We analyze the ASUS Zenpad 10 tablet that in its new version has a MediaTek processor, photo enhancement and great customization options.
A tablet that improves itself
The world of tablets is a lottery: there are expensive and functional, cheap and limited, others of mid-range and acceptable, but also brands that promise good quality and offer a disappointing user experience.
ASUS Zenpad 10 Z300M is an evolution of the tablet of the same name (Z300C) that was launched a year ago, and is a series of technical changes that push it up one step further in terms of performance with a continuity of its design, and without varying its price to the market.
In this way the processor is changed and a functional MediaTek is adopted, the screen interface is improved, the cameras are given a boost and, ultimately, this new iteration of the company is justified in this middle segment of the tablet market. Our opinion is across the lines that make up the analysis of the Asus Zenpad 10.
The 10.1 inches that will serve you for everything
In this analysis of the Asus Zenpad 10 we highlight the design, which in its new version has little change from the previous model, but follows that line of visual elegance betting on cheaper plastic elements that, at first glance, seem much more Premium. This means that ASUS Zenpad 10 looks good, is pretty, and matures in the eyes.
In this way we have a tablet composed almost entirely in plastic, and with a metal band that surrounds the body and that gives that distinctive touch for people who want to have something of value between their hands. Although certainly what stands out is in its flat plastic back area in a proportion, but seasoned by a plastic that simulates skin and that looks really nice. This plastic that mimics the skin is rougher, with texture that does not allow the prints to be marked.
To all the above, it must be said that the ASUS Zenpad 10 has rounded edges that give life to a terminal that on one side is unspoilt of entrances and on the other has most of them. Thus, the front upper area of the tablet shows us that double stereo speaker that makes the multimedia section one of the most important features of the device, and there is also the front camera for 2MP selfies.
The rest of this central area is made up of the screen, black on its edges, and perhaps with too many bezels that could have been reduced a little more to give a greater feeling of immersion when using the tablet.
The rear area has a very interesting design that we have already talked about, with the main camera of 5MP in the upper right, the ASUS logo in silver in the central area and in the lower area an almost imperceptible name of the tablet that looks nice, and of which it is not understood that it is barely visible.
Focusing now on the more lateral areas we have the relevant entrances and characteristic buttons. The right side area is untouched and no entry or button is found. The left side area features a one-piece volume button, classic headphone input and microUSB.
The top side of the tablet features the on/off button that barely protrudes, which sometimes creates doubts about whether it has been pressed or not and is an element that feels strange and unreliable if you want, for example, to take a screenshot.
Finally the lower side area has the microSD slot and a connector to attach a charging dock or an additional accessory. ASUS Zenpad 10 is not certified for protection against water and dust, which is common in economical models.
A screen you’ll demand more
THE screen diagonal of ASUS Zenpad 10 is 10.1 inches of the IPS type, and has a resolution of 1280×800 pixels with a density of 145. It’s a multi-touch IPS display, with anti-fingerprint coating and ASUS Tru2Life technology that looks more than it offers. The main problem with this section is the resolution of the tablet and the size of the tablet with a limited pixel density.
It is quite common to be browsing, for example, through a web page and being able to observe the pixels, or to be running a game and see certain limitations when exposing graphics that do not reach much resolution and that is not disguised by its size.
The display’s Tru2Life technology intelligently adjusts the contrast and sharpness of the display. On the other hand it has Gorilla Glass protection and anti-fingerprint coating. In the screen settings we are allowed to change the color temperature, hue and saturation almost to our liking.
MediaTek processor: the perfect companion
For the review of ASUS Zenpad 10 we have the new model that has a MediaTek MT8163 processor from 4 cores to 64 bits at 1.3GHz and that improves the Intel Atom X3-C3230 of its predecessor, especially in ease when it comes to moving programs and games.
For graphics processing it has a Mali 450 GPU that is maintained, 2GB of RAM, a storage of 16 or 32 GB depending on the model and that define a tablet of good performance for the price that goes on sale.
The tablet has been tested in different performance tests that, being honest, leave it quite far from the most characteristic high-end tablets on the market, but that also do not discourage those of its own range, although feeling really good when it comes to opening several applications at the same time or running demanding games like Asphalt 8.
Thus, in AnTuTu he has achieved a score of 36591 points, in Geekbench 656/1944, on PC Mark 4320, in 3DMark (to see first of all the graphic capabilities) he stays at 150 with the Sling Shot test, and finally in GFX Bench he got a score of 306. Results, as we said, are modest, but with a general operation of the tablet that has not disappointed us.
Obviously we have found some apps that have taken us longer to open, especially if we already have several in the background, or when navigating pages with many photographs or multimedia elements, where there has been more time to load than usual, but without being anything annoying and consistent with the type of device that is held.
Once again it should be noted that its limited resolution for the screen it offers makes 3D games not look as good as they should, although they move smoothly thanks to the proven GPU that comes standard.
The tablet storage is 16 or 32GB, and we strongly recommend choosing the 32GB model because already the operating system (Android 6.0 Marshmallow) requires a valuable amount to work, although you can expand the memory up to 64GB with a microSD card. ASUS then gives you extra cloud space on its 5GB Webstorage for life and increased additional capacity as a promotion for the first year.
A battery on the spot
The battery of the ASUS Zenpad 10 is 4,680mAh and according to the manufacturer has a battery life of 11 hours, and is not removable. It can be said that with normal use and little demand, the tablet can exceed 6 hours, while if you are running games of a certain level and you have applications open in the background, the battery reaches 4 and a half hours.
With unusual use it is true that the tablet can last up to 4 days without charging, but as soon as it is a device that you use regularly you will have to charge per day and that, without fast charging, it will require that at least 4 hours is plugged into the network.