Tablets to buy below INR 7k: March 2013

Recently, I was given an option (by my parents) to get a new device within the budget we can afford (and that wasn’t much). Further, I was confused whether I should go for a tablet or a phone at that price point. Finally, I settled on a tablet for the below reasons:

• (Not everyone may agree on this point, but for me) The screen size of a tablet is best for reading eBooks and other stuffs. Being a heavy reader myself, tablet was always going to be my best bet.
• Bigger screen size makes videos and games look more pleasant
• Tablets come with far more lucrative specs than as compared with phones in that range (Don’t get shocked, think for a second)
• I really hate getting disturbed by spam messages and calls, so, I feel perfectly fine with a tablet that doesn’t come with voice calling.

I am sure may of you won’t agree with me over the majority of the points I stated above, especially the last one. Let it be then, because this post isn’t about why you might prefer a tablet over a phone. As per the headline, I am expected to talk about some budget tablets. So, here I go:

Best budget tablets worth every penny you spend:

BSNL Penta IS701C/ BSNL Penta IS709C:

The reason I am grouping these two tablets together is because they are almost replicas in terms of specifications as well as price.

• Priced at INR 3,990 (available as low as INR 2,799)
• Specs to cheer for:
• 1080p Video Playback
• 7 inch Capacitive Touch screen
• Priced absurdly low (Penta IS709C can be bought at INR 2,799, at the time of writing)
• USB Connectivity
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (not too old, eh?)
• And a few specs you don’t want to learn about:
• 800x480 resolution, though you can’t complain much at this price point
• Looks like a plastic toy meant for kids
• No sim slot, so, no voice calling
• Only one micro USB port. That means either you can charge it, or connect it to a 2G/3G dongle or usb drive.
• Go for it if:
• If you are really low on cash.
• You want to gift it to someone you hate.

Zync Dual 7.0:

This tablet was launched just two-three weeks ago.

• Priced at INR 5,990
• Specs to cheer for:
• 8 GB internal storage, of which around 5 GB would be available to the end user
• 1 Gigabyte RAM
• 1.6 GHz Dual Core Processor with Mali 400 GPU
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (Not the latest, but it’s not far behind either)
• Aptly priced at a MRP of INR 5,999
• And a few specs you don’t want to learn about:
• 3000 mAh Battery, might not last long enough
• 800x480 resolution isn’t too crisp for a 7 inch screen
• No calling support here either
• Go for it if:
• You can manage with a 480p screen and a poor battery life

Lava E-tab Xtron:

I don’t know what xtron means, other than the fact that it might be inspired from either neutron or electron. This tablet is one of the best ones money can buy.

• Priced INR 6,500
• Specs to cheer for:
• 8 GB internal storage, with about 5 GB free for the user
• 1 GB RAM
• It has an IPS display, so it has great viewing angles
• A nice resolution of 1024x600 makes the display look crisp
• 1.5 GHz dual core processor with Mali 400MP GPU
• Design is quite trendy
• And a few specs you don’t want to hear about:
• Battery:
• Takes too long to charge. According to a review by thinkdigit, it took 5 hours to charge the battery from 60% to 100%
• Takes too less to discharge. I mean, quite poor battery life.
• No SIM slot, no voice calling
• Go for it if:
• You always have a charging point near you

Karbonn Smart Tab 8 Velox:

This is the tablet I settled on. It’s been just over 24 hours since I bought it, and can I say, I am impressed with my choice. I really had a difficult time getting this tablet, as the tablet is out of stock everywhere on the internet, and I got a negative from most offline shops too. Most of them said Karbonn might have discontinued this product. I really wonder if that would be the case, as it has just been over 2 months since the tablet was launched, and as per the store owners, the tablet was doing good in terms of sales.

• Priced INR 7025, got it for INR 6,500 from Spice Hotspot
• Specs to cheer for:
• 1.5 GHz Dual Core Processor with Mali 400MP GPU
• 8 inch capacitive screen with 4:3  aspect ratio makes it perfect for reading books, magazines and web pages
• Has received quite some support from the developer community
• 1 GB RAM
• Nice sleek design
• Charging is done through a separate dc in. So, mini USB port is available for use even when you are charging
• Great battery life with 4,500 mAh battery
• 1024x768 resolution makes everything look crystal clear, and makes it possible to read documents even in zoomed out view
• Plays 1080p videos without any glitch (even without mx player)
• And a few specs you don’t want to hear about:
• The 4:3 aspect ratio makes it too wide to hold in a hand
• Only 1.5 GB of internal memory. 1 GB is available for installation of apps, another 1 GB is available for system apps.
• The screen sometimes goes haywire while charging. Might be a problem with my piece, will talk to the service centre guys shortly (and update here, if I manage to recall this)
• Go for it if:
• You are smart, like me. :P (Kidding)
• Find 7 inches a bit small and 10 inches a bit too big
• You can manage without voice calling support

Add any other good tablet you know about in the comments, and I might look if it’s eligible to be added to the list. You can hope for a review of my newly bought Smart Tab 8 Velox soon, looks like I need to arrange a camera. Don’t forget to follow us on the internet to hear the latest from us.
Happy Holi, save water to show you care for the environment. I do.