5 best affordable tablets for online classes and WFH (2021)

Now that smartphones are larger than ever before, tablets have gradually decreased in popularity. Big brands such as ASUS and Xiaomi, for instance, aren’t promoting tablets like they used to. Samsung is even promoting foldable devices: the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is essentially a tablet that fits in your pocket.

On the other hand, traditional tablets still serve their purpose. They’re great alternatives to desktop PCs and laptops for online classes and work-from-home setups. Because of their large screens and stylus support, tablets can also act like digital notebooks for taking notes and drawing.

In addition, they’re often cheaper than laptops, making them more practical for multiple users in a household.

We compiled five of the best tablets you can buy today, as well as a few alternatives that might pique your interest. We’re limiting the price to below PhP 20,000 to keep things affordable, and we’re prioritizing well-known brands for better customer support. If you’re willing to spend more, consider checking out our list of the best affordable laptops.

Apple iPad (8th Generation)

Specifications and Price:

  • 10.2-inch display (2160 x 1620 pixels)
  • A12 Bionic chipset
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB storage
  • 8MP (rear) and 1.2MP (front) cameras
  • PhP 18,990

Apple’s most affordable iPad is arguably the brand’s best bang for the buck. It comes with a large 10.2-inch display, the same chipset found in the iPhone Xs, and a fingerprint scanner. What makes the iPad stand out, however, is its App Store access and support for the first-generation Pencil.

These two features make the iPad such a versatile device that can potentially replace your laptop if you add a keyboard and mouse to your setup.

Buy the Apple iPad 8th-gen on Lazada

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)

Specifications and Price:

  • 10.1-inch display (1920 x 1200 pixels)
  • MediaTek Helio P60T chipset
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB storage and microSD slot
  • 5MP (rear) and 2MP (front) cameras
  • PhP 6,990

While Amazon’s latest Fire HD 10 is the lowest-priced tablet on this list, it can easily keep up in terms of features and specs. The drawback is it doesn’t support Google Play and you must rely on Amazon’s own Appstore. In addition, it’s filled with bloatware and ads from Amazon.

On the bright side, you can still install the usual apps you’d need for studying and work, including document editors and all the popular video call platforms. 

Buy the Amazon Fire HD10 on Lazada

Huawei MatePad 10.4

Specifications and Price:

  • 10.4-inch display (2000 x 1200 pixels)
  • Huawei Kirin 810 chipset
  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB storage and microSD slot
  • 8MP (rear) and 8MP (front) cameras
  • PhP 14,999

When it comes to specs, it’s hard to beat the MatePad 10.4 at its price point. It’s practically a midrange LTE-powered smartphone with a much larger screen and support for Huawei’s M-Pencil. Sadly, the Matepad 10.4 is part of the company’s newer generation of devices that don’t come with Google services. You’re instead forced to use Huawei’s proprietary apps which may or may not be as user-friendly as what you’d get from Android or iOS.

Buy the Huawei MatePad 10.4 on Shopee

Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd Generation)

Specifications and Price:

  • 10.1-inch display (1280 x 800 pixels)
  • MediaTek Helio P22T chipset
  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB storage and microSD slot
  • 8MP (rear) and 5MP (front) cameras
  • PhP 9,990

Lenovo’s lineup of tablets is diverse, and yet the Tab M10 HD makes a strong case as one of the best in the budget category. It comes with a decent chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of expandable storage, all while offering the full Android experience.

There’s even a slot for a 4G LTE SIM card for mobile data on the go. The only downside is the low display resolution, making it less sharp for video viewing. 

Buy the Lenovo Tab M10 HD on Lazada

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite

Specifications and Price:

  • 8.7-inch display (1340 x 800 pixels)
  • MediaTek Helio P22T
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB storage and microSD slot
  • 8MP (rear) and 2MP (front) cameras
  • PhP 9,490

Similar to the Lenovo tablet, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite stays below the P10,000 mark while providing the full Android experience. However, this Samsung tablet has a couple of compromises. It has the smallest display in this group and the specs are lacking in comparison.

It’s still great for everyday tasks with its compact size and 4G LTE support, setting itself up as an ideal complement to your laptop or smartphone.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite on Shopee

Alternatives

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

If you don’t need a full-color display and simply wish to read ebooks or documents, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite would be a fine alternative. It’s slightly cheaper than some of the options we listed above, and its paper-like screen is much easier on the eyes.

It’s also waterproof and can last several days to weeks on a single charge. Another new feature is its compatibility with Audible, allowing you to listen to audiobooks with Bluetooth headphones or speakers.

Apple iPad mini, Huawei MatePad 11, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

Going above the PhP 20,000 mark affords you more premium options from Apple, Huawei, and Samsung. Although the current iPad mini is beginning to show its age, it manages everything its larger counterpart can do at a more travel-friendly size.

The MatePad 11’s biggest upgrades are its smoother 120Hz display and flagship-level Snapdragon 865 chipset. Finally, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite offers solid all-around hardware and dual speakers by AKG and Dolby Atmos.

Final Thoughts

All things considered, Apple still reigns supreme when it comes to tablets. With a max budget of PhP 20,000, we highly recommend the standard iPad. Apple’s suite of accessories makes it customizable in the long run, and you can’t go wrong with its build quality and app selection from the App Store.

The iPad might see a refresh in the near future though, so you may want to wait a bit longer before pulling the trigger.

Lenovo’s second-generation Tab M10 HD is a close runner-up. It’s nearly half the price of the cheapest iPad and it comes with the full Android OS unlike some of its competitors. We wish it had a sharper resolution, but at PhP 9,990, we can’t complain.

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3 reasons why we’ve enjoyed the vivo Y16

10/06/2022

In the last couple of months, we’ve been seeing a lot from vivo. Its Y-series in particular has been expanding with the addition of the Y02S, Y35, and now the more affordable Y16.

We’ve clocked in some time with vivo’s latest budget contender and while it doesn’t stray too far from the performance of other devices in its segment, we’ve come to enjoy a few great things about this phone.

Big storage provides peace of mind

I believe there are two great reasons why you’d want to pick a phone with large storage. The first and most expected reason would be the peace of mind it gives when it comes to filling up your phone too fast. It’ll take a good while to max out the vivo Y16, especially if you opt for the higher 128GB variant.

Even if you snap a lot of photos or videos, I think it would be a couple of months, maybe even a year, until you’ll eventually have to transfer your photos out of the device. Downloading apps shouldn’t pose too much of a problem either whether or not you stick to just the everyday essentials.

If you do end up maxing out your internal storage, the vivo Y16 can be expanded up to 1TB via microSD card. That should be more than enough space for most people.

The second reason would be for better performance. Keeping a couple of extra GBs free should allow the phone more wiggle room to do what it needs to do in terms of processing. This results in a better everyday experience for as long as you can the phone’s storage from being full.

Classy design

What I love about vivo is its effort to offer well-designed smartphones no matter what segment.

The vivo Y16’s design isn’t far-off from its mid-range siblings like the V25, especially in this Dazzling Gold color that we have. Though not entirely similar, we can see themed elements like the camera placement and flat edges present on this more affordable offering. vivo says the Y16 is finished with a fluorite texture that’s responsible for the shooting star-like pattern on its back. It also makes the phone fingerprint-resistant.

It has good heft, too, for a budget offering and offers a comfortable in-hand feel thanks to its 2.5D curved edges. Whether I was browsing, taking photos, or answering calls, I could easily grip the phone and, despite being flat framed, the edges didn’t dig into my palm.

The 6.51-inch display makes viewing and navigation easy and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is a very welcome feature as it’s something I use more often than face unlock (which the Y16 also offers). vivo also hasn’t done away with the 3.5mm headphone jack so that’s good news for those who prefer wired peripherals.

The vivo Y16, in our time with it, has proven to be a well-built phone exhibiting good weight and durability while remaining pretty thin as well. It’s offered in a size that most people will feel comfortable with and you’ve got quite a unique-looking back whether you get the Dazzling Gold or Stellar Black colorway.

All-day battery

Lately, I’ve been more out and about compared to previous years when we had to remain in our homes due to the pandemic. From meetings to events or just our quick getaways, I’ve come to appreciate the vivo Y16’s large 5000mAh battery.

Starting from a full charge in the morning, the device is able to last a full day out of the house even with moderate use of more power-intensive tasks like taking photos or watching videos. Since the vivo Y16 doesn’t really have battery-devouring features (a display with high refresh rates, for example), it’s able to last longer than usual. I would think casual users would even be able to stretch the device’s battery to two days, maybe more.

Does this makeup for the 10W charging speeds, though? Maybe, maybe not. It’ll depend on the type of user you are. I personally wish we had something a little faster since it does take more than an hour to fully charge the phone. But with Y16’s battery lasting as long as it does, some users may find the once-in-a-while charging sessions forgivable.

If you’re after a fast-charging vivo phone, however, you may want to check out its mid-range offering that offers 44W quick charge. 

Final thoughts

What the vivo Y16 brings to the table is an affordable yet stylish smartphone that prioritizes users in need of large storage and a long-lasting battery. Priced at PhP 8,499 for the 4GB+128GB variant and Ph P7,999 for the 4GB+64GB variant, the Y16 is also easy on the wallet.

As mentioned earlier, the device comes in two colors, Drizzling Gold and Stellar Black, and is already available for purchase. 

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