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MagyarBlackview Tab 12 Pro review - 4G tablet with dual-SIM and up to 14 GB RAM for under 170 Euros (~$185)
Blackview, a Chinese manufacturer known for outdoor products, positions itself in the entry-level to affordable mid-range segment with its Tab 12 Pro tablet. The number in the model name does not stand for the screen diagonal. The Tab 12 Pro only has a 10.1-inch IPS screen with a fairly high resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels.
The Blackview Tab 12 Pro is priced at around 130 to 170 Euros (~$140 to $185) during the review period. In view of the given configuration and 8 GB of RAM, which can be expanded with up to 6 GB of virtual working memory, as well as 128 GB of system memory, the inexpensive Android-12 tablet together with the Unisoc Tiger T606 seems to offer a good price-performance ratio. Read here whether our test can confirm this.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77.8 % | 08/2023 | Blackview Tab 12 Pro T606, Mali-G57 MP1 | 430 g | 7.4 mm | 10.10" | 1920x1200 | |
| 80.8 % | 02/2023 | Blackview Tab 13 Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2 | 450 g | 7.7 mm | 10.10" | 1920x1200 | |
| 81.5 % | 01/2023 | Nokia T21 T612, Mali-G52 MP1 | 466 g | 7.5 mm | 10.36" | 2000x1200 | |
| 81.8 % | 04/2023 | Teclast T50 T616, Mali-G57 MP1 | 510 g | 9.7 mm | 11.00" | 2000x1200 | |
| 80 % | 03/2023 | Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 T610, Mali-G52 MP2 | 460 g | 8.5 mm | 10.10" | 1920x1200 |
Case - Blackview Tab 12 Pro with slight deficits
The Tab 12 Pro has a metal casing, which gives the inexpensive 10.1-inch tablet a certain quality. However, it does not look particularly torsion-resistant and the IPS panel can be minimally pressed into the frame on the left side of our review sample. Apart from that, the build quality is okay and the Blackview Tab feels comfortable in the hand due to its low weight of 430 grams (~15 oz).
Besides our silver version, the Tab 12 Pro is also available in blue or gray. At 78.7%, the entry-level tablet has a rather inefficient screen-to-total-surface ratio on the front. The Chinese manufacturer does not specify which protective glass Blackview has installed.
Features - Blackview Tablet with 3.5mm jack
Despite the low price, the Tab 12 Pro has quite a bit to offer in terms of features. Besides the dual speaker system, 4G dual-SIM, a status LED, FM radio, and Bluetooth 5.0 are on board. The UFS 2.0 storage can also be expanded by up to 1 TB via microSD cards. As expected, Blackview relies on a slow USB 2.0 port for its entry-level tablet, which does not allow high data transfers or wired image output.
microSD card reader
We take a closer look at the memory slot's speed with our reference memory card Angelbird Pro V60. While the results in the CPDT benchmark are on a good level, the data rates in our JPEG copy test are only a meager 8 MB/s. The exFAT file system is also not supported.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Nokia T21 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Blackview Tab 13 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Teclast T50 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Tab 12 Pro with Android 12
Blackview combines the outdated Android-12 operating system with its in-house user interface DokeOS in version 3.0. The latter still has security patches from November 2022 at the time of testing. It is not known whether there will be OS upgrades in the future and for how long there will be security updates.
Communication and GNSS - Blackview Tab 12 Pro with 4G
The Tab 12 Pro supports access to the mobile 4G network, but only with 6 LTE bands, including band 28 for local use. The entry-level tablet offers WiFi 5 within the domestic WLAN, which is sufficient for average transfer rates of over 300 MBit/s in combination with our reference router Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Teclast T50 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Teclast T50 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
Besides the built-in positioning module, which communicates with the satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, the Tab 12 Pro also uses A-GPS due to the mobile phone support. The positioning accuracy is not always convincing in our practical test. In contrast to the Garmin Venu 2, which was used in parallel for comparison, the details reveal one or two inaccuracies for the Blackview tablet. Nevertheless, the tracking level should be sufficient for navigation tasks.
Phone functions - calls are possible with the Tab 12 Pro
Users who like to make the odd phone call with their tablet can do so with the Blackview Tab 12 Pro via the phone app. However, the call quality is not particularly good. As soon as the user does not speak directly into the microphone, the other party perceives the voice as very quiet and barely understandable.
Cameras - Tab 12 Pro with single cam
The single camera module on the back has an open aperture of f/2.2 and can rely on an LED flash. The 13 MP lens and autofocus deliver an acceptable picture quality during the day, although the photos sometimes look very bright and a bit soft. However, the Tab 12 Pro can convince in terms of color reproduction, although green tones are sometimes a bit washed out. However, no real outliers (>15) to the reference colors are visible under controlled lighting conditions.
The Blackview tablet records videos in a maximum resolution of 1080p, and only HD recordings are possible with the 5 MP FroTCam.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Wide AngleWide AngleLow LightZoom 5x
Accessories and warranty - Blackview Tablet with power adapter
Blackview equips its tablet with a 10-watt power supply, protective film, and a fairly valuable case as well as a USB cable and info brochures. There are also optional accessories, such as the Blackview K1 wireless keyboard (about 45 Euros/~$49).
The Warranty in Germany is 12 months from the purchase date.
Input devices & operation - Blackview Tab with Face-unlock
The capacitive touchscreen detects up to four inputs simultaneously and recognizes fingers without major delays. The laminated panel only works with 60 Hz, which means that animations do not look as smooth as on screens with 90 Hz or more.
The Tab 12 Pro does not have a fingerprint sensor, but it does have biometric authentication via facial recognition using the front-facing camera. The Blackview reliably recognizes a maximum of one stored face, but it is quite insecure (2D method) and has a certain delay.
Display - Blackview Tab 12 Pro with IPS panel
The 10.1-inch IPS panel has an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels. The screen's maximum brightness of 371 cd/m² in our measurements is above the manufacturer's specification (300 nits), but the offered brightness is not really high and the illumination is inhomogeneous. The APL18 measurement does not change that either - we get a luminance of 373 cd/m² here.
The Blackview tablet does not use pulse width modulation for brightness control.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 371 cd/m²
Contrast: 773:1 (Black: 0.48 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 11.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
88.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.04
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro IPS LCD, 1920x1200, 10.10 | Blackview Tab 13 IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10 | Nokia T21 IPS, 2000x1200, 10.36 | Teclast T50 IPS, 2000x1200, 11.00 | Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 28% | 17% | 26% | 21% | |
| Brightness middle | 371 | 344 -7% | 389 5% | 438 18% | 343 -8% |
| Brightness | 348 | 330 -5% | 382 10% | 417 20% | 332 -5% |
| Brightness Distribution | 82 | 93 13% | 94 15% | 85 4% | 94 15% |
| Black Level * | 0.48 | 0.27 44% | 0.57 -19% | 0.5 -4% | 0.31 35% |
| Contrast | 773 | 1274 65% | 682 -12% | 876 13% | 1106 43% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 8.6 | 5.32 38% | 4.93 43% | 4.37 49% | 5.9 31% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 15.4 | 11.27 27% | 8.53 45% | 7.48 51% | 11.2 27% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 11.3 | 6.2 45% | 5.7 50% | 5.3 53% | 7.9 30% |
| Gamma | 2.04 108% | 2.106 104% | 2.073 106% | 2.322 95% | 2.184 101% |
| CCT | 9728 67% | 8023 81% | 8029 81% | 7855 83% | 9198 71% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 1260 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 1260 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 1260 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
In our tests with the CalMAN software and a spectrophotometer, the IPS display is not well calibrated and the grayscale reveals a clear blue cast. The Delta E values of the colors are clearly above the ideal range (<3) and the color temperature is also set much too cool at around 9,700K.
The contrast ratio of the Tab 12 Pro is only about 770:1 due to the quite high black value of 0.48 cd/m². The APL measurement (0.49 cd/m²) also does not contribute to a better contrast for the 10.1-inch tablet.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28.97 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14.45 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 14.52 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 43.21 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18.57 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 24.64 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 69 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the Blackview Tab does not leave a convincing impression, especially since the brightness always has to be adjusted manually. Display contents are no longer recognizable in midsummer sunlight, but annoying reflections also occur in the shade with the Tab 12 Pro.
The viewing angles of the IPS panel on the other hand are convincing and the typical drop in brightness when viewed flat also only occurs subtly.
Performance - Blackview tablet with an uncommon UNISOC SoC
The Tab 12 Pro does not run smoothly in everyday use and minor lags creep in again and again. The installed UNISOC T606 often seems a bit overwhelmed with the 1200p resolution. In our benchmark package, the 12 nm SoC reveals a solid performance for this price range, but the Mali-G57 MP1 performs worse in the 3DMark tests than a Teclast T50 with the same GPU. We cannot provide values for the GFXBench due to problems with the app.
| Antutu v9 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Tablet (92766 - 1416727, n=52, last 2 years) | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (202973 - 238808, n=4) | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 | |
| Average of class Tablet (3195 - 17267, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Teclast T50 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (6637 - 7912, n=15) | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| CrossMark - Overall | |
| Average of class Tablet (172 - 1585, n=51, last 2 years) | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (339 - 355, n=3) | |
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Average of class Tablet (1662 - 44323, n=49, last 2 years) | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (2678 - 3748, n=5) | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Teclast T50 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Teclast T50 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Teclast T50 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Teclast T50 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | |
| Nokia T21 | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | |
| Blackview Tab 13 | |
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Tablet (19.9 - 236, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro (Chrome 115) | |
| Nokia T21 (Chrome 108.0.5359.79) | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (38.1 - 50.2, n=6) | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 (Chrome 111) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Average of class Tablet (21 - 227, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 (Chrome 111) | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (51 - 52, n=5) | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro (Chrome 115) | |
| Nokia T21 (Chrome 108.0.5359.79) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Tablet (2672 - 74614, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Teclast T50 (Chrome 112) | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro (Chrome 115) | |
| Nokia T21 (Chrome 108.0.5359.79) | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 (Chrome 111) | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (9871 - 12696, n=10) | |
| Blackview Tab 13 (Chrome 109) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average of class Tablet (451 - 34733, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro (Chrome 115) | |
| Average UNISOC T606 (3013 - 3187, n=5) | |
| Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 (Chrome 111) | |
| Nokia T21 (Chrome 108.0.5359.79) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro | Blackview Tab 13 | Nokia T21 | Teclast T50 | Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 | Average 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | Average of class Tablet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -38% | -35% | 116% | -27% | -5% | 67% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 512.71 | 289.1 -44% | 266.46 -48% | 920.5 80% | 277.2 -46% | 530 ? 3% | 850 ? 66% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 196.44 | 173.1 -12% | 195.53 0% | 713.4 263% | 210.4 7% | 215 ? 9% | 532 ? 171% |
| Random Read 4KB | 129.56 | 79 -39% | 78.85 -39% | 207.1 60% | 105.1 -19% | 129.6 ? 0% | 167 ? 29% |
| Random Write 4KB | 149.89 | 63.1 -58% | 71.2 -52% | 238.1 59% | 78.5 -48% | 100.7 ? -33% | 150.8 ? 1% |
Emissions - Blackview Tab 12 Pro stays cool
Temperature
The Blackview tablet's casing does not heat up annoyingly in idle or under load. We also cannot prove a reduction of the performance development in the 3DMark stress test, which means the UNISOC T606 can work very consistently.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.4 °C / 103 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 38.2 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speaker
The Tab 12 Pro relies on two speakers with a maximum volume of over 91 dB. Our measurement shows a linear frequency response for the mids of the entry-level tablet, but the super high tones clearly collapse in pink noise. Bass is not present in the sound image and distortions are found in the upper third of the maximum volumes.
A wired or wireless headphone solution via 3.5 millimeter jack and Bluetooth 5.0 is also available. The audio jack's noise level is within a good range with a SNR value of approximately 79 dBFS. Music fans can also rely on a solid codec palette consisting of aptX, aptX HD, AAC and LDAC.
Blackview Tab 12 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 64% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power Management - Blackview Tab 12 Pro Tablet
Energy consumption
The entry-level tablet charges the 6,580 mAh capacity battery with 10 watts via cable. The energy storage can be recharged in about 3 hours with the included charger.
The idle power consumption could still use some optimization. However, the Tab 12 Pro consumes relatively little power for a 10.1-inch tablet with about 4 watts under load.
| Off / Standby |   0.15 / 0.25 Watt |
| Idle |  0.98 / 3 / 3.14 Watt |
| Load |
4.19 / 7.73 Watt |
    
| |
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro 6580 mAh | Nokia T21 8200 mAh | Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 5100 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -1% | -28% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.98 | 1.2 -22% | 1.9 -94% |
| Idle Average * | 3 | 1.8 40% | 2.1 30% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3.14 | 2.5 20% | 2.5 20% |
| Load Average * | 4.19 | 4.8 -15% | 7.6 -81% |
| Load Maximum * | 7.73 | 9.9 -28% | 9 -16% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life
Blackview's tablet lasted about 13.5 hours in our Wi-Fi test with an adjusted display brightness of 150 cd/m2. This is a good rate, but it is topped by the entry-level competition in our comparison.
| Blackview Tab 12 Pro 6580 mAh | Blackview Tab 13 7280 mAh | Nokia T21 8200 mAh | Teclast T50 7500 mAh | Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 5100 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 817 | 926 13% | 929 14% | 903 11% | 861 5% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Tab 12 Pro from Blackview offers solid virtues at an extremely attractive price without revealing any glaring weaknesses. The metal casing does not look cheap, but it is not resistant and durable either. With the integrated LTE modem and dual-SIM functionality, the 10.1-inch tablet is independent of the domestic WLAN, and the good battery life also makes outdoor fun last. However, the lack of an ambient light sensor is a disadvantage for outdoor use.
The Blackview Tab 12 Pro provides arguments for a purchase due to the low price and access to the 4G network.
The lack of support for external displays or suboptimal calibration of the otherwise solid IPS panel are also shortcomings, although rather forgivable considering the price. On the other hand, there is a bigger question mark in terms of software. Old Android 12 with even older security updates do not necessarily speak for buying the Tab 12 Pro. Those who value an update guarantee and (longer) support for security patches will find a better solution with the Nokia T21 - but the Nokia Tab also costs a lot more. There is also a very inexpensive Lenovo Tab M10 2022 (Gen 3) is (probably) more future-proof than the Blackview Tab 12 Pro.
Price and availability
The Blackview Tab 12 Pro is available on Amazon US for around $140.
Blackview Tab 12 Pro
-
08/21/2023 v7
Marcus Herbrich
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
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