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Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX Tablet (Pro 7 Entertainment Pad) Review

We love? The Memo Pad 8 from Asus is also available as “Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad”. In cooperation with the media group, the buyer supposedly gets a "100 Euros (~$125) Entertainment Voucher". Read our review to find out what this means and if the device is any good.
In Review: Asus Memo Pad 8. Test device courtesy of Asus Germany.

For the original German review, see here.

We reviewed the smaller sibling, the Memo Pad HD 7, a couple of months ago and really liked it. The spec sheets of the two devices are not really different: An Intel Atom Z3745 powers both tablets, they have 16 GB internal storage, and the displays have 1280x800 pixels. This means that the big difference is the size: The Memo Pad 8 has an 8-inch display.

Our model has the designation “Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad” and the changes are visible in the software: Many apps are preloaded, and you get discounts for the subscription services of the media group. However, there is no discount for the device itself: Both the similarly equipped Memo Pad 8 (ME181C-1B012A) and the Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad currently cost 149 Euros (~$186) on the Internet.

There are many competing inexpensive 8-inch tablets: LG G Pad 8.0 V480Toshiba Encore 2 WT8-B-102Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1-840FHDHuawei MediaPad M1 8.0Lenovo A8-50 and Gigaset QV830 cost roughly the same. Very popular and also similarly priced is the slightly smaller Google Nexus 7, even though it is not easy to get anymore.

Case

The Memo Pad 8 is available in four different colors.
The Memo Pad 8 is available in four different colors.

Plastic is the material of choice for the Asus Memo Pad 8. The case with its rounded corners differs slightly from the Asus Memo Pad HD 7, the camera, for example, is not protruding and the speaker grille is more discreet. All corners and the side surfaces of the back cover are rounded, so the tablet feels very comfortable in the hands. Thanks to the slightly rubberized back, the Memo Pad 8 should not slip out of your hands. The design is simple, but still appealing. The most striking detail is the silver design stripe that surrounds the device and the rounded corners.

There are actually bulkier 8-inch devices than the Asus Memo Pad 8, for example, the Lenovo A8-50 or the Toshiba WT8-B-102, yet, with 8.8 millimeters (~0.35 inches) , it is not as thin as the Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 or the  Gigaset QV830, for instance.

The stability of the case still leaves room for improvement: Even medium force is enough to twist the chassis and pressure on the back as well as the front quickly results in display distortions.

217 mm / 8.54 inch 136 mm / 5.35 inch 8.95 mm / 0.3524 inch 360 g0.794 lbs215 mm / 8.46 inch 130 mm / 5.12 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 360 g0.794 lbs214.4 mm / 8.44 inch 120.7 mm / 4.75 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 341 g0.752 lbs210.8 mm / 8.3 inch 124.2 mm / 4.89 inch 9.9 mm / 0.3898 inch 338 g0.745 lbs211.7 mm / 8.33 inch 124.9 mm / 4.92 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 338 g0.745 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 132 mm / 5.2 inch 9.5 mm / 0.374 inch 372 g0.82 lbs200 mm / 7.87 inch 141 mm / 5.55 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 340 g0.75 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

There are no surprises in terms of ports: Micro USB 2.0 and a combined stereo jack are available – at least you can use the latter to attach a headset, which is not standard for every tablet. However, it is a small surprise that the micro USB port is located at the top of the tablet since it is usually at the bottom. Still, the changed position does not affect the handling in practice.

The microSD slot, which supports cards with a capacity of up to 64 GB, is directly accessible at the side and there is no cover. There is, however, a drawback: We did not find an option to transfer apps from the internal storage to the SD card. The Memo Pad 8 can currently establish network connections via WLAN, an LTE version is not available yet but should follow later.

Right side: Volume rocker, standby
Right side: Volume rocker, standby
Left side: MicroSD slot
Left side: MicroSD slot
Top: Micro USB port, combined 3.5 mm stereo jack
Top: Micro USB port, combined 3.5 mm stereo jack
Bottom: No ports
Bottom: No ports
Many advertisement apps are unfortunately preinstalled, for example, theses shopping links.
Many advertisement apps are unfortunately preinstalled, for example, theses shopping links.

Software

The software features quickly reveal whether you are using the Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad, or a regular Asus Memo Pad 8. The software foundation on the other hand is identical: Android 4.4 with Asus’ own Zen UI is used. The visual differences compared to stock Android are pretty small, some functions differ, for example a lock screen with information about upcoming appointments and current social media news. Quick access buttons on the lock screen are new features, just like color codes for the most important apps. Very handy apps include a notepad or "Party Link", which can be used to collect all pictures from all smartphones on a party in one group.

Pro Sieben gets its own section in the operating system, which includes numerous services of the ProSiebenSat.1 media group: You can directly access the streaming service app "Maxdome", launch the "MyVideo" app or access the media library of ProSieben, Sat.1 and other TV stations of the media group. There are also some free games and shopping apps. The voucher for 100 Euros (~$125) consists of the preinstalled games and the following offers for the streaming services:

·         3 free months on 7TV (live TV with six stations): 8.97 Euros (~$11) savings

·         3 free months on Gymondo (online workout): 44.97 Euros (~56) savings

·         3 free months on Deezer (music streaming): 23.97 Euros (~$30) savings

·         4 months for the price of one on Maxdome (video streaming): 23.97 Euros (~$30) savings

Combine all discounts, and you actually exceed 100 Euros (~$125). The problem: Every service requires a subscription that has to be cancelled again. If you do not cancel them, you will have to pay for them every month. It is obviously nice that you can try these services once for free or for a reduced price, but a small discount for the device would have been nice considering all the advertisements for Pro Sieben.

Communication & GPS 

The Asus Memo Pad 8 is currently only available with WLAN, and supports the standards 802.11 b/g/n. Bluetooth 4.0 is also integrated, but an NFC chip is missing. The WLAN signal quality is okay, but the loading times of websites are too long: While websites load pretty slowly in general, the signal drops to 3/4 with a distance of ten meters (~33 ft) from the router and through three walls; another two meters (~6.5 ft) and another wall, result in 50% of the signal. However, the long loading times are also noticeable in direct proximity to the router.

No location indoors.
No location indoors.
Very slow and inaccurate location outdoors.
Very slow and inaccurate location outdoors.

The GPS module cannot locate your position indoors since the signal to the satellites is too weak. It also takes quite a while outdoors until the device finds enough satellites for a location, and is not even very accurate with a tolerance of ten meters (~33 ft).

We check the performance of the Asus Memo Pad 8 on a mountain bike tour and compare it with the results of the navigation device Garmin Edge 500. The track length of the Asus Memo Pad 8 is almost 500 meters (~0.31 mi) shorter compared to the Garmin Edge 500, and the location on the track is very inaccurate: The Memo Pad lets us "fly" above the crossing street instead of using the bridge. The forest section is another problem for the Memo Pad 8 and it seems that we just ride through the trees.

GPS Asus Memo Pad 8 – Complete
GPS Asus Memo Pad 8 – Complete
GPS Asus Memo Pad 8 – Bridge
GPS Asus Memo Pad 8 – Bridge
GPS Asus Memo Pad 8 – Forest
GPS Asus Memo Pad 8 – Forest
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – Complete
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – Complete
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – Bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – Bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – Forest
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – Forest

Cameras & Multimedia

The cameras reveal that Asus reduced the quality in the case of this model: The Asus Memo Pad 8 with the product code ME181CX has cameras with a much lower resolution compared with the Memo Pad HD 7 or other devices from the Memo Pad 8-series: The camera at the back only has a 2 megapixels sensor and just 0.3 megapixels on the front. A tablet is not primarily designed as a camera, but you can carry an 8-inch tablet around, and all the other rivals therefore have cameras with much higher resolutions.

As a result, pictures taken by the camera lack many details and bright areas easily outshine. Overall, the picture impression is very artificial. The camera is quickly brought to its limits in bad lighting conditions, and pictures are dominated by strong color noise. There is no flash on the back, so you can basically only use the camera during daylight. The situation is not much better at the front, video calls are possible, but they are not really enjoyable. Selfies can only be used for social media pages at best.

Camera at the back (2 megapixels)
Camera at the back (2 megapixels)
Camera at the back (2 megapixels) HDR
Camera at the back (2 megapixels) HDR
Front camera (0.3 megapixels)
Front camera (0.3 megapixels)
Canon EOS 450D (reference)
Canon EOS 450D (reference)

Accessories

There are no accessories included other than the power adaptor and the USB cable.  There are actually some accessories from Asus that can be used with the Asus Memo Pad 8: There is a "MagSmart Cover" that protects the display and can be used as a stand for the tablet. Asus is charging 35 Euros (~$44) for it. For 25 Euros (~$31) you get the "VersaSleeve 8" that covers the tablet completely and can also be used as a stand.

Warranty

Asus only offers a warranty of 12 months for its tablets. However, there are several extensions in Asus' online shop: An extra year warranty, for example, is available for 59 Euros (~$74); two additional years cost 79 Euros (~$99). An international warranty is available for 69 Euros (~$86; one additional year) or 99 Euros (~$124; two additional years), respectively.

Input Devices & Handling

Asus does not use the standard Google keyboard, but trusts its custom solution. A tutorial explains the input for beginners, but the overall layout is pretty simple.

The automatic word predictions are a bit aggressive since they are accepted via space bar, but they can easily be turned off or revoked. The keyboard makes predictions based on the previously entered words and offers many adjustments. Swipe inputs are possible as well and you can activate several languages at the same time. Handwritten inputs or voice inputs, however, are missing.

The layout is basically pretty simple, but also slightly shifted because of the large special keys, and therefore requires some time to get used to. The special keys themselves are very handy: You can quickly switch between inputs via Tab button, and the large backspace key makes it easy to delete characters.

The touchscreen is pretty susceptible to fingerprints, but the surface provides good gliding capabilities and it is precise up into the peripheral areas. Multi-touch gestures are no problem for the panel, they are reliably recognized and quickly executed.

Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard landscape mode

Display

The display has 1280x800 pixels and therefore meets the standard for this product class. However, the Acer Iconia Tab 8 with a Full HD panel shows that more is possible for a small additional price. The Asus Memo Pad 8 with its average brightness: 352.2 cd/m² outstrips almost every comparison device. You can see a slightly uneven brightness distribution with bright and colored surfaces, but it is still reasonable at 86%.

The presentation on the panel is pretty sharp, but a higher resolution would significantly improve the picture impression, especially when you look at text: You can sometimes see aliasing with angular lines and some texts look slightly blurry on the display of the Asus Memo Pad 8.

367
cd/m²
353
cd/m²
322
cd/m²
358
cd/m²
362
cd/m²
327
cd/m²
360
cd/m²
374
cd/m²
347
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 374 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 352.2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 362 cd/m²
Contrast: 823:1 (Black: 0.44 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.78 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 7.26 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.94
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Toshiba WT8-B-102‏
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735G, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Iconia Tab 8
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB SSD
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
Mali-450 MP4, Kirin 910, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Lenovo A8-50
SGX544, MT8121, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
-0%
-6%
-2%
3%
10%
Brightness middle
362
376
4%
295
-19%
330
-9%
328
-9%
348.1
-4%
Brightness
352
353
0%
278
-21%
316
-10%
308
-12%
322
-9%
Brightness Distribution
86
88
2%
84
-2%
91
6%
84
-2%
87
1%
Black Level *
0.44
0.59
-34%
0.38
14%
0.54
-23%
0.46
-5%
0.452
-3%
Contrast
823
637
-23%
776
-6%
611
-26%
713
-13%
770
-6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.78
5.07
25%
8.01
-18%
5.47
19%
5.23
23%
4.41
35%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
7.26
5.58
23%
6.58
9%
5.36
26%
4.68
36%
2.99
59%
Gamma
2.94 75%
2.14 103%
1.72 128%
2.14 103%
2.15 102%
2.21 100%
CCT
6355 102%
6122 106%
6001 108%
6342 102%
7185 90%
6468 100%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
46.68

* ... smaller is better

With a contrast ratio of 823:1, the Asus Memo Pad 8 does not have to hide behind its rivals, and the black value of 0.44 cd/m² is decent. Colors look rather restrained on the display, but there are pretty comprehensive adjustments in the app "Splendid": You can, for instance, activate the "Vivid Mode" that increases the color saturation or change the white balance, and can really improve the picture.

We check the display in its factory settings with the software CalMAN and a spectrophotometer. The results in the screenshots below show that there is a slight green cast. The reference is always the standardized sRGB color space. Colors are also way too pale. We can see large deviations from the reference for soft skin tones and dark gray tones, dark blue and yellow on the other hand are pretty accurate.

Overall, we can say that the color presentation deviates too much from the ideal values, even in comparison with other devices in this price range. Some corrections are, however, possible with the app "Splendid".

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Color Management
CalMAN Color Management
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker

Outdoors you will have problems with the glossy display surface, but that is a common issue for the majority of tablets and smartphones. You can see reflections instead of the actual display content on sunny days. Cloudy days, shaded or indoor environments on the other hand should not cause any problems.

The IPS display provides wide viewing angles. If there are no reflections, it is actually no problem to see the display content even from very flat angles.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

Intel's Atom Z3745 SoC is supposed to offer good performance for an Android device combined with low power consumption. The SoC has four cores, but they do not support Hyperthreading, which means it can execute up to four tasks simultaneously instead of eight. 1 GB of memory should also be sufficient.

The comparison devices, which are mainly equipped with older Intel Atom SoCs or ARM SoCs, are clearly beaten in the synthetic benchmarks with differences of up to 60%. The general handling in the menus or launching apps is pretty smooth, but there can be small stutters when you have a very crowded home screen, or when the tablet wakes up from standby.

Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
771 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
326 Points -58%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
481 Points -38%
Lenovo A8-50
351 Points -54%
Gigaset QV830
325 Points -58%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
763 Points -1%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
2324 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1047 Points -55%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
1452 Points -38%
Lenovo A8-50
1156 Points -50%
Gigaset QV830
1077 Points -54%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
2397 Points +3%
Smartbench 2012
Productivity Index (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
9784 points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
5117 points -48%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
9473 points -3%
Lenovo A8-50
4019 points -59%
Gigaset QV830
3969 points -59%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
9199 points -6%
Gaming Index (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
3876 points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
2965 points -24%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
3432 points -11%
Gigaset QV830
2608 points -33%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
3879 points 0%
Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
230 MFLOPS
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
84.1 MFLOPS -63%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
205 MFLOPS -11%
Lenovo A8-50
114.2 MFLOPS -50%
Gigaset QV830
38.4 MFLOPS -83%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
206.5 MFLOPS -10%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
565 MFLOPS
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
236.9 MFLOPS -58%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
558 MFLOPS -1%
Lenovo A8-50
221.9 MFLOPS -61%
Gigaset QV830
127.1 MFLOPS -78%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
326.9 MFLOPS -42%
AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
33462 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
17949 Points -46%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
36659 Points +10%

Legend

 
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX Intel Atom Z3745, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G Pad 8.0 V480 Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226, Qualcomm Adreno 305, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Toshiba WT8-B-102‏ Intel Atom Z3735G, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Iconia Tab 8 Intel Atom Z3745, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 16 GB SSD
 
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 HiSilicon Kirin 910, ARM Mali-450 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo A8-50 Mediatek MT8121, PowerVR SGX544, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Gigaset QV830 Mediatek MT8125, PowerVR SGX544, 8 GB SSD
 
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C Intel Atom Z3745, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 16 GB eMMC Flash

The integrated graphics solution HD Graphics (Bay Trail) is also pretty powerful for an Android device. It can adjust its clock dynamically based on the performance demands, which means it is very frugal with light workloads. Hardly any comparison device with Android can keep up with our review unit in the synthetic benchmarks, where the differences are once again very big with up to 80%. Acer's Iconia Tab 8, however, has a clear advantage, despite the identical SoC. Does this mean the GPU throttles its performance in the Asus Memo Pad 8? It certainly looks like it, the GFXBench battery test, which repeats one benchmark sequence thirty times in a row, also shows lower frame rates compared to a single run.

3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
14142 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
4605 Points -67%
Toshiba WT8-B-102‏
12741 Points -10%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
16915 Points +20%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
4925 Points -65%
Lenovo A8-50
2869 Points -80%
Gigaset QV830
2551 Points -82%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
12762 Points -10%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
13414 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
4108 Points -69%
Toshiba WT8-B-102‏
12339 Points -8%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
16455 Points +23%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
4410 Points -67%
Gigaset QV830
2136 Points -84%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
11835 Points -12%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
17455 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
7983 Points -54%
Toshiba WT8-B-102‏
14383 Points -18%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
18752 Points +7%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
8327 Points -52%
Gigaset QV830
7990 Points -54%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
17581 Points +1%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
27.3 fps
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
10.3 fps -62%
Gigaset QV830
5.6 fps -79%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
27.5 fps +1%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
14.2 fps
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
5.8 fps -59%
Gigaset QV830
2.7 fps -81%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
16.9 fps +19%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
16.2 fps
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
3.8 fps -77%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
8.6 fps -47%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
14.3 fps -12%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
8.5 fps
Acer Iconia Tab 8
8.7 fps +2%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
0 fps -100%

The Asus Memo Pad 8 does not have to hide in terms of performance within a web browser, either. Almost all the Android-based comparison devices are once again surpassed. Only the Acer Iconia Tab 8 can still manage a small advantage. We had small performance issues during keyboard inputs in the Android browser. In view of this, and  the sometimes slow loading times of websites, we cannot really say that the browser performance is very good.

WebXPRT 2013
Overall (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
378 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
160 Points -58%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
485 Points +28%
Gigaset QV830
157 Points -58%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
382 Points +1%
Photo Effects (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
654 ms *
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1774 ms * -171%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
795 ms * -22%
Gigaset QV830
2792 ms * -327%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
655 ms * -0%
Face Detection (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
3307 ms *
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
4701 ms * -42%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
1201 ms * +64%
Gigaset QV830
3707 ms * -12%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
3296 ms * -0%
Stocks Dashboard (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
783 ms *
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
2368 ms * -202%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
647 ms * +17%
Gigaset QV830
2243 ms * -186%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
762 ms * +3%
Offline Notes (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
859 ms *
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
2312 ms * -169%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
874 ms * -2%
Gigaset QV830
2111 ms * -146%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
847 ms * +1%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
5148 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1989 Points -61%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
6510 Points +26%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
1467 Points -72%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
5189 Points +1%
Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
5356 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1770 Points -67%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
6009 Points +12%
Lenovo A8-50
2179 Points -59%
Gigaset QV830
1738 Points -68%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
5266 Points -2%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
5496 ms *
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
14907 ms * -171%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
6009 ms * -9%
Gigaset QV830
25950 ms * -372%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
5837 ms * -6%
Vellamo 3.x
Browser (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
2944 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1644 Points -44%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
3108 Points +6%
Multicore Beta (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
1446 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1222 Points -15%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
1581 Points +9%
Metal (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
1098 Points
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
800 Points -27%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
1117 Points +2%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
609 ms *
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1034 ms * -70%
Toshiba WT8-B-102‏
770 ms * -26%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
700 ms * -15%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
1444 ms * -137%
Lenovo A8-50
1454 ms * -139%
Gigaset QV830
1268 ms * -108%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
601 ms * +1%

* ... smaller is better

The storage of the Asus Memo Pad 8 is pretty average, the chips inside the LG G Pad 8.0, for example, are much faster. However, we did not really encounter any issues: Apps launched quickly, and there were no problems when we accessed files on the storage, for example, in the picture gallery.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
95 MB/s
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
114.8 MB/s +21%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
100.4 MB/s +6%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
38.74 MB/s -59%
Lenovo A8-50
62.5 MB/s -34%
Gigaset QV830
50.9 MB/s -46%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
93.3 MB/s -2%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
14 MB/s
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
18.75 MB/s +34%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
12.23 MB/s -13%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
12.13 MB/s -13%
Lenovo A8-50
23.18 MB/s +66%
Gigaset QV830
6.14 MB/s -56%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
18.29 MB/s +31%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
13 MB/s
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
16.34 MB/s +26%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
8.54 MB/s -34%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
9.12 MB/s -30%
Lenovo A8-50
13.1 MB/s +1%
Gigaset QV830
13.43 MB/s +3%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
16 MB/s +23%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
0.7 MB/s
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
1.72 MB/s +146%
Acer Iconia Tab 8
0.58 MB/s -17%
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
0.95 MB/s +36%
Lenovo A8-50
0.94 MB/s +34%
Gigaset QV830
0.44 MB/s -37%
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
1.17 MB/s +67%

Gaming Performance

Asphalt 8 can be played smoothly at its highest settings.
Asphalt 8 can be played smoothly at its highest settings.

Do you like to play? The Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad is preloaded with some games, but with a focus on soccer titles. For example, the team manager "GoalOne" and the soccer quiz "randuell". Both games might be okay for soccer fans, but they do not have very nice graphics and they are also available for every other Android device in the PlayStore.

This is also the reason that we use "Asphalt 8" to evaluate the gaming performance of the Asus Memo Pad 8: The GPU demanding racing game has options for the quality settings. We tried the high preset, and the Memo Pad 8 actually had no problems to show the complex effects. The controls via touchscreen and position sensor also worked very reliably. Simpler games like "Angry Birds: Star Wars 2" are obviously no problem.

Emissions

Temperature

The overall temperature development is surprisingly low and also pretty focused on the area around the processor, which is in the upper area of the tablet when you use it in portrait mode. We can measure up to 35 °C (~95 °F) under load at the back and up to 34.9 °C (~94.8 °F) at the front. The further you get away from the processor the cooler it gets: The lowest value is 27 °C (~80.6 °F) at the bottom. The idle temperatures are not much lower with 26.7 up to 32 °C (~80.06 – 89.6 °F).

The warming is therefore pretty moderate and you will not even notice it when you use the tablet in portrait mode, even under load, since you touch the device in the cooler lower area. One hand does get noticeably warmer than the other when you use the tablet in landscape mode, but the warming is never uncomfortable.

Max. Load
 33.3 °C
92 F
27.6 °C
82 F
27.8 °C
82 F
 
 34.9 °C
95 F
28 °C
82 F
28.7 °C
84 F
 
 32.7 °C
91 F
27.3 °C
81 F
27.7 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 34.9 °C = 95 F
Average: 29.8 °C = 86 F
26.9 °C
80 F
30.1 °C
86 F
34.7 °C
94 F
27.7 °C
82 F
28.9 °C
84 F
35 °C
95 F
27 °C
81 F
28.5 °C
83 F
34.4 °C
94 F
Maximum: 35 °C = 95 F
Average: 30.4 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  46.1 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-350
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.9 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

The speakers are at the lower back of the tablet when you use it in portrait mode. The position is not ideal: The sound is muffled on softer surfaces and you can quickly cover the speaker with your hand.

But the sound is pretty mediocre in general, even if you do not cover the speaker. Despite the stereo speakers and the "SonicMaster" technology from Asus, the speakers reach their limits quickly, they do not create a very detailed sound, and bass is almost completely missing. The app "Audio Assistant" provides some predefined sound improvements, including profiles for voice or music. They change the sound, but they cannot really improve the speaker performance. You get a much better sound experience when you attach headphones or external speakers via 3.5 mm stereo jack.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Compared to its rivals, the Asus Memo Pad 8 is a pretty frugal device with its Intel Atom Z3745, and roughly on par with the Asus Memo Pad HD 7, but has a significantly higher maximum consumption of 6.1 Watts. However, all the other values are pretty low, for example, the average idle consumption of just 1.8 Watts. This suggests longer battery runtimes, but the Memo Pad HD 7 was a disappointment in this section, so let us see how the Memo Pad 8 performs.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1 / 1.8 / 2.5 Watt
Load midlight 3.8 / 6.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

The higher load consumption results in a much shorter load runtime compared to the Memo Pad HD 7 – despite the slightly larger battery of the Memo Pad 8 with 15.2 Wh. The pretty realistic WLAN test, which uses a script that refreshes websites every couple of seconds while the brightness is adjusted to 150 cd/m², determines a runtime of 7:22 hours for the Memo Pad 8. This result exceeds the Acer Iconia Tab 8 or the Toshiba Encore 2, but it is clearly beaten by the LG G Pad 8.0 or the Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0, for example. All in all, pretty average battery runtimes.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 33min
WiFi Surfing
7h 22min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 21min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 03min
Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
LG G Pad 8.0 V480
Adreno 305, 400 MSM8226, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Toshiba WT8-B-102‏
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735G, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Iconia Tab 8
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB SSD
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
Mali-450 MP4, Kirin 910, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
57%
-24%
16%
70%
23%
H.264
501
729
46%
320
-36%
WiFi
442
653
48%
390
-12%
385
-13%
751
70%
398
-10%
Load
183
326
78%
265
45%
283
55%

Verdict

In Review: Asus Memo Pad 8. Test device courtesy of Asus Germany.
In Review: Asus Memo Pad 8. Test device courtesy of Asus Germany.

You should know that there are better offers than the Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad in this price range. The cameras are basically a joke, the GPS module is pretty slow and inaccurate, the stability of the case leaves room for improvements, and data transfers via WLAN are slow. Finally, there are the speakers that sound pretty mediocre, despite Asus’ claims.

The Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad aka Asus Memo Pad 8 is still a decent tablet because of its good performance, low temperature development, usable battery runtimes and software with many customization options.

The offer from Pro Sieben can actually be interesting if you plan to use the streaming services for music and/or movies anyway. However, the bonus is gone after a couple of months and the discount is also much lower if you do not want to use all the services. You also have to live with many ads from Pro Sieben.

The Asus Memo Pad 8 "Pro Sieben Entertainment Pad" is a usable tablet that cannot always keep its promises. If you are basically looking for good performance, and if you use the services from Pro Sieben, then you actually get a certain additional value. We would still recommend looking at other tablets in this price range before you choose this device.

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In Review: Asus Memo Pad 8. Test device courtesy of Asus Germany.
In Review: Asus Memo Pad 8. Test device courtesy of Asus Germany.

Specifications

Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX (Memo Pad Series)
Processor
Intel Atom Z3745 4 x 1.3 - 1.9 GHz, Bay Trail-T
Memory
1024 MB 
Display
8.00 inch 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixel, capacitive Touchscreen, 10 Multi-touch points, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 11.7 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: combined 3.5 mm stereo jack, Card Reader: microSD card reader up to 64 GB, Sensors: Gyroscope, Position sensor, Magnetic field, Miracast
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.8 x 211.7 x 124.9 ( = 0.35 x 8.33 x 4.92 in)
Battery
15 Wh Lithium-Polymer, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 9 h
Operating System
Android 4.4 KitKat
Camera
Webcam: Main camera: 2 megapixels, Front: 0.3 megapixels
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo speakers at the back, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, Pro Sieben Entertainment Voucher, Power adaptor, USB cable, Goal One, RanDuell, MaxDome, 7TV, Deezer, News Republic, Party Link, Zinio, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
338 g ( = 11.92 oz / 0.75 pounds), Power Supply: 53 g ( = 1.87 oz / 0.12 pounds)
Price
149 Euro

 

The Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX is sold in cooperation with Pro Sieben.
The Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX is sold in cooperation with Pro Sieben.
This also explains the name.
This also explains the name.
Numerous apps from Pro Sieben are already preinstalled and can be accessed via stripe at the bottom of the display.
Numerous apps from Pro Sieben are already preinstalled and can be accessed via stripe at the bottom of the display.
You also get several coupons for streaming services.
You also get several coupons for streaming services.
The tablet itself is pretty average.
The tablet itself is pretty average.
We like the rubberized back cover.
We like the rubberized back cover.
The Intel processor also provides sufficient performance.
The Intel processor also provides sufficient performance.
The gaming performance is decent as well.
The gaming performance is decent as well.
The same applies for the display.
The same applies for the display.
We especially like that you can adjust several picture settings.
We especially like that you can adjust several picture settings.
The color temperature, for example.
The color temperature, for example.
The presentation could be sharper sometimes.
The presentation could be sharper sometimes.
Contrast and brightness on the other hand are okay.
Contrast and brightness on the other hand are okay.
The case is made of plastic and has a passable build quality.
The case is made of plastic and has a passable build quality.
You can, however, easily twist the device.
You can, however, easily twist the device.
One of the biggest drawbacks: The cameras have very low resolutions.
One of the biggest drawbacks: The cameras have very low resolutions.
They cannot really be used for serious pictures.
They cannot really be used for serious pictures.
Both the micro USB port as well as the stereo jack are at the top.
Both the micro USB port as well as the stereo jack are at the top.
The speakers are at the bottom of the back cover and sound pretty meager.
The speakers are at the bottom of the back cover and sound pretty meager.
The audio improvements cannot really change that.
The audio improvements cannot really change that.
You can choose between different modes, but the battery runtimes are still pretty average.
You can choose between different modes, but the battery runtimes are still pretty average.
The keyboard has many functions.
The keyboard has many functions.
The Pro Sieben integration comes with some free months for the services, but you have to live with a lot of advertisements in return.
The Pro Sieben integration comes with some free months for the services, but you have to live with a lot of advertisements in return.
If you are only looking for the price and like the services from Pro Sieben, then you get a passable overall package with drawbacks in terms of  the speakers, the GPS module and the WLAN signal.
If you are only looking for the price and like the services from Pro Sieben, then you get a passable overall package with drawbacks in terms of the speakers, the GPS module and the WLAN signal.

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Links

Compare Prices

Pros

+Thin case
+Grippy back cover
+Free months for many Pro Sieben apps
+Good software with many options
+Reliable touchscreen
+Decent display with color settings
+High system performance
 

Cons

-You can easily twist the case
-Many advertisement apps from Pro Sieben
-Websites sometimes with long loading times
-Slow and inaccurate GPS
-Bad picture quality of the camera
-Meager speaker sound
-Only average battery runtimes despite the good consumption values

Shortcut

What we like

The tablet is pretty thin and feels good in the hands. Asus also put a lot of work into its software.

What we'd like to see

You have to live with the stripe of advertisement apps from Pro Sieben. Better speakers and a better energy management would have improved the rating.

What surprises us

That Asus uses such bad cameras: We thought even the cheapest tablets waived webcams with 0.3 MP by now.

The competition

LG G Pad 8.0 V480, Toshiba Encore 2 WT8-B-102, Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1-840FHD, Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0, Lenovo A8-50, Gigaset QV830, Google Nexus 7.

Rating

Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX - 11/06/2014 v4(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
63%
Keyboard
61%
Pointing Device
91 / 40-88 → 100%
Connectivity
38%
Weight
86%
Battery
90 / 76 → 100%
Display
80%
Games Performance
61%
Application Performance
44 / 91 → 48%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
40%
Camera
43%
Average
68%
82%
Tablet - Weighted Average
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Archive of our own reviews > Asus Memo Pad 8 ME181CX Tablet (Pro 7 Entertainment Pad) Review
Florian Wimmer, 2014-11-17 (Update: 2021-05-18)