The HP Slate 7 Voice Tab, What We Think

This Android Phablet from HP came after quite a while. Slate 7 is a budget tablet, designed and marketed keeping in mind, its rival, the Google Nexus 7.

This Android Phablet from HP came after quite a while. Slate 7 is a budget tablet, designed and marketed keeping in mind, its rival, the Google Nexus 7. Going by its appearance and size, the Slate 7 (7.8 x 4.6 x 0.42 inches), might feel bulkier than its former HP cousins. The device has aluminum edgings; a stainless-steel frame surrounding a glass display. It goes for a 1,280x800 resolution. It also comes with a 3.5mm audio jack and a MicroSD card slot. It supports MicroSD cards up to 32GB.

Downside:

• The Slate 7’s panel uses Fringe Field Switching (FFS) technology. This does not help the display even a wee-bit when the device is angled to any side.
• The quality of the audio also suffers on occasions; despite the dual speakers being positioned close together.
• When it comes to the 3 MP rear camera, the device lacks an autofocus feature, flash and exposure adjustment.
• The battery life is just about manageable, nothing exceptional. The tablet comes equipped with a 3,500mAh lithium polymer battery that can last a day or less depending on the kind of usage.

Highlights:

• HP has made two additions to the existing set of Google apps, i.e. the Beat Android and HP e-Print.
• If there is adequate light in an outdoor setting, the camera performs reasonably well.

Other Specs:

• FFS+ LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA
• Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• stereo speakers
• Beats Audio sound enhancement
• microSD, up to 32 GB
• Internal - 8 GB, 1 GB RAM
• Bluetooth – v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
• Dual-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9

Round up:

The HP Slate 7, is a good enough, no frills, basic tablet which does not live up to its pricing or expectations. It still has lot of catching up to do, when it comes to its rival the Google Nexus 7. The display and audio are disappointing factors. The Slate 7 is not really the perfect budget tablet. On the flip side, though, it provides a large storage space, if you have a considerable number of music and video files.