Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 review

Design

The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 comes in two different colours, but we were particularly taken with our white and champagne gold review model. This makes a pleasant change from the usual white and silver combination we tend to see on other tablets, and it certainly helps maintain a feeling of luxury. The gold might not be to everyone’s taste, but the Galaxy Tab S is also available in Titanium Bronze.

At just 6.6mm thick and weighing 294g, this is Samsung’s thinnest and lightest tablet yet, and it certainly feels svelte in the hand. It has a slightly dimpled, soft-touch polycarbonate back which makes it comfortable to hold and there’s reassuringly no flex in the casing. Still, if you'd rather not take any chances, there are a number of optional protective cases to go with the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, including a keyboard case, which attaches through studs that click directly into the back of the tablet.

Performance

Samsung has used its own octa-core Exynos 5 system-on-chip (SoC) processor to power the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, which was first seen on the 2014 model of Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1. It’s technically a quad-core ARM 1.9GHz Cortex-A15 paired with a quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 filling in when only a less power-hungry processor is needed. There's also an LTE model available which uses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor running at 2.3GHz instead, but all models come equipped with a generous 3GB of RAM.

Android 5.0 Lollipop

The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 runs Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, but you can now download a free OTA update to Android 5.0 Lollipop. Not that you'd know it, as Samsung's new design is more or less identical to the old KitKat interface. In keeping with Google's Material Design scheme, app icons now look a bit flatter, but that's more or less it. Of course, as with all Lollipop devices, you can now view your notifications from the lock screen and add multiple user accounts, but otherwise you'll barely notice the difference between the two interfaces. 

Android Lollipop looks almost exactly the same as Samsung's KitKat interface on the Galaxy Tab S 8.4

Regardless of whether you decide to upgrade to Lollipop, Samsung has included a few of its own tweaks to the Android operating system. One of the more notable inclusions is Multi Window mode, which allows you to use two apps simultaneously. This is useful if you’re watching a film and want to open up the browser to look up an actor, for example, and each app is resizable. Kids Mode has also been included, allowing a safe ecosystem for children through parental controls and a custom child-friendly interface – meaning you should be able to safely hand the tablet to your little ones.

Camera

Around the back is an 8-megapixel camera complete with an LED flash to help with low-light photography which we don’t often see included on a tablet. Annoyingly, we found that the camera would refuse to use the flash if the battery was low in order to conserve battery, but strangely this was also the case if you then plugged the tablet in to charge, which was puzzling.

As far as tablet cameras go, we were actually quite pleased with how the Galaxy Tab S performed. The camera supports image stabilisation for both video and still images, which we found helped under tough low-light conditions and allowed for sharper images when slower shutter speeds were needed. There were also modes for HDR, Panorama, Burst Modes and Dual Camera, which allows you to use both cameras at the same time, which is a surprising fun feature we first saw on the Samsung Galaxy S4. Overall, the camera captured decently sharp images, with good saturation and low-light noise was kept under control.

Hardware
Processor	Quad-core 1.9GHz Samsung Exynos 5 Octa (+quad-core 1.3GHz)
RAM	3GB
Screen size	8.4in
Screen resolution	2,560x1,600
Screen type	Super AMOLED
Front camera	2.1 megapixels
Rear camera	8 megapixels
Flash	Yes
GPS	Yes
Compass	Yes
Storage	16/32GB
Memory card slot (supplied)	MicroSD
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0
NFC	Yes
Wireless data	4G (optional)
Size	212.8x125.6x6.6mm
Weight	294g
Features
Operating system	Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Battery size	4,900mAh

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Apple iPad Air 2 Review

Thinner, lighter and more powerful than last year's model, the iPad Air 2 is a tablet that's hard to beat. It's the sleekest tablet on the market, and its 9.7-inch display is beautiful to behold. Plus, the addition of Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner gives it a big security boost. But as a work device, Apple's flagship iPad still has some noteworthy shortcomings — especially with so many great Windows-powered slates to choose from. That bottom line is that the iPad Air 2 is a very good productivity device, but it's far from perfect.

Design

How thin can tablets get? The iPad Air 2 sets a new bar for tablet slimness, with a thickness of just 0.24 inches (6.1 mm), down from original iPad Air's 0.29 inches (7.37 mm). It's a slight difference, but I immediately noticed that the device felt noticeably thinner, without losing any of the sturdiness of last year's model.

Otherwise, not much of the design has changed from the original iPad Air 2, aside from a reflective ring on the home button that indicates Touch ID functionality (more on this later). With a slick glass-and-metal design, the iPad Air 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors as a device that business users can take seriously.

At just 0.98 lbs. (15.68 ounces), the iPad Air 2 is pretty light for a full-size tablet, especially considering its aluminum construction. In comparison, the plastic Galaxy Tab S 10.1 weighs slightly more, at 1.02 lbs. (16.32 ounces.) The Air 2's barely-there design is a perk for business users who carry their tablet with them everywhere.

Display

Apple hasn't upped the size or resolution of the iPad Air 2's display, but it still produces a better picture than last year's model. That's apparently due to a new manufacturing technique that fuses the glass, LCD panel and touch sensor into a single unit, eliminating air gaps. The result is a picture that practically seems to sit on top of the display.

Meanwhile, a new anti-reflective coating makes it easier to use the iPad Air 2 outdoors in direct sunlight. Indoor reflections are also a bit more diffuse and less distracting than on last year's model. The result is a clearer picture with wider viewing angles, both indoors and out.

The 9.7-inch display feels large enough for most business tasks. While running the iPad version of Microsoft Word, the screen afforded plenty of space for both my document and the options ribbon at the top of the screen. For seriously screen-intensive tasks like editing a spreadsheet, however, things can start to feel a bit cramped. Those tasks are better suited for a desktop computer with a larger monitor. Either way, you'll want to pair your iPad Air 2 with a Bluetooth keyboard, since the touch-screen keyboard takes up half your usable screen space.

Security

The best new thing about the iPad Air 2 has to be the Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. The feature, which was introduced with the iPhone 5s last year, makes its tablet debut with the iPad Air 2 (as well as the iPad mini 3).

You'll register your fingerprint as part of the setup process. After that, unlocking your device is as easy as holding your finger over the button. That way you can keep your work tablet locked down without annoying password screens. You can also lock individual apps using Touch ID, to keep business data from being tampered with if you share you tablet with family.

Performance

Most modern tablets are more than speedy enough for basic productivity tasks. If you need a little extra horsepower, though, the iPad Air 2 delivers. It includes Apple's new A8X chip, an upgraded version of the processor found in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Apps open and close quickly, and jumping between apps using the Recent Apps panel (double-press the home button) works without a hitch.

Apps

Android and iOS may have similar app libraries overall, but Apple's platform boasts far more tablet-optimized apps. Plus, apps are typically introduced and updated earlier on iOS than on other platforms. For example, Microsoft's Office for iPad debuted over the summer with a set of features that nearly rivals the full desktop version. Android tablet users, meanwhile, are still waiting for the full Office apps to launch on their platform; the Office Mobile apps currently available for Android are extremely limited in comparison.
Still, you can't run Windows programs on an iPad, which may make Windows tablets like the Surface Pro 3 or Dell Venue 11 Pro a better choice for some business users. Another annoyance is that you can't change which apps iOS uses by default. For example, clicking a Web link in your email will always open up Apple's own Safari browser, even if you prefer to use Chrome.

Keyboards

Business owners are likely to spend more time typing on their tablet than other users. That's why the new ability to install third-party touch-screen keyboards on the iPad Air 2 is such a perk. For example, the Swype app (99 cents) lets you drag your finger from letter to letter to type a word, instead of tapping each key individually. I love typing this way because it's fast and accurate, especially when you have only one free hand.

Unfortunately, Apple is still restricting keyboard developers from implementing some features that are standard on other platforms. For example, Android tablets let you long-press on letters to input numbers and special characters, but that functionality is missing from iOS 8. That means you have to jump back and forth between keyboard menus while typing, which really slows me down. And while the stock keyboard looks nice, the fact that it always displays capital letters on keys is a nuisance, since it forces you to constantly check to see if the shift key is selected. It's one example of Apple choosing style over functionality.

Accessories

One of the perks of owning an iPad is the huge range of accessories available for it, and the iPad Air 2 is no exception. There are dozens of cases, keyboards and styluses available for the device. There's still no mouse support, though, which can make precise tasks difficult. Likewise, there's no easy way to link your iPad up to a larger monitor like you can with a Windows tablet.

Conclusion

For most consumers, tablets don't get much better than this. The iPad Air 2 is the thinnest, fastest and best-looking iPad yet. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Touch ID gives the device a welcome security boost, and iOS still has the best selection of tablet-optimized apps of any mobile platform by far. But iOS still has some annoying limitations, like a limited keyboard and the inability to change your iPad's default apps. And if you rely on a specific Windows program to stay productive, you might be better off with a Windows tablet. But for most people, the iPad Air 2 makes for a great portable productivity machine.

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Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 Review

 Xiaomi’s newest Mi Pad surprisingly steps out with a Metallic bodied iPad Mini design that offers decent  performance, premium build quality and all in one package.

 PROS of Xiaomi Mi Pad 2

• Premium build and construction
• Good Performance (Multitasking)
• Fast eMMC Storage even faster than the Teclast X98 Pro
• Surprisingly Good Camera
• Good Loudspeaker performance
• Acceptable Gaming Performance
• Supports Dual Band WiFi
• USB Type C (with support for Fast Charging)
• Above average Battery life
• Thermals are better at adapting (great thermal regulation)

Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 in-depth Review: 64 GB Champagne Windows 10 version (May 14, 2016)I have used this tablet about a month now and thus i can finally release this in depth look review. What I have is the Windows 10 version with 64 GB storage, for anyone’s information, there are two versions available of the tablet, another one with Android OS, another version presumed to have Dual OS but it is still speculative.  Anyway, my review will feature the strengths and weaknesses of the tablet, I did not write this review at an earlier time because I want to fully use the tablet as my daily driver. To better appreciate this review, I will be comparing it with the Teclast X98 Pro.What is my profile as a tablet user?I have used the Nexus 7 2013 version the longest time and am happy with it, it’s still alive until now, 2 years already and it’s still kicking. Also I tend to favor Android tablets more since I mainly used Windows on my laptop or desktop, and also Windows Apps are not really user friendly. Also I love small tablets, because they are portable and easy to carry, thus I favor portability than size.   Furthermore, I am not a heavy tablet user, Websurfing, light games, and more web surfing via WiFi. I tend to use Youtube and Facebook a lot. So 

Best looking Chinese Tablet

Although it is clearly a carbon copy of the iPad Mini, it’s worth mentioning that the build quality is one of the best in its class, clearly the best one of the best looking Chinese Tablet available. What I have is the Champagne or Gold version, the whole Tablet appears to be well put together and does feel like iPad Mini on Windows.

Performance (a case of expectation versus reality)

To be frank, it is powered by an Atom Chipset, so don’t expect it to be a powerhouse tablet, but rather just a capable tablet. Probably it will suit light to moderate task and best to be used for surfing the web and doing light office work. A close comparison to this tablet is the Teclast X98 Pro, which I did have the courtesy of reviewing before. Both tablets offer pretty much the same hardware, although the Mi Pad 2  only comes with half the memory at just 2 GB.

Here is a crude comparison below:

Xiaomi MiPad 2

• Intel Atom Cherry Trail X5-8500 Quad Core Chipset
• 2 GB RAM
• 64 GB ROM (no MicroSD support)
• Window 10
• 9 inch IPS display
• Toshiba eMMC Storage
• Dual Band WiFi Support
• USB Type C (reversible connector)
• 6190mAh battery (fast charging support)

Teclast X98 Pro

• Intel Atom Cherry Trail X5-8500 Quad Core Chipset
• 4 GB RAM
• 64 GB ROM (MicroSD Support)
• Samsung CWBD3R Disk eMMC
• 7 inch IPS, Retina Display
• 4GHz Wifi, Realtek RTL8723BS Wireless N
• 8000mAh Battery
• MicroUSB 2.0

In terms of similarities, raw performance is identical, I did test it using Antutu  Benchmark and was able to determine that both tablets perform the same. However, in terms of Real World Performance, there is a bit of difference, the Mi Pad 2 was able to handle multitasking better and my user experience is far smoother compared to the Teclast X98 Pro. This is especially noticeable on web browsing, I can honestly say that I prefer the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2.

On the other hand, both tablets have different eMMC Storage, and on my benchmark test using Crystaldisk, there was a wide disparity on the numbers, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 has a faster storage option with both read and write speeds, come to think of it, it has one of the fastest eMMC storage available. Upon closer inspection, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 is equipped with a Toshiba eMMC Storage which is considerably faster on theoretical benchmark test. On the other  hand, the Teclast X98 Pro is equipped with a Samsung eMMC Disk.

USB Type C vs. Standard USB

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 comes with the new USB Type C reversible connector, this new add-on comes with a load of perks, including support for fast charging, and I can attest, that charging the tablet is indeed faster. However, it does come with some drawbacks, namely, OTG capable aren’t really a standard support for this connector, and thus, you need an adapter plus an OTG capable for this to work. So, I wasn’t able to fully test the transfer rate using the connector port.

The Teclast X98 Pro on the other hand, with only a standard MicroUSB Port, charging is tediously slow, transfer rates are also nothing special.

Great Connectivity

Closer inspection to the hardware, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 supports Dual Band WiFi via a Broadcom chipset. The Teclast X98 Pro supports only 2.4GHz WiFi N via a Realtek chipset. Worthy to note, that Realtek chipsets are commonly used on most China tablets. Anyway, the MiPad connectivity overall is excellent, no random disconnections or issues. The Range is also satisfactory and even detects WiFi signals which Smartphones cannot anymore connect.

Gaming Performance

Not really that good, it offers the similar raw performance to the Teclast X98 Pro. Mainstream games like Dota 2 ran on low settings but with frequent fps bumps and inconsistent gameplay. It isn’t really a good substitute. Less demanding games ran fine but you do have to look at compatibility issues especially with older games.

Audio Quality

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 is equipped with Dual Loudspeakers on the bottom of the tablet. Quality is fine and the range and volume actually are good, you can watch movies in a small room with no issues. I did have an issue with the Headphone Port, the volume seems to be too low, you can actually hear better using the loudspeakers compared to using a headset. I am not so sure about the issue but even at Full Volume, it still barely audible.

The Teclast X98 Pro in comparison has an abysmal loudspeaker, in fact, it has the same speakers on the Bay Trail version. Expected, considering that it is a reboot tablet.

Great Battery life

Battery life, a major aspect of a tablet is actually a major merit of the MiPad 2. On typical usage such as 25% brightness, Wifi on, youtube or browsing the web using Microsoft edge. I was able to get close to 5 hours at a single charge. Gaming on the other hand is a bit lower, around 2 to 2.5hrs. The battery performance is actually the best I have tested on a 8 inch tablet.

In comparison to the Teclast X98 Pro, battery life is a bit of an issue here. Even though it is equipped with a bigger 8000mAh battery, usage time is way below expected numbers. I was only able to get around 3.5 to 4 hours of use before i needed to charge the tablet again. The test was also done similar to the MiPad 2. Gaming was also far lower and thus, don’t expect to game for long.

Strengths of Xiaomi Mi Pad 2

• Premium build and construction
• Good Performance (Multitasking)
• Fast eMMC Storage even faster than the Teclast X98 Pro
• Surprisingly Good Camera
• Good Loudspeaker performance
• Acceptable Gaming Performance
• Supports Dual Band WiFi
• USB Type C (with support for Fast Charging)
• Above average Battery life
• Thermals are better at adapting (great thermal regulation)

Weaknesses

• USB Type C (difficult to test due to lack of peripherals)
• Dual OS Support is not yet available

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