Edward Swift - Hands On: ASUS MeMO Pad 7

As technology progresses, we find ourselves with a myriad of devices that get smaller and smaller, and some that get bigger and bigger. The tablet scene seems to be one that grows and shrinks at the same time. When it comes to getting smaller devices, the ASUS MeMO Pad is certainly one that packs quite a bit of performance into a tiny tablet.

The 7 inch display is perfect if you want a handheld device that fits snugly in your jacket pocket, and it isn't too heavy either weighing in at 295g. The 1200x800 display is good enough if you’re wanting to watch a video on-the-go and not so small that you find yourself squinting or holding it close to read a web page. It also doesn’t stretch the aspect ratio as some other tablets can do when you switch between portrait and landscape mode.

The performance seemed good over the weeks that I was using this device. With its 64-bit Intel Atom quad-core processor, it was speedy and I didn’t find it lagging at all. Though I think the big test when it comes to performance is how the tablet performs after being used for several months. Certainly another 7 inch tablet I’ve owned for about a few months has slowed completely down – so much so that I hardly use it anymore. How this one will fare in a year’s time? Who knows.

ASUS have also come up with their own suite of standard apps in their ZenUI. However it’s nothing completely revolutionary. It felt like that’ve given standard apps like calendar and to do lists new names and a fresh lick of paint. However there were a few handy features. Using Do It Later (to do lists) you could save a web page or an email to read later. On the lock screen it also quickly showed you all the information you need to know right now – the time, weather, next appointments – as well as quick access to key apps.

The camera was so so. It performs ok with its 2 megapixel front facing camera and its 5 megapixel rear facing camera. You can snap an ok photo if needed and use it for Skype or Google Hangout, but the camera isn’t this tablet’s forte (or most tablets’ forte to be honest). I’ve always believed that tablets aren’t used for taking amazing photos. 

Charging does take its time. You certainly would want to have to be leaving the office in 30 minutes and expect it to charge to a decent level in that time. But that being said, once it is charged it does hold its charge very well. The official specifications boast a 9 hour battery life if you’re using it all the time. I found with the amount I was using it on a daily basis, I only needed to charge it overnight about every three days.

The other thing that it claims is it has an anti-fingerprint coating on the screen. I certainly didn’t find myself having to wipe down the screen every time I used it as I do constantly with other devices.

Overall the MeMO Pad 7 packs a lot of punch for a 7 inch tablet, and priced at $279 it is a decent device. The one thing I think tablet developers should start looking at for these 7 and 8 inch tablets is the ability to connect to 3G. That was the only thing that was missing. I could connect to the internet through WiFi and also by connecting it to my phone. But with devices this portable, it would certainly make it stand out from the crowd if it had the option to connect to a mobile network.

ASUS MeMO Pad 7 (ME176C)

• 7-inch HD 1280 x 800 IPS display
• 64-bit Intel® Atom™ Z3745 quad-core processor (up to 1.86GHz)
• 5-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front camera
• Miracast and aptX® CSR Bluetooth technologies
• Stereo speakers with SonicMaster technology
• 16GB storage
• Up to 9 hours battery life
• 295g
• RRP NZ$279