Toshiba just announced two new Windows 8.1 tablets, offering up 8 and 10.1-inch versions of its Encore 2 slate. The new devices won’t be available to purchase until July, but we got a chance to try them out for ourself.
Both Encore 2 tablets offer a pretty nice all-grey design with curved edges. The new lineup is significantly thinner than last year’s model, with the 10.1-inch slate coming in a 0.4 inches thin and just 1.2 pounds. Meanwhile, the smaller 8-inch variant weighs in at under a pound. Both models are easy to hold with just one hand, though the bigger Encore 2 is clearly meant for getting work done with Windows 8.1.
Both models offer an impressive 1280 x 800-pixel display that looks sharp, though the colors aren’t quite as vivid as we’ve seen on competing Windows slates like the Microsoft Surface. Under the hood you’ll find a 10-hour battery, a quad-core Intel Atom processor and up to 64GB of storage with microSD support. Toshiba’s also throwing in a year of free access to Office 365, and both tablets come preloaded with Xbox Music, Xbox Video, Kindle Reader and Skype.
I haven’t personally had a chance to try out the new Surface Pro 3, but at 12-inches Microsoft’s new tablet isn’t competing with these smaller entries from Toshiba. Compared to last year’s Surface 2, however, the 10.1-inch Encore 2 is definitely a lot sleeker, thinner and best of all cheaper at just $269.99. It’s not quite as powerful and you’ll miss out on Microsoft’s built-in kickstand and accompanying Type Cover, but you’re still getting a decent Windows tablet at a significantly lower price.
Microsoft still doesn’t offer a Surface Mini, leaving plenty of room for third-party manufactures to offer their own small Windows tablets. In that respect the 8-inch Encore 2 is an excellent option, offering similar hardware to the 10-inch model for just $199.99. If you’re looking for a small cheap tablet that offers the full Windows experience this is a solid option, though we’re still holding out hope for an official Surface Mini.
Toshiba’s also thrown in a few extra software features. You can beam your tablet’s display wirelessly onto a nearby TV, though you’ll still need to plug a receiver into the back of your television first. The company also showed us a new camera trick that takes angled photos of text and flattens them out for easier reading. We wouldn’t say either feature is a key reason to buy an Encore 2 tablet, but it’s still a nice perk.
Overall we were impressed with Toshiba’s new Windows tablets. If you’re looking for a cheaper device that offers the full Windows 8.1 experience you could do a lot worse, though die-hard Microsoft fans will probably still prefer the official Surface experience.

Disguise your little one with the help of a themed costume
From avocado halves to hoppy bunnies, costumes speak to every child's unique spirit. And we've collected our favorite options.

Add magic to your living space with these string lights
String lights add personality and soft light to your living space. Here are some of the best.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!

The best cases for the 9.7-inch iPad 6
The 9.7-inch iPad features Apple Pencil support and a beautiful design, which you can preserve by picking up a durable case. Here are the best cases for the 9.7-inch iPad.