TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 132, September 2014 | Page 15

REVIEWS

end. Worth noting is that its construction is very solid, and its profile at
the thinnest edge is a razor thin 4 mm.

Substance and style
Beyond that, it is largely a standard Android experience, with the
company opting for a clean Android as opposed to an embellished
user interface. While its 8” display only offers a 1280x800 resolution
(189 ppi), which falls far behind that on offer by the new Galaxy Tab
8.4, it looks sharp nonetheless. To its credit, the tablet’s speakers are
facing towards the user, and the audio is crisp (if lacking in bass).
Nonetheless, this makes watching movies sans headphones that
much more doable. Furthermore, the onboard Android 4.4 is well
served by the quad-core MediaTek MT8125 processor (clocked at 1.2
GHz) and 1 GB of memory, offering largely zippy performance across
the board.

THE YOGA TABLET 8 DIFFERENTIATES ITSELF FROM
THE COMPETITION, IF NOT IN FUNCTION, THEN
CERTAINLY IN FORM.

While its storage is a measly 16
GB, at least this can be upgraded
via the microSD card slot, while
connectivity is taken care of with
cellular (3G) as well as Wi-Fi 802.11
b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0.

Money talks
In some ways, the Yoga 8 has
clearly made some compromises to
cater for users seeking a midrange
price point without offering inferior
build quality, but it still all comes
together admirably well, particularly
if your primary usage of a 8” tablets
veers towards movie watching.
It is certainly a case of the sum
of the parts being more than the
components, and, at R3 800, it is
well worth consideration. [RN]

Asus FonePad 7
A jack of all trades, the FonePad 7 from Asus is a solid performing
7” tablet that any cost-savvy user would be happy to carry.
Asus’ FonePad 7 may be a small 7” tablet, but it also carries the unique
distinction of both making and receiving phone calls to give it an edge
over its more lavish, high-end competitors. Compatible with 3G and 4G/
LTE bands, there is very little that the FonePad 7 cannot handle, with its
wallet pleasing price tag only sweetening the deal.

Tablet with benefits
It’s no secret that smartphones are getting bigger, albeit slimmer and
lighter, by the day. This is why the Asus FonePad 7 poses such an
interesting proposition for small tablet users who want the added benefit
that a GSM device delivers. Armed with a 7” IPS LCD display (800x1280)
that commands an above average
216 ppi pixel density, the FonePad 7
will certainly prove a reliable resource
while browsing the web or viewing
online content.
Hailing from Taiwan, Asus, as many
of its Asian competitors, favoured a
plastic heavy design. This means that
it weighs in a relatively light 328 g and
proves easy to cradle in one hand,
as it measures 12 cm wide. The one
downside that all that plastic brings, is
a propensity to produce a fair amount
of heat while taking on some heavy
duty multitasking.

Crowd pleaser
Sticking with its multitasking capability,
the FonePad 7 performs well across
the board, and tested strongly while
handling complex graphics. In terms
of internal hardware, Asus has fitted an
Intel Atom dual-core processor, which
clocks at a respectable 1.6 GHz. The
Intel chipset is supported by 1 GB of
RAM and features Android’s Jelly Bean
September 2014 | TechSmart

THE ASUS FONEPAD 7 WILL PROVE A WELCOME
ADDITION FOR ANY USER LOOKING TO GET MAXIMUM
VALUE FOR MONEY.

OS (4.2), with the ability to upgrade to KitKat (4.4.2). The user interface
is well thought out and responsive, with navigation and switching
between apps proving more than adequate. Added to this is Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth 3.0 to take care of one’s connectivity needs.
If there is one aspect where the FonePad falls shorts, it’s the modest
5 MP camera which struggles noticeably in low light conditions, or when
zoomed in. This is not a deal breaker, but may prove important when
compared to the slightly higher-end cameras touted on larger phablets.

Cost savvy
Lying neatly on the cusp of phablet and tablet, the FonePad 7 from
Asus proved quite impressive given its R2 500 price tag. With its added
calling abilities, it should prove a welcome aid to any small tablet user
looking to get as much bang for their buck as possible. [RLC]

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