We analyze the Chuwi8 Pro tablet, one of the best-selling tablets. We will see what this device with dual boot Windows 10 and Android KitKat has to offer.
An inexpensive tablet with two operating systems
Chuwi is a brand of Chinese mobile devices that, like many others, wants to make its way in Europe. At the moment they focus on hoarding the market entry segment, especially that of tablets. That’s where you can place the Chuwi Hi8 Pro, whose analysis we’ve developed to see how it performs in different situations.
It is a cheap tablet with dual boot, that is, you can use it with Windows or Android operating system, as you prefer. With this feature, the Chuwi Hi8 Pro is clearly aimed at a dual purpose: entertainment and professional.
Windows is a much more common environment to work with, while Android provides a better user experience when it comes to handling audiovisual content.
In this review, we try to check if the Chuwi Hi8 Pro complies in both respects. Of course, you have to give an opinion depending on the price of the device, since the components and the quality of them are irretrievably linked to the cost of sale.
The Windows logo as a differentiating feature
Tablets are often used at home or at work. Due to their size, most of them can be considered more as large mobiles than as small laptops, although it depends on their specifications. In the case of the Chuwi Hi8 Pro, its dimensions make it a relatively small and manageable tablet, quite thin and light.
When it comes to holding, it is possible to handle it with one hand when it is upright, but it costs a little. If this is done, another problem comes out: the physical buttons are in the upper area, as well as the connections, making it difficult to hold it with one hand and perform any action with the other, especially if it is loading.
It is only available in one color, white, which favors this device quite a lot in the aesthetic aspect. The body is unibody, with non-removable battery and few elements that stick out, beyond the power button and the volume ones. Its dimensions are 211 millimeters wide by 123 mm high and 9.3 mm thick, with 350g in weight.
From a design point of view, our opinion on the Chuwi Hi8 Pro would be much better if you don’t have two negative points. The first is the plastic that is used in virtually everything, while the second is the metal piece of aluminum screwed at the edge. It really shaves quite the design of a tablet that could otherwise be considered quite pretty.
To give it a more premium look, Chuwi has placed the silver Windows logo as a Home button, a detail that is totally unnecessary if you are going to use Android, since the Home, Back and Menu buttons are integrated on screen. In case you use W10, it will be used to display the start menu.
Without a doubt the reason to make the Windows logo visible is to differentiate the Chuwi Hi8 Pro from other inexpensive tablets. Most only equip Android, a mobile operating system much lighter than Microsoft’s, which needs more power. Highlighting this feature, it seems that we are facing a tablet from another segment of the market, but no.
Good screen, improved sound
As we have already mentioned in this analysis, the objective of the Chuwi Hi8 Pro, is to work and consume audiovisual content. That’s why it’s important that the screen is good and works well, just like on any tablet.
In the case at hand, we deal with an 8-inch capacitive IPS display with HD resolution (1920 x 1200) and 283 dots per inch, more than enough to enjoy the cinema and series. We have seen videos of all kinds in the highest quality without any problem, so in full reproduction our opinion about the Chuwi Hi8 Pro is very good. It might have Full HD resolution, but it would be unfair to demand it in this price range.
Visibility in bright environments is sufficient, not outstanding. In full sun it doesn’t look perfectly, and it’s not an outdoor tablet, even if you set the brightness to the maximum. In fact the luminosity is not excessive, which coupled with the loss of quality when looking at the panel from one side, makes the Hi8 Pro a tablet to use in very determined circumstances: inside a building and preferably in gloom, to avoid reflections.
If watching videos, this tablet responds quite well, it does not happen that way by writing. Browsing between apps using your screen is good, but it presents problems when typing quickly. It also doesn’t have Gorilla Glass or other protection, so it scratches very easily.
The sensitivity of the panel is improveable, which is that sometimes it does not detect the first pulse on certain points. Considering that, in addition to entertainment, the Chuwi Hi8 Pro wants to be a tablet for professionals and students, it is not something that can be overlooked.
However, the pixels are not visible at first glance, something to be appreciated. Chuwi has also worked to minimize the annoying black frame presented by some screens. The Hi8 Pro barely has.
The image quality is good. Still, there’s another negative point that can’t be overlooked. It affects the sound, but it’s due to the design: the speakers are located on the back, which causes the tablet to automatically lower the volume quite noticeably when resting the tablet on a flat surface. You’ll barely hear anything with the volume at full.
A camera to get out of the way
Cameras don’t stand out especially either. 2 MP in each of them serve to meet in some situations, but it is certainly not a device with which you will make your favorite album. With 1600×1200 maximum image resolution, it’s good enough to take photos of circumstances, but with questionable quality.
The main utility of cameras on a tablet is none other than making video calls. Because of their size, few people use them as a camera, however in a home environment they are given more use. This is why the resolution of both is the same, unlike with mobiles.
Videos are recorded in 720p, both with the front and rear cameras, a guarantee for calls. Chuwi knows the importance of this aspect and that’s why he has worked harder to give his tablet a good video quality.
Better with Android than with Windows
When it comes to making an assessment of the performance of the Chuwi Hi8 Pro, it must be separated into two opinions: on the one hand, the operation with Windows operating system and on the other the operation with Android.
It has to be clear from the beginning: this tablet has Windows 10 and works well, but not flawlessly. It takes a long time to load the system and once inside presents timely problems to open programs and applications. It’s a full version of the operating system, with all that that means in terms of demand.
The specifications of this inexpensive Chuwi tablet are not bad: Intel Cherry Trail Z8300 64-bit processor, four cores at 1.44 GHz, eighth generation Intel HD Graphics GPU, and 2 GB of RAM. They are enough to make W10 flow smooth as long as you don’t try to run programs that are too heavy.
As a counterpart, all Windows programs are supported on this tablet. You can use Photoshop and everyone else, but because of obvious size problems, you do it on a limited basis. Once again we have to say: it could be fine. The but this time is that the resolution of the windows fits the size of the screen, so the icons also do. It’s a challenge to minimize windows, close them or tap on small elements of the screen.