Christmas is around the corner and that means the Tech Advisor team is looking back at everything we’ve tested this year and choosing the best of the best.
For the budget tablet category, it was a hard-fought battle to come out on top with the best value slate. Google doesn’t even make a cheap enough tablet to be considered, leaving the door open for Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, OnePlus and others to take the crown.
Here we present Tech Advisor’s best new budget tablet award of 2025 along with the runners-up.
Best New Budget Tablet of the Year – Winner: Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2
Chris Martin / Foundry
Xiaomi is well known for making affordable but excellent tech and has stolen the crown from Samsung with the Redmi Pad 2, but only narrowly. What a lot of people will be looking for in a cheap tablet is a more affordable version of the entry-level iPad and right now, the Redmi Pad 2 is as close as it gets.
a great tablet for just about any task
For starters, it costs almost half the price – but you wouldn’t know it thanks to its sleek design and high quality unibody build (which is available in a selection of colours.
Also surprising given the low cost is just how good the key elements are. You get a large 11-inch screen which is perfectly crisp and bright, along with a 90Hz refresh rate to keep everything smooth.
Performance is slick and the battery life is solid, plus the quad speakers are very impressive making it a great tablet for just about any task.
Sure, the charging is a little slow but no slower than rivals, cameras are basic and Xiaomi’s software might take a bit of getting used to for some but these don’t come close to stop it winning the best budget tablet of the year.
Read our Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 review.
Best New Budget Tablet of the Year – First Runner-Up: Samsung Galaxy Tab A11
Chris Martin / Foundry
Samsung has previously won this award with the Tab A9 and is now back with a new generation (there was no Tab A10). This only narrowly missed out but it’s still a top option considering it comes in a smaller 8-inch size.
It’s effectively a reboot of the Galaxy Tab A9, including an identical design and many matching specs. However, the screen is now 90Hz, the front facing camera is higher resolution and Samsung offers a flagship level seven years of software support.
Furthermore, the price has come down a little, now starting at £149 (not available in the US again) and we’ve already seen it reduced to just £99.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 review.
Best New Budget Tablet of the Year – Second Runner-Up: Apple iPad (A16)
Britta O’Boyle
The latest entry-level iPad is a tiny bit over our price limit for budget tablets but it’s the cheapest model and readily available at under our cap so is worth including.
For many the iPad is the best tablet and the A16 is another hit with great design, build, performance and battery life. All the things you need from Apple’s most accessible tablet, and it now comes with double the storage.
Read our Apple iPad (A16) review.
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.