More value like what? Put a 16GB storage along with 1GB of RAM like the iPad mini 2 (as mentioned endlessly in this review) and don't you think it would cost less than $199? So then the Z580CA would be price around $199 or less, and the 2 year old iPad mini 2 would be $100 more. Oh yes, more value please. Afterall, let's compare apples with oranges. Zenfone 2 value? So a 8-inch display for a price similar to a 5.5-inch display device. Put stylus support into the Zenfone 2 and what would that cost?
Does ASUS pay you to troll around here, praising the Zenpad and dissing everyone who finds the product a bit disappointing? Price doesn't matter at all if the product fails on too many categories that would have been rather easy to fix. This thing has too many software issues, such as artificially oversharpening everything on the display (makes small text hard to read for example), always on CABC and poor camera image processing. Cheap price alone isn't enough to justify the problems this thing has. You wouldn't buy a badly made and designed car even if it was 30% cheaper than the competing, well-made and thought of car. Of course cheap price doesn't always mean something is bad. Look at OnePlus 1 and 2 and the new Moto X. They're half the price of the competition, but you couldn't tell that by the spec sheets or how they are made and what materials are used. Those are good examples of how to make a cheap product in an intelligent and thoughtful way.
Hey friend. I think it's okay to challenge people or to question logic. You don't logically compare a smartphone with a tablet. Do you? I would expect a $100,000 car to be on a level playing field as a $20,000 car. I wouldn't compare the Z380CA to an iPad mini 2 because if you removed 3GB of RAM, put in a slower processor, and removed 32GB of storage then the Z580CA would be priced around $200 don't you think? Compare apples with apples is logical. You don't own one so I would suspect you don't have any credibility on what the Z580CA has or doesn't have. With a weak review, things can and should be corrected by people who know better in the comment section. You can always always always get more bang for your buck. Apple proves that. To me the failure is partially on Asus for sending an early review unit that OBVIOUSLY needed a firmware update prior to publisher, and beyond that, one key component the Z stylus isn't even available for those reviews. I'm expressing my opinion to clear up some of the ignorance out there.
You are not making any sense at all. The iPad mini 2 and the Z580CA cost exactly the same amount of money: $299. That is why they can and should be compared. The iPad mini 2 is 2 years old, that's why it has less ram, storage, slower processor and such.
Somewhere else in the comments you said people shouldn't compare the Z580CA to a Samsung tablet because it was $100 more expensive. Now you say people shouldn't compare devices that cost the same. What the heck are we supposed to compare, then? Two Z580CA's and look at them with a microscope to spot some differences in the surface texture and then compare them? Besides, I haven't been comparing a tablet to a phone. The charts in the review have phones as well because they use the same SOCs (processors, GPUs).
The reason graphs and charts are used and detailed measurements are taken (display, performance, specs) is to remove objectivity from the results. Without them, every review would be like this: "The display is ok I guess. There wasn't any significant UI lag. Gaming was ok. Weight is ok, not too heavy. Battery lasted for quite a while. It's an ok tablet I guess."
That kind of a review doesn't benefit anyone. The only way to properly decide which device is better at which thing is to measure those things, put them in a chart and compare them. As a reader, you should have the brain capacity to understand the price and other differences by yourself. We all know that the Zenpad reviewed here costs $299 and some other devices in the charts are more expensive and some are less expensive. It's up to the reader to decide what kind of price/performance he or she wants. It's the same thing with GPU reviews. The charts have old GPUs, new GPUs, cheap GPUs, expensive GPUs all in one. It isn't unfair, because everyone understands that the cheap ones won't be as fast as the new ones, and the expensive old ones won't be as fast as expensive new ones. You have to use your own brains when you're reading.
I can appreciate what you're saying. I'm not trying to argue with you, only to discuss. Let me clarify. Similar price is fair, so long as the specs match up. The ipad mini 2 and Z580CA are total apples and oranges. It's not an equal value trade off at all. If you strip most of the things I mentioned, then you will have a true value comparison.
The reason the new Samsung Tab S2 is worth comparing is because they are comparable spec wise, except for the storage and a bit of RAM. The value proposition of the Z580CA exceeds the negatives, but that's my opinion.
Charts and graphs have some value, so I'm not disregarding those entirely. Obviously anandtech is very reliant on their data and that's fine. Perhaps the audience reading the review will figure things out on their own, but it's a false assumption to assume that people understand the technicalities. I don't disagree that people need to use their brains when analyzing data or stats. Some stats however are statistically insignificant and that's why I take issue with some of those devices listed.
Those best review is one that looks realistically at the cost/value proposition. Everything out there sucks in the tablet category against the iPad Air 2. Beyond that, the review here of the display is sporadic and unclear. If it's software? If it was patched at some point during the review? That should not be made as an aside. It's not clear to me if the issues were resolved with the update and that essentially nullified most of the previous complaints being made about the display. Just not good enough in my books. Beyond that, it's never a good idea to trust one review and make a decision or judgement based on that.
Let me try to word it a different way. For the same price you get an extra 3GB of RAM, a faster processor, and an extra 32GB of storage. If those things are of highest importance to you, then this equates to more value. However, if your personal priorities dictate that use of iOS, Apple branding, build quality, display quality, etc. are more important, then perhaps you come to a different conclusion.
@Kepe: It doesn't matter if the iPad Mini 2 is two years old. That doesn't make it suddenly a better value. Either the price needs to drop accordingly, or a newer updated version needs to hit the market. Of course, you may find it a better value given other characteristics, but that depends on your priorities.
You guys are out of touch. 300$ for what is a midrange tablet? -with misguided AR and horrible design but lets put that aside. This would have been high end 3 years ago. At 40% lower prices it would be ok-ish - at lest for Apple users that got used with the irrational 4:3 AR and are in love with how briefcases used to look 30 years ago. Odd niche to address but w/e. PC OEM mentality, just dropping parts in a box. They aren't selling lettuce, they are supposed to be in tech and do much better than nothing. They just need to gift wrap some parts together and that's somehow way too difficult for them. They sell out to Intel, they use no neurons in product design and then they whine that the tablet market is not doing well. And that's not just Asus but Asus at least used to be slightly better than others.
What's so misguided about 4:3 AR? It's basically the same as the standard 8.5" x 11" paper sheet. It's close to the AR of a typical book. It's pretty great for consuming text-based or text-heavy media (hello - Internet?), or just scribbling on for kicks and doodles (or notes). Only thing its not perfect for is movie watching, but who watches movies on a tiny friggin' tablet screen - unless one's desperate?
4:3 is way better for everything apart from movies. It was one of the main reasons my last tablet was an iPad rather than another Android. I'm glad there are now some Android options.
Aside from multimedia, widescreen is better for gaming - more immersive, and also for professional software, where in most cases the UI revolves around a hefty side bar and a central viewport. Having a 4:3 screen means you either lose your viewport or your sidebar.
Honestly, the sole upside to 4:3 might be text editing, but flip a widescreen at 90 degree and suddenly 4:3 is not that much of an attractive prospect.
The only reason people like 4:3 is because apple is still stuck there, and those people are apple fanboys who care not about usability but to be exemplary corporate zealots.
The one thing 4:3 is really good for is browsing poorly designed websites. That's about it... If that's what your computing routine boils down to - go for it.
Yeah, but *computing* is so 1990s. All these devices are primarily entertainment vehicles. In due time, may be less than a year, there'll be a 16:9/10 watchy thingee so you can consume "Straight Outta Compton" on the way to your cubicle.
As another Nexus 7 owner, I agree wholeheartedly. I will not be purchasing another 16:9 tablet. The shape is just too awkward for anything other than movies which I can't stomach watching on a tablet in the first place.
I'm also a Nexus 7 owner and I think the shape is perfect. Its just narrow enough to fit in my pocket. Wait, you want to actually use the device. Whaat?
Having both a 16:9 windows tablet and an iPad, IMO 4:3 is better. Who plays "immersive" games on there tablet? - that's what a computer or laptop is for. For typical things you use a tablet for - web browsing, reading emails, reading books, you tube, various other consumption, the 4:3 aspect ratio is perfect. I don't pretend to do any serious work on my tablets, but I wish my windows tablet was 4:3. There is a reason why the MS Surface tablets no longer use a 16:9 aspect ratio.
This is getting pretty stupid... Let's say your tablet is x inches long. Does it really make that much difference whether it's height gives 19:10 ot 4:3 AR? Unlike a phone, you aren't about to shove that tablet into a pocket. So is it REALLY so TERRIBLE that you have extra vertical screen space when watching a movie in landscape? Yeah, instead of that extra screen you could just have empty space I guess - but that still won't make your tablet all that more compact anyway (with the horizontal dimension being dominant.) So boo-hoo, you get top and bottom sidebars on your video. Contrast that with the use cases where you need/want that extra height in your landscape mode, or the extra width in portrait - and DON'T HAVE IT because your tablet is built oblong and that's that. Seriously, I for one would rather have extra screen space I don't need under certain circumstances, rather than at other times needing the extra space and not having it!
I totally agree with the 4:3 aspect ratio. I don't know what people are thinking, but a tablet is a GREAT way to watch a movie on an airplane. The 16:9 ratio is much better for reading books. I don't understand the Apple fascination with 4:3. To be fair, I think 3:2 is a better aspect ratio than 16:9, but maybe that is the old-school photographer in me.
16:9 sucks for websites and more compley apps though, both in portrait (too narrow) and in landscape (with some toolbars around you see only a small sliver and when typing into a form there's hardly any content left).
But yes, if you're mainly watching movies with your tablet, 16:9 is better.
The only reason 16:9 is better for movies because all HD contents are in 16:9. But to me, 16:9 is just odd and stupid. I remember when the first wave of HDTV hit the market, there was a widescreen trend. So bad they even started making movies wider than 16:9 - something really odd like 1920x818 instead of the 1920x1080.
16:9 is horrible even on phones. Keyboard in landscape mode blocks more than 50% of the screen. You can have a 4.7in 1280x768 screen looks as big as a 5in 1280x720. 16:9 sucks, movies too. I'd rather see movies in 2:3 format.
@sonny73n: 16:10 more accurately maps to the active area of the human visual system and thus gives a more immersive experience at the appropriate screen size / viewing distance. 16:9 was just cost cutting measure by reducing the probability of defects in a screen given the statistical probability of localization. Problem is, you can't interact with your tablet when it's in your face. Most people don't sit that close to a TV either. Usability on 16:9 isn't very good. It is better at 16:10, but 4:3 or 3:2 can make more sense in a lot of cases. I personally prefer 16:10 (1280x800 in your example above), but a lot of that depends on how the tools you use are laid out.
Apps look so much more natural in 4:3 IMO. Web browsing, and PDF reading are also better. I think, specially for large tablets, a squarer aspect ratio is overall the better choice. My Tab Pro 10.1 looks and feels really awkward in portrait (and unnecessarily long). I'll be getting the Tab S2 soon, no doubt.
Things are strange right now: You can get an 8" (retina) iPad Mini 2 for $299 and at the same time Android tablets are either a little bit cheaper and really crappy or more expensive and not really much better.
If even Apple is struggling now to sell iPads I somewhat doubt that such Android tablets are selling great now...
I dont know about that. I got the $199 Asus Zenpad S 8 a month ago and am loving it. Like all Androids from OEM's, you really need to spend a bit of time to root it and debloat it to make it shine. Debloated this thing flies. For $199 you get an 8 inch 2048x1536 screen, 32gb storage + SD, great build quality, thin, light, great battery life, fingerprint resistant on all surfaces and the CPU is great as well. I was worried about using an Atom chip, but in actual use, it runs perfectly smooth and cool as well. In fact cooler than any Snapdragon device I have ever used. It doesnt get hot at all, ever and I live in Arizona and it's summer. EASILY the best "bang for your buck" available in a tablet right now from any vendor.
@retrospooty, I agree with you. People who review a product at a certain price point who want to compare that to products that are about 1/3 more expensive? Or they simply omit the good features like the 64GB onboard storage in this situation, or the front facing speakers, the stylus support or the microSD slot? As if the $299, 2-year old iPad mini 2 with 16GB storage is a wiser choice. If the reviewer wants big battery life, best this, and best that? Then add another $100 to the price of the Tab S2 8.0 for all the features it's lacking that the Z580CA has.
I agree and disagree. You are welcome to compare it to a product that is 1/3 more expensive, so long as you make it known that that product is 1/3 more expensive. If you stress the comparison against a disparate competitor, then you need to stress the price differential as well. I agree it is disingenuous to point out things that may bring value on one side (display quality, build, aspect ratio, etc.) while ignoring the value adds on the other (SD slot, Storage, Stylus, etc,).
Note: My comparison is between two imaginary products and has no bearing on products explicitly or implicitly called out in this article or thread. Comparison was made only to illustrate the point that talking about value distinctions without all of the data is impossible. You may not value the items you left out, but the party you are talking to might.
@retrospooty: Given what I've read about the new Atoms, I would probably consider it a boon to a tablet rather than a point of worry. A lot of people seem to be on an ARM or nothing kick. While I was pretty enthusiastic about ARM processors (still am) and I love the competition and what it has done for Intel's low end, I now find there is a lot to like about the Atoms in this form factor as well. Atom got a bad name from its netbook days when it was, frankly atrocious for the application. Now it has matured significantly from a performance / watt standpoint and is running an OS that doesn't run like dirt on low end processors. Of course another nicety of the Atom is its ability to support alternate x86 operating systems if you really want to, but then you have to question whether it is capable of giving you the experience you want. ARM will probably move ahead with its A72 in the near future, but that's a good thing. A little back and forth is good for keeping things moving.
Did you not get the dongle they created? The Prime was a design flaw. They couldn't software fix their way out of it. If you didn't or don't have the dongle, then I suppose blame yourself.
oh REALLY, an external GPS dongle to do what it should have done in the first place? No, no one should blame themselves, they should blame asus for making a bad product.
A design flaw is a design flaw. You can hold onto that issue for the rest of your life if you so choose. You want to miss out of price friendly Asus products because of a design flaw on a second even generation, ground breaking device, then be my guest. I bet you didn't even know about the dongle. The fact is the issue was resolved, albeit a lousy solution. Again, you hold that against them for the rest of your life. That's your odd choice, and if you're okay with it, then so am I.
The dongle fiasco was far from the worst of it though - missing GPS on a 10" tablet was really not a big deal. The Transformer Prime was a complete failure in the end due to the TERRIBLE eMMC that was used. Storage performance just plummeted after a time and while the occasional TRIM helped a bit, it was (and still is) painful to use. Once you are in an app... not so bad. Navigating Android was like watching grass grow... very choppy, laggy grass.
It was very sad what happened to the Prime... I remember when I first got it, it blew away any Android device I'd ever used. It is one of two electronic device or computer component purchases I've completely regretted buying. (The other was an AGP Radeon x850XT... that was just outright stupidity on my part)
So that experience colors my view of all ASUS products now. They make some nice looking devices that sometimes have great value... but I just can't help think that they are not fully tested. (As for their PC components, I've had nothing but good experiences)
I wasn't even talking about the GPS; way to jump to conclusions and run a mile with them!
And I did get the dongle.
3DoubleD knows what he's talking about (oh and don't forget the interminable hangs on web browsing). MrSavage I suggest you read and learn.
My current router and motherboard are from Asus, no complaints. When it comes to tablets (and probably smartphones) I'd steer well clear. This review mentions some serious issues at launch; they shouldn't exist.
If you recall, the Prime just came out, some hadn't even shipped, and Asus showed of the Transformer Infinity at CES to the dismay of many. The fact is this. That was a ground breaking product, in its second iteration. Nobody else was attempting what they did. Design wise a fail? Sure. But to me, I give full credit for a company that has the balls to release innovative and cutting edge products. They didn't repeat the mistake. Hold a grudge? LOL, go ahead. I'll always praise innovation even if it means problems. Apple antennagate? Happens to even the best companies out there.
The bits they failed on weren't the innovative bits. The keyboard worked very well for example. It was the actual tablet bit where they fell down. They shouldn't have shipped it in that state; they used seriously under-specced hardware and that's probably the real reason they were never able to fix it with firmware.
A few years on perhaps they've learned, or perhaps the decision-makers have changed. However the fact they're launching with major issues suggests otherwise, and those who do not learn from history are doomed to take Summer School.
You call it holding a grudge; I call it learning from experience. Same reason I won't touch Belkin.
Agreed. The innovative bits were great. The keyboard with extra battery life - fantastic. Screen was beautiful, even if it was only 720p. Two SD card slots and a full sized USB port - great. ASUS' Android wasn't even too bad (pretty close to stock with some small, helpful additions). But screwing up one of the core components of the system was not a failed innovation, it was poor engineering and quality control. It was also a not a common failure that was unique to the Prime, despite all phones and tablets having eMMC devices. It was such a failure, crippling the usability to such an extent that a recall should have taken place. Hilariously, the previous Transformer tablet has aged far better, while having all of the innovative features, so again, I don't think ASUS should get a free pass because it was 'ballsy'.
I registered to ask this question. You guys are known for your "technical" analysis. The issue with reviews is with the basis of comparison or lack thereof. Instead of saying this is the best $299 8-inch Android tablet on the market, you can't and really don't. Instead, you suggest spending another 1/3 of the price for something else!? Or yet get an old, outdated iPad mini 2?
What are front facing speakers worth to a tablet user? What is a stylus input worth to a tablet user?
It would seem that the reviewer doesn't know the Samsung Tab S2 8.0. Explain what that extra $100 in price gets you, that's better than the $100 cheaper Android tablet. The point is, expand on a spec basis what makes the extra $100 a better buying option. Perhaps your readers only shop for the most expensive product. In that case, each review will be price based. The most expensive on the market = the best. Thus, a review just explains why the premium cost is worthwhile. To write in the review that looking at the $100 more expensive Tab S2 is worth considering? How about why? Why is that worth it?
*sigh* Up until I saw the display and battery sections I was somewhat interested in this tablet.
Is there anyone selling an 8" android tablet that isn't either a cheap wretched piece of crap or fundamentally broken in some way (eg Samsung's backwards buttons, Kindle's lack of Google apps, etc)?
Unrealistic consumer? Wants - long battery life, best display on market. Wants - cheapest price possible. Seriously? If battery life is crucial, there are things called external battery packs. $20 perhaps? Not tied into a device and can be used for other devices. Display issues? Check the specs on the new Tab S2 8.0 and then look at the price. I think I go back to the first two words I wrote in this comment. Something to think about.
How exactly do you go from my not wanting a cheap piece of crap to my wanting something as cheap as possible? For that matter I just cited Samsung's tablets as an example of a device with a fundamentally broken mis-feature.
I want a good tablet without anything stupidly wrong on it. I'd gladly pay $400 for something like the Tab S2 8 if Samsung didn't insist on ruining all of their Android devices by screwing the buttons up.
As it is, the Android tablet market has gotten worse than the PC laptop market. The latter at least has enough options that, even though virtually every product has at least one item where they either cheaped out one component to something awful to save a dollar on the BOM or made an generally idiotic design option, I can at least find something that doesn't have a flaw that's a show stopper for me. (XPS 13 laptop, the black tape lens cap on the neckbeard/nose hair camera is less noticeable than the tape over a more conventionally placed camera.) I've been on/off looking for an android tablet all summer; but every time I see something to catch my eye midway through the review there's something that triggers an immediate "OH HELL NO!!!" response.
You are simply being unrealistic, that's my point. Android isn't Apple. Go ahead and go spec by spec through the Z580CA and Tab S2 8.0 comparison and then add the extra $100 you would be spending on that new Samsung.
If you think for a moment that the Z580CA is a cheap piece of crap, then no doubt why you are without an Android tablet. You are taking this review as the final word.
Battery life can be solved pretty darn easily, unless their is some issue with portable charger and Type-C.
I am curious though, what's the "hell no" aspect of the Z580CA? I hope it's not the wifi which has been reviewed on a firmware that needs updating/tweaking.
Display wise? I think the reviewer has a built in bias against display enhancements. Lots of charts and graphs talking about display. However, do you really think any of those graphs and charts mean anything to the real world, end user? If you are an elite user, then go ahead and look outside of Android and pay double or triple the price for an Apple display.
I hear what you want. You want an Apple quality device with Android OS. I think the manufacturers have tried and failed at that game and it's why price is their primary goal. Perhaps you can hope for a ZenPad Pro or something similar.
Personally? I would rather have a thicker, heavier and even slightly higher priced Z580CA if it meant bigger battery. However, I can easily get around battery life issues. No ideal, but possible.
Front facing speakers are of no value to you? Stylus input is of no value to you?
The bad thing about charts is that a device which is priced 20% to 40% cheaper will be compared against the most premium expensive models on the market. Is it logical to have them all bunched together? Do car review put Ferrari's against Honda in their speed or performance comparison tests? Some comparisons are illogical.
The "sharpening" filter that smudges text legibility is the deal breaker. Having tried using them before, I completely agree with the reviewer about how badly they suck. They might help in some circumstances; but having the opposite effect on one thing that needs legibility more than anything else makes them worse than useless as an always on feature.
I still don't get what you're going on about the Samsung and $100 more. AGAIN, I don't find it too expensive compared to the Zenpad. If the Samsung didn't have retarded buttons it looks like it'd be a great device and I'd probably own one. Putting the same level of hardware in a chassis with buttons in the correct order shouldn't drive the price to $500.
You think the Z580CA would have blurred or smudged text? I tell you this. I'm going into a store and seeing to believe. It's late 2015 and if you're telling me that a new tablet with new technology is going to have some blurry or unclear text or visuals? If this was 2012 I might buy that.
Regarding Samsung and $100? Have you actually gone spec by spec to compare? Beyond that, if you put 2GB of RAM (Samsung with around 3) and the same 32GB of storage? I would bet this Z580CA would be selling for $250 or less! No front speakers, no stylus support on top of that. I think your idea of reasonable or wise differs from mine.
So you are taking a few charts on the display as being the final word? If there are any issues regarding software enhancements, I'm confident in firmware and software updates to resolve any possible issue. I have some faith in that and considering the price, it's not exactly a super risky proposition.
First I've seen it; but other than potential availability (HP doesn't have it in immediate stock, and Amazon appears to only have the Win8 model), I don't see any show stoppers in a quick look at reviews. Paying for a pen'd just end up in my junk drawer's annoying but if it's my only option...
162 was the WebXPRT score. So yeah, some improvements have definitely been made. The Air 2 now out scores every tablet score you have on that table by a significant margin.
In short: you get what you pay for. Display you have to calibrate yourself with software that makes it horrible, mediocre performance, mediocre build quality with low-quality materials, horrible camera, non-competitive battery life. But hey, at least you get front-facing stereo speakers that are ok!
"... ASUS has made space for two front-facing stereo speakers, which is something you won't get on an iPad or on the Galaxy Tab S2. As for the quality of the speakers, my highly subjective evaluation is that they are better than the iPad Air 2, and much better than the Nexus 9."
It's in the design section in the paragraph discussing the front face of the tablet. Since it's the most subjective evaluation ever I didn't feel it would merit its own section, and I just mentioned it because using the speakers on a phone/tablet for music or movies is apparently something more people do than I realized.
Tablets = consumption = audio reliant (largely). How that cannot be a focal point of a tablet review I suppose I won't understand fully. I guess people want charts and graphs? I get the tech savvy demo of anandtech and perhaps they need charts and graphs to decide whether something is a good value or not.
We can't talk about exceptions. Those always exist. The audience reading a tablet review are from which camp? The strong majority are using their tablets for "things" that use audio. If you are not so much into consumption like the majority of consumers are, then I wonder why no mention of a Z stylus. A stylus isn't about consumption. If you could find sources online stating that a tablet is largely a consumption device, then we visit different websites over the years.
Because ASUS didn't send the stylus. I'm not going to comment on the quality or utility of something I haven't used. I think I've said all I need to say.
Aside from possibly mentioning the stylus support in the review. I would imagine with that logic, you would assume the S Pen is no biggie when it comes to the Samsung Note. Like just a passing point. It's not like the note taking is a selling point (a big one at that) of the Note series. But in this tablet review, your readers wouldn't even know it existed. I guess you decide on what's the responsible way of reporting on a product.
The difference is that a Galaxy Note always comes with the pen. How could you review something you don't have? If ASUS had sent him the stylus, he would've written about it. You can't possibly assume that a review mentions every optional extra there is available for a device. "Oooh, your laptop review sucks because you didn't mention the carrying bag or the Kensington lock available for that laptop!!"
Friend, again, the point is what? A stylus is a BIG VALUE ADD. No? I give you the example of the Samsung Note to prove that it's a big selling point. To have that feature in the Z580CA yet not have it mentioned it actually irresponsible. You speak of it like it's some smart case that wasn't available at the time of publishing. Optional extra? LOL. List 8-inch tablet with stylus support. Then narrow that list down to similarly priced tablets. None? Right. Leave it out of the review because stylus is just so meh. You are dazzled by charts and graphs that compare apple with oranges and are willing to see a graph to make a determination on screen quality rather than going into a store and looking for yourself.
omg. Now you're saying a stylus doesn't add value to the product. Then why are you crying about stylus support not being mentioned in the review? And the thing with screen quality is that it is all about accurate color reproduction. So if there is a faintly red flower in a photo, it should look faintly red on your display. If it looks like a hot super bright red flower on a display, then that display is not accurate and isn't good. Even if it makes some things "look" better. Samsung Galaxy S3 for example. Pictures look super pretty on its display. You know why? The display oversaturates everything, and as such it is actually not accurate and not a good display. If you personally like to look at oversaturated things, then buy the SGS3, no one is stopping you. BUT the fact still remains that the display isn't accurate. This was of course just an example. Some things can't be quantified by just looking at it or feeling it somehow.
And this is my last reply to you. Hope ASUS pays you well. Have a good night with your mediocre, badly made tablet. Thanks to the review, I will look elsewhere if and when I need a new tablet.
@superflex if you care to debate any of the points I'm making, go ahead. I likely know more about the product than most, so I'm going to inform people and hope that people with a large audience will be responsible. If for nothing more than being professional. Like I said, you think I'm wrong about anything I've said in the comments, please advise me. I have a thick skin. People might have learned that the Z580CA has stylus support, so to say that makes me a troll? I only take issue with unprofessional.
Is just sad that everyone just forgot another great alternative, the Xperia Tablet Compact, too sad it came dead on arrival due it's high price, I actually found one in clearance for about $230 USD and could not be happier, the build quality is superb, the performance is too, it was even updated to 5.1.1 within the first few hours I had it. If only Sony had managed to sell it for around 300-350 I think it would have been a very very good alternative for people that like mid sized tablets. BTW, the Z3 have an aluminum frame AND is lighter AND thinner than the Zenpad so... it is posible to achieve a lighter device without going full plastic.
Sony has a negligible presence in the US market; and their longstanding refusal to provide review samples more or less guarantees their largely being ignored by the US tech press.
They make above average hardware; but it doesn't matter to me. I'll be carrying my grudge against them over the rootkit to the grave.
As a bit of feedback, I think better pictures of the products are needed in these reviews. As I look at these photos, I just can't help but think of someone awkwardly holding a tablet out with one hand while trying to photograph it with the other. I know not everyone is a photographer, but good, clean, properly lit product shots go a long way for a professional look. Make a little product photo booth out of white paperboard/foamcore and mount a camera on a tripod for flashless photography.
Thanks for the feedback. I actually did have a white light box at one point which was used in older reviews, but it fell apart and I haven't been able to make another one yet.
I bought this tablet at launch. I must say, it is absolutely the best that I've ever owned! Easily beats out all the others, and that list isn't short. Both Nexus 7's, a Nexus 10, 2nd Gen Transformer, Tab S 10.1, iPad 2, iPad 3 and that raggedy ass Shield Tablet. Sure it doesn't have the biggest and baddest of GPUs but it punches above its weight class. The Atom is a strong performer and the storage is awesome!
My wife has the 580C and she loves it for what she does.
My only caveat is that you can't disable all of those duplicate Asus apps that you don't really need.
I'm actually enjoying this tablet as well. I've owned the original iPad, iPad 3, Nexus 7 2013, and the Galaxy Tab S 8.4. I do notice that text on some websites just look very light, and could use a bold function. I'm not sure if that's the nature of the site, or the image "improvement" that Asus is doing. I've been thinking maybe it's just my eyes getting weaker as I get older. Browsing is great though, so that's reflected in this review.
At this point, only a couple of Taiwanese websites have reviews/hands-on time with the Z Stylus. If you can translate those sites, it might help. Decent photos though and give a decent idea, but not exactly ideal.
That "Raggedy ass" Shield tablet, released 14 months ago at at $199, destroys the performance on this tablet in almost all aspects. It even has better cameras and a second-generation touch-sensitive stylus. I use one every day (the $299 LTE/32GB model) and can't see any benefit to this tablet in comparison.
Am I in the minority for holding on to my Nexus 7 (2013) for this long because nothing has yet to surpass it in the crucial areas of battery life, display brightness, and price? It's the perfect beach tablet. Crank that brightness all the way up, and you're good to go for several hours, plus it's so cheap and abused by this point that I don't worry about sand and moisture. I've started to feel it getting slower and choppier, though, so I'd love to upgrade to a [hypothetical] new version!
Give me a refresh with phone support and stylus support and I'm 100% happy with that too. I guess that would kill off some of the cheap pricing, but I'd be happy to pay.
Does Anandtech plan to update the review once a stylus is available? For some of us, the stylus input would be a real deal maker (or breaker if it is subpar).
I specifically asked ASUS to send the stylus and cover if they could, but all I got was the tablet. I have to send this back so I doubt I'll ever be able to look at the stylus. I really wanted to.
I don't know if you viewed them at full size or not but ASUS's camera processing has been widely panned by pretty much every site that looked at the Zenfone 2, and it is literally unchanged here. If there's some level of bias there then it must exist at every tech site ever.
The image quality is not even remotely comparable to the shot from the S6 Edge. A good area to examine is the walls of the school, they're completely destroyed by heavy noise reduction to the point where the lines start curving and shifting. It's just not a good image.
It's really that the problems are only obvious in the full size image. The resized images in the gallery aren't large enough to see the problems.
This's a sitewide comment, and not directed at you personally; but people who look at the full size images as well as the ones in the gallery are probably in the minority. I think a set of 1:1 crops of a detail area or two that make things like the destructive processing the Asus does readily apparent would really make problems more apparent.
as Anandtech still continue to ignore sony xperia tablet, i can not consider seriously this review of the asus zenpad. i trust all the review of Anandtech else the tablets ones! I hope one day you could try or review the xperia z3 compact tablet or even the xperia z4 tablet because it changes all the done and the way to judge the other tablets on the market.
It's not AT ignoring the Sony Tablet. It's Sony ignoring the tech press. AT (among others) have regularly asked for review samples of various products. Sony's almost never willing to provide them. As a result they get next to no press coverage beyond demos at big shows and product release announcements. That's entirely on them.
People running big websites aren't capable of buying a review unit off a store shelf? Imagine that. Having to pay for a review unit? Perhaps giving it away later as a giveaway contest? Nobody knows about tax write offs? Sure, if it's not free then we don't review it. If it's the best tablet on the market who cares. We won't inform our site visitors of that great product because there was no freebie sent out. Credibility wise, I would not be saying this is great or the best because I chose not to review other top tablets because I didn't get a free one in the mail to review. I wish sites were open about the bias or friendly handshake agreements. The best tablet of the free ones sent out to big websites. Not the best, but just the best from the ass kissing companies who sent out review units. Sad excuse in my books. I call it a disservice to my visitors if that's my mentality.
They get enough loaners to keep the review queue in a constant backlog (see periodic comment rage about the review of X, Y, and Z being delayed). If ad revenue ever got to the point that they could hire enough reviewers that they didn't have anything to review at times a shopping trip might make sense; but they don't and probably never will.
Even if that did happen, Sony probably wouldn't be the recipient because they've almost entirely abandoned the US market. If you're bound and determined to have one you can get it; but for 99% of the consumers who read the articles and let the ads load (aka the people who actually make the site money) Sony is irrelevant because it's not something they can find in the store.
well, i can believe what i read. you wait for the brand to provide you the device that you review. it is a leak of independence, don't you think ? can't you just buy it on amazon, try it, write your review then get your refund and return the product ? Seriously, for your own knoewledge, you should have test for yourself the last model of sony tablet to win&earn another point of view (better) on samsung tablet or asus zenPad.
Maybe I need to turn in my geek card. I see no benefit whatsoever of such resolutions in an 8" form-factor. The way I use tablets, I prefer the 4:3 ratio. So this is great. I spend far too many hours sitting 30" from my 24" 19x12 IPS, calibrated with a ColorMunki, working in Photoshop and Premiere. With an 8" display, at an 18" distance, I see no benefit above 1280x1024. On the contrary; brightness, performance and battery life suffer significantly. I've used most of what is currently available on the market and don't get the insistence of pushing higher resolutions at 8". I own two 8" tablets; an 800x600 Android and 1024x768 iPad Mini. 800x600 is borderline rough but 1024x768 is pretty good. 1280x1024 seems ideal. Why do we suck up all the marketing baloney? Bigger isn't always better. More isn't always more. It's not the resolution that we discern as better, it's simply that they're usually higher quality displays. Drop the Asus' resolution to 1280x1024, keep the high quality, do a reasonable calibration from the factory, drop the price to $250 and you have a darned nice Android tablet to last a couple of years. Really, what more do we want?
Another vote for widescreen tablets for me, it is all I've ever used (still using a transformer prime). I do watch a lot of medie on my device while I'm travelling / commuting. I tried it on the wife's iPad and got fed up with the huge black bars. Full screening it is like watching an old CRT, so I'm glad there are still the widescreen options out there. To all the people whining and bitching about this tablet, are you actually pissed off because you wanted to buy it, or are you just joining in with the bitch fest? If it isn't 4:3 don't buy it, end of.
Hello: My Zenpad 8.0 S is only two days old, out of the box. I cannot seem to charge it. I charged it for many hours yesterday only to find it with a dead battery. I moved it to several different outlets, tried different cables and chargers that work with other devices and worked with it previously, to no avail. It will show the battery charging icon, but does not appear to actually charge. Any ideas? Thanks.
er0k, Did you ever get your charging issue solved. Did you try connecting to charge off a computer (if you have USB ports that charge, and the appropriate wire)? Did you hold in the power button and one of the volume buttons to force a reset on the device? (I have an old Archos 80 Titanium tablet, and once I thought it wasn't charging, and was dead, but in reality it was charged and was reporting improper information and the forced reboot resolved the issue). I don't know the z580's reset process, but I expect its something similar.
I contacted Asus to ask a few questions since I'm contemplating getting a ZenPad S (Z580CA).
I asked if the wifi issue Brandon had reported, that he wrote in the article Asus said they were looking into, had been fixed. (I linked the article). The rep wrote back that they had no reports of any such issue. Don't know if that means they fixed it a while back and it can no longer be reproduced/no one is having the problem any longer, if the rep was clueless and the problem is still there and they didn't bother to read your article, or I wasn't taken seriously and the question wasn't passed down the line to the people in the know. Anyone with a Z580CA (or a C for that matter) able to confirm if the issue still exists?
I asked if the enhancement features Brandon mentioned as being annoyances (brightness adjustment, sharpness enhancement, etc) could be disabled, as I'd read a few other reviewers say they could (at least some of them). The rep replied back that they could all be disabled. Before I came home from work and saw that I had a message from the rep I had stopped by Best Buy and taken a look at the Z580C (not the CA) that they had on display, and I went exploring in the settings area. I can confirm that at least the CABC can be turned off in settings.
I asked if there were any plans for them to update the OS to Marshmallow at some point, or how long Asus (in general) tends to keep putting out patches and updates for their Android system (in other words what their company policy is). The rep said they contacted their Taiwan, and said they had no schedule for the next update. Don't know if that means they have an update in the works, and they have no idea when they are going to have it complete, or if it means they don't plan on working on or releasing any updates in the foreseeable future.
Just received a zenpad ca. Upgraded from a nexus 7 2013. Performance difference is night and day. You can install Google launcher to avoid the stupid zen launcher that comes with the tablet. This essentially makes the tablet feel like stock Android. Also whilst not all the bloat can be uninstalled it can all be disabled permanently. The performance really is very impressive. I received simultaneously a Google nexus 6p and the tablet seems to be smoother in performance overall despite the 6p having marshmallow. I think going with the Google stock launcher really makes this tablet much more pleasant to use. Also the side buttons are a little too firm for my taste and require you to use two hands to push the , one hand to hold the device stably and the other to actually push the button.
I was back in the market for shopping for a tablet as the one I just recently bought into (Lenovo) decided it needed a broken LCD by barely applying pressure to the screen (it was in my cargo pocket, screen facing my leg….and I leaned forward and it applied enough pressure to crack the glass and turn the LCD into all sorts of colors). So after TONS of research and reviews (ie, http://pocinc.net/blog/product-reviews/review-asus... ), I decided to give this one (ASUS) a chance. So far I love it. The screen looks nicer (they claim it is 2K resolution, but it doesn’t look much better than any other awesome tablet…it just simply looks awesome lol but not 4K like the TVs). It’s faster than my other one, has more space than it + has a card slot for more space and hasn’t given me any troubles yet.
I just bought my zenpad s last week.it was awesome but the only fall is the battery.3.5 to 4 hours in gaming,but I dont mind it for i am in my private practice.but what is odd is the 3 hours charging?why so long?
I choose this because i think i was more practical than buying Samsung a with s pen.i wanted a tablet for gaming so I wont need a pen.I dont need a sim card.and choose this than ipad mini 2 cause the ipad mini 2 has may about just 2 more years before it will be outdated.I own iphone 4 thats why i have an idea about apple.with android you can just share it if your unit cannot download the latest apps.I think the unit can last upto 5 years or more with replacement of battery.it's a good tablet.it's just a little pricey for the battery issues.but in gaming and screen,awesome.
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Shadow7037932 - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Man, that's disappointing. I was hoping more value like the Zenfone 2.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
More value like what? Put a 16GB storage along with 1GB of RAM like the iPad mini 2 (as mentioned endlessly in this review) and don't you think it would cost less than $199? So then the Z580CA would be price around $199 or less, and the 2 year old iPad mini 2 would be $100 more. Oh yes, more value please. Afterall, let's compare apples with oranges. Zenfone 2 value? So a 8-inch display for a price similar to a 5.5-inch display device. Put stylus support into the Zenfone 2 and what would that cost?Kepe - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Does ASUS pay you to troll around here, praising the Zenpad and dissing everyone who finds the product a bit disappointing? Price doesn't matter at all if the product fails on too many categories that would have been rather easy to fix. This thing has too many software issues, such as artificially oversharpening everything on the display (makes small text hard to read for example), always on CABC and poor camera image processing.Cheap price alone isn't enough to justify the problems this thing has. You wouldn't buy a badly made and designed car even if it was 30% cheaper than the competing, well-made and thought of car.
Of course cheap price doesn't always mean something is bad. Look at OnePlus 1 and 2 and the new Moto X. They're half the price of the competition, but you couldn't tell that by the spec sheets or how they are made and what materials are used. Those are good examples of how to make a cheap product in an intelligent and thoughtful way.
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Hey friend. I think it's okay to challenge people or to question logic. You don't logically compare a smartphone with a tablet. Do you? I would expect a $100,000 car to be on a level playing field as a $20,000 car. I wouldn't compare the Z380CA to an iPad mini 2 because if you removed 3GB of RAM, put in a slower processor, and removed 32GB of storage then the Z580CA would be priced around $200 don't you think? Compare apples with apples is logical. You don't own one so I would suspect you don't have any credibility on what the Z580CA has or doesn't have. With a weak review, things can and should be corrected by people who know better in the comment section. You can always always always get more bang for your buck. Apple proves that. To me the failure is partially on Asus for sending an early review unit that OBVIOUSLY needed a firmware update prior to publisher, and beyond that, one key component the Z stylus isn't even available for those reviews. I'm expressing my opinion to clear up some of the ignorance out there.Kepe - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
You are not making any sense at all. The iPad mini 2 and the Z580CA cost exactly the same amount of money: $299. That is why they can and should be compared. The iPad mini 2 is 2 years old, that's why it has less ram, storage, slower processor and such.Somewhere else in the comments you said people shouldn't compare the Z580CA to a Samsung tablet because it was $100 more expensive. Now you say people shouldn't compare devices that cost the same. What the heck are we supposed to compare, then? Two Z580CA's and look at them with a microscope to spot some differences in the surface texture and then compare them?
Besides, I haven't been comparing a tablet to a phone. The charts in the review have phones as well because they use the same SOCs (processors, GPUs).
The reason graphs and charts are used and detailed measurements are taken (display, performance, specs) is to remove objectivity from the results. Without them, every review would be like this:
"The display is ok I guess. There wasn't any significant UI lag. Gaming was ok. Weight is ok, not too heavy. Battery lasted for quite a while. It's an ok tablet I guess."
That kind of a review doesn't benefit anyone. The only way to properly decide which device is better at which thing is to measure those things, put them in a chart and compare them. As a reader, you should have the brain capacity to understand the price and other differences by yourself. We all know that the Zenpad reviewed here costs $299 and some other devices in the charts are more expensive and some are less expensive. It's up to the reader to decide what kind of price/performance he or she wants. It's the same thing with GPU reviews. The charts have old GPUs, new GPUs, cheap GPUs, expensive GPUs all in one. It isn't unfair, because everyone understands that the cheap ones won't be as fast as the new ones, and the expensive old ones won't be as fast as expensive new ones. You have to use your own brains when you're reading.
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I can appreciate what you're saying. I'm not trying to argue with you, only to discuss. Let me clarify. Similar price is fair, so long as the specs match up. The ipad mini 2 and Z580CA are total apples and oranges. It's not an equal value trade off at all. If you strip most of the things I mentioned, then you will have a true value comparison.The reason the new Samsung Tab S2 is worth comparing is because they are comparable spec wise, except for the storage and a bit of RAM. The value proposition of the Z580CA exceeds the negatives, but that's my opinion.
Charts and graphs have some value, so I'm not disregarding those entirely. Obviously anandtech is very reliant on their data and that's fine. Perhaps the audience reading the review will figure things out on their own, but it's a false assumption to assume that people understand the technicalities. I don't disagree that people need to use their brains when analyzing data or stats. Some stats however are statistically insignificant and that's why I take issue with some of those devices listed.
Those best review is one that looks realistically at the cost/value proposition. Everything out there sucks in the tablet category against the iPad Air 2. Beyond that, the review here of the display is sporadic and unclear. If it's software? If it was patched at some point during the review? That should not be made as an aside. It's not clear to me if the issues were resolved with the update and that essentially nullified most of the previous complaints being made about the display. Just not good enough in my books. Beyond that, it's never a good idea to trust one review and make a decision or judgement based on that.
BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
Let me try to word it a different way. For the same price you get an extra 3GB of RAM, a faster processor, and an extra 32GB of storage. If those things are of highest importance to you, then this equates to more value. However, if your personal priorities dictate that use of iOS, Apple branding, build quality, display quality, etc. are more important, then perhaps you come to a different conclusion.LoganPowell - Friday, November 27, 2015 - link
Unfortunately Asus Zenpad Z580CA ranks rather poorly among top rankings (see ranking http://www.consumerrunner.com/top-10-best-tablets/ for example...)BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
@Kepe: It doesn't matter if the iPad Mini 2 is two years old. That doesn't make it suddenly a better value. Either the price needs to drop accordingly, or a newer updated version needs to hit the market. Of course, you may find it a better value given other characteristics, but that depends on your priorities.Puck85 - Thursday, September 10, 2015 - link
serious question: what should I buy instead of this around this price range? Is there a better value out there I should consider?jjj - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
You guys are out of touch. 300$ for what is a midrange tablet? -with misguided AR and horrible design but lets put that aside. This would have been high end 3 years ago. At 40% lower prices it would be ok-ish - at lest for Apple users that got used with the irrational 4:3 AR and are in love with how briefcases used to look 30 years ago. Odd niche to address but w/e.PC OEM mentality, just dropping parts in a box. They aren't selling lettuce, they are supposed to be in tech and do much better than nothing. They just need to gift wrap some parts together and that's somehow way too difficult for them. They sell out to Intel, they use no neurons in product design and then they whine that the tablet market is not doing well. And that's not just Asus but Asus at least used to be slightly better than others.
boeush - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
What's so misguided about 4:3 AR? It's basically the same as the standard 8.5" x 11" paper sheet. It's close to the AR of a typical book. It's pretty great for consuming text-based or text-heavy media (hello - Internet?), or just scribbling on for kicks and doodles (or notes). Only thing its not perfect for is movie watching, but who watches movies on a tiny friggin' tablet screen - unless one's desperate?BugblatterIII - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
4:3 is way better for everything apart from movies. It was one of the main reasons my last tablet was an iPad rather than another Android. I'm glad there are now some Android options.ddriver - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Not really.Aside from multimedia, widescreen is better for gaming - more immersive, and also for professional software, where in most cases the UI revolves around a hefty side bar and a central viewport. Having a 4:3 screen means you either lose your viewport or your sidebar.
Honestly, the sole upside to 4:3 might be text editing, but flip a widescreen at 90 degree and suddenly 4:3 is not that much of an attractive prospect.
The only reason people like 4:3 is because apple is still stuck there, and those people are apple fanboys who care not about usability but to be exemplary corporate zealots.
ddriver - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
The one thing 4:3 is really good for is browsing poorly designed websites. That's about it... If that's what your computing routine boils down to - go for it.BillyONeal - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
As a Nexus 7 and Surface owner, can confirm 16:9 is garbage for anything but movies.FunBunny2 - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Yeah, but *computing* is so 1990s. All these devices are primarily entertainment vehicles. In due time, may be less than a year, there'll be a 16:9/10 watchy thingee so you can consume "Straight Outta Compton" on the way to your cubicle.cwolf78 - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
As another Nexus 7 owner, I agree wholeheartedly. I will not be purchasing another 16:9 tablet. The shape is just too awkward for anything other than movies which I can't stomach watching on a tablet in the first place.BurntMyBacon - Thursday, September 3, 2015 - link
I'm also a Nexus 7 owner and I think the shape is perfect. Its just narrow enough to fit in my pocket. Wait, you want to actually use the device. Whaat?BugblatterIII - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
So anyone who disagrees with your opinion is an Apple fanboy and/or mostly browses lousy websites?I don't like Apple; I reluctantly bought an iPad because it was the best choice for me at the time.
I have a 24" 16:10 monitor. I always use it in portrait. For videos and games I use my TV. It's a very nice set up and meets my needs perfectly.
If ever you want to have your views taken seriously then you need to be less dismissive of the views of others.
kmmatney - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Having both a 16:9 windows tablet and an iPad, IMO 4:3 is better. Who plays "immersive" games on there tablet? - that's what a computer or laptop is for. For typical things you use a tablet for - web browsing, reading emails, reading books, you tube, various other consumption, the 4:3 aspect ratio is perfect. I don't pretend to do any serious work on my tablets, but I wish my windows tablet was 4:3. There is a reason why the MS Surface tablets no longer use a 16:9 aspect ratio.boeush - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
This is getting pretty stupid... Let's say your tablet is x inches long. Does it really make that much difference whether it's height gives 19:10 ot 4:3 AR? Unlike a phone, you aren't about to shove that tablet into a pocket. So is it REALLY so TERRIBLE that you have extra vertical screen space when watching a movie in landscape? Yeah, instead of that extra screen you could just have empty space I guess - but that still won't make your tablet all that more compact anyway (with the horizontal dimension being dominant.) So boo-hoo, you get top and bottom sidebars on your video. Contrast that with the use cases where you need/want that extra height in your landscape mode, or the extra width in portrait - and DON'T HAVE IT because your tablet is built oblong and that's that. Seriously, I for one would rather have extra screen space I don't need under certain circumstances, rather than at other times needing the extra space and not having it!keltypack - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I totally agree with the 4:3 aspect ratio. I don't know what people are thinking, but a tablet is a GREAT way to watch a movie on an airplane. The 16:9 ratio is much better for reading books. I don't understand the Apple fascination with 4:3. To be fair, I think 3:2 is a better aspect ratio than 16:9, but maybe that is the old-school photographer in me.uhuznaa - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
16:9 sucks for websites and more compley apps though, both in portrait (too narrow) and in landscape (with some toolbars around you see only a small sliver and when typing into a form there's hardly any content left).But yes, if you're mainly watching movies with your tablet, 16:9 is better.
sonny73n - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
The only reason 16:9 is better for movies because all HD contents are in 16:9. But to me, 16:9 is just odd and stupid. I remember when the first wave of HDTV hit the market, there was a widescreen trend. So bad they even started making movies wider than 16:9 - something really odd like 1920x818 instead of the 1920x1080.16:9 is horrible even on phones. Keyboard in landscape mode blocks more than 50% of the screen. You can have a 4.7in 1280x768 screen looks as big as a 5in 1280x720. 16:9 sucks, movies too. I'd rather see movies in 2:3 format.
BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
@sonny73n: 16:10 more accurately maps to the active area of the human visual system and thus gives a more immersive experience at the appropriate screen size / viewing distance. 16:9 was just cost cutting measure by reducing the probability of defects in a screen given the statistical probability of localization. Problem is, you can't interact with your tablet when it's in your face. Most people don't sit that close to a TV either. Usability on 16:9 isn't very good. It is better at 16:10, but 4:3 or 3:2 can make more sense in a lot of cases. I personally prefer 16:10 (1280x800 in your example above), but a lot of that depends on how the tools you use are laid out.R. Hunt - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
Apps look so much more natural in 4:3 IMO. Web browsing, and PDF reading are also better. I think, specially for large tablets, a squarer aspect ratio is overall the better choice. My Tab Pro 10.1 looks and feels really awkward in portrait (and unnecessarily long). I'll be getting the Tab S2 soon, no doubt.BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
@keltypack: Yes. Your 3:2 preference is the old school photographer in you. Nothin wrong with that.retrospooty - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
jjj, I think you need to put the pipe down.Puck85 - Thursday, September 10, 2015 - link
serious question: what should I buy instead of this around this price range?uhuznaa - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Things are strange right now: You can get an 8" (retina) iPad Mini 2 for $299 and at the same time Android tablets are either a little bit cheaper and really crappy or more expensive and not really much better.If even Apple is struggling now to sell iPads I somewhat doubt that such Android tablets are selling great now...
retrospooty - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I dont know about that. I got the $199 Asus Zenpad S 8 a month ago and am loving it. Like all Androids from OEM's, you really need to spend a bit of time to root it and debloat it to make it shine. Debloated this thing flies. For $199 you get an 8 inch 2048x1536 screen, 32gb storage + SD, great build quality, thin, light, great battery life, fingerprint resistant on all surfaces and the CPU is great as well. I was worried about using an Atom chip, but in actual use, it runs perfectly smooth and cool as well. In fact cooler than any Snapdragon device I have ever used. It doesnt get hot at all, ever and I live in Arizona and it's summer. EASILY the best "bang for your buck" available in a tablet right now from any vendor.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
@retrospooty, I agree with you. People who review a product at a certain price point who want to compare that to products that are about 1/3 more expensive? Or they simply omit the good features like the 64GB onboard storage in this situation, or the front facing speakers, the stylus support or the microSD slot? As if the $299, 2-year old iPad mini 2 with 16GB storage is a wiser choice. If the reviewer wants big battery life, best this, and best that? Then add another $100 to the price of the Tab S2 8.0 for all the features it's lacking that the Z580CA has.BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
I agree and disagree. You are welcome to compare it to a product that is 1/3 more expensive, so long as you make it known that that product is 1/3 more expensive. If you stress the comparison against a disparate competitor, then you need to stress the price differential as well. I agree it is disingenuous to point out things that may bring value on one side (display quality, build, aspect ratio, etc.) while ignoring the value adds on the other (SD slot, Storage, Stylus, etc,).Note: My comparison is between two imaginary products and has no bearing on products explicitly or implicitly called out in this article or thread. Comparison was made only to illustrate the point that talking about value distinctions without all of the data is impossible. You may not value the items you left out, but the party you are talking to might.
BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
@retrospooty: Given what I've read about the new Atoms, I would probably consider it a boon to a tablet rather than a point of worry. A lot of people seem to be on an ARM or nothing kick. While I was pretty enthusiastic about ARM processors (still am) and I love the competition and what it has done for Intel's low end, I now find there is a lot to like about the Atoms in this form factor as well. Atom got a bad name from its netbook days when it was, frankly atrocious for the application. Now it has matured significantly from a performance / watt standpoint and is running an OS that doesn't run like dirt on low end processors. Of course another nicety of the Atom is its ability to support alternate x86 operating systems if you really want to, but then you have to question whether it is capable of giving you the experience you want. ARM will probably move ahead with its A72 in the near future, but that's a good thing. A little back and forth is good for keeping things moving.BugblatterIII - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Do not trust Asus to fix issues!I had (and still have) a Transformer Prime. They never managed to get that working acceptably.
Base your buying decision on how it is at launch, and if they do manage to fix the issues then count that as a bonus.
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Did you not get the dongle they created? The Prime was a design flaw. They couldn't software fix their way out of it. If you didn't or don't have the dongle, then I suppose blame yourself.invinciblegod - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
oh REALLY, an external GPS dongle to do what it should have done in the first place? No, no one should blame themselves, they should blame asus for making a bad product.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
A design flaw is a design flaw. You can hold onto that issue for the rest of your life if you so choose. You want to miss out of price friendly Asus products because of a design flaw on a second even generation, ground breaking device, then be my guest. I bet you didn't even know about the dongle. The fact is the issue was resolved, albeit a lousy solution. Again, you hold that against them for the rest of your life. That's your odd choice, and if you're okay with it, then so am I.3DoubleD - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
The dongle fiasco was far from the worst of it though - missing GPS on a 10" tablet was really not a big deal. The Transformer Prime was a complete failure in the end due to the TERRIBLE eMMC that was used. Storage performance just plummeted after a time and while the occasional TRIM helped a bit, it was (and still is) painful to use. Once you are in an app... not so bad. Navigating Android was like watching grass grow... very choppy, laggy grass.It was very sad what happened to the Prime... I remember when I first got it, it blew away any Android device I'd ever used. It is one of two electronic device or computer component purchases I've completely regretted buying. (The other was an AGP Radeon x850XT... that was just outright stupidity on my part)
So that experience colors my view of all ASUS products now. They make some nice looking devices that sometimes have great value... but I just can't help think that they are not fully tested. (As for their PC components, I've had nothing but good experiences)
BugblatterIII - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I wasn't even talking about the GPS; way to jump to conclusions and run a mile with them!And I did get the dongle.
3DoubleD knows what he's talking about (oh and don't forget the interminable hangs on web browsing). MrSavage I suggest you read and learn.
My current router and motherboard are from Asus, no complaints. When it comes to tablets (and probably smartphones) I'd steer well clear. This review mentions some serious issues at launch; they shouldn't exist.
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
If you recall, the Prime just came out, some hadn't even shipped, and Asus showed of the Transformer Infinity at CES to the dismay of many. The fact is this. That was a ground breaking product, in its second iteration. Nobody else was attempting what they did. Design wise a fail? Sure. But to me, I give full credit for a company that has the balls to release innovative and cutting edge products. They didn't repeat the mistake. Hold a grudge? LOL, go ahead. I'll always praise innovation even if it means problems. Apple antennagate? Happens to even the best companies out there.BugblatterIII - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
The bits they failed on weren't the innovative bits. The keyboard worked very well for example. It was the actual tablet bit where they fell down. They shouldn't have shipped it in that state; they used seriously under-specced hardware and that's probably the real reason they were never able to fix it with firmware.A few years on perhaps they've learned, or perhaps the decision-makers have changed. However the fact they're launching with major issues suggests otherwise, and those who do not learn from history are doomed to take Summer School.
You call it holding a grudge; I call it learning from experience. Same reason I won't touch Belkin.
3DoubleD - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
Agreed. The innovative bits were great. The keyboard with extra battery life - fantastic. Screen was beautiful, even if it was only 720p. Two SD card slots and a full sized USB port - great. ASUS' Android wasn't even too bad (pretty close to stock with some small, helpful additions). But screwing up one of the core components of the system was not a failed innovation, it was poor engineering and quality control. It was also a not a common failure that was unique to the Prime, despite all phones and tablets having eMMC devices. It was such a failure, crippling the usability to such an extent that a recall should have taken place. Hilariously, the previous Transformer tablet has aged far better, while having all of the innovative features, so again, I don't think ASUS should get a free pass because it was 'ballsy'.3DoubleD - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
"It was also a not a common failure, *but* was unique to the Prime..."MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I registered to ask this question. You guys are known for your "technical" analysis. The issue with reviews is with the basis of comparison or lack thereof. Instead of saying this is the best $299 8-inch Android tablet on the market, you can't and really don't. Instead, you suggest spending another 1/3 of the price for something else!? Or yet get an old, outdated iPad mini 2?What are front facing speakers worth to a tablet user? What is a stylus input worth to a tablet user?
It would seem that the reviewer doesn't know the Samsung Tab S2 8.0. Explain what that extra $100 in price gets you, that's better than the $100 cheaper Android tablet. The point is, expand on a spec basis what makes the extra $100 a better buying option. Perhaps your readers only shop for the most expensive product. In that case, each review will be price based. The most expensive on the market = the best. Thus, a review just explains why the premium cost is worthwhile. To write in the review that looking at the $100 more expensive Tab S2 is worth considering? How about why? Why is that worth it?
DanNeely - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
*sigh* Up until I saw the display and battery sections I was somewhat interested in this tablet.Is there anyone selling an 8" android tablet that isn't either a cheap wretched piece of crap or fundamentally broken in some way (eg Samsung's backwards buttons, Kindle's lack of Google apps, etc)?
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Unrealistic consumer? Wants - long battery life, best display on market. Wants - cheapest price possible. Seriously? If battery life is crucial, there are things called external battery packs. $20 perhaps? Not tied into a device and can be used for other devices. Display issues? Check the specs on the new Tab S2 8.0 and then look at the price. I think I go back to the first two words I wrote in this comment. Something to think about.DanNeely - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
How exactly do you go from my not wanting a cheap piece of crap to my wanting something as cheap as possible? For that matter I just cited Samsung's tablets as an example of a device with a fundamentally broken mis-feature.I want a good tablet without anything stupidly wrong on it. I'd gladly pay $400 for something like the Tab S2 8 if Samsung didn't insist on ruining all of their Android devices by screwing the buttons up.
As it is, the Android tablet market has gotten worse than the PC laptop market. The latter at least has enough options that, even though virtually every product has at least one item where they either cheaped out one component to something awful to save a dollar on the BOM or made an generally idiotic design option, I can at least find something that doesn't have a flaw that's a show stopper for me. (XPS 13 laptop, the black tape lens cap on the neckbeard/nose hair camera is less noticeable than the tape over a more conventionally placed camera.) I've been on/off looking for an android tablet all summer; but every time I see something to catch my eye midway through the review there's something that triggers an immediate "OH HELL NO!!!" response.
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
You are simply being unrealistic, that's my point. Android isn't Apple. Go ahead and go spec by spec through the Z580CA and Tab S2 8.0 comparison and then add the extra $100 you would be spending on that new Samsung.If you think for a moment that the Z580CA is a cheap piece of crap, then no doubt why you are without an Android tablet. You are taking this review as the final word.
Battery life can be solved pretty darn easily, unless their is some issue with portable charger and Type-C.
I am curious though, what's the "hell no" aspect of the Z580CA? I hope it's not the wifi which has been reviewed on a firmware that needs updating/tweaking.
Display wise? I think the reviewer has a built in bias against display enhancements. Lots of charts and graphs talking about display. However, do you really think any of those graphs and charts mean anything to the real world, end user? If you are an elite user, then go ahead and look outside of Android and pay double or triple the price for an Apple display.
I hear what you want. You want an Apple quality device with Android OS. I think the manufacturers have tried and failed at that game and it's why price is their primary goal. Perhaps you can hope for a ZenPad Pro or something similar.
Personally? I would rather have a thicker, heavier and even slightly higher priced Z580CA if it meant bigger battery. However, I can easily get around battery life issues. No ideal, but possible.
Front facing speakers are of no value to you? Stylus input is of no value to you?
The bad thing about charts is that a device which is priced 20% to 40% cheaper will be compared against the most premium expensive models on the market. Is it logical to have them all bunched together? Do car review put Ferrari's against Honda in their speed or performance comparison tests? Some comparisons are illogical.
DanNeely - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
The "sharpening" filter that smudges text legibility is the deal breaker. Having tried using them before, I completely agree with the reviewer about how badly they suck. They might help in some circumstances; but having the opposite effect on one thing that needs legibility more than anything else makes them worse than useless as an always on feature.I still don't get what you're going on about the Samsung and $100 more. AGAIN, I don't find it too expensive compared to the Zenpad. If the Samsung didn't have retarded buttons it looks like it'd be a great device and I'd probably own one. Putting the same level of hardware in a chassis with buttons in the correct order shouldn't drive the price to $500.
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
You think the Z580CA would have blurred or smudged text? I tell you this. I'm going into a store and seeing to believe. It's late 2015 and if you're telling me that a new tablet with new technology is going to have some blurry or unclear text or visuals? If this was 2012 I might buy that.Regarding Samsung and $100? Have you actually gone spec by spec to compare? Beyond that, if you put 2GB of RAM (Samsung with around 3) and the same 32GB of storage? I would bet this Z580CA would be selling for $250 or less! No front speakers, no stylus support on top of that. I think your idea of reasonable or wise differs from mine.
So you are taking a few charts on the display as being the final word? If there are any issues regarding software enhancements, I'm confident in firmware and software updates to resolve any possible issue. I have some faith in that and considering the price, it's not exactly a super risky proposition.
PixyMisa - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
On specs, the $399 S2 is closer to the $199 Z580C. I expect the AMOLED screen will be very nice, though.A side-by-side comparison of the 8" iPad, S2, and Z580C/CA would be very interesting.
Kepe - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
How about an HP Pro Slate 8? The only real downside seems to be the bundled pen contraption, but you don't have to use it, of course.DanNeely - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
First I've seen it; but other than potential availability (HP doesn't have it in immediate stock, and Amazon appears to only have the Win8 model), I don't see any show stoppers in a quick look at reviews. Paying for a pen'd just end up in my junk drawer's annoying but if it's my only option...modulusshift - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Since I have an Air 2 running the latest iOS 9 beta, I decided to see what you meant by performance enhancements.Kraken 1.1 - 2446.3
Octane v2 - 10441
WebXPRT 2015 -
modulusshift - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
162 was the WebXPRT score. So yeah, some improvements have definitely been made. The Air 2 now out scores every tablet score you have on that table by a significant margin.Brandon Chester - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Yeah that's what I meant. I will be able to update the iPad Air 2 once iOS 9 releases, but I don't have an Air or a Mini 2/3 on hand.modulusshift - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
For fun, a MacBook Pro 13 on Yosemite:Kraken - 2013.6
Octane - 21636
WebXPRT 2015 - 320
Kepe - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
In short: you get what you pay for. Display you have to calibrate yourself with software that makes it horrible, mediocre performance, mediocre build quality with low-quality materials, horrible camera, non-competitive battery life. But hey, at least you get front-facing stereo speakers that are ok!MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
The review never mentioned the speakers so how would you know how they perform? By the sounds of it, elitist much?mischlep - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
"... ASUS has made space for two front-facing stereo speakers, which is something you won't get on an iPad or on the Galaxy Tab S2. As for the quality of the speakers, my highly subjective evaluation is that they are better than the iPad Air 2, and much better than the Nexus 9."MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Thanks. I lost that one. I suppose that was buried amongst the charts and graphs. I guess no need to audio to be part of the drop down tabs?Brandon Chester - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
It's in the design section in the paragraph discussing the front face of the tablet. Since it's the most subjective evaluation ever I didn't feel it would merit its own section, and I just mentioned it because using the speakers on a phone/tablet for music or movies is apparently something more people do than I realized.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Tablets = consumption = audio reliant (largely). How that cannot be a focal point of a tablet review I suppose I won't understand fully. I guess people want charts and graphs? I get the tech savvy demo of anandtech and perhaps they need charts and graphs to decide whether something is a good value or not.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
With respect (and I'm full of typos myself), but there is a typo in your review.Brandon Chester - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
The idea that tablets = consumption is demonstrably false. I have done a great deal of writing using Office for Android and iOS.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
We can't talk about exceptions. Those always exist. The audience reading a tablet review are from which camp? The strong majority are using their tablets for "things" that use audio. If you are not so much into consumption like the majority of consumers are, then I wonder why no mention of a Z stylus. A stylus isn't about consumption. If you could find sources online stating that a tablet is largely a consumption device, then we visit different websites over the years.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
My typo (why on earth no edit), "If you can't find"Brandon Chester - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Because ASUS didn't send the stylus. I'm not going to comment on the quality or utility of something I haven't used. I think I've said all I need to say.MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Aside from possibly mentioning the stylus support in the review. I would imagine with that logic, you would assume the S Pen is no biggie when it comes to the Samsung Note. Like just a passing point. It's not like the note taking is a selling point (a big one at that) of the Note series. But in this tablet review, your readers wouldn't even know it existed. I guess you decide on what's the responsible way of reporting on a product.Kepe - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
The difference is that a Galaxy Note always comes with the pen. How could you review something you don't have? If ASUS had sent him the stylus, he would've written about it. You can't possibly assume that a review mentions every optional extra there is available for a device. "Oooh, your laptop review sucks because you didn't mention the carrying bag or the Kensington lock available for that laptop!!"MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Friend, again, the point is what? A stylus is a BIG VALUE ADD. No? I give you the example of the Samsung Note to prove that it's a big selling point. To have that feature in the Z580CA yet not have it mentioned it actually irresponsible. You speak of it like it's some smart case that wasn't available at the time of publishing. Optional extra? LOL. List 8-inch tablet with stylus support. Then narrow that list down to similarly priced tablets. None? Right. Leave it out of the review because stylus is just so meh. You are dazzled by charts and graphs that compare apple with oranges and are willing to see a graph to make a determination on screen quality rather than going into a store and looking for yourself.Kepe - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
omg. Now you're saying a stylus doesn't add value to the product. Then why are you crying about stylus support not being mentioned in the review?And the thing with screen quality is that it is all about accurate color reproduction. So if there is a faintly red flower in a photo, it should look faintly red on your display. If it looks like a hot super bright red flower on a display, then that display is not accurate and isn't good. Even if it makes some things "look" better. Samsung Galaxy S3 for example. Pictures look super pretty on its display. You know why? The display oversaturates everything, and as such it is actually not accurate and not a good display. If you personally like to look at oversaturated things, then buy the SGS3, no one is stopping you. BUT the fact still remains that the display isn't accurate. This was of course just an example. Some things can't be quantified by just looking at it or feeling it somehow.
And this is my last reply to you. Hope ASUS pays you well. Have a good night with your mediocre, badly made tablet. Thanks to the review, I will look elsewhere if and when I need a new tablet.
superflex - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Is ASUS paying you in Hot Pockets?You're a pretty poor troll.
MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
@superflex if you care to debate any of the points I'm making, go ahead. I likely know more about the product than most, so I'm going to inform people and hope that people with a large audience will be responsible. If for nothing more than being professional. Like I said, you think I'm wrong about anything I've said in the comments, please advise me. I have a thick skin. People might have learned that the Z580CA has stylus support, so to say that makes me a troll? I only take issue with unprofessional.Winterblade - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Is just sad that everyone just forgot another great alternative, the Xperia Tablet Compact, too sad it came dead on arrival due it's high price, I actually found one in clearance for about $230 USD and could not be happier, the build quality is superb, the performance is too, it was even updated to 5.1.1 within the first few hours I had it. If only Sony had managed to sell it for around 300-350 I think it would have been a very very good alternative for people that like mid sized tablets. BTW, the Z3 have an aluminum frame AND is lighter AND thinner than the Zenpad so... it is posible to achieve a lighter device without going full plastic.DanNeely - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Sony has a negligible presence in the US market; and their longstanding refusal to provide review samples more or less guarantees their largely being ignored by the US tech press.They make above average hardware; but it doesn't matter to me. I'll be carrying my grudge against them over the rootkit to the grave.
et20 - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Thank you for the review.This tablet looked interesting and there's nothing like an Anandtech review to clarify things.
I was interested in the cheaper model so I had proportionately low expectations, but the poor screen calibration is a deal breaker. Too bad.
MonkeyPaw - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
As a bit of feedback, I think better pictures of the products are needed in these reviews. As I look at these photos, I just can't help but think of someone awkwardly holding a tablet out with one hand while trying to photograph it with the other. I know not everyone is a photographer, but good, clean, properly lit product shots go a long way for a professional look. Make a little product photo booth out of white paperboard/foamcore and mount a camera on a tripod for flashless photography.Brandon Chester - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Thanks for the feedback. I actually did have a white light box at one point which was used in older reviews, but it fell apart and I haven't been able to make another one yet.MonkeyPaw - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Thanks for responding. I've seen it on some other AT reviews as well. We tech nerds like some good product shots to drool over! :pSniperWulf - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I bought this tablet at launch. I must say, it is absolutely the best that I've ever owned! Easily beats out all the others, and that list isn't short. Both Nexus 7's, a Nexus 10, 2nd Gen Transformer, Tab S 10.1, iPad 2, iPad 3 and that raggedy ass Shield Tablet. Sure it doesn't have the biggest and baddest of GPUs but it punches above its weight class. The Atom is a strong performer and the storage is awesome!My wife has the 580C and she loves it for what she does.
My only caveat is that you can't disable all of those duplicate Asus apps that you don't really need.
linster - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I'm actually enjoying this tablet as well. I've owned the original iPad, iPad 3, Nexus 7 2013, and the Galaxy Tab S 8.4. I do notice that text on some websites just look very light, and could use a bold function. I'm not sure if that's the nature of the site, or the image "improvement" that Asus is doing. I've been thinking maybe it's just my eyes getting weaker as I get older. Browsing is great though, so that's reflected in this review.Sunburn74 - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
What is the stylus like in real use?MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
At this point, only a couple of Taiwanese websites have reviews/hands-on time with the Z Stylus. If you can translate those sites, it might help. Decent photos though and give a decent idea, but not exactly ideal.SniperWulf - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Can't say. Haven't found it for sale anywhere yet. Although I haven't really been looking.deppman - Friday, September 4, 2015 - link
That "Raggedy ass" Shield tablet, released 14 months ago at at $199, destroys the performance on this tablet in almost all aspects. It even has better cameras and a second-generation touch-sensitive stylus. I use one every day (the $299 LTE/32GB model) and can't see any benefit to this tablet in comparison.Jerch - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Am I in the minority for holding on to my Nexus 7 (2013) for this long because nothing has yet to surpass it in the crucial areas of battery life, display brightness, and price? It's the perfect beach tablet. Crank that brightness all the way up, and you're good to go for several hours, plus it's so cheap and abused by this point that I don't worry about sand and moisture. I've started to feel it getting slower and choppier, though, so I'd love to upgrade to a [hypothetical] new version!MrSavage - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Give me a refresh with phone support and stylus support and I'm 100% happy with that too. I guess that would kill off some of the cheap pricing, but I'd be happy to pay.PixyMisa - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I have two Nexus 7 2013s (one died and wouldn't charge any more, but a wireless charging pad brought it back to life).Still holding on and waiting for something better that doesn't cost three arms and a leg.
I also have an Xperia Z Ultra that I picked up cheap. That's not bad, but a little on the small side for tablet use.
Sunburn74 - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
Does Anandtech plan to update the review once a stylus is available? For some of us, the stylus input would be a real deal maker (or breaker if it is subpar).Brandon Chester - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I specifically asked ASUS to send the stylus and cover if they could, but all I got was the tablet. I have to send this back so I doubt I'll ever be able to look at the stylus. I really wanted to.vladx - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
What nonsense is this about the camera? The day photo definitely looks the best along with S6 Edge one. Saying the iPad one looks better is a joke.The rumours are true, this site is more and more biased by each day passed.
Brandon Chester - Monday, August 31, 2015 - link
I don't know if you viewed them at full size or not but ASUS's camera processing has been widely panned by pretty much every site that looked at the Zenfone 2, and it is literally unchanged here. If there's some level of bias there then it must exist at every tech site ever.The image quality is not even remotely comparable to the shot from the S6 Edge. A good area to examine is the walls of the school, they're completely destroyed by heavy noise reduction to the point where the lines start curving and shifting. It's just not a good image.
DanNeely - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
It's really that the problems are only obvious in the full size image. The resized images in the gallery aren't large enough to see the problems.This's a sitewide comment, and not directed at you personally; but people who look at the full size images as well as the ones in the gallery are probably in the minority. I think a set of 1:1 crops of a detail area or two that make things like the destructive processing the Asus does readily apparent would really make problems more apparent.
eek2121 - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
I didn't even finish reading the first page of this article and I thought to myself...ASUS made the nexus 7. Why the hate?Michael REMY - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
as Anandtech still continue to ignore sony xperia tablet, i can not consider seriously this review of the asus zenpad. i trust all the review of Anandtech else the tablets ones! I hope one day you could try or review the xperia z3 compact tablet or even the xperia z4 tablet because it changes all the done and the way to judge the other tablets on the market.DanNeely - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
It's not AT ignoring the Sony Tablet. It's Sony ignoring the tech press. AT (among others) have regularly asked for review samples of various products. Sony's almost never willing to provide them. As a result they get next to no press coverage beyond demos at big shows and product release announcements. That's entirely on them.MrSavage - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
People running big websites aren't capable of buying a review unit off a store shelf? Imagine that. Having to pay for a review unit? Perhaps giving it away later as a giveaway contest? Nobody knows about tax write offs? Sure, if it's not free then we don't review it. If it's the best tablet on the market who cares. We won't inform our site visitors of that great product because there was no freebie sent out. Credibility wise, I would not be saying this is great or the best because I chose not to review other top tablets because I didn't get a free one in the mail to review. I wish sites were open about the bias or friendly handshake agreements. The best tablet of the free ones sent out to big websites. Not the best, but just the best from the ass kissing companies who sent out review units. Sad excuse in my books. I call it a disservice to my visitors if that's my mentality.DanNeely - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
They get enough loaners to keep the review queue in a constant backlog (see periodic comment rage about the review of X, Y, and Z being delayed). If ad revenue ever got to the point that they could hire enough reviewers that they didn't have anything to review at times a shopping trip might make sense; but they don't and probably never will.Even if that did happen, Sony probably wouldn't be the recipient because they've almost entirely abandoned the US market. If you're bound and determined to have one you can get it; but for 99% of the consumers who read the articles and let the ads load (aka the people who actually make the site money) Sony is irrelevant because it's not something they can find in the store.
MrSavage - Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - link
Interesting Dan. Thanks for the insight!Michael REMY - Thursday, September 3, 2015 - link
well, i can believe what i read. you wait for the brand to provide you the device that you review. it is a leak of independence, don't you think ? can't you just buy it on amazon, try it, write your review then get your refund and return the product ?Seriously, for your own knoewledge, you should have test for yourself the last model of sony tablet to win&earn another point of view (better) on samsung tablet or asus zenPad.
IanHagen - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
I'm really glad 4:3 aspect ratio won the battle. It's so much more useful in a tablet.911electronic - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
Nice specification but still i dont know what about battery. It is important for most of the users.DanNeely - Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - link
Page 8 Battery Life and Charge Time. 7 hours on the wifi browsing test is a very poor result.aldenf - Friday, September 4, 2015 - link
Maybe I need to turn in my geek card. I see no benefit whatsoever of such resolutions in an 8" form-factor. The way I use tablets, I prefer the 4:3 ratio. So this is great. I spend far too many hours sitting 30" from my 24" 19x12 IPS, calibrated with a ColorMunki, working in Photoshop and Premiere. With an 8" display, at an 18" distance, I see no benefit above 1280x1024. On the contrary; brightness, performance and battery life suffer significantly. I've used most of what is currently available on the market and don't get the insistence of pushing higher resolutions at 8". I own two 8" tablets; an 800x600 Android and 1024x768 iPad Mini. 800x600 is borderline rough but 1024x768 is pretty good. 1280x1024 seems ideal. Why do we suck up all the marketing baloney? Bigger isn't always better. More isn't always more. It's not the resolution that we discern as better, it's simply that they're usually higher quality displays. Drop the Asus' resolution to 1280x1024, keep the high quality, do a reasonable calibration from the factory, drop the price to $250 and you have a darned nice Android tablet to last a couple of years. Really, what more do we want?nitram_tpr - Wednesday, September 9, 2015 - link
Another vote for widescreen tablets for me, it is all I've ever used (still using a transformer prime). I do watch a lot of medie on my device while I'm travelling / commuting. I tried it on the wife's iPad and got fed up with the huge black bars. Full screening it is like watching an old CRT, so I'm glad there are still the widescreen options out there.To all the people whining and bitching about this tablet, are you actually pissed off because you wanted to buy it, or are you just joining in with the bitch fest?
If it isn't 4:3 don't buy it, end of.
er0k - Monday, September 28, 2015 - link
Hello: My Zenpad 8.0 S is only two days old, out of the box. I cannot seem to charge it. I charged it for many hours yesterday only to find it with a dead battery. I moved it to several different outlets, tried different cables and chargers that work with other devices and worked with it previously, to no avail. It will show the battery charging icon, but does not appear to actually charge. Any ideas? Thanks.System Optimizer - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
er0k,Did you ever get your charging issue solved. Did you try connecting to charge off a computer (if you have USB ports that charge, and the appropriate wire)? Did you hold in the power button and one of the volume buttons to force a reset on the device? (I have an old Archos 80 Titanium tablet, and once I thought it wasn't charging, and was dead, but in reality it was charged and was reporting improper information and the forced reboot resolved the issue). I don't know the z580's reset process, but I expect its something similar.
System Optimizer - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
I contacted Asus to ask a few questions since I'm contemplating getting a ZenPad S (Z580CA).I asked if the wifi issue Brandon had reported, that he wrote in the article Asus said they were looking into, had been fixed. (I linked the article). The rep wrote back that they had no reports of any such issue. Don't know if that means they fixed it a while back and it can no longer be reproduced/no one is having the problem any longer, if the rep was clueless and the problem is still there and they didn't bother to read your article, or I wasn't taken seriously and the question wasn't passed down the line to the people in the know. Anyone with a Z580CA (or a C for that matter) able to confirm if the issue still exists?
I asked if the enhancement features Brandon mentioned as being annoyances (brightness adjustment, sharpness enhancement, etc) could be disabled, as I'd read a few other reviewers say they could (at least some of them). The rep replied back that they could all be disabled. Before I came home from work and saw that I had a message from the rep I had stopped by Best Buy and taken a look at the Z580C (not the CA) that they had on display, and I went exploring in the settings area. I can confirm that at least the CABC can be turned off in settings.
I asked if there were any plans for them to update the OS to Marshmallow at some point, or how long Asus (in general) tends to keep putting out patches and updates for their Android system (in other words what their company policy is). The rep said they contacted their Taiwan, and said they had no schedule for the next update. Don't know if that means they have an update in the works, and they have no idea when they are going to have it complete, or if it means they don't plan on working on or releasing any updates in the foreseeable future.
Sunburn74 - Thursday, November 26, 2015 - link
Just received a zenpad ca. Upgraded from a nexus 7 2013. Performance difference is night and day. You can install Google launcher to avoid the stupid zen launcher that comes with the tablet. This essentially makes the tablet feel like stock Android. Also whilst not all the bloat can be uninstalled it can all be disabled permanently. The performance really is very impressive. I received simultaneously a Google nexus 6p and the tablet seems to be smoother in performance overall despite the 6p having marshmallow. I think going with the Google stock launcher really makes this tablet much more pleasant to use. Also the side buttons are a little too firm for my taste and require you to use two hands to push the , one hand to hold the device stably and the other to actually push the button.jh20001 - Wednesday, December 2, 2015 - link
I was back in the market for shopping for a tablet as the one I just recently bought into (Lenovo) decided it needed a broken LCD by barely applying pressure to the screen (it was in my cargo pocket, screen facing my leg….and I leaned forward and it applied enough pressure to crack the glass and turn the LCD into all sorts of colors). So after TONS of research and reviews (ie, http://pocinc.net/blog/product-reviews/review-asus... ), I decided to give this one (ASUS) a chance. So far I love it. The screen looks nicer (they claim it is 2K resolution, but it doesn’t look much better than any other awesome tablet…it just simply looks awesome lol but not 4K like the TVs). It’s faster than my other one, has more space than it + has a card slot for more space and hasn’t given me any troubles yet.zero ozer - Tuesday, November 8, 2016 - link
I just bought my zenpad s last week.it was awesome but the only fall is the battery.3.5 to 4 hours in gaming,but I dont mind it for i am in my private practice.but what is odd is the 3 hours charging?why so long?I choose this because i think i was more practical than buying Samsung a with s pen.i wanted a tablet for gaming so I wont need a pen.I dont need a sim card.and choose this than ipad mini 2 cause the ipad mini 2 has may about just 2 more years before it will be outdated.I own iphone 4 thats why i have an idea about apple.with android you can just share it if your unit cannot download the latest apps.I think the unit can last upto 5 years or more with replacement of battery.it's a good tablet.it's just a little pricey for the battery issues.but in gaming and screen,awesome.