Do not get ripped off on Black Friday...Part Three

Beware Unnamed Tablet Deals
There might be hundreds of different HDTV models out there, but most of them will be from recognizable brands. That isn't the case with tablets. Many, many Android and Windows tablets come from relatively unknown companies or are simply unbranded, and you can't be sure of what you're getting. If it says Lenovo or Acer or Toshiba, there's a good chance we've reviewed it (and you should check these tablet reviews to make sure). If it just says "Android tablet" and it costs less than dinner for four, there's a good chance it's a piece of junk.

There's a reason iPads, Lenovo Yogas, and Samsung Galaxy Tabs cost much, much more than seemingly similar tablets. Major brands and major models roundly offer better specs, better build quality, and a better experience than unbranded tablets. It's easy to throw around enough components to run some version of Android on a 7- or 10-inch screen. It's hard to make a responsive, well-equipped, well-designed tablet. Even if the specs seem similar, once you look under the hood or hold it in your hands, the difference will become apparent.

This doesn't mean all brand-name tablets are great deals, though. You can still get a mediocre or even downright terrible tablet from a major manufacturer. You can also get a diamond in the rough with a no-name tablet. The problem is you can't know about that unbranded tablet until you put the cash down on it. A relatively inexpensive brand-name tablet like an Nvidia Shield Tablet or an Asus VivoTab Note 8 might cost more than the no-name model, but you can be sure we put them through their paces and are worth your money.