Walmart Launches a Line of Low-Cost Tablets

Aping yet another Amazon business, Walmart this week announced its own lineup of inexpensive Android-based tablets.

And they are cheap: The retailer’s new Onn-branded tablets start at just $64, and there are three models that cost less than $100. Among the offerings is the 8-inch Onn Android Tablet, which costs $64 and the 10.1-inch Onn 16 GB Android Tablet, which costs $79. A version of the latter tablet with a detachable keyboard costs just $99.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The specifications are about as low-rent as you’d expect at these prices. Both tablets are powered by a 1.33 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage, and the display in each case is 1280 x 800. Battery life is rated at about 5.5 hours. But they seem ideal for children and their affordability should be appealing to many.

The cheapest Apple iPad is $329. But Walmart is really targeting Amazon here, and the online retailing giant—or etailer, as I call it—offers a variety of inexpensive tablets of its own, including the recently-updated 7-inch Fire 7 tablets, which start at $50. Amazon’s 8-inch Fire 8 Tablet starts at $80, and its 10.1-inch Fire HD Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free is $150 and up.

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 35 comments

  • Daekar

    23 May, 2019 - 9:40 am

    <p>The most important thing about these, to me, is that they're running full Android 9, not a fork without the Play Store. I would never consider a Fire device, but I could see myself buying one of the larger ones to use in the kitchen where it might get spilled on.</p>

    • Stooks

      23 May, 2019 - 10:50 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430147">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agreed with the lack of play store for a Fire device. It is not even a consideration.</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        23 May, 2019 - 12:12 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#430160">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p>Amazon doesn’t include the Play Store? I mean, I wasn’t interested in giving Amazon my money to start with, but that’s good to know. </p><p><br></p><p>One more reason to help make sure my family and friends don’t get one either. </p>

        • the_real_entheos

          24 May, 2019 - 7:58 pm

          <blockquote>There is a problem with this comment system, it said your comment was a "day ago", not the correct "decade ago"</blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><a href="#430171"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • bill_russell

        24 May, 2019 - 2:03 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#430160">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p>To be fair, the kids orientated UI and more appropriate limited selection of games and apps can be a benefit. We had 2 7" Fire's for a while but then one broke and other wasn't showing any availble apps anymore and was shelved. The kids moved on to old smartphones which worked better, but smaller.</p>

    • klhyvcfxe2 vtni56y

      23 May, 2019 - 12:45 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430147">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>You can add the Play Store to one. I have a Fire HD 8, and that's the first thing I did. </p><p><br></p>

      • Stooks

        23 May, 2019 - 2:42 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#430183">In reply to klhyvcfxe2_vtni56y:</a></em></blockquote><p>It is NOT a simple process for Joe Consumer.</p>

        • SvenJ

          23 May, 2019 - 3:21 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#430209"><em>In reply to Stooks:</em></a><em> </em>Amazing how the rank and file seem to have forgotten how to do things. For years they loaded software from floppies, CDs, the internet. The process to get the Play store on a Fire is: Google 'How to install the Play Store on a Fire Tablet', download four files, run four files. Done. How do these people earn a living, or prepare a meal? </blockquote><p><br></p>

          • Daekar

            23 May, 2019 - 9:06 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#430225">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>They don't earn a living doing anything that requires navigating a filesystem, and they often don't ever prepare meals. Many people only eat out, especially in cities.</p>

          • skane2600

            23 May, 2019 - 9:10 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#430225">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah, and what about loading via digital cassette as with the Digital Group computer kit circa 1978? Seriously, do many people who buy Fire tablets today have experience loading software from floppies? Besides, your description makes it quite clear that loading the Play Store on a Fire is more complicated than the other methods.</p>

    • akcanuck

      Premium Member
      23 May, 2019 - 1:32 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430147">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's really very easy to add the play store to the Fire tablets. </p>

      • Daekar

        23 May, 2019 - 1:45 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#430200">In reply to akcanuck:</a></em></blockquote><p>Easy for you and me, but if you gave those directions to any of my co-workers or family (except my brother, who is also an engineer) they would give you blank looks of confusion. Besides, why would you bother with the Fire products when these are available?</p>

  • Jeff.Bane

    23 May, 2019 - 9:45 am

    <p>Seem as good as their gaming PCs.</p>

  • Rob_Wade

    23 May, 2019 - 9:45 am

    <p>Ya lost me at "android".</p>

    • Stooks

      23 May, 2019 - 10:49 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430149">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>Buhhh bye!</p>

    • bill_russell

      24 May, 2019 - 1:59 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430149">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>Did you start reading expecting you might hear Windows or iOS? I think without being too critical we can officially say that windows is certainly not an appropriate OS on such a class of tablet and, well, an iScreen at $64 new? Not that any tablet should be this cheap. Some things are better not to be made at all, based on past experiences, but I haven't tried the latest el-cheapo tablets to re-confirm that opinion.</p>

      • skane2600

        24 May, 2019 - 2:20 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#430454">In reply to Bill_Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p>I wouldn't have minded a cheap Windows mobile tablet if the app support had been there, but that's a timeline that never materialized. But as far as full Windows is concerned, no, that wouldn't have been a good idea. Tablets just aren't very well suited for productivity work.</p>

  • bob_shutts

    23 May, 2019 - 10:12 am

    <p>Honestly, these look perfect for the grandkids.</p>

    • bill_russell

      24 May, 2019 - 2:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430153">In reply to Bob_Shutts:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes but in the past, cheap tablets were a gift that looked appealing to the giver but after a day might have well been a paperweight to the recipient. I have not tried sub-100 tablets for a few years.</p>

  • david.thunderbird

    23 May, 2019 - 12:37 pm

    <p>Just to de-foggy my old brain. These don't have ADs foisted on the unsuspecting normals?</p>

  • glenn8878

    23 May, 2019 - 12:57 pm

    <p>Kids are quite demanding. This won't be suitable for any kid over 4 years old. They rather have an iPad. </p>

    • Daekar

      23 May, 2019 - 9:04 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430194">In reply to glenn8878:</a></em></blockquote><p>Well… wouldn't everybody? Just because an iPad is a better product in almost every imaginable way doesn't mean that there is no place for these. Cost is a critical parameter in determining value.</p>

    • skane2600

      23 May, 2019 - 10:41 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430194">In reply to glenn8878:</a></em></blockquote><p>The idea that a 5 year old is a discriminating consumer of tablet devices seems a little disturbing. </p>

      • Greg Green

        26 May, 2019 - 12:58 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#430288">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>These days, probably more discriminating than grandma. “No grandma, hold it like this an touch over here.”</p>

    • brika

      23 May, 2019 - 10:54 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#430194"><em>In reply to glenn8878:</em></a><em>That's the job of a parent, don't give in. My kids like the Amazon tablets and I like the FreeTime content and parental controls. They've held up fine for the price. No way would I give them an iPad. </em></blockquote>

  • datameister

    23 May, 2019 - 1:04 pm

    <p>I suppose these might come preloaded with Walmart's ebook app if they are really targeting Amazon.</p><p><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kobobooks.android.walmart&amp;povid=5632020&quot; target="_blank">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kobobooks.android.walmart&amp;povid=5632020</a></p&gt;

    • jjMustang

      23 May, 2019 - 7:27 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430196">In reply to DataMeister:</a></em></blockquote><p>It does. Accessible from a shortcut in the navigation bar.</p>

  • ubelhorj

    Premium Member
    23 May, 2019 - 3:38 pm

    <p>As low end as these are, they look like a good replacement for my HP Stream 7 I still occasionally call out of retirement for flights. 2GB of RAM with Android isn't amazing, but it's way better than 1GB with Windows. Fire tablets have always been out of the question with them shoving their services down your throat.</p>

  • Danny Riley

    Premium Member
    23 May, 2019 - 5:06 pm

    <p>I purchased one of these tablets, will be picking it up tomorrow. The play store being included is a plus, but I have been able to add it to Amazon Fire tablets easily. The main reason I went with this one is because the charging port on the Fire tablet wears out very easily. We have pretty much had to purchase a new one every year. At $50 (or less) for a Fire tablet, this hasn't been a big deal. But I'm hoping that this one will at least use a better charging port and maybe they will last a little bit longer. The cheapo tablet has been overall very well suited for my kids.</p>

  • RonV42

    Premium Member
    23 May, 2019 - 5:48 pm

    <p>Cheap enough and a real play store to use for my Action Tiles home automation panels.</p>

  • wbhite

    Premium Member
    23 May, 2019 - 6:08 pm

    <p>My beloved Nexus 7 (2013) is starting to show signs of failure and I've been using an old iPad Mini, trying to get ready for the inevitable transition to it. I hate it. I hate everything about iOS. (yes, I'm stubborn)</p><p><br></p><p>A really cheap tablet with Play services might just be the solution. I'll have to check out the screen in person to see, though.</p>

  • jjMustang

    23 May, 2019 - 7:17 pm

    <p>I purchased one at lunch today. I just now got it set up. I got the 10" with detachable keyboard. I haven't had a chance to use it yet.</p><p><br></p><p>Look carefully at the photo above. The background contains a very subtle Walmart logo. Once you see it, you can't un-see it. It's the default logo on the tablet.</p>

    • jjMustang

      23 May, 2019 - 7:26 pm

      <blockquote>There is also a dedicated Walmart button in the navigation bar. Tapping it brings up links to shopping apps <strong>Walmart</strong>, <strong>Walmart Groceries</strong>, and <strong>Sam's Club</strong>; Movies and TV app <strong>Vudu</strong>, and Books app Walmart <strong>eBooks</strong>.</blockquote><p><br></p>

    • Greg Green

      26 May, 2019 - 12:56 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430258">In reply to jjMustang:</a></em></blockquote><p>At that price you could get it with lunch. A sandwich, a bowl of soup, and throw in a Walmart tablet please.</p>

  • dogzilla

    26 May, 2019 - 3:36 pm

    <p>I bought the 8 inch to play with. I will never bother with the camera. You can understand the audio, but the speaker is tinny. Better to use headphones. The battery life is useable, but not as good as Amazon. Its very close in performance to the Amazon 8 inch tablet, slow but useable. Having the Play Store is a big deal. You can easily install another launcher, add widgets to the home screen, apps that call the Play Store go to the Play Store (not Amazon's with the hacked Fire), etc. </p><p><br></p><p>The display is the minimal case for not bothering me to look at it. If the 10 inch tablets have the same resolution (I think they do), then its probably not good enough for me anyway. </p><p> </p><p>Mine came with a $20 coupon for the Kobo bookstore when you by over $20. Making this a really good deal. </p><p><br></p><p>I expect to see these Black Friday. </p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC