
Since 2012 I've been using the first generation Nexus 7 tablet. Well, I'm not much of a tablet guy. I tend to manage all "on the go" stuffs in my phablet itself, and for rest of the things which demand extensive reading/writing works, like what I'm doing now, only a laptop can be of help. So, however orthodox it sounds I am yet to figure out how exactly a tablet can watch my back. This justifies why I'm still stuck with a four years old tablet! Back then Google had collaborated with Asus to manufacture the beautiful Nexus 7 series. Performance of my Nexus 7 had outdid its on-paper specifications. Despite its 1 GB RAM (low as per present standard, right?), resource leech games like Asphalt 8 could be played without slightest lag. In a nutshell, Asus had succeeded in impressing the potential gadget lover in me, except with their poor after-sales service. Couple of months back Asus released three new models of tablet in India, marketing them under the series name 'ZenPad'- ZenPad 8.0, ZenPad 7.0 and ZenPad C 7.0. I got hold of a review piece of ZenPad 7.0 (Here I'm talking of ZenPad 7.0 Z370CG and not its lower variant- ZenPad 7.0 Z170CG). As of now yours truly doesn't seek salvation in reviewing gadget unless it got something to do with photography or traveling. But the catch is, apart from myriad other features, ZenPad 7.0 Z370CG has got two cameras: Primary 8 MP (f/2.0 Aperture) and Secondary 2 MP respectively, with 'PixelMaster' technology that Asus had introduced earlier in ZenFone series. Neither I'll be mentioning the spec-sheet of ZenPad 7.0, nor shall I be rhyming out its special features as highlighted by Asus. This review shall solely encompass my four days' experience of fiddling with this android slate.
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Out of the box you get- A tablet, 7 W Adapter, USB Cable, Warranty Card and User Manual
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Key Features of ZenPad 7.0 Z370CG as Highlighted by Asus:
* True2Life Independence IC producing ultra realistic images with accurate contrast and sharpness details.
* dts-HD premium sound for virtual 5.1 surround through its world-first interchangeable functional rear Asus audio cover (Optional accessory though).
* HD display with 72% view area and Corning Gorilla glass.
* Dual camera option for extensive still and video editing and effects.
* All new ZEN UI redesigned for greater personalization and customization.
* 8 hours battery life, plus the chance to extend this to 14 hours in total using the protective Asus power case (again, an optional accessory).
After using the ZenPad 7.0 for four days I found out:-
The PROS:
* Minimalistic yet posh design, with robust build.
* Decent primary/rear camera.
* Lack of excess bloatwares.
* Perfect ergonomics to receive voice calls like you'd do with a chunky phone.
* Clear display with good tactile response.
The CONS:
* Poor battery backup.
* Unexpected lags while moderate multitasking.
* Supplied micro-USB cum charging cable is too short for practical usage.
* Inbuilt speaker volume is clearly inadequate.
* Lack of an earphone in the box does hurt, especially when our tablet is multimedia focused.
VERDICT: Hold on buddy, just few pros and cons aren't sufficient to draw a decision. Moreover, I don't want to push my judgment into your prudent head! So, please bear with me and read the full review to decide for yourself if Asus has equipped ZenPad 7.0 Z370CG with enough mettle to challenge your new year android tablet hunt.
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Various shooting modes in ZenPad's stock camera App |
Cameras:
Ah I know, camera is not the primary lookout in a tablet. But what else could you expect from a photo-freak? Yes, it was due to its low light capable cameras I had gladly agreed to review the ZenPad 7.0 and you believe it or not, camera was the first thing I had explored after unboxing the device. ZenPad 7.0 Z370CG sports two PixelMaster cameras- a 8 MP rear camera with auto-focus and a 2 MP fixed-focus front camera. The rear camera has has 15 shooting modes (as you can see in the image above) whereas the front cam has 8. The auto-focus on ZenPad's rear cam takes its own sweet time to focus the object of our interest but, finally when it does it is seldom inaccurate.
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The 8 MP rear camera of ZenPad 7.0 focuses quite accurately and capable of producing bokeh! |
The camera could even focus close objects producing cool close-up shots (definitely not Macro) which many mobile phone cameras would surely struggle to capture. Shutter speeds in daylight and well lit indoor conditions are fast enough for a tablet's standard. But owing to its slow auto-focusing you won't be in a position to exploit the decent shutter speed. Using the "Depth of Field" mode you can get some good shots with fine bokeh effects. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that ZenPad's "Depth of Field" mode produced much better bokeh shots than those usual 18-55 mm kit lens of low end DSLRs!
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Shots in low light conditions are not bad at all. If you find it too noisy, just lower the ISO. |
Shots captured in low light were quite acceptable too which made me appreciate its lens with f/2.0 aperture and the vital role of PixelMaster technology. In low lighting conditions images are bound to come grainy (noise) and I would recommend you to try using a lower ISO value from the camera setting. Colors are little over saturated but that makes our images more vibrant. Details are moderately preserved but that can be graded 'good' when such details are obtained from a tablet camera. I had previously tested the camera capability of iPad Air and thus I can clearly make out how ZenPad rear camera fares better in low lights.
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Panorama shot clearly lacks in details. |
Panorama mode in ZenPad 7.0 is easy to use and the stock camera software does fine stitching. Unfortunately, it gives you very low resolution images which obviously means that our panorama photos would lack in details, making them fit for only social media sharing. If you have to ignore one single functionality in ZenPad's camera it should be nothing other than the 'HDR' mode. HDR mode is simply non functional and produces similar images like that of 'Auto' mode.
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My headless selfie is certainly over-processed! |
The 2 MP font shooter is not quarter as worthy as its rear counterpart. The front cam of ZenPad 7.0 opens default in 'Beautification' mode (which you can't even change to the normal 'Auto' mode) that kills image details aggressively in an attempt to smoothen the skin tone/contour. If you look at my selfie (albeit, beheaded) above, you'll see that all beard details are lost and color of the tee looks damn unnatural. People with too many dents or acne over their face might dig this front camera but others would hate seeing their mannequin-like skin. 140 degrees panorama mode of the selfie camera is a welcome addition though.
The rear camera (not the front one) can capture videos up to 1280 x 720 resolution (i.e. HD). Asus seemed too reluctant to endow any decent videography potential to this tablet. The test HD video shot in good lighting condition looked completely useless as if coming from an era when mobile phones had just started recording low quality videos (remember the 3gp format?). Liberal loss of visual details and sound details justified the minuscule file size of my 30 seconds HD recording!
Everything critical said about the photography unit of ZenPad 7.0, I must admit that there are only very few tablets available at this particular price point which have equally potent, if not better cameras.
Design:
At around 272 g, the 189 x 110.9 x 8.7 mm ZenPad 7.0 with its rounded corners is fairly easy on medium to large sized palms. Although I was eying for the Aurora metallic color variant, I was sent an Obsidian black piece. Nonetheless, my black ZenPad 7.0 with its leather-like textured back looks like a premium device. The shiny engraved brand name at back in landscape orientation syncs perfectly with its posh look (strictly speaking, only from the back). When viewed from front, ZenPad 7.0 looks simple like most other 7 inches tablet. You'll surely wonder what made Asus add such a thick bezel around the screen in a time (this is 2016 dude!) when every manufacture is trying hard to make gadgets slimmer and compact. Top bezel houses the front cam, speaker (cum earphone for voice calling) grill and various sensors while bottom is like a barren land wasted on a single logo. The 3.5 mm audio jack rests on the right top edge, microphone and microUSB at the bottom, and the most important two keys- power button and the volume rocker are located at right side of its polycarbonate frame. Somehow I couldn't like the placement of the above said buttons. They have been placed lower than where they best fit and consequently, the user of ZenPad 7.0 would surely end up pressing them accidentally now and then nurturing his own irritation. Although the battery of ZenPad 7.0 is non-removable, the back cover can still be opened to get access to its micro SIM slot (supports 3G) and the memory card slot (supports microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC cards up to 64 GB). Despite the provided dent at right bottom edge, opening the back cover tested real stamina of my nails and I had to use the handle of a spoon to lift it up. All in all, ZenPad 7.0 has got a classic design and robust build.
Display:
The ZenPad 7.0's modest 7 inch 1280 x 800 HD IPS display with a pixel density of 189 PPI is okay for media consumption but certainly not great. Asus True2Life and Asus TruVivid features which were supposed to enhance practicality, clarity and brightness seemed more like a manufacturer's vain gimmick. I'll tell you why. Whenever the "automatic brightness" is set, the screen looks quite dull and perhaps only suitable for text reading (unless you're in a dark room). For viewing photos and watching videos in normal indoor condition every time I had to drag the brightness level to its maximum so as not to miss the entertainment. Putting the blue light filter 'on' makes the screen look weird. Thankfully ZenPad's display has beautiful viewing angle from all four sides (178 degrees) and good tactile feedback. I could read a web-page under direct sunlight (keeping the screen brightness at maximum level though) without feeling the necessity to search for a shadow. In spite of its low pixel density and straight forward mediocrity I couldn't spot any pixelation throughout my movie viewing, reading and average zooming experiences. There is added protection of corning gorilla glass but being an apprehensive soul I'd rather put a screen guard over my ZenPad's display to further minimize the risk of getting scratched or traumatized.