adminAstro, a company owned by Bethel communications last year launched some new products in Harare that all run on Android OS.
Among the gadgets was a tablet they named the Funbook, which was designed specifically for the Zimbabwean market. The Astro Funbook is powered by a cortex A9 quad core processor at 1,9 Ghz, with a 1g Ram chip and total internal storage of 24g.
Like all of their brands, the Funbook tablet comes with the Android 4.1.2 pre installed and many other generic, useful applications.
The Funbook has a sleek aluminium finish with curved edges which gives it that cool feel. With only three buttons, the tablet banks most of its operations on the huge 7 inch touch screen.
The power button is at the top right corner next to the tiny reset hole and the top left has the slot for headsets.
To complete the buttons list are the volume buttons on the right panel (volume up and down), with the micro sim card slot also located further down.
There are two powerful speakers on the bottom panel, which also hosts the micro USB hub and the mic.
The front panel hosts mainly the huge 7 inch touch responsive screen, also incorporated is the 2.0 Mpcamera, light sensor, and ear piece. The back hosts only the 5.0 Mpcamera.
The Funbook has a crispy crystal display which can be mistaken for the retina display on most IOs based devices.
The Funbook allows for most third party licensed games since they are supported. In addition it uses gyroscope for games that require it like most car racing. Most 3D games run without hiccups. Core gamers will be impressed by its ability to multi-task since it allows users to suspend and resume applications at a later stage. Probably one of the greatest initiatives they made here is to prescribe plain and easily accessible manual settings for all networks.
With internet connectivity requiring APN for devices to connect, the Funbook through its Astros help app has made it easier for Zimbabweans to connect, as it has provided APN for three major mobile operators namely Econet, Telecel and Netone.
With the exception of 4G LTE , the Funbook supports all networks. It can also act as a Wi-Fi portable hotspot and tethering device.
The Funbook disappoints when it comes to battery life. For a funbook, it was supposed to come with a much stronger battery that lasts through the day. If one uses the gadget for phone calls only they can go for one week before the battery requires recharging (20 percent). If Wifi and other generic apps are turned on, the device will give you a maximum of only four hours online. The tablet lags behind the Galaxy 10.1 class and Galaxy 8.1 since it comes with pre-installed with android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), a Dual-core 1.6 GHz plus a GPU PowerVR SGX544MP2
The Astro Tab’s back camera has better still picture quality over the Galaxy tab although the later are better when it comes to video footage.
It also competes favourably with the iPad 1 but falls short compared to the iPad 2 in terms of processor speed and picture quality.
Stability this tablet is fairly stable compared to other low end gadgets but it falls short when it comes to detailed stress tests. At US$399 it is a fair price given the average prices of imported tablets on the local market. — TechnoMag.
Online Reporter