3 TIMES NATIONAL LEVEL FICTION WRITING COMPETITION WINNER + BEST BLOGGER AND TOP SOLO TRAVELER IN INDIA+ 35,000 READERS + 700 FB LIKES

Friday, January 8, 2016

Fabulous ZenPad 8.0 (Z380KL) Review

© ASUS

This blog is dedicated to the technical review of ASUS ZenPad 8.0 P024 (Z380KL) and ASUS Audio Cover, which; thanks to ASUS India I own.  ZenPad 8.0 is the flagship tablet from ASUS’s Zen series. After launching ASUS ZenFone series they last year launched ZenPad 8.0 (Z380KL).

ZenPad 8.0 is a flagship product from ASUS. ASUS has been pretty successful in branding its ASUS ZenFone in market. Watching the market go gala on ‘Zen’ they brought the same ‘Zen’ brand to tablets.

ZenPad 8.0 runs on 1.4GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 SoC which in itself is a huge booster enhanced with state of the art ASUS Audio Cover. Let’s come to the detailed review.

ASUS ZenPad 8.0 (Z380KL)

Fashion-inspired look and feel:
The design of ASUS ZenPad 8.0 is a mixture balanced beauty and strength; modern influences and a simple, clean look that gives it a universal and stylish appeal. Zenpad’s back-cover texture gives a rich look and feel.

The ZenPad 8.0 has a thin metallic strip around the screen which gives the impression that the device is metal, although the actual frame and rear are made up of polymers. The USB and 3.5mm ports are at the top, while the power and volume buttons are on the right edge. The rear has a removable very durable and unbreakable plastic panel with a rough finish that seems like leather from afar. The camera sits in the left corner. The device is 8.5mm thick and weighs 350g, which is fairly comfortable as far as tablets go.

Little monster:
ASUS ZenPad 8.0 is an 8-inch tablet. There are no off-screen Android soft-keys. Instead, the screen occupies a significant 76.5 percent of the front i.e. 76.5% screen-to-body ratio, with narrow borders on all sides - an incredible engineering achievement made possible by reducing the width to least possible.

Enjoyment to fullest:
ASUS ZenPad 8.0 comes with 4G LTE featuring a Snapdragon processor. Allows for 3G voice and LTE for all intents and purposes of every Indian. Superb audio, but low resolution might sooth down the real fun of a HD video, which is still considerable for the tablet.

© ASUS
ZenUI:
The ZenUI interface which is crafted aesthetically and intensely by ASUS UI experts. ZenUI comes with material UI foundation which makes it more impressive and user-friendly for non techno-savvy users. Asus ZenPad 8.0 runs on Android 5.0. The UI is comfortable to use, with apps classified and sorted into groups. ZenUI is known for its customisability and personalization, which helps make your ZenPad 8.0 more up and ready for your needs and preferences.

ASUS ZenUI has more than 1,000 features that improve upon the standard Android interface. You’ll enjoy a simpler and smarter experience, with a stylish new layout that expands white space for a cleaner design, placing the information you need front and center. The brand new ZenUI is brighter, smarter, simpler and even more beautiful.

Performance:
The Asus ZenPad 8.0 is very close to most Snapdragon smart phones in terms of performance. I installed numerous apps and games, most of them ran well except few glitches with video performance. Heating at the top is a problem after heavy usage, which is a pretty common with every smart device. HD video runs fine with very few glitches, ZepPad 8.0 is given low-resolution considering its market – just 1280 x 800 WXGA display.

Although the in-built speaker is of decent volume, enough to enjoy jukebox. I would recommend investing in the audio cover for a better media experience.

Battery:
Battery life is decent as well, 4000mAh battery powering the device which is pretty good for tablet. I have been using ZenPad with data services running; and been very comfortable in getting a full day use out of it.

Camera:
The primary camera of the Asus ZenPad 8.0 is an 8-megapixel shooter, while the front camera is a 2-megapixel one. Pictures taken are good in daylight, and ZenPad 8.0 comes with ASUS's PixelMaster technology which gives fine photograph even without flash. The front camera is barely acceptable for selfies, and should only suffice for video chatting.

The camera software is excellent, however. The primary camera records video at 1080p, while the secondary camera records at up to 720p.

Specs:
The ZenPad 8.0, with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of  internal storage, and LTE connectivity is perfectly designed for Indians. Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, expandable storage up to 128GB, a 4000mAh battery, an 8-megapixel primary camera, and a 2-megapixel secondary camera, both without flashes is other standard stuff.
© ASUS

Specs in numbers:
Size: 8-inch
Android 5.0 Lollipop
1280 x 800 WXGA display
Processor: Qualcomm MSM 8929 Octa Core
Memory: 2GB
Camera:
Front: 2MP
Rear: 8MP Auto-Focus
Storage: 16GB
Battery: 4000mAh – 15.2Wh
Dimension: 209mm (L) x 123mm (W) x 8.5mm (H), 350g weight
Speaker: 1 x front speaker with DTS-HD Premium Sound
Colors: Black

Audio Cover:

© ASUS
Above all resides with ASUS ZenPad 8.0. It’s now the turn of Audio Cover.

Audio Cover do not come with ASUS ZenPad 8.0, it is a separate accessory. But I would highly recommend to but it if you are having ZenPad 8.0.

The Audio Cover fits onto the back of the tablet. The speaker on the audio cover is DTS-tuned, and can simulate 5.1 surround sounds. Audio output is heavily boosted, and using the speaker cover makes the tablet an excellent media device for both audio and video.

BASS Boosters on the go:
ASUS Audio Cover is an entertainment accessory that brings cinematic, 5.1-channel surround sound to ASUS ZenPad 8.0. DTS-HD Premium Sound and SonicMaster technology provide further enhancement, ensuring the ultimate audio experience on ASUS ZenPad 8.0.

It has 6 speakers (INCLUDING 1 SUBWOOFER), 6 times sound volume and 6 hours of battery backup.

Final verdict:
Overall I would say ASUS ZenPad 8.0 is a fabulous piece of work, good battery, and amazing media experience. The real problem lies with close to decent screen resolution.


I would say ZenPad 8.0 is a good mid-range tablet with so much to explore. Cheers ASUS!! :)


Like this blog?

Please subscribe through your e-mail on the top-left and like my blog's Facebook page on the top - right. Else CLICK HERE
Want to read more? CLICK HERE to read all blogs in categorized version.
To contact me CLICK HERE

keywords - asus, zenpad, zenpad 8.0, audio cover, asus audio cover, zenpad review, z380kl, octacore, qualcomm, snapdragon, 4g lte, performance, battery, camera. specs, zenui, SonicMaster, DTS-HD Premium Sound, SUBWOOFER,