From a consumer’s point of view, a tech company’s sole goal is to sell the latest, baddest, top-of-the-line, you-can’t-beat-our-package gadget. While true most of the time, most companies also continue to produce low-spec, low-cost gizmos because not everyone has an extra P20,000-P30,000 to burn for a smartphone or tablet. Actually, there are still more budget conscious buyers (reality bites hard) than the iPad-totting crowd. And because of that, we now have with us the Skyworth X7010, who’s trying to become the go-to tablet of the regular Juan. Does it have what it takes?
For a tablet costing less than P7,000, the X7010 is a bit fatter than most tablets its size, but the build quality is quite good. It has a matte-back finish that doesn’t pick up a lot of fingerprints, a relatively bright screen and the chassis doesn’t flex or bend.
The X7010 has a Cortex A9 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and the still-relatively-new Android 4.2. It has 8GB on-board memory, but it has a card slot that can accommodate up to 32GB memory cards. In daily operation, the X7010 is certainly better than the majority of tablets at this price point. Don’t expect iPad-like smoothness when going through menus, but you won’t also be left waiting the same time it takes you to process your Meralco bills.
Full-on multi-tasking aside, its performance is certainly decent, and one can accomplish quite a lot if you know how to manage your usage. Apps outside of processor-intensive games (e.g. Infinity Blade) or productivity suites run fine. The screen is functional and responsive and it also supports 1080p HD clips, great for watching movies.
The X7010 also got you covered on the connectivity front. The basics like WiFi and Bluetooth are present, and while there’s no cellular-version, you can have 3G via a dongle. And aside from the USB port, it has (surprisingly) an HDMI port. Apparently, Skyworth thinks that while you may not like (or not be able) to buy a more expensive tablet, you might have a HD TV or monitor lying around your house. Whatever the reason for its inclusion (who knows, you might have cool friends,) an HDMI port is always a very welcome addition. Oh, and before I forget, it has a 0.3-megapixel front camera and 2-megapixel back shooter.
So, is the X7010 the one to get if you’re on a tight budget? If you need a gadget that will allow you to watch movies on, browse the internet, play games, send emails, social media activities and edit some simple Word documents on, the X7010 is definitely a tablet you must consider.
Tablets with quite a number of features and performs decently for the price of two hotel meals don’t come along often, so better grab it while you can.
