Why Walmart Is Betting Big on Cheap Android Tablets

Walmart has launched a line of Onn brand tablets priced around $99 to compete directly with Apple's iPad—particularly the Onn 8 Tablet Pro, an 8-inch Android device that uses standard Google Play services rather than a customized version of Android. This matters because it's one of the few budget tablets that doesn't lock you into a proprietary ecosystem, and it gives Walmart another way to reach customers who want affordable but functional devices.

What the Onn Tablets Actually Are

The Onn 8 Tablet Pro runs Android 10 with the standard Google version of the operating system, which distinguishes it from Amazon's Fire tablets—those use Fire OS, Amazon's own modified version of Android. Ars Technica noted that the device is designed primarily for holding vertically, which suggests Walmart expects most users to do things like browse social media, watch videos, and read rather than type long documents or edit spreadsheets.

The pro versions include faster processors and USB-C charging ports—two features that were uncommon on budget tablets a few years ago. USB-C in particular is significant: older cheap tablets stuck with micro-USB long after the rest of the industry moved on, making them annoying to charge alongside your phone or laptop.

The Market Walmart Is Targeting

Amazon's Fire tablets have dominated the sub-$100 tablet market for years by selling them cheaply and making money from subscriptions, video, and content you buy through Amazon. Walmart's strategy is different: it's betting that some people would rather use regular Android with Google's app store (Google Play) instead of being locked into Amazon's ecosystem.

Budget tablets have traditionally cut corners on build quality, speed, and software updates to hit low prices. By including USB-C and committing to a processor that doesn't feel sluggish, Walmart is signaling it wants to make budget tablets feel less cheap, without actually raising the price.

How Walmart's Retail Stores Give It an Edge

Here's where Walmart's physical stores matter: you can walk in, hold the tablet, and decide if you like it before spending your money. That's powerful at the budget price point, where people tend to be skeptical about what they're getting.

Walmart also has decades-old supplier relationships and manufacturing networks that let it build tablets affordably while still making a profit. The Onn brand itself extends beyond tablets to TVs, speakers, and cables—basically Walmart's answer to Amazon's private-label hardware line, except Walmart sells through stores rather than relying mainly on digital subscriptions.

We've watched this pattern repeat. Best Buy tried it with Insignia-branded products. Target has launched various private-label electronics over the years. The difference with Walmart is the scale of the bet and the fact that it's actually trying to compete head-to-head with major brands rather than just filling gaps.

Why Walmart Chose Standard Android

Walmart could have modified Android the way Amazon did, which would give Walmart more control over what apps users see and how Walmart makes money. But customizing Android requires constant software maintenance, and it breaks access to the thousands of apps in Google Play. Using standard Android is simpler and gives users what they expect.

The vertical orientation choice also tells you something about user research. Walmart studied who buys cheap tablets and what they do with them. The answer: mostly watch videos, scroll social media, and read—not write emails or edit documents on a 8-inch screen.

What This Means Longer Term

The timing is worth noting. Remote work and online learning drove tablet sales up in recent years, and budget tablets serve as secondary devices for a lot of households—the one your kid uses for homework or that sits on your nightstand. There's a real market beyond people buying premium iPads.

From a broader perspective, Walmart's entry into the budget tablet space could matter for Android itself. Amazon's Fire tablets use a forked version of Android, which fragments the ecosystem. Walmart maintaining standard Android with Google Play could actually help sustain app development for budget Android tablets by keeping a larger base of users with consistent access to apps.

That said, budget tablets have a weak history when it comes to lasting software updates and reliability. Devices shipped a few years ago often accumulated build quality problems users didn't notice until later. Walmart will succeed here only if it can maintain reasonable quality standards over time while keeping prices low—no small feat. That's the real test ahead.