Dell Venue 8 Pro Reviews

The Dell Venue 8 currently sits at the $149.99 price point; a market segment many overlook. The 8-inch screen won’t blow you away, but the slightly larger real estate comes in handy for reading or casual gaming. This is a great tablet for a few people: kids, older folks (grandma and grandpa who may not be ready for bleeding-edge tech), and those focussed on reading. If you’re looking for some basic functionality, the Dell venue 8 is an easy recommendation. It handled simply tasks easily, and didn’t get overwhelmed until we went for strenuous gaming or hardcore multitasking.

Dell's Venue 8 would be an adequate entry-level Android tablet a few months ago, but it's completely outmatched by the competition.

The simplicity of pure Android OS is complementary to the no-frills design of the Venue 8, and when combined with a sub-$200 price tag, it makes for an attractive option. The Lenovo Yoga 8 is another budget Android tablet, but costs $250 and includes an unbecoming, heavily modified operating system. Other 8-inch tablets, like the $400 Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 and the $350 LG G Pad 8.3, offer better screens and faster internal specs, but if you don't need upgraded specs, the Venue 8's $179 starting price is a more tempting option. The Dell Venue 8 is like a wedding singer that meets its audience's basic requirements, but lacks any extra bravado or charisma to truly floor you. Yep, the Venue 8 is no Beyonce, but with a $179 price, fine performance, and a no-frills design, it doesn't have to be. It's a perfectly acceptable and cheaper alternative.