Fly F8s tablet: Fast and sturdy at Rs 12,500

Specifications

Dimensions: 200.3 x 151.45 x 10.3 mm

Display: 20.32 cm IPS display,1024 x 768 pixels

Operating system: Android Jelly Bean V4.1

Processor: 1.2 GHz Dual Core

Storage: 2.5 GB (internal); 32 GB (external)

Camera: 2 MP (front); 3.2 MP (rear)

Weight: 432g

Nowadays,walk into any consumer electronics store and you can catch the new trend prevailing in the marketplace. Lower priced tablets are growing in popularity and accelerating the shift from personal computers to feature-rich slates. Most trade inquiries are about the latest tablets in town and inquisitive visitors—especially those who do not own a desktop computer or a laptop— go back satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet.

Even Gartner has confirmed this change in consumer behaviour in its recent analysis. The IT research firm reckons that the traditional PC market of notebooks and desk-based units is expected to decline 7.6% in 2013. And,this is not a temporary trend induced by a more austere economic environment; it is a reflection of a long-term change in user behaviour. As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones,they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis,says Gartner. There’s no denying that the tablet is here to stay.

In such a scenario,homegrown device makers are focusing their efforts on introducing tablets with good performance and design. Fly Digital Devices,the telecom venture from New Delhi-based SAR Group (makers of the Luminous brand of inverters),is now trying to establish itself in the tablet segment. It has introduced its Fly F8s,an Android tablet that is fast,good-looking and can match up to more expensive rivals in terms of features and performance. It is available at R12,500.

Here’s what I noticed right away,and what made the biggest impression on me. In general,the Fly F8s is sturdy and a respectably built device with soft rounded corners. With its white plastic front and sides,the device definitely looks like a budget tablet,but not an unattractive one. It comes with an 8-inch ultra bright IPS display,with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The screen provides sharp images. It doesn’t look or feel as expensive as the offerings from multinational brands,but the Fly tablet is definitely a winner as far as technology,looks and price are concerned.

Powering the Fly F8s is a 1.2 GHz dual core processor. In general,the dual-core processor can execute simple but necessary tasks with ease. On this tablet too,it offers serviceable performance that is good enough for Web surfing,watching movies and doing video chats. I didn’t run into any problems or stuttering with

actions such as browsing the app drawer,navigating around

the home page or launching common apps.

The device runs Android Jelly Bean and features a handful of preloaded apps,primarily those that Google normally provides. I feel that Android is a master multi-tasker with an excellent notification system,and top-notch integration with Google services like Gmail,Google Chat,and Google Maps.

Users will get 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi,Bluetooth V 4.0,2.5 GB of internal storage and 1 GB of RAM of the Fly F8s. It also features dual speakers,3G,GPS,Bluetooth,EDGE,Proximity and Gravity sensors. While playing some music from the Web,the dual speakers produced loud,clear audio that was fairly accurate if not rich. In addition,the users get high definition video chat and video calling on top of the Google Services and pre-installed services. The front-facing camera is only 2 megapixel,suitable for Web chat but not much else. There’s a 3.2 megapixel rear camera,too. The Fly F8s also has an impressive battery life powered by its 4,000mAh battery. With minimal usage and screen on maximum brightness,I was able to use the device for a handful of hours without a charge.

Overall,the Fly F8s has a lot of things going for it. At R12,500,users will get an affordable Android device that has a lengthy battery life and a relatively smooth performance.