5 Tablet Deals: iPad 2 All-Time Low, Samsung Galaxy Tabs from $400, and more

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By , dealnews contributor

Here at dealnews, we're not about to resolve the great debate between Apple iPad loyalists and those who love the Android tablet platform. We'd rather see everyone get on the same side of a battle: fighting high prices. We've searched high and low for five great tablet deals, so flex those touchscreen muscles and let's get started with the bargain hunting.

  1. Apple iPad 2 16GB WiFi Tablet
    Vendor: Meijer
    Price: $429 in-store
    Lowest By: $41
    Expires: February 25

    Is It Worth It?: This particular model normally sells for $499, but we're inclined to chalk up the discounted price to the impending launch of the iPad 3, reportedly set for early March. And it's hard to go wrong with this Editors' Choice deal on the 0.3"-thick tablet, which weighs 1.3 lbs. and features an Apple A5 1GHz dual-core processor, 9.7" 1024x768 LCD touchscreen display, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, accelerometer, compass, up to 10 hours of battery life, and more.

  2. Samsung Galaxy 10.1" 16GB Android Tablet
    Vendor: Toys "R" Us
    Price: $399.99 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $34

    Is It Worth It?: After a somewhat rocky start in the tablet marketplace, Samsung's Galaxy tablet is definitely a heavy hitter today. And this Editors' Choice deal is a monster: the best price we've ever seen for this tablet with free shipping. This wireless-only Android tablet (no 3G connectivity) features an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, 10.1" 1280x800 touchscreen LCD, 16GB memory, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, built-in GPS, 2-megapixel front camera, 3-megapixel rear camera, Google Android 3.1 OS (Honeycomb), and more.

    What's more, Toys "R" Us is also offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1" 32GB WiFi Android Tablet in Black for $469.99 with free shipping — also an all-time price low and the lowest total price we could find by $59.

  3. Refurbished BlackBerry PlayBook 7" 16GB WiFi Tablet
    Vendor: Best Buy
    Price: $169.99 with $8.99 s&h
    Lowest By: $20

    Is It Worth It?: The risk you'll take, in exchange for the low, low price, is that Best Buy sells this item "as is"; while it's subject to the store's return policy, there is no warranty coverage. That said, the Blackberry Playbook has proven to be very popular amongst dealnews readers, likely because of deals like this. This 0.4"-thick tablet weighs 14.4 oz. and features a 1GHz dual-core processor, 7" 1024x600 touchscreen LCD, 16GB of internal memory, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 3-megapixel 1080p front-facing camera, 5-megapixel 1080p rear camera, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, BlackBerry Tablet OS, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, and micro USB and HDMI ports.

  4. Sony Tablet S 9" 16GB Android Tablet with Cradle
    Vendor: Sony Store
    Price: $399.99 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $6

    Is It Worth It?: Look closely at this tablet from Sony, which features an interesting curved form factor that almost resembles a folded-back magazine from the side. While not everyone will like this alternative to the standard flat slate, CNET calls the tablet's industrial design "smart, and the software refinements are both practical and restrained." It features a NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, 9.4" 1280x800 touchscreen LCD, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal flash storage, 0.3-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, 802.11n wireless, IR capabilities for universal remote functionality, Google Android 3.1 (Honeycomb), and more. The cradle is automatically added in-cart.

  5. MID 7" 4GB Android Tablet
    Vendor: Global Phoenix Direct via eBay
    Price: $79.95 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $10

    Is It Worth It?: While $79.95 is a great entry-level price to get you into the tablet world, there's a big difference in performance and features between this model and a souped-up iPad or Galaxy. Features include a VIA 800MHz processor, 7" 800x480 widescreen touchscreen LCD, 256MB RAM, 4GB storage, microSDHC card slot (supports up to 32GB), 802.11g wireless, 0.3-megapixel camera, built-in speakers and microphone, and more.

Did you pull the trigger on any of these tablet deals? Now's the time to consider screen covers, cases, padded bags, stands, and anything else you might need to optimize your slate experience. Check out our deal page for iPad and other tablet accessories.

Front page photo credit: iPad Ze

Lou Carlozo is a dealnews contributing writer. He covers personal finance for Reuters Wealth, and was most recently the managing editor of WalletPop.com, and before that a veteran columnist at the Chicago Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @LouCarlozo63. You can also sign up for an email alert for all dealnews features.
DealNews may be compensated by companies mentioned in this article. Please note that, although prices sometimes fluctuate or expire unexpectedly, all products and deals mentioned in this feature were available at the lowest total price we could find at the time of publication (unless otherwise specified).
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5 comments
Lindsay Sakraida (DealNews)
It looks like we might get the new OS next week: http://news.cnet.com/....0-could-arrive-next-week/
February 16, 2012
vicvghn
(1) i agree with mazahirb, if its going to be an Editor's Choice, then the item should at least be relevant and practical thus making it a great value at the low cost.  an Editor's Choice item shouldnt be for items that are very soon to be obsolete. yes i know when it comes to electronic gadgets, technology becomes obsolete quick.  but in the case above, we all know the original Blackberry Playbook is on it's way out.  2) how can these be consider "great" tablet deals.  the biggest savings above is only $41 bucks.  all the tablets above are way over-priced to begin with.  $6 to $41 savings is nothing!
February 15, 2012
Lindsay Sakraida (DealNews)
When we mark an item Editors' Choice, it's not an endorsement of the product, but rather an indication that the price is extremely low and/or rare. 
February 15, 2012
synstr
I am surprised that time and again trolls like you come on these sites for no good reason other than to continually put down the playbook... Can you not go to your hundreds of other sites that praise your tablet of choice? Yeah right sorry it makes you feel better.  The other thing is this has nothing to do with this article. It's just telling you where you can get good deals on 5 tablets, which includes 3 of your precious android ones. 
February 15, 2012
mazahirb
I am surprised time and again that dealnews makes the Blackberry Playbook an editors choice yet never mentions that the Blckberry Tablet OS is very limiting and does not fully allow you to make the most of this powerful tablet. If only this had an android OS, I would have jumped on it, but mostly this is an expensive paper weight. (Blackberry plans a new OS... but when?)
February 15, 2012