Buying a tablet for Christmas? Don't spend more than you need to

Whether it's a tablet for the kids, yourself, or even grandma, there's a lot to think about.  You need to consider the size, the model, memory capacity, and usability.

Of course, your budget is the most important thing. While we don’t want to encourage you to buy unnecessarily, if your heart’s set, then you need to make sure you get the right model to suit your pocket.

While the Apple iPad remains the market leader (see our iPad guide), there are plenty of cheaper alternatives from big names such as Samsung, Google and Amazon – with many boasting similar functionality.

The best value tablets

The cheapest tablet is the 7-inch Nook HD (8GB), which came down from £99 a little while ago and now costs £79 at Argos*. Despite its low price, we’ve seen great feedback about both screen quality and the range of apps available.

While it's hard to knock a tablet at £79, the Nook isn’t quite as advanced as some of its competitors. Reviews suggest the Kindle Fire for example, is much a more powerful and easy-to-use tablet.

If you’re not bothered about having the very latest Kindle Fire HDX model, then until Wed 18 Dec, the previous generation Fire is available for £74 using our MSE Blagged voucher.

The fact it's refurbished isn’t usually a big deal. It comes fully boxed and with the same one-year warranty.

iPad rivals

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is considered one of the biggest rivals to the iPad. With a price tag that's £100 cheaper, it's a lot more MoneySaving. The 8GB 7 inch model is usually £119, but the code TDX-NHW4 gets it for £99 at Tesco Direct* until 23 December.

The code also works on the bigger 10.1 inch screen and more powerful 16GB model, making it £259 delivered.

MoneySavingExpert.com deals analyst Deborah Heston says: "Don’t be seduced by the brand – really do your tablet homework and get something that’s properly tailored to your needs and budget.

"Compare prices, looks out for cashback deals and keep an eye out for tablet discounts codes in the MSE weekly email that could potentially slash the cost further."

For full specs and further analysis, check out our Cheap Tablets guide.

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