Xiaomi laptops and tablets. Xiaomi laptops and tablets Huawei s7 tablet
With the release of the Apple iPad, manufacturers one way or another reconsidered their attitude towards tablet PCs and the announcements of RoverPad 3W G70 and Huawei Ideas Tablet S7 didn't look revolutionary. But after inviting us to test the latter, we agreed with interest and would like to introduce you to an unusual device from a Chinese manufacturer, a tablet running Android 2.1 OS based on a 768MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512Mb RAM and 8Gb flash memory.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Design and Features
Let's face it, when we received the device from the courier, we were somewhat confused - what, how? No longer a phone, but also not a computer, not a netbook, some kind of intermediate and unusual niche. However, the eyes are afraid, but the hands are busy, and work with Huawei Ideos S7 was based precisely on this principle. We will begin our story, according to tradition, with the body of the device and gradually reach the software component and operating experience.
The monoblock case of the new product has the following dimensions - 209 x 108 x 15.5 mm and 500 grams of weight. It’s hard to say whether it’s a lot or a little, because... there is nothing special to compare with (for statistics - Apple iPad, 242.8 x 189.7 x 13.4 mm at 680/730 grams, RoverPad 3W G70, 190 x 120 x 12 mm at 360 grams). In operation, the size of the device evokes dual feelings: on the one hand, holding it in your hand, you feel reliability, and on the other, for example, when reading, it feels heavy. Transportation will not be difficult, the S7 will fit into most even small bags, and on the eve of autumn and winter, you can try to fit it into the inner pocket of outerwear. Thanks to the rounded corners and smooth edges, the tablet will not cling to protrusions, which is valuable. The Huawei S7 case materials are a competent symbiosis of metal and plastic: the front panel is made of plastic, surrounded by a metal frame, which at the junction of the case halves comes into contact with the anthracite-colored plastic of the rear panel. In addition, on the back panel there is a metal battery cover and a frame-stand for placing the tablet on a flat surface. It is worth noting that all the few details are tightly and intelligently fitted to each other, which creates the impression of a monolith and reliability.
There are really few design elements if there is a touch screen - most of the manipulations are assigned to it, so let's start with it. This is a 7-inch matrix with a resolution of 800x480 pixels with a touch-screen. The screen is resistive, which makes it susceptible to both finger pressure and stylus control (the latter, by the way, is neatly hidden on the back panel and at first can be mistaken for a technological plug). The picture quality of the Huawei S7 screen is good - the colors are saturated, the brightness is sufficient for most situations with a margin, the viewing angles, although not maximum, are generally decent. Pressure sensitivity is good, but not perfect - a capacitive screen would be more responsive and accurate.
On both sides of the screen there are two vertical stripes: on the left are the standard Android keys "home", "menu", "back", and on the right - the camera, call keys surrounding a small control touch-pad and a microphone hole at the bottom. With the exception of a kind of joystick, the rest of the buttons, no matter how they look like they are touch sensitive, are not, but due to their size and noticeable travel they are comfortable to use. As you understand, gripping the device looks like holding it under the “back” with the phalanges of the four fingers of each hand, and pressing the buttons with your thumbs.
The side faces are filled even more modestly - on the left there is a small recess in which one of the speakers is hidden under the mesh and next to it is a miniature volume rocker. On the right, diametrically opposite, there is a second speaker in a similar design, a microUSB interface connector and a plug socket charger. Alas, and this is a significant minus in our opinion, the device cannot be charged from USB (perhaps the manufacturer will correct something by the time of release, but for now this is the case).
On top panel, located in the corners, there is a small power button, which also turns off the screen and a classic 3.5mm mini-jack audio connector. The bottom panel of the case, on the contrary, has gathered its elements together, in the center is the cradle connector (purchased separately) and the compartment-sled for the card microSD memory on a protruding console.
The reverse side of the tablet contains the frame-stand already described above, which reclines in two positions (approximately 55 and 85 degrees) and a battery compartment, the metal cover of which is directly tied to the frame described above. The frame covers the bottom of the lid, where there is a recess for removing it - so you need to snap off the frame, then pry the lid up with your fingernail and pull it up.
Under the cover, in a recess, there is a small removable battery that covers the SIM card compartment located on the left. The card connector is a recess with a contact pad and a transverse fixing bracket. It’s convenient that you can put a couple more SIM cards in the recess on top if you set yourself the task of optimal use of the Internet from mobile operators and not be afraid of losing them.
Huawei S7:: Review:: User interface
Despite the fact that this is a tablet PC, it still has an operating system familiar to our readers - Android 2.1, although with some “add-ons” from the manufacturer, concerning both additional applications and the main screen shell, we’ll start with it.
Traditionally for operating system, there is always more than one main screen, and in the case of our guest there are ten. The value or importance of each of them is equal, so decide for yourself which one to choose at one time or another. Wallpaper in this case are extended panoramic frames that smoothly flow from screen to screen, animated pictures or your own images/snapshots, which must first be adjusted to size using the appropriate software.
The filling of the default screens is not for everyone - traditional and branded widgets are initially found on each, and then through one display, according to the types from the bottom functional line - home page, web, entertainment, communication, favorites (as well as the menu key). The location of shortcuts and widgets is tied to a kind of screen grid and their number depends on each specific element - there are both small widgets and giant ones. Moving, like deleting, is accomplished by holding until the element increases in size. Then it can be shifted or moved to the place of the menu key, which is replaced at this moment by the basket.
The upper left corner of the screen(s) contains a laconic digital clock, and the right one contains active indicators for Bluetooth, WiFi, brightness, cellular network, batteries and notification areas. The latter, as before, appears layered on top of the desktop and includes two columns - notifications and tasks, that is, received events and open applications. From the notification area you can either go to the application or close it, which is very convenient and clear.
The main menu, as opposed to the notification area, is spread out on the desktop from below by pressing the corresponding key. This is an 8x4 matrix that is not initially completely filled with icons and they are added to the root as they are installed. The menu background remains unchanged and is a dark gray “chainmail” wallpaper. The icons, on the contrary, are colorful, well drawn and have white captions underneath them. The static nature of the icons is generally perceived as normal and does not cause any negativity. The location is as follows - alphabetically, first Latin names, then Cyrillic, without the possibility of customization. Submenus are simpler and are often designed as a vertical list of text options, in white font on a black background.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Telephone service
Calls is the second tab in the general telephony menu. There are both incoming and outgoing calls, and they are not grouped by name or contact number. That is, if you called the same number five times, five lines will appear in the list with the time of each call and an indication of how long ago it was, for example, “5 days ago.” Directly from the list, you can view the entry in more detail and immediately call, send a message or add the number to your address book.
The first tab is the dialer, “buttons”. The 4 columns of keys contain 3 keys each, and the bottom row contains the voicemail key, the button to make a call and delete the last character entered. If you hold down the dialed number, a menu pops up allowing you to edit what you entered.
The third tab is contacts with an unlimited number of subscribers, each of whom is asked to add:
You can also specify a photo or picture of the subscriber, which is done in a small window at the very beginning of the “questionnaire”.
If more than one number has been added to a contact, then when you select it in the general list before dialing, an additional window will be called up to determine which number to call, after which you can specify the default number and the dialogue will not be repeated in the future. Unfortunately, you cannot select a different default number for sending SMS. However, when you open a contact, you can send a message to any of the specified numbers - each number has its own button.
Favorites is the fourth tab. The entries that you use most often or that you have marked in advance are displayed here.
Let us remind you that we still have a tablet in front of us and call service is not a priority for it, which is why the GSM module is more necessary for GPRS\EDGE. It is better to make calls using Ideos S7 through a headset, so as not to shock others with the “speakerphone” during a conversation.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Messages
Everything is simple here: a field for entering a number and a field for text, we type numbers or the first letters of the contact’s name and get possible recipients, of which you can select several. What is inconvenient is that there is no way to view all phone book. The text input field is also as simple as possible - a small window at the bottom of the screen, while the main field is left for the “sheet” of correspondence. Unfortunately, there is no notification about merged messages or the number of characters. But it is possible to select (in whole or in part), copy and paste text. By clicking on the menu button, you can add emoticons to the message, view the entire chain of communications with the selected contact, attach attachments, specify a subject (here sms is automatically transformed into mms) and delete the entire message thread. By the way, a message thread is messages grouped by phone number, both sent and received. In the messages section there are no Inbox or Outbox folders at all, everything is put into one list. It would seem unusual, but very convenient. By the way, the message is saved in drafts only if the recipient's number is specified.
E-mail is placed in a separate menu item and upon first contact you are asked to configure the mailbox: we enter all the data, login, password, server addresses and ports, after which we can use it. There were no problems with encodings; attachments are accepted correctly, but you can only save and view those that the phone supports. So, a picture in *.jpg format was easily saved, but a book in *.fb2 was no longer there - the phone did not recognize it as a supported format. You can add pictures to the attachment, the device automatically opens a folder with images to add them, and does not let you go anywhere else.
Mail checking can be done either manually or automatically every 5-10-15-30-60 minutes (with or without sound notification about receiving new letters). The email client looks standard: the Inbox appears first, and corresponding folders are created when you send or save drafts. Selecting and editing text works the same way as in messages, which is logical.
For a Google mail account, there is a separate item in the main menu, Gmail. The account setup occurs automatically at the first start, because... Almost everyone is tied to it Google services, from a notebook to a market. Otherwise, there is no significant difference with the “nameless” post office.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Organizer, office
The photo album selects all pictures from the device’s memory and displays them either by date/geotag or as a gallery wall. Open image you can simply scroll vertically with your finger, or start a slide show. Additional functions - sending a photo via email, Bluetooth, mms, or posting to Facebook and Picasa, deleting or rotating, cropping or linking to a map. When rotated, the position of the frame is saved and will be immediately displayed in the last selected position during further viewing.
Alarm clocks can be configured from the application of the same name: the time and days of alarm can be configured, signal repetitions, alarm melody, and you can add vibration to the melody. After this, all alarms are displayed in a single vertical list, from which you can simply deactivate them with one tap.
The calendar is separated into a separate application and by default displays the current month in full screen, where the current date is grayed out. The pop-up menu provides access to the agenda (current date), week, settings and creating a new event. For the last item, you need to set a name and date/time, as well as, if desired, a location, description, repeat period and synchronization with Google calendar. In the settings, you can hide rejected events, select a notification, melody and activate vibration, as well as set a default reminder time.
A notes service with a choice of background color for notes will allow you to create both handwritten notifications and those typed on a virtual keyboard. A simple, but at the same time convenient service, in demand with the current screen size.
The default calculator is classic (an adding machine), but you can enable an advanced panel with trigonometric functions, logarithms, pi, e, square roots, and parentheses.
File manager is a visually simple style tool classic menu operating system: two tabs at the top contain memory types - built-in and microSD card, and below, in vertical lists, available files and folders are located. The functions are all standard - cut, copy, delete, search, new folder and memory status information.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Communications
The tablet is designed to work in GSM networks, there is support for communications
WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA / HSUPA and USB 2.0.
The Wi-Fi module works flawlessly, quickly finds available networks, supports WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption, allows you to add networks manually and remembers previously connected ones.
Bluetooth supports A2DP protocol and communication with wireless headphones keeps stable, files are also transferred without problems.
Huawei S7:: Review:: GPS
GPS software includes proprietary maps ( Google Maps, 4.1.0). If you don't take into account the fact that Google Maps' current location is downloaded from the Internet, we can say that the application is more than correct. The first launch will be marked with information about innovations in the current version, after which the communicator goes online without a prior request.
The settings are familiar to most users of this application:
Huawei S7:: Review:: Camera
The application start time is not lightning fast, with some delay. The working area of the screen is given over to the viewfinder, and in the right column there is a preview of the last frame taken, information icons for selecting photos and videos, and a shutter button. On the right is a “curtain” of functions that can also be called up with the “menu” key. Among them:
For video, the settings are as follows:
As you understand, the settings are not rich, however, the tablet’s camera is the same as the front one (2 megapixel CMOS without flash), so it’s not very suitable for shooting anything other than yourself, but for these tasks it has everything you need. You can evaluate the quality of the images from the test frames proposed below; they will more than clearly tell you about this shooting parameter.
Huawei S7:: Review:: Applications
Huawei S7 is equipped with a small, but quite interesting and popular set of applications designed to provide advanced functionality right out of the box. Among them:
Huawei S7:: Review:: Impressions and conclusions
Let's summarize the story. Let's try, because the scope of application of the Huawei S7 tablet is not completely clear to us, perhaps we looked at it the wrong way, from the wrong angle. Judge for yourself, as a reader - it’s a bit heavy and not too cheap. To watch videos, the size is debatable and requires additional software, although the latter is not so critical. For music it is absolutely huge. It’s beautiful as a photo frame on a table, but again it’s pricey and you’ll have to keep the power adapter on all the time - the battery can’t boast high performance battery life. The Internet is quite good for surfing, but it lacks multi-touch, although this is nitpicking. Use as a terminal to access social media Facebook, Twitter, etc. ideal, but isn't it too narrow for a tablet? It seemed to us that the S7 is a pleasant device for entertainment, but not for work and office functions, although in general, if necessary and with installed software, it can cope with these tasks. It’s nice to receive it as a gift and when you receive it, it’s impossible not to be happy, the first impression is truly wonderful. We would name the resistive screen, battery life, the only front camera and the lack of charging via microUSB as significant disadvantages, but this is more likely for the manufacturer. On the other hand, there is already information that a sample with a capacitive screen and a 2-megapixel camera on the “back” in addition to the front one has appeared at the Russian representative office of Huawei.
|
|
Internet tablet Huawei IDEOS S7 managed by operating room Android system 2.1 and is built on a processor operating at 768 MHz. The tablet is equipped with a 7-inch touch screen with a resolution of 800x480 with touch-screen support.
Tablet features good quality materials and assembly. The resistive screen is responsive to finger pressure and stylus control, allowing you to enter information using both handwritten notifications and the virtual keyboard. The Huawei S7 screen produces good picture quality: rich colors with sufficient brightness and a decent viewing angle.
The tablet has a built-in front 2 megapixel camera for participating in video chats. The tablet is configured to work in GSM networks, and it has support for communications wireless communication WiFi, Bluetooth, HSDPA/HSUPA, GPRS/EDGE and USB 2.0.
To listen to audio files, you can use standard headphones with a 3.5mm mini-jack plug or an A2DP headset.
Huawei S7 is a pleasant and convenient device for entertainment. It is ideal as a terminal for communicating on various social networks: Facebook, Twitter, etc. It is less suitable for work or office functions, although if you install the necessary software, the tablet will cope with these tasks.
One charge of a 2200 mAh battery is enough for 2 hours of operation during intensive web surfing or reading with 3G or Wi-Fi modules turned on.
The growing number of seven-inch tablets clearly demonstrates to us new market trends: the ten-inch format is gradually being replaced, just like all others. In addition, seven inches turned out to be the optimal size for budget segment, which is its main supplier. The new product from Huawei, however, does not completely play by the rules.
Review of Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim: “seven” for pensioners
Having called Huawei IDEOS S7 the word “slim” (thin), the Chinese comrades clearly got excited. Although its thickness is formally 12 mm, with a weight of 400 grams and rather rounded sides, they are no longer felt. The tablet looks quite bulky, and after thin and elegant models Samsung latest generations ( Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7) this impression only intensifies. But let's be fair, in its price niche the tablet performs on an equal footing.
Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim
From the front, the S7 looks like all other tablets and doesn't stand out much. Glossy black screen, to the right of which there are three touch buttons (“Home”, “Menu” and “Back” - as in Sony Ericsson, Huawei wisely got rid of the “Search” button), and on the left is the lens front camera and a light sensor. The plastic case is white and there is a rather wide metal (or metallized) strip running in the center at the back, which divides the case into two unequal parts. Under the removable bottom part there is a battery and a slot for a SIM card, but under the top there is nothing at all that could somehow be removed or moved: why it was made removable at all remains a mystery. But we must admit that from a design point of view, the “back” turned out to be quite nice.
The tablet has the ability to connect a docking station
On the left side there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a stereo speaker and a volume rocker. For some reason, the location of the latter turned out to be quite inconvenient - it’s impossible to find the swing by touch at first. At the bottom there is a proprietary interface connector with a magnetic mount for the docking station (hello Apple MagSafe) and a slot for hot-swappable micro-SD cards. On the right side you can find micro-USB and mini-HDMI connectors, as well as a second stereo speaker. At the top there is a power button and a hole for the power adapter plug.
Epic fail
The biggest and most noticeable disadvantage of this model is the screen. If you have read ours (including preliminary ones), then you have already noticed that they have slowly begun to acquire screens with sufficient high resolution: from 1024x600 (budget) to 1280x768 (premium). And it’s all the more strange to see even in a new, albeit budget tablet today, a screen with a resolution of 480x800, which today is more typical for smartphones than tablets.
Screen performance leaves much to be desired
You can remember a year ago with almost the same screen - and emphasize the word “annual”. World information technologies does not stand still, and offering in 2011 to a spoiled consumer technology from a year and a half ago for the price of today is an unforgivable miscalculation for the engineers of one of the largest electronics manufacturers.
Another disadvantage is that the touch buttons to the right of the screen are completely invisible without backlight. You can find them in the dark only if you get used to the gadget, but at first the user will definitely get confused.
And the last minus is the viewing angles. They are very small, and the tablet, placed at an angle, loses all its colors. In defense of the screen, we can only say that it is not the worst in terms of tactile sensations: its sensitivity is at a fairly high level, although it certainly cannot be compared with more modern displays.
Standard set of connectors
Taking it apart piece by piece
The first impression of the tablet, as you may have guessed, was not the most pleasant. Let's now see what Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim has to offer in terms of performance.
The “fiery engine” of the new product is the well-known and inexpensive single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with a frequency of 1 GHz. RAM – 512 MB, internal – 8 GB, there is also an expansion slot for micro-SD cards, as already mentioned above.
Means for expanding tablet memory are familiar to many users
Wireless communication is provided by Bluetooth 2.1 protocols with EDR, WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n), GPS module with aGPS, as well as 3G, EDGE, HSDPA and HSUPA standards. The latter should be noted as a significant plus of the tablet - even today, not all “state employees” have the ability to install SIM cards. The device has 2 cameras – a rear three-megapixel and a front one with a resolution of 0.3 MP.
The gadget has a removable battery with a capacity of 3250 mAh. This is enough for about a day and a half of work in medium intensity mode (games, applications, navigation, video, music). If you like to watch movies on the go, your battery will drain faster.
By the way, about recharging. For power, a separate, monstrous-looking multifunctional cable is used, consisting of three cables ending in one full-length USB port. The solution is not widespread, but it has its advantages - if you like to take a bunch of gadgets with you on a trip, the functional charging from the S7 will serve you well. Contrary to popular belief, the tablet can also be recharged from a computer via a USB port, but this happens so slowly (literally less than 10% charge per hour) that it is better not to do this. This is definitely worth considering as an advantage, because... the closest competitors do not charge from a PC at all. In the case of the S7, this feature is implemented more for maintaining the charge than for full charging. But it’s worth criticizing for the length of the micro-USB cable; it is impossibly short - only 17 cm.
Not every tablet can boast a removable battery
Interface
Usually, interfaces for mobile operating systems still retain some features of the original. In the case of the S7, we are dealing with a very serious redesign, and one might even say that little remains of the original. In this respect, the tablet differs sharply from the IDEOS X5 smartphone, which did not install any proprietary interface at all.
First, let's mention that the gadget from Huawei works on Android versions 2.2, for which one can scold him. But with a branded shell, for which, in general, it’s not a sin to praise.
Home page widgets are cramped, but not offensive
Take, for example, the traditional main menu window. Standard Android typically offers between one and seven main windows to which the user can add shortcuts and widgets. There is also a permanent group of shortcuts at the bottom of the screen. In S7, the main window was slightly redesigned and presented in five groups: Main, Internet, Entertainment, Communications and Favorites. Each of these shortcuts offers to work with two windows of its own type. That is, formally, only two windows are allocated for ordinary shortcuts and widgets. But in fact, these are 10 windows of regular Android, divided into thematic areas, in each of which you can place any shortcuts and widgets. Nobody bothers you to place the browser shortcut, say, in “Entertainment”. There's enough space for everything. Even though branded widgets take up half the window each.
If you go further through the windows, then in the “Internet” group on the first window two widgets are preinstalled: news from Yahoo and bookmarks for the main Western services: Google, Picasa, Yahoo and MSN. The next window contains the main shortcuts to Internet applications. The Entertainment shortcut group offers two large widgets in the first window music app and videos, the second window is entirely dedicated to the gallery.
We need to take a closer look at the “Communication” group of shortcuts, since here we are dealing with the proprietary Emotion email application. “Proprietary” in this case does not mean that you will be required to create an account in some proprietary email system: it is a pre-installed email client that allows you to check mail and write new letters in any mailer (provided that you know all the necessary POP3 servers , SMTP and others). This group also allows you to write SMS, make calls (!) using stereo speakers (or headphones) and a microphone and control notebook. In general, they tried to make a bulky phone out of a tablet.
The last group of shortcuts, Favorites, offers two large widgets - a calendar and a scheduler.
The set of applications complies with Android OS standards
The status bar at the top also became different. The clock in it moved to the left corner, the traditional icons remained on the right, except for one - with the letter i. When you click on this icon, a window opens to control wireless interfaces, auto-rotate and screen brightness with one button; in the right half of the window there is a task manager with the ability to end any applications with “one click”; on the left are notifications.
Convenience and discomfort
Even the standard browser has undergone changes, and here we need to praise the developers, because this only benefited the application. To be honest, the proprietary browser that comes with systems on Android based, is extremely poor and offers very little to the user. You can even open no more than four tabs. In S7, the browser acquired a status bar at the bottom of the screen (and it does not include the address entry line, which is traditionally located at the top), which is constantly present and contains all the necessary information: the number of open tabs, forward/backward buttons, a button to open a new tab (by the way , you can open not 4, but as many as 11 tabs) and a menu button with additional functions, access to bookmarks, time in digital format, etc.
The Android Market interface in S7 differs from the standard one, but it differs unexpectedly - it duplicates the Market interface that you could see when working on an “adult” PC. It is quite possible that this is it, and the Huawei developers simply did not bother redoing it standard interface to yours. And this is rather a virtue, because... The interface turned out to be convenient and functional.
Unfortunately, additional settings are required to work online
Of the pre-installed branded applications, not counting the above widgets, the only one that can be noted is the Aldico “reader”. Although it is quite inconvenient to read on such a grainy screen...
The main question: how convenient is it to work with all this? Alas, not very much. Due to the not very good screen, the standard keyboard called IME is difficult to press, false hits happen quite often, and the dictionary is very poor. Swype is not pre-installed on the system, and installing it over the IME also failed. In general, the convenience of the keyboard on a scale of ten is somewhere around a four.
Two-way communication
Communication with the computer in the IDEOS S7 Slim is quite confusing. Firstly, upon startup file manager(included in the kit) it turned out that the tablet has two flash cards: for one of them it accepts its own gigabytes, and not all of them, but only 4 GB, the rest of the volume (about 3.5 GB) is given to the system. The user card is displayed under the name sdcard2.
An inconvenient touch keyboard affects the user's speed on the Internet
Secondly, when you first connect, it turns out that you need to install drivers, and it is advisable to install proprietary software called Hi-Suite, with which you can synchronize contacts, messages, view the list of applications (and also remove them from the PC), and also take screenshots . A quick glance at the application gives a positive impression: nothing is buggy, everything is quite modest and well made, all functions work - and in general there are no complaints about Hi Suite. For this, the tablet gets its piece of the cake.
Past
Camera. It’s precisely the interface of the three-megapixel camera that hasn’t been changed at all, not to mention any improvements. The camera allows you to choose the picture size, quality, one of three effects, geotagging, white balance and four times zoom. Which makes terrible pictures even worse.
Yes, alas, photography is far from the strongest feature of the Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim. The same goes for video shooting - for example, it is programmatically limited to thirty minutes, and among the additional options there is only a choice of white balance and the same three effects. The photo quality leaves much to be desired, autofocus is weak, colors are faded, pictures are unclear and blurry. And the video—guess it three times—is “jerky.”
Test shots Huawei cameras IDEOS S7 Slim
 |
 |
Although you can make video calls using the front camera. With all his poor quality, she turned out to be very smart.
Bottom line
To sum it up, the gadget turned out to be ambiguous. Weak screen (by the way, its operating speed is quite high due to the average screen, good processor and sufficient amount of RAM), very high price (on average 11,000 rubles) and almost no set of branded applications. On the other hand, there is a carefully redesigned proprietary shell, interesting solution with a charger (and the very possibility of recharging from a computer is expensive). Here you can also add a high-quality software package for synchronization with the desktop, acceptable battery life and interesting, varied widgets. Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim would have the right to the title of “hit” if it went on sale a year ago, or if it now had a price 1.5-2 times lower. However, despite all this, it still has the right to commercial success, and let’s not forget that in the class of inexpensive devices, rarely does anyone manage to release a flawless gadget.
The Huawei S7 tablet presented last year has been improved, resulting in a continuation of this model. The device called Huawei Ideos S7 Slim offers a more interesting set of options. So, instead of a resistive screen, a capacitive screen was installed, the size of the device was significantly reduced, and the functions of the phone were preserved.
Design and Features
Traditionally, the tablet is made in a monoblock case, where plastic predominates. The dimensions of the device are as follows: 200 x 109.5 x 12.5 mm, weight 400 g. For comparison, last year's Huawei S7 had dimensions of 209 x 108 x 15.5 mm, it weighed 500 g. As you can see, the difference between the models in practice is quite palpable. The gadget has noticeably lost weight and become lighter. The device has lost metal parts, due to which excess weight has been removed. This had a positive effect on ease of use; now it has become more convenient to carry the tablet with you. Of course, you won’t be able to put it in your jeans pocket; after all, it’s not a phone. However, the device can be put in a jacket pocket, given the approaching cold weather and the need to change the summer wardrobe. The plastic shell of the device evokes only positive emotions. Here they didn’t go overboard with the materials and offered a simple and functional solution. The sides of the device, as well as the back, are made of matte plastic. This means that the user does not have to worry about possible scratches on the surface. The front part is traditionally covered with gloss; it needs to be wiped regularly so that no traces of touch remain. The build of the tablet is very good. Back cover It fits very tightly, it is quite difficult to remove it, it requires considerable effort. There are no other removable parts here, the body is monolithic and feels like a single whole.
The tablet display has retained its previous dimensions. It offers WVGA resolution, which is 800x480 with a diagonal of 7 inches. Now the screen has become capacitive, and there is no need to use a stylus. The display responds well to touch, accurately processes presses without making erroneous actions. The picture here is good and bright. The maximum illumination level is sufficient for comfortable work indoors. Horizontal viewing angles are flawless, but vertically the picture is distorted if you just turn the tablet slightly away from you.
The fact that the tablet is designed for the user to hold it in both palms is indicated not only by the weight of the device, but also by the location of the buttons. The keys are arranged in a column on the right. The set is standard for the Android platform. These are Home, Options, Back. The touch buttons are backlit, which helps in the dark. Pressing may be accompanied by vibration. On the other side of the screen there is a light sensor and a VGA camera.
Each side of the tablet is distinguished by the presence of additional elements. There are stereo speakers on the left and right sides. On the left side you can also see a miniHDMI connector and a microUSB port. Moreover, the gadget cannot be charged from the latter. To do this, a special charger socket located on the left corner will be used. On the right there is a small screen lock key. It also turns off the device itself. At the bottom end you can find a slot for a microSD memory card, which is inserted into it, but there is no protective cap. There is also a proprietary port that will allow you to connect the tablet and the docking station. On the right side there is a useful 3.5 mm audio output for headphones. Below is the volume button, which is made almost flush with the surface of the case.
The back of the tablet is divided into two unequal parts by a steel insert. It indicates that the device belongs to the Ideos line of models in a silver font. There is also a square cutout in which the camera lens is located. The battery lies under a large removable plastic cover. It holds very tightly and is removed with great effort. The tablet has a hole for a SIM card. To insert it, you will need to remove the battery and install the card in a special slot.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: User interface
The tablet invites the user to plunge into the world of the Android platform. Version 2.2.2 is installed here, which offers a proprietary shell. The main screen displays all the necessary information. Information is displayed in the upper right corner. There are icons here wireless connections, quick brightness level adjustment, battery charge indicator. In addition, you can open a large auxiliary menu with one touch. It will consist of an expanded list of icons that correspond to various connections, a notification column will open and a column will display running applications. Right from here you can open the program or stop its functioning.
In total, the tablet offers ten desktops, which in turn are divided into five categories. This is the main page, Internet, entertainment, communication, favorites. You can add not only standard widgets, shortcuts or folders to each section. Among other things, branded widgets are installed for additional convenience. Initially, a ready-made screen design style is offered, but if desired, you can change it, customizing it in the most convenient manner for yourself. Elements are inserted either through the pop-up menu or by holding your finger on the screen. You can decorate the background using pictures that are selected from the photo gallery. In addition to static images, you can also choose animated “live” wallpapers.
The lock screen allows you to see service data, including time, date and carrier name. The two icons located to the left are responsible for unlocking the screen and putting the device into silent mode. To do this, you need to swipe up or down with your finger while holding the icon.
In the lower right corner there is a place for an icon that opens the device menu itself. It consists of numerous program shortcuts, which are arranged eight per line. Icons are organized alphabetically by name. As new applications are added to the device's memory, the icon matrix becomes larger.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Phone book
The tablet will allow you to use it not only as a multimedia gadget, but also as a means for making calls. The speaker will allow you to communicate via speakerphone, since there is no separate conversation area here. The more likely scenario is to use a headset for conversations; this option is much more convenient. To dial a number, large keys are used, where only Latin characters are printed. Searching by name does not work here, but the device allows you to select suitable contacts based on the order of the entered numbers. After entering the numbers, the number can be stored in memory by adding it to an existing contact or creating new entry.
The history of telephone calls is grouped into a single list. In it, identical numbers are combined into a common section in which the number of calls is marked. The list indicates the number and approximate time of the call. On the same line the name of the caller is indicated, as well as his number. A clear icon displays the type of call: incoming, outgoing or missed. By selecting one of the items in the list, an additional window will open, which will display the complete history of calls to a specific number, indicating the time and date. From here you can add a number to your phone book, creating a new contact or adding to an existing one.
The phone book consists of a list of names that stores an unlimited number of contacts. It is complemented by kinetic scrolling, as well as a line quick search. By touching it with your finger, it is easy to select the desired letter of the alphabet and select the desired recipient. The device offers to store the most complete information about the subscriber. The first step is to select memory for storing data. It can be a SIM card, the tablet itself or data Google account, without which using the device is impossible in itself in principle. Here you can find speed dials for 8 numbers, as well as several ways to organize names. The operating system settings allow you to select the necessary contacts for display, hiding the unnecessary ones. As for the information itself that can be entered, it is the following:
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Organizer, office
Pictures, as well as snapshots from the camera, are displayed in the general section. Here they are organized by date, folder or rating. The gallery separately shows pictures from the tablet’s memory and the card installed in it. Any image from here is sent to social networks or via wireless interfaces. It can be reduced in size or rotated, and can also be set as a contact picture or wallpaper. The slideshow mode offers an animated display of files, complemented by musical accompaniment.
When creating a new alarm, you can select the days to be triggered again, the volume of the melody, and the type of notification: a combination of sound and vibration. Additionally, a text note is installed. In addition, in order not to turn off the sound and fall asleep, you need to solve a small problem by clicking on the numbers in a certain sequence.
The calendar displays scheduled events for a month, a week, a day, or a general list. All days except weekends, highlighted in red, are marked in gray. The current date is highlighted with a blue cursor. If you point it at the day where an event will take place, information about it will be displayed at the bottom of the display. When you create a new calendar entry, it is assigned various information: date, time, location, participants, recurrence period, reminder, and description. In the application settings, the default view and the first day of the week are set. In addition, the type of notification about various events changes.
Notes are stored text entries, which are created on multi-colored backgrounds. Here you can also draw something by swiping your finger across the screen.
The calculator will help with simple calculations. Additionally, a functional panel with a variety of mathematical operations is offered.
Viewing various types of documents on a large screen is convenient. As an aid, the Documents to Go application is used, which opens files various types. Possibilities for editing data in installed version No.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Communications
The tablet supports GSM/UMTS networks. Wireless Wi-Fi module 802.11 b/g works well, no failures were noticed. The device remembers passwords and automatically connects to networks if it is within their range. Works with WEP/WPA/WPA2 encrypted networks. Data is copied to a computer via USB 2.0. Bluetooth 2.1 with support for EDR and A2DP ensures stable data transmission.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: GPS
To determine coordinates on the ground, Google Maps is used, which receive regular updates and an increasing number of functions. The first run takes about five minutes, subsequently this task will require even less time - about 30 seconds. A feature of the program is the need to download data, which affects traffic consumption. At the same time, maps can display the traffic situation, displaying information about street congestion. The application is capable of calculating driving directions in various ways.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Browser
It’s worth saying right away that support Adobe Flash, there is no. The mode of simultaneous work with several windows is supported. You can open up to eleven tabs. Separate bookmarks highlight the history of viewed pages and a list of resources saved in memory. Adaptation of a full-fledged website page to the screen has been implemented mobile device, when the boundaries of the site correspond to the width of the screen, regardless of the selected font size. You can download data directly through the browser, saving files in the device memory. An additional menu with settings will help optimize your experience when viewing pages.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Camera
The 3-megapixel module located on the rear surface is launched only from the menu. The screen acts as a viewfinder. On the right side there is a shutter button and a key for switching between photo and video shooting. The virtual controls on the left open a menu of options. The display displays data not only in landscape, but also in portrait orientation. The front 0.3 megapixel camera is launched from the menu.
The following settings are available:
Video settings:
The quality of the images makes us think about the advisability of having a camera in the tablet. You can photograph something, but looking at such pictures even on a tablet screen is not interesting.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Applications
The voice recorder saves voice notes in the device memory.
The file manager has all the necessary capabilities to operate with data not only in the tablet’s built-in memory, but also on the flash card installed in it.
The news section will introduce you to the headlines of the latest events; you can follow the link and read the entire article. The other tab is responsible for the weather report.
The Aldiko electronic reader will act as a pocket library. It is beautifully decorated in the form of shelves on which books are displayed. Extensive settings allow you to optimize the backlight level and select a convenient font size.
YouTube is used to watch streaming videos.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Multimedia capabilities
The music player offers division into categories. Among them there are tabs with albums, artists, playlists, releases, genres and a general list of all songs. The general list of tracks displays the cover assigned to the album, the title of the song itself, and the name of the artist. The search bar will allow you to quickly navigate through a voluminous music library, divided into sections with letters, and find the tunes you need. Once you start listening to music, a large animated album cover will appear on the screen. Below it is information, including information about the author of the track, the album and its title. The shuffle and repeat mode is immediately activated. It is enabled for both one song and the entire album. The volume can be changed using separate keys on the side of the tablet. At the bottom there is a scale indicating the duration of song playback. The three highlighted keys at the bottom are responsible for controlling the player. These are standard rewind and pause buttons.
The video player supports only basic codecs. These are H.263, H.264, MPEG4, WMV formats. Accordingly, if you want to watch movies without necessarily converting them to one of the supported formats, you will need to install a third-party player. The tablet offers a simple and clear gallery in which all data is organized into sections, provided with visual pictures, information about the duration of the file and its format.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Hardware Features
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim is powered by a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 processor and is equipped with 512 MB of RAM. Almost 3 GB is available for storing various applications in the device. In addition, a little less than 5 GB is included for various data. The microSD slot is designed to work with volumes of no more than 32 GB. You can evaluate the performance of the platform in the attached pictures.
Huawei Ideos S7 Slim:: Review:: Impressions and conclusions
Concluding the story about the device, it’s worth looking at the battery life of this device. With the included Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 3250 mAh, the device can last about 4 hours in video playback mode. On average, you need to charge the device every evening if you use various functions of the tablet during the day. Not very much, however, it is worth considering the large screen diagonal and not the most capacious battery.
If you look at the Huawei Ideos S7 Slim, taking into account the experience of last year’s model, you can’t help but note that the company has made significant improvements, increasing the ease of use of the device due to a capacitive screen and reducing weight. At the same time, tablets are still far from the most popular gadgets. The cost of 11,000 rubles seems high today. Models with Android version 3.2 are already on sale; there is no support for many video formats, and the operating time is also not the most outstanding. The original feature that allows you to use the tablet as a phone is interesting. However, in practice it is unlikely to be in great demand due to the weight of the device and the need to connect a headset.
|
|
After using the Huawei S7 tablet for three weeks (or a month, I don’t remember), I can say the following - if this thing really costs about 15,000 rubles, then we have a bestseller. There are questions about the device, but if the price remains like this, then you can safely turn a blind eye to the shortcomings and shortcomings.
True, here again the question arises - what to do with such a tablet? At first I honestly tried to replace the iPad with it. It didn’t work out due to a number of circumstances. The iPad has a much more responsive display, a number of unique applications, and there is no replacement for them in Android. But the S7 is smaller, you can stuff it into your jacket pocket if you really want to, plus it’s easy to record the movies you want on a memory card and watch it right away - without conversion. I'm glad that there are all the ways to communicate with the outside world, from Bluetooth to 3G.
But let's talk about everything in order.
Design, construction, management
The device is quite impressive in size, 258 x 180 x 15 mm, weighs about five hundred grams. Fits in the inner pocket of a jacket or coat, somewhat similar to Sony VAIO P. The assembly is good, except that the battery cover moves a little left and right. The materials are not bad, the back is brown plastic, the lid is metal, in my opinion, metal and the stand too. It can be installed in two positions and locks with a click. On the cover there is a window for the lens of a two-megapixel camera, it is of little use, but it is there, and that’s good. At the bottom there is a slot for a microSD memory card and a connector for connecting to a docking station (apparently). I didn't have a chance to use it. On the left side there is a volume rocker and a speaker hole, the same is on the right side. When watching a video, you get a sort of stereo effect if there is no one nearby; it is better to watch movies or YouTube without headphones. On the right side there is a connector for the charger and microUSB; it’s strange that there is more than one connector for both charging and synchronization.
To the right of the display is a camera lens (web camera, if you want), an optical joystick, and buttons for accepting and ending calls. After all, we have a real phone in front of us; if you wish, you can easily make calls. The optical joystick is good in devices with a small display diagonal, now imagine how many times you have to swipe your finger here to get to some article on the Mobile-review website. Eventually you just stop using it. Left of display Home buttons, calling additional functions and returning. Everything is traditional for devices based on Android OS. Unfortunately, manufacturers rarely turn to a traditional control system. In my opinion, the presence of red and green buttons is mandatory at least for budget phone, even for a state-of-the-art communicator or smartphone.
To preface the question - yes, over the years I don’t like more and more that the iPhone doesn’t have such buttons, sometimes it’s very annoying and even gets in the way.
On the top of the device there is a 3.5 mm jack and a power or sleep button.
Display
I was given a sample with a display made using capacitive technology. However, I would call it quite responsive. Enough. Sometimes there is simply a delayed response to clicks, there are erroneous clicks, and there are major problems with processing touches in the top and bottom status lines. Display diagonal 7 inches, resolution 800 x 480 pixels. The viewing angles are not bad, in principle, the screen does not have enough stars from the sky, but it does not cause negative emotions. That's a plus.
There is automatic adjustment (light sensor).
System
Android 2.1 is used, there is nothing to add to this. Another issue is that each hardware manufacturer strives to add something of its own, and therefore the user experience obtained with HTC is of little use to Sony Ericsson. Rather, it is even applicable from a negative point of view. Huawei S7 also has its own characteristics, let me tell you about them point by point:
- At the bottom there are links to segments invented for some reason. For example, " Home page"consists of two work tables. Here is a time and weather widget, notes and photos, some kind of picture, alarm clock, search, and so on. Other segments are Web, “Entertainment”, “Communication”, “Favorites”; clicking on the symbol in the lower right corner brings up a list of programs. The image on the display can be rotated depending on the position of the device, I disabled this feature, it is more convenient for me to use the S7 in landscape orientation
- At the top there are quick icons turn on bluetooth, Wi-Fi, brightness and sound adjustments, operator network status, battery charge indicator and notification menu. Or rather, there are some “Tasks” here - these, apparently, running programs, and “Notifications”, everything is clear with them.
- You can install animated background picture, but it’s better to put a static picture. It seemed to me that the device works faster in the second case
- A few words about the software, there is already a Twidroid program, a weather widget takes information from the AccuWeather.com website, and there is also a Facebook widget. You will need to find everything else yourself (or there will be customization from the operator)
In general, you can fashion anything out of the Huawei S7 - even a tablet for working with mail and the network, even a game console (although not all programs work due to the resolution and the display used), even a bedside video player. However, you already know this without me - Android has a lot of possibilities. It would also be great to see “custom” firmware for the S7, where there would be no conventional division into the main screen, web, and so on.
Iron
The device uses Snapdragon processor, Very good word, performance-wise things are looking good. There is nothing to complain about.
Nutrition
The stated operating time is about three hours in video playback mode, and a 2200 mAh lithium-ion battery is used. Let's see how long commercial samples will work - I used mine quite heavily throughout the day (mail, browser, etc.) after which I had to look for an outlet. It's not very good that a special power supply connector is used. That is, a separate microUSB for connecting to a computer and a separate connector for the power supply.
Camera
You can use the camera to take pictures. In principle, if you want to quickly rivet photographs to “attach” to contacts, then it makes sense to use it. She doesn't take pictures very well, to put it mildly. It’s not entirely clear why the camera on the front panel is needed, I wanted to use it somehow with Skype, but it didn’t work out. By the way, Skype is available here by default.
Memory
About 8 GB of internal memory is installed, but I’m talking about my sample; there is the possibility of customization - perhaps samples with 16 GB or 32 GB (or even 4 GB) will appear on sale. Of course, there is also a microUSB card slot. RAM- about 512 MB. During my use, I have not experienced any shortage, if you plan to use the device to watch videos, it is worth looking at versions with more memory.
Connection
There is Bluetooth, profile 2.1 with EDR, there is Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), there is a slot for a SIM card and, accordingly, the ability to use the device as a regular phone. If you want, use the browser, or if you want, make calls. I didn’t understand where the microphone is, you can speak directly “into the display”, you can hear it quite normally. I first inserted the SIM card without removing the battery to get it to work, I had to reboot the device. In order to quickly go to the list of calls, you can press the green button, to hang up - the red button. The operator's logo is visible on the screen when it is locked.
Of course, all this is very positive - when there are literally all ways to connect with the outside world.
conclusions
Let's talk about the bad first - no camera, a set of programs should be compiled and installed yourself, a separate charging connector (non-standard), the operating time could be longer. For this reason, it might be worth making the battery non-removable. Among the basic features, I would like to see support for a good bunch of codecs so that any video or music can play smoothly.
On the other hand, this well-assembled thing has a pleasant appearance, quite convenient controls, you can find fault with the display - but, gentlemen, there is already a question of price. The fact is that Huawei S7 will cost about 13,000-15,000 rubles in retail, and soon even less. A tablet for the price of a smartphone, and you can easily use this tablet even for conversations. You can come up with usage scenarios yourself - from mail and browser on the road to games and videos in bed. I liked the product, it's an interesting thing. We will probably see the Huawei S7 in camera combat livery and with a different sauce - well, it certainly won’t get any worse.
Sergey Kuzmin ()
