"Golden mean": 5 tablets with an 8-inch screen size

In the field of affordable tablets with an 8-inch screen size, a serious struggle for a place in the sun has played out. The top of the podium among the hordes of state employees was taken by the Prestigio MultiPad Wize 3418 4G — a model in a classic "wrapper" with support for working in 4G cellular networks.

The belonging of the device to the low-cost segment becomes clear with a thorough analysis of the technical characteristics of the gadget. Frankly speaking, he did not get the strongest hardware: a 4-core MediaTek MT8735B chip, to help which only 1 GB of RAM is allocated. Such a bundle does not break performance records either in synthetic tests or during real operation. However, when performing simple tasks, the power of the hardware platform is often quite enough for stable operation of applications and smooth switching of the interface of the almost "bare" version of Android 6.0 OS.

The tablet can be used in the role of a classic smartphone, for which a slot for installing a SIM card is provided under the removable upper panel. He is accompanied by a memory expansion slot, which allows you to increase the capacity of the regular data storage from 16 GB to another 32 GB via a microSD drive. Also, the removable strap slightly clings to the object of the main camera of the tablet — a modest photo model with a resolution of 5 MP.

The gadget's display is based on an IPS matrix with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The quality of the image displayed on it pleasantly surprises with accurate colour reproduction and juiciness of shades. Given the low screen resolution and the "unsophisticated" electronic hardware, on a single charge of a 4200 mAh battery, the Prestigio MultiPad Wize 3418 4G "lives" 2 full days with intensive operation. Only GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules available in the tablet's arsenal can slightly eat up the battery charge. The model "does not shoot" with something outstanding, but according to the balance of price and functionality, the tablet is one of the most attractive options among peers.

The logical continuation of the third generation of Lenovo Tab series tablets has no special "bells and whistles" — it is a good-quality "workhorse" for undemanding users with support for voice calls and work in 3G/LTE mobile networks.

Despite the expressionless appearance, the tablet is doing well with ergonomics — moderately wide frames around its display provide a tenacious grip of the gadget in the hands, while all controls remain in the free access zone, and the holes of the stereo speakers do not overlap. The built-in speakers are notable for the support of Dolby Atmos volume sound technology. You can flexibly adjust the sound of the speakers in the pre-installed "out of the box" equalizer.

Inside the tablet there is a bunch of Snapdragon 425 chip, 2 GB of RAM and Adreno 306 graphics, which shows itself well in everyday tasks (watching videos online, browsing, social networking, chatting in messengers). As part of the synthetic tests, "iron" gives a completely expected result in performance — a level below average, for example, in the AnTuTu test, the gadget managed to earn about 35K points by the sweat of its brow.

The screen of the Lenovo Tab 4 8 8504X 3G is also quite in the spirit of ordinary tablets — an 8-inch IPS matrix with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels is assigned to its role, moderately bright and contrasting, with natural colour reproduction and wide viewing angles. The front camera object (2 MP) is located above the display, the main photo module is traditionally located at the back (5 MP). There is not much more to tell about the cameras due to their archaic nature.

With a 4850 mAh battery, we are talking about 6-8 hours of screen activity in a mixed tablet operation mode (alternating video viewing, surfing the Internet and launching non-resource-intensive applications). But the time to replenish energy reserves in the battery tanks when using a complete charge stretches for 5-6 hours, which is not so little. However, this is hardly a problem for the home, and you can recharge the gadget on the way using a Power Bank, which you will need to buy in a separate order.

The Galaxy Tab A 8.0 LTE 2017 model is a tablet with basic characteristics from the famous South Korean tech giant Samsung. It will appeal to those users who are not chasing record performance, but are looking for a smart device for every day.

In appearance, the tablet looks more like an overgrown smartphone — the similarity with the family of "mobile phones" can be traced in a similar arrangement of elements (conversational speaker, under—screen navigation keys, the "eye" of the main camera, etc.). The metal back cover adds solidity to the device, at the same time it gives the tablet weight (the weight of the model is almost 364 d). The USB Type-C port with support for two-way cable connection deserves special respect, which has finally found application in entry-class models.

The 8-inch screen, by the standards of available tablets, is very good — the picture is displayed on it in a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, and a blue filter is provided to the user (it makes the image tones warmer to reduce eye fatigue). The panel above the display has a built-in object of a selfie camera, which takes pictures at a resolution of 5 MP. A much cooler photo module is installed at the back — an 8-megapixel sensor with high-power optics (f/1.9) has a number of manual shooting settings and has support for HDR (extended dynamic range of the image).

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 LTE 2017 is running a well-proven Snapdragon 425 processor. Of course, he cannot cope with "heavy" games, but when launching undemanding applications or watching videos, the platform provides a quick responsiveness of the interface without the slightest lags and slowdowns. As an "operating system", the tablet uses the seventh version of the "green droid" with the prospect of upgrading to the "eight".

The memory volumes on board the device were distributed in the ratio of 2 GB of RAM versus 16 GB of ROM. It is possible to expand the capacity of the built-in memory using a microSD drive, moreover, among the slots in the arsenal of the model there is a slot for a SIM card, which allows you to use the tablet as a mobile phone for voice calls and surfing the Internet. To ensure a long pastime in the "threads" of the World Wide Web "on the go" or on trips, a capacious 5000 mAh battery is designed, which, according to the manufacturer, is able to fuel the gadget with energy when watching videos for up to 14 hours in a row.

The reinforced "four" with the prefix Plus in the long name of the model is positioned as a multimedia device for the whole family. Upon a detailed examination of the tablet, there really is no doubt about this.

The gadget is "dressed up" in a suit made of plastic and glass, which covers the entire back of the tablet case. On the one hand, such an appearance allows the device to stand out from competitors, and on the other hand, the backdrop actively collects fingerprint traces, quickly losing its attractiveness. A fingerprint is also necessary when unlocking the tablet — the fingerprint sensor on the right side, combined with the power button, is responsible for recognizing the owner of the device.

An interesting solution in the arrangement of elements on the "body" of the tablet is the position of a pair of stereo speakers, which Lenovo engineers installed on the fracture of the upper and lower sides of the front side of the case. Speakers have acquired support for Dolby Atmos volume sound technology, which ensures loud and high-quality sound when consuming video content.

The front part of the gadget is entirely given over to an 8-inch display based on an IPS matrix with a FullHD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). It does not take up a reserve of brightness, and you can quickly unlock the screen by double tapping on the touch surface. In the bowels of the Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus 8704X 3G case, an electronic "filling" is working hard — a mid-class Snapdragon 625 chip paired with 4 GB of RAM. Such a bundle perfectly handles with the vast majority of tablet tasks, including "voracious" games.

The cameras on board the device do not represent anything outstanding — they are the most ordinary photo modules with typical resolutions of 8 MP (main) and 5 MP (for selfies). But what else is remarkable about the tablet is the adopted telephone module with support for making voice calls and accessing the Internet via 3G and LTE mobile networks. In the mode of everyday operation, the 4850 mAh battery guarantees the gadget 6-8 hours of screen activity, which is enough to watch 3-4 full-length films on the road or for several days of using the tablet in "sofa" mode.

The smallest in the lineup of the fifth generation of Huawei tablets of the M line is offered with an 8.4-inch screen size. The physical dimensions of the display have grown due to the reduced frames, because in terms of dimensions Huawei MediaPad M5 8 does not differ from the mass of 8-inch colleagues in the shop, and in some ways even wins from them (for example, the thickness of the model case is only 7 mm).

The IPS-matrix-based screen is ready to show off to competitors with high resolution (800x1600 pixels), remarkable colour reproduction and the widest viewing angles on all fronts. The tablet's capabilities are brought to an even higher quality level by top—end hardware — more than once "run-in" on board the brand's flagship smartphones The Kirin 960 chip, which has 4 high-performance (2.36 GHz) and 4 energy-efficient cores (1.84 GHz), paired with 4 GB of RAM. The hardware turns over any modern games and applications without the slightest hitch.

Under the metal "lats" of the tablet, a 5100 mAh battery with support for fast charging technology, a full range of communication modules, including LTE for accessing the Internet via high-speed mobile data networks, as well as a tandem of high-quality stereo speakers are hiding from prying eyes. The fingerprint scanner integrated into the Home key complements the overall positive picture.

Cameras are uncharacteristically strong in the arsenal of the model — the main 13 MP photomodule with phase autofocus and an 8 MP front-facing camera. The reins of the tablet are in the hands of the Android Oreo OS. Devoid of serious disadvantages, Huawei MediaPad M5 8 has been elevated to the rank of a flagship device that is equally well suited for both comfortable consumption of multimedia content and satisfaction of gaming impulses of users.