5 Editors' Choice Android Tablets for Less Than $250

No disrespect to iPad lovers, but Android tablets are also quite popular with savvy dealnews shoppers. To serve the fans of this operating system, we've put together a roundup of five exclusively Editors' Choice tablet deals.

1. Refurbished Vizio 4GB 8" WiFi Android Tablet
   Store: newegg
   Price: $79.99 via $20 mail-in rebate with free shipping
   Expires: July 15

   Is It Worth It?: Get into the tablet game with this refurb 8" tablet that comes in at the lowest total price we've seen. But it's not just any old Android tablet; CNET calls it a standout attributable to its "customized interface, universal remote control [and] capability." This 1.2-lb tablet features an 8" 1024x768 LED-backlit touchscreen LCD, 1GHz processor, 4GB storage, 512MB RAM, front-facing camera, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, microSD slot, mini HDMI output, USB connectivity, Android 2.3 OS (Gingerbread), and more. A 90-day warranty on parts and labor applies, but it's unclear who backs it.

2. Open-Box BlackBerry PlayBook 7" 64GB WiFi Tablet
   Store: 1SaleADay via eBay
   Price: $149.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $35

   Is It Worth It?: While the "BlackBerry PlayBook's 7" screen cramps the powerful browser ... and the app selection trails the competition," the new mobile operating system is powerful. This 0.4"-thick tablet weighs 14.4 oz. and features an ARM Cortex A9 1GHz dual-core processor, 7" 1024x600 touchscreen LCD, 64GB of internal memory, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 3-megapixel front-facing camera, 5-megapixel rear camera, 1080p video recording, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, BlackBerry Tablet OS, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, microUSB, and HDMI. A 14-day money back guarantee applies.

3. Used Kindle Fire 7" Android Tablet
   Store: CowBoom
   Price: $64.99 via coupon code "Fire15" with free shipping
   Lowest By: $35
   Expires: June 6

   Is It Worth It?: Rumors are flying that the Kindle Fire's competitor, the Barnes & Noble NOOK will soon be history, making deals on the Kindle Fire and its iterations all the more popular. Get ahead of the crowd with this deal on a used tablet priced that's $10 under our mention from last month and $35 less than a refurb.

   The Kindle Fire runs a heavily-modified version of Google's Android OS and sports a dual core processor and 7" 1024x600 IPS display. It has 8GB of internal storage, although the intent is to stream most content directly from Amazon Cloud Storage. It also lacks 3G support (WiFi is the only option). No warranty information is provided. Also, this used item may have scratches, dents, and missing accessories.

4. Refurbished ASUS Transformer Pad 10.1" 32GB LED-Backlit Android Tablet
   Store: Walmart
   Price: $249 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $11

   Is It Worth It?: Interested in a refurbished tablet instead of a used one? This refurb 32GB Transformer Pad is at an all time low of $249. What's more, this tablet is a step up from the Transformer Prime offering "a better rear camera, faster Wi-Fi performance, a more responsive screen, and an actual (and official) GPS feature." Available in Blue, this tablet features an NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 10.1" 1280x800 IPS multi-touch LED-backlit LCD, 1GB RAM, 32GB internal flash storage, 8-megapixel back-facing camera, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n wireless, SD card slot, GPS, gyroscope, light sensor, and Google Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). A 90-day ASUS warranty applies.

5. Refurbished ASUS Eee Pad Transformer 10.1" 32GB LED-Backlit Android Tablet
   Store: newegg
   Price: $194.99 via $20 mail-in rebate with free shipping
   Lowest By: $103
   Expires: June 6

   Is It Worth It?: What mainly distinguishes this tablet from the aforementioned Transformer Pad is its slower processor, though its notable high-quality screen and relatively cheap keyboard/dock make it an attractive option." It features a NVIDIA Tegra 2 250 1GHz dual-core processor, 10.1" 1280x800 IPS multi-touch LED-backlit LCD, 1GB RAM, 32GB internal flash storage, 5-megapixel back-facing camera, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 802.11n wireless, microSD card slot, GPS, built-in gyroscope, and Google Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). A 90-day warranty applies, but it's unclear who backs it.

Lou Carlozo is a dealnews contributing writer. He covers personal finance for Reuters Wealth. Prior to that he was the managing editor of WalletPop.com, and a veteran columnist at the Chicago Tribune.

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