Vodacom’s new Smart Tab 3G is all about driving up the demand for data. Aimed at the mass market, the R999 entry-level tablet could help the mobile operator do just that.
Before we start this review, bear in mind that this device is not meant for consumers who would normally use a high-end Samsung tablet or an Apple iPad. It’s aimed at a very different market.
The 7-inch Smart Tab 3G is a solid enough tablet, constructed of an all-plastic body. Holding it for the first time, you’ll notice it feels light in the hand — weighing only 275g — and the matte-textured back cover will ensure it doesn’t easily slip out of your hand.
Vodacom says the Smart Tab 3G was developed in South Africa. “We sketched out what we thought were the ideal specifications for South Africa, and using the purchasing power of Vodafone’s global device team we were able to have the device manufactured at a price point that works out at R2/day [on contract],” chief commercial officer Phil Patel says.
Tablets are growing in popularity among consumers that don’t own or can’t afford a fully fledged computer. The Smart Tab 3G is clearly going after the non-PC user market.
Vodacom hasn’t gone for the most basic hardware, squeezing in a zippy HSPA+ 3G aerial (the 900MHz and 2,1GHz bands are supported, with fallback to 2G bands) and Wi-Fi in the 802.11 b/g/n variants.
It also runs the most recent but one version of Android — 4.4 KitKat.
There’s a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera and 0,3-megapixel camera on the front. This is certainly not a tablet designed for the photographer and the images it produces are average at best. Vodacom had to skimp big time somewhere, right?
The Smart Tab 3G’s button layout follows the design of many of today’s most popular devices. The power button and volume rocker are neatly positioned on the right-hand side of the tablet, within thumb’s reach.
A little more unconventional is the positioning of the the micro-USB socket, which sits at the top of the device.
This is also where you will find the 3,5mm audio jack. On the left is the Sim slot and the microSD card adapter, which can accommodate capacities up to 32GB — important given it has only 4GB of storage space (2GB of that usable).
There’s a dual-core 1,3GHz processor and 512MB of RAM, which means the tablet will struggle with apps that require a lot of system resources. However, that’s not unexpected given the price point.
Indeed, it’s always difficult to criticise ultra-cheap devices like this one if they don’t perform like more expensive rivals. As long as they’re usable, that’s what matters, right? The very nature of their construction means that entry-level parts need to be used to keep costs down. The only place where this negatively impacts on the Smart Tab 3G is its display.
The 7-inch screen features a resolution of 960×540 pixels for a pixel density of just 157ppi. The screen is bright enough, but it’s far from crisp, and this becomes quite evident when looking at small text.
The screen is also very reflective and it has shallow viewing angles, meaning that it can be difficult to see detail in bright light or if it’s not angled exactly right.
The battery’s also okay, and holds on for most of a day of average use. It’s non-removable and is rated at 2 840mAh.
For the most part, the Vodacom Smart Tab 3G works well for its price and is more than sufficient to compose e-mail, browse the Web and even play some basic games from the Play store. It’s one of the better looking low-cost tablets.
Vodacom also did not clutter the tablet with too much bloatware. There’s the usual array of the company’s apps. There’s an app that makes sending USSD codes a little easier — important given the target market.
The Vodacom Smart Tab 3G is available for a cash price of R999 or it can be purchased on contract at R59/month on 24-month price plan that includes 500MB/month of data (plus 500MB of data between midnight and 5am for those who’d rather browse the Web than sleep). — © 2014 NewsCentral Media
