Asus is known for its high-quality yet inexpensive tablet computers. They combine functionality, efficiency, affordable price and other positive qualities, due to which the equipment from this manufacturer has gained such wide popularity.
The object of today's review will be one of the company's products - the Asus Fonepad 8 gadget. This is a fairly sold device, presented in two versions. Each of them is distinguished by its short index, consisting of numbers and letters, however, in terms of technical parameters and the appearance of the device is identical. In the review, we will simultaneously describe both the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CXG and the FE380CG.
Gadget Positioning and Cost
The tablet was released in 2014, and since then, of course, it can already be considered obsolete. At least, in the line of devices from Asus it is not represented in all stores - ZenPad models replaced it. And where sales still continue, the device costs about 15-16 thousand rubles (about $ 250). Thus, we are talking about a budget tablet from a well-known manufacturer, equipped at a fairly strong level.
Read more about the configuration and characteristics that the Asus Fonepad 8 has, read on. But, of course, one should take into account what niche (in the price segment) in the market was given to manufacturers for this device.
Tablet Package Contents
We traditionally start the review with what comes with the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG. This is important, because the buyer must understand at what level the device is equipped, what is missing in it, and what a person sees when opening a box with his new gadget.
So, with packaging from Asus, everything is very simple. The device is located on top, and on the lower row, directly below it, there is a section with a charging adapter, consisting of a cord and an adapter for an outlet. Thus, the headset and various accessories for working with the Asus Fonepad 8 (case or film for example) will have to be purchased separately. This can be done both in official, “white” equipment stores, and at some Chinese auctions - this is already decided by the buyer.
Appearance
The second indicator is the design itself. If you believe the technical description, the model can be found in white, black, blue, red and golden colors. Obviously, such a set makes it possible to choose a device to your liking.
Attractive in the front of the tablet are the slim bezels around the display. By their area they occupy only about 17% of the entire device. It is also worth noting the small thickness of the entire tablet - about 8.9 millimeters.
The material from which the Asus Fonepad 8 tablet is made is no different - it's plastic that has a fine texture. Thanks to her, the device lies comfortably in the hand, which is a pleasure. Navigation keys are traditionally located on the right side surface, while on the left there is a plug under which the SIM cards are hidden (there are two of them in Fonepad 8) and a slot for installing a memory card.
A charging port is installed at the top of the gadget - next to it is a connector for 3.5 mm headphones. This arrangement of all systems allows you to handle the device in a way convenient for the owner - to hold it in horizontal or vertical orientation, with one or two hands. Also, while we tested our Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG, a reduced weight of the device was noticed (328 grams are mentioned in the specifications).
Display
The device has an 8-inch tablet with a resolution of 800 by 1280 pixels. It is based, of course, on the IPS technology common among mobile devices, which makes the image on it bright and clear enough to work in any conditions. The picture quality is average - the tablet has a density of 189 pixels per inch, which makes the graininess noticeable when watching HD video. In sunlight, you will have to set the maximum brightness for comfortable operation.
Also, as described in the specifications of Asus Fonepad 8, the tablet screen has a special oleophobic coating, which significantly reduces the number of fingerprints during use. This is convenient because it’s really hard to work on gadgets without one.
CPU
In terms of “dry” characteristics, the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG tablet does not have the most powerful processor that was available on the markets at that time. We are talking about the Intel Atom Z3530, running on four cores and issuing a clock frequency of 1.33 GHz. This is less than what Qualcomm tablets can give, but at the household level you can’t notice this with the device - all the colorful games go on the device without any hesitations. This can only be explained by the mass of work carried out on the product by the developers.
As evidenced by the Asus Fonepad 8 reviews, the tablet can get very hot in the upper left side of the case. This is where the processor was placed.
operating system
Since the tablet’s release date in the world is 2014, the Android OS 4.4.2, which was current at that time, was originally installed here. In addition to it, the Asus Fonepad 8 tablet has a special ZenUI shell with an exclusive interface. According to the results of various reviews and tests, it is recognized as one of the best devices developed for this category. At least, this can be said based on the colorful design and high speed of the platform’s response to user commands.
Now, most likely, a version of this shell has been released for the fifth generation of the Android OS.
Battery
An important indicator in the operation of any mobile device is the battery. It determines how long the gadget can function without additional charge.
Asus Fonepad 8 (3G) is quite autonomous. In technical parameters, a battery with a capacity of 3950 mAh is declared, which is an average for an 8-inch tablet. If you use the device at least 1-2 hours a day (in active mode), it will last for 3 days. Reviews indicate that in standby mode the device is able to use up to 10% charge per night. In general, there are no complaints about autonomy, since the compact dimensions of the tablet and the optimized economical charge consumption make it possible to speak of such a low energy consumption.
Communication
The tablet provides for the use of 2 SIM cards - we already reported about this above. Also, a module for exchanging data in the GSM format is installed here, which allows you to talk on mobile communications. True, the organization of the cards is such that the tablet will not be able to simultaneously support the activity of both SIMs at once. When you turn on one, the second is out of the access zone.
In addition to GSM, the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16GB) supports Bluetooth (for transferring files to other devices and receiving them), GPS (navigation using a satellite signal). To work with mobile Internet there is support for 3G / LTE. Also, for interaction with a wireless stationary Internet connection on the Asus Fonepad 8, a Wi-Fi module is provided. Thus, the gadget is fully “charged” with technological capabilities for working online.
Camera
Already according to the classical scheme, two cameras are installed on the tablet - the front (2 megapixel resolution) and the main (5 megapixel). The main one has the ability to take pictures with a resolution of 2592 by 1944 pixels using autofocus technology. There is also a certain PixelMaster function, supposedly making the shooting much better.
In their recommendations, buyers talk about different camera modes, which include panoramic shooting, frame-by-frame, “portrait enhancement”, HDR and others. At the same time, in addition to choosing a mode, the user is given the opportunity to make various settings (brightness, saturation, color balance), which can make the photo better. The user can use a four-fold increase in which both the text and the object with small details remain noticeable.
Memory
Originally available in Asus Fonepad 8 16Gb of memory, of which system files are about 5.2 GB; the rest is available for download. However, this is not all - the capabilities of the tablet are wider due to the slot for a memory card. According to reviews, there are no problems with 64 GB cards, while some 128 GB can cause the tablet to become unstable. Therefore, we recommend not to use them.
Multimedia
Video and audio can be played using a standard player from Asus, which has enough settings for better display. If we study the reviews left about the audio capabilities of the device, we can conclude that the sound quality is high here - both in the case of playback in headphones and when working with an external speaker. Perhaps the only drawback is the low volume - but this is not so significant and does not interfere with enjoying your favorite tracks.
The tablet downloads video files without any problems; the only thing is that files with a soundtrack in DTS or AC3 format can play with a problem that can only be solved by installing an additional player with its own set of tools. Even during the review, it turned out that playing video in 2K format is also not easy.
User reviews about the tablet
We managed to find a lot of information on our tablet. Users who use the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CXG have talked a lot about their devices. For example, many say that to perform basic tasks (viewing mail, reading books, surfing the Internet or working with video), you can’t find a better device due to its compactness, accessibility and functionality. Other users insist that the tablet has a lot of shortcomings, including slow operation, various errors and crashes in applications, low-quality camera. There are also a large number of recommendations that note the low autonomy of the gadget.
Thus, it is very difficult to single out a certain category of reviews here, since a variety of information is left about the tablet. In turn, all of it is based on purely individual assessments of the capabilities of the computer, and this is already a subjective matter. Let us give an example: someone will call the opportunity to work 6 hours on one charge an advantage, while for another it is a significant drawback. Again, it all depends on what to require from the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16Gb) and what to count on when buying it.
disadvantages
Since the positive qualities of the device we have already described above, in its technical parameters, in this section we present some of its negative features that we managed to find in the reviews.
So, some devices in their work show an excessive load of RAM. This leads to the fact that the system starts to hang very much, and the processor starts to heat up. Launching any other applications in this case is very difficult. Perhaps the failure is caused by some kind of system software error (since the same 2 GB of RAM is not easy to "hammer"). Judging by the reviews, a reboot helps to solve the problem.
Another drawback is the “crash” of some applications. This is reported by users that when working with various programs on the tablet, an error may occur, resulting in a sudden transition to the main page of the device. The processes that took place in the program are not saved. It is hard to say what causes this kind of error. Some note that perhaps the whole point is in the loaded RAM, which needs to be cleaned periodically. For this purpose, standard “clinics” programs, which are available on Google Play, are suitable.
Also, as another flaw, users note the creaking of the case. Most likely, it will not work to fix this drawback, since the reason for it is the incorrect assembly of the device. However, the progress of the panels is hardly noticeable - it can be detected only if you press on the upper edge of the case. The problem is not so serious, it’s just unpleasant that the developers did not take this issue seriously enough.
Conclusion
Talk about the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16Gb), as well as about any other device, you can quite a lot. We have given only the main technical characteristics, which can describe only part of what the gadget is capable of. In fact, there is much more information about him; just putting it all in one article is unrealistic.
As for the shortcomings that the tablet is endowed with, you can learn about them only after you take it into your own hands and work on your own for at least a few days. This is the only way the user can set how convenient one device or another seems to him. Everything else is the subjective points of view of other people, which do not always coincide.
For example, while we were preparing this review, we were also able to meet negative reviews, such as “the Asus logo is located on the front screen” or “ugly ZenUI icons”. Obviously, the inscription may interfere with someone, and someone will not even pay any attention to this trifle; the same goes for shell graphics. If you buy this or that tablet - accept it as it is, or take another.
As for the Fonepad 8, this is a budget device with a lot of features, which can become a reliable assistant if you are satisfied with its parameters. And the positive qualities and shortcomings of the apparatus can be judged only by relying on their own point of view.