Good 8" Android Tablet

I currently use a Samsung Galaxy S2 for my Android tablet for reading and light gaming; and it’s starting to show it’s age a bit with battery life and the kinds of game it supports. I was thinking about a Huawei 8″ tablet (since those have received some pretty stellar reviews) but with the ban going on, I’m hoping there are alternatives.

So – what are the good-to-great 8″ Android tablets out there?

Conversation 14 comments

  • illuminated

    17 June, 2019 - 2:20 pm

    <p>I was looking to upgrade my 8 inch android tablet as well and I found out that there was very little progress. I had to get a 10+ inch tablet just to get a bit faster processor that was newer than 5 years or so old. Nowadays even budget phones have faster processors than some 8 inch android tablets. Android tablet situation is not good.</p>

    • vernonlvincent

      Premium Member
      21 June, 2019 - 9:23 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#435843">In reply to illuminated:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm kind of coming to the same conclusion that I'll have to get a 10" tablet (or 9.7 or whatever). I guess it's not that big of a deal. The thing I like about the 8" tablets is that they are comparable in size to a normal hardcover book, which I really like. The 10" tablets feel like I'm always reading a magazine. It's weird, I know.</p>

    • Lauren Glenn

      23 July, 2019 - 7:23 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#435843">In reply to illuminated:</a></em></blockquote><p>I just picked up a Samsung S5e and am enjoying the screen size quite a bit. Not some weird 3:2 ratio or like phones where it's 2.1:1 or something. Looks like a regular 16:9 ratio and great for watching videos, podcasts, TV shows, etc. without having letterbox bars on it.</p><p><br></p><p>I liked my iPad but this does the trick for me now. Plus, you can just turn on DeX mode and have the screen be like a Chromebook. I assume you can hook it up via USB-C to a monitor and get a mini-PC type feel on it… </p><p><br></p><p>$400 for 64GB of storage (and wifi) is not too bad. They do have LTE variants but I wasn't going to spend another $150 or so when I don't use that too often. I can just tether to my phone for now.</p><p><br></p><p>Screen does look pretty good though… just if you're going to use it with Wifi, put it in a case to avoid the iPhone 4 like "antenna-gate thing"</p>

  • christian.hvid

    17 June, 2019 - 2:40 pm

    <p>I like my Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2, but only because it can take a beating like nothing else – it's probably no faster than the one you already have. </p><p><br></p><p>Unless you have a really good reason to buy an Android tablet, you should probably opt for an iPad mini instead. Or one of the oversized Android phones, like the 6.7 inch Galaxy A70.</p><p><br></p>

    • vernonlvincent

      Premium Member
      18 June, 2019 - 8:56 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#435845">In reply to christian.hvid:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah – I actually started looking at the iPad Mini. But it comes down to the fact that I don't want to have to pay the Apple app store tax on things I get from the Kindle bookstore or some other app where I can get digital in-app purchases. </p>

      • lvthunder

        Premium Member
        18 June, 2019 - 11:04 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#435976">In reply to vernonlvincent:</a></em></blockquote><p>You don't pay the Apple store tax on Kindle books. They make you buy them on the website instead of in the app to get around it.</p>

        • vernonlvincent

          Premium Member
          18 June, 2019 - 11:53 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#436009">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>I was generalizing, but thank you for the clarification. In the particular instance of the Kindle – I don't want to pull out my Android phone, make the purchase – and then resync my iPad Kindle app. </p>

  • F4IL

    17 June, 2019 - 5:53 pm

    <p>I have a Xiaomi MiPad 4 which i bought for 190€. It goes without saying I had to import mine, since these are meant for the Chinese market.</p>

  • Bats

    18 June, 2019 - 10:56 am

    <p>How much are you willing to spend?</p>

    • vernonlvincent

      Premium Member
      18 June, 2019 - 11:57 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436007">In reply to Bats:</a></em></blockquote><p>Well, since it's an 8" tablet I want, I was thinking in the sub $400 range. Swappa has the same model Samsung tablet I have for $145 – so somewhere between those two prices.</p>

  • the escalation

    19 June, 2019 - 5:15 pm

    <p>I'm sure there's a reason that you haven't yet mentioned, but why not just pick up one of Amazon's Fire HD tablets? They can be modified to run the Play Store now with very little effort, and there is an 8" version available. </p>

    • vernonlvincent

      Premium Member
      21 June, 2019 - 9:21 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436357">In reply to the escalation:</a></em></blockquote><p>Well – I don't really want something that can be made to serve another function. I don't want to modify the tablet to run something else – I just want to buy the thing, hook up my account ,and use it.</p><p><br></p><p>Beyond that – I really don't have any other reasons.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

      • the escalation

        21 June, 2019 - 11:52 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#436670">In reply to vernonlvincent:</a></em></blockquote><p>Fair enough! </p>

  • bob_shutts

    21 June, 2019 - 11:51 am

    <p>I'm not an Android user but the LG G Pad F2 is an 8 inch Android tablet that looks pretty sweet. Sold by Sprint online.</p>

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