Huawei Mediapad T3 8

A cut-price compact tablet

We know what many people mistakenly expect from a budget tablet: chunky plastic case, dull screen, limited battery life, a processor that would embarrass a toaster. Well, nobody told Huawei.

The Mediapad T3 8 has a solid aluminium back – much like the ipad mini – in an attractive dark grey. It feels slim and light, yet sturdy. Another nice touch is a front LED that confirms when it’s charging (much better than squinting for a tiny lightning symbol) and flashes when you’ve got a new message. Although the touchscreen’s 1280x800-pixel resolution is similar to other affordable models, it looks quite sharp, helped by good contrast and adequate if not generous brightness levels.

True, the T3 8’s 1.4GHZ Snapdragon 425 processor isn’t going to break any speed records – if you want to do some serious work in Office or creative apps, or enjoy fast-paced 3D games, you’ll need to spend more. Consider Samsung’s S2 8, for example, which is noticeably faster, but costs more than twice as much (£329 from Argos www.snipca.com/25799). However, the Mediapad runs Android 7 pretty smoothly for most jobs, and Huawei has only customised it very lightly.

Beyond this, it’s a pretty standard Android tablet, with one crucial exception. Despite having an average-sized battery, the T3 8 somehow managed to keep our test video playing for 17 hours 24 minutes. Yes, seventeen! That’s a phenomenal result, though it won’t necessarily show this stamina in other tasks, such as playing games or browsing the web. Video is evidently something the Mediapad’s hardware is optimised for. It means you shouldn’t have to worry about recharging every night.

Yet another interesting feature of the T3 8 is that a version with a mobile SIM is only a few pounds more expensive. It’s available on O2 Pay As You Go for £140 (see www.snipca.com/25797). You don’t have to use (or pay for) any mobile data if you don’t want to, but having the option to stay online away from Wi-fi when necessary makes it a tempting deal.

We can’t quite give the T3 8 full marks, because its low price is still a lot higher than Amazon’s Fire HD 8 (see our review, Issue 505), which offers similar processor speed and screen quality. But while the Fire tablet adds the useful Alexa voice assistant, the Mediapad lets you access the full Google Play Store for a wider range of apps and games.

A closer rival is Asus’ Zenpad Z380M 8.0 (£130 from John Lewis www.snipca. com/25800), which has similar specifications but can’t come close to matching the Mediapad’s battery life. The Zenpad’s unusual design, with a metal frame covered by a replaceable textured plastic backplate that covers the rear panel (except for a narrow strip), makes it more grippable but bulkier.

We still find Apple’s mobile software a little more impressive on tablets, especially in its latest version, IOS 11, which adds new features that make the ipad feel more like a proper laptop – although they can still only run mobile apps, not full desktop programs. The cheapest ipad is now £339, though if you prefer the T3 8’s smaller size, the comparable ipad mini 4 oddly costs even more (£419 from Apple www. snipca.com/25801). These tablets are a lot more powerful, but the prices highlight just how reasonably priced the Mediapad is.

SPECIFICATIONS

An attractive tablet, with a sharp screen and a battery that keeps on going

8in 1280x800-pixel screen • 5-megapixel rear camera • 2-megapixel front camera • 16GB flash storage • Microsd card slot • 802.11n Wi-fi • Bluetooth 4.1 • 211x124x8mm (HXWXD) • 350g • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/25802 VERDICT: If you’re looking for a basic tablet to run Android apps and games, this is nicely made, has a long battery life and won’t break the bank

★★★★☆

ALTERNATIVE: Asus Zenpad Z380M 8.0 £130 If Asus’ ridged backplate appeals, this Wi-fi tablet is also worth a look, with similar specs butut half the battery life