Asus Zenpad 8: Smooth performer with premium looks
As the name suggests, the ZenPad 8 has got an 8inch display with 1200x800 pixel resolution. Despite being made of plastic, it doesn't feel cheap to hold.
- Jan 25, 2016,
- Updated Jan 25, 2016 3:00 PM IST
Asus has strengthened its position by offering some quality products over the past few years. Be it the Eee netbook that was launched a few years ago or the ZenBook notebooks or the ZenFone, they have good design and functionality. Adding another feather to its hat is the ZenPad 8 tablet.
Design: As the name suggests, the ZenPad 8 has got an 8inch display with 1200x800 pixel resolution. Despite being made of plastic, it doesn't feel cheap to hold. Instead, the removable rear panel has got a textured soft finish that makes it look premium. My review unit in white had a silver pink texture. The 3.5mm jack and the charging jack is placed on the top while the power key and volume controls on the left panel. This is a calling tablet and the SIM slot along with a memory card slot is hidden below the removable back panel. It is 8.5mm thick and weights 350 grams.
Performance: Priced at Rs 14,999, this tablet is a smooth performer. It packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.8GHz and is paired with 2GB of RAM. There wasn't any lag while switching browsing the web, streaming videos, playing games and even while switching between multiple apps. It can smoothly play 1080p videos too. It has got an 8MP rear camera that captures decent images which can be used to share on social media networks. Front camera is just about average. The tab comes with 16GB of internal storage and 11GB is user accessible. It also supports up to 128GB of expandable memory. Asus also offers 5GB web storage and you get 100GB of Google Drive space for two years. It runs on Android Lollipop operating system with ZenUI.
Battery: Asus has added a 4000 mAh battery to this tablet which is good enough to last over two days on continuous heavy usage.
Entertainment tablet: Along with the review unit, Asus had sent across the audio case for the tablet, which brings the cost of the tablet along with the tablet cover to Rs 17,999. But what this cover does is convert it into a multimedia device. This is a 5.1 channel audio case that enhances the audio of the tablet (which isn't very impressive) and bundles as a stand while watching movies and videos. This is optional but will be a good buy for those who are buying it for the purpose of entertainment.
Bag it or Junk it: Asus ZenPad 8 justifies the price tag and is worth considering.Rating: 4.5/5Price: Rs 14,999Plus: Price, PerformanceMinus: Average Camera
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Asus has strengthened its position by offering some quality products over the past few years. Be it the Eee netbook that was launched a few years ago or the ZenBook notebooks or the ZenFone, they have good design and functionality. Adding another feather to its hat is the ZenPad 8 tablet.
Design: As the name suggests, the ZenPad 8 has got an 8inch display with 1200x800 pixel resolution. Despite being made of plastic, it doesn't feel cheap to hold. Instead, the removable rear panel has got a textured soft finish that makes it look premium. My review unit in white had a silver pink texture. The 3.5mm jack and the charging jack is placed on the top while the power key and volume controls on the left panel. This is a calling tablet and the SIM slot along with a memory card slot is hidden below the removable back panel. It is 8.5mm thick and weights 350 grams.
Performance: Priced at Rs 14,999, this tablet is a smooth performer. It packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.8GHz and is paired with 2GB of RAM. There wasn't any lag while switching browsing the web, streaming videos, playing games and even while switching between multiple apps. It can smoothly play 1080p videos too. It has got an 8MP rear camera that captures decent images which can be used to share on social media networks. Front camera is just about average. The tab comes with 16GB of internal storage and 11GB is user accessible. It also supports up to 128GB of expandable memory. Asus also offers 5GB web storage and you get 100GB of Google Drive space for two years. It runs on Android Lollipop operating system with ZenUI.
Battery: Asus has added a 4000 mAh battery to this tablet which is good enough to last over two days on continuous heavy usage.
Entertainment tablet: Along with the review unit, Asus had sent across the audio case for the tablet, which brings the cost of the tablet along with the tablet cover to Rs 17,999. But what this cover does is convert it into a multimedia device. This is a 5.1 channel audio case that enhances the audio of the tablet (which isn't very impressive) and bundles as a stand while watching movies and videos. This is optional but will be a good buy for those who are buying it for the purpose of entertainment.
Bag it or Junk it: Asus ZenPad 8 justifies the price tag and is worth considering.Rating: 4.5/5Price: Rs 14,999Plus: Price, PerformanceMinus: Average Camera
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine