Telstra Essentials Tab

A SLIGHTLY LARGER OPTION.

WHILE STILL VERY compact, the Telstra Essentials Tab features a slightly larger 8-inch screen, instead of the usual 6- or 7-inch. That does mean it’s a little heftier, at 330 grams, and measures in at 20.9 x 12.5 x 0.84cm — though is still easy to use in one hand.

In use, the screen is quite good, with a reasonable 1,080 x 800 resolution, and even backlighting. It’s also quite responsive, and has enough grunt for smooth video playback and gaming.

The unit runs Android 5.1.1, with a Qualcomm quad-core 1.3GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. It’s also got a large 4,000mAh battery, and can easily last over 10 hours of reading with the screen brightness down low.

Where the Telstra Tab stands out, though, is the ability to take a simcard and connect to even the latest 4GX networks. Of course, it also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot, as well as front and rear cameras.