The best 8-inch tablets

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

8 inches is one of the most optimal diagonals for tablets. Devices with such a screen fit easily into the pocket of a jacket or backpack, and are easy to use with one hand on the go. However, they should not only be portable, but also productive.

We have selected 7 models of 8 “tablets that combine performance, functionality and compactness.

How to choose an 8 inch tablet

Screen diagonal is a parameter that exclusively determines the physical dimensions of the tablet. Device performance, functionality, and other capabilities are dependent on other specifications.

Therefore, it is important to take into account other parameters:

1. CPU. It affects the performance of the tablet in both multitasking mode and when running a single application. The 'fresher' the processor, the better: new models provide high performance with low power consumption and low heating. At the same time, it should be noted that Qualcomm Snapdragon works 'faster' in most cases than MediaTek. But tablets with Allwinner, Rockchip or Spreadtrum are not recommended for purchase at all;

2. RAM. The higher the volume, the faster the tablet will work with several active tasks – for example, when instant messengers are turned on while surfing the web or watching movies. The minimum desired RAM for 2018 is 2 GB. Better, of course, more;

3. Permanent memory. It stores the operating system and user-installed applications. Therefore, the more it is, the better. The minimum required volume is 16 GB. If you plan to store music, movies and other 'large' files on it, then it is better to choose tablets with a large internal drive or a microSD card slot;

4. Screen resolution. The higher this parameter, the smoother and more beautiful the image appears, and the videos acquire additional detail. But it's worth remembering that screens with higher resolutions drain your battery faster;

5. Battery capacity. The battery life of the tablet depends on this parameter. The higher it is, the less often you have to recharge the device. For more or less new tablets, a 4000-5000 mAh battery is enough, for old ones, it is desirable that the capacity was above 6000 mAh;

6. The presence of a slot for SIM-cards. The ability to connect to the mobile Internet depends on this parameter. If the tablet is going to be used outside the home or office (or places with Wi-Fi), it is desirable that it supports 3G or 4G. Then it will be possible to 'work on the go' with social networks, email, internet or instant messengers.

These are the main parameters. Other specs such as operating system version, camera resolution, or GPS cold start speed should be chosen based on your preference.

Speaking about the manufacturers of 8-inch tablets, we can distinguish the following companies known for the reliability and functionality of their products – Huawei, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and, of course, Apple .

Rating of the best tablets with a screen 8 inches

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
The best inexpensive 8-inch tablets (up to RUB 20,000)	1	Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 8.0 16Gb LTE	RUB 15,990
	2	Lenovo Tab 4 TB-8504X 16Gb	RUB 10,440
	3	Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 SM-T350 16Gb	RUB 8,990
The best 8-inch tablets in terms of price-performance ratio	1	Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 64Gb LTE	RUB 24 390
	2	Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact 16Gb LTE	–
The best 8-inch premium tablets	1	Apple iPad Mini 4 128 Gb Wi-Fi + Cellular	RUB 28,990
	2	Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715	RUB 25 800

The best inexpensive 8-inch tablets (up to RUB 20,000)

Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 8.0 16Gb LTE

Rating: 4.8

Why # 1 in the rankings: Highest screen resolution, best performance, best camera.

Description: A 'simplified version' of the 2017 flagship tablet Huawei MediaPad M3. The Lite configuration offers a slightly less powerful (but still nimble) processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 with eight cores and a clock speed of 1.4 GHz, which is complemented by 8 GB of RAM. This is enough to carry out absolutely any everyday tasks – from surfing the web to playing games.

But the main feature of the tablet is, of course, the screen. With a diagonal of 8 inches, it has a resolution of 1920 × 1200 pixels and is made using TFT IPS technology. Therefore, the screen creates a smooth, detailed picture with realistic colors and rich hues.

Also, the tablet is equipped with very good – for this type of device – cameras. Both front and main have a resolution of 8 megapixels. Hardware and software optimization makes them great for shooting.

Advantages

• Excellent multimedia capabilities (camera, sound, screen);

• High-quality, tight assembly;

• High performance;

disadvantages

• 16 GB of internal memory is still not enough, even despite the presence of a microSD slot;

• A lot of pre-installed unnecessary software;

• It will take getting used to the EMUI operating system;

Lenovo Tab 4 TB-8504X 16Gb

Rating: 4.7

Why the second place in the ranking: The best combination of price and quality.

Description: Another 'simplified version of the 2017 flagship', only from the company Lenovo. The Tab 4 TB-8504X is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, complemented by 2GB of RAM. The performance of the hardware platform is sufficient for most everyday tasks (unless you need a more powerful device to render video or draw in AutoCAD).

The tablet's screen is slightly worse than its predecessor, but is still quite crisp and 'sleek'. With a diagonal of 8 inches, it has a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels and is made using TFT IPS technology. This ensures true-to-life color reproduction.

Other technical characteristics of the tablet include support for high-speed mobile Internet 4G LTE, a 5 MP camera, a 4850 mAh battery and 16 GB of internal memory.

Advantages

• Great sound from stereo speakers;

• The latest version of the operating system Android 7.1 Nougat;

• High performance;

disadvantages

• No fast charging;

• The redesigned shell Android will take some getting used to;

• 16 GB internal storage;

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 SM-T350 16Gb

Rating: 4.6

Why the third place in the ranking: Great price, but no mobile internet.

Description: Galaxy Tab A 8.0 is the youngest model in the line of tablets from Samsung. The device is equipped with components that correspond to the middle class: for example, its hardware platform is based on a quad-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 with a clock frequency of 1.2 GHz, which is supplemented by 1.5 GB of RAM. Nevertheless, the tablet's performance remains at the same level thanks to the relatively old (and therefore the least resource-intensive) operating system Android 5.0.

The tablet screen is made using TFT PLS technology and has a resolution of 1024 × 768 pixels. It is not as saturated as IPS, but it consumes significantly less power. Therefore, the battery life of the tablet is 12 hours! The battery capacity of the device is 4200 mAh.

Other characteristics of the tablet include the presence of a slot for microSD memory cards, 16 GB on the internal storage, as well as a 5 MP main camera.

Advantages

• Long battery life;

• 4: 3 aspect ratio optimized for web surfing;

• Balanced technical characteristics, optimal performance;

disadvantages

• No mobile internet;

• Low screen resolution;

• Little RAM and permanent memory;

The best 8-inch tablets in terms of price-performance ratio

Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 64Gb LTE

Rating: 4.9

Why # 1: Powerful performance, great multimedia capabilities.

Description: 2017 flagship tablet from the company Huawei. MediaPad M3 has collected all the best components that could be found on the market – the proprietary eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 950 processor with a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. This hardware platform provides high performance for solving any tasks – from everyday use to graphics editing or even working in the mobile version of AutoCAD.

But the main advantage of the tablet lies in its multimedia orientation. It is equipped with an 8.4-inch TFT IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 × 1600 pixels, stereo speakers and an 8 MP camera. Therefore, it is pleasant to watch films from it and work with documents. And the photos are great thanks to camera optimization.

At the same time, the tablet is equipped with a 5100 mAh battery, which is enough for a day of battery life with mixed use.

Advantages

• Excellent multimedia capabilities (screen, sound, camera);

• Metal body and high-quality assembly;

• High performance and a lot of permanent memory;

disadvantages

• Backlight bleed is observed (bleeding of dark areas at the edges of the screen due to uneven backlighting);

• Weak oleophobic screen coating;

• The back cover, although aluminum, is scratched;

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact 16Gb LTE

Rating: 4.8

Why second place: Comparatively average performance, but waterproof.

Description: A tablet that is not scary to take with you to the bath, shower or to the beach. Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet is made in a waterproof case, which provides protection from short drowning, splashes and cold steam.

The tablet's performance is comparatively average (especially when compared to the previous one). The device's hardware platform is based on a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, complemented by 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

The multimedia capabilities of the tablet are at their best – however, as is typical of Sony. 8-inch TFT IPS screen has a resolution of 1920 × 1200 pixels; speakers – stereo, with support for Walkman technology; main camera – 8.1 MP, with hardware module optimization.

Everything is supplemented by a 4500 mAh battery, providing up to 15 hours of battery life.

Advantages

• High performance;

• Tightly assembled, waterproof case;

• Excellent multimedia capabilities (screen, camera, sound);

disadvantages

• Little built-in memory;

• Heats up during operation;

• Old operating system with rare updates;

The best 8-inch premium tablets

Apple iPad Mini 4 128 Gb Wi-Fi + Cellular

Rating: 5.0

Why # 1: Top-of-the-line latest 8-inch tablet from Apple. Do you need more arguments?

Description: What cannot be taken away from Apple is the ability to make tablets. The 8-inch iPad Mini 4 features a brilliant 4: 3 Retina display, making it perfect for any task – reading books, surfing the web, watching movies, playing games and using applications.

The tablet screen is made using TFT IPS technology, which provides realistic color reproduction and rich shades, and has a Retina resolution of 2048 × 1536 pixels. The hardware platform is based on the Apple A8 processor with two cores and a clock speed of 1.4 GHz, which is complemented by 2 GB of RAM. Thanks to deep optimization of the operating system on this basis, any applications 'fly'.

Other characteristics include support for 4G LTE mobile Internet, a battery for 9 hours of battery life with active use, 128 GB on the internal storage and an 8 megapixel camera. Stereo speakers are also available.

Advantages

• Excellent multimedia capabilities (camera, screen, sound);

• Lots of permanent memory;

• Wi-Fi and mobile internet support;

• High performance thanks to deep OS optimization;

disadvantages

• Less autonomy than top-end tablets Apple;

• Optimization iOS 11 for this tablet leaves much to be desired;

• Heats up under high load;

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715

Rating: 4.8

Why runner-up: Lightest tablet at just 265 grams.

Description: The flagship tablet of 2017 from Samsung. Galaxy Tab 2 offers a unique (for this rating) screen – it is made with Super technology AMOLED, therefore, it provides realistic color reproduction with deep blacks and saturated shades. The 8-inch display has a Retina resolution and is 2048×1536 pixels. The picture is 'smooth' and highly detailed.

The hardware platform of the tablet is built on a proprietary Samsung Exynos 5433 processor with eight cores clocked at 1.9 GHz, which is complemented by 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. This provides high performance both when running a single resource-intensive application (like playing games or watching movies in Full HD), and in multitasking.

Also, the tablet is equipped with a slot for microSD memory cards; support of mobile Internet 4G LTE; stereo speakers; 8 MP camera and 4000 mAh battery.

Advantages

• Excellent screen and other multimedia capabilities;

• Battery life – up to 14 hours in mixed mode;

• High-quality assembly;

• High performance;

disadvantages

• A fragile body that can deform under pressure;

• Lots of unnecessary pre-installed software;

• Not a very fast and high-quality fingerprint scanner;

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

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