Tablet Choice 2013-03-04

REVIEWED INSIDE
What to buy and how to use it www.mobilechoiceuk.com

Published by
Noble House Media Ltd
Issue 1
March/April 2013
Google Nexus 10
Asus Vivio Tab
Archos 101 XS
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE
R
E
V
IE
W
E
D
A
m
a
z
o
n

K
in
d
le
F
ir
e
H
D
Battle of the
7-inch tablets
Size isnt everything
+

The latest tablet news
including the 27-inch Windows 8 tab
Why you
should go
tablet over
laptop
iPad 4 vs
iPad mini
Fully reviewed and
head-to-head
Tablet Choice Issue 1 | 03
Hello, and welcome to the first issue of Tablet Choice.
Brought to you by the team behind Mobile Choice, this
digital-only magazine will cover the fast-growing world
of tablets.
From news to reviews, if you need to know about it, it will be on
these virtual pages.
In this issue, we answer some of the pressing questions we are
regularly asked by readers, including should I buy an iPad or an iPad mini? We have reviews of
both, starting on page 6, followed by a head-to-head battle between the two Apple devices.
We also have reviews on two of the most popular and hard-to-find tablets on the market today,
the Nexus 10 (page 14) and the Nexus 7 (page 16).
Turn to page 34, and we even attempt to convince those on the fence why 2013 is the year to go
tablet over laptop.
Enjoy the magazine, link your techie friends to it, and keep an eye on www.mobilechoiceuk.com
for daily news on the exciting world of mobile devices.
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Issue 1 March/April 2013
Noble House Media Ltd
Editors letter
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HELPING YOU CHOOSE WHAT TO BUY
Contents
//RADAR
The 27-inch tablet ....................... 4
Tablet gaming grows up ................ 5
//REVIEWS
Apple iPad mini ........................... 6
Apple iPad 4 ............................. 10
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE .....13
Google Nexus 10 ...................... 14
Google Nexus 7 ........................ 16
Amazon Kindle Fire HD .............. 18
ZTE Light Tab 2 ......................... 21
Asus Vivo Tab RT ...................... 22
Archos 101 XS .......................... 24
Kobo Arc .................................. 26
Nook HD ................................... 27
Acer Iconia Tab A210 ................ 28
Toshiba AT300 .......................... 30
Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 32
//FEATURES
iPad 4 vs iPad mini ...........12
Mini tablets head-to-head ...20
Five reasons to go tablet ...34
04 | Tablet Choice Issue 1
RADAR //NEWS
Table(t)
computing
Lenovo reveals 27-inch Windows 8 tablet
Forget the scrap between seven-inch and 10-inch tablets, the real action
is on a much larger battleground.
Not exactly coffee shop friendly (although it can act as a coffee table),
this 27-inch tablet from Lenovo was on show at CeS in Las Vegas.
Costing $1,700, the ridiculous HD multi-touch device runs Windows
8 and features a third-generation Core i7 processor with Nvidia geForce
graphics and 1tB of storage.
At 17lb, this monster weighs more than an average six-month old baby
but Lenovo insists the IdeaCentre Horizon has its uses, specifcally team
working and group gaming it comes with e-dice and four joysticks.
However, if 27-inches still isnt big enough for you, Lenovo also
demonstrated the IdeaCentre Horizons big brother at CeS, a massive
39-incher nicknamed gamma, but this behemoth is only at concept stage...
for now.
RadarThe lowdown on incoming tablet tech
At this years Consumer Electronics Shows in Las Vegas, companies
battled to win attention for their tablet devices and accessories.
Some of the tablets displayed will be unaffordable pipe dreams for
most consumers, while others might just be the next step in the
evolution of a rapidly-growing market. Tablet Choice was there to
find out more about some of the forthcoming releases
The Edge isnt the rst hardcore gaming tablet. You may
remember the Wikipad, due for release in late 2012.
Magazines and websites were excited about the dedicated
gaming tab, which slid into a gamepad and had a powerful
quad-core Tegra 3 processor, but then - at the very last minute
- its launch was delayed to allow renement. There is still no
news on when (or if) it will see the light of day.
Latest news updated daily at www.mobilechoiceuk.com
Close to the Edge with Razers 10.1-inch Windows 8 tablet
Archos uses CES to launch Platinum tablets
AFTER foating around last years CES under the name
Princess Fiona, a new crowd-sourced project is ready
to make its debut, but with a new, badass name.
The Edge tablet from Razer is a 10.1-inch device
running Windows 8, and is packed with an Intel Core
processor and an Nvidia mobile graphics card.
Two versions are available - the Edge (a Core i5
processor, an Nvidia GT640M LE GPU, 4GB of RAM,
and a 64GB solid state drive) and the Edge Pro (a Core
i7 CPU, double the RAM, and either a 128GB or 256GB
SSD). Be very clear - this is a serious gaming tablet,
and not just an Android tab with a controller in the
USB slot.
Just under an inch thick and weighing two
pounds, its a big unit, and when the gaming-centric
peripherals are added, its even bigger.
The removable side-mounted controllers have
analogue sticks, a multitude of buttons and offer
rumble feedback, while there will also be a keyboard
dock to let shooter fans add a mouse for pinpoint
accuracy. Theres HDMI output too, for those who
want to jack the unit into a big screen TV.
Battery life is said to be comparable with other
10-inch devices, although an extended battery will be
made available at a price.
Tablet gaming just graduated.
Check out
mobilechoiceuk.
com for all the
latest news
WIKIPAD STILL DELAYED
Mobile
gaming
gets bigger
Yes, these tablets with their shiny
white fronts and metallic silver rears
might give Apple fans dj vu, but
Archos new tablets are set to cost
significantly less than an iPad.
The Platinum 80 (eight inches)
and Platinum 97 (9.7 inches) were
on show at CES, and we were able to
play with both of them.
The two tabs come with Android
4.1 Jelly Bean (which may even be
boosted to 4.2 before launch) and
beautiful IPS screens, with the 97
rivalling the iPads Retina
display.
The 9.7-inch tablet has
an IPS display with an
HD 2,048 x 1,536-pixel
resolution (264 ppi, same
as the iPad), backed up
by a 1.2GHz quad-core
processor, 2GB of RAM,
and an as-yet-unnamed eight-
core GPU.
The tablet has 8GB of internal
storage but can be boosted
using a microSD card.
The Platinum 80s
eight-inch 1024 x
768 panel falls short
of the iPads fabled
Retina display, but
still looks brilliant,
and the device felt
very comfortable in
our hands.
Movies looked colourful and
sharp on both, but the 9.7-inch
tablet really made the most out of
HD content.
The Platinum tabs will be
available to buy in the UK in
March, with prices ranging from
199 to 249. That makes these
Archos tablets competitively
priced, especially if youre after
a media device.
Well have full reviews very soon.
Archos raises the stakes with Platinum
A
s much as we love Apples iPad,
the original tablet that sparked
a slew of imitators, it isnt a very
traveller-friendly device. At 652g,
the iPad is a heavy little beast. Not
only will it weigh down your bag, its
also a chore to clutch one-handed
and use on a crammed train or bus.
Factor in the thick body, and its not
as portable as youd expect.
When steve Jobs bashed seven-
inch tablets back in 2010, we
wondered if wed ever see a smaller
version of the iPad for lugging
around every day. Thankfully the
Apple iPad mini is finally a reality, a
compact 7.9-inch version of the
original iPad, apparently 23 per cent
thinner and 53 per cent lighter than
its bigger brother. But is it the
ideal travel companion?
Small is sexy
The difference from the
existing iPad is immediately
apparent, even without
holding one in each hand.
The iPad mini is less than
half the weight of the
original a tiny 308g
and also significantly
thinner at just 7.2mm. sizing
the two up shows just how
much mass the iPad mini has
shaken off.
While the original made your
arm ache after half an hour of
clutching, we could happily use the
iPad mini one-handed all day. Its
comfortable to rest in your palm and
easier to securely hold, which is a
massive relief when youre being
jostled from every angle on a
commuter train. That reduction in
size also makes it much easier to slip
into a bag or case. You can even
wedge it into a good-sized handbag.
Despite the reduced size, this
tablet is still unmistakeably an iPad.
From the pearl-white front to the
sleek silver rear, the iPad mini is
almost a miniature replica of its big
brother. Only the slimmer side
borders set it apart. We were
worried that our thumbs might
intrude on the screen, and if we
gripped the iPad mini on one side
then this was indeed the case, but
thankfully the tablet is slender
enough to hold around the back,
with your thumb and fingers
gripping at opposite ends, which is
both comfortable and secure. Its
also comfortable to clutch two-
handed and use your thumbs for
typing, if youre bashing out emails
while standing up.
The rear of the iPad mini is
brushed silver metal (a black version
is also available) and looks as slick
as ever. We were worried about it
getting scratched up, especially
when carrying it unprotected
in our bag, but every scuff it
picked up rubbed off easily.
On the edges you have the
usual power and volume
buttons, but of course no
memory card slot
youre stuck with the
built-in memory, either
16GB, 32GB or 64GB,
depending on which
model you opt for. Youll
also find Apples new
Lightning port on the
bottom, so youll need
adapters if youre hoping to use
your old accessories.
Great things come
in small packages
By shrinking its iconic iPad, Apple has created the ultimate
travel enter tainment device
REVIEW//APPLE IPAD MINI

KILLER APP
Size
This is Apples iPad shrunk down to
a manageable and just-as-desirable
mini form
SIMILAR TO
Google Nexus 7 by Asus
If your budget is tight, this fantastic
seven-inch quad-core Android tablet is a
must-buy
The Apple iPad mini
provides a far more
portable form for the
same unbeatable
entertainment, making
this perfect for
travellers demanding
movies, apps and games

Compact and light

Great battery life

Bright, colourful screen

Excellent App Store

Premium price

Rival screens are sharper

No expandable storage
We could happily use

the iPad mini
one-handed all day

More reviews online at www.mobilechoiceuk.com
A happy medium
Despite its reduced size, the
iPad mini is a wee bit larger
than most other compact tablets,
which usually opt for a seven-inch
screen. In contrast, the iPad mini
has a 7.9-inch display, which
Apple claims makes for 35 per cent
more screen area. Thats more or
less correct when compared with
the likes of the Nexus 7 Asus, but
we honestly didnt notice any
difference in comfort levels or
quality when watching movies or
playing with apps.
If youre not sold on a seven-inch
tablet to begin with, we dont
think that extra 0.9 inches will
convince you to downgrade from a
full 10.1-incher.
More importantly, the iPad mini
rocks a more square display than
many of its rectangular rivals, which
lends itself to a more natural web
browsing experience. Youll find
yourself scrolling around less
as more content can fit on the
screen at once, which is particularly
gratifying if youre browsing a
busy website.
Low-res affair
Theres been a fair bit of fuss over
the iPad minis lower screen
resolution. While the standard iPad
has a supremely sharp Retina
display, boasting 264 pixels-per-inch
(ppi), the iPad mini has downgraded
to a 163 ppi resolution. Thats lower
even than cheaper rivals such as
the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and
Nexus 7 by Asus, which pack 216
ppi displays.
So, does that lower-resolution
screen make a difference? Well,
while the difference is noticeable if
you squint at the iPad mini and
original iPad side-by-side, the iPad
minis display is far from blocky or
ugly. Colours are vibrantly
reproduced and dont fade as you tilt
the tablet, and we found HD movies,
photos and games still looked
fantastic. Its also impressively
bright, so can be comfortably used in
all but the harshest glare.
Aside from the lower resolution,
our only issue with the dinkier
Continued overleaf
If youve still got some cash in the bank after stumping up for the
iPad mini, there are plenty of accessories you can buy for your new
portable pal. The fantastic Smart Cover makes a miniature return,
operating in exactly the same way as its larger counterpart: simply
snap it into place with the built-in magnets and it holds firm, to
protect your screen from bumps and scratches. You can also get a
Smart Case that protects the rear as well, plus a wireless keyboard
if you plan on bashing out emails and documents. Finally, there
are the new EarPods, which are thankfully less leaky than the
older earphones but still not very noise-insulating.
ACCESSORISE ME
We could happily use

the iPad mini
one-handed all day
FACETIME Despite its

compact stature, the iPad
mini still packs standard
iPad features like the
FaceTime camera
SCUFF RESISTANT
The sleek silver rear is
surprisingly durable, and
most marks can easily be
rubbed off

PORTABLE PAL At just
7.2mm thick and 308g, this
is by far the most travel-
friendly iPad yet
ADD-ONS TO BLOW MORE CASH ON
REVIEW//APPLE IPAD MINI
screen concerns sensitivity and
button sizes. Occasionally we tried to
tap a compact button or link (for
instance in the App Store when
trying to download something), only
to get no response. Sometimes it
took several prods to register,
something we never experienced
with the larger iPads. Thankfully this
problem rarely affected us when
messing around with apps or games,
so was never anything more than a
minor irritation.
iOS 6
When we first tried out iOS 6 on the
last three iPhones and the third-
generation iPad, we felt it was a
mixed bag at best. Siri has finally
received some much-needed
functionality, such as the ability to
search the local area for services (see
box), while the likes of Passbook
show great potential for the future, if
its well supported. On the flipside,
the new Maps feature was poorly
implemented and we discovered lots
of little quirks, particularly when
using the iPad and iPhone 4S.
Thankfully we didnt notice any
such bugs when playing around with
the iPad mini. The Maps app is just
the same and just as clunky, but
replacements will hopefully be
hitting the App Store very soon to
remedy that. Of course, iOS is five
years old now and starting to look a
little outdated. Itd be great to see a
proper refresh soon, introducing
something similar to Androids
widgets or Windows live tiles to jazz
up our desktops. Until then, at least
iOS is still clean and simple to use.
Bring the A5 power
The iPad mini packs in the same A5
processor as the iPad 2, and proves
more than capable of running apps
and games, as well as streaming
media and anything else youre
going to want to do. We only noticed
a few rare, tiny bouts of stuttering,
lag, or other performance issues
during our week of testing, even
when enjoying HD movies and
games. Of course, with two
subsequent iPads emerging since
the iPad 2, both boasting more
powerful processors, the iPad mini
is likely to soon be dated for gamers.
If youre a big fan of fast-paced
action
games and
arent
planning on
upgrading
for a while,
you might
want to
consider the
full-sized
iPad instead.
Apple told
us to expect 10
hours of battery
life from the iPad
mini, no matter what we were
doing. Usually these predictions are
based on having the screen dimmed
and all of the features turned off, but
we were impressed to see the iPad
mini survive for close to eight
straight hours of video streaming,
even with the screen turned up to
maximum brightness. With a mix of
As ever, Apple has nailed the aesthetics

and created a highly desirable product
that boasts the best app store out there
When Siri first hit our iDevices last year, she was massively
dumbed down from the American version, which could search
the local area for useful services and give live sports results.
Thankfully, these features have now been restored, so you can
ask her how your favourite team is getting on if you cant make
the match. You can also ask for recommendations for places
to eat, sleep or be entertained based on your current location.
The results arent always perfect, with some of our favourite
eateries omitted when we checked for local restaurants, but
its a great deal better than the old Siri.
SIRI GETS SERIOUS
SEARCH AND FIND FINALLY UPDATED FOR THE UK
web browsing, app play and movies/
music, youll get the full 10 hours
just fine.
Face to FaceTime
Impressively, the iPad mini sports
the exact same cameras as the full-
sized iPad: thats a five-megapixel
iSight snapper on the back, and a
1.2-megapixel front-facer for portrait
shots and FaceTime chats with
your buddies.
Taking photos with the original
iPad is a chore due to its weight and
size, but the smaller build of the iPad
mini makes it a much friendlier
device for snapping random events
when youre out and about. Our shots
on the whole came out bright, with
realistic colours, as good as youre
likely to get on a tablet camera.
You can edit your photos on
the fly, cropping them, removing
red-eye and using the auto-enhance
feature to sort out any lighting
or exposure issues. With that done,
you can then quickly and easily
share with friends and family in all
kinds of ways, from standard email
to social networking. You can also
capture HD video, which again looks
sharp and can be quickly shared
to YouTube.
We were also impressed by the
FaceTime camera, which captured us
in a painfully crisp fashion. Make
sure you stick on some make-up or at
least wipe the BBQ sauce from your
chin before video chatting with a
loved one...
A question of cost
As ever, Apple has nailed the
aesthetics and created a highly
desirable product that
boasts the best app
store out there. But
of course that sexy
exterior and
excellent
support
comes at a
price. The iPad
mini starts at
269 for the
16GB Wi-Fi
model, climbing
to a terrifyingly
high 529 for the
64GB Wi-Fi and
cellular version.
So, if youre after a tablet to
take with you wherever you go,
which should you go for? If youve
already invested in Apples iTunes
and App Store, its pretty much a
no-brainer, while tablet newbies are
more likely to make their decision
based on cost. If youre simply
looking for a machine to browse the
web and enjoy some books, movies
or TV shows, the Nexus 7 by Asus
and Amazon Kindle Fire will do the
job just as well at half the price.
However, although Googles Play
store is fast catching up to Apples
App Store in terms of quality and
selection, the App Store still bags
plenty of fantastic exclusives and
tends to get some big apps before
Android. Gamers and creative
maestros in particular
will benefit from
Apples tablet.
If youre still
undecided, turn
to page
20 for
our
mini-tablet
round-up,
comparing the
iPad mini with
its dinky rivals.
The verdict
If you want an iPad for
the daily commute, Apples
iPad mini is going to be your new
best friend. That lighter, thinner,
compact body is a joy to travel with,
and the 7.9-inch screen is still
excellent for web browsing, media
and apps, despite its lower
resolution. Of course, if that
premium price tag puts you off, there
are some fantastic value seven-inch
rivals available.
Chris Barraclough
chris.barraclough@nhmedia.co.uk
store.apple.com/uk
Price From 269 for 16GB version
Size 200x135x7.2mm
Weight 308g
Display 7.9-inch IPS
Resolution 1024x768 pixels
Camera 5 megapixels
Front camera 1.2 megapixels
Video Yes
Processor Dual-core A5
RAM N/A
Storage 16GB, 32GB or 64GB
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS Yes
Browser Safari
Email Push
Music player AAC/HE-AAC/MP3/MP3
VBR/Audible AAX/
AAX+/AIFF/WAV
Video player H.264/m4v/mp4/mov/
MPEG-4/Motion JPEG
(M-JPEG)/avi
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
LOOK AND FEEL H H H H H
EASE OF USE H H H H
FEATURES H H H H
PERFORMANCE H H H H H
BATTERY LIFE H H H H H
How the iPad mini measures up...
New iPad
241.2x185.7x9.4mm
iPad mini
200x135x7.2mm
The only real change is the
Lightning port on the bottom,
which is much narrower than the
old charging/data port. This does
mean that existing owners will need
adapters to use their accessories,
but new users have nothing to worry
about, and we prefer the new slimline
cable head.
Our only issue is that the iPad
is quite a chunky and hefty tablet
compared with many similarly-
sized rivals, such as the Samsung
Galaxy Note 10.1. If youre looking
for something to take on the daily
commute wed recommend the
iPad mini or the Google Nexus 7
instead. However, as a device for
doing everything they need for years
to come. In fact, the iPad 4
has completely replaced the iPad 3
in the Apple store, proving that its
more of a gentle upgrade than a
new device. But whats changed, and
is it worth a punt for existing and
aspiring owners?
Design
Stick the iPad third generation and
fourth generation side by side and,
much like the HTC One X and HTC
One X+, youll not be able to tell
them apart. We checked out the white
model and it looks as fantastic as
always, from the glossy front to the
brushed metal rear.
The bigger
brother is back
Apples latest iteration of the iPad comes just half a year after
the previous release, packing even more power
REVIEW//APPLE IPAD (FOURTH GENERATION)
KILLER APP
Retina display
Still the best reason to pick this tablet
over rivals, a perfect means for enjoying
media and browsing the web
SIMILAR TO
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
Creative professionals may prefer the
Note 10.1 with its smart S-Pen stylus
The Apple iPad (Fourth
Generation) has been
given a power boost and
tweaked with 4G support
and a sharper FaceTime
camera, but still lacks
the portability of many of
its rivals

Impressive Retina display

Surprisingly good battery life

Great range of apps

4G support

Updated FaceTime camera

Not very portable

No memory card slot
L
AuNCHed at the same time
as the iPad mini, the fourth-
generation iPad came as a bit of a
surprise, mostly because the third-
generation iPad hit our shelves just
six short months ago. The internet
was immediately fooded with angry
comments from owners of the
third-gen iPad, who had stumped up
hundreds of pounds only to see their
trusty tablet already outdated in
mere months.
Truth be told, this fourth-
generation iPad is more of a quick
tweak to the existing tablet than a
full-blown sequel, so existing owners
need not be too aggrieved, especially
as their iPad will still be capable of
Apples iTunes software, which is used to manage your apps and
media content and buy more from Apples online store, is now in its
11th iteration. This latest version adds some new features that
should particularly interest music lovers. Playlists are now easier to
create and manage: simply drag and drop songs into the new right
column and they can be added in any order. The Up Next tool is a
simple way of arranging what songs you wish to listen to, and a
separate dinky media player gives you quick control, so you dont
need to bring up iTunes every time you want to pause a track.
iTunes 11 also brings in greater use for iCloud, Apples online
storage system. Media purchases made on one device (your
computer, your iPhone or your iPad) will be instantly accessible
from any of your other iDevices via the iCloud, so you dont need to
mess around with syncing everything manually. On top of that,
iCloud will remember where you left off when playing your media,
resuming at that same point on another device. Very, very useful
for movie fans who tend to watch films in short bursts on the
commute for example.
iTUNES 11
browsing the web and messing around
with apps on your sofa, the iPad is a joy.
Thats mostly thanks to the
supremely sharp 9.7-inch Retina
display. One of the crispest tablet
screens out there, the Retina display
produces incredibly lifelike HD
images, making it a great photo
editor and media machine. Viewing
angles are excellent. On its maximum
brightness it will practically melt
your eyeballs, so you dont have to
worry about glare either. The display
hasnt changed at all from the previous
iPads, and we cant say that upsets us.
A6X power
One area that has defnitely changed
is the processor, which has been
boosted from an A5X to Apples
latest A6X chip. According to
Apple, this new processor has twice
the computing power of the A5X,
although given the third-generation
iPads sterling performance, this is
kind of hard to test. We certainly
never saw any stuttering in the
many hours we spent playing games
and messing around with apps,
websites and video.
One concern was that the faster
processor would prove more
power-hungry, sapping battery
life faster than the previous iPad.
Thankfully this isnt the case, as we
still got the promised 10 hours of use
when checking emails, getting
stuck into our apps and editing
our photos. Our patented
media test (streaming video
over Wi-Fi with the screen
turned up to maximum
brightness)
also gave seven
hours of life,
better than average
for a modern tablet.
Feature packed
Another update concerns cellular
connectivity (not applicable for the
Wi-Fi only version), as the iPad is now
compatible with 4G. Apple fans will
remember the iPad third generation
had built-in 4G support for our
American friends, but annoyingly
it wasnt compatible in this country
(leading to some hastily corrected
adverts). Thankfully, this issue has
been rectifed, so if you plan on
streaming media on the move, the
iPad fourth generation is a good bet.
The fve-megapixel camera on
the rear of the iPad is the same
snapper found on the last generation,
still capable of taking bright,
colourful shots. Wielding the
iPad as a camera isnt a very
comfortable experience, but
were seeing more and more people
recording video on their tablets when
out and about, so its always good to
have the option.
More useful is the
front-facing FaceTime
lens, which has been boosted
from the grainy VGA offering of the
last iPad to a sharper 1.2-megapixel
effort. If youre video chatting with
friends online, youll therefore appear
as more than a few blocky pixels.
The verdict
The fourth-generation iPad is only
a minor step up from the third-gen
tablet, so anyone who has already-
splashed out this year should pay
no heed. Owners of older iPads and
newcomers will fnd plenty to enjoy
here, however, from the brilliant
Retina screen to the 4G support.
However, regular travellers may
prefer a more portable option
such as the iPad mini or Google
Nexus 7 by Asus.

Chris Barraclough
CRISP FEATURES The 9.7-
inch Retina display is one of
the sharpest screens around

GLOSSY LOOKS The fourth-
gen iPad looks just like its
predecessor with a glossy
front and brushed metal back
POWER BOOST The chip
has been boosted to the
latest A6X processor, which
admirably handles any app,
game or media you throw at it
As a device for browsing the web

and messing around with apps on
your sofa, the iPad is a joy
www.apple.co.uk
Price From 399
Size 241x186x9.4mm
Weight 652g
Display 9.7-inch Retina IPS
Camera 5 megapixels
Video 1080P HD
Processor 1.4GHz dual-core A6X
processor
RAM 1GB
Storage 16GB to 64GB
Internet Wi-Fi (cellular also
available)
GPS Yes
Browser Safari
Email Yes, push
Music player AAC/HE-AAC/MP3/MP3
VBR/AAX and AAX+/
Apple Lossless/AIFF/
WAV
Video player H.264/MP4/MOV/
M-JPEG/AVI
Continuous use 7 hours
Standby N/A
EASE OF USE H H H H
FEATURES H H H H
BATTERY LIFE H H H H
The latest iPad goes up against the iPad mini, overleaf
Portability
iPad 241x186x9.4mm, 652g
iPad mini 200x135x7.2mm, 308g
The biggest deciding factor for us is por tability. As much as we love Apples full-sized
iPad, it really is a hefty monster of a tablet. Thats ne if youre just slumped on your
sofa browsing the web, but if you want something to enter tain you on the move, the
iPad mini is massively more por table thanks to its light, slender frame. Itll slip into
even largeish handbags and barely weigh you down, and is far more comfor table to
use one-handed.
Movies
iPad 9.7-inch Retina IPS display, 264 pixels per inch
iPad mini 7.9-inch IPS display, 163 pixels per inch
If youre a lm fan, youre going to be properly wowed by the iPads incredibly crisp
Retina display. HD lms look outstanding: you can see ever y tiny pore, blemish and
nose hair during those close-ups. The larger screen also makes it more comfor table
for sharing a movie with a friend. The iPad minis smaller 7.9-inch display is a ne way
to enjoy a lm if you dont mind things being a bit more cramped, but its also low-
res compared with its bigger brother as well as rivals such as the Google Nexus 7 by
Asus, so it wont make the most of HD movies.
Apps and games
iPad A6X processor
iPad mini A5 processor
Both tablets can play the full range of iOS games and apps, but the iPad mini features
an older A5 processor (the same one found in the iPad 2). We still managed to get
a good frame rate on the most intensive titles such as Avengers Initiative, but the
iPad mini will be out of date a lot sooner than the four th generation iPad, so gamers
should opt for the larger device.
Productivity
The iPad mini is much more comfor table for using on the move, especially when
it comes to typing out documents and bashing out a few quick emails on the train.
That smaller stature makes it easier to hold two-handed and type with your thumbs,
something thats deeply difcult with the bulkier, heavier four th-gen iPad.
x
x
iPad showdown
Apple iPad (fourth generation) vs Apple iPad mini
With the fourth-generation iPad being announced at the same time as the iPad mini,
you might be wondering which one to empty your wallet for. Lets compare the two and
work out which ones best for you
Words Chris Barraclough
When you strip it bare, iPad vs iPad mini is a battle of power versus portability. If youre
looking for a gaming tablet or a way to enjoy HD movies while lounging around at home
(perhaps if the other half has commandeered the TV to watch football/Big Brother), the
fourth-generation iPad is a great option. On the other hand, if youre constantly on the
move and want a portable entertainment device, the iPad mini is much more travel-friendly.
The verdict
Lightning
fast
A highly desirable creative and media tablet, now with
added 4G goodness
REVIEW//SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 10.1 LTE
Tablet Choice 200 | 13
www.ee.co.uk
Price From 399
Size 262 x 180 x 8.9 mm
Weight 597g
Display 10.1 inches
Camera 5 megapixels
Video Yes
Processor 1.4GHz quad-core
RAM 2GB
Storage 16/32/64GB, microSD
Internet Wi-Fi, HSDPA
GPS Yes, GLONASS
Browser HTML
Email Push
Music player MP3, Vorbis, WMA, AAC,
ACC+, eAAC+,
AMR(NB,WB), MIDI,
WAV, AC-3, Flac
Video player MPEG4, H.263, H.264,
VC-1, DivX, WMV7,
WMV8, VP8
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
EASE OF USE H H H H H
FEATURES H H H H
S
amsungs note 10.1 tablet is a
creative masterpiece, thanks to the
brilliant and responsive s-Pen stylus
and imaginative software. now you
can upload your masterpieces or
stream media with no irritating
buffering, thanks to the 4g-compatible
note 10.1 LTE version.
Design
as youd expect, nothing has changed as
far as looks are concerned between the
standard and 4g versions of the galaxy
note 10.1. Its a tad longer and slimmer
than the galaxy Tab 2 10.1, at 262 x 180
x 8.9mm. The glossy sheen of the chassis
gives off a premium vibe, making this
one of the better-looking tablets weve
seen lately (even if apples iPad is still
the best bit of eye candy). The silver rim
that houses the speakers is clearly plastic
rather than metal, but the shiny white
body is still gorgeous and wed be proud
to whip this out on the tube.
admittedly theres a small amount
of flex to the tablet, but its certainly
one of samsungs better builds. at near
600g its as heavy as the iPad however,
and smaller hands will find an
awkward balance in mono-handed use,
so will have to hold it in portrait mode.
Were also irritated by the proprietary
charger port on the base, which means
you cant just slip in a spare micro usB
cable to charge the note 10.1 4g.
The sIm card slot is the main
difference between the note 10.1 4g
and the standard note 10.1. slot in a
4g sIm card now and enjoy ber-
quick mobile broadband, streaming
HD videos with ease or uploading your
latest photos or creations to social sites
in just a second. around London we
had a consistently strong signal,
although we recommend checking EEs
coverage webpage to see if your area is
supported before handing over the
hefty monthly subscription.
Crystal clear
The galaxy note 10.1 4g packs the
usual brilliant display weve come to
expect from samsung. The 10.1-inch
LCD screen with 1280 x 800px
resolution produces crystal clear images
and impressively vibrant colours
though not quite as realistic as the
iPads Retina screen. as for sharpness,
the 333dpi Retina display wins by a
shade its higher-res than the printed
page though the note 10.1 LTE has
higher levels of brightness.
However, its the responsiveness of
the touch-screen in combination
with the bundled s-Pen stylus that is
truly phenomenal. Every gesture is
picked up instantly and accurately, and
the great range of apps help you get
really creative.
On top of the impressive s-Pen, the
galaxy note 10.1 LTE packs two very
respectable cameras a 1.9-megapixel
front-facing one and a five-megapixel
rear camera, in case youre one of
those tourists who takes photos with a
tablet. The rear camera is a little slow
but the results looked fine, and theres
loads of ways to edit and share your
snaps as usual. Our review sample
came with 16gB of built-in storage and
could be expanded via the microsD
memory card slot, giving you enough
room for thousands of photos.
under the hood, a quad-core 1.4gHz
Exynos processor and 2gB of Ram
double the standard tablet amount
allow the galaxy note 10.1 4g to
multitask with ease (and you can open
multiple windows at once for
instance, to browse the web for info
while compiling an email). Best of all,
the battery life goes well into the night,
despite the hyper-bright display and
constant Wi-Fi and media use. We
estimate a good 9 hours on a single
charge with moderate use, while
streaming HD video over Wi-Fi gives
you five-and-a-half hours of life.
The verdict
samsungs galaxy note 10.1 LTE adds
speedy network connectivity to the
original tablet, and turns a fantastic
creative device into a future-proof one.
Its fast, smooth and packed with
features from almost-professional
photo tools to tiny gimmicks that make
it a joy to use.
Chris Barraclough
KILLER APP
Power
This is a beefy all-rounder of an Android
tablet crammed with multimedia
abilities and awesome tech
SIMILAR TO
Apple iPad
The Note 10.1 is like the Android version
of that other gaming, movies, media and
apps tablet
The Samsung Galaxy
Note 10.1 LTE is a
powerful all-round media
machine with ber-fast,
smooth performance and
tons of useful, cool and
quirky features to keep
you coming back for more

Brilliant display

Cool illustration and photo apps

Quad-core processor and 2GB
of RAM make it great for
media for a while to come

Plastic build

Digital notebook S-Note is
impressively responsive but of
limited use
of buttons because of Androids
on-screen shortcuts. Along the edges
youll fnd the power button and
volume rocker, as well as the Micro
USB and HDMI ports for hooking
up to your home computer or TV.
The speakers are housed at the sides
of the screen, so you get a powerful
sound directed right at your face
easily strong enough to ditch
the earphones when youre snug
on your sofa.
Jelly Bean
Packing Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the
Nexus 10 tablet is a joy to use. You
get a plentiful stack of widgets to
liberally scatter over your desktops,
tons of great features such as face
unlock, and its all wrapped up in an
attractive and responsive packaging
that you can customise to your hearts
content. Our only issue was a couple
Nexus,
turned up to ten
Another solid Samsung/Google collaboration, the Nexus 10 is
a shiny ten-inch media tablet
REVIEW//GOOGLE NEXUS 10 BY SAMSUNG
KILLER APP
Mega-sharp screen
With its impressive 2560 x 1600
resolution, the Google Nexus 10s display
is sharper than Apples iPad Retina
screen
SIMILAR TO
Apple iPad (4th gen)
The main difference is Apples iPad has
the App Store instead of Google Play
The Google Nexus 10
is a sexy and affordable
way to enjoy your
movies, games and
favourite websites on a
big ten-inch screen. The
fantastically crisp 1920p
HD display, sharper than
the Apple iPads

Amazing 1920p HD screen

Sleek, curvy finish

Capable and feature-packed
camera

Multiple users supported

Takes ages to charge

No memory card slot
G
OOGleS Nexus 7 tablet was one
of our favourite mobile devices
of 2012, a fantastic value seven-inch
tab that somehow manages to be
powerful, portable and perfectly
priced all at once.
Of course, not everyone is satisfed
with seven inches, and, while
the 7-incher was made by Asus,
Google has returned to Samsung
(manufacturer of 2011s Galaxy Nexus
phone) to create the Nexus 10 tablet.
This 10-inch Android device is a must
for media fans with its sharp and
eye-caressingly gorgeous screen, and
only a couple of minor niggles detract
from an otherwise perfect package.
Curvy and gorgeous
Picking up the Nexus 10 for the frst
time, our initial thoughts were how
solid it feels. Its impressively slender
at a shade under 9mm, but packs a
heft at 615g, about the same weight
as Apples iPad. Your arm will start
to ache if you clutch it one-handed
for too long
(unless you
actually
bother with
stuff like going to the
gym), but we found we could keep
a strong grip thanks to the spacious
bezel surrounding the screen and the
soft-touch rear plate, which kept it
from slipping out of our grasp.
The front of the Nexus 10 is free
of unexpected reboots when we frst
played with the tablet, but after
updating Android to the latest version
(4.2.1) a quick and simple process
kicked off from the settings menu
we didnt see any more crashes.
After upgrading the Nexus 10,
we were able to set up multiple user
profles. This allows separate users to
set up their own accounts and arrange
their desktops however they like,
thus avoiding the inevitable family
arguments and tears when you fnd
all your shortcuts have disappeared
and your backgrounds changed to a
One Direction wallpaper. Its easy to
swap between the different profles,
as it is on the Nook HD simply head
back to the lock screen and tap the
one you want.
Super sharp
One of the big draws of the Nexus 10
tablet is the incredibly crisp 10-inch
display. With its mighty 2560 x 1600
resolution, the PlS TFT screen is
actually sharper than
Apples iPad Retina
panel (the Nexus
10 chalks up 300
pixels-per-inch compared to
the iPads 264), and Samsungs
other excellent ten-inch tablet the
Galaxy Note 10.1. Truth be told, we
struggled to notice much difference
in sharpness between the iPad and
the Nexus 10 despite the greater
resolution, but that still means the
Nexus 10 has one of the best screens
of any tablet right now. If youre a
fan of HD movies, get ready for your
eyeballs to explode with happiness.
Both flms and photos are
brought to
life with rich
colours, with
only a slight loss
of brightness
and vibrancy
as you tilt the
display. The
maximum
brightness
is enough to
counter all
but the harshest glare, so
you wont be squinting too much
in sunlight either (unless youre
watching a dark movie).
Dual-core
We found the touch-screen was
perfectly responsive to our prods
and swipes, and over a decent Wi-
Fi connection even photo-heavy
websites loaded quickly. The 1.7GHz
dual-core processor is backed up by
a mega-generous 2GB of RAM, so
the Nexus 10 has no trouble running
apps either. We tried out some of the
biggest Android games, which ran
smoother than an oiled-up otter. Our
model came with 32GB of built-in
storage for apps, games and media,
but theres no memory card slot
which is a particular drawback if you
opt for the cheaper 16GB version.
Battery life is about average for a
ten-inch tablet: expect around fve
and a half hours of video playback
from each
charge, with the
screen turned
up to maximum
brightness.
Unfortunately
the Nexus 10
takes a while
to charge up
again once
the batterys
drained. If
you use the tablet while its
connected to the mains, itll say
its charging but actually consumes
power faster than it can store it,
so youll have to leave it switched
off to recharge. The same problem
plagued Apples iPad (3rd and 4th
generations). Bear this in mind if
youre after something for lengthy
journeys or commutes, as smaller
tablets such as the Nexus 7 by Asus
and the Apple iPad mini have longer
battery life and charge faster.
Fully featured
The fve-megapixel camera takes
sharp photos the instant you hit
the on-screen shutter button, and
although wielding this tablet or
pretty much any tablet isnt an ideal
way to capture a moment, it certainly
works well if your smartphones
camera is hopeless. We found the
camera adjusted well to different
lighting conditions and is bolstered
by an LED fash for night shots.
One of our favourite features on the
Nexus 4 smartphone by LG was a fun
panorama mode, which allows you
to capture a 360-degree snapshot of
your current location, and the Nexus
10 tablet thankfully boasts the same
feature. This is particularly great for
grabbing a stunning landscape shot,
as you can ft absolutely everything
in. On top of that, you can shoot
standard panoramas and HD video.
A 1.9-megapixel front-facing lens can
also be used to chat on Skype or via
Google+ Hangouts.
The verdict
Googles Nexus 10 tablet is a near-
fawless blend of performance,
friendliness and desirability. At
just 319 for the 16GB model, its
cheaper than Apples iPad but still
packs in a majestically crisp screen
thats great for gaming, movies, web
browsing and more. Of course there
are more portable tablets out there,
if youre after something for the daily
commute.

Chris Barraclough
www.google.com/Nexus10
Price 389 (SIM-free)
Size 264 x 178 x 8.9mm
Weight 603g
Display 10-inch PLS
Resolution 2560x1600px (300 ppi)
Camera 5 megapixels
Video Yes
Processor 1.7GHz Dual-core A15
RAM 2GB
Storage 32GB (16GB also
available)
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS Yes
Browser Android
Email Push
Music player Yes
Video player Yes
Continuous use 5 hours video
playback
Standby N/A
EASE OF USE H H H H
FEATURES H H H H H
STUNNING SCREEN The
10-inch display is sharper
than the iPad
BRAND NEW BEAN The
Nexus 10 will update to latest
version of Android
WHAT BUTTONS? The front
of the Nexus 10 is free of
physical buttons, relying on
on-screen shortcuts instead
Googles Nexus 10 tablet is a

near-flawless blend of performance,
friendliness and desirability

Dont worry about the screen getting
scratched up either, as its made
from mega-tough Corning Gorilla
Glass. Wed happily watch entire
movies on the Nexus 7, which look
fantastically crisp thanks to the
sharp 1280x800-pixel resolution.
When the camera zooms into
someones face, you can see every
pore and blemish truly terrifying
during home movies.
Full HD video streams perfectly
over a decent Wi-Fi network, but
if you cant find a hotspot youll
have to stay offine, as theres no 3G
support.
You can always carry flms or TV
shows on the built-in 8GB drive
(boosted to 16GB in the 200
model) if you find yourself web-
less, a generous amount of storage
given the price, although theres no
microSD card slot to upgrade it.
Dont worry about the battery dying
mid-trip, as we managed to stream
video for almost nine straight hours
before the Nexus 7 died on us.
Bulging quads
Unbelievably for the price, Google
has crammed a quad-core Tegra
3 processor inside the Nexus 7. If
youre not familiar with mobile
processors, this makes the Nexus
7 one of the most powerful tablets
around, able to run all kinds of
making it comfortable to wield.
That glossy front might collect
fingerprints like Michael Phelps
collects gold medals, but fip the
Nexus 7 over and youll find a
textured rear thats soft to the
touch and easy to grip. Its not a
super-slender tab like the Toshiba
AT200, but its not particularly
chunky either.
While the Galaxy Tab 2 sported
Android Ice Cream Sandwich
4.0, the Nexus 7 comes with the
very latest version of Googles OS
(nicknamed Android Jelly Bean
4.1). Its the same slick interface,
giving you fve desktops to populate
with your apps and widgets, plus a
shortcut bar at the bottom for your
favourite programs.
However, Jelly Bean has a
number of tweaks that trump Ice
Cream Sandwich. Most impressive
is the smooth transitions between
desktops and menus, which fnally
make Android feel as slick as iOS.
Add in full customisation you
can personalise the Nexus 7 with
whatever wallpaper or widgets your
heart desires and this is the best
mobile OS to date.
Tough display
The seven-inch display is a great
size if you plan on taking this tablet
further afield than your couch.
The greatest
Android of all time
Googles first foray into own-brand tablets is a triumph, delivering
an incredible experience at a price thatll have you laughing
REVIEW//NEXUS 7 BY ASUS

KILLER APP
Price
For the cost of most budget tablets, you
get a powerful, feature-packed device
SIMILAR TO
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
These tablets look alike, but the Nexus 7
packs more power and the Jelly Bean OS
The Nexus 7 by Asus
is a smart seven-incher
perfect for gaming,
movies and getting
online. It wont hurt
your wallet either, as its
cheaper than almost
every other Android
tablet on the market

Unbelievable price

Quad-core power

Pin-sharp screen

Android Jelly Bean

No microSD slot

No rear-facing camera
E
VER since we frst heard
whisperings of a Google tablet,
weve been cyber-stalking the search
giants relentlessly, in hope of a sneak
peek. After all, the creators of Android
were bound to conjure up something
special after impressing the world with
the excellent Nexus S smartphone co-
developed with Samsung.
W
hen you then consider that Asus
helped produce the hardware
for this frst pure Google tablet
the same Asus that built the epic
Transformer Prime tablet its hard
not to be thrilled.
Its been a lengthy wait, but the
Nexus 7 tablet is here and weve
fallen in helpless, drooling love
and the moment we saw the price,
we almost exploded with joy. Yep,
this isnt a typo: 160 will bag you
a quad-core tablet with a crisp and
colourful screen, plus access to over
half a million apps and games.
The two tablets
This has been a fantastic month
for Android tablets, as weve been
blessed with two excellent wallet-
friendly seven-inch devices. First
came Samsungs Galaxy Tab 2,
boasting a sleek all-black look.
The Nexus 7 by Asus has a similar
design, with a thick black border
surrounding the screen. At 340g
it wont ache your arms either,
STAR TABLET
apps simultaneously without issue.
We tested some of the latest 3D
games and they played perfectly as
expected, with silky smooth frame
rates. Gamers get serious future-
proofng, so should be able to play
the most intensive titles for the
foreseeable future.
Of course, all that power would
be pointless if the touch-screen was
unresponsive, as youd end up being
pummelled into mush in every game
you played.
Thankfully the display responds
instantly to every swipe, which is
www.google.com/nexus
Price 159/199
Size 198.5x120x10.45mm
Weight 340g
Display 7 inches
Camera No
Video Yes, 720p
RAM 1GB
Storage 8GB/16GB
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS Yes
Browser Android
Email Yes, push
Music player MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA
Video player MP4/H.264
Continuous use N/A
Standby 300 hours
FEATURES H H H H
youd be forgiven for thinking that
the Nexus 7 comes with barebones
features. We can happily report that
youd also be wrong.
Not only does Googles tablet
come with built-in GPS, which
helps with localised searches and
navigation in Google Maps, but it
also has full NFC support.
Google has cut a corner with the
cameras, as you only get a front-
facing lens for Skype calls theres
no rear-facing camera for taking
random snaps on the go. Were
not too sad about this omission,
as wielding a tablet to take photos
has always seemed strange to us.
The front-facer is typically low
resolution, but works fne for video
chats with friends and family.
The verdict
If youre after an Android tablet,
especially one thats portable enough
to carry around with you, theres
little reason to look elsewhere.
The Nexus 7 by Asus is a well-built
seven-incher rocking a powerful
quad-core processor and sharp,
vibrant screen, and costs less than
almost all of its rivals.

Chris Barraclough
especially noticeable during fast-
paced games and when browsing
through complex websites. Googles
own Chrome browser comes pre-
installed on Nexus 7 and is a speedy
way of surfng the web as you can
open multiple tabs to do several
things at once.
Google Chrome on the Nexus 7
isnt perfect, however. Webpages
take a moment to update when
zooming in and out, and we couldnt
play videos over BBC iPlayer because
of a lack of Flash support.
Considering the puny price tag,
VIDEO CALL The Nexus 7
doesnt have a rear-facing
camera, but it does have a
basic front-facer for video
calls over Wi-Fi
SOFT TOUCH The rear of
the Nexus 7 has a soft,
rubber y feel that keeps
it stuck to your palm
PIN-SHARP The crisp
seven-inch screen is one
of the best weve seen on
a budget tablet, producing
stunning images
The Nexus 7 by Asus is a well-built seven-incher

rocking a powerful quad-core processor and
sharp, vibrant screen
One of the major draws of Android tablets

is the Google Play store, which currently
packs over 600,000 apps and games,
as well as a host of ebooks, mags and
movies. The choice is overwhelming but
you can browse charts of the most popular
downloads, and Google is keen to start
you off, handing you 15 credit (a limited
time offer) and giving you some freebies
to play with although were not sure that
a Jeffrey Archer ebook and the latest
Transformers film will be to everyones taste.
Still, to get anything at all considering the low
price of the tablet is commendable.
PLAY TIME
Amazons first UK tablet is a slick HD media powerhouse for the
tablet owner who finds Androids options too over whelming
REVIEW//AMAZON KINDLE FIRE HD 7

KILLER APP
Amazons catalogue
There is no bigger or better collection of
books, movies and music available, and
with the Kindle Fire, its all in your hand
SIMILAR TO
Google Nexus 7
These tablets share great looks, nippy
performance and ultra-competitive pricing
The Amazon Kindle Fire
HD is primarily a device
for spending money and
consuming content, and
for this its very good.
This is not a tablet for
people who want to get
some work done

Superb screen

Incredible sound

Gigantic media library

Smooth performance

Lack of customisable features

Too commercially driven

Ads included as default

Not as practical as other, less
media-centric, tablets
A
mAzon wants you to buy things,
and the Kindle Fire HD isnt
afraid of letting you know that.
In fact, as soon as you turn on the
device, youll be confronted with an
advert in glorious HD. Sign in and
get through to the homescreen, and
there are more ads; underneath the
carousel of things you already have,
is another showing products that
other people have bought. You should
defnitely buy them too. Go on.
Its not like Amazon has conned
anyone though. When Jeff Bezos
stood on stage and announced the
latest Kindle line-up, he made it
perfectly clear that the Fire is a
service and not a gadget. Sure, you
can browse the web and check emails,
but thats not the Kindle Fire HDs
raison dtre.
Content consumption
portal
This is not the device if you want to
get some work done, chat with friends
and make life easier using innovative
apps. The Kindle Fire HD is there
for books, games, movies and music.
Books, games, movies and music you
have bought from Amazon, at that.
Amazons Appstore is a huge
bonus. Thanks to it being tied to
Amazons own purchasing system, its
easier for you to buy games/albums/
whatever from a trusted source,
and then be able to access those
purchases from a staggering amount
of other connected devices thanks to
the cloud.
This is where the Kindle Fire HD
has something of a dichotomy. The
basic device offers 16GB storage
(no SD card expansion), but with
an overriding message of BUY BUY
BUY, something has to give.
now, Amazon has offered one
way around that problem by letting
users store all their content on the
cloud, and then stream those fles
or download them to the tablet.
However, for a device that is
supposed to be portable, and only
comes in Wi-Fi favour, that cloud
access isnt necessarily going to get a
great deal of use.
Its not going to be a dealbreaker
for most people, but is defnitely
something worth considering if
youre leaning towards the Fire HD
and like to have a decent library of
Lean, mean,
content machine
Starting at 159 for the 16GB model, Amazon can sell the Kindle Fire HD for such a
competitive price thanks to the commercials that pepper the user experience. The
lockscreen adverts arent all that intrusive, but those on the homescreen take up
valuable real estate and are (at times) completely inappropriate. Thankfully, there is a
way to get away from the incessant adverts, but it will cost you. Users can opt out of
special offers (ie. adverts) for 10, which isnt too bad a proposition, especially if you
want to shake that niggling feeling that the tablet isnt quite yours; with so many ads
thrust your way, it feels like its just on loan from Amazon.
COMMERCIAL COST
movies and music
at your fngertips at
all times.
Its also worth
bearing in mind that
a mains charger isnt
included in the box,
so be sure to order one of those lest
you wind up waiting to use
your new toy as it trickle charges
from a computer.
Perfect form
With streaming and downloading
being such a major part of the
attraction, the dual antenna, dual-
band Wi-Fi makes a real difference
and as long as your Wi-Fi connection
is solid, its very unlikely youll ever
encounter lags or stutters.
For a multimedia device, the
Fire HDs form factor is perfect. If
it was any smaller, lengthy flms
would be less enjoyable and the
impressive speakers wouldnt deliver
the same kind of performance.
Any larger, however, and reading
books would become an exercise in
absurdity. Have you ever tried to get
comfortable and read a novel on a
tablet nearing 10 inches? Nobody
curls up on the sofa with the Guinness
Book of Records. At 395g its about
the right weight for reading, with a
decent-sized bezel around the screen
for thumbs.
The gadget feels solid, with a
comfortable rubbery back that makes
it easy to hold, and has a thin glossy
plastic band across the back, housing
the speakers. Amazon has also listened
to consumers and added physical
volume buttons an improvement on
the previous Kindle Fire.
www.amazon.co.uk
Price From 159
Size 193x137x10.3mm
Weight 395g
Display 7-inch LCD
Camera N/A
Video N/A
Processor 1.2GHz dual-core
RAM 1GB
Storage 16GB
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS No
Browser Silk
Email Yes
Music player Yes
Video player Yes
Talktime N/A
Standby N/A
EASE OF USE H H H H
FEATURES H H H H
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD

is a device for spending money
and consuming content
Kindles incessant desire to funnel

you through to its stores no matter
where you are, the ability to spend
more is only a tap away. Its a double-
edged sword: very handy in some
respects, but at times the grasping is
massively irritating.
While entertainment is well-
represented, many apps that you may
have come to rely on are not. There
is no Chrome, no Firefox; your one
choice of browser is the homemade
program Silk. As browsers go, its
perfectly serviceable, but the lack
of choice is frustrating. So too is the
lack of YouTube, Dropbox, Gmail and
other things you would expect.
Verdict
Ultimately, the Amazon Kindle Fire
HD is a device for spending money
and consuming content a 150+
personalised shop window but
its damn good at what it is trying
to do. The discovery and download
journey is elegant, and the delivery
of that content absolutely fawless.
If youre after something to use for
watching, reading and listening while
commuting or just for messing about
with before going to sleep, its hard to
think of a better device. Just be sure
that thats all you want before laying
down the cash.

Mike Shaw
mike.shaw@nhmedia.co.uk
Another bonus to buying a Fire
HD includes automatically being
signed up for Amazon Prime for one
month, offering free next-day delivery
on physical purchases and an ebook
rental service. Unlike other free trials,
this is one youll probably want to
hang on to free next-day delivery is
particularly helpful, although dont
forget youll have to pay after the trial.
For a tablet aimed at being a
one-stop shop for watching, reading
and playing, the Kindle Fire HD is
quite unhelpful when trying to use
fle formats it doesnt like. Although
a great deal of the video fles on your
hard drives will be in .avi, youll need
to download an app such as VLC to
actually play them.
Once you have them playing, the
1280x800 HD display will make
them look fantastic. Games too, get
a new lease of life. Large, graphically
intense games (The Dark Knight
Rises, Contract Killer) look brilliant,
and the 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
twinned with the Imagination
PowerVR 3D graphics core keeps
everything fast and smooth.
The lack of customisation will be
a problem for some. You can change
the homepage to an extent, but the
basic layout will always be the same.
If youre used to stock Android and
like to make devices work around
you and your needs, the inability to
tailor will be challenging. As will the
MEASURING UP The device
is big enough for watching
movies but still small enough
to hold in one hand when
reading an ebook
NOT SO APPY Some major
apps are missing, such as
Chrome, Firefox, YouTube and
Gmail
SMART SCREEN The HD
display makes games and
movies look amazing
Mini-tablets go
head-to-head
Theres never been a better time to buy a tablet, especially if youre after a slim, light, por table
pal for the commute. Between the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Apples iPad mini and the Google
Nexus 7 by Asus, its possible to pick up a power ful fully-featured tablet thatll slip inside even
a dainty handbag and cost as little as 150. So which dinky device is the best for you?
193x137x10.3mm
395g
The seven-inch, 1280x800 pixel display is
both crisp and vibrant, bringing games and
movies to life
If you cant stand adver ts, you wont
appreciate having them in your face
constantly
From 159
200x135x7.2mm
308g
The mini's 7.9-inch, 1024x768 pixel display
is the least sharp here, but still colour ful and
pleasing to the eye
The iPad mini is almost twice the cost of the
others, more so for bigger storage options
From 269
199x120x10.5mm
340g
The seven-inch, 1280x800 pixel display is
an incredible panel for the price, per fect for
media, games and web browsing
The faster 1.2GHz quad-core processor has
enough power to give a per fect frame rate
with the latest games, and wont age as
quickly as the others
1.2-megapixel front camera
16-32GB, no memor y card expansion
That sharp screen and quad-core processor
make the Nexus an excellent gaming, media
and web device
Apple's A5 processor (the same as in the
iPad 2) is fast enough to run even intense
graphical games and creative apps, but is
star ting to age
There's a ve-megapixel rear camera, plus
16GB-64GB, no memor y card expansion
Apples App Store offers the best range
of apps and games around, for keeping
productive or enter tained on the go
The 1.2GHz dual-core processor is fast
enough to run the latest games and apps,
but likely to be dated within a year
16-32GB, no memor y card expansion
If youre a big fan of ebooks, the Fire HD
gives you immediate access to Amazons
enormous Kindle Store librar y
Theres pretty much nothing bad to say about
the Nexus 7 that isnt nitpicky
From 159
Amazon
Kindle
Fire HD
Apple
iPad
mini
Google
Nexus 7
by Asus
Size
Weight
Screen
Power
Storage
Cameras
Best for
Worst for
Verdict
Price
The Light of
your life?
A solid web browser, but the lack of apps is
a massive drawback
More reviews online at www.mobilechoiceuk.com REVIEW//ZTE LIGHT TAB 2
T
he ZTe Light Tab 2 looks like
a typical budget tablet, with its
compact-yet-chunky black frame and
Android Gingerbread OS, but its
fully 3G-enabled so you can make
calls and browse the web wherever
you roam. Unfortunately, a single
killer faw ruins the show and makes
it hard to recommend over rivals.
3G ready
Although the 400g Light Tab 2 isnt
quite candy for the eyes, its frm
frame is solid enough to
take a few knocks and
the soft-touch rear
feels good. You
can prise the back
off to access the
removable battery
almost a unique
feature for a tablet
and the SIM card
slot. Thats right,
the ZTe Light Tab 2
uses 3G to make calls,
send texts and surf the web
on the move, but youll need an
active SIM card, otherwise youre
limited to Wi-Fi networking.
Power up the tablet and
youre presented with the bright,
almost cartoony ZTe interface
over vanilla Gingerbread. The
1.4Ghz processor keeps everything
running smoothly, and you get
all kinds of cool transition effects
as you scroll through menus and
the customisable desktops. Five
swappable shortcut buttons sit at the
bottom of each screen, while the lock
screen gives you fast access to your
camera, dialer and text messages.
Overall, its a fun and well-designed
refresh of an ageing platform.
Net end
If youre a web-coholic, youll be
glad to hear that websites load
quickly and scrolling through
even complex, photo-heavy
pages is a smooth and
satisfying experience
on the seven-inch
screen. Flash video
isnt supported
in-browser,
which normally
isnt much of an
issue as you can
just download
a 4OD or BBC
iPlayer app.
Unfortunately, the
Light Tab 2 has one major
failing, namely its lack of Google
Play support. That means no access
to the hundreds of thousands of
Android apps and games, a key
selling point for any tablet.
You do get quite a few pre-installed
apps, including some basic time
wasters like a Frogger rip-off,
although some of the apps on our
review model featured Chinese text
and were impossible to understand.
Tinny audio
You get naff-all built-in storage,
but a microSD slot gives you up to
32GB of space for your photos, flms
and tunes. Movies look reasonably
sharp, but the audio was particularly
tinny through our earphones we
had to use the built-in speakers for
video and music, which is an obvious
limitation when travelling.
As is now standard for tablets,
theres also a built-in rear camera.
You can fddle with the exposure,
saturation and ISO balance of your
shots, but this smacks of overkill on
a basic three-megapixel camera, and
wed be surprised if anyone actually
bothered to use these settings. You
can also shoot rather grainy video
footage but more useful is the front-
facing camera, which allows you to
keep in touch via Skype.
The verdict
Its impressive that the ZTe Light
Tab 2 offers 3G browsing at this low
price, and its a solidly built (albeit
rather chunky) device. however, the
lack of Google Play support and a
couple of other niggly issues make
it diffcult to recommend.
Chris Barraclough
KILLER APP
3G
You can browse the web or make phone
calls wherever you roam
SIMILAR TO
Archos 101 G9
This 200 tablet has an optional 3G
dongle if you stump up an extra 50
The ZTE Light Tab 2
is one of the cheapest
3G tablets on the
market, but the lack
of apps and tinny audio
are major limitations

3G support

Compact form

Smooth web browsing

Friendly interface

No Google Play access

Tinny audio with earphones

Grainy camera
www.clove.co.uk
Price 235
Size 202x122x12.6mm
Weight 402g
Display 7 inches
Camera 3 megapixels (rear),
VGA (front)
Video recording Yes
Video streaming Yes
Video player MP4
Internet Wi-Fi, EDGE, HSDPA,
HSUPA
Browser WAP, HTML
Memory 512MB, 4GB, microSD
Music player MP3/WAV/AAC/OGG
Email Yes, push
Video calling Yes
GPS Yes
3.5mm audio jack Yes
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
FEATURES H H H H
PERFORMANCE H H H H
for a more simplifed experience that
can occasionally prove frustrating.
We had a few little gripes, such as
the way it seems to be impossible to
check the exact percentage of battery
life remaining or change how long the
screen stays on before it times out.
There are also some inconsistencies
in navigation, which led to some
initial confusion.
With its 1366x768 pixel resolution,
the 10-inch screen is a great way to
enjoy movies on the go. We kicked
back and enjoyed a handful of HD
videos, which looked impressively
crisp we could see every wrinkle,
spot and mole on the actors faces.
Just one glance at the Start screen
and its immediately obvious how
bright and vibrant the panel is. We
had no trouble watching movies even
with our harsh offce lighting glaring
down, while the excellent viewing
angles mean you can stay entertained
with buddies without cramming your
heads together.
That screen makes the Vivo Tab
RT a great web surfng device too. Its
spacious and sharp enough to cope
with the most jam-packed websites,
while the touch controls are perfectly
responsive to every prod and swipe.
The sensitive touch-screen is also well
suited to apps and games, particularly
those that require precision input.
Boasting a quad-core Nvidia Tegra
3 processor and a mighty 2GB of
and power buttons as well as a 3.5mm
audio jack and a covered slot for
a microSD card, so you can
expand the very generous 64GB of
built-in storage.
Windows 8 (RT)
If youre new to Windows 8 RT, this
touch-based interface has a similar
appearance to Windows Phone,
using live tiles as shortcuts to
your apps. These tiles are similar to
Android widgets, updating with fresh
information on the fy so you know
when you receive a new message
or your stocks have plummeted,
for instance. You can pin your
favourite
apps to the
Start screen
and resize
them based on
importance,
while sharing
your fles and
favourite web
fnds is a quick and
simple process.
Windows 8 is
far more refned
for touchscreen
devices than Windows 7, thanks to its
lack of tiny menus and other fddly
sections. All of the menus and tiles
are big and bold, and easy to prod
without worrying about pinpoint
accuracy. Of course this also makes
Viva
la Vivo!
The Asus Vivo Tab RT is a long-lasting Windows 8 tablet for keeping you
enter tained and productive on the move
REVIEW//ASUS VIVO TAB RT
KILLER APP
Dock
Offering a secondary battery, USB port
and full keyboard, this turns your tablet
into a long-lasting laptop
SIMILAR TO
Asus Transformer Infinity
Another excellent dockable tablet, but
running Android OS
The Asus Vivo Tab RT
is a feature-packed and
highly portable device
with plenty of power and
an excellent keyboard
dock. The Windows 8 RT
OS is slick in some areas
but needs work in others

Quad-core power

Bright, colourful, crisp screen

64GB of expandable storage,
plus SkyDrive

Dock gives extra battery life
and physical keyboard

Awkward typing with dock

Windows 8 can be quirky

Lack of quality apps (for now)
A
SuS tablets have fast become
our favourites, even surpassing
Apples mighty iPad thanks to their
quality construction and excellent
features. Now Asus has taken its
superb Transformer Prime design
(which features a detachable
keyboard dock), and transferred it
to the wonderful world of Windows.
The result is the Asus Vivo Tab RT, a
quad-core Windows 8 tablet that is
marvellous for work and play.
Look and feel
In tablet form, the Asus Vivo Tab RT
is a surprisingly slender and light
device. Its only a tad thicker
than the likes of the
Apple iPad mini, and
at half a kilo is a lot
lighter than the
New iPad. Theres
a tiny bit of fex
when you pull
on the edges, but
nothing to worry
about beyond a
little creaking.
Overall, this is a
solid, durable device.
The rear of the Vivo Tab RT is
part brushed metal, part textured
plastic. The textured section helps to
stop it from skidding around when
youre using it on a work surface, and
provides extra grip. On the edges of
the Vivo Tab RT youll fnd volume
RAM, this is one of the most powerful
tablets weve clutched in our sweaty
little mitts. It handles everything
available on the Windows Store with
ease, whether its fast-paced games
or business software. We also had no
problem streaming HD media.
Battery life is one of the Vivo Tab
RTs other strong suits. By itself, the
tablet can last all day with moderate
use or for around fve hours if
streaming video. However, hook
up the dock with its built-in second
battery and you can effectively double
the Vivo Tab RTs battery life.
Docking procedure
The Vivo Tab RT slots neatly onto
the mobile dock and holds solid until
you pull the switch on the tablets
left edge to release it. If you close the
tablet down over the keyboard when
the two are joined, it puts the tablet
into hibernation, as youd expect from
a laptop. Docking the tablet not only
gives you an extra batterys worth of
life, you also get a full-sized USB port
and the handy physical keyboard.
The docks keyboard is a fantastic
partner to the touch-screen controls,
allowing you to bash out a message
or document without resorting to the
virtual board. Your typing rate will
depend on how accustomed to small
boards you are. The small keys are
well spaced and none of them felt
particularly cramped, plus you get
a dedicated Windows key. Our only
issue was the sunken design, which
puts a ridge directly below the space
bar. This made it diffcult for us to tap
the bar with our thumbs.
Apps Ahoy
An essential part of any tablet is the
selection of apps, and sadly Windows
8 is lagging behind iOS and Android
in that area. Were slowly getting big
names such as Netfix and Skype,
but many recognisable names such
as BBC News are actually unoffcially
produced by third-party developers,
while categories such as Food &
Dining are woefully understocked.
The games section is disappointing
too, with very few big names, and
even fewer that are free. If youre an
app or games fend, you might want
to stick with another OS until the
Windows Store catches up.
Still, the Vivo Tab RT comes
stocked with a good selection of
apps to get you started, including
the usual calendar, maps, music and
video and news/reference programs.
Students and business users will also
appreciate the Microsoft Offce suite,
which gives you Word 2013, Excel
2013, PowerPoint 2013 and OneNote
2013. The combination of touchscreen
and keyboard dock makes them all
easy to use on the move, providing
you have a seat of course. The virtual
keyboard works just fne too, if you
fnd yourself rammed into the aisle of
your commuter train.
You get a whopping 64GB of
storage, which can be expanded with
the microSD slot, and you also get
7GB of free SkyDrive cloud storage.
Impressively, the Vivo Tab RT also
packs in an eight-megapixel camera
on the rear. As ever, taking photos
with a tablet is slightly awkward, but
at least you can tap anywhere on the
screen to take a snap. It usually takes
a second or so for the lens to focus, so
be prepared to hold very still.
A front-facing two-megapixel
camera means you can take full
advantage of Skype and other
webchat apps, though our picture was
quite dark unless we sat at the right
angle near a window.
The verdict
Asus Vivo Tab RT will be your
best friend if youre a frequent
traveller, keeping you entertained
and productive. The bright, vibrant
HD screen is a great way to enjoy
games, movies and the web, while the
excellent Offce suite, tons of storage
space and SkyDrive connectivity
mean you can access and work on
documents. Factor in the long battery
life and keyboard dock, and this really
is a portable powerhouse.

Chris Barraclough
www.asus.com
Price 550
Size 263x171x8.3mm
Weight 525g
Display 10-inch IPS
Camera 8 megapixels
Front camera 2 megapixels
Video Yes
Processor NVIDIA Tegra 3
Quad-core
RAM 2GB
Storage 64GB, microSD
Internet Wi-Fi (optional 3G and
4G LTE)
GPS Yes
Browser IE
Email Yes, push
Music player Yes
Video player Yes
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
FEATURES H H H H H
SKYPE ME The front-facing
camera can be used to video
chat with friends and family

TWO BECOME ONE
The slick docking mechanism
makes it quick and easy
to attach and detach
the keyboard
TOUCHY You get a dinky
touchpad, but we preferred
stabbing the screen with
our ngers
The bright vibrant HD screen is a

great way to enjoy games,
movies and the web

Its a cover, its a
keyboard
Thankfully you dont have to worry
about the 10.1-inch screen getting
scratched, thanks to the bundled
magnetic cover (or Coverboard as its
called) that snaps over the front and
holds solidly in place until you prise
it off. This isnt any ordinary cover,
though. The inside features a full
physical keyboard that also doubles as
a stand: simply fip up a tab at the top
of the Coverboard and the tablet easily
slides into place, ready to use. Some
seriously strong magnets bind the
two together, so you can even lift the
tablet by the keyboard although we
obviously wouldnt recommend it.
The Coverboards tab can be
adjusted to change the slant of the
is the slim fnish. At just 8mm, its only
a shade thicker than the current size
zero hero, the Toshiba AT200. The 101
XS still feels suitably weighty despite
its thin body, and is best clutched
two-handed to keep your wrist from
giving out.
We did notice a tiny bit of creaking
when we gently pushed the left edge,
and prodding the screen a little
too hard causes distortion, but the
Archos 101 XS is surprisingly solid
considering its lengthy, slender
design. Unfortunately the white plastic
does scuff very easily, and our review
model arrived with a fair few scratches
on the aluminium backing plate too.
Wed recommend using a padded
case if youre concerned about ruining
the aesthetics.
Media
magnetism
Media manufacturer Archos makes another feint at a tablet with the super-slim
101 XS, which comes with a magnetic cover doubling as a keyboard and stand...
REVIEW//ARCHOS 101 XS

KILLER APP
Coverboard
Typists will love that the cover turns into a
fully working keyboard
SIMILAR TO
Asus Transformer Prime
Another excellent tablet with a keyboard
dock, and this ones a bit more spacious
if you find the Archos keyboard too fiddly
The Archos 101 XS
innovates with its
excellent keyboard
cover, and can handle
the latest games as well
as your media. Only a
couple of dodgy design
flaws keep us from fully
recommending it

Innovative magnetic keyboard
cover

Sharp screen

Plenty of storage

Reflective screen

Dodgy earphone port

Less powerful than cheaper
machines
A
rChoS used to be one of the
sole producers of portable movie
players, but with tablets taking over
the world, the French company has a
lot more competition these days. To
stand out from the slate crowd, the
Archos 101 XS has a magnetic cover
that doubles as a stand and keyboard,
and its a truly innovative feature.
only a couple of annoying design
issues keep us from loving this slick
media machine.
Slim and long
The Archos 101 XS boasts a sleek
design that really sets it apart from
the slew of bland black tabs. The
stretched appearance is unique and
means you get a widescreen display for
enjoying movies. But more impressive
screen, and coupled with the excellent
viewing angles youre guaranteed a
perfect view, whether youre relaxing
with a movie on the train or bashing
out emails. It takes a little while to
adjust to the tiny keys after working
on a full-sized board, and the board
is also very narrow compared to the
Asus Transformer Primes, which
was more comfortable to type on
overall. However, we soon adjusted
and were knocking out around 50
words a minute. The keys are just 5mm
deep, but we found this gives enough
tactile feedback without making the
Coverboard overly bulky.
Archos has kindly included some
Android-specifc keys that bring up
your most recent apps, take you to the
desktop and more. You also get media
keys for pausing and skipping through
movies and music. Our only issue is
with the power button, which is tiny
and shoved away on the right edge.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0
appears in its vanilla form, with a
deliberate intention of not adding
clunky or superfuous overlays, and
Archos has promised an update to
Jelly Bean 4.1 before the end of the
year. We found Ice Cream Sandwich
ran well, and you get a fair few apps
and games pre-installed including
Gamelofts Ultimate Spider-Man:
Total Mayhem and Asphalt 6 HD.
www.archos.com
Price From 229
Size 273x170x8mm
(not inc. cover)
Weight 600g (800g with cover)
Display 10.1 inches
Camera No
Front camera No
Video 720p
Processor 1.5GHz ARM A9
RAM 1GB
Storage 16GB + Micro SD
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS Yes
Browser Android
Email Push
Music player WAV (PCM/ADPCM)/
AAC3, AAC+ 5.13/OGG
Vorbis/FLAC
Video player AVI/MP4/MOV/3GP/
MPG/PS/TS/VOB/MKV/
FLV/RM/RMVB/ASF
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
EASE OF USE H H H H
FEATURES H H H H
The excellent cover/stand/keyboard

means you can take in movies or bash
out emails on the move with little fuss
which necessitates headphones) and a

surprising lapse in build quality.
The 101 XS lacks a rear-facing
camera, which were not too sad to see,
as we fnd taking photos with a tablet
to be a strange, alien idea. Were much
happier that Archos included a front-
facing lens instead, for chatting over
Skype. Its a low resolution lens but
perfectly fne for a webchat.
Regular travellers will get around
seven hours of mixed use, from web
browsing and emails to apps, games
and movies. If youre streaming video
then the battery will last just over six
hours and gaming will wipe it out in
around four hours, unless you turn off
Wi-Fi and drop the screen brightness
levels right down.
The verdict
The Archos 101 XS is impressively
slender considering its widescreen
design, and the excellent cover/stand/
keyboard means you can take in
movies or bash out emails on the move
with little fuss. Sadly there are more
powerful tablets available for half the
price, making it hard to recommend for
gamers, while the dodgy earphone jack
is a serious design faw thatll impact
travellers. If you have the cash to spare,
wed point you in the direction of the
Asus Transformer Prime.

Chris Barraclough
The Google Play store is available to
download more content.
The Archos 101 XSs 1.5GHz single-
core processor sadly lacks the dual or
quad-core power of rivals, including
the incredibly cheap Nexus 7 by Asus,
but it still capably handles media. We
played the latest action and racing
games with a commendable frame rate,
even if some of them werent quite as
buttery smooth as wed like.
Movies
Movies look great on the 10.1-inch
TFT screen, as youd expect from a
media-centric company with such deep
roots in portable video players. Images
are supremely sharp with great colour
reproduction and deep blacks. We just
wish the panel was brighter or less
refective, as it can be diffcult to see
when sunlight is beaming down on you.
With 16GB of built-in storage plus a
micro SD memory card slot, youll have
tons of space to carry around a huge
selection of flms. Its not all good news
though, as we had trouble with the
earphone port on our review sample.
Pushing a pair of headphones all the
way in gave us no sound through our
phones, and we found we had to wiggle
the jack out a little before we could
hear anything. We tried a number of
different earphones, all with the same
result. Its a really annoying problem
(especially if youre planning on
watching movies on public transport,
SCUFF CENTRAL We like
the 101 XSs stretched white
design, but the sur face is
marked a little too easily
LOOK FAMILIAR? Android
Ice Cream Sandwich appears
in its raw form, with no
tweaks from Archos
SWIFT CONNECTION
A handy port on the bottom
of the 101 XS is how the
tablet joins up with the
keyboard dock
Another entrant in the fight to be the best e-reader-turned-tablet,
but how does the Kobo Arc cope with the transition?
More reviews online at www.mobilechoiceuk.com REVIEW//KOBO ARC
www.kobo.com
Price 159.99
Size 120x11.5x189mm
Weight 364g
Display 7 inches IPS LCD
Camera 1.3 megapixels
Front camera N/A
Video Yes
Processor 1.5GHz dual-core
RAM 1GB
Storage 8GB/16GB
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS No
Browser Android
Email Yes
Music player Yes
Video player Yes
Continuous use 300 minutes
streaming Wi-Fi video
Standby 336 hours
LOOK AND FEEL H H H H
FEATURES H H H H H
PERFORMANCE H H H H
O
n frst impression, Kobos frst
major multimedia tablet is not
terribly inspiring. Lets be blunt, in a
world of iPad minis and nexus 7s, the
Arc is not much of a looker.

Design
The sunken screen and grandmas
mattress effect on the rear give it an
old-fashioned air, although the back
panel can be removed and replaced.
However, other elements of the
design are well thought-out. The two
speakers on the front point towards the
users head to deliver a powerful SRS
sound, and Kobo has also realised that
we watch video in landscape, so has
put the headphone socket on the right-
hand side.
Inside, Kobo has opted to keep
the operating system as familiar as
possible. As such, the few elements
it has added are useful fourishes to
the stock Ice Cream Sandwich. The
best and most obvious example of this
is the Arcs tapestries feature, which
collates apps, fles, and links and
presents them on the home screen in
a way reminiscent of Pinterest. Each
tapestry can act as a folder, or you
can pin favourite webpages direct to
the desktop. Its a neat and genuinely
useful way of keeping things tidy.
The seven-inch IPS 1280 x
800 display matches the nexus 7
and Kindle Fire HD for sharpness and
outstrips the iPad minis 1024 x 768,
although is slightly less crisp than the
nook HD (see page 27). The excellent
screen also has fantastic viewing
angles.
The 1.5GHz dual-core processor and
1GB of RAM means the Arc handles
demanding games with ease. In fact,
everything is swift and fuss-free until
it comes to video playback. We came
across a number of instances where
the image was jerky, or simply refused
to play. The BBC iPlayer app, for
example, will not work. Kobo is aware
of this problem and is working to
remedy it. However, netfix suffers the
same issue, as do some video fles.
Another quirk is the keyboard,
which lags and has an unusual layout.
The bottom row normally home
to the full stop and comma houses
the apostrophe and hyphen keys. The
return/enter button is two rows above
where it should be in its place is a key
for voice input. It's a weird decision,
but thankfully can be remedied by
trialling different keyboards from the
Google Play store.
Like an increasing number of
seven-inch tabs, the Arcs memory is
not expandable, but the 16GB, 32GB
or 64GB of built-in storage should be
suffcient for most users.

Discover the store
The Arcs shop window is called
Discover. Running across the bottom
of the home screen, it is unobtrusive
and actually quite useful. The more you
pin on the tapestries, the more it learns
about your likes.
While the Arc can play music,
movies and games, it hasnt forgotten
its roots, and is still most concerned
with books. The presentation of its
bookstore isnt quite as intuitive as the
Kindles, but its still very good, and we
particularly liked the useful collections
(best sellers, horror, non-fction, etc...)
It offers useful data (estimated time
remaining in each book), and reading
is massively customisable with plenty
of font, size and brightness options.
Page turns are also very smooth.
As LCD screens go, the Arcs is very
comfortable and the light not too
oppressive.
Build quality is solid, but be careful
about sticking it in a bag when out and
about, as after just two days, we found
the black fnish rubbing off and leaving
unattractive shiny patches on the body.

The verdict
With a frmware update this can be a
contender, but at the moment there
are too many issues to recommend the
Kobo Arc over its rivals. Underneath
that drab exterior theres a star waiting
to come out, but it needs to polish its
performance before it's ready for the
big stage.
Mike Shaw
mike.shaw@nhmedia.co.uk
KILLER APP
Tapestries
Pin websites and collections of files and
apps onto the desktop with this open-
folder style feature
SIMILAR TO
Kindle Fire or Nook HD
These are both Android tablets derived
from e-readers and have similar specs,
performance and prices
The Kobo Arc has plenty
of potential, offering a
good selection of books
to download and some
unique features, but it
currently suffers from a
few too many issues

Access to Kobo Store

Screen

Slick processor

Tapestries

Poor keyboard

Not the most attractive of
devices

Poor video playback
To Kobo
or not Kobo?
Kindle
killer?
A unique, family-friendly interface and supremely
sharp screen make the Nook HD stand out...
More reviews online at www.mobilechoiceuk.com REVIEW//NOOK HD
www.barnesandnoble.com
Price 159 SIM-free
Size 194x127x11mm
Weight 315g
Display 7 inches
Camera No
Front camera No
Video No
Processor Dual-core 1.3GHz
OMAP 4470
RAM 1GB
Storage 8GB/16GB
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS No
Browser Android
Email Push
Music player Yes
Video player Yes
Continuous use 10.5 hours
Standby 300 hours
FEATURES H H H H
W
eve seen fantastically
affordable tablets from some
unexpected sources lately, and now
into the fray storms the Nook HD
from Barnes and Noble. The original
Nook e-reader was a great way to
consume vast amounts of ebooks for
little cash, but can the Nook HD build
on this success with its deliciously
crisp seven-inch screen?
Silver surfer
The Nook HD's build is similar to the
Nexus 7 by Asus, with a solid seven-
inch body thats rubberised on the
back for an easy one-handed grip. Its
a cinch to use and wont ache your
arms with its 315g weight (equal to
Apples iPad mini). The frame is solid,
while the bezel juts out over the screen
to protect it if the Nook tumbles out
of your grasp. Our only bugbear is the
proprietary charger port, which means
you cant borrow your mates USB
cable. Theres no camera either.
Inside you get a 1.3GHz processor
which copes admirably with most
tasks. Websites loaded quickly and
were smooth to navigate. With the
16GB model you get 12GB of usable
built-in storage for downloading apps,
media and more from the Nook store,
plus a microSD slot for expanding
further. You can also store all of your
Nook store purchases for free in
the Nook Cloud, providing a
handy backup.
Proling
The Nook HD allows you to set up
multiple personal profles, so your
whole family can use it with their own
settings. each user can populate their
desktop with shortcuts which can
be moved around by dragging
with a fnger, or opened with a
tap. Annoyingly, its too easy to
accidentally drag an icon when youre
trying to swipe to a different desktop.
Some of the icons also overlap
in landscape mode, making for a
cluttered screen.
Overall we like the Nook HDs
unique look, which sets it apart from
other Android tablets. Its fresh and
clean, with quick access to everything
youve browsed recently, and you
arent bombarded with adverts as you
are with the Amazon Kindle Fire HD.
We found it incredibly easy to set
up our email, calendar and other
online bits we use Gmail, and all
we had to do was enter our ID and
password and the Nook HD did
the rest.
Likewise, copying media over is
just a case of hooking up to your PC.
Books are clear and easy to navigate,
while the comic reader presents either
entire pages or individual panels,
with a smooth transition as you
fick your fnger.
While the Nook Store ebook
selection impresses, the Store is
sadly far from comprehensive when
it comes to flms, music and apps,
lacking even big titles. Google's Play
store isnt available but there are
plenty of big apps and games on offer,
so you shouldnt go bored.
Amazing HD screen highest
resolution on a 7 tablet boasts the
box, and it isnt an empty promise.
everything from glossy magazines to
the latest blockbusters look fantastic
thanks to the 243 ppi resolution,
which easily trumps the iPad
minis display.
It isnt the brightest screen around
and is refective in sunlight, but it
holds up well and viewing angles
are excellent.
As for battery life, we managed fve
hours of continuous video playback on
a single charge. Thats on full display
brightness and with Wi-Fi turned on.
The verdict
The Nook HD is a user-friendly tablet
that you can share with the whole
family, thanks to its excellent profles
and unique, personable interface.
The seven-inch screen is splendidly
sharp for browsing the massive
catalogue of books or to take in a
blockbuster. But if youre after a
machine for games or apps, the Nexus
7 by Asus with its quad-core processor
remains a superior choice.
Chris Barraclough
KILLER APP
Sharp resolution
Beating the likes of the Apple iPad mini,
the crisp display is perfect for taking in
movies and more on the move
SIMILAR TO
Nexus 7 by Asus
If youre after a mobile app and games
machine, this beast is a similar size and
price but packs quad-core power
The Nook HDs unique,
friendly interface makes
it a great family tablet,
rocking an impressively
sharp screen. The online
store is packed with
books but lacks films
and apps

Crisp seven-inch display

Friendly interface with multiple
profiles

Light and portable

Large book and magazine
catalogue

No Google Play access

Proprietary charger

Occasional stutter
and the tactile back cover feels good
in the hand.
Speakers sit on the rear at the base,
which actually helps the audio when
you lay it down bouncing off a solid
surface helps sound travel better.
The 10.1-inch screen sports a 1280
x 800 resolution and a decent level
of brightness that can be adjusted to
save battery. However, stack it up to
the same resolution in the smaller
latest in a series of stolid, capable
slates and this one comes packing
the Nvidia Tegra 3 chip.
Design
Sexy it isnt, with a chunky,
rectangular form sporting a
substantial weight that means youll
really want to hold it two-handed.
The build is sturdy though certainly
not fragile nor prone to scratches,
Work those
quad-cores
The latest Iconia Tab runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich
on a quad-core processor and does it for under 250
REVIEW//ACER ICONIA TAB A210

KILLER APP
Gaming
The quad-core Tegra 3 chip grants you
access to high-octane gaming and media
for awhiles to come
SIMILAR TO
Nexus 7 by Asus
Downsize to a seven-inch screen and this
stupendous 159 tablet does it all, from
HD media to your pocket-friendly e-reader
Acers Iconia Tab A210
is a quad-core tablet that
wont break the bank but
its mediocre screen
means its not the best
option for all your media
needs either

Quad-core chip will support HD
games and movies for a while

Under 250

USB port for accessing other
memory storage

Intuitive Ice Cream Sandwich

Grainy display

Stolid design

More expensive than tablets
that are better-specced
Q
uad-core tablets just arent
what they used to be. Nope,
theyre better and theyre cheaper.
The sub-250 acer Iconia Tab a210
is an android Ice Cream Sandwich
slate that joins our frst-ever fve-star
tablet, the Nexus 7, in being roughly
the price of a really good dinner
date. Though acer hasnt exactly
lit a rocket under the tablet worlds
unmentionables, the a210 is the
Choosing an Iconia Tab A210 instead of an iPad would save
you roughly 200 so naturally youll want to blow the change
on an equally cost-efficient Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone.

SONY XPERIA TIPO from 100
The latest Xperia to tumble out of Sonys perfectly pitched portfolio
is a budget-friendly designer Android with style and all the smarts.

HUAWEI ASCEND G300 from 115
You could buy two of these with your change the Ascend G300 is
one of our favourite budget smartphones, though theres nothing
budget about its skills.

HTC DESIRE X from 225
The original Desire was a runaway hit, so heres your chance to
upgrade to a dual-core-packing Ice Cream Sandwich version.
GOT 200?
ANDROID ICE CREAM SANDWICH PHONES TO MATCH YOUR ICONIA TAB
Visit
mobilechoiceuk.
com for all the
latest
tablet news and
reviews
seven-inch screen of the Nexus 7 and
theres a marked loss in clarity. With
only 262,000 colours supported,
imagery isnt as vibrant.
Like the Nexus 7, the Iconia
cleverly eschews a rear camera for
a 1.9-megapixel front-facer to save
on costs. This lens is more than
good enough for making video calls,
though the colours it
produces are very
faded and cold. It can
also be turned to video
capture, which has the
same issues.
Charging is via a
round proprietary
port, while fle
transfer is done
via micro USB.
Interestingly, it has
a full USB port as
well, which you
can use to plug
in hard drives for
extra memory.
Using it
Android Ice Cream Sandwich powers
proceedings with a light Acer skin
that adds a few useful widgets and
apps. As with other ICS devices,
hard buttons have been dispensed
with and all action buttons are
on the virtual screen. The middle
of all toolbars sports some Acer
customisation an interesting
www.acer.co.uk
Price From 249 SIM-free
Size 260x175x12.4mm
Weight N/A
Display 10.1 inches
Camera No
Video Yes
RAM 1GB
Storage 16GB, microSD, USB
Internet Wi-Fi, HSDPA
GPS Yes, GLONASS
Browser HTML
Email Yes, push
Music player Yes
Video player Yes
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
FEATURES H H H H H
The A210 is perfectly fine to use but it lacks

that extra sparkle of design or maybe simply
a proper screen
was smooth with the touch-screen

beautifully responsive. HD movies
looked good though full HD isnt
supported. If youre watching
cinematic ratio flms in 16:9,
youll get the black bars across the
top and bottom though theyre
not too obtrusive.
When watching movies or playing
games, speakers were a bit tinny and
the highest volume isnt actually
that loud. However you can plug in
your own pair of headphones for
better sound.
The giant 3260mAh battery easily
lasted overnight even with moderate
media and internet use.
The verdict
Acer may have assumed a quad-
core tablet for less is the way to
go, in these times of 400-and-up
tablets and even pricier phones.
But the Iconia Tab A210 has already
been undercut by the Nexus 7 and
the incoming Amazon Kindle Fire,
so its hard to see the niche for a
slightly more expensive tablet thats
ostensibly been built for games and
movies yet sports such a mediocre
display. The A210 is perfectly fne
to use but it lacks that extra sparkle
of design or maybe simply a
proper screen.

Natasha Stokes
natasha.stokes@nhmedia.co.uk
circular dashboard with four of your
most used shortcuts arranged in
a circle, along with a few browser
windows fanning out. You can also
adjust the volume here using a cool
little virtual slider that curves around
the circle.
There are plenty of preloads as
well, including the
useful Polaris Offce
for documents,
spreadsheets and notes,
and Files, a folder
manager that looks just
like what youd fnd on
a Windows PC. As with
Ice Cream Sandwich
phones, you can set up
Face Unlock to secure
the tablet simply by
pointing your smiling
mug at it.
Media
Under the hood, the
Iconia Tab A210 comes
with a surprising checklist
of horsepower, with a
1.2GHz quad-core Nvidia
Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM
and 16GB on-board storage plus a
microSD slot for up to 32GB more.
The Nvidia Tegra Zone portal is
also preloaded, so you can download
games built for this powerful line of
processors. We tried out several high-
defnition games and performance
TOUGH TAB The plastic
chassis is sturdy and well
built with a tactile, textured
back cover

SCREEN SAVER The 1280
x 800 pixel display is of
good clarity but colours are
a bit faded and less vibrant
than wed like

FOUR CORES FOR LESS An
Nvidia Tegra 3 processor runs
HD games and media with
ease and for almost half the
price of Samsung and Apple
equivalents
up to your TV, so you can show off
your photo collection when the
neighbours come around. A lock
switch beside the power button can
either stop the screen from changing
between landscape and portrait mode
when the tablet is rotated or mute the
sound, depending on your preference.
Interface
Ice Cream Sandwich Android is
here in its vanilla form, with no real
tinkering from Toshiba. Were happy
with that as Ice Cream Sandwich is a
great mobile OS, giving you plenty of
space for your shortcuts and a huge
aching your biceps, and actually
appears thinner than the AT200
despite being 1.3mm thicker, thanks
to its wider design. Still, if you need
a tablet to take on the road a lot, you
might prefer a compact seven-incher
like the AT200 or the Nexus 7 by
Asus, which fts into bags more easily
and is better to handle.
The edges are typically lined with
ports, including a docking port on
the bottom (charging dock sold
separately), SD card slot to expand
the 32GB of storage, a Micro USB
port to swap fles with your PC and
a Mini HDMI port to hook the AT300
Tablets
anonymous
A quad-core Android tablet with a spacious screen,
but can it do enough to stand out from the crowd?
REVIEW//TOSHIBA AT300

KILLER APP
Quad-core processor
We saw no kind of slowdown, even when
blasting through 3D games
SIMILAR TO
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
Another 10.1-inch Android tablet, with
strong performance and a sharp screen
The Toshiba AT300 is
a capable tablet thatll
appease any gamers
and app fans with its
quad-core power and
responsive touch-screen.
The display is a little
bland but boosted by
the Resolution+ setting

Quad-core power

Responsive, spacious
touch-screen

Plenty of storage space

Poor visibility in sunlight

Nexus 7 is much cheaper
T
OSHIBAS last tablet, the
excitingly-named Toshiba
AT200, had the honour of being
the worlds thinnest tablet at just
7.7mm. With a rather insane number
of tablets emerging every week, this
supermodel slimness helped get
the AT200 noticed, even if it wasnt
quite as impressive as the epic Asus
Transformer Prime or Apples new
iPad. Now we have the Toshiba AT300,
which isnt as slender but packs a
powerful quad-core processor into
the slightly chunkier body. But does
that performance boost make for a
happy tablet?
Dj-vu design
As soon as we pulled the AT300 from
its sizeable box, we got a striking
sense of dj-vu. The AT300 may
be larger than its predecessor (10.1
inches compared to the 7.7-inch
AT200), but the two tablets are
clearly from the same genetic tree.
A black border surrounds the screen,
while fipping the tablet over reveals
a silver brushed aluminium rear.
Its a smart look, although the rim
is clearly plastic and if you prod the
backplate or pull on the edges, the
entire tablet fexes. Not to a worrying
degree, but wed recommend
grabbing a padded wallet to keep
the AT300 safe during transit.
The AT300 is light enough to
hold for extended periods without
selection of
widgets (which
you can now
shrink and
expand to
ft on your
desktops).
You get fast
access to your
recent apps,
plus a handy
notifcations
tab that notifes you
of emails and other
important bits.
The 10.1-inch touch-screen is
not only spacious, its also perfectly
sensitive. Skimming through websites
is a smooth experience, but that
responsiveness really comes into
play when messing around with
apps and games. We tested some
of the fastest-paced games around,
requiring dextrous fngers and all
manner of pinching and swiping to
succeed, and the AT300 steered us
through in one piece.
Games and media
Gamers will also love the powerful
quad-core processor thats tucked
away inside. This handled everything
we threw at it with ease. Even the
most complex 3D games loaded
quickly and ran with a perfectly
smooth frame rate, so hardcore
mobile gamers wont need to upgrade
www.toshiba.co.uk
Price From 329
Size 261x179x9mm
Weight 590g
Display 10.1 inches
Camera 5 megapixels with
LED ash
Video Yes
Processor 1300MHz quad-core
RAM 1GB
Storage 32GB
Internet Wi-Fi, HTML, HTML5
GPS Yes
Browser Android
Email Yes, push
Music player MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+
Video player MP4/H.264/H.263/
WMV
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
EASE OF USE H H H H
FEATURES H H H H H
PERFORMANCE H H H H
and photos thanks to the generous
32GB of storage, and theres an SD
memory card slot if you want even
more room.
Camera
If you want to take snaps on your
tablet, the AT300 comes with a fve-
megapixel camera featuring an LED
fash. Our shots were a little fuzzy
when viewed on a TV or monitor,
but they work just fne as simple
mementos of a day out. You also get
a front-facing two-megapixel camera
for Skype chats.
If youre always on the move then
battery life will be an important issue.
The AT300 can play around six hours
of video from a full charge, an average
result for a 10.1-inch tablet, so youre
best off taking the charger if you plan
on using the tab all day.
The verdict
Toshibas AT300 arrives at a time
when the tablet market is heaving,
but its quad-core processor and
responsive 10.1-inch touch-screen
make it a good option for gamers and
app fans. The screen isnt as bright or
bold as competitors such as the Apple
iPad, but the Resolution+ feature is a
nice touch and you get tons of storage
space for your media and apps.

Chris Barraclough
to a newer tablet
for a couple of
years at least.
Of course, the
Nexus 7 by Asus
also boasts
a quad-core
processor and
costs almost
half as much
as the AT300,
so gamers on
a budget may wish
to look there instead.
The AT300 doesnt have
the brightest screen around, and
in direct sunlight its impossible to
make out almost anything, even on
maximum power. However, keep
away from the sun and youll fnd
it a pleasing panel, crisp enough
for enjoying movies and TV shows
on the daily commute. Colours
dont fade when you tilt the display,
and the glass is solid enough to
withstand pressure without
distorting the image.
Toshiba also has a Resolution+
setting, which adds vibrancy to your
photos and movies. Youll notice
warmer skin tones in family snaps,
while outdoor pictures appear bright
and clean, with deep blue skies and
dazzling oceans really shining in
those glamorous holiday shots. Youll
have plenty of space on the AT300
for all of your apps, games, movies
SKINNY TAB The AT300
is slightly chunkier than
the AT200 but appears
more slender thanks to
its wide design
GOOD CONNECTIONS You
get plenty of ports, including
Mini HDMI, Micro USB and an
SD card slot
LOOKS FAMILIAR Toshiba
hasnt tinkered much with
vanilla Android Ice Cream
Sandwich, which were happy
to see
The AT300s quad-core processor and

responsive 10.1-inch touch-screen make it a
good option for gamers and app fans

blasted through some of the latest
action games such as Dead Trigger,
with almost no stuttering to mar the
experience (the only judder we noticed
was a tiny freeze each time we started
a level). This being an nVidia machine,
you get the TegraZone app for
downloading the latest
games as well as full
Google Play access for
all of your app needs.
As for Android itself,
Asus hasnt meddled
much with the original
Google design. You
get fve desktops
to populate with
apps, shortcuts
and widgets,
and our only
real complaint
is that the widget
selection is rather
limited. We did
appreciate the Asus
Battery widget, which
shows you how much charge
remains in the tablet and the dock,
and also the Asus Task Manager. Aside
from that, its your standard weather,
mail and clock efforts.
Media
The major difference between
the Transformer Prime and the
Transformer Pad Infnity is the
screen. We liked the Primes crisp
two hands when watching a movie in
landscape mode. Every inch of it is
reassuringly solid, and the HDMI port,
power and volume buttons are well
spread across the edges.
Android
While the Prime started life on
Android Gingerbread before
an upgrade to the excellent
Ice Cream Sandwich, the
Transformer Pad Infnity
comes with Ice Cream
Sandwich already
installed. Were
hoping this will
be bumped up to
Jelly Bean real
soon, but its no
great shakes.
After all, Jelly
Beans major
improvement was
smoother navigation
and performance,
and Ice Cream
Sandwich runs like
an electro-charged
Usain Bolt on
the Infnity.
This is partly down to the insanely
powerful Nvidia Tegra 3 processor
packed away inside the slender Infnity
chassis. The Transformer Prime also
rocked nVidias quad-core chipset, but
the Infnitys processor runs at 1.6GHz
compared to the Primes 1.3GHz. We
To infinity
and beyond
An Android Ice Cream Sandwich powerhorse rocking a full HD
screen and a keyboard dock, per fect for work as well as play
REVIEW//ASUS TRANSFORMER PAD INFINITY TF700

KILLER APP
Dock
The Asus dock is a great feature,
adding a physical keyboard as well as a
second battery and USB port
SIMILAR TO
Asus Transformer Prime
Another excellent dockable tablet with a
lower-res screen
The Asus Transformer
Pad Infinity provides the
best of both worlds.
Game with the powerful
quad-core processor, or
enjoy a movie on the
crisp full HD screen,
while the keyboard dock
is perfect for bashing out
emails and documents

Crisp, beautiful screen

Keyboard dock with built-in
battery and USB port

Powerful Nvidia quad-core
processor

Heaps of storage space

Mediocre touchpad
A
SUS shook up the tablet world
with its Transformer series, a
range of Android tabs that convert
into mini laptops thanks to a bundled
keyboard dock. The Transformer
Prime was an excellent recent entry to
the series, and were looking forward
to seeing Asus upcoming dockable
Windows 8 tablets, but frst we have
the Transformer Pad Infnity an
upgrade on the Transformer Prime,
coming with a steeper price tag.
So, whats changed and is the
Transformer Pad Infnity worth the
price hike?
Design
The Transformer Pad Infnity looks
almost identical to the Transformer
Prime at frst glance. We actually
thought wed been sent the wrong
model for review, until we stuck it side-
by-side with our Prime: only a slightly
darker fnish differentiates the two,
along with some tiny changes to the
edge of the tablet. That great-looking
spiral brushed fnish is still present, a
fourish we cant get enough of.
The Infnity may have a large
10.1-inch screen, but its impressively
slim at just 8.5mm (more slender
than rivals such as Acer and Apple),
and weighs a shade under 600g. This
makes it comfortable to clutch one-
handed in portrait mode, for browsing
the web or messing with apps on
your commute, but its best held with
and colourful display, but the Infnity
boosts the resolution from 1280x800
to Full HD 1920x1200, making it
ideal for watching High Defnition
movies. We streamed some HD video
online and the results were special.
The lifelike images were rendered
with super-sharp clarity, and nicely
understated colours. Our only
complaint is that it could do with being
brighter, as its diffcult to use with
sunlight or other glare refecting off
the screen.
Movie fans can carry around plenty
of flms on the 64GB of built-in storage,
as well as music, apps and all the other
good stuff. Dont worry if youre off on
a lengthy journey either, as youll get
six hours of battery life from a single
charge (and even longer if you limit
yourself to apps and web browsing).
The 10.1-inch touch-screen is also
an excellent tool for surfng the web.
Your swipes register immediately, as
do your pinches and prods, and the
speed at which the screen scrolls is
perfectly weighted against the ferocity
of your swiping.
The dock
One of the big USPs of the Transformer
Pad Infnity is that detachable
keyboard dock, which adds extra
functionality as well as a smart means
of bashing out emails and essays on
the go. The tablet simply slides into the
connector and locks solidly in place,
http://eee.asus.com
Price 450
Size 263x181x8.5mm
Weight 598g
Display 10.1-inch Full HD IPS+
Camera 8 megapixels f2.2
Video 1080p HD
Processor Qualcomm SnapDragon
S4 1.6GHz dual-core
with nVidia Tegra 3
graphics
RAM 1GB
Storage 32GB/64GB
Internet Wi-Fi
GPS Yes
Browser Android
Email Push
Music player Yes
Video player Yes
Continuous use N/A
Standby N/A
FEATURES H H H H H
The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is a

worthy upgrade thanks to its beautifully crisp
full HD screen
plenty of light, so indoor shots look

as bright as outdoor snaps. You also
get a fash for dingy interiors and
night shots.
The auto-focus
snaps on to your
subject quickly and
photos are taken
within a second of
hitting the shutter
button. You get a
handful of options
and settings to play
around with and
tweak your photos, and
you can also capture a
panorama and Full HD
video, which looks impressively sharp
when viewed back. Last of all is the
two-megapixel front-facing lens, which
is perfect for Skyping.
The verdict
The Asus Transformer Pad Infnity
may look just like the Transformer
Prime, but its a worthy upgrade
thanks to its beautifully crisp full
HD screen. An even more powerful
nVidia quad-core processor will
keep gamers and media fans happy,
and the keyboard dock will keep
you productive when youre not
blasting your way through the latest
TegraZone titles.

Chris Barraclough
giving you instant automatic access to
the keyboard.
Granted, itll take you some time to
get used to the shallow travel
of the keys and the
compact design. Give
it an hour or so and
youll be bashing out
lengthy diatribes as
fast as your fngers
can dance across
the keyboard, and
there are plenty of
Android-specifc
keys for toggling
features and opening
apps and menus. A mediocre
touchpad is included, but we prefer
stabbing the screen with our fngers.
The only issue comes when the screen
is tilted right back, as prodding it
knocks the Infnity off balance.
As well as the keyboard, docking
the Infnity gives you double the
battery life thanks to the secondary
battery inside the dock. You also get
a USB port for attaching compatible
peripherals and memory sticks.
Camera
As usual you get a rear-facing camera
for taking snaps on the move. The
Infnitys eight-megapixel lens
captures bright, sharp, realistic images
that can be viewed back on a full-sized
television or PC screen without much
graininess. The f2.2 aperture takes in
VANILLA ICE CREAM Asus
hasnt messed with the slick
Android Ice Cream Sandwich
inter face by adding its own
overlay
SLOT IT IN The Transformer
Prime slots easily into the
dock and holds rm, until you
pull a switch on the side to
detach
TINY TOUCH While we
love the compact physical
keyboard, the tiny touchpad
is too dinky to be of
real use. Thankfully, you
can prod the tablets
screen instead
THE BACK PAGE
1
APPS
Because theyve sprung from smartphones,
tablets suppor t the same app stores, with
access to tons of mini-programs that do everything
from building a digital magazine out of your favourite
sites and social updates, to synching content across
all your other devices. Sure, you can buy programs
for the laptop too, but tablet apps are mostly
available for just a few quid.

2
KEYBOARD OPTIONAL
If you just need to type that saga right-
this-second, you can grab a specially built
keyboard for tablets like the iPad or Samsung
Galaxy Note 10.1. The keyboards connect over
Bluetooth, so not only do you have an efficient
new board, you can use it sans wires. Laptop
keyboards, on the other hand, are compulsory
even when you dont want them.

3
THE TOUCH FACTOR
Jabbing at the app you want to
launch or prodding the link you
want to visit is so intuitive its practically a
primordial urge. Tablets possess a tactile
charm that even the slinkiest, airiest
laptop cant quite muster.

Five
reasons
to go tablet over laptop
4
GAMING
For hardcore gamers, computers rule
the roost. But if youre more Fruit Ninja
than deadly assassin, youll find a growing
bevy of games developed specifically for
tablets, sporting high-def visuals and touch-
optimised interaction. And hey, if you miss
console-style games like Assassins Creed and
Grand Theft Auto III, these are now available
for Android and iOS.
5
PORTABILITY
Unless youre rocking one of those
newfangled ultra-books, your laptops
battery will probably die halfway through
your journey. If you regularly suffer a long
commute, youre best off with a tablet.
They are compact enough to slip into
almost any bag, and youll get 8-10 hours
of entertainment before the screen fades
to black.

Tablet Choice 2013-03-04

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REVIEWED INSIDE

What to buy and how to use it www.mobilechoiceuk.com

We could happily use

Tablet Choice Issue 1 | 07

We could happily use

FACETIME Despite its

As ever, Apple has nailed the aesthetics

As a device for browsing the web

Googles Nexus 10 tablet is a

16 | Tablet Choice Issue 1

The Nexus 7 by Asus is a well-built seven-incher

One of the major draws of Android tablets

The Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Kindles incessant desire to funnel

The bright vibrant HD screen is a

24 | Tablet Choice Issue 1

The excellent cover/stand/keyboard

which necessitates headphones) and a

The A210 is perfectly fine to use but it lacks

was smooth with the touch-screen

The AT300s quad-core processor and

32 | Tablet Choice Issue 1

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is a

plenty of light, so indoor shots look

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