The market for Chinese tablet devices is growing before our eyes. Right behind smartphones that surpass the capabilities of “top-end” devices from leading manufacturers in their technical specifications, Chinese developers are introducing new tablets that have the same low cost and, at the same time, endowed with incredibly high technical parameters.
In this article, we will just talk about one of these devices. Meet: Chuwi Vi8 tablet, which is available at a price of $ 100. Most often, when listening to information about this tablet, the user does not have any thoughts about why he is so unusual, and what is his peculiarity. Yes, we know that devices from the Celestial Empire can be offered at such a low price, because Chinese factories have long been filling up different market segments with super-cheap goods (smartphones and tablets are no exception). But believe me, our Chuwi tablet has one major difference. Its technical characteristics do not allow calling it budget (if you do not know about the price of the device). What exactly does the manufacturing company offer its customers, read on.
Positioning
How can you imagine a tablet on the market that has such a low price of $ 100? The only thing that comes to mind is to tell everyone about how cheap this gadget is, and what exactly each of the buyers will receive by buying it. In fact, in part, the Chuwi tablet is advancing on such a strategy. All news sites and IT news portals have already managed to write about how affordable the new gadget is. But that's not all! Its specifications were also presented along with the tablet. Because of this, the device presented to the public has become so popular: it has high functionality available at a relatively ridiculous price. This position was taken by the tablet immediately after information about it was published in the public domain.
Equipment
So, how high quality can you “stuff” the device, provided that its retail price is $ 100? Obviously, not so much - after all, other gadgets available at such a price are, most often, a miserable sight, similar to an electronic book or some kind of “undershot”. However, the Chuwi tablet is not at all like that.
It runs on a processor from Intel's Atom x5-Z8300 model, which is paired with 2 GB of RAM. Such a platform serves as an excellent base for high-speed interaction of the device with the user, allowing you to install the Windows operating system on the tablet. This is a completely separate topic for news: budget device developers have appeared who agree to focus on Windows Phone, rather than the classic one and become banal Google Android.
Appearance
The design of the device cannot be called unique. It looks (in its form) like the Apple iPad mini (hundreds of electronics manufacturers have adopted this concept, so there’s nothing to be surprised about). Chuwi tablets (the review proved it) come to the market with the Windows logo instead of the “Home” button, like on “apple” devices. On the back cover of the device, at the same time, we see the Chuwi company logo and some huge Chinese letters near it. Obviously, the manufacturer focused on the fact that the supply of devices will be established within the country, and not to foreign markets. Below the caption is an advertisement for Intel.
In terms of some navigation elements, the authors of the device did not show us anything new: here is the standard layout and universal design of all the nodes that the gadget owner is used to working with. Well, perhaps, on the left side is an open slot for a memory card.
Screen
An important role in the presentation of any tablet is played by the characteristic of its display. After all, this is the main way to obtain information from the device and manage it. The Chuwi tablet is no exception, so its characteristics also emphasize high-quality components installed on such an affordable device: we are talking about an 8-inch display that uses IPS technology, which has a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels.
According to customer reviews, the Chuwi Vi8 tablet has a fairly bright screen that allows you to transfer all color gamut and saturation as accurately as possible. In the reviews, the best examples are an illustration of how the game loads on the tablet. If the device is able to colorfully convey the entire gameplay of even the most “difficult” game, then it can be positively noted.
In addition to colors, you can also praise the sharpness of the image, its accuracy. When interacting with the display, the user will not notice a single “blurry” pixel: the whole picture is completely made in a very sharp form, so the lines are transmitted very accurately.
operating system
As noted above, the tablet is offered for sale with the operating system Windows 8.1. It is interesting in terms of interaction, user experience and some unique moments for this OS. However, some users do not like this, which is why they choose the option of a tablet that works on two OSs, depending on the switch (Android and Windows Phone).
If you use Windows, the development company offers certain advantages on its part. For example, it may be the use of some software product (Office 360) or a similar service. With such bonuses, Microsoft lures users for its system, although, as many reviews describe, the process does not go so smoothly. The system architecture, its logic, some features seem unusual to many. Because of this, for ordinary users, Android and iOS are more interesting and promising.
Autonomy
The Windows Phone operating system should be more economical in terms of power consumption. So, if in the technical specifications it is stated that the gadget is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh, this means that this power source will be enough to ensure the operation of the device for 8-10 hours in moderate use.
You can increase this period if you take measures to save battery. For example, you can switch to the corresponding saving mode, or take an extra battery with you in order to connect it when necessary. In the end, as the reviews show, there is such a problem as the sudden “depletion” of the battery. As a result, the tablet may begin to lose charge many times faster than before. It will help in such a case to repair the Chuwi tablet , which can be carried out in any service center.
Communication
The communications available to us on this tablet also keep up with what other gadgets show off. Here is almost the entire typical set of “Android” devices: a Bluetooth module and a Wi-Fi adapter, as well as the ability to send data via microUSB. Not enough, perhaps, a GPS-receiver, but to demand it for $ 100 in a device with such cool characteristics is already impudence.
Reviews
What recommendations can be found about Chuwi tablets? Reviews show that the device is really worth your attention. Those characteristics with which developers attract the interest of buyers to their brainchild correspond to reality: a powerful processor, large RAM, an excellent screen. The overall rating of the gadget ranges from 4-5 points.
From the negative reviews, you can find the opinions of those whose Chuwi tablet does not turn on for unknown reasons (as these users write, the problem is solved by flashing), as well as those who believe that the device does not have the most pleasant design or a weak camera; someone does not like the lack of a GPS module.
Opinions may be different, but the popularity of the tablet and the increase in the number of its users indicate that the model has interested the market. Today in stores you can find several types of modifications for every taste and color.