NEW DELHI: Aakash 2 may not be anywhere in sight still, but Datawind, the company behind the government-promoted tablet, recently launched a sibling - Ubislate 7Ci. Placed in the sub-Rs 5,000 bracket, which is becoming increasingly competitive, the Ubislate 7Ci has a tough task at hand -bettering the competition and overcoming the hype around Aakash 2. For those interested in buying the budget tablet priced at Rs 3,500 in the market, we bring the review of Datawind Ubislate 7Ci budget tablet.
Specifications Running on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) out of the box, Ubislate 7Ci has a 7-inch HD screen with 800x480-pixel resolution and comes with 4GB internal memory (expandable via micrSD card of up to 32GB capacity). The tablet is powered by a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor with 512MB RAM and can access the internet over Wi-Fi as well as 3G dongle. However, it has no sim card slot for 2G and 3G internet connectivity, since Datawind has reserved that for Ubislate 7C+. Thankfully, Datawind provides a microUSB to USB adaptor with the Ubislate 7Ci, so that buyers can access internet via 3G dongle. There is no HDMI port, so you cannot enjoy content over the cloud or stored in the tablet on a larger screen.
Build quality We were not pleased by its build quality. But then, we did not expect much from a tablet costing Rs 3,500. The plastic used in building the body seems cheap and was easily scratched, even when we simply kept it on a table. So a cover is a must for any buyer.
Media consumption The screen, though it can smoothly play 1080p videos, does not offer much to those who want to watch videos and movies. The colours are washed out and do not offer the richness and details that say a rival like the Micromax Funbook boasts of. But then, with a price difference of Rs 2,500 between these two, the difference in quality of experience was bound to creep in. Another grouse we had was with the battery life, which lasted only for up to three hours when a video was playing the loop without Wi-Fi. However, on standby mode, it lasted over a day.
Talking about media consumption, we reiterate that the screen does not offer vibrant colours, but the sound quality is decent and videos can be easily played without any jarring. The stock video player of Android ICS was able to play full HD videos and YouTube videos at 1080p also played fluidly.
Interface Datawind did not put much energy into recreating the user interface of Ubislate 7Ci. The tablet has the stock Android ICS look and feel, along with the same widgets. However, the manufacturer did install a few of its own apps, including MangoReader, Krishi Ville, My Food Wizard, My Jobs, Kingsoft Office, Minesweeper, MP3 Recorder, MPE Notes and MPE Tasks, among others. We were unable to download ebooks from the two apps in the tablet, but other pre-installed apps worked well. Interestingly, the two ebook downloading apps kept shutting down on their own, though the error was not because of lack of RAM, which is usually the case. This indicates that Datawind may have to rework these two novelty apps to find the issue with them.
Camera We made video calls over Wi-Fi via an app installed from Google Play marketplace and the results were great. The 0.3MP front camera can record videos without any problems, despite its low resolution, and will be suitable for any user. It also doubles as the primary camera of the tablet since there is no rear camera, and the stock camera app has all the basic functionalities, but nothing exceptional to talk about. Buyers should remember that Ubislate 7Ci does not have LED flash with the camera, so they will have to remain in environs with good lighting conditions if they want to use it as their main imaging gadget.
Our take Datawind Ubislate 7Ci, a sibling of the much-hyped Aakash 2, is a decent device for those who want a budget tablet for basic usage. Its price tag of Rs 3,500 is justified considering its overall user experience and quality of material. There was no lag whatsoever while using the tablet, which came as quite a surprise to us, and videos in various formats played perfectly. So movie enthusiasts would be happy with Ubislate 7Ci, provided they can accept the washed out colours of the screen. The lack of 2G and 3G connectivity via SIM card is another issue, but buyers can rather update to Ubislate 7C+ for that.
Datawind is offering buyers of Ubislate 7Ri, which has resistive screen, the chance to upgrade to Ubislate 7Ci, which sports a capacity screen for an additional Rs 500. This seems to be a good trade-off as the experience of capacitive screens is much better than that of resistive screens, which are already nearing extinction. Moreover, it is also a better proposition than the competitor, BSNL Penta T-Pad IS701R, which also has similar configuration, but comes with a resistive screen.
Last words If you are fed up with the eternal wait for Aakash 2 and want to buy a tablet at Rs 3,500, then Datawind 7Ci is the way to go. Though it is no Google Nexus 7, it offers all the functionalities of a mobile computing device and seems to perform all the functions without any glitches. If you are prepared to compromise with internet connectivity on-the-go and washed out colours of the screen while playing media, you have a potent Android 4.0 tablet in your hands.
Specifications Running on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) out of the box, Ubislate 7Ci has a 7-inch HD screen with 800x480-pixel resolution and comes with 4GB internal memory (expandable via micrSD card of up to 32GB capacity). The tablet is powered by a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor with 512MB RAM and can access the internet over Wi-Fi as well as 3G dongle. However, it has no sim card slot for 2G and 3G internet connectivity, since Datawind has reserved that for Ubislate 7C+. Thankfully, Datawind provides a microUSB to USB adaptor with the Ubislate 7Ci, so that buyers can access internet via 3G dongle. There is no HDMI port, so you cannot enjoy content over the cloud or stored in the tablet on a larger screen.
Build quality We were not pleased by its build quality. But then, we did not expect much from a tablet costing Rs 3,500. The plastic used in building the body seems cheap and was easily scratched, even when we simply kept it on a table. So a cover is a must for any buyer.
Media consumption The screen, though it can smoothly play 1080p videos, does not offer much to those who want to watch videos and movies. The colours are washed out and do not offer the richness and details that say a rival like the Micromax Funbook boasts of. But then, with a price difference of Rs 2,500 between these two, the difference in quality of experience was bound to creep in. Another grouse we had was with the battery life, which lasted only for up to three hours when a video was playing the loop without Wi-Fi. However, on standby mode, it lasted over a day.
Talking about media consumption, we reiterate that the screen does not offer vibrant colours, but the sound quality is decent and videos can be easily played without any jarring. The stock video player of Android ICS was able to play full HD videos and YouTube videos at 1080p also played fluidly.
Interface Datawind did not put much energy into recreating the user interface of Ubislate 7Ci. The tablet has the stock Android ICS look and feel, along with the same widgets. However, the manufacturer did install a few of its own apps, including MangoReader, Krishi Ville, My Food Wizard, My Jobs, Kingsoft Office, Minesweeper, MP3 Recorder, MPE Notes and MPE Tasks, among others. We were unable to download ebooks from the two apps in the tablet, but other pre-installed apps worked well. Interestingly, the two ebook downloading apps kept shutting down on their own, though the error was not because of lack of RAM, which is usually the case. This indicates that Datawind may have to rework these two novelty apps to find the issue with them.
Camera We made video calls over Wi-Fi via an app installed from Google Play marketplace and the results were great. The 0.3MP front camera can record videos without any problems, despite its low resolution, and will be suitable for any user. It also doubles as the primary camera of the tablet since there is no rear camera, and the stock camera app has all the basic functionalities, but nothing exceptional to talk about. Buyers should remember that Ubislate 7Ci does not have LED flash with the camera, so they will have to remain in environs with good lighting conditions if they want to use it as their main imaging gadget.
Our take Datawind Ubislate 7Ci, a sibling of the much-hyped Aakash 2, is a decent device for those who want a budget tablet for basic usage. Its price tag of Rs 3,500 is justified considering its overall user experience and quality of material. There was no lag whatsoever while using the tablet, which came as quite a surprise to us, and videos in various formats played perfectly. So movie enthusiasts would be happy with Ubislate 7Ci, provided they can accept the washed out colours of the screen. The lack of 2G and 3G connectivity via SIM card is another issue, but buyers can rather update to Ubislate 7C+ for that.
Datawind is offering buyers of Ubislate 7Ri, which has resistive screen, the chance to upgrade to Ubislate 7Ci, which sports a capacity screen for an additional Rs 500. This seems to be a good trade-off as the experience of capacitive screens is much better than that of resistive screens, which are already nearing extinction. Moreover, it is also a better proposition than the competitor, BSNL Penta T-Pad IS701R, which also has similar configuration, but comes with a resistive screen.
Last words If you are fed up with the eternal wait for Aakash 2 and want to buy a tablet at Rs 3,500, then Datawind 7Ci is the way to go. Though it is no Google Nexus 7, it offers all the functionalities of a mobile computing device and seems to perform all the functions without any glitches. If you are prepared to compromise with internet connectivity on-the-go and washed out colours of the screen while playing media, you have a potent Android 4.0 tablet in your hands.
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