Are you looking for the best 8-inch tablets on sale today? The 8-inch tablet serves as a great midpoint between smartphones and larger flagship tablets. Unlike the smaller tablets of yesterday, these modern tablets often have similar performance and feature parity to their larger counterparts.
The tablets covered in today’s guide are built for a variety of use cases, with some even being capable of some serious work. We’ve looked at dozens of options, and here are our top picks:
- Best Overall: iPad Mini 6th Generation
- Best for Storage: Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus
- Best Screen: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
- Best Budget Choice: TCL Tab 8
- Best for Families: Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet
#1 Best Overall: iPad Mini 6th Generation
- 8.3-inch Retina Display
- Apple A15 Bionic chip
- 12MP Ultra Wide front camera
- Touch ID for security
The latest iPad Mini is one of the best 8-inch tablets you can buy for any use case. You’ve got an A15 Bionic chip, which is plenty powerful for most applications on the App Store. The display itself is stunning, with vivid colors on the Retina display.
It does lack the higher refresh rate seen in the larger and more expensive iPad Pro models. However, the device itself does come with support for the second-generation Apple Pencil. The True Tone P3 color mapping makes for a great device for digital artists and graphic designers on the go.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The iPad Mini has great performance for its size. | It is fairly expensive. |
| Apple’s mini tablet comes with Apple Pencil support. | The processor doesn’t match the performance of the iPad Air or iPad Pro. |
Check out the iPad Mini 6th Generation on Amazon.
Best for Storage: Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus
- 2 MP front-facing and 5 MP rear-facing cameras
- Up to 13 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching videos, and listening to music
- 8” HD Display
- 3 GB RAM, 32 GB memory storage
The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is an affordable 8-inch tablet with some great features. The Fire HD 8 Plus has a capable processor and exceptional battery life. However, Amazon’s own app store isn’t the best fit for productivity apps.
For media consumption, it is hard to top the Fire HD 8 Plus. You’ve got tight native integration with the Amazon ecosystem. The Fire HD 8 Plus comes with native support for Kindle books, Prime Video, and Prime Music among others.
It does have a lower-resolution screen, which can be a drawback when in direct comparison with the iPad Mini. However, for idle web browsing, watching videos, and reading, it is a great choice. What makes it one of the best 8-inch tablets is the expandable storage. It comes with 32 GB of storage, but the microSD slot allows for up to 1 TB.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The Fire HD 8 Plus comes with expandable storage options. | There isn’t a native solution for watching YouTube. |
| Amazon’s entertainment options are neatly integrated into the device. | Amazon’s App Store has very few productivity apps and an overall weaker selection. |
Check out the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus on Amazon.
Best Screen: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
- Slim and stylish with a metal frame
- 8.7-inch display
- 3 GB of RAM
- Expandable storage up to 1TB
- Bluetooth version: 5.0
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite pushes the definition of an 8-inch tablet. Samsung’s budget choice skirts the edge of 8-inch tablet dimensions with an 8.7-inch screen. The larger screen is a great choice for surfing the web, reading books, or watching streaming videos.
Like the Fire HD 8 Plus, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite comes with a microSD slot. The maximum storage supported is 1 TB, which is massive for such a portable tablet. This Samsung tablet does have a few notable drawbacks, though. The front-facing camera is on the weaker side, with only 2 megapixels on offer.
The 3 GB of onboard RAM is also a sticking point. It’ll handle multitasking with some ease, but trying to stream video while playing a game might stretch it to its limits.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is an affordable tablet with a larger screen. | The front-facing camera is weak with subpar image resolution. |
| Samsung has left the option for expandable storage. | It only comes with 3 GB of RAM. |
Check out the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite on Amazon.
Best Budget Choice: TCL Tab 8
- 32 GB of internal storage
- 4080mAh battery
- 16 million colors on a compact 8" HD screen
- 3 types of eye protection modes
The TCL Tab 8 is a great choice for budget-conscious users. It isn’t the best performer on this list, but should work as a great media consumption device. The TCL Tab 8 comes with an included case which also functions as a stand.
This budget tablet also runs Android 11, meaning you’ve got a wide range of compatibility with Play Store apps. TCL rates the battery at around eight hours of life, which is plenty for casual use. Like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, the TCL Tab 8 only has 3 GB of RAM. As such, this means the tablet is great for media and gaming, but it’s less capable of multitasking than other choices on this list.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is a budget-friendly tablet. | It isn’t well-suited for multi-tasking. |
| The TCL Tab 8 comes with expandable storage. | The included case doesn’t adequately protect the screen from impact. |
Check out the TCL Tab 8 on Amazon.
Best for Families: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet
- 8-inch HD touchscreen display
- 32 GB of internal storage and up to 1 TB of expandable storage
- Curated content for ages 6-12
- Up to 13 hours of battery life
Functionally speaking, the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet is identical to the Fire HD 8. It uses the same hardware, has the same battery life, and displays at the same resolution. What marks it apart from the standard model is its durable kid-friendly case.
This is a tablet built for rough play, but it has plenty of power for appropriate games and media. Amazon also bundles the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet with parental controls over the app store and web browser. You’ll also get a one-year subscription to Amazon’s Kids+ service which comes with a plethora of kid content.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet uses the same hardware as the standard version. | It is fairly expensive for a tablet aimed at kids. |
| It comes with a sturdy kid-proof case that is built to take a beating. | Parental controls don’t include time restrictions by default. |
Check out the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet on Amazon.
Picking the Best 8-inch Tablet: What to Know
Choosing the best 8-inch tablet can seem a bit daunting. However, there are a few criteria to keep in mind when shopping for a tablet.
Screen Size
Now, an 8-inch tablet doesn’t necessarily mean it is an exact measurement. Both the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and iPad Mini have larger screens, just as an example. With a tablet in this size class, you’ll see every tenth of an inch has a massive impact on the screen real estate.
Users looking for more compact tablets would do well with devices like the Fire HD 8 Plus or TCL Tab 8. If you need more screen real estate for watching videos, then the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is a fantastic choice.
Use Case
As you’ll see with tablets of any size, there are wildly differing capabilities — despite the similar form factor. If you’re looking to use a tablet as a portable laptop replacement, then the iPad Mini is a fantastic choice. Unlike other 8-inch tablets, it has more than enough power to handle productivity apps.
Media consumption allows you to be a little more flexible about your requirements. Streaming video doesn’t require an absolute powerhouse of a tablet. The Fire HD 8 Plus is a great choice thanks to the tight integration of Amazon’s media umbrella as part of the functionality of the device.
Operating System
Typically, 8-inch tablets are only going to come with two operating system choices. Apple’s offering in this form factor runs iPadOS, which is iOS geared for larger devices.
Android is going to be the most popular choice across the board. So, it’ll come down to which apps you prefer and which method of operation. While iOS and Android are similar in scope, they have vastly different user experiences.
Apple’s App Store does have a definite edge when it comes to more specialized productivity apps, digital art tools, and audio editing software. Android tablets also tend to be more affordable, at least when compared to an iPad Mini.
Using an 8-inch Tablet: What It’s Like
If you’ve used a larger smartphone or a flagship tablet, you’re familiar with using a tablet. These are touch-oriented devices with a larger screen than the biggest flagship phones. Some, like the iPad Mini, are very performance-driven, matching the likes of the iPhone 14.
The 8-inch tablet segment is an interesting one, with only a handful of manufacturers targeting extreme performance. Apple and Amazon both have powerful processors in their smaller tablets. Samsung’s offering is adequate but doesn’t have the memory necessary for reliable work.
Smaller tablets can be more comfortable for some users. The form factor allows for easy one-handed use, which is great for browsing the web or reading books.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Angelo DAmico/Shutterstock.com.
