Huawei MediaPad is for those who want a super-portable Android slate but still value a sleek product design, writes Siti Syameen Md Khalili

HUAWEI has come up with an interesting tablet option, the MediaPad 7-inch.

The 7 inch device features Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system, 1.2GHz Dual Core processor from Qualcomm and HSPA+ network support. It offers speed in delivering data and fluidity in its interface. At the same time, its 7-inch screen, which sits in a wide-bezelled unibody form factor, is comfortable to interact with.

SOLID FEEL

It is heavier than it looks but solid nonetheless. Inspired by the hourglass shape, the design of the MediaPad 7-inch seems seriously sleek with premium aluminium grey finishing. This makes the two plasticky black accents at the back a little out of place. The buttons are sleek and easily accessible but the ports on its sides would have added finesse if they had come with matching aluminium lids.

One of the black covers is a removable lid that you can take out to reveal two slots - one for a standard-sized SIM card and the other for a microSD card. The model can use microSD cards with capacities up to 32GB to complement its 8GB internal memory. You may as well invest in memory expansion because even though 8GB is built-in, with the factory settings, the remaining capacity is only 5.8GB.

The unit boots up fast enough, powered by the combo of a 1.2GHz processor and the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The screen is sharp but at times the highly glossed panel ends up reflecting more of you.

To get around this, just tap your way into the settings and set the brightness level to maximum to ensure decent viewing.

HD VIDEO

Not many apps come pre-installed, but the ones that come with the default package include productivity tools, social network clients as well as a couple of games. It is cool that you can download lots of apps to go with preloaded personal information management and document authoring software but do note that gaming as well as using GPS or AGPS tools heat up the MediaPad if your session goes beyond 30 minutes. (Finally, the plastic parts on the back panel makes more sense now in that they keep the heat away.)

The front and rear cameras are great additions. In terms of quality, the photos captured at highest quality (5MP) came out all right even when transferred to bigger screens such as a monitor or TV, but the video recording is not as satisfactory. You can quickly share your files via YouTube, Picasa, Facebook, Gmail or send them via email or Bluetooth.

Besides having ICS, the real plus point to this tablet is its ability to support High Definition video playback and output. It also supports Flash 10.3+. It plays 1080p videos easily on Real Player.

To complement the great graphics, the MediaPad comes equipped with stereo speakers as well as support for SRS sound standards.