Here’s a name you probably never thought you’d come across in the 7-inch tablet market: Huawei. As it continues its uphill battle in the world of smartphones, the Chinese company is also trying to get a piece of the low-cost tablet pie. This is essentially what it’s trying to do with the Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite. How does it compare with the competition?
Currently, there are close to a dozen different mainstream models available in the 7-inch tablet category. And then there are the hundreds of different small form factor tablets from white box manufacturers that hail mostly from China. Huawei sets its MediaPad 7 Lite apart by adding not just the typical set of wireless connectivity options—Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS—but also built-in 3G connectivity. It can be used as a phone with any working SIM card. The only caveat here is that you need to use either the loudspeaker or headphones during calls because it doesn’t have an earpiece.
Other than that, the specs seem normal, albeit quite unimpressive. To keep costs low, it uses a single core CPU, comes with only 8GB of internal storage, and has a rather weak 4,100mAh battery—it can only last for around 4-5 hours per charge. In addition, its IPS screen’s native resolution is only 1024x600 pixels, and the built-in camera performance leaves a lot to be desired.
With all of that said, all this might still be excused, had it not been for the launch of the Google Nexus 7. But with the existence of much better options at more affordable prices, we think buying the MediaPad 7 Lite makes little sense.
Need to Know: Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite
1. Built-in 3G connectivity enables users to make phone calls. (The Good)
2. Uses a unibody design. (The Good)
3. Expensive despite having not-so-impressive specs. (The Bad)
4. Short battery life. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Agent Naish, Geek SquadIf you're looking for a functional tablet that doesn't break the bank, the Mediapad 7 Lite won't disappoint. However, the lower price tag does mean less power, and may cause problems if speed is your goal.
- Leigh Geary, CoolsmartphoneInside this tablet you’ll find Google Books. This, plus a few apps, is about as much as this particular tablet can do. The 1GHz CPU really struggles with browsing especially. I found that nearly every website I went to struggled to render in any sort of acceptable time. Good looks, great...
- Nilabh Jha, The Mobile IndianThe tablet is not performance-oriented as the name suggests, but somehow it fails to deliver on even our reduced expectations with a very laggy show. It does have very good build quality and is on offer at a reasonable price. Even with the kind of performance it does deliver you get a good device fo...
- Simon Walker, AndroidSPINSo we still don’t know when this is launching or how much it will cost. Whatever they do, I would stay clear of this device at all costs. There are far better choices in the 7 inch tablet world and Huawei is late to the party. Not only are they late, but they have released a device that feels...
- Dan Evans, Android AuthorityThe MediaPad 7 Lite is a mixed bag. The tablet has a solid build, is able to withstand mishandling and being put ungracefully on various surfaces, and produces loud sound for movies and videos. Performance, however, is not very smooth; HD games are stuttering on this tablet and buffering is choppy....
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