Best Products of 2012: Budget Tablets

Zync Z990

Powered by 1.2 GHz processor with 1GB RAM and Android 4 ICS, Zync Z990 is an impressive 7 inch budget tablet with capacitive display and costs just Rs.8,990. It has Wi-Fi support and can work with 3G USB dongles as well via its USB 2.0 port. Also, it has a 3.5 mm audio jack, a mini HDMI out and mini USB. The VGA camera at the front provides decent quality images but make sure there is enough light when you are chatting. Weighing at 380gm, this tablet has a solid battery life. Google Play is there but we faced problems while installing applications, since there are not many applications compatible with ICS.

Bottom-line: With 1 GB RAM and the latest Android OS this tablet is a good choice for tablets under Rs 10,000.

Zync Z919

The Z919 weighs 380 gms with good build quality which makes it easy for portable usage. The one glaring let down for the tablet is the fact that it still uses a 7-inch TFT resistive touchscreen which simply does not stand up to the capacitive-touch displays. Z919 also has 4 GB internal storage and 512 MB RAM. The tablet uses Android 2.3 Gingerbread which responds well to the capacitive display and the resistive touch may again prove to be a hindrance for the same. The tablet comes at an astonishing price but the outdated resistive display shows how the vendor had to compromise one one fronts to bolster another.

Bottom-line: A well spec'd tablet that's good overall except for the outdated resistive display.

BSNL Penta T-Pad WS802C

In collaboration with Pantel Tech, BSNL has launched the T-Pad WS802C at a price of about Rs 14,000. The tablet gets its power from 1 GHz Cortex-A8 processor and 512 MB DDR3 RAM. It comes preloaded with Android 4.0 and is supported by 4 GB internal memory and lasts 6-7 hours after a full charge. The display is an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen with a maximum resolution of 800x600p and aspect ratio of 4:3, which makes for a good image & picture quality. Connectivity options include USB, 3G, Bluetooth, WiFi and HDMI. Front and Rear cameras of 0.3 MP and 2 MP are decent enough for video calling and clicking photos.

Bottom-line: An excellent tablet with a judicious mix of performance and features. Incidentally, we've also reviewed the Penta T-Pad has a cheaper version, costing just Rs. 4,999. We've reviewed that separately in a special feature on budget tablets carried elsewhere in this issue.

Milagrow TabTop 7.4

The TabTop 7.4 is a sturdy 7 inch tablet that runs on Android 4.0 and weighs around 360 gm. The display is different from other 7 inch tablets in its aspect ratio of 4:3. It supports dual-screen via the HDMI port. It supports video playback of 2160p and also external hard disks of up to 500GB. Touch response on the screen is very smooth and you can zoom to greater levels. There are additional features like built in face detection and 55 different preloaded apps. Battery is 4000mAh which can last for more than 10 hours.

Bottom-line: An excellent tablet with loads of features. Also, one of the slimmer tablets with 55 preloaded apps.