Xolo Play Tegra Note Gaming Review

When tablets first hit the market, I remember thinking to myself there was no way a device like that was going to last. I mean it was something fun to have but was it something someone would need in their day to day lives?

And now I can’t go a day without seeing at least one person handling one of those 7-9 inch devices. When tablets first took shape it was in the form of the iPad. Then Android added a whole other dimension tablets for a whole new form factor.

Today we have here with us a the best gaming tablet in the market, the Tegra Note 7 powered with a blazing fast Tegra 4 chip and promises to be a big hit with the games. Does this tablet have what it takes to hold its own?

Hardware

As you can make out from the name, the device is a 7 inch tablet with a stylus that accompanied with Nvidia’s state of the art technology pulls off all the stops. On either side its got stereo speakers which produce loud and crisp audio. On the front they’ve put a VGA camera which can keep you covered for those quick video calls, although they should have done a better job with that camera.

On the sides you’ll find a microSD card slot and the volume rocker. The microSD slot is an open one and can lead to dust accumulation which could damage the device in the long run. Moving to the top of the device we find the power button, a 3.5mm audio jack, micro HDMI port and the micro USB port. At the bottom there only lies the slot for the DirectStylus.

The back is quite different from anything we’ve seen and we’re not sure we totally dig it. The back consists of two plastic segments with a rubberized center which probably keeps safe from scratches but looks and feels quite cheap.

The tablet itself is a decent one and is above average in terms of industrial design. Although we can see Nvidia’s gaming influence and their effort to make the device more appealing to gamers while designing the back. The quality cuts made due to budget constraints is quite evident in the device–it weighs 320 grams, which is kinda heavy and for some the difference between getting this tab and another.

Software

The device is shipped with stock Android with very minor additions in the form of DirectStylus related apps. The Android version you get with the device is 4.2.2 which is due for future updates directly from Nvidia.

Taking out the Stylus from the slot gives you an option to switch between a drawing application or to one that takes notes. You get a few more options when the stylus is drawn like taking a screenshot, cropping it and sharing it. The other button the device is more interesting. The stylus toggle mode disables human touch completely which allows you use your palm on the screen if need be. The device only recognizes the stylus and allows you to more freedom to do your thing.

Performance

This is the area this tablet was made to excel in. Needless to say that this tablet is the fastest in its price category. The CPU consists of four 1.8Ghz Cortex A15 cores which have a fifth companion core that is used for low performance tasks. This is combined with a 72 core GPU that is responsible for the high end graphics and also works as Nvidia’s selling point for the Tegra Note as a gaming tablet. Its pretty much smooth sailing for this tablet as it easily runs the heaviest of apps without any problem.

Comparison 

Other competitors that give the Tegra Note 7 a run for its money are Google Nexus 7, Apple iPad Mini.

In terms of load time the Apple iPad Mini does better than the Tegra. But the Nexus 7 does worse than the Tegra, so it does stack up well among its competitors. But when it comes to gaming this one pulls off all the stops. To a regular customer certain optimizations might not be so blatantly clear. Its just in the way the device interacts with the environment and there are fewer frame skips.

The tablet is still quite good quite good, considering it has been in the market for almost a year now. We are looking forward to the Shield Tablet, which will promise to be in a league of its own.

Display

Compared to the stats it draws in the performance section it doesn’t fare too well in the display aspect. With a device that performs so well you’d think that they would have put a better screen on it. If you like it then you should have put a screen on it–haha sorry I just had to! It was like right there.

For its price point I guess the 1280×800 resolution is alright. Viewing angles on the device is decent and so is the sunlight readability once you increase the brightness.

Pros

• Performance
• Stylus Integration
• Price

Cons

• Display
• Camera
• Build Quality

Conclusion

With the price tag of about Rs. 14,000 the Tegra Note is one of the better tablets out in the market. Considering it falls under the 20k mark, there is very little that you can criticize. The camera and displays are let downs for sure, but for the sort of performance you get, it sort of covers up for it. Lets not forget the stylus and the related apps that come along with it that make taking notes a little too easy.