Huawei tablet c7. Xiaomi laptops and tablets
The Xiaomi brand has been actively conquering the global market for several years now. The company offers customers not only productive smartphones, but also stylish, functional, and pleasant-looking Xiaomi tablets. Compact PCs are of high quality, easily surpass their competitors in many characteristics, and at the same time are sold at an affordable price.
Features of Xiaomi Tablet PCs
Buying an inexpensive Xiaomi tablet means becoming the owner of a fast, powerful device with which you can work, relax, play new games, and use the capabilities of the Internet.
The devices boast a balance of appearance and technical characteristics:
High-quality plastic and metal are used as case materials, which give the device a stylish appearance and ergonomics;
The Android operating system, dressed in the proprietary MIUI shell, will give you a lot of pleasure from controlling and interacting with the gadget. Tablets run on the latest versions of the OS;
A large amount of RAM easily copes with running resource-intensive applications - the user is guaranteed high performance and no freezes;
Performance is ensured by powerful processors capable of handling various tasks, be it running a resource-intensive game or heavy software;
Gadget screens have a user-friendly diagonal. Thanks to the optimal size, you can play games, watch movies, edit photos and perform other tasks. The displays are covered with tempered glass, allowing you to confidently say goodbye to scratches, chips and other defects that arise as a result of active use;
Possibility of expanding the built-in memory using MicroSD cards;
The presence of Bluetooth technology will allow you to pair with all kinds of equipment that supports this option;
Capacious rechargeable batteries make it possible to use the tablet for all kinds of tasks throughout the day or more!
You can buy a tablet at an affordable price. The devices are functional, stylish and convenient, so what is the reason for the low cost? Indeed, the models can be purchased on favorable terms, which is due to the policy of the company, which at the initial stage of its development stated that it strives to provide everyone with high-quality, but budget devices! And this idea was skillfully brought to life, turning from fantasy into reality! The price of the tablet barely reaches 20 thousand rubles, and for such little money the user gets a productive device that can cope with the most difficult tasks!
Xiaomi laptops
The manufacturer also offers consumers stylish, compact computers. Notebook Xiaomi has a stylish design, ultra-thin body, unique features, and high performance. The Xiaomi laptop copes well with demanding activities, including heavy applications such as editors, as well as games that many users prefer to play today!
If you want to buy a good inexpensive tablet or a productive laptop, pay attention to the models presented in our store. Among the decent range of equipment, choosing the right option will not be difficult. We guarantee high quality devices, offer them at attractive prices, provide discounts, and also ensure fast delivery of products throughout Russia. In the store you can choose the product you like right now and place an order in two clicks!
show in full
The growing number of seven-inch tablets clearly demonstrates to us new market trends: the ten-inch format is gradually being replaced, just like all others. In addition, seven inches turned out to be the optimal size for the budget segment, which is its main supplier. The new product from Huawei, however, does not completely play by the rules.
Review of Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim: “seven” for pensioners
Having called Huawei IDEOS S7 the word “slim” (thin), the Chinese comrades clearly got excited. Although its thickness is formally 12 mm, with a weight of 400 grams and rather rounded sides, they are no longer felt. The tablet looks quite bulky, and after the thin and elegant models of the latest generation Samsung (Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7), this impression only intensifies. But let's be fair, in its price niche the tablet performs on an equal footing.
Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim
From the front, the S7 looks like all other tablets and doesn't stand out much. A glossy black screen, to the right of which there are three touch buttons (“Home”, “Menu” and “Back” - like Sony Ericsson, Huawei wisely got rid of the “Search” button), and to the left there is a front camera lens and a light sensor . The plastic case is white and there is a rather wide metal (or metallized) strip running in the center at the back, which divides the case into two unequal parts. Under the removable bottom part there is a battery and a slot for a SIM card, but under the top there is nothing at all that could somehow be removed or moved: why it was made removable at all remains a mystery. But we must admit that from a design point of view, the “back” turned out to be quite nice.
The tablet has the ability to connect a docking station
On the left side there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a stereo speaker and a volume rocker. For some reason, the location of the latter turned out to be quite inconvenient - it’s impossible to find the swing by touch at first. At the bottom there is a proprietary interface connector with a magnetic mount for the docking station (hello Apple MagSafe) and a slot for hot-swappable micro-SD cards. On the right side you can find micro-USB and mini-HDMI connectors, as well as a second stereo speaker. At the top there is a power button and a hole for the power adapter plug.
Epic fail
The biggest and most noticeable disadvantage of this model is the screen. If you have read ours (including preliminary ones), you have already noticed that they are slowly starting to acquire screens with a fairly high resolution: from 1024x600 (budget) to 1280x768 (premium). And it’s all the more strange to see even in a new, albeit budget tablet today, a screen with a resolution of 480x800, which today is more typical for smartphones than tablets.
Screen performance leaves much to be desired
You can remember a year ago with almost the same screen - and emphasize the word “annual”. The world of information technology does not stand still, and in 2011 offering a spoiled consumer technology that was a year and a half ago for the price of today is an unforgivable miscalculation for the engineers of one of the largest electronics manufacturers.
Another disadvantage is that the touch buttons to the right of the screen are completely invisible without backlight. You can find them in the dark only if you get used to the gadget, but at first the user will definitely get confused.
And the last minus is the viewing angles. They are very small, and the tablet, placed at an angle, loses all its colors. In defense of the screen, we can only say that it is not the worst in terms of tactile sensations: its sensitivity is at a fairly high level, although it certainly cannot be compared with more modern displays.
Standard set of connectors
Taking it apart piece by piece
The first impression of the tablet, as you may have guessed, was not the most pleasant. Let's now see what Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim has to offer in terms of performance.
The “fiery engine” of the new product is the well-known and inexpensive single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with a frequency of 1 GHz. RAM – 512 MB, internal – 8 GB, there is also an expansion slot for micro-SD cards, as already mentioned above.
Means for expanding tablet memory are familiar to many users
Wireless communication is provided by Bluetooth 2.1 protocols with EDR, WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n), GPS module with aGPS, as well as 3G, EDGE, HSDPA and HSUPA standards. The latter should be noted as a significant plus of the tablet - even today, not all “state employees” have the ability to install SIM cards. The device has 2 cameras – a rear three-megapixel and a front one with a resolution of 0.3 MP.
The gadget has a removable battery with a capacity of 3250 mAh. This is enough for about a day and a half of work in medium intensity mode (games, applications, navigation, video, music). If you like to watch movies on the go, your battery will drain faster.
By the way, about recharging. For power, a separate, monstrous-looking multifunctional cable is used, consisting of three cables ending in one full-length USB port. The solution is not widespread, but it has its advantages - if you like to take a bunch of gadgets with you on a trip, the functional charging from the S7 will serve you well. Contrary to popular belief, the tablet can also be recharged from a computer via a USB port, but this happens so slowly (literally less than 10% charge per hour) that it is better not to do this. This is definitely worth considering as an advantage, because... the closest competitors do not charge from a PC at all. In the case of the S7, this feature is implemented more for maintaining the charge than for full charging. But it’s worth criticizing for the length of the micro-USB cable; it is impossibly short - only 17 cm.
Not every tablet can boast a removable battery
Interface
Usually, interfaces for mobile operating systems still retain some features of the original. In the case of the S7, we are dealing with a very serious redesign, and one might even say that little remains of the original. In this respect, the tablet differs sharply from the IDEOS X5 smartphone, which did not install any proprietary interface at all.
First, let’s mention that the Huawei gadget runs on Android version 2.2, for which it can be criticized. But with a branded shell, for which, in general, it’s not a sin to praise.
Home page widgets are cramped, but not offensive
Take, for example, the traditional main menu window. Standard Android typically offers between one and seven main windows to which the user can add shortcuts and widgets. There is also a permanent group of shortcuts at the bottom of the screen. In S7, the main window was slightly redesigned and presented in five groups: Main, Internet, Entertainment, Communications and Favorites. Each of these shortcuts offers to work with two windows of its own type. That is, formally, only two windows are allocated for ordinary shortcuts and widgets. But in fact, these are 10 windows of regular Android, divided into thematic areas, in each of which you can place any shortcuts and widgets. Nobody bothers you to place the browser shortcut, say, in “Entertainment”. There's enough space for everything. Even though branded widgets take up half the window each.
If you go further through the windows, then in the “Internet” group on the first window two widgets are preinstalled: news from Yahoo and bookmarks for the main Western services: Google, Picasa, Yahoo and MSN. The next window contains the main shortcuts to Internet applications. The Entertainment group of shortcuts offers two large widgets for music applications and videos in the first window, while the second window is entirely dedicated to the gallery.
We need to take a closer look at the “Communication” group of shortcuts, since here we are dealing with the proprietary Emotion email application. “Proprietary” in this case does not mean that you will be required to create an account in some proprietary email system: it is a pre-installed email client that allows you to check mail and write new letters in any mailer (provided that you know all the necessary POP3 servers , SMTP and others). This group also allows you to write SMS, make calls (!) using stereo speakers (or headphones) and a microphone, and manage your notebook. In general, they tried to make a bulky phone out of a tablet.
The last group of shortcuts, Favorites, offers two large widgets - a calendar and a scheduler.
The set of applications complies with Android OS standards
The status bar at the top also became different. The clock in it moved to the left corner, the traditional icons remained on the right, except for one - with the letter i. When you click on this icon, a window opens to control wireless interfaces, auto-rotate and screen brightness with one button; in the right half of the window there is a task manager with the ability to end any applications with “one click”; on the left are notifications.
Convenience and discomfort
Even the standard browser has undergone changes, and here we need to praise the developers, because this only benefited the application. To be honest, the proprietary browser that comes with Android-based systems is extremely poor and offers very little to the user. You can even open no more than four tabs. In S7, the browser acquired a status bar at the bottom of the screen (and it does not include the address entry line, which is traditionally located at the top), which is constantly present and contains all the necessary information: the number of open tabs, forward/backward buttons, a button to open a new tab (by the way , you can open not 4, but as many as 11 tabs) and a menu button with additional functions, access to bookmarks, time in digital format, etc.
The Android Market interface in S7 differs from the standard one, but it differs unexpectedly - it duplicates the Market interface that you could see when working on an “adult” PC. It is quite possible that this is it, and Huawei developers simply did not bother remaking the standard interface into their own. And this is rather a virtue, because... The interface turned out to be convenient and functional.
Unfortunately, additional settings are required to work online
Of the pre-installed branded applications, not counting the above widgets, the only one that can be noted is the Aldico “reader”. Although it is quite inconvenient to read on such a grainy screen...
The main question: how convenient is it to work with all this? Alas, not very much. Due to the not very good screen, the standard keyboard called IME is difficult to press, false hits happen quite often, and the dictionary is very poor. Swype is not pre-installed on the system, and installing it over the IME also failed. In general, the convenience of the keyboard on a scale of ten is somewhere around a four.
Two-way communication
Communication with the computer in the IDEOS S7 Slim is quite confusing. Firstly, when starting the file manager (included in the kit), it turned out that the tablet has two flash cards: for one of them it accepts its own gigabytes, and not all of them, but only 4 GB, the rest of the volume (about 3.5 GB) given over to the system. The user card is displayed under the name sdcard2.
An inconvenient touch keyboard affects the user's speed on the Internet
Secondly, when you first connect, it turns out that you need to install drivers, and it is advisable to install proprietary software called Hi-Suite, with which you can synchronize contacts, messages, view the list of applications (and also remove them from the PC), and also take screenshots . A quick glance at the application gives a positive impression: nothing is buggy, everything is quite modest and well made, all functions work - and in general there are no complaints about Hi Suite. For this, the tablet gets its piece of the cake.
Past
Camera. It’s precisely the interface of the three-megapixel camera that hasn’t been changed at all, not to mention any improvements. The camera allows you to choose the picture size, quality, one of three effects, geotagging, white balance and four times zoom. Which makes terrible pictures even worse.
Yes, alas, photography is far from the strongest feature of the Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim. The same goes for video shooting - for example, it is programmatically limited to thirty minutes, and among the additional options there is only a choice of white balance and the same three effects. The photo quality leaves much to be desired, autofocus is weak, colors are faded, pictures are unclear and blurry. And the video—guess it three times—is “jerky.”
Test shots of the Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim camera
 |
 |
Although you can make video calls using the front camera. Despite all its poor quality, it turned out to be very nimble.
Bottom line
To sum it up, the gadget turned out to be ambiguous. Weak screen (by the way, its operating speed is quite high due to the average screen, good processor and sufficient amount of RAM), very high price (on average 11,000 rubles) and almost no set of branded applications. On the other hand, there is a carefully redesigned proprietary shell, an interesting solution with a charger (and the very possibility of recharging from a computer is worth a lot). Here you can also add a high-quality software package for synchronization with the desktop, acceptable battery life and interesting, varied widgets. Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim would have the right to the title of “hit” if it went on sale a year ago, or if it now had a price 1.5-2 times lower. However, despite all this, it still has the right to commercial success, and let’s not forget that in the class of inexpensive devices, rarely does anyone manage to release a flawless gadget.
With the release of the Apple iPad, manufacturers one way or another reconsidered their attitude towards tablet PCs, and the announcements of the RoverPad 3W G70 and Huawei Ideos Tablet S7 did not look revolutionary. But after inviting us to test the latter, we agreed with interest and would like to introduce you to an unusual device from a Chinese manufacturer, a tablet running Android 2.1 OS based on a 768MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512Mb RAM and 8Gb flash memory.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Design and Features
Let's face it, when we received the device from the courier, we were somewhat confused - what, how? No longer a phone, but also not a computer, not a netbook, some kind of intermediate and unusual niche. However, the eyes are afraid, but the hands are busy, and work with Huawei Ideos S7 was based precisely on this principle. We will begin our story, according to tradition, with the body of the device and gradually reach the software component and operating experience.
The monoblock case of the new product has the following dimensions - 209 x 108 x 15.5 mm and 500 grams of weight. It’s hard to say whether it’s a lot or a little, because... there is nothing special to compare with (for statistics - Apple iPad, 242.8 x 189.7 x 13.4 mm at 680/730 grams, RoverPad 3W G70, 190 x 120 x 12 mm at 360 grams). In operation, the size of the device evokes dual feelings: on the one hand, holding it in your hand, you feel reliability, and on the other, for example, when reading, it feels heavy. Transportation will not be difficult, the S7 will fit into most even small bags, and on the eve of autumn and winter, you can try to fit it into the inner pocket of outerwear. Thanks to the rounded corners and smooth edges, the tablet will not cling to protrusions, which is valuable. The Huawei S7 case materials are a competent symbiosis of metal and plastic: the front panel is made of plastic, surrounded by a metal frame, which at the junction of the case halves comes into contact with the anthracite-colored plastic of the rear panel. In addition, on the back panel there is a metal battery cover and a frame-stand for placing the tablet on a flat surface. It is worth noting that all the few details are tightly and intelligently fitted to each other, which creates the impression of a monolith and reliability.
There are really few design elements if there is a touch screen - most of the manipulations are assigned to it, so let's start with it. This is a 7-inch matrix with a resolution of 800x480 pixels with a touch-screen. The screen is resistive, which makes it susceptible to both finger pressure and stylus control (the latter, by the way, is neatly hidden on the back panel and at first can be mistaken for a technological plug). The picture quality of the Huawei S7 screen is good - the colors are saturated, the brightness is sufficient for most situations with a margin, the viewing angles, although not maximum, are generally decent. Pressure sensitivity is good, but not perfect - a capacitive screen would be more responsive and accurate.
On both sides of the screen there are two vertical stripes: on the left are the standard Android keys "home", "menu", "back", and on the right - the camera, call keys surrounding a small control touch-pad and a microphone hole at the bottom. With the exception of a kind of joystick, the rest of the buttons, no matter how they look like they are touch sensitive, are not, but due to their size and noticeable travel they are comfortable to use. As you understand, gripping the device looks like holding it under the “back” with the phalanges of the four fingers of each hand, and pressing the buttons with your thumbs.
The side faces are filled even more modestly - on the left there is a small recess in which one of the speakers is hidden under the mesh and next to it is a miniature volume rocker. On the right, diametrically opposite, there is a second speaker in a similar design, a microUSB interface connector and a socket for the charger plug. Alas, and this is a significant minus in our opinion, the device cannot be charged from USB (perhaps the manufacturer will correct something by the time of release, but for now this is the case).
On the top panel, located in the corners, there is a small power button, which also turns off the screen and a classic 3.5mm mini-jack audio jack. The bottom panel of the case, on the contrary, has gathered its elements together, in the center there is a cradle connector (purchased separately) and a compartment-sled for a microSD memory card on the protruding console.
The reverse side of the tablet contains the frame-stand already described above, which reclines in two positions (approximately 55 and 85 degrees) and a battery compartment, the metal cover of which is directly tied to the frame described above. The frame covers the bottom of the lid, where there is a recess for removing it - so you need to snap off the frame, then pry the lid up with your fingernail and pull it up.
Under the cover, in a recess, there is a small removable battery that covers the SIM card compartment located on the left. The card connector is a recess with a contact pad and a transverse fixing bracket. It’s convenient that you can put a couple more SIM cards in the recess on top if you set yourself the task of optimally using the Internet from cellular operators and not be afraid of losing them.
Huawei S7:: Review:: User interface
Despite the fact that this is a tablet PC, it still has an operating system familiar to our readers - Android 2.1, although with some “add-ons” from the manufacturer, concerning both additional applications and the main screen shell, we’ll start with it.
Traditionally for an operating system, there is always more than one main screen, and in the case of our guest there are ten. The value or importance of each of them is equal, so decide for yourself which one to choose at one time or another. Wallpaper in this case are extended panoramic frames that smoothly flow from screen to screen, animated pictures or your own images/snapshots, which must first be adjusted to size using the appropriate software.
The filling of the default screens is not for everyone - traditional and branded widgets are initially found on each, and then through one display, according to the types from the bottom functional line - home page, web, entertainment, communication, favorites (as well as the menu key). The location of shortcuts and widgets is tied to a kind of screen grid and their number depends on each specific element - there are both small widgets and giant ones. Moving, like deleting, is accomplished by holding until the element increases in size. Then it can be shifted or moved to the place of the menu key, which is replaced at this moment by the basket.
The upper left corner of the screen(s) houses a laconic digital clock, while the right corner houses active indicators for Bluetooth, WiFi, brightness, cellular network, battery and notification area. The latter, as before, appears layered on top of the desktop and includes two columns - notifications and tasks, that is, received events and open applications. From the notification area you can either go to the application or close it, which is very convenient and clear.
The main menu, as opposed to the notification area, is spread out on the desktop from below by pressing the corresponding key. This is an 8x4 matrix that is not initially completely filled with icons and they are added to the root as they are installed. The menu background remains unchanged and is a dark gray “chain mail” wallpaper. The icons, on the contrary, are colorful, well drawn and have white captions underneath them. The static nature of the icons is generally perceived as normal and does not cause any negativity. The location is as follows - alphabetically, first Latin names, then Cyrillic, without the possibility of customization. Submenus are simpler and are often designed as a vertical list of text options, in white font on a black background.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Telephone service
Calls is the second tab in the general telephony menu. There are both incoming and outgoing calls, and they are not grouped by name or contact number. That is, if you called the same number five times, five lines will appear in the list with the time of each call and an indication of how long ago it was, for example, “5 days ago.” Directly from the list, you can view the entry in more detail and immediately call, send a message or add the number to your address book.
The first tab is the dialer, “buttons”. The 4 columns of keys contain 3 keys each, and the bottom row contains the voicemail key, the button to make a call and delete the last character entered. If you hold down the dialed number, a menu pops up allowing you to edit what you entered.
The third tab is contacts with an unlimited number of subscribers, each of whom is asked to add:
You can also specify a photo or picture of the subscriber, which is done in a small window at the very beginning of the “questionnaire”.
If more than one number has been added to a contact, then when you select it in the general list before dialing, an additional window will be called up to determine which number to make a call to, after which you can specify the default number and the dialogue will not be repeated in the future. Unfortunately, you cannot select a different default number for sending SMS. However, when you open a contact, you can send a message to any of the specified numbers - each number has its own button.
Favorites is the fourth tab. The entries that you use most often or that you have marked in advance are displayed here.
Let us remind you that we still have a tablet in front of us and call service is not a priority for it, which is why the GSM module is more necessary for GPRS\EDGE. It is better to make calls using Ideos S7 through a headset, so as not to shock others with the “speakerphone” during a conversation.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Messages
Everything is simple here: a field for entering a number and a field for text, we type numbers or the first letters of the contact’s name and get possible recipients, of which you can select several. What is inconvenient is that there is no way to view the entire phone book directly when choosing a number. The text input field is also as simple as possible - a small window at the bottom of the screen, while the main field is left for the “sheet” of correspondence. Unfortunately, there is no notification about merged messages or the number of characters. But it is possible to select (in whole or in part), copy and paste text. By clicking on the menu button, you can add emoticons to the message, view the entire chain of communications with the selected contact, attach attachments, specify a subject (here sms is automatically transformed into mms) and delete the entire message thread. By the way, a message thread is messages grouped by phone number, both sent and received. In the messages section there are no Inbox or Outbox folders at all, everything is put into one list. It would seem unusual, but very convenient. By the way, the message is saved in drafts only if the recipient's number is specified.
E-mail is placed in a separate menu item and upon first contact you are asked to configure the mailbox: we enter all the data, login, password, server addresses and ports, after which we can use it. There were no problems with encodings; attachments are accepted correctly, but you can only save and view those that the phone supports. So, a picture in *.jpg format was easily saved, but a book in *.fb2 was no longer there - the phone did not recognize it as a supported format. You can add pictures to the attachment, the device automatically opens a folder with images to add them, and does not let you go anywhere else.
Mail checking can be done either manually or automatically every 5-10-15-30-60 minutes (with or without sound notification about receiving new letters). The email client looks standard: the Inbox appears first, and corresponding folders are created when you send or save drafts. Selecting and editing text works the same way as in messages, which is logical.
For a Google mail account, there is a separate item in the main menu, Gmail. The account setup occurs automatically at the first start, because... Almost all Google services are tied to it, from the notebook to the market. Otherwise, there is no significant difference with the “nameless” post office.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Organizer, office
The photo album selects all pictures from the device’s memory and displays them either by date/geotag or as a gallery wall. You can simply scroll through the open image vertically with your finger, or start a slide show. Additional functions - sending a photo via email, Bluetooth, mms, or posting to Facebook and Picasa, deleting or rotating, cropping or linking to a map. When rotated, the position of the frame is saved and will be immediately displayed in the last selected position during further viewing.
Alarm clocks can be configured from the application of the same name: the time and days of alarm can be configured, signal repetitions, alarm melody, and you can add vibration to the melody. After this, all alarms are displayed in a single vertical list, from which you can simply deactivate them with one tap.
The calendar is separated into a separate application and by default displays the current month in full screen, where the current date is grayed out. The pop-up menu provides access to the agenda (current date), week, settings and creating a new event. For the last item, you need to set a name and date/time, as well as, if desired, a location, description, repeat period and synchronization with Google calendar. In the settings, you can hide rejected events, select a notification, melody and activate vibration, as well as set a default reminder time.
A notes service with a choice of background color for notes will allow you to create both handwritten notifications and those typed on a virtual keyboard. A simple, but at the same time convenient service, in demand with the current screen size.
The default calculator is classic (an adding machine), but you can enable an advanced panel with trigonometric functions, logarithms, pi, e, square roots, and parentheses.
The file manager is a visually simple tool in the style of classic operating system menus: two tabs at the top contain memory types - built-in and microSD card, and below, in vertical lists, are available files and folders. The functions are all standard - cut, copy, delete, search, new folder and memory status information.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Communications
The tablet is designed to work in GSM networks, there is support for communications
WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA / HSUPA and USB 2.0.
The Wi-Fi module works flawlessly, quickly finds available networks, supports WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption, allows you to add networks manually and remembers previously connected ones.
Bluetooth supports the A2DP protocol and the connection with wireless headphones is stable, files are also transferred without problems.
Huawei S7:: Review:: GPS
GPS software includes proprietary maps (Google Maps, 4.1.0). If you don't take into account the fact that Google Maps' current location is downloaded from the Internet, we can say that the application is more than correct. The first launch will be marked with information about innovations in the current version, after which the communicator goes online without a prior request.
The settings are familiar to most users of this application:
Huawei S7:: Review:: Camera
The application start time is not lightning fast, with some delay. The working area of the screen is given over to the viewfinder, and in the right column there is a preview of the last frame taken, information icons for selecting photos and videos, and a shutter button. On the right is a “curtain” of functions that can also be called up with the “menu” key. Among them:
For video, the settings are as follows:
As you understand, the settings are not rich, however, the tablet’s camera is the same as the front one (2 megapixel CMOS without flash), so it’s not very suitable for shooting anything other than yourself, but for these tasks it has everything you need. You can evaluate the quality of the images from the test frames proposed below; they will more than clearly tell you about this shooting parameter.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Applications
Huawei S7 is equipped with a small, but quite interesting and popular set of applications designed to provide advanced functionality right out of the box. Among them:
Huawei S7:: Review:: Impressions and conclusions
Let's summarize the story. Let's try, because the scope of application of the Huawei S7 tablet is not completely clear to us, perhaps we looked at it the wrong way, from the wrong angle. Judge for yourself, as a reader - it’s a bit heavy and not too cheap. To watch videos, the size is debatable and requires additional software, although the latter is not so critical. For music it is absolutely huge. It's beautiful as a photo frame on the table, but again it's pricey and you'll have to keep the power adapter on all the time - the battery can't boast high battery life. The Internet is quite good for surfing, but it lacks multi-touch, although this is nitpicking. Use as a terminal for accessing social networks Facebook, Twitter, etc. ideal, but isn't it too narrow for a tablet? It seemed to us that the S7 is a pleasant device for entertainment, but not for work and office functions, although in general, if necessary and with installed software, it can cope with these tasks. It’s nice to receive it as a gift and when you receive it, it’s impossible not to be happy, the first impression is truly wonderful. We would name the resistive screen, battery life, the only front camera and the lack of charging via microUSB as significant disadvantages, but this is more likely for the manufacturer. On the other hand, there is already information that a sample with a capacitive screen and a 2-megapixel camera on the “back” in addition to the front one has appeared at the Russian representative office of Huawei.
|
|
If we examine the base model of the Huawei Ideos S7 tablet, we will notice two key flaws in it. First of all, it is a low-frequency processor, as well as a resistive screen. It is clear that for the Russian consumer these disadvantages more than outweigh any advantages.
Fortunately, both of these shortcomings are corrected in the MTS Tablet. Let’s make a reservation right away - we will briefly call it that way, because even company representatives differ in their testimony. In the MTS online store it is called SmaKit S7, in regular stores - MTS Tablet, in the price search - Huawei Ideos S7, and in early announcements they even said that its name would be MTS 360. The full name sounds like MTS Huawei Ideos S7.
So, instead of a resistive sensor, it has a capacitive sensor, and the processor is overclocked from 768 MHz to 1 GHz. Agree, it’s already getting interesting. However, first things first.
Appearance and controls
Now it has become fashionable to call every new tablet an “iPad killer.” Even if the device is frail, and even peaceful, the next cliched headlines still come out from under the keyboards of news reporters. In the case of the Huawei S7, this comparison is not very true - initially this tablet was not going to kill anyone, which is very clearly visible from the design.
Those who created the design of the tablet were clearly inspired by devices from science fiction films 90. I remember I saw something similar in the game Privateer 2, this is what the PDA from Bill Gates’ book “The Road to the Future” might have looked like. Now this approach looks original and sets the Ideos S7 apart from other tablets.
After using the Huawei S7 tablet for three weeks (or a month, I don’t remember), I can say the following - if this thing really costs about 15,000 rubles, then we have a bestseller. There are questions about the device, but if the price remains like this, then you can safely turn a blind eye to the shortcomings and shortcomings.
True, here again the question arises - what to do with such a tablet? At first I honestly tried to replace the iPad with it. It didn’t work out due to a number of circumstances. The iPad has a much more responsive display, a number of unique applications, and there is no replacement for them in Android. But the S7 is smaller, you can stuff it into your jacket pocket if you really want to, plus it’s easy to record the movies you want on a memory card and watch it right away - without conversion. I'm glad that there are all the ways to communicate with the outside world, from Bluetooth to 3G.
But let's talk about everything in order.
Design, construction, management
The device is quite impressive in size, 258 x 180 x 15 mm, weighs about five hundred grams. Fits in the inner pocket of a jacket or jacket, somewhat similar to the Sony VAIO P. The assembly is good, except that the battery cover moves a little left and right. The materials are not bad, the back is brown plastic, the lid is metal, in my opinion, metal and the stand too. It can be installed in two positions and locks with a click. On the cover there is a window for the lens of a two-megapixel camera, it is of little use, but it is there, and that’s good. At the bottom there is a slot for a microSD memory card and a connector for connecting to a docking station (apparently). I didn't have a chance to use it. On the left side there is a volume rocker and a speaker hole, the same is on the right side. When watching a video, you get a sort of stereo effect if there is no one nearby; it is better to watch movies or YouTube without headphones. On the right side there is a connector for the charger and microUSB; it’s strange that there is more than one connector for both charging and synchronization.
To the right of the display is a camera lens (web camera, if you want), an optical joystick, and buttons for accepting and ending calls. After all, we have a real phone in front of us; if you wish, you can easily make calls. The optical joystick is good in devices with a small display diagonal, now imagine how many times you have to swipe your finger here to get to some article on the Mobile-review website. Eventually you just stop using it. To the left of the display are the Home buttons, calling additional functions and returning. Everything is traditional for devices based on Android OS. Unfortunately, manufacturers rarely turn to a traditional control system. In my opinion, the presence of red and green buttons is mandatory, even for a budget phone, even for a state-of-the-art communicator or smartphone.
To preface the question - yes, over the years I don’t like more and more that the iPhone doesn’t have such buttons, sometimes it’s very annoying and even gets in the way.
On the top of the device there is a 3.5 mm jack and a power or sleep button.
Display
I was given a sample with a display made using capacitive technology. However, I would call it quite responsive. Enough. Sometimes there is simply a delayed response to clicks, there are erroneous clicks, and there are major problems with processing touches in the top and bottom status lines. Display diagonal 7 inches, resolution 800 x 480 pixels. The viewing angles are not bad, in principle, the screen does not have enough stars from the sky, but it does not cause negative emotions. That's a plus.
There is automatic adjustment (light sensor).
System
Android 2.1 is used, there is nothing to add to this. Another issue is that each hardware manufacturer strives to add something of its own, and therefore the user experience obtained with HTC is of little use to Sony Ericsson. Rather, it is even applicable from a negative point of view. Huawei S7 also has its own characteristics, let me tell you about them point by point:
- At the bottom there are links to segments invented for some reason. For example, the “Home Page” consists of two desktops. Here is a time and weather widget, notes and photos, some kind of picture, alarm clock, search, and so on. Other segments are Web, “Entertainment”, “Communication”, “Favorites”; clicking on the symbol in the lower right corner brings up a list of programs. The image on the display can be rotated depending on the position of the device, I disabled this feature, it is more convenient for me to use the S7 in landscape orientation
- At the top there are icons for quickly turning on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, brightness and sound adjustment, operator network status, battery charge indicator and notification menu. More precisely, there are some “Tasks” - these are, apparently, running programs, and “Notifications”, everything is clear with them.
- You can set an animated background image, but it is better to set a static image. It seemed to me that the device works faster in the second case
- A few words about the software, there is already a Twidroid program, a weather widget takes information from the AccuWeather.com website, and there is also a Facebook widget. You will need to find everything else yourself (or there will be customization from the operator)
In general, you can fashion anything out of the Huawei S7 - even a tablet for working with mail and the network, even a game console (although not all programs work due to the resolution and the display used), even a bedside video player. However, you already know this without me - Android has a lot of possibilities. It would also be great to see “custom” firmware for the S7, where there would be no conventional division into the main screen, web, and so on.
Iron
The device uses a Snapdragon processor, a very good word, the performance is not bad. There is nothing to complain about.
Nutrition
The stated operating time is about three hours in video playback mode, and a 2200 mAh lithium-ion battery is used. Let's see how long commercial samples will work - I used mine quite heavily throughout the day (mail, browser, etc.) after which I had to look for an outlet. It's not very good that a special power supply connector is used. That is, a separate microUSB for connecting to a computer and a separate connector for the power supply.
Camera
You can use the camera to take pictures. In principle, if you want to quickly rivet photographs to “attach” to contacts, then it makes sense to use it. She doesn't take pictures very well, to put it mildly. It’s not entirely clear why the camera on the front panel is needed, I wanted to use it somehow with Skype, but it didn’t work out. By the way, Skype is available here by default.
Memory
About 8 GB of internal memory is installed, but I’m talking about my sample; there is the possibility of customization - perhaps samples with 16 GB or 32 GB (or even 4 GB) will appear on sale. Of course, there is also a microUSB card slot. RAM - about 512 MB. During my use, I have not experienced any shortage, if you plan to use the device to watch videos, it is worth looking at versions with more memory.
Connection
There is Bluetooth, profile 2.1 with EDR, there is Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), there is a slot for a SIM card and, accordingly, the ability to use the device as a regular phone. If you want, use the browser, or if you want, make calls. I didn’t understand where the microphone is, you can speak directly “into the display”, you can hear it quite normally. I first inserted the SIM card without removing the battery to get it to work, I had to reboot the device. In order to quickly go to the list of calls, you can press the green button, to hang up - the red button. The operator's logo is visible on the screen when it is locked.
Of course, all this is very positive - when there are literally all ways to connect with the outside world.
conclusions
Let's talk about the bad first - no camera, a set of programs should be compiled and installed yourself, a separate charging connector (non-standard), the operating time could be longer. For this reason, it might be worth making the battery non-removable. Among the basic features, I would like to see support for a good bunch of codecs so that any video or music can play smoothly.
On the other hand, this well-assembled thing has a pleasant appearance, fairly convenient controls, and you can find fault with the display - but, gentlemen, this is a question of price. The fact is that Huawei S7 will cost about 13,000-15,000 rubles in retail, and soon even less. A tablet for the price of a smartphone, and you can easily use this tablet even for conversations. You can come up with usage scenarios yourself - from mail and browser on the road to games and videos in bed. I liked the product, it's an interesting thing. We will probably see the Huawei S7 in camera combat livery and with a different sauce - well, it certainly won’t get any worse.
Sergey Kuzmin ()