Cheap vs pricey laptops and tablets: how to get away with spending less

Laptops and tablets are attractive devices for all sorts of tasks, and what they're capable of has converged in recent years. So which is best for you?

Below, we explain what you need to know about tablets versus laptops and how to choose between them. Plus how you can save money, which models you should consider and where to find the best prices. 

See our expert pick of the best laptops for great models at a variety of prices

Laptop or tablet?

Sometimes it isn’t completely obvious whether a laptop or tablet might be better for your needs. Some cheaper laptops can only manage very basic tasks, while top-end tablets can be mobile workstations capable of creating fantastic images, graphics and even videos. 

Here we’ve summarised some of the key differences you're likely to find.

Screen 

• Tablets are generally smaller than laptops. The smallest tablets, such as the Amazon Fire 7, can be as little as 7 inches diagonally, while the largest are more than 13 inches.
• Laptops range from 11 inches to around 17 inches. 
• Of the models we've tested, the average tablet screen is 10.4 inches and the average laptop screen is 14.3 inches.

Portability

• A tablet is, on average, a third of the weight of a laptop. The lightest on Which.co.uk right now, the Venturer Voyager 7, is only 246g. 
• The lightest laptop, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 13.3-inch, is 865g (nearly the same as the heaviest tablet).

However, if you need a keyboard for your tablet, this will add to the weight and bulk, especially if there isn’t a bespoke keyboard designed for the tablet to snap onto using magnets.

Performance 

• You can find high performance chips in tablets, such as an Intel Core i5 in the Microsoft Surface Pro and Apple M2 in the iPad Pro.
• In our tests we tend to find that the equivalent processor in a laptop is faster. This is usually because laptops have cooling fans and most tablets don't. A cooler processor runs more quickly. 

That said, while the Apple M2 in the iPad Pro was outperformed by the MacBook Air, this doesn’t take away from the fact that the iPad Pro is extremely fast. 

Battery

• In our tests, on average tablets last 9.6 hours and laptops 7.8 hours. 
• However, the best laptop lasts 23.8 hours vs 15 for the best tablet. 

Battery life depends entirely on what you’re doing. Simply reading a book on a tablet is much less power-hungry than editing a video on a laptop, for example. Tablets with smaller screens will also draw less power. 

Ports 

• Laptops usually come with two or four USB ports along with HDMI, SD card slots and more. 
• Tablets usually have just one port, and that’s also used for charging. So you’ll need to buy an adaptor or hub to connect extras such as a keyboard, as well as your charger. 

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How to buy a cheaper laptop

If you’re willing to compromise – for example, on the screen and speed – you can pick up a laptop you’ll be happy with for less than £400.

Laptops costing around £400 will be fast enough for a lot of people, but if you cut the budget much more than this, speed will suffer. The very latest models are fine when web browsing, but they will slow down significantly if you try to run several programs at once. 

Some cheaper laptops have screens that are significantly duller, with lower resolutions than their more expensive counterparts. This isn’t universal and some ultra-cheap laptops have impressive screens, so pick carefully. 

The Acer Swift SF114-34 is one such laptop; it doesn’t set the world alight but it’s long been a popular choice for Which? members. Read our Acer Swift 1 SF114-34 review to see its strengths and weaknesses.

Add an extra £100 or so to your budget and, provided you pick carefully, you can get a faster model with a better processor and more Ram.

The £450 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14-inch Gen 8 has impressive specs for the money, with 8GB Ram and a four-core AMD Ryzen 3 processor, so it's well worth a look. 

Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Slip 3 14-inch (Gen 8) review to see whether there are any annoying compromises, then click through to Lenovo.com for the latest prices.

Top laptop picks at the very best prices - we reveal the best Black Friday laptop deals

What if you pay more for a laptop?

If you’re happy to pay up to £700, you’re guaranteed to get something quick, but the rest of the package might be a mixed bag if you don’t do your research. 

At this price, screen quality tends to be pretty good. However, we’ve seen some mediocre models that cost this much as well. Speaker quality is also a major variable, as is battery life.

Desperate for a Mac? The cheapest way to get yourself an Apple computer isn’t to buy a MacBook, but instead a Mac Mini desktop. These start at £599 when on offer. Otherwise, your best bet for a new MacBook laptop is to go for the 2020 MacBook Air, which is still available to buy direct from Apple or other retailers. 

Below is a top pick Windows laptop for around £700, plus the the best prices we could find for the 2020 MacBook Air and 2023 Mac Mini.

Get the lowdown on which Apple laptop to buy, at a good price: read our guide to the best MacBooks

How to buy a cheaper tablet

Tablets costing upwards of £600 are only necessary if you want top-end specs, such as super-fast speeds for multitasking and superb-quality photos and videos. If this isn’t you, then you can get away with paying a lot less.

Think about what you’ll need your tablet for. If it’s an alternative to using your phone for tasks such as reading books and magazines, you really don’t need to spend as much. 

If it’s also for watching films or TV shows and admiring/editing your photos, then the sweet spot for quality is around £300. You get high-end specs, a sharp screen and great battery life. Provided, that is, you choose carefully and read our tablet reviews.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is a large tablet with a fast processor that costs a lot less than an iPad. Is it right for you? Read our full Amazon Fire Max 11 review, and see below for the best prices.

In the mid-range you'll find the attractive Xiaomi Pad 5, which has a high-resolution 11-inch screen. Read our full Xiaomi Pad 5 review, and see below for the best prices.

The 2021 iPad is a great choice if you want an Apple tablet for less. See the latest deals below, and read our full 2021 iPad review to see if it's right for you.

Want to get the best prices on iPads and other tablets? See our best Black Friday iPad and tablet deals

What if you pay more for a tablet?

If you want to use your tablet as a laptop replacement – either with a keyboard or with a high-quality stylus for drawing and note-taking – you can pay well beyond £800. 

Devices such as the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (see below for deals) are two examples of this. You can effectively use them like a laptop, with multiple apps open at once, side by side. This sort of functionality is great for getting things done. But if you’ve never worked in this way before, it’s worth trying these features out in-store first.

Not sure what you need? See our guide to the best tablets for more advice and for our top picks for all budgets