Archos Elements 80b Platinum

8in screen ; Micro HDMI output ; microSD card slot ; Quad-core processor

Poor-quality low-resolution screen ; Little on-board storage ; Music performance could be better ; Poor camera ; Video playback can be unstable ; Lacks contrast

This tablet has many flaws, some of which could be overlooked if it was a lot cheaper. The £50-cheaper Tesco Hudl roundly outperforms it, and you can get the exceedingly better Nexus 7 for just £30 more. In this fiercely competitive market,

It powers on ; HDMI out ; Expandable

Slow ; Heavy ; Poor screen ; Expensive for what it is

Bingo. Especially not for £170. The Tesco Hudl is £120 (!) and better in just about every respect. If you have a bit more to spend, then just get a Nexus 7. And if your heart longs for an iPad mini, just buy an iPad mini. Don’t buy a bad knockoff.