Notebookcheck's Best of June 2013 – Smartphones and Tablets

Contenders:

Sony Xperia Tablet Z 85%

Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina 85%

Palit Galapad 7 85%

Huawei MediaPad 10 Link 84%

HP Slate 7 84%

Acer Iconia A1-810 83%

We already scrutinized a pre-production model of the newest Sony tablet in May and it performed decently. However, we were also excited to see what the manufacturer will optimize before the launch of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. E.g., the display had a yellow tint and the case could have been more stable. The latter did not improve. Meanwhile, Sony revised the display. However, the result is a mixed bag. While the display of the final model is significantly brighter and the yellowness decreased, the deviation of the gray levels increased and the color temperature is significantly too warm. But, the color fidelity is overall better. The overall good result did not change with the update. The Sony Xperia Tablet Z scores points with a slim, light, dust resistant and waterproof case, rather high performance and a decent main camera. However, front camera and speakers should be improved.

The Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina is only a kind of facelift and stresses a marketing term from Apple. It actually features a high-resolution display, but this would not sound that exciting. The approach of the manufacturer remained the same: a powerful tablet for a fair price. Moreover, the Tab 9 AQQR Retina is successful in this aspect. The display, especially its rather high resolution, leaves a decent impression. The battery life is notable too. The camera modules could have been omitted, but the manufacturer should definitely have included a GPS module. But, overall, the Bullman tablet performs decently.

Palit or Galapad – neither of the two names is familiar as a manufacturer of tablets. Initially, we were a little skeptical towards the unknown brand, but the Galapad 7 proved us wrong. It is a 7-inch tablet with good build quality featuring an Nvidia Tegra 3 branded SoC. In addition, the device does not have any serious disadvantages and only costs just under 180 Euros (~$231). Its pros are; high performance, decent build quality, attractive display and expandable memory. We did not like the short battery life and the low display resolution.

Huawei continues to break into the tablet and smartphone market. The Huawei MediaPad 10 Link could increase market shares with a unique feature mentioned in its name. "Link" means that the 10-inch tablet comes with a 3G module for mobile Internet. Although it does not support LTE, the currently fastest standard, the build-in HSPA+ module is already rather fast and completely sufficient for a tablet. The bright display with wide viewing angles and the high-end build quality are more than sufficient. In addition, the Huawei tablet is rather fast in our application benchmarks. However, you have to be patient while surfing. Here the MediaPad 10 Link does not belong to the fastest devices. Furthermore, gaming suffers from low performance. The lack of GPS and the high power consumption reduce the final rating.

The HP Slate 7 wants to be a cheap all-rounder. With decent features and a very cheap price, the manufacturer met its goal. You get a decent display, good performance, an overall sound build quality and a rather up-to-date Android version for a low price. However, the low price becomes apparent in the following aspects: poor camera modules, lack of a GPS receiver and short warranty.  Still, in consideration of the fair price, the final result is impressive.

The latter should also be an incentive to buy the Acer Iconia A1-810. The 7.9-inch tablet is available for 180 Euros (~$231). Display size, XGA resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio slightly reminds one of the Apple iPad Mini. However, they do not have anything else in common. The case of the Acer A1 is solid, but the used materials are cheap. Meanwhile, the cheap tablet offers decent performance, the newest Android version and the camera delivers good picture quality. However, the built-in GPS module is not up to scratch.

Tablets of June 2013: Sony Xperia Tablet Z, Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina, and Palit Galapad 7.

The winner's podium was never this crowded before. Three tablets share the award this month. However, with 85%, none of them could reach top rating. They deserve the crown in absence of better competitors.

Contenders:

LG P710 Optimus L7 II 84%

Nokia Lumia 720 87%

LG Optimus E430 L3 II 84%

Huawei Ascend Mate 86%

Sony Xperia L 85%

BlackBerry Q10 89%

iOcean X7 80%

While the LG P710 Optimus L7 II is the best model of LG's L smartphones, it is mid-range in the current smartphone market. This is also reflected by the recommended price of 300 Euros (~$385). The LG phone has a decent build quality, its touchscreen works flawlessly and the battery life also allows prolonged outings away from a power socket. The image quality of the main camera is at least decent. Contrast, black value and viewing angles can convince, too, but cannot conceal the low brightness. Low performance, high power consumption while idle and the poor speakers decrease the rating even more.

The LG Optimus E430 L3 II, the entry level of the L7 II series only cost 99 Euros (~$127), i.e. one third of the top model. This price is extremely low for a full-fledged smartphone. Is the L3 II indeed full-fledged? No, it is not. The display is too small, its resolution too low, the memory too small, and the performance moderate. Fortunately, it is equipped with an IPS panel. In addition, haptics and build quality are all right, too. The battery life, an important criterion in this price category, is extremely long. If you are looking for a cheap smartphone for everyday tasks, the LG Optimus E430 is not a bad choice.

Nokia Lumia 720: At first glance, it is difficult to see how the newest Nokia device with Windows Phone 8 differs from the other Lumia models. The hardware, which is nearly identical in many current Windows smartphones, is the same. With a recommended price of 379 Euros (~$486), the 720 should range higher than the 520 and the 620. It features the same display size and resolution as the 820 model, but a lower processor performance. Nevertheless, it delivers a decent performance. The very bright display is impressive, and the expandable internal memory convenient. Contrary to several other Lumia models, the battery cannot be replaced. As the battery life is very long, you can get over it easily.

With its 6.1-inch IPS display, the Huawei Ascend Mate is currently the "biggest smartphone" reviewed by Notebookcheck so far. It belongs to the relatively young group of so-called phablets, i.e. a smartphone in tablet size. Huawei equips its huge smartphone to fit the upper class. Processing is done by a fast quad-core from the manufacturer's own production. In addition, it features a powerful GPU. The display "only" uses a standard HD resolution, but is very bright and has wide viewing angles. Performance, build quality and handling deserve praise. The few criticisms are typical for current smartphones: weak cameras and heavily reflective display. But, we can summarize: "The Ascend Mate is fun."

Another new smartphone from Sony? Yes, and the Xperia L indeed has a right to exist. It is a decent mid-range model for a fair price. The 4.3-inch display is protected by robust glass and delivers a resolution appropriate for its category. In addition, it is bright, but black value and contrast could be better while the colors are sound. We found a lot of positive aspects in the Sony Xperia L. It does not only have a high-end build quality, but also looks elegant. The camera with HDR function shoots decent pictures and the battery life is long. Furthermore, Android 4.1 is not yet outdated.

With the Z10, BlackBerry managed a successful comeback in the smartphone segment. For a long time, it got rather calm around the pioneer of this segment. The Canadians successfully continue with the BlackBerry Q10. The most striking detail of the Q10 is its physical QWERTZ keyboard, which works perfectly. The downside of fast typing: The display size is notably limited. The build quality is high-end. We like the choice of materials. You can see at first glance, that it is a genuine business device. The technical basis of the BlackBerry Q10 with fast SoC and 2 GB RAM perfectly suits high demands ... and its high price. Nevertheless, it is disappointing, that the display is not very bright and cannot completely cover sRGB. However, contrast, black value and viewing angles are - typical for OLED - excellent. The same is true for the decent handling, the business features and the sophisticated OS. To summarize, there are only a few points of criticism: The moderate cameras and the offers in BlackBerry's app store should be improved.

The last smartphone in June comes from China, too. The iOcean X7 wants to belong to the upper class and features a 5-inch display with IPS technology and Full HD resolution. So far, renowned manufacturers only offer such in the expensive luxury class. Meanwhile, the iOcean only demands 250 Euros (~$321) for the X7. However, the Chinese phone cannot keep up with the established competition in terms of SoC and memory. Nevertheless, the X7 is not at all lame. Everyday tasks run smoothly and surfing is swift. But, there are also negative points: The internal memory is small and cannot be used satisfactorily. The GPS receiver and the brightness sensor are not perfect either, and the wattage of the power adapter is too small.

Smartphone of June 2013: BlackBerry Q10

Once again, a BlackBerry smartphone wins the crown. After the Z10 in March, the BlackBerry Q10 is elected the best smartphone in June. To summarize, it simply performs best and comes with an excellent keyboard.