I use this cheap Android tablet more than my iPad Pro – and it costs a fraction of the price

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Blackview Tab 90 Wi-Fi is licensed for streaming DRM HD content material.
• I discovered the battery lifetime of the pill to be respectable sufficient for content material consumption.
• The battery charging, nevertheless, is notably gradual.

extra shopping for selections

It is that point of yr after I get quite a lot of questions on tablets. They appear to be a preferred present across the holidays. Whereas these within the Apple ecosystem are restricted to the iPad line, Android customers have many extra choices, particularly on the low-cost finish of the spectrum.

Though I am hip-deep within the iOS and iPadOS ecosystem and personal an iPad Professional, I’ve to confess that I am not a lot of a pill person. Positive, I exploit it as a second display screen for YouTube or to play the odd sport, and generally, I even get round to doing a little actual work with it. On the entire, although, I do not use it loads as a result of I discover that no matter I can not do on my iPhone is best accomplished on my MacBook Professional.

Additionally: I prefer this Lenovo tablet over the iPad for watching movies

I feel that is true for lots of people. Tablets are an enormous display screen for issues like social media and content material consumption, not a platform for work. Which means for almost all of customers, a pill is an indulgence, a responsible pleasure. As such, there’s a substantial marketplace for price range tablets within the sub-$200 value vary.

Blackview, higher identified for its ruggedized smartphones, additionally makes high quality tablets excellent for content material consumption. For the previous few weeks, I have been utilizing the Tab 90 Wi-Fi, and I have been thrilled by how good it’s. It is so good that it has been seeing much more use than my iPad Professional.

Blackview Tab 90 WiFi tech specs

• OS: Android 14
• Show: 10.92-inch 800 x 1280 HD IPS
• CPU: Unisoc Tiger T606 octa-core
• GPU: Mali-G57 MP1
• RAM: 4GB DDR4X RAM and 8GB reminiscence enlargement
• Storage: 128GB UFS2.1
• Growth slot: 1x TF Card (as much as 1TB)
• Cameras: Rear 13-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL 4H7, entrance 8MP
• Battery capability: 8,200mAh
• Dimension: 256.9 x 168.5 x 9.5mm
• Weight: 540g
• Colours: Ink Gray, Frost Blue, or Blush Pink

There are three key parts to a pill; there’s the show, the processor that drives all the pieces, and the battery that powers all of it.

So, beginning with the display screen. In comparison with the 2752-by-2064 pixel show on my 13-inch iPad Professional, the 800 x 1280 appears like an actual downgrade, however after utilizing it for some time it begins to really feel greater than sufficient for YouTube and Netflix. 

Additionally: The best tablets of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

Talking of Netflix, the Tab 90 WiFi is Widevine L1 licensed, which implies that it helps streaming high-definition (HD) content material from Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, and different distributors which have DRM on their streamed content material.

The colours are vivid and wealthy, the whites clear and vibrant, and the blacks deep and darkish. Sure, there are higher shows on the market, however this one is greater than satisfactory.

The pill is powered by an octa-core Unisoc Tiger T606 processor, which has two Cortex-A75 energy cores operating at 1,600MHz and 6 Cortex-A55 effectivity cores operating at 1,600MHz. It is extra constructed for prolonged battery life than efficiency, however mixed with the 4GB of RAM (with a further 8GB of prolonged reminiscence), it drives the system alongside easily sufficient.

That mentioned, I elevated the prolonged reminiscence utilization to the total 8GB, which eliminated among the pace bumps I used to be feeling when the system was beneath heavier load.

On the ability aspect, the 8,200mAh battery is nice for about 10 hours of common use, however I counsel not letting the battery get too low. With solely 10W quick charging, it will take round an hour to get it from flat to 30% and nearer to 4 hours to convey the battery to full.

Additionally: This ultra-tough Android tablet can handle drop, bumps, and long hours on the job

The pill additionally feels good within the hand. My iPad Professional lives in a case that feels relatively cumbersome and hulking, so the bare Tab 90 Wi-Fi at 9.5mm skinny feels actually svelte.

That is an phantasm, in fact. If I take away my iPad Professional from the case, it is nearly half as skinny, at an unbelievable 5.1mm. 

Type does not imply fragile, nevertheless, and the pill is sturdy sufficient to resist being dropped off the sofa or sat on whereas on the sofa. It is an ideal moveable display screen for social media, content material consumption, or for somebody who desires a pill within the kitchen, storage, or workshop.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

For those who’re searching for an inexpensive pill, the Blackview Tab 90 Wi-Fi is tough to go unsuitable with. For the $150 (with clip-on coupon) it at present sells for, it is an absolute steal.

Individuals are at all times looking out for an inexpensive pill for the vacations, and this can be a good selection. I imply, you possibly can go cheaper — the Blackview Tab 70 Wi-Fi is only $70, however you aren’t getting Netflix compatibility for that value. With the Tab 90 WiFi, you are getting quite a lot of pill in your cash.