Budget tablet to read pdf and ebooks

hgps

hgps

Disciple
Keeping it short. I need a tablet just to study some books in pdf format, make notes etc. For it i believe 10 inch is the ideal size. Maybe watch youtube in 720p one a while.
Budget: as low as possible, 7-8k or 10k MAX.

camera doesn't matter, SIM support also doesn't matter (will be great to have though)
a quick google search told me that entry level tablet market is all but dead now with very few options and that are also having ancient specs of 1 or 2GB RAM.

Need something that wouldn't struggle to render pdfs (plain text mostly)

I had previously used ipad mini with its 8 inch display so cannot use anything less than 8 inch now.
 
The problem with the 2gb ram tabs is when you use Google services ... They significantly slow the tab down .
At least settle for 3gb ram but honestly 4 gb ram is better .
At least 16 gb storage but obviously 32 gb preferred .
In today's times expandable storage can only be used for storage of media ... Video .. music and pdf etc .
Almost all important apps install on internal system memory thereby needing atleast 16 gb storage .
I have a old nexus 7 and galaxy tab 2 . Both unusable when connected to Google services .
Cheers ! Just my 2 cents . Sorry if OT .
 
I know you have mentioned your budget but I would recommend the base iPad. You can even go for 7th gen if 8th gen you don't want. It may be little cheaper.
 
try to find used xiaomi mipad in this range it doesnt have have sim at all, but mipad 2 has sim support.
screen is good for reading and is better than other tabs in same range.
olx may be help.
 
honestly the tablet experince at that price point will hinder your over all tablet usage experience
if you could strecth your budget to about 12-14k then its a good place to be
the galaxy tab A 10.1 (2019) is a decent option in that range
(Got same for parents for similar use and working perfectly thru lockdonw )
 
I would also suggest Galaxy Tab A 10.1
I bought one for my dad three months back and it has very smooth experience and comfortable display.
 
Yes if not iPad then go for reputed brand like Samsung. Most other companies make shitty tablets. It is unfortunate that we don't get to buy Amazon Fire tablets in India through Amazon India. They are great for the price and steal during their prime day sales.

For eg, the awesome Fire HD 10 is usually $149 but during sale it is $79.99. Stellar value.
I am speaking from experience as I have Fire HD 10 2017 version.
 
hgps said:
Keeping it short. I need a tablet just to study some books in pdf format, make notes etc. For it i believe 10 inch is the ideal size. Maybe watch youtube in 720p one a while.
Budget: as low as possible, 7-8k or 10k MAX.

camera doesn't matter, SIM support also doesn't matter (will be great to have though)
a quick google search told me that entry level tablet market is all but dead now with very few options and that are also having ancient specs of 1 or 2GB RAM.

Need something that wouldn't struggle to render pdfs (plain text mostly)

I had previously used ipad mini with its 8 inch display so cannot use anything less than 8 inch now.
Click to expand...
Although you ate on a very tight budget but may be Get a used huawei mediapad m5 lite
Cheap and best
Buy the 3/32 or 4/64 version whichever suits to you.
Had one which I recently sold at the forum.

Nice awesome screen, good ram, comes with stylus, so you can easily take ans write notes sleek and will do everything that you want.

Wait for some kind of sale on flipkart to buy new if you aren't able to find used.
 
I would really urge you to consider spending a bit more and get a Galaxy Tab A7. Anything below this has 2GB RAM and very weak processor and it just won't cut it performance wise. A7 has a really good screen, 10+ hours SOT and reasonable performance.
Otherwise you can try finding used older iPads.
 
Believe you might have thought about it but still .

If you are looking for a device to read and not just to refer once in a while, get kindle.
Even the basic Kindle does text pdf just fine. It can also be easily converted to other formats. For pdf Scans and pdf study books with pics you may have to read in landscape. You won’t find it uncomfortable

I read extensively on kindle. And is an ex iPad mini user. The claims that both are comparable on eye strain doesnt seem to be true from experience.

if you still want to buy a tab, spend more to reduce the strain. Don’t reduce budget.
 
@hpgs

I earlier recommended you iPad and even Fire HD 10 as an option. Until 2 days back I only had Fire HD10 but now I have the 8th gen iPad too.

I know fire tablets are cheap and just get work done but if you want to feel joy while reading I recommend IPad.

I use Libby to read magazines (i have a library card of US library through a friend) and in fire hd 10 everything it is so much sluggish while yesterday tried in iPad and it was pure bliss. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

On top of that, the iPad base 8th gen will easily serve you 7-8 years (not kidding) for your purpose.

I still have iPad 2 which works (home button is hard to press) and for what OS it is on, it works perfectly fine but yes it is slow for today.
 
Another vote for ipads. I got the ipad mini 2019 during flipkart's sale for 27500ish. Worth every penny. Lightweight and has a true tone display,And, that A12 chip is a blessing.

If you really really have to go with a budget tab then get the 2020 Samsung Tab and not the 2019. That one got really slow even with a couple of apps running.
 
Last edited:
After reading most people here recommending ipads, i mean to be fair, if i were to spend 25K+ on a gadget i would certainly expect it to be great and nothing less. But i think we should keep OP's budget in mind since he quite literally says 10K MAX and we're all saying the Ipad is the best here. Having said that, what options does one have then? Samsung galaxy tab a, Amazon Fire HD (during sales) and a Kindle? Kinda hoping to know what you have chosen in the end @hgps since i'm looking into one just for reading too.
 
Rezep said:
After reading most people here recommending ipads, i mean to be fair, if i were to spend 25K+ on a gadget i would certainly expect it to be great and nothing less. But i think we should keep OP's budget in mind since he quite literally says 10K MAX and we're all saying the Ipad is the best here. Having said that, what options does one have then? Samsung galaxy tab a, Amazon Fire HD (during sales) and a Kindle? Kinda hoping to know what you have chosen in the end @hgps since i'm looking into one just for reading too.
Click to expand...
You are right we seem to have strated leaning towards ipad and forgot about Ops budget.
I would recommend kindle if his reading stuff is available in epub or mobi. Converting epub to mobi (which is the native format of kindle) is easy as breeze by using calibre app.

If its pdfs then kindle would be a real pain, in that case it's better to buy a cheaper 2 to 3gb ram version of a tablet if available.
Fire hd or samsung or even lenovo can be looked into.

For the budget I would strongly recommend huawei mediapad m5 lite 3gb variant, find a used one from olx, cex or via WTB forum here.

Edit
BTW where is @hgps, the guy hasn't posted anything since straying the thread [emoji6][emoji6]
 
Last edited:
JMak said:
You are right we seem to have strated leaning towards ipad and forgot about Ops budget.
I would recommend kindle if his reading stuff is available in epub or mobi. Converting epub to mobi (which is the native format of kindle) is easy as breeze by using calibre app.

If its pdfs then kindle would be a real pain, in that case it's better to buy a cheaper 2 to 3gb ram version of a tablet if available.
Fire hd or samsung or even lenovo can be looked into.

For the budget I would strongly recommend huawei mediapad m5 lite 3gb variant, find a used one from olx, cex or via WTB forum here.
Click to expand...


This. Op should absolutely not buy plain kindle if he needs for any pdf. I have tried and it is very painful. I sold my kindle paper white as it wasn't really getting any use.

I understand ops budget is less but I would still insist that if he has the means, he should absolutely get iPad. Even the highest end Fire HD 10 with 2 GB RAM struggles and I know since I own one. It is great for movies and TV shows and such but for ebook reading and magazines reading iPad looks superb. I am actually falling in love with reading magazines thanks to unparalleled performance I am getting on my iPad.
I am sure the more expensive samsung etc brand tablets with more RAM and better processor would perform great too. Just that I don't have any experience with them.
 
Back
Top