Asus Fonepad ME371MG
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 9 scores (from 12 reviews)
Reviews for the Asus Fonepad ME371MG
Like a brick on your ear. Samsung's Note kicked off the ongoing wave of large smartphones, aka phablets. Now, Asus joins in with its big 7-inch Fonepad, nominally a tablet to make phone calls. It will definitely attract attention when held to an ear - at least at present.
Source: Ubergizmo English
Archive.org versionPutting this gimmick aside, the Fonepad is certainly a capable budget-friendly Android tablet as it performs adequately across all of our tests, and even exceeding our expectations in its battery and entertainment performance as well as the ASUS-specific applications thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, there are better 7-inch tablets on the market and for cheaper, such as the Nexus 7. If you for some reason need a tablet that can double as a phone, then your only choice right now is the ASUS Fonepad. But if you’re just looking for an Android tablet that costs below $300, we think you should take a look at the Nexus 7, Galaxy Note 8 and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD as they can offer you a much better experience than the Fonepad can.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/14/2013
Source: Reg Hardware
Archive.org versionSo, can you live with a 7-inch, 340g smartphone? Yes. Naturally there are compromises to be made. I wouldn't want to take a FonePad with me to my local pub for the evening or to a gig, and the absence of a suitable camera is going to become an issue at some point down the line. But the cash savings and the sheer convenience of having one device rather than two to carry and charge does have its attractions. I’m all for affordability and versatility, and the FonePad delivers both in spades. Which makes it the one of the very few budget tablets - the other being the Nexus 7 - I’d recommend to a friend.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/12/2013
Source: Tech Advisor
Archive.org versionFor those genuinely interested in a phablet, the Asus Fonepad is a bit of a bargain. It does the job of two devices for a budget price. However, you'll need to be prepared to make sacrifices including practicality and, in this case, no rear camera and slower performance issues. Not to mention the inevitable Dom Jolly impression, should you decide to use as a phone without a separate earpiece.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 80% performance: 60% features: 70% workmanship: 80%
Source: Think Digit
Archive.org versionThe Asus Fonepad is a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (and also the upcoming Tab 3). The tablet has some pretty interesting features such as Floating Apps, has the ability to playback video smoothly, make calls and a great build. On the downside, it is plagued with a bit of lag and the rear camera is poor. At 8GB, the built-in storage isn’t great either. If you are looking for a tablet around the Rs. 15k price point, you can definitely consider this device along with the Galaxy Tab 2. If you are on a tighter budget (10K) you can take a look at the iberry Auxus CoreX2 3G tablet as well.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/21/2013
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 60% performance: 60% features: 70% workmanship: 80%
Source: It Pro
Archive.org versionThe Asus Fonepad is yet another smartphone/tablet hybrid which aims to attract users who want to carry around one device. The 7in device functions primarily as a tablet, has a built-in SIM which allows users to calls, send texts and browse the internet. The Asus Fonepad is good value for money considering its a a tablet which makes phone calls, but it is likely to be too cumbersome for most people.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/08/2013
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Tech2.in.com
Archive.org versionThe Asus FonePad is priced at Rs 15,999 for the 8GB version, which is a pretty good deal. We would even go as far as saying the FonePad offers more value for money than the similarly-priced Nexus 7. Apart from not receiving updates instantly and the lack of a powerful processor, the FonePad does everything the Nexus 7 does and more. It can run almost any app (albeit heavy apps like 3D games won’t run as well), has a pleasing and functional skin, similar battery life, plays Full HD videos, boasts of expandable storage and it doubles up as a phone. The camera is still a bit woeful although we do appreciate the inclusion of it and the fact that it’s auto-focus. The only major downside that we came across is the fact that it can get a little sluggish now and then. Between this and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, we’d recommend the Asus FonePad for its higher resolution screen, (relatively) better auto-focus camera and better battery life.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/08/2013
Rating: Total score: 75%
Source: PC Pro
Archive.org versionThe Fonepad does have some weaknesses, not least the fact that you'll have to wait on Asus for OS updates – with the Nexus 7, you get the latest version of Android as it's released. It isn't wonderfully practical to use as your everyday smartphone, either. But, even if you think the phone capabilities are little more than a daft frivolity, there's no denying the Fonepad packs a hell of punch for a budget tablet. It's good enough, even, to elbow aside the iPad mini at the top of our A-List.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/30/2013
Rating: Total score: 83% price: 100% performance: 67% features: 83% workmanship: 83%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Onlinekosten.de
DE→EN Archive.org versionPositive: very good workmanship; integrated telephone function; solid equipment; reasonable price
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/09/2013
Rating: Total score: 87%
Source: Hispazone
ES→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Good multimedia support and flexible operating system.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/16/2013
Source: Hi-Tech Mail
RU→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Price; decent screen and case; high quality materials, good looks, good build. Negative: Performance.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 03/25/2013
Source: Sohoa VN Express
VN→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/29/2013
Rating: Total score: 80% display: 80% mobility: 80% workmanship: 70%
Source: Dinside
NO→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/30/2013
Rating: Total score: 67%
Comment
PowerVR SGX540:
These graphics cards are not suited for Windows 3D games. Office and Internet surfing however is possible.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Atom: The Intel Atom series is a 64-Bit (not every model supports 64bit) microprocessor for cheap and small notebooks (so called netbooks), MIDs, or UMPCs. The speciality of the new architecture is the "in order" execution (instead of the usual and faster "out of order" execution). Therefore, the transistor count of the Atom series is much lower and, thus, cheaper to produce. Furthermore, the power consumption is very low. The performance per Megahertz is therfore worse than the old Pentium 3M (1,2 GHz on par with a 1.6 GHz Atom).
Z2420: Low-end single-core Soc for smartphones and tablets.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
7.00":
It is a small display format for smartphones. You shouldn't be severely defective in vision, and you won't see much detail on the screen and only have a small resolution available. For that, the device should be small and handy, easy to transport.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Asus: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. is a major Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer based in Taipei, founded in 1989. Under the Asus brand name, the company manufactures a wide range of products, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, monitors, smartphones and networking equipment, complete systems and PC components for end users.
Under the ROG (Republic of Gamers) brand name, ASUS manufactures gaming laptops known by gamers for their powerful specifications, dedicated graphics cards, high refresh rate displays and advanced cooling systems.
Beyond gaming, a wide range of notebooks are offered for different needs and budgets, from ultra-slim and lightweight ultrabooks to versatile 2-in-1 convertibles and budget-friendly options. In 2023, Asus had a 7% global market share of the PC market.
Customer satisfaction with ASUS notebooks concerns performance, the features, and the good price-performance ratio of ASUS notebooks. However, as with any brand, there are occasional reports of problems such as overheating, driver compatibility, or build quality issues.
75.33%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
