Top 3 Best Android Tablets in 3 Categories for 2015: Budget, Mid-Range & Flagship

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The year is winding down, and we thought it would be fun to share a top 3 Android tablets list. However, before we got started, we realized that the top 3 could mean different things to different folks, depending on their needs. With that in mind we are going to name our top 3 Android Tablets in three categories. The categories will be: budget, mid-range and flagship.

Keep in mind, that even some of the flagship or mid-range models might be considered "affordable" depending on your point of view, so we will not differentiate solely based on price. Here are the lists below.

Flagship Android Tablets -

1. HTC-made Google Nexus 9 = Starting at $399 - The Nexus 9 has a premium build and impressive specs. Its NVIDIA Tegra K1 CPU has all the power you need and then some. It easily tops this flagship list because of its many great qualities.
2. Google Pixel C = Starting at $499 - You almost can't relegate the Pixel C to just the "tablet" category, because it can also be a laptop replacement. Still, it is a magnificent tablet with powerful specs and functionality, so it definitely deserves a spot on the flagship list. If it were a bit cheaper, it might have received the number 1 spot in this category, but we did want to factor in value for your dollar.
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 = Starting at $349 - Samsung continues to excel with their Galaxy Tab S line of tablets. The S2 8.0 is the perfect size, weight and thickness, and Samsung's build quality is second to none. They have pretty much perfected their tablet creation process, cementing their position on any top Android tablet list.

*Honorable Mention for flagships goes to the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro = with a $449 price and an impressive swivel display and built-in keyboard, it's easy to be enamored by the Yoga Tab 3 Pro by Lenovo.

Mid-Range Android Tablets -

1. NVIDIA Shield Tablet Tegra K1 = Starting at $199 - With an on board Tegra K1 CPU, 192-core Kepler GPU and 2GB of RAM, the NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1 screams through gaming performance. If that were the only metric, then this tablet could easily top any of these lists. With its amazing performance and great build quality, you could argue that this belongs in the flagship category. Still, we felt that the target market for this tablet was trying to hit that perfect consumer market balance. The fact that NVIDIA recently dropped the price to only $199, offers up incredible value, and is definitely the "best bang for your buck" in many categories.
2. The 10.1-inch Lenovo Tab 2 A10-70 = $179 - The display on this tablet from Lenovo is what really makes it stand out. It easily ranks up with the higher-end tablets for brightness and clarity. Couple that with solid performance, and you have an Android tablet that is great for multimedia consumption.
3. LG G Pad 8.3 = Starting at $169 - While the performance on the LG G Pad 8.3 isn't spectacular, it comes with some great software. With decent build quality, it's excellent price is what makes this one stand out in this category.

*Honorable Mention for mid-range goes to the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 = $195 - The ZenPad S 8.0 had solid performance and sharp display. Its relatively weak battery life and average build quality are the only things that kept it from the top 3 in this category.

Budget Android Tablets -

1. Asus Memo Pad 8 = Starting at $119 - At just $120 bucks, this tab is a great value. The fact that it includes an 8-inch display at this price, makes it an even better bargain. Its build quality is actually as good as their ZenPad series, which is a great plus too. The Memo Pad 8 doesn't have the greatest performance or camera, but it is probably a bit better than any of the other tabs in this category.
2. Dell Venue 8 = Starting at $129 - This one is the most expensive of the budget-friendly tabs, but if you can swing the extra dough, it's a great product. Its excellent build quality, solid performance offer great value. If it had been slightly cheaper it might have displaced the top tablet in this category.
3. Asus Memo Pad 7 = Starting at $89. Yes, it is strange that this one made the budget list, right underneath its larger brother, but it shares the same quality characteristics with its bigger brother, the Memo Pad 8, and might fit your needs differently. If you prefer having the smaller 7-inch sized display, then this tab is the perfect fit at a great price.

*Honorable Mention for budget goes to the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8 = Starting at $149 - If this one had been just a wee bit cheaper it would have made the budget list. At this price point and size, it's hard to categorize the Fire HD 8. It's not quite mid-range, but also not quite budget-friendly for most. The fact that it covers up traditional Android with Amazon's UI overlay is also a ding against it, but it still earns an honorable mention easily.

That's it for our top Android tablets of 2015 list. Of course, these are just the opinions of our editors. We look forward to hearing your perspective; agree, disagree, or somewhere in between, it's our members' perspectives that matter most to us. Please voice your opinion in the thread below!

Have a Happy New Year!