It's cheap, but is it cheerful? The
GoClever Tab R974 is proof that -in the tablet market, at least - you generally
get what you pay for
The Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD and Barnes
& Noble Nook HD are all proof that decent budget tablets do exist. But
these tablets are all loss-leaders, designed to encourage content sales or
boost Android platform popularity; the GoClever is not. Unlike the Fire and
Nook, though, it does offer access to Google Play.
GoClever
Tab R974
Mainly plastic in construction, the rear
panel has a faux metallic silver finish that gives a fleeting impression of
quality. It's by no means a thin device, but the edges taper off and make it
feel thinner than it is. The screen bezel is also larger than those of premium
tablets, but our main concern with the GoClever's build is the amount of flex
in its plastic sides, and the loose plastic construction of the volume switch
and on/off button.
The GoClever has some great connectivity
options, including micro USB, mini HDMI and a microSD slot. The latter lets you
boost the 16GB storage with a further 32GB. There are front- and back-facing
2Mp cameras; both capture video.
The
GoClever has some great connectivity options, including micro USB, mini HDMI
and a microSD slot
A single 1W speaker is found on the rear,
situated exactly where you'd typically place your hand, so any movie watching
or music listening will likely make use of the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The GoClever boasts a 9.7in, TFT
capacitative touchscreen LCD. Its 1024x768 resolution makes it far from the
crispest screen we've seen, but we found it zippy and responsive, with decent
viewing angles.
Given the low price, the specification
isn't bad. The CPU is a RockChip RK3066 dual-core Cortex A9 chip running at
1.6GHz, and it's backed with a healthy 1GB of DDR3 memory. There's also 802.11n
wireless, an accelerometer and a 6,800mAh lithium-polymer battery.
Subjectively, the GoClever Tab R974 feels
like a responsive and snappy device, and this is born out by our performance
benchmarks. In GeekBench the GoClever recorded 1,178 points, and we saw 1,267ms
in the SunSpider JavaScript test, placing it not too far behind tablets costing
a lot more.
Subjectively,
the GoClever Tab R974 feels like a responsive and snappy device, and this is
born out by our performance benchmarks
The GoClever Tab R974 runs Android 4.1.1
Jelly Bean.This is no longer the very latest Android OS, but it's as near as
dammit.
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Specifications
·
Price: $286.4
·
Company: Goclever
·
Website: goclever.com
·
9.7in (1024x768) capacitive multitouch screen
·
Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean
·
1.6GHz RockChip RK3066 processor
·
1GB RAM
·
16GB storage
·
802.11b/g/n
·
2x 2Mp cameras
·
mini HDMI 1.4
·
micro USB 2.0
·
6,800mAh lithium-polymer battery
Pros
·
Good performance; strong connectivity; cheap
price; decent 9.7in screen; access to Google Play
Cons
·
Cheap construction; poor speaker
Verdict
·
The GoClever Tab R974 is very obviously a
budget tablet, but its performance is usable and the screen is good
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