SPECIFICATIONS:
- Platform: Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean
- Processor: Rockchip3066
- Ram: 1GB DDRIII
- Storage: 16GB flash memory
- Display: 8”IPS LCD capacitive multi-touch
- Resolution: 1024 x 768 pixels
- Interface: MicroSD, Mini HDMI, MicroUSB
- Camera: Rear 2MP I Front 03MP
- Battery: 48OOmAh
- Weight 0.45kg
- Dimension: 199x 154x9mm
WHAT’S HOT:
- Solid build
- Good technical specifications and features set
- Very affordable
WHAT’S NOT:
- A bit heavy
- Camera quality is not the best
- Sound volume is barely audible; earphones or speakers needed
BOTTOMLINE:
- The Devant D-Tab offers excellent value-for-money. delivering performance that is at par with many of the Android tablets now in the market.
Building on the success of its LCD/LED televisions in the local market, Devant recently ventured into the mobile sector with the introduction of an Android tablet, the Devant D-Tab 8.0, that is expected to be competitive in the mass market with its PHP 6,495 price tag. How does it fare, performance-wise?
Out of the box, the D-Tab is an all-black tablet with an 8-inch touchscreen and a curved back panel in a matte-finish. For some reason, both the glossy front and matte rear surfaces seem to be smudge magnets, so a screen protector and casing are definitely called for. Weighing in at almost half a kilo, the D-Tab feels solid with good overall build quality.
Unlike many other tablets, the D-Tab seems to have been designed in landscape mode as its natural orientation, with the power and volume buttons on the upper right edge, and the input ports-microSD, mini HDMI, microUSB, headphone jack, power jack, microphone neatly aligned on the left side panel. The D-Tab shares the same 1024 x 768-pixels resolution as the Apple iPad Mini, but a thick bezel almost 14mm-all-around makes it look wider.
Device performance is always dependent on its processor, which, in the D-Tab’s case, is a very capable Rockchip 3066 that has a 1.6GHz dual-core Cortex A9 mobile processor and a 250MHz quad-core GPU. This is the same chip that powers many Android tablets, including the HP Slate 7. The D-Tab has 1GB of RAM with 16GB storage built-in, upgradeable to 32GB via microSD.
Video quality is excellent, particularly indoors. With brightness set to high, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the latest installment of a favorite TV series, which was spoiled only by the barely audible audio-definitely not one of the D-Tab’s strong suits. The built-in mono-speaker is located at the lower left side of the rear panel and if you happen to have the tablet lying flat on a surface, then the sound is muffled. Even turning the D-Tab over or placing it on a stand does not improve sound by much, producing annoyingly tinny audio. External speakers or earphones are highly recommended for listening to your video soundtrack or music. Thankfully, the D-Tab is Bluetooth ready so you can use wireless headsets; the music player also has sound effects setting to help you customize how you want to enjoy your music.
I am not a huge gamer, but succumbed to the current Candy Crush fad under the guise of needing to test the D-Tab’s gaming performance. Again, graphic quality was good, with no ghosting or juddering.
Another feature where the D-Tab appears to have cut costs is the camera. The rear 2MP camera does not have built-in flash and does not appear to have auto-focus as photos come out blurred, over-saturated, and lacking in detail. Do not expect to take selfies with the front 0.3MP camera, as this is suitable only for Skype video calls.
According to the user’s manual, the 4800mAh Li-Po battery takes about 5 hours to fully charge. With Wi-Fi constantly on, the D-Tab gave me about 5 hours of moderate browsing, although I noticed that the battery monitor quickly dropped when I used it to watch an hour-long video. Downloading apps from the Play Store also used up a lot of juice, and I noticed the bottom part of the rear panel getting a bit warm. As a carry-around device, I believe the D-Tab would be able to see you through an entire day with occasional email checks, a bit of web-browsing, plus some games, music and video.
To sum up, the Devant D-Tab is an entry-level tablet that is solidly built and packed with a specification set that is able to deliver on its value-for-money proposition.
First published in Gadgets Magazine, November 2013
Words by Maribelle Alba