My search for the best cheap Android tablet is over

Key points of ZDNET

• The Blackview Tab 18 Android tablet currently available for $299.
• This great 12-inch Android tablet has it all — a big screen, a powerful processor, plenty of RAM, and enough power to handle everything the average user needs.
• I just wish the screen could be a little brighter for use in direct sunlight.

I love me iPad ProHowever, Apple’s giant 12.9-inch device is not cheap. Those looking for a cheaper but equally sized alternative must turn to Android.

Also: Best Android Tablets of 2024: Tested and Reviewed by Experts

Unfortunately, I found most of it Android tablets come in large sizes should be bulky and cumbersome. So it’s refreshing to finally find something that’s sleek, well-designed, and a pleasure to hold — even over long periods of time.

The Tab Blackview 18 ticks all these boxes and more.

See at S.click.aliexpress

Blackview Tab 18 specifications

• Display: 12 inch 2.4K, FHD+ IPS, 1200 x 2000 resolution, 86.6% screen-to-body ratio
• CPU: MediaTek octa-core Helio G99
• DAM: 12GB LPDDR4X (12GB extended RAM)
• rom: 256GB UFS2.1
• Maximum microSD/TF memory card capacity: Up to 1TB
• operating system: DokeOS_P 4.0 (based on Android 13)
• Memory card slot: Dual hybrid card slots; 1 x SIM +1 TF or 2 x SIM
• Camera: Samsung 8 megapixel front camera, SK Hynix 16 megapixel rear camera
• Battery: 8800mAh supports 33W fast charging
• Loudspeaker: Harman Kardon Quad surround sound speakers
• Color: Turquoise, Ice Blue, Space Gray
• Size: 277.6 x 173.2 x 7.9mm
• Weight: 632g (1.4 lb)

Here’s the first thing I noticed about this tablet: How thin and light it feels in the hand.

At 0.3 inches/7.9mm thin and weighing 1.4lb/632g, the device is a little thicker and a little lighter than the previous version. iPad Pro 12.9 inchesBut for a cheap Android tablet, it’s a breath of fresh air to not have to hold a tablet that feels like it’s made of concrete.

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Sure, I’ll have this tablet in a case to protect it from careless accidents and gravity, which makes it as bulky as my iPad Pro, but it’s nice to see a tablet. Android is thin and light.

It’s also a beautiful tablet, sleek and smooth, with glass and metal blending together to create something that’s both beautiful and practical to use. The Space Gray finish on my Tab 18 is flawless and does a great job of resisting scratches, abrasions, and even fingerprints.

Speaking of fingerprints, the Tab 18 also has a fingerprint reader And biometric facial recognition, giving you options to easily log in to your tablet.

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The 12-inch screen is also a breath of fresh air. It’s big enough to get real work done. It’s sharp enough to help you comfortably read books or watch videos for long periods of time. And it’s bright enough to be viewable in a variety of conditions. The touch is very good and sensitive, giving a very natural feeling. The Low blue light rating certified by TÜV is great for those who are concerned that these wavelengths are disturbing their sleep.

And then there are four Harman Kardon surround sound speakers, creating an immersive soundscape that takes you out of the world around you and immerses you in any game or movie — or business meeting — that you are listening to. I’m not an audiophile — I grew up with poor quality speakers and headphones with that sweaty sponge — but to my ears, the sound coming out of this tablet is amazing. great whether I’m watching Netflix, playing games, or listening to music to my growing backlog of audiobooks from Audible or on a voice call.

Also: Best reading tablets of 2024: Tested and recommended by experts

The 8,000mAh battery is good for about 10 hours of web browsing and general tasks like email and document editing, with gaming and watching videos taking about an hour of this runtime, which isn’t bad at all. This is really great real-world runtime from a budget 12-inch tablet.

Combining the large battery with 33W fast charging that can take the battery from 0 to 50% in about an hour, I didn’t find myself worrying about the battery at all. I’ve seen much worse performance from hardware much more expensive than this.

As for heat management, I fully expect this tablet to be warm and comfortable under heavy loads, and although it does get warm when the going gets tough, the heat conduction system that Blackview has built into the system This, covers an area of ​​more than 18.6 square inches. /12,000mm of heat dissipation area, providing a cool user experience during which I have never seen the tablet exceed 104°F/40°C.

There’s nothing more unsettling than trying to use a tablet that slowly goes from warm to warmer to “oh, is this going to burn me?” I pushed the Tab 18 as hard as I could for long periods of time and at no point did it get to the point where I felt it heating up.

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If you set aside your expectations for a top-performing, cutting-edge tablet, you won’t be disappointed with the Blackview. The integrated octa-core processor and 12 gigabytes of RAM provide a smooth user experience.

The camera on this device is acceptable at best, good compared to even the best cameras from a few years ago but falls short of all the computational algorithms that higher-end devices perform on image. In photography’s most extreme conditions — low light or full daylight — the camera struggles. But for casual photos taken under normal conditions, they are perfect for those looking for social media likes and also for taking photos for reports and other work-related activities or school.

Again, remember the price here. $299. Not long ago, you couldn’t dream of a 12-inch tablet for nearly this price. Now you have such a tablet with a powerful processor, lots of RAM, lots of storage and a good camera for you. That’s $140 more than Apple charges for a 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable.

ZDNET Buying Tips

The Tab Blackview 18 is a great tablet, ideal for work, school or if you want a tablet for the living room or workshop. I tested this device and I have no complaints. The price makes this an unbeatable deal as long as you’re willing to give up the Apple or Samsung logo plastered on the back. Ultimately, if you want more power and performance — power and performance that most users never actually use — then you’ll have to dig deeper and pay more. If you want a tablet and not an ego-booster, the Tab 18 is worth considering.