PICKING THE TAB
Thinking
of going in for a new Android tablet in the 10K-15K range? make your buying
decision simpler…
Mercury mTab Rio
With its 10-inch buttonless screen, sturdy fabrication, and aesthetic build, the Mercury mTab Rio looks and feels more expensive than it is. If you’re looking for a budget tablet to read books, play games, watch movies and browse the web — all in the confines of your Wi-Fi-enabled home or office — this device has got to be it.
What’s Good
The squarish screen (4:3 aspect ratio) of the Mercury is fantastic. Reading comics and watching movies is a pleasurable experience. Only when placed next to far more expensive tablets do you realize the colours are slightly saturated — but not enough to spoil your experience. We’ve used the iPad 2 for a long time and can say the Rio’s display is quite comparable.
The tablet’s slim profile and the rubberized finish on its back give it a premium feel. The buttons feel firm and respond with a healthy click. Overall, great build quality.
Slates with large screens usually have poor battery life, but the mTab Rio played videos for 8.5 hours, perfor ming almost every heavy-duty task, including FullHD video playback, without a hiccup.
What’s Bad
Given that tablets costing half its price come with a standard USB port, we are disappointed that the Rio lacks this feature. Unlike with other Android slates, you cannot connect a pen drive to this device.
No SIM card slot for 3G and no USB port to connect a 3G dongle. Apart from Wi-Fi, there’s no way you can go online. This seriously limits portability.
The IPS screen is a fingerprint magnet.
SPECS: 9.7-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen (1024x768 pixels) | 1.2GHz dual-core processor | 1GB RAM | 4GB internal memory, microSD slot | Wi-Fi (no 3G) | micro USB, mini-HDMI ports | 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera | 8000 mAh battery, over 8.5 hours video playback, over 1.5 days of heavy usage | 480 gm | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
With its 10-inch buttonless screen, sturdy fabrication, and aesthetic build, the Mercury mTab Rio looks and feels more expensive than it is. If you’re looking for a budget tablet to read books, play games, watch movies and browse the web — all in the confines of your Wi-Fi-enabled home or office — this device has got to be it.
What’s Good
The squarish screen (4:3 aspect ratio) of the Mercury is fantastic. Reading comics and watching movies is a pleasurable experience. Only when placed next to far more expensive tablets do you realize the colours are slightly saturated — but not enough to spoil your experience. We’ve used the iPad 2 for a long time and can say the Rio’s display is quite comparable.
The tablet’s slim profile and the rubberized finish on its back give it a premium feel. The buttons feel firm and respond with a healthy click. Overall, great build quality.
Slates with large screens usually have poor battery life, but the mTab Rio played videos for 8.5 hours, perfor ming almost every heavy-duty task, including FullHD video playback, without a hiccup.
What’s Bad
Given that tablets costing half its price come with a standard USB port, we are disappointed that the Rio lacks this feature. Unlike with other Android slates, you cannot connect a pen drive to this device.
No SIM card slot for 3G and no USB port to connect a 3G dongle. Apart from Wi-Fi, there’s no way you can go online. This seriously limits portability.
The IPS screen is a fingerprint magnet.
SPECS: 9.7-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen (1024x768 pixels) | 1.2GHz dual-core processor | 1GB RAM | 4GB internal memory, microSD slot | Wi-Fi (no 3G) | micro USB, mini-HDMI ports | 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera | 8000 mAh battery, over 8.5 hours video playback, over 1.5 days of heavy usage | 480 gm | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Rating 8/10
Price Rs. 11,999
Zync Z999 Plus
Those who want 3G support or phone-calling features will be pleased with Zync’s new offering. The Z999 Plus feels sturdy and performs well. But is it worth the price?
What’s Good
The best part about this tablet is its standard SIM card slot that gives you on-the-go 3G connectivity. The Z999 works flawlessly as a web-browsing device and can even double up as a phone if required.
Well-built, sturdy, and with a nice matte finish on the back; the Z999 doesn’t feel cheap. But the protruding rear camera means that the tablet never lies flat on a table.
SIM-compatible tablets tend to be battery guzzlers, but the Z999 Plus surprisingly lasts a whole day on moderate to heavy use that includes casual gaming and web browsing. In pure video playback, it completed 5.5 hours before the screen went black.
What’s Bad
The Z999’s display is a big let down. Its low-res screen doesn’t lend to sharp images. Besides, the colours appear saturated. It’s fine for reading text and its touchscreen is quite responsive, but if you plan on watching videos or using it to browse photos, you’re in for disappointment.
One of the best parts about Android tablets is the pure multitasking experience. But start even three resourceintensive apps on this tablet, and it is brought to its knees. Power users would want to stay away from this one.
The SIM slot reduces the need for a dongle, but we missed the simple plug-and-play of a USB 2.0 port.
SPECS: 7-inch capacitive touchscreen (800x480 pixels) | 1.5GHz singlecore processor | 512MB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD slot | 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | micro USB, mini-HDMI ports | 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera | 4200 mAh battery, 5.5 hours video playback, over one day of heavy usage | 400 gm | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Those who want 3G support or phone-calling features will be pleased with Zync’s new offering. The Z999 Plus feels sturdy and performs well. But is it worth the price?
What’s Good
The best part about this tablet is its standard SIM card slot that gives you on-the-go 3G connectivity. The Z999 works flawlessly as a web-browsing device and can even double up as a phone if required.
Well-built, sturdy, and with a nice matte finish on the back; the Z999 doesn’t feel cheap. But the protruding rear camera means that the tablet never lies flat on a table.
SIM-compatible tablets tend to be battery guzzlers, but the Z999 Plus surprisingly lasts a whole day on moderate to heavy use that includes casual gaming and web browsing. In pure video playback, it completed 5.5 hours before the screen went black.
What’s Bad
The Z999’s display is a big let down. Its low-res screen doesn’t lend to sharp images. Besides, the colours appear saturated. It’s fine for reading text and its touchscreen is quite responsive, but if you plan on watching videos or using it to browse photos, you’re in for disappointment.
One of the best parts about Android tablets is the pure multitasking experience. But start even three resourceintensive apps on this tablet, and it is brought to its knees. Power users would want to stay away from this one.
The SIM slot reduces the need for a dongle, but we missed the simple plug-and-play of a USB 2.0 port.
SPECS: 7-inch capacitive touchscreen (800x480 pixels) | 1.5GHz singlecore processor | 512MB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD slot | 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | micro USB, mini-HDMI ports | 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera | 4200 mAh battery, 5.5 hours video playback, over one day of heavy usage | 400 gm | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Rating 6.5/10
Price Rs. 11,990
iBall Slide i7218
If you absolutely must have a compact 7-inch tablet with a standard USB port, and you don’t care about a SIM slot or built-in 3G, then sure, go for the iBall Slide i7218. But we can’t think of any other reason to plop down cash when it fails on all three parameters of price, battery and performance. What’s Good The iBall Slide i7218 looks and feels expensive with its metal trim and polished silver back. The buttons have a nice play to them, but we could’ve done without the extended bezel that tapers off to each side when held in widescreen mode.
Full, standard USB port! We hooked up an internet dongle and got 3G connectivity immediately. Plug in a pen drive and the file manager lets you access all its contents easily. The sheer simplicity of plug-and-play USB is always welcome.
The display is the highlight with sharp images, vibrant colours and a responsive touchscreen. Notably, it comes with the best speakers we’ve heard on a budget slate. They’re loud and voices sound clear when watching videos.
What’s Bad
The iBall Slide i7218 is a test of patience. It starts and wakes up slowly, performs sluggishly, and its touchscreen keyboard seems like a stubborn laggard.
Perhaps the biggest letdown is its battery which doesn’t quite pull through the day in standard tests. Besides, it lasts for just 4.5 hours of video playback. Also, prolonged use causes it to heat up considerably.
One word: overpriced. We couldn’t figure out why the i7218 costs so much, especially since tablets at half its price offer the same features. Besides, this slate runs the older version of Android, Honeycomb.
SPECS: 7-inch capacitive touchscreen (800x480 pixels) | 1GHz single-core processor | 512MB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD slot | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | standard USB, micro USB, mini-HDMI ports | 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera | 4400 mAh battery, 4.5 hours video playback, less than one day of heavy usage | 450 gm | Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb
If you absolutely must have a compact 7-inch tablet with a standard USB port, and you don’t care about a SIM slot or built-in 3G, then sure, go for the iBall Slide i7218. But we can’t think of any other reason to plop down cash when it fails on all three parameters of price, battery and performance. What’s Good The iBall Slide i7218 looks and feels expensive with its metal trim and polished silver back. The buttons have a nice play to them, but we could’ve done without the extended bezel that tapers off to each side when held in widescreen mode.
Full, standard USB port! We hooked up an internet dongle and got 3G connectivity immediately. Plug in a pen drive and the file manager lets you access all its contents easily. The sheer simplicity of plug-and-play USB is always welcome.
The display is the highlight with sharp images, vibrant colours and a responsive touchscreen. Notably, it comes with the best speakers we’ve heard on a budget slate. They’re loud and voices sound clear when watching videos.
What’s Bad
The iBall Slide i7218 is a test of patience. It starts and wakes up slowly, performs sluggishly, and its touchscreen keyboard seems like a stubborn laggard.
Perhaps the biggest letdown is its battery which doesn’t quite pull through the day in standard tests. Besides, it lasts for just 4.5 hours of video playback. Also, prolonged use causes it to heat up considerably.
One word: overpriced. We couldn’t figure out why the i7218 costs so much, especially since tablets at half its price offer the same features. Besides, this slate runs the older version of Android, Honeycomb.
SPECS: 7-inch capacitive touchscreen (800x480 pixels) | 1GHz single-core processor | 512MB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD slot | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | standard USB, micro USB, mini-HDMI ports | 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera | 4400 mAh battery, 4.5 hours video playback, less than one day of heavy usage | 450 gm | Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Rating
4.5/10
Price Rs. 12,499
Micromax Funbook Pro
The Funbook Pro is for those who want a basic 10-inch budget tablet. It performs tasks like web browsing, social networking and checking emails without a stutter. But it’s a no-go for power users due to its poor battery life and dismal multitasking.
What’s Good
The large screen on the Pro makes it a great consumption device, whether you plan to use it for web activity or multimedia. It can play all popular video formats in FullHD resolution. The speakers lack some bass, but are loud. Watching movies on this slate is better than what its price tag indicates.
Its touchscreen is receptive, and pinch-to-zoom works well. Also, photos and videos are rendered clearly (though display brightness is too low — even creating problems in well-lit rooms).
Build quality is decent, buttons are responsive and there are no flimsy parts despite its all-plastic fabrication.
What’s Bad
Battery life is dismal, offering a mere three hours of video playback and about 6-7 hours on moderate to heavy web-browsing activity on Wi-Fi.
While the Funbook Pro performs basic tasks decently, it starts to crawl if you have too many apps open at the same time. Also, Micromax should have paid a little more attention to details. The volume rocker, for example, strangely seems to have been placed upside down. This means the lower button increases the volume while the upper button decreases it.
The absence of a USB 2.0 port and 3G SIM slot limits this tablet’s functionality on the go.
SPECS: 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (1024x600 pixels) | 1.2GHz single-core processor | 1GB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD slot | Wi-Fi (no 3G) | 2 micro USB, mini-HDMI ports |VGA front camera | 5600 mAh battery, 3 hours video playback, less than one day of heavy usage | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
The Funbook Pro is for those who want a basic 10-inch budget tablet. It performs tasks like web browsing, social networking and checking emails without a stutter. But it’s a no-go for power users due to its poor battery life and dismal multitasking.
What’s Good
The large screen on the Pro makes it a great consumption device, whether you plan to use it for web activity or multimedia. It can play all popular video formats in FullHD resolution. The speakers lack some bass, but are loud. Watching movies on this slate is better than what its price tag indicates.
Its touchscreen is receptive, and pinch-to-zoom works well. Also, photos and videos are rendered clearly (though display brightness is too low — even creating problems in well-lit rooms).
Build quality is decent, buttons are responsive and there are no flimsy parts despite its all-plastic fabrication.
What’s Bad
Battery life is dismal, offering a mere three hours of video playback and about 6-7 hours on moderate to heavy web-browsing activity on Wi-Fi.
While the Funbook Pro performs basic tasks decently, it starts to crawl if you have too many apps open at the same time. Also, Micromax should have paid a little more attention to details. The volume rocker, for example, strangely seems to have been placed upside down. This means the lower button increases the volume while the upper button decreases it.
The absence of a USB 2.0 port and 3G SIM slot limits this tablet’s functionality on the go.
SPECS: 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (1024x600 pixels) | 1.2GHz single-core processor | 1GB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD slot | Wi-Fi (no 3G) | 2 micro USB, mini-HDMI ports |VGA front camera | 5600 mAh battery, 3 hours video playback, less than one day of heavy usage | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Rating 6.5/10
Price Rs. 9,999
Mihir
Patkar and Javed Anwer STL120826
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