Skip those cheap Amazon tablets; buy the Galaxy Tab A8 for Prime Day instead

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When it comes to Prime Day tablet deals, you can't go wrong with our #1 best cheap Android tablet (and that's at full price).

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 in-hand promo
(Image credit: Samsung)

Every Prime Day, Amazon holds a fire sale on its Fire HD tablets, selling them for half off. We're big fans of these devices when it comes to a cheap streaming option for the couch or bedroom. But if you want a cheap Android 13 tablet that costs just slightly extra but gives you a specs upgrade and a much better selection of apps and games, go with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (2022), currently matching the lowest deal price we've ever seen at $159 (43% off). 

Our top option on our cheap Android tablets list, the Galaxy Tab A8 is a 10.5-inch slab with a respectable 1920 x 1200 resolution, four rich stereo speakers, a reliable battery, and an expandable storage slot. Make sure to buy the 64GB variant or higher; it nets you 4GB of RAM instead of 3GB for just $10 extra during Prime Day, and trust me when I say it'll make a difference for app and site loading times.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (2022): $279.99 $159.99 at Amazon

Many of Samsung's tablets are discounted for Prime Day, including $300 off the excellent Tab S8 and S8+. But most people don't need to spend more than a couple hundred on a tablet. Not when the respectable Tab A8 gives you a baseline of visual, audio, and performance quality that'll let you browse, stream, and check email with ease.

So what makes this the best cheap Android tablet? It now runs One UI 5 based on Android 13, its second annual update, while most other cheap tablets languish with old software. Unlike the limited Fire OS suite of apps, you get full access to the Play Store, for all your favorite Android apps and Android games. 

It runs on a Unisoc Tiger T618, an octo-core chip with 2GHz clock speed. That's fairly standard for most tablets in the high-$200 price range (at full price), beating the Nokia T20 (1.8GHz) and falling slightly behind the robust Fire HD 11 Max (2.2GHz). Still, I stand by the fact that I'd rather have Play Store apps, Samsung's multitasking software, and promised security updates through the beginning of 2026, instead of settling for Amazon's more simplistic, app-limited OS.

Want a little extra storage? The 128GB version of the Galaxy Tab A8 is just $20 extra at $179.99. You can also choose the 32GB model for $149.99 at that link, but again, we recommend splurging a bit so you get that sweet extra RAM. 

If you want to judge your options for yourself, check out our collection of the best Prime Day tablet deals across Samsung, Amazon, Lenovo, and other brands!

More Prime Day 2023

Michael L Hicks
Michael L Hicks
Senior Editor, VR/AR and fitness

Michael is Android Central's resident expert on fitness tech and wearables, with an enthusiast's love of VR tech on the side. After years freelancing for Techradar, Wareable, Windows Central, Digital Trends, and other sites on a variety of tech topics, AC has given him the chance to really dive into the topics he's passionate about. He's also a semi-reformed Apple-to-Android user who loves D&D, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.

For wearables, Michael has tested dozens of smartwatches from Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Apple, COROS, Polar, Amazfit, and other brands, and will always focus on recommending the best product over the best brand. He's also completed marathons like NYC, SF, Marine Corps, Big Sur, and California International — though he's still trying to break that 4-hour barrier.