Introduction
You might well have heard of Gigaset before, though perhaps under a different name. I certainly have, though I was previously only familiar with it as a purveyor of landline telephones.
In years gone by it had the more reputable moniker of Siemens, a pioneer in DECT cordless phone communications.
Since the buyout of Siemens' consumer business in 2008, the telecoms specialist has dabbled in Android-powered home phones. Beyond that its experience with tablets and smartphones is seemingly rather limited.
I first heard of the Gigaset QV830 and its larger brother the QV1030 back in November 2013, after which they were promptly released in Germany just in time for Christmas for €199 (US$270, £165, €369 (US$502, £307, AU$550), respectively.
Now that the Gigaset QV830 has made its way over to the UK, with the lower starting price of £99 (US$168, AU$179), it looks like a serious budget tablet contender.
For a price that rivals the Tesco Hudl and is significantly cheaper than either the Nexus 7 or iPad Mini 2, you get a metallic body, 8-inch HD screen and 1.2GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of memory (which is expandable with micro-SD storage) among other things.
Android 4.2.2 it not the latest version of Google's OS, but you've still got access to tens of thousands of apps. It might not rival the iPad in terms of build quality, but it certainly is cheap. The question is: is it worth a punt?
Design
Most tablets at this end of the price war are made of nothing more than cheap plastics, so it's a surprise to find a tablet that is both incredibly cheap, and made largely of aluminium.
Sure there are still plastic trims, and don't be fooled by the chrome-effect on the top and bottom edges, either. Only the back is covered in aluminium and painted black, though the Gigaset QV830 is certainly better for it.
It feels thin and light at just 8mm thick, and weighs in at 319g. All in all very similar in dimensions to the original iPad Mini, which was a hair thinner at 7.5mm and 331g.
You can't blame Gigaset for basing its first tablet on a renowned success, but at a third of the price, it's unsurprising that it has cut corners in other areas.
The 8-inch screen lies underneath a layer of glass that very nearly reaches the edge, buffered by a thin bezel of plastic that joins up with the metal back plate.
The screen itself however, has a reasonable 5mm gap all around the edge. It's difficult to be too harsh on Gigaset for this because as opposed to smartphones, tablets usually need a bit of bezel for you to hold on to.
Overall, build quality isn't quite as good as the polycarbonates of the Asus-built Google Nexus 7, or the metallic finish of Apple's iPad Mini. But it's far from being the worst built budget tablet around and I was pleasantly surprised at how solid it felt.
Key features and performance
Sticking with the outside for now, let's talk inputs and outputs. Like many other cheap tablets, all the buttons and ports are confined to one edge of the Gigaset QV830 tablet.
On the top left is a volume rocker bar, which is reasonably tactile and shaped to easily distinguish one end of the bar from the other. I just can't help but feel it could have been a little wider.
Next to the volume bar is a microUSB connector. It looks a lot more rectangular than most other micro-USB sockets, as does the corresponding USB charging cable, but don't let that fool you, it still accepts normal micro-USB cables for syncing with a PC.
There's a small microphone, meaning you can make use of Google's voice search, Hangouts or even taking audio notes, and right alongside it is a 3.5mm socket for audio output.
Finally there's a microSD card slot, hidden underneath an easy-to-access port cover, which provides much needed additional storage space over the inbuilt 8GB of memory.
On the top edge is the power / wake button, which is, like everything else on this edge of the QV830, finished in chrome. It suffers from the same diminutive problem as the volume bar, but it does at least provide a reassuring and responsive click.
Internally, specifications are quite reminiscent of an early 2013 tablet, which, at this low price, should come as no great surprise. Wi-Fi is more than adequate, and rated up to N standard. Bluetooth and GPS are also onboard, two features that are often omitted from other budget tablets such as the thoroughly mediocre Zoostorm Playtab Q6010.
There are still things missing, however. Don't expect any 3G capabilities, video output, NFC or IR blaster. Those features have been left out in a bid to keep the cost down. None of those features will necessarily be a deal-breaker for casual users, but they're things you might miss if you have used a top-end tablet such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
The screen is clearly one of the most important considerations for any prospective tablet buyer, and is one of the main specifications that differentiates those such as the better-than-full-HD Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.4.
The Gigaset QV830 settles with a modest 8-inch 4:3 aspect 1024 x 768 IPS display, which was an adequate resolution around the launch of the original iPad Mini, but is no longer particularly impressive next to so many high-res rivals.
When you're viewing videos or photos, there's generally few complaints to have about the display, however, when you are viewing web pages and text the 160ppi display starts to make everything look considerably more pixelated.
Colour and contrast are both reasonably good, it doesn't look over saturated and performs well at wide viewing angles. Of course, it isn't quite up there with the AMOLED screens of the Samsung Galaxy range, or the Bravia tuned Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, but when put alongside the kind of budget tablets you'll find on eBay it holds up remarkably well.
Beyond the low resolution, the major downside to the screen is the rather reflective layer of glass that protects it. Not only is it devoid of any kind of anti-glare coating, but the QV830 also lacks an ambient light sensor, meaning you'll need to dive into the pull-down settings pane to adjust the brightness manually.
Moving onto the audio credentials the limitations of the tablet's price point become a little clearer. There's a single speaker on the rear, which is relatively loud but, especially at higher volumes, is almost unbearably tinny. Watching a film trailer on YouTube made me wince at certain points, leading me to turn the volume down to about 50%.
Playing music through the speaker on the QV830 is a bit of a joke, but at least you can connect up a set of headphones or pair it with a wireless Bluetooth speaker. One thing's for sure - you won't miss any audio notifications through the external speaker.
Performance
It's very easy to emblazon 'quad core CPU' on a tablet's packaging in a bid to reassure prospective buyers of the performance on tap, but the reality isn't that straight forward. The Gigaset QV830 has a 1.2GHz Mediatek chip and 1GB of RAM which, on paper, should be plenty for most casual users.
Day-to-day usage of the QV830 is not entirely what I would have expected from a quad-core processor in 2014. Without killing background apps, there's noticeable lag when you pull up the app drawer.
If you leave more than a handful of apps running in the background there's hesitation when switching between screens, which can be a little frustrating.
Newer games were sometimes a little choppy, and others were forced to cut out fancy visual effects in order to play smoothly. This is undoubtedly down to the rather lacklustre PowerVR SGX544 graphics-processing unit, which is slower than the original 2012 Nexus 7, never mind the current Nexus 7.
If you're sticking firmly in the realms of basic web browsing, watching YouTube videos or other basic tasks, then it's unlikely that you'll tax the QV830 to the level where its lack of grunt is especially obvious.
The unaltered Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 operating system no doubt helps the overall user experience, and is a breath of fresh air alongside some of the heavily skinned versions of Google's operating system out there (Samsung I'm thinking of you here).
Comparing appreciable performance differences from one device to another can be difficult when simply using the tablet. To gain a better understanding of how the Gigaset QV830 compares I ran a few benchmarks.
Antutu Benchmark was my first stop, which compares the full gamut of processing, graphical, and memory benchmarks. The QV830 came in with a score of 13517, which puts it slightly higher than the original Nexus 7, but miles away from the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7.
Geekbench 3 is designed specifically to stress the tablet's CPU. It threw up a score of 325 in the single-core test, and 1102 in the multi-core test, which puts it at the lower rungs of the benchmarking ladder.
Finally, I ran a couple of browser-based tests using Chrome. Sun Spider tests java performance, and came out with an average score of 1537, three times slower than the speedy Advent Vega Tegra Note 7.
Futuremark's Peacekeeper tests a wider range of web technologies such as HTML 5 across all browsers, from mobile to desktop PC. The QV830 was again scored an unsurprisingly average score of 563, only slightly more than the original iPad Mini.
Battery life, the essentials and camera
Battery life
With a 3260mAh battery that isn't much bigger than top-end smartphones such as the LG G3, I wasn't expecting anything spectacular from the Gigaset QV830.
The maker quotes a 7-hour battery life when playing a 720p HD video, and I found that to be right on the money.
It's some way off the 10+ hours you'll get out of an iPad Mini or Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, but compared to the awful four to five hours of battery a lot of budget tablets muster it certainly could be worse.
If you're playing games then expect the seven-hour figure to drop to around four. If you're intending to survive a long-haul flight with the QV830, then you had better think about packing a good portable battery pack.
With no auto-brightness sensor or performance controls there's little you can do to savour the battery life. To see how it stacked up against the competition, I used Gigaset's 8-inch offering as my main device for a day.
When browsing the web or using apps, the battery life didn't appear to dwindle particularly quickly, though it was more perceptible when watching HD videos on YouTube, and became a little alarming when playing a graphically intensive game or two.
After charging the tablet back up fully I ran our 90-minute HD video test, and found that the QV830 dropped from 100% to 67%. That's a drop of 33% compared to the 2013 Nexus 7 which lost just 20% of its battery life.
It's worth noting that the 8-inch Gigaset tablet uses a micro-USB cable to charge, and comes with a 2amp USB mains charger. The socket and plug are more rectangular than most micro-USB connectors, but I had no problems using conventional cables to sync and charge the device.
The essentials
The Gigaset QV830 doesn't wield an entirely stock version of Android, but it's pretty darn close. There are a few subtle little extras that Gigaset has decided to include.
The most noticeable of these additions is the sound effect notification that is permanently present in the notification tray. Click the icon to turn the equaliser setting on and off, or click the notification to be transported to the sound settings menu, where you can adjust the equaliser between music, movie and VOIP settings.
I struggled to notice any clear difference from the awful internal speaker, and the story was quite similar through headphones.
The next unique feature, which I didn't find a use for myself, is a setting menu that allows you to set a time for the tablet to automatically turn on and off. I can only think this might be useful if the tablet was being used on a shop display.
As far as pre-installed apps are concerned, Gigaset has thankfully shown some restraint, only adding ES File Explorer, a Help app and a bespoke system upgrade app to allows Gigaset to update the QV830 via its own servers rather than Google's.
For music, video and all other media, the duties are left to Google's own apps, nearly all of which are installed alongside the Google Play Store where you can access many more.
I tried playing HD video both using Android's built-in player, as well as MX Player to play files not natively supported. MP4s played fine on both accounts, while MKVs and AVIs played smoothly through MX Player.
Both Chrome and the stock Android browser come pre-installed, and both offer tabbed browsing, incognito modes and support the latest web technologies.
I tried loading the TechRadar home page a few times to allow me to see just how capable the QV830 is at dishing up web-based content. I could happily browse the site in around seven seconds, and everything was fully loaded in just under 15 seconds. That's better than some, but not the speediest we've seen.
Camera
You would be right not to expect particularly great camera capabilities on any tablet on the market, and while the Gigaset QV830 doesn't do much to buck that trend, it hasn't got the most awful pair of snappers around, especially considering the tablet's price point.
Up front there's a 1.3MP camera which produces some rather noisy photos, but is just about good enough for video calling or selfies in a well-lit room.
On the rear there's a surprisingly high-res 5MP camera, which, despite being similarly noisy in low light, actually produced some fairly vibrant photos in daylight. You wouldn't be ashamed of sharing them on social media.
I was quite impressed to find that the QV830 has auto-focus, rather than the fixed lens you'll find in almost every other budget tablet this side of the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7.
Dive into the settings menu and you gain the ability to adjust exposure, apply effects and choose from a good selection of scene modes. There's also 'face beauty', HDR and panorama modes included on the main camera screen, should you fancy yourself as the next tablet-toting Ansel Adams.
Don't get me wrong, it's still not that great. There's no flash, and the pictures are consistently grainy once you zoom in, so I'm not about to rate it alongside the much pricier Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
Camera samples
Click here for the full res image
Click here for the full res image
Click here for the full res image
Click here for the full res image
Click here for the full res image
Verdict
Beyond the awfully thrown-together tablets that flood eBay and Amazon under a variety of brands, there's only a handful of devices to consider under £100.
Other than the price of the Gigaset QV830, headlines such as the quad core processor, 5MP camera and 8-inch HD IPS screen all just about live up to their expectations, but there's few exciting features to shout about.
The design and build isn't anywhere close to the top end devices that the QV830 shares similarities with, such as the iPad Mini. Though the metal, rather than plastic, rear panel, expansive glass front and even the chrome edges, makeup a tablet that feels a little more premium than the price would suggest.
We liked
With a stock version of Android alongside the quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and good connectivity, the specification is easily good enough to work through apps, HD video and light gaming. It's bargain at £99.
The build quality is pretty good all-round, and buttons are responsive, if a little small. Many budget devices creak when gripped firmly but this is not so with the QV830.
The rear camera was a pleasant surprise. I'm not one for holding my tablet aloft to take a photo, that's what smartphones are for. But if you happen to need to use the front or rear cameras, they're really not that bad.
We disliked
One thing tablets are often used for is watching video, and while the screen is good enough, the speaker is absolutely awful. It's so tinny that it actually hurts on full volume.
While the quad-core processor copes with casual use, it starts to struggle quite quickly in intensive games, or when there are multiple apps running.
The screen might be HD and IPS, but alongside the ultra high-res likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.4, the 1024 x 768 resolution is distinctly 2012. It's also highly-reflective and lacks an auto-brightness sensor.
Final verdict
With a design and build that punches above its price-point and reasonable specification, the Gigaset QV830 is all the tablet you could possibly expect for £99, and actually surprises in a couple of regards.
If you spend a little more, then there are more powerful tablets around, such as the Google Nexus 7, or more features to be had on the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7.
However, if your budget is fixed, and you're not looking to play the latest and greatest games, then the larger (if lower res) screen and metallic feel might be enough to keep you content.
from www.techradar.com
