Review HP Slate 7 Plus 4200ef Tablet

The case of the HP Slate 7 Plus is made completely of silver-gray polycarbonate. The back side flaunts a big, black, high-gloss HP logo. The surface feel is acceptable but could be somewhat handier. The workmanship turns out mediocre. Admittedly, the test sample shines with consistent clearances; however, the plastic back side gives in noticeably and with a creaking sound under just a little pressure. Overall, the case can be twisted easily. With measurements of 194.7 x 122.7 millimeters (~7.7 x 4.8 inches) and a total weight of a considerable 342 grams (~12.1 ounces), the tablet is still handy but nevertheless quite heavy. Additionally the HP Slate 7 Plus is 10.7 mm thick (~0.42 inches). Much of the competition builds significantly thinner and more compact products that weigh less. The Google Nexus 7, for example, weighs only 290 g (~10.2 ounces) at a thickness of 8.65 mm (~0.34 inches) and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 SM-T210 300 g (~10.6 ounces) at 9.9 mm (~0.39).

The user's maintenance and upgrade possibilities are rather limited for the HP Slate 7 Plus. The 15 Wh battery is not interchangeable; the microSD card slot at the top edge represents the only upgrade possibility.

Communication & GPS 

Unlike its predecessor Slate 7, HP equips the Slate 7 Plus with a GPS module. NFC and LTE are obviously - considering the price - not on-board. Additionally WLAN 802.11 b/g/n as well as the current Bluetooth 4.0 are supported.

In the practical test, all wireless modules worked impeccably although tablets like the Google Nexus 7 or the Apple iPad Mini Retina show a better reception in the testing environment.

In our navigation test, in which the HP Slate 7 Plus competed against the Garmin Edge 500, the GPS module revealed considerable weaknesses. The device shortens the actual route by one kilometer because of inaccurate position information. Therefore, the test sample only suffices to a limited extent for navigation. It is more suitable for streets than for open country.

Cameras & Multimedia

The webcam has 0.3 megapixels and records in the VGA format 640x480 pixels. It barely suffices for video telephony and is identical to that of the predecessor HP Slate 7. The main camera at the back side now has an up-to-date resolution of 5 megapixels (2592x1944 pixels) and offers autofocus. Videos are recorded in 720p.

Due to its poor resolution, low sharpness and strong image noise, the quality of the front camera is completely unacceptable. The main camera performs much better. Although the pictures display low contrast and sharpness as well as faint colors, the camera module suffices for occasional snapshots - given an optimal light coverage.

In comparison to the camera modules of the iPad Mini Retina or the reference camera Nikon D3100, the module of the HP Slate 7 Plus is by far inferior.

The 7-inch IPS LC display of the HP Slate 7 Plus has a sufficient resolution of 1280x800 pixels. 64 pixels are lost to the ever-present soft touch keys. The Asus Memo Pad HD 7 offers the same resolution while the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 SM-T210 and the Palit Galapad 7 have to get by with only 1024x600 pixels. The Google Nexus 7 even comes with an impressive 1920x1200 pixels.

With a maximum brightness of 434 cd/m² and an average value of 408.4 cd/m², the display of the HP Slate 7 Plus proves to be very bright. Thus, it positions itself in the upper third of its range. The test sample shines brighter than the Palit Galapad 7 with 331.6 cd/m² and the Asus Memo Pad HD 7 with 332.1 cd/m² and comes very close to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 SM-T210 with its 426.6 cd/m². However, the test device comes nowhere near the immense brightness of the Google Nexus 7 with 513.4 cd/m². The illumination, at 88 percent, is at a good level.

Due to its high luminance, the HP Slate 7 Plus is able to score further during outdoor use. When the sun is not shining directly onto the glass surface of the tablet the display content is very well recognizable. Under direct sunlight, however, heavy reflections outshine the image content.

Due to the in-plane-switching technology (IPS), the LC display offers very high viewing angle stability. Despite the low price range, the HP Slate 7 Plus is able to score greatly. It is only at impractical viewing angles that the brightness decreases by a little. Solely the IPS Glow, which is typical for this technology, is perceptible for this device for very dark image content but this is unobtrusive during everyday use.

The stereo speakers were placed at the lower back side of the tablet, which means that they are completely covered either by the hands in landscape mode or by the table when put down. This causes the sound to be very dull. In addition to that, both speakers were positioned too close to each other with the result that real stereo sound cannot be developed.

Overall, the sound suffers from low volume and overemphasized treble. Bass is also barely existent. The sound of decent headphones via the jack, however, is immaculate and that at a high maximum volume.

Does the performance of the HP Slate 7 Plus suffice for one of the top ranks in our list? Sadly, despite many positive aspects, not quite.

On the plus side is the bright, viewing angle stable 7-inch IPS display whose resolution is at 1280x800 pixels sufficiently high. In addition to that, it comes with an image representation that is sharp and rich in contrast. Furthermore, the still powerful Tegra 3 SoC offers an appealing level of performance in all situations. Moreover, the tablet has, with Android 4.2.2, a relatively modern operating system on-board.

The ill-conceived position of the buttons and of the speakers is less appealing. The mediocre workmanship and the high total weight are also negative points. Furthermore, the HP Slate 7 Plus offers really lousy camera modules for a multimedia tablet. Due to its inaccurate GPS tracking, the test sample is also ruled out as a satnav replacement - at least in the open country.

Nevertheless, the HP Slate 7 Plus has quite a lot to offer for 149 Euros (~$205, RRP) and represents a solid choice in the entry-level range. Currently you even receive an additional protective case for this price in the HP store. Those who are willing to invest 70 Euros (~$96) more for the Google Nexus 7, however, receive the far better tablet.