Group test: what's the best cheap tablet PC?

5. Disgo 9104

• Reviewed on: 9 July 12
• RRP: £180 inc VAT
• Rating:

Well built and with a great screen, the Disgo 9104 is a good budget tablet. Don't buy one if performance is important, and don't expect a quick update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but if you want something to browse the web, check email and play the odd game, it's good value.

4. GoClever Tab R974

• Reviewed on: 6 November 12
• RRP: £179 inc. VAT
• Rating:

One of the better bargain basement tablets we've seen, the GoClever Tab R974 suffers from some of the usual faults of low-cost tablets: poor screen resolution and poor build quality. But it has a great feature set and decent performance. If £200 is your limit and you want a 10in tablet - this is a good buy.

3. Barnes & Noble Nook HD

• Reviewed on: 22 November 12
• RRP: £159 inc VAT
• Rating:

We can hardly find fault with the hardware, but UK-specific content - including magazines, newspapers, books and apps - is sorely lacking. Much is promised, but you're taking a risk if you jump in and buy a Nook HD right now. As with the Kindle Fire HD, the Nook HD will be good option for anyone wanting something that's easy to use, and there's the bonus of user profiles as well. However, if you don't want to be completely locked in to the Nook store, you're better off with a Nexus 7 at this price.

2. Amazon Kindle Fire HD

• Reviewed on: 14 November 12
• RRP: £159 inc VAT
• Rating:

If you're after a 7in tablet that's very easy to use, you don't need GPS and don't want to stretch your budget to £200, the Kindle Fire HD is a good buy. However, although Google's Nexus 7 has half the storage for the same price, it's more versatile and has a better range of apps and games and is faster, too.

1. Google Nexus 7

• Reviewed on: 16 July 12
• RRP: £159 inc VAT
• Rating:

Google has set a new standard for budget tablets with the Nexus 7. It's an unbelievably well-equipped device for such an affordable price. The silky smooth performance and high resolution IPS screen are the highlights for us. If you're looking for a tablet under £200 then look no further than the Nexus 7.