We’ve said it repeatedly in the past and stand by our word, small-size tablets should go away. No, we’ve got nothing against the breed but it is hard for us to recommend it to anyone. Phablet as big as 6 inches (Nexus 6 comes to mind) has made lives tougher for tablet makers but then brands like Asus continue to prolong the form factor, with very little hope.
After making a slew of Fonepad (tablet with voice-calling support), they seem to have reinvented their portfolio with the ZenPad series. Available in 7 and 8-inch form size, ZenPad hopes to tap the multimedia capability of the device. Also, with the inclusion of SIM slot and bundling audio-cover, their hope is to get the fallen 8-inch giant to awaken.
Can the ZenPad redeem tablet’s existence?
Key Highlights: Asus ZenPad 8.0
- Display: 8-inch 1280x800 pixel
- Operating System: Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Processor: Octa-Core Snapdragon 615
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 16GB
- Rear Camera: 8MP
- Front Camera: 2MP
- Battery: 4000mAh
- Price: Rs 14,999 (Rs 3,000 for audio cover)
What’s Good?
Tablets are primarily meant for consumption of media but over the years we have seen Android becoming productivity friendly as well. The ZenPad 8.0 Asus ticks the right boxes with respect to the aforementioned factors and features have a big role to play in that regards.
Based on Android 5.0 Lollipop (hopefully Marshmallow will come to the device) Zen UI has enough tools on the software front to deliver stable performance on the whole without any major stutter or visible lags in attendance.
A big shout out to the bundled audio cover which, priced at around Rs 3,000, adds a louder thump to your multimedia experience. The leather case makes the tablet look and feel like a premium device and the built-in DTS technology throws out some impressive audio.
The tablet can easily last through a day’s use as a calling device which is definitely its strong point.
What’s Bad?
Tablets aren’t a big fad these days, so much so that Apple decided to work on a tablet-cum-notebook version of its iPad. Asus, for all its chivalry has worked on a product that could have made its name a few years back but right now it simply fails to appeal to us.
Firstly, we would have liked an 8-inch display much better than 1280x800 pixel resolution. If you consider that a 1440 pixel Mi Pad retails for less than Rs 12,000, it speaks volumes about where the trend currently stands.
While the audio cover helps in improving the tablet on the audio front, it also adds around 200 grams to the overall weight of the device, which for a calling-cum-portable tablet is a big drawback.
Also, we would like to highlight the tablet’s charging prowess which falls short of the requirement for most power users these days. So, it’s better to keep the tablet charged at full-strength and hopefully a day’s use will be sufficient for most of us.
Why Buy it?
Asus ZenPad 8.0 is a quality device which delivers mainly on the entertainment front thanks to the bundled audio-cover. Tablets aren’t the go-to device these days but even then you’ll find a section invested in owning a giant-sized phone. We think the Xiaomi Mi Pad is a better option at this price range and Asus may have got the hardware just about right but at the end of the day, it’s just a Plain Jane tablet.
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