Irresistible as they are, tablets being retailed below $100 for the 2013 Black Friday madness should be avoided and the same applies for the whole Christmas season.

Sure they are easy on the pocket, with some never-heard-of brands going as low as $50, but consumers will surely get what they pay for - a cheap device that hardly meets minimal expectations. The price tag seems a good deal in the making but poking a little deeper, buying into them will be waste of money.

Here are the four reasons to think twice when a slate's asking price is incredibly lower than $100:

Danger: low-end components inside

Most likely, when paying between $50 and $80, the innards of the tablet is much left to be desired. No Snapdragon, Adreno and other known components imprints. In many cases, these cheap compact Android tabs are scaled up devices with insufficient engineering support. The result would be non-optimal tablet functions with DISAPPOINTMENT written all over it.

For sure too, the performance would be so slow that pulling up an app could take eternity to process.

Android they are but no official Google certification

Knock offs bring with them so many compromises but the most annoying would be the lack of Google certification. Porting a device with the free Android is easy but getting Google to actually 'acknowledge' it is another thing.

Manufacturer would sell the tablet pre-installed with mobile operating system and apps but that's the end of it. Out of the box, the device is hampered by limitations - no access to Google Play Store, for one - and it would stay that way unless the owner is brave enough to flash custom ROM on the tab. Then another question: Will the hardware up to the complicated process.

Kept out of the Google universe

Apart from being cast outs from the Play Store, cheap tablets will most likely unable to access many of the popular Google applications. Imagine having an Android that you scored for a dirt-cheap price mark but is restricted from Gmail, YouTube, Google Music, Google Map and many more. It should be like being trapped in a warp zone with no way out.

Stuck with old Android version

Normally, low-priced tabs sell with old Android builds and these gadgets will start out and end their life-cycle in the same shell. There is no way they will ever to the higher level - not on any Jelly Bean editions more so KitKat 4.4. In short, taking home these hastily-prepared toys is consumers' ticket to the ancient Android world - to remain there until the device conks out.

So to avoid such a messy trap, it is best to hunt down these reliable brands - the best that Android can offer - for the holidays:

Nexus 7 - Now in two versions, the 2012 and 2013 builds, and any of which is capable to meet users' expectations for a 7-inch form-factor.

Amazon Kindle Fire series - Offered in different sizes and reasonable prices, Amazon's take on the tablet world brings consumers into a parallel Android world where the online retail is king or provider of anything. Having too many choices here is the norm.

Galaxy Tab series - Samsung's ongoing attempt of dislodging the iPad Mini from its throne is reflected through these products. They're not the Mini but gorgeous enough, packs decent powers and feature-rich to merit more than a second look. The Tab 2 has the 7.0 edition while the Tab 3 offers the 7.0 and 8.0.

LG G Pad 8.3 - The G Pad marks LG's return to the tablet arena and so far, it has been garnering impressed reviews. But what is most notable about the G Pad is the likelihood that it could be used as the based model for the rumoured Nexus 8.

All these four compact tablets are priced above $100 (even $200) but for sure the Black Friday fever will push down their current price marks and make them more solid alternatives for the budget-conscious gadget shoppers.