Tablet ASUS Fonepad 8: review, description, specifications and reviews

Asus is known for its quality and affordable tablet computers. They combine functionality, efficiency, reasonable price and other positive qualities, due to which the technology from this manufacturer has gained so wide popularity.

The object of today's review will be one of the company's products - the gadget Asus Fonepad 8. This is a fairly well-sold device, presented in two versions. Each of them is distinguished by its short index consisting of numbers and letters, but from the point of view of technical parameters and the appearance of the device are identical. In the review, we will describe in parallel both the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CXG and the FE380CG.

The positioning and cost of the gadget

The tablet was released in 2014, and since then, of course, it can already be considered obsolete. At least, in the line of devices from Asus it is not represented in all stores at all - the ZenPad models have replaced them. And there, where sales continue, the device costs about 15-16 thousand rubles (about 250 dollars). Thus, we are talking about a budget tablet from a well-known manufacturer, equipped at a sufficiently strong level.

For more information on the features and features of the Asus Fonepad 8, read on. But, of course, in this case it is necessary to take into account what kind of niche (in the price segment) in the market was taken by the manufacturers for this device.

Complete the tablet

The review has traditionally begun with what comes with the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG. This is important, because the buyer must understand at what level the device is equipped, what is missing in it, and that in general a person sees a box opening with his new gadget.

So, with the packaging from Asus everything is very simple. Above the device is located, and on the bottom row, directly below it, there is a section with a charging adapter consisting of a cord and an adapter for a socket. Thus, the headset and various accessories for working with the Asus Fonepad 8 (a cover or a film for example) will have to be bought separately. This can be done both in official, "white" hardware stores, and at some Chinese auctions - this is already decided by the buyer.

Appearance

The second indicator is the design itself. If you believe the technical description, then the model can be found in white, black, blue, red and golden colors. Obviously, such a set makes it possible to choose the device to your liking.

Attractive in the front of the tablet are the thin frame around the display. By their area they occupy only about 17% of the total device. Also worth noting is the small thickness of the whole tablet - about 8.9 millimeters.

The material from which the Asus Fonepad 8 tablet is made is no different - it is a plastic with a shallow texture. Thanks to it, the device is comfortable in the hand, which gives pleasure. The navigation keys are traditionally located on the right side surface, on the left one there is a stub, under which the "Simok" slots are hidden (there are two of them in the Fonepad 8) and a slot for installing the memory card.

The charging port is located at the top of the gadget - next to it is a 3.5 mm headphone jack. This arrangement of all systems allows you to handle the device as it is convenient for the owner - to keep it in a horizontal or vertical orientation, with one or two hands. Also, while we tested our Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG, we saw a reduced weight of the device (in the specifications it is mentioned about 328 grams).

Display

The device is an 8-inch tablet with a resolution of 800 by 1280 pixels. It is based, of course, on the widespread IPS technology among mobile devices, which makes the image on it sufficiently bright and clear for operation in any conditions. The picture quality is average - the tablet has a density of 189 pixels per inch, which makes the grain noticeable when viewing HD video. In sunlight, for maximum comfort, you need to set the maximum brightness.

Also, as described in the characteristics of the Asus Fonepad 8, the tablet screen has a special oleophobic coating, significantly reducing the number of fingerprints when used. This is convenient, because gadgets without it really work hard.

CPU

In terms of "dry" characteristics, the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG tablet does not have the strongest processor that was available on the market at that time. It's about the Intel Atom Z3530, running on four cores and giving a clock speed at 1.33 GHz. This is less than Qualcomm's tablets can do, but you will not notice it at the household level with the device - all colorful games go on the device without any hiccups. To explain this can only be a lot of work done on the product developers.

As shown by the dedicated Asus Fonepad 8 reviews, the tablet can get very hot in the upper left side of the case. That's where the processor was placed.

operating system

Since the tablet's release date to the world is 2014, the original Android 4.4.2 OS was initially installed here. In addition to it, the Asus Fonepad 8 has a special ZenUI shell with an exclusive interface. Based on the results of various reviews and tests, it is recognized as one of the best devices designed for this category. At least that's the way to say, based on the colorful design and high-speed response of the platform to the user's commands.

Now, most likely, the version of this shell is also released for the fifth generation Android OS.

Battery

An important indicator in the operation of any mobile device is a battery. It determines how long the gadget will be able to function without additional charging.

Asus Fonepad 8 (3G) is quite autonomous. In technical parameters, a battery with a capacity of 3950 mAh is declared, which is an average for an 8-inch tablet. If you use the device at least 1-2 hours a day (in active mode), it will last for 3 days. Reviews indicate that in standby mode, the device can use up to 10% charge per night. In general, there are no claims to autonomy, since compact tablet dimensions and optimized economical charge consumption make it possible to talk about such low energy consumption.

Connectivity

The tablet provides for the use of 2 SIM cards - this we already reported above. There is also a module for data exchange in GSM format that allows you to talk on mobile communication. True, the organization of the maps is such that the tablet can not simultaneously support the activity of both SIMs at once. When you turn on one, the second is outside the access zone.

In addition to GSM, Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16GB) supports Bluetooth (for transferring files to other devices and receiving them), GPS (navigation using a satellite signal). For work with mobile Internet there is support for 3G / LTE. Also, to interact with a wireless fixed Internet connection, the Asus Fonepad 8 has a Wi-Fi module. Thus, the gadget is fully "charged" with technological capabilities to work online.

Camera

Already, according to the classical scheme, two cameras are installed on the tablet - the front camera (with a resolution of 2 megapixels) and the main camera (at 5 megapixels). The main one has the ability to take pictures with a resolution of 2592 by 1944 pixels using the technology of autofocus. There is also a certain function PixelMaster, supposedly making the shooting much better.

In their recommendations, customers talk about different modes of the camera, which include panoramic shooting, frame by frame, "improving the portrait", HDR and others. Moreover, in addition to selecting the mode, the user is given the opportunity to carry out various settings (brightness, saturation, balance of colors) that can make the photo better. The user is available a four-fold increase, in which both text and an object with small details remain visible.

Memory

Originally available in the Asus Fonepad 8 16Gb memory, of which the system files are about 5.2 GB; The rest is available for download. However, this is not all - the tablet's capabilities are wider due to the memory card slot. As the testimonies testify, there are no problems with 64 GB cards, while some 128 gigabytes can cause unstable operation of the tablet. Therefore, we recommend not using them.

Multimedia

Video and audio can be played using a standard player from Asus, which has enough settings for better display. If you study the reviews left on the audio capabilities of the device, you can conclude that the sound quality here is high - as in the case of playback in headphones, and when working with an external speaker. The only drawback, perhaps, you can call a low volume - but it's not so significant and does not interfere with enjoying your favorite tracks.

Video files download without any problems; The only thing - files with audio track in DTS format or AC3 can be played back with a problem that can be solved only by installing an additional player with its own set of tools. Even during the review it was found out that it is also not easy to reproduce the video in 2K format.

User feedback on the tablet

We managed to find a lot of information on our tablet. Users who use Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CXG, told a lot about their devices. For example, many people say that for the basic tasks (viewing mail, reading books, surfing the Internet or working with video), the best device can not be found due to its compactness, availability and functionality. Other users insist that the tablet has a lot of flaws, including hindered work, various errors and application failures, a low-quality camera. There are also a large number of recommendations, which indicate a low autonomy of the gadget.

Thus, it is very difficult to single out a category of reviews here, since a lot of information is left on the tablet. In turn, all of it is based on purely individual assessments of the capabilities of the computer, and this is already a subjective matter. Let's give an example: someone will call the opportunity to work 6 hours on one charge as an advantage, whereas for another it is a significant drawback. Again, it all depends on what is required from Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16Gb) and what to expect when buying it.

disadvantages

Since we have already described the positive properties of the device, in its technical parameters, in this section we will list some of its negative features that we managed to find in the reviews.

So, some devices in their work show an excessive load of RAM. This leads to the fact that the system begins to hang strongly, and the processor - to heat up. Running any other applications in this case is very difficult. Perhaps, the failure is caused by some error of the system software (since the same 2 GB of RAM "to score" is not easy). Solve the problem, according to reviews, helps reboot.

Another drawback is the "crash" of some applications. About this, users report that when working with various programs on the tablet, an error may occur, which results in a sudden transition to the device's main page. The processes that took place in the program are not saved. What causes this kind of error is difficult to say. Some people say that, perhaps, the whole thing is in the loaded RAM, which must be periodically cleaned. For this purpose, the standard "cleanser" programs that are available on Google Play are suitable.

Also, as another flaw, users note the squeaking of the case. To correct this deficiency, most likely, it will not work, because the reason for it is incorrect assembly of the device. However, the course of the panels is not very noticeable - it can be detected only if you press on the upper edge of the case. The problem is not so serious, it's just unpleasant that the developers are not thoughtful enough about this issue.

Conclusion

To tell about Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16Gb), as well as about any other device, it is possible a lot. We brought only the main technical characteristics, which can describe only part of what the gadget is capable of. In fact, the information about him is much more, just to place it all in one article is unrealistic.

As for the shortcomings with which the tablet is endowed, you can learn about them only after you take it into your own hands and work independently for at least a few days. Only in this way the user can determine how comfortable this or that device seems to be. All the rest are subjective points of view of other people who do not always coincide.

For example, while we were preparing this review, we still managed to meet negative feedback, such as the "Asus logo is placed on the front screen" or "ugly ZenUI icons". It is obvious that someone can inscribe the inscription, but someone will not even pay any attention to this trifle; The same applies to the shell graphics. If you buy this or that tablet - accept it as it is, or take another.

And as for Fonepad 8, it's a budget device with a lot of features, which can become a reliable assistant if you are satisfied with its parameters. And the positive qualities and shortcomings of the apparatus can be judged only on the basis of one's own point of view.