Asus is known for its quality yet affordable 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 salable 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 appearance, the devices are identical. In the review, we will describe both Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CXG and FE380CG in parallel.
Positioning and cost of the gadget
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 have 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.
More about the package andthe characteristics that Asus Fonepad 8 has, read on. But, of course, one should take into account what niche (in the price segment) in the market manufacturers have taken for this device.
Tablet accessories
The review traditionally begins 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 in general when opening the box with his new gadget.
So, with the packaging from Asus, everything is very simple. The device is located on top, and on the bottom 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 Asus Fonepad 8 (case or film for example) will have to be purchased separately. This can be done both in official, “white” hardware stores, and at some Chinese auctions - this is already up to the buyer.
Appearance
The second indicator is the design itself. According to the technical description, the model can be found in white, black, blue, red and gold colors. Obviously, such a set makes it possible to choose a device to your liking.
Attractive in the front of the tablet are thin bezels around the display. In terms of 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.
Material from which it is madeThe Asus Fonepad 8 tablet is no different - it is plastic with a fine texture. Thanks to her, the device fits comfortably in the hand, which is a pleasure. The navigation keys are traditionally located on the right side surface, while on the left there is a cover that hides SIM card slots (there are two of them in Fonepad 8) and a slot for installing a memory card.
The charging port is installed at the top of the gadget - next to it is a 3.5mm headphone jack. Such an arrangement of all systems allows you to handle the device in a way that is convenient for the owner - to hold it in a horizontal or vertical orientation, with one or two hands. Also, while we were testing our Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG, we noticed a reduced weight of the device (the specifications mention 328 grams).
Display
The device is equipped with 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 noticeable graininess when watching HD video. In sunlight, you will need to set the maximum brightness for comfortable work.
Also, as described in the specifications of Asus Fonepad 8, the screen of the tablet has a special oleophobic coating, which significantly reduces the number of fingerprints during use. This is convenient, because it is really difficult to work on gadgets without one.
Processor
In terms of "dry" characteristics, the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG tablet does not have the strongest 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 Qualcomm tablets are able to give, but at the everyday level of working with the device you will not notice this - all the colorful games run on the device without any hitches. This can only be explained by the mass of work carried out on the product by the developers.
As evidenced by Asus Fonepad 8 reviews, the tablet can get very hot in the upper left side of the case. It was there that the processor was placed.
Operating system
Since the release date of the tablet to the world is 2014, the current Android 4.4.2 OS was initially 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 the 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 will be able to function without additional charging.
Asus Fonepad 8 (3G) is fairly autonomous. The technical parameters claim a 3950 mAh battery, which is average for an 8-inch tablet. If you use the device for 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% of the charge per night. In general, there are no complaints about autonomy, since the compact dimensions of the tablet and the optimized economical charge consumption allow us to talk about such low power consumption.
Communication
The tablet provides for the use of 2 SIM cards - we have already reported about this above. There is also a module for data exchange in GSM format, which allows you to talk over mobile communications. True, the organization of the work of the cards is such that the tablet will not be able to simultaneously maintain the activity of both SIMs at once. When one is turned on, the second is out of range.
Besides GSM, Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16GB) supports Bluetooth (to transfer files to other devices and receive them), GPS (navigation using a satellite signal). To work with mobile Internet, there is support for 3G / LTE. Also, to interact with a wireless fixed Internet connection, Asus Fonepad 8 has a Wi-Fi module. Thus, the gadget is fully “charged” with technological capabilities to work online.
Camera
Already according to the classical scheme, two cameras are installed on the tablet - the front one (with a resolution of 2 megapixels) and the main one (on5 MP). 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 shooting much better.
In their recommendations, customers talk about different camera modes, which include panoramic shooting, single 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 has access to a fourfold increase, in which both text and an object with small details remain visible.
Memory
Initially available in Asus Fonepad 8 16Gb of memory, of which system files make up about 5.2 GB; the rest is available for download. However, this is not all - the tablet's capabilities are wider due to the slot for a memory card. According to the reviews, there are no problems with 64 GB cards, while some 128 GB ones can cause the tablet to work unstable. Therefore, we recommend not to use them.
Multimedia
Video and audio can be played using the standard player from Asus, which has enough settings for a better display. If you study the reviews left about the device's audio capabilities, we can conclude that the sound quality here is high - both in the case of playback in headphones and when working with an external speaker. the onlythe disadvantage, perhaps, can be called a low volume - but this is not so significant and does not interfere with enjoying your favorite tracks.
The tablet loads video files without any problems; the only thing is that files with a DTS or AC3 audio track can be played with a problem that can be solved only 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 here.
User reviews of the tablet
We managed to find a lot of information about our tablet. Users who use the Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CXG have said a lot about their devices. For example, many people say that for basic tasks (browsing mail, reading books, surfing the Internet or working with video), there is no better device due to its compactness, affordability and functionality. Other users insist that the tablet has a lot of shortcomings, including stuttering, various errors and crashes in applications, and a poor 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 any 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's give an example: someone will call the ability to work 6 hours on a single charge an advantage, while for another it is a significant drawback. Again, everythingdepends on what you need from Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16Gb) and what to expect when buying it.
Flaws
Since we have already described the positive qualities of the device 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 excessive workload of RAM. This leads to the fact that the system begins to hang heavily, and the processor to heat up. Running any other applications in this case is very difficult. It is possible that the failure is caused by some kind of system software error (since the same 2 GB of RAM is not easy to “score in”). Reboot helps to solve the problem, judging by the reviews.
Another shortcoming 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. What causes this kind of error is hard to say. Some note that, perhaps, the whole thing is in the loaded RAM, which needs to be periodically cleared. For this purpose, standard “cleaners” programs that are available on Google Play are suitable.
Also, as another flaw, users note the creaking of the case. Most likely, it will not be possible to fix this shortcoming, since it is caused by incorrect assembly.apparatus. However, the progress of the panels is hardly noticeable - you can detect it only if you press on the upper edge of the case. The problem is not so serious, it's just unfortunate that the developers did not consider this issue thoughtfully enough.
Conclusion
Tell about Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG (16Gb), as well as about any other device, you can talk 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, it is simply unrealistic to fit it all into one article.
As for the shortcomings that the tablet is endowed with, you can find out about them only after you take it into your own hands and work on your own for at least a few days. Only in this way can the user determine how convenient this or that device 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 also managed to come across some negative reviews, such as “Asus logo placed on the front screen” or “Ugly ZenUI icons”. It is obvious that 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 one.
And as for the Fonepad 8, this is a budget device with a lot of features that can become a reliable assistant if you are satisfied with its parameters. And the positive qualities and shortcomings of the apparatus can only be judged based onown point of view.
