with a good build quality, and it is splash proof as well. The 1280 x 800 resolution on the 8-inch screen makes images look a little fuzzy, but nothing deal-breaking, as it offers a pleasing viewing experience for the price. There is auto-brightness adjust as well, which is not usually found on budget tablets. Mediatek is the route LG chose to go for the processor, packing a 1.0GHz Quad-core processor, backed by 1GB of RAM. The tablet is responsive, and the interface is snappy, but again, nothing record breaking. 16GB is a bit lacking in terms of storage. However, this is supplemented by the card slot. LG created the device with family use in mind, and hence, Android Marshmallow has been customized to allow multiple users with easy switching via a swipe-down menu. A Kids’ mode is available as well with a slew of parental controls, making the device child-friendly. You get standard 5MP and 2MP cameras at the back and front respectively, and a large 4290mAh battery for extended use.

NuVision (2017)

If you’re a Windows fan, and you are on a tight budget, the 2017 Nuvision 8-inch tablet should not be overlooked. It boasts a Full-HD display that is said to be sharp and clear, and runs most basic tasks with relative ease. The Intel Atom x5-Z8300 Quad-Core Processor does take a hit when resource heavy apps are running, however. The 2GB of RAM is decent for multitasking and most thought that the tablet feels good in hand with its lightweight build, weighing in at 9.6-ounces. It has a dedicated Windows capacitive key on the front of the device, and two built-in speakers at the bottom. There were some reports that its Wi-Fi is terribly slow, making web page load times slightly slow and updates a headache. Furthermore, the battery life has received quite a bit of criticism. It states that it has around 6 hours of battery on a single charge, but some reports suggest around 4 hours at most. It has 32GB of internal storage, but it may be recommended to upgrade that to 64GB via a microSD card, as Windows 10 does take up quite a bit of space, leaving you with only 10-14GB of free space for you to work with, and apps and files will fill up that space really quickly. Its screen is said be responsive and easy to use. Some found that it froze randomly, however, requiring a reboot. This does prove to be rather frustrating, but for the price, most were still impressed with its capabilities.

Conclusion

These are our hand selected premium 8-inch tablets available as you hunt for the ultimate deal – not even taking into account the best 7-inch tablets and the best 10-inch tablets – but, at the end of the day, your number one will depend on what you value in a tablet and the type of user that you are. The Samsung Galaxy is a top notch all around tablet with great features and a slick design to boot. If consuming media is what you’re all about then the Kindle HD or Kindle HDX are great options with easy links to Amazon’s vast array of content. On the other side of the coin, business and productivity users may need to look no further than the Dell Venue, which offers Windows 8 in dynamite package.