YugaTech Gift Guide 2016: Best Tablets You Can Buy

It’s time to check out the best tablets available for purchase locally. Whether you’re looking for something cheap, or good for entertainment and productivity, we’ve got you covered. The tablets in this list are available either online, stalls, or authorized retailers. The pricing is based on our reference seller and it may differ from other offers. Let’s begin!

Table of Contents

Php5,000USD 85INR 7,223EUR 81CNY 621 and lower

Let’s begin with the cheapest yet decent tablets your money can buy. In this range, there’s not much to expect from a slate but the basics.

First off, we have the Cherry Mobile Fusion Aura Play. You can reward yourself with a 7-inch tablet that has a digital TV function for just Php2,499USD 43INR 3,610EUR 41CNY 310 (listing here). It even has two Micro-SIM card slots for 3G internet connectivity on the go.

If you can add a bit more cash, you can go for MyPhone myT2 DTV tablet for Php3,199USD 55INR 4,621EUR 52CNY 397 (listing here). This one has a better and bigger 8-inch display. We were able to review this just recently and we find to be fairly okay.

Maybe you wanted a better-looking tablet? The Alcatel Pixi 4 7″ 3G tablet is a looker but it still has low specifications. Although, among the sub-5k slates, this one runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This is currently listed for just Php3,319USD 57INR 4,795EUR 54CNY 412 on Lazada (listing here).

Lenovo also has a budget tablet dubbed as the Tab 3 Essential boasting a larger 16GB storage. It’s got a good plastic build to it as well and it goes for Php4,999USD 85INR 7,222EUR 81CNY 620 in official stores.

Php5,000USD 85INR 7,223EUR 81CNY 621 – Php9,999USD 170INR 14,445EUR 162CNY 1,241

One of Cherry Mobile’s best offering is their dual-boot tablet — the Cubix Morph. For those looking for a tablet for games and productivity, this one will suit you thanks to its included keyboard cover. It boots Windows 10 for a full PC experience and also Android 5.1 Lollipop on the side. You may check out our review here to know more about it. This goes for just Php5,549USD 95INR 8,016EUR 90CNY 689 exclusively on Lazada (listing here).

CloudFone also has a dual-boot offering complete with an included keyboard in form of the CloudPad X. It’s smaller with an 8-inch display making it a bit more portable than Cubix Morph. The slate boots a dated Android 4.4 KitKat and Windows 10. It retails for Php6,999USD 119INR 10,111EUR 114CNY 869 at CloudFone stalls.

Putting a bit more budget for tablets will get you the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7.0 (2016) which currently retails for Php7,990USD 136INR 11,542EUR 130CNY 992 (listing here). With this, you’ll have LTE connectivity on the road plus a high-definition IPS LCD panel with wide viewing angles.

If you wanted something bigger for entertainment, you could check out the Acer Iconia Tab 10 (A3-A40). It’s got a Full HD 10-inch display with four front-facing speakers. It’ll be good for video streaming like Netflix or use it as your on the go media player. This one is available on Villman for Php9,990USD 170INR 14,432EUR 162CNY 1,240 (listing here).

Remember the Nexus 7 (2nd Gen) tablet? Well, Asus brought it here officially and it’s still on sale at a discounted price. It’s a well-built tablet with a good screen and can be updated to pure Android 6.0 goodness. The 16GB variant is being sold for Php6,649 (listing here) while the 32GB option is a rare find.

Php10,000USD 170INR 14,446EUR 162CNY 1,241 – Php 14,999USD 256INR 21,668EUR 243CNY 1,861

2016 was not exactly an interesting year for Android tablets and in this range, we only have those from 2015 but they’re still capable slates.

Acer has a gaming tablet in its arsenal called the Predator 8. It’s got the looks you’d expect from a dedicated gaming slate but it’s the not most powerful and updated tablet around. Still, it’s currently on sale for Php12,990USD 221INR 18,765EUR 211CNY 1,612 on PC Express (listing here).

Huawei’s last year’s media tablet is still on sale at Huawei stores. The MediaPad M2 is a premium tablet with a design akin to the company’s Mate smartphone series. It’s got stereo speakers and 2015 flagship specifications for Php14,990USD 255INR 21,655EUR 243CNY 1,860.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A w/ S-Pen is a pretty good choice for an 8-inch tablet that you can jot down notes and scribble with. It even has a built-in LTE radio making it more ideal for field work and faster data connectivity. You can spot one at a Samsung retail store for Php14,990USD 255INR 21,655EUR 243CNY 1,860.

Yet another one with a pen, the O+ Notepad 4G 2.0 and IntelliPen is a Windows 10 convertible computer that doesn’t skimp on specs w/ 4GB RAM, 128GB of storage (up from 64GB during initial launch), 10.1″ WUXGA display, and Intel Z8300 processor. It’s basically an affordable notebook PC with included stylus. You may check out our review here. This one goes for Php17,200USD 293INR 24,847EUR 279CNY 2,135 (listing here)

Php20,000USD 341INR 28,892EUR 325CNY 2,482 – Php29,999USD 511INR 43,337EUR 487CNY 3,723

Apple is yet to make a refresh of their non-pro iPad line. That said, we can settle with the iPad Mini 4 and iPad Air 2. The main difference between the two is their size. The iPad Mini 4 has a 7.9-inch Retina display while the Air 2 has a larger 9.7-inch Retina panel. Both start at Php21,490USD 366INR 31,044EUR 349CNY 2,667 (see listing here) for the 32GB Wi-Fi only variant. Both runs the latest iOS 10 update.

Lenovo offers a multimedia tablet with superb speakers and built-in pico projector. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro is a dream tablet for people who needs a portable presenter. We reviewed the tablet late last year but it only made its way on the shelves locally around the second half of 2016. It’s priced at Php29,999.

Php30,000USD 511INR 43,338EUR 487CNY 3,723 and higher

If you want the latest iPad around, you could go for the iPad Pro 9.7. It looks the same as the Air 2 but with a more powerful processor, updated GPU, improved camera w/ 4K video recording, and a better tablet all around. It doesn’t come cheap though and the difference between the Air 2 is something to consider. It starts at Php32,990USD 562INR 47,657EUR 535CNY 4,094 for the 32GB Wi-Fi only variant and could go as high as Php49,990USD 852INR 72,216EUR 811CNY 6,204 with 256GB storage and LTE connectivity.

The first iPad Pro with its huge 12.9-inch Retina display at 264ppi and powerful A9X chipset is the largest iPad you can buy. You’d have to shell out Php42,990USD 733INR 62,103EUR 698CNY 5,335 for the base 32GB Wi-Fi only version. If you want more storage and LTE connectivity, they’ve got you covered.

The Acer Switch Alpha 12 with its liquid-cooling system and portable yet sturdy body is a good tablet slash notebook thanks to its included keyboard cover. It’s mainly inspired by Microsoft’s Surface Pro but without the hefty price tag. The slate goes for Php35,998USD 613INR 52,003EUR 584CNY 4,467 for the Core i3 version (listing here) and Php45,996USD 784INR 66,446EUR 747CNY 5,708 for Core i5 (listing here). It runs Windows 10.

Samsung’s very own Windows 10 tablet rocking an AMOLED display in a slim body is worth a look for the business oriented. The Galaxy Tab Pro S is an extremely light Windows machine with a beautiful display. Although, it’s a bit pricey at Php55,990USD 954INR 80,883EUR 909CNY 6,948 (listing here).

We’re closing this list with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. It’s still the best Windows 10 convertible you can grab but it comes with a price. While this is not yet officially available in the country, Villman has some stocks for those who are interested. It comes in different variants starting at Core m3 processor at Php59,999USD 1,022INR 86,675EUR 974CNY 7,446 (listing here) or up to a Core i7 at Php119,999USD 2,045INR 173,351EUR 1,948CNY 14,892 (listing here)

If you’ve got any deals you’d like to share, hit the comments section below. Happy Holidays!