With a number of new Android tablets making a huge splash in the consumer space, the options available are enough to confound a prospective buyer.
We check out some of the best 8-inch Android tablets of 2015: Google Nexus 9, Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Nvidia Shield Tablet and Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 (8 inches).
Google Nexus 9
Known as the iPad killer, the Nexus 9 from Google is the successor of the Nexus 7 tablet and the first tablet to come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.
The HTC-made Nexus 9 boasts an 8.9-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. The tablet has a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels (281 ppi pixel density). The Nexus 9 has been designed keeping the latest OS in mind, which basically gives it an edge over other Android tablets.
Weighing 425g, the tablet houses a powerful 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor, which clocks at 2.5GHz and has 2GB of RAM. While powerful on paper, this apparently does not translate too well when it comes to user experience, based on early reviewers. That said, the Nexus 9 offers a robust 6,700 mAh battery, which can support close to six hours of incessant video streaming on Wi-Fi.
The Nexus 9 also touts a 1.6MP secondary camera to satiate selfie lovers or those who want to video chat. The 8MP primary camera also has a built-in flash.
The tablet is available in 16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi models and starts at $399.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S
Released in June 2014, the Galaxy Tab S from Samsung comes in two different screen sizes: 10.5 inches and 8.4 inches.
The affordable Galaxy Tab S is perfect for the budget buyer who does not want to compromise on features and performance. It essentially resembles a bigger Galaxy S5 smartphone when it comes to design. Weighing just 294g (Wi-Fi version), the tablet is not only light-weight but also extremely slim, at just 6.6 mm. The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 weighs 465g and is also 6.6 mm thin.
Both the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Galaxy Tab S 8.4 sport a 2560x1600(WQXGA) Super AMOLED screen. The tablets also house an Exynos 5 Octa (1.9GHz + 1.3GHz) processor and have 3GB of RAM. The option to expand the memory to 128GB is also available via the microSD card.
The tablets are equipped with a fingerprint sensor and sport an 8MP primary camera, as well as a 2.1MP secondary camera. Both tablets run on Android 4.4 KitKat, house a powerful 7900 mAh battery (for up to 11 hours of use) and offer 16GB of storage.
The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 tablet costs $449.99 for the 16GB model. The 32GB variant is priced at $699. The 16GB Galaxy Tab S 8.4 costs $349.99.
Nvidia Shield Tablet
Heralded as the ultimate tablet for gamers, the Nvidia Shield tablet sports a sharp full HD1080p screen, which has a pixel density of 283 ppi.
The 8-inch tablet also claims to have the fastest mobile processor in the world under its hood: the Tegra K1. Nvidia claims that the Tegra K1 surpasses the performance of chips inside rivals PS3 and Xbox 360.
Add to this the front-facing stereo speakers, as well as the dual bass reflex port. You have the recipe for an amazing crisp and crystal clear audio experience. The tablet runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 2GB of Ram. It also packs in 5 MP front-facing and secondary cameras.
Shield's USP is the ability of its processor to play AAA video games. You have the option to connect the tablet to TVs for a big screen gaming experience.
The tablet is available in 16GB (Wi-Fi only) and costs $299. The 32GB variant (Wi-Fi with 4G LTE) costs $399.
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 (8 inches)
The Lenovo Tablet 2 sports an 8-inch IPS LCD screen with 1920 x 1200 pixels and a pixel density of 283 ppi.
Weighing just 419g (Wi-Fi version), the tablet houses a quad-core processor, which is clocked at 1.33GHz.
It has 3GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. The option to expand the memory to 64GB is also available via the microSD card.
The tablet touts an 8MP primary camera, as well as a 1.6MP secondary camera. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 comes with Android 4.4 KitKat and house a powerful 6400 mAh battery, which offers 18 hours of talk time on 3G.
The tablet also boasts an incredible audio experience thanks to the frontal large-chamber stereo speakers that have Dolby and Wolfson Master Hi-Fi audio processing.
The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 costs $229.99.
