ASUS MeMo Pad HD 7 Review: A Finances Pill That Punches Above Its Weight

To some extent, ASUS is a victim of its own success: it gave the price range tablet category a lift with the original Nexus 7, and it now faces a legion of competitors in that area. The corporate is taking a two-step method to maintaining its relevance. The new Nexus 7 tackles the higher end, with prime-tier specs that embody a 1080p display and wireless charging. Right now, although, we're more curious about ASUS' low-finish solution, the MeMo Pad HD 7. While it is one of many cheaper title-model tablets at $150, it promises some of the standard we typically expect from more expensive merchandise. But is the HD 7 good enough to fend off other entry-degree tablets? And can it entice clients who'd be keen to pay the premium for a new Nexus 7'? Despite its name, the MeMo Pad HD 7 bears little in frequent with the older 7-inch MeMo Pad. The nondescript black front and curvy profile are familiar, but ASUS has changed the textured backing with a easy floor that is either matte on the darkish blue model, or glossy on the inexperienced, pink and white variations. Consider getting the HD 7 in white if you would like to maintain it pretty -- the back is liable to showing fingerprints and different smudges. ASUS' construct high quality is fairly stable too, though some slight creaking under pressure is sufficient to remind us this is an entry-level product we're coping with. The HD 7 is comfy to hold, with loads of grip and a average weight of 10.7 ounces (303.3g). It is also a compact system at 7.7 inches tall and 4.7 inches vast. That stated, its 0.43-inch thickness makes it as chunky because the outdated Nexus 7 or the Hisense Sero 7 Pro. A more in-depth inspection reveals some conspicuous enhancements to the MeMo Pad method. The 1.2-megapixel front digital camera and left-aspect microSDHC slot stay in mostly familiar places, but there's now a barely protruding 5-megapixel digicam (albeit with out a flash) on the again. ASUS has replaced the small mono speaker with a bigger stereo unit. Curiously, ASUS has moved the micro-USB port from the bottom to the highest, subsequent to the headphone jack and microphone; accessories made for the sooner MeMo Pad could not work here. You need to discover a primary stand in the box, although. We're not big followers of the buttons. Like its sibling, the MeMo Pad HD 7 places the facility button and volume rocker on a back corner. They're simple to reach, but they're both hidden from sight and practically flat, making them arduous to determine by feel. Even now, we still sometimes have to double-verify what we're about to press to keep away from inadvertently placing the tablet to sleep. You additionally will not discover many luxuries past those we have already talked about so far. The HD 7 covers primary wireless with twin-band 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.Zero LE, however there is no NFC. There's also no hardware-based mostly video out, whether or not through HDMI (as on the Sero 7 Pro), MHL or SlimPort. ASUS does supply Miracast wireless display support as a consolation prize, nonetheless, so these with suitably trendy TVs can skip the wires altogether. Like the earlier MeMo Pad, there's 16GB of built-in storage within the US mannequin, 11.8GB of which is usable. When tablet designers need to cut corners, show quality is steadily the first to go. Exhibit A: the lackluster display screen on the HP Slate 7. Thankfully, the MeMo Pad HD 7 does not fall into that trap. ASUS is utilizing an IPS 1,280 x 800 LCD that produces accurate colors and very large viewing angles. The panel is even brilliant enough to make use of outdoors in some situations. There's no question that we'd discover the Nexus 7's larger resolution in a direct comparison, but the HD 7's display is greater than crisp enough for books, video games and motion pictures. There are a couple of quirks. Black levels aren't superb; you're more likely to see darkish grey than black in poorer lighting. The front glass can also be glossier than we're used to, which did not help our makes an attempt to learn near a window, or exterior on a sunny day. Even so, the HD 7's screen does not feel like a significant compromise. Sound from the tablet is not quite so impressive. The speakers are loud and largely distortion-free at high volumes, but their bass output won't compete with HTC's BoomSound. Furthermore, having each speakers so close to one another negates the benefits of stereo separation; you will not hear panning results or the virtual surround sound of the Nexus 7. It is easy to partly obscure the speakers in the middle of an enthusiastic gameplay session, for that matter. We'll nonetheless take the HD 7 over opponents with single-channel sound. It just seems like a missed opportunity, significantly when the Nexus 7's audio is so effectively executed. The MeMo Pad HD 7 faces a direct problem on the software entrance. It is delivery with Android 4.2.1 at the very moment that one other ASUS tablet -- you guessed it, the Nexus 7 -- is launching with Android 4.3. While the brand new OS does not characterize a night-and-day expertise, it does provide perks like visitor profiles, better OS-stage Bluetooth assist and modular DRM that enables for 1080p Netflix streaming. Not that we thoughts much. The brand new MeMo Pad largely echoes the PadFone Infinity's delicate steadiness between inventory Android and helpful customizations. Google's minimalist interface persists in the house screen, app tray and multitasking, but there's quite a few helpful ASUS-made features hiding just underneath the floor. The notification bar contains a quick Settings part to vary show brightness, wireless options and different fundamentals. Long-press the home button and you'll get shortcuts to each core features and favorite apps. Pinch the home screen and there's access to dwelling display profiles. ASUS additionally has one of the better mini-app implementations we have seen; it reserves a devoted navigation key for entry to tiny instruments like a browser, calendar and video player. The HD 7's software program is not fairly a one-for-one copy of what we noticed in the PadFone, nonetheless. Hardware-specific options like Dynamic Show are gone, as you'd imagine, but we additionally seen that Google Now's voice search has changed the sub-par ASUS Echo. Enhancements are few, and principally come from the Android 4.2 refresh. Miracast sharing and lock display widgets are Google's accountability; ASUS, in the meantime, introduces each a wallpaper settings shortcut within the lock screen in addition to the option to make use of Google's stock notification bar. Some 4.2 features are sadly missing, akin to Photo Sphere or Swype-inspired typing. All the same, we're happy with the new MeMo Pad's interface, which comes across because the delicate refinement of a successful system. Out of the field, the US variant of the HD 7 carries a mostly familiar first-occasion app structure. Among the many extra practical tools, AudioWizard and ASUS Splendid let customers customise their sound and video profiles; ASUS Studio and ASUS Story manage photographs and create photograph collages; ASUS Artist provides basic drawing; MyLibrary gives a house for generic e-books; AppBackup and AppLocker keep app data protected and secure; ASUS To-Do, MyBitCast and SuperNote convey each reminders and media-enhanced notes. They're straightforward to use and helpful in the correct situations, though we solely seldomly had use for them ourselves. Now we have mixed thoughts on BuddyBuzz and ASUS WebStorage, though. BuddyBuzz's social network aggregation is more dependable than the last time we tried it, however it still has less performance than the dedicated apps for each service. Our US test unit additionally preserves help for companies which can be more in style in China, comparable to Plurk, Renren and Sina Weibo. As for ASUS WebStorage? We like the service's free cloud space (16GB for one year, 5GB after), backup features and collaborative Workplace editing -- it is simply nothing special.  click here  like Google Drive and SkyDrive offer similar cloud performance without being tied to one hardware vendor. There are a few apps that have not made the cut within the American model of the HD 7. It lacks the beforehand mentioned ASUS Echo as well as Birthday Reminder, PinPal (another social networking aggregator) and Watch Calendar. ASUS indirectly compensates for these titles' absences by throwing in DRM support for primarily US-oriented streaming video providers equivalent to HBO Go, Hulu Plus and Netflix. Mixed with the included Amazon Kindle and Zinio apps, there's sufficient to get homeowners began with out overwhelming them or chewing up a lot free house. MeMo Pad HD 7 does not do a lot to enhance their fame. Just like the Nexus 7, the 5-megapixel, f/2.Four rear digital camera can produce sharp photos with vivid colours, however provided that all of the stars align; you'll need fairly bright light, a low-contrast background and a slow-moving subject. Life only typically supplies those circumstances, in fact, and most of our images fall wanting those from cameras on premium-priced tablets, just like the Galaxy Word 8.0 or iPad mini. We most frequently seen the poor dynamic vary, as the MeMo Pad tends to blow out highlights (akin to brilliant skies) and doesn't extract much element from shadows. The pill has a tendency to clean out colours in these situations, too. While there may be autofocus, it often misses a distinguished subject and requires a tap to get a correct lock. Moderately quick subjects tend to blur. And you may wish to rule out low-gentle images generally: photographs are noisy, and there's no flash (like on the Sero 7 Professional) to bail you out. We did get some good pictures, primarily up-shut, however it's clear that the rear camera is more a bonus than a promoting level. The entrance 1.2-megapixel, f/2.Four digicam faces comparable problems, though it is more forgivable given the lower standard for front cams. It's only actually current for the sake of video chats and the occasional selfie, and it does an ample job so long as you're not making an attempt to host Google Hangouts at the hours of darkness. ASUS' camera software program partly compensates for the lackluster output. The shot-to-shot instances are comparatively fast in good lighting, and it is potential to shoot nonetheless pictures whereas capturing video. While customization is essentially limited to basics like exposure, ISO sensitivity and white stability, it's easy to find and alter these settings on the fly. Our chief gripe is with the relatively crude approaches to particular features: the high dynamic range mode overcompensates for dark subjects and produces a "burnt" look, whereas panoramas can seem slightly jagged. If there's a strong level to the pill's camera system, it is video. Recognized image high quality points apart, the HD 7 captures 1080p video at a 18Mbps bitrate -- much greater than the Nexus 7's 12Mbps, and sufficient to provide sharp footage worthy of the "HD" label. You do have to look at how rapidly you pan the camera, though. The wobble of the rolling shutter impact is visible if you spin the digital camera too quickly, and the HD 7 doesn't always refocus properly when subject distances change. Let's get the plain comparison out of the best way: the MeMo Pad HD 7's quad-core, 1.2GHz MediaTek MT8125 processor is no match for the 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Professional in the Nexus 7. Paying additional for Google's official tablet gets you much better efficiency across the board, especially in internet searching and graphics. Though some would lump each units into the entry-degree class, they're ultimately in numerous leagues. So how does the HD 7 fare towards its extra direct opponents, then? That's a harder call.  locks  than the twin-core Slate 7 in most respects, but it is sometimes outpaced by Tegra 3-based mostly tablets just like the Sero 7 Pro. Get a load of that searching performance within the SunSpider take a look at, although: whether or not we used Chrome or the plain Browser app, the new MeMo Pad was noticeably quicker than equally priced challengers. There weren't vital efficiency points generally use, both. Though we caught the very occasional stutter throughout an interface transition, the system didn't really feel overburdened, even when running mini-apps alongside their full-size siblings. Simply don't decide up the MeMo Pad if you are a gamer. Its variant on Imagination Applied sciences' PowerVR SGX544MP graphics is not up to snuff for the latest 3D titles. Whereas an older sport like Riptide GP runs easily, trendy releases like Actual Racing three barely obtain playable frame rates. Though we weren't expecting a visible powerhouse, it is clear that the equally priced Sero 7 Pro is a better choose if you're prepared to make just a few sacrifices for some further 3D prowess. ASUS makes up for that deficiency by way of battery life. The company estimates 10 hours of runtime from the MeMo Pad HD 7's 15Wh battery, and indeed, our unit was virtually exactly on target. Our battery rundown check, which involves looping a 1080p video with the brightness set to 50 p.c, ran for nine hours and fifty six minutes. That is longer than every small pill we have tried wanting the iPad mini. It's also far forward of the brand new Nexus 7, but there is a essential disclaimer right here: the Nexus has a decidedly brighter LCD, so it may be using extra backlight vitality at the identical setting. Suffice to say that the true-world longevity is not less than pretty much as good. We managed a full day of intensive use that included browsing, social networking, snapping a number of dozen pictures and recording five quick motion pictures. Much less demanding homeowners can get away with nearer to a day and a half of frequent use, and we suspect that once-a-day customers may go every week between top-ups. It's just as properly that the MeMo Pad lasts so lengthy, because it takes 4 hours to recharge from empty. We said earlier that the MeMo Pad HD 7 and Nexus 7 don't really exist in the identical class, but we also know that some customers will invariably evaluate the two. And we'll be honest: if you possibly can afford the $230-plus for the Nexus 7, you may doubtless be happier with that in the long term. It is quicker, carries an distinctive show, runs Android 4.Three and has choices for both 32GB of built-in storage and LTE. Its software program upgrade strategy will also attraction to some. As a Nexus gadget, it is prone to get updates both sooner and throughout a longer period of time. Despite ASUS' good fame for upgrading its non-Nexus gadgets in a timely fashion, there's little doubt that Google's flagship will get those updates first. The MeMo Pad does not simply have a value advantage: each microSD storage and software program customizations work in its favor. It's not a clear-lower victory for the Nexus, mind you. The MeMo Pad would not just have a price benefit: each microSD storage and software customizations work in its favor. If you usually swap memory cards or want ASUS' modifications to Android, there is not any direct substitute for these options. The cheaper tablet even outperforms its counterpart in video recording, although we wouldn't purchase it solely for that cause. There's also the question of the return on funding. If you do not plan to do more than learn e-books, test Fb or watch the occasional YouTube video, the Nexus 7 may be overkill. As you could have gathered from the overview up to now, we see the $a hundred and fifty Sero 7 Professional as probably the most directly comparable opponent. Hisense ships it with a paltry 8GB of built-in capacity, however it's otherwise a robust contender between its quicker graphics and the inclusion of perks like HDMI, microSD growth and a digicam flash. Those that would favor to get nearer to stock Android will even get their repair right here. If you are not large on gaming, though, the MeMo Pad is arguably the better buy with its increased storage and longer battery life. If anyone walks out of this fight with a black eye, it's HP and Samsung. The Slate 7 is a tad cheaper at $140, but it's to this point behind on display high quality, performance and storage that we can't truthfully suggest it. Meanwhile, the $200 Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is solely too expensive. You'd need to be a devoted fan of Samsung's TouchWiz interface to select the Galaxy Tab over the cheaper, extra highly effective MeMo Pad. New Nexus 7 vs. Make no mistake: ASUS is not working miracles. The MeMo Pad HD 7's blended performance, mediocre cameras and minor design points remind us that the tablet is constructed to succeed in a sure worth level. If you are searching for the best that ASUS has to supply this year, you'll still want to think about the Nexus 7 or watch for the Transformer Pad Infinity. Still, we can't assist however suppose that the corporate has delivered a pleasing shock. The HD 7's battery life, show, software and storage are all above-common in the finances realm; for $150, ASUS' pill supplies an expertise that some companies cannot manage in gadgets that value $200 or extra. There's an excellent chance that some will prefer the Sero 7 Professional's processor or Samsung's acquainted software program, however the remainder of us needs to be effectively-served by what the MeMo Pad HD 7 has to supply. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this review. All merchandise recommended by Engadget are chosen by our editorial staff, unbiased of our mother or father firm. Some of our stories include affiliate hyperlinks. If you buy something by one of those links, we may earn an affiliate commission.