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TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 Tablet Review

A big and disappointing beast. The TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 is a giant Android tablet. The device has a 15.6-inch display, stereo speakers and numerous connections, so nothing should stand in its way of being a capable multimedia tablet. Read on to find out how well the Theatre L15 performs in our tests and how it fares against its competitors.
TrekStor SurfTab Theatre L15

Why go small, when you can go big? This is probably what German manufacturer TrekStor asked when designing its Surftab Theatre series, which all have huge displays by tablet standards. The focus of this review is the Surftab Theatre L15, which has a 15.6-inch IPS panel that operates natively at 1080p. Interestingly, TrekStor has equipped the tablet with just a 4,800 mAh battery, which is comparatively small for a device with such a large screen. The L15 can recharge at 7.4 V though, so it may not take long to reach 100% battery capacity again at least.

TrekStor has equipped the L15 with a MediaTek MT8163 V/A SoC, which integrates an ARM Mali-T720 MP2 GPU. The entry-level chip is complemented by 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage. There is also a 2 MP front-facing camera for making video calls or for taking selfies.

Finding a direct competitor to the L15 proved difficult as many tablets have much smaller displays than our review unit. Hence, we have chosen to compare the TrekStor tablet against tablets with 10- and 11-inch displays instead. Our comparison devices will include the Alldocube X, Chuwi Hi9 Plus, Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro, and the Lenovo Tab M10.

Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15 (Surftab Series)
Processor
MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz 4 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, Capacitive 10-point multitouch touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 25 GB free
Connections
3 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: up to 32 GB microSD cards (HC/XC), Sensors: Accelerometer, Miracast
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21.7 x 379 x 243 ( = 0.85 x 14.92 x 9.57 in)
Battery
35.52 Wh, 4800 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Secondary Camera: 2 MPix Camera2 API Level: Legacy
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo speakers, Keyboard: Virtual, Charger (100V - 240V), cleaning cloth, quick start guide, safety instructions, legal information, TrekStar UI, 24 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
1.605 kg ( = 56.61 oz / 3.54 pounds), Power Supply: 171 g ( = 6.03 oz / 0.38 pounds)
Price
300 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Theatre L15 is only available in black and is made largely from plastic. The tablet has comparatively thick bezels by 2019 standards and only has a 73% screen-to-body ratio. Our review unit is thick and heavy too at 21.7 mm and 1.6 kg, respectively, which makes it too bulky to hold comfortably in our hands for a prolonged period. Thankfully, TrekStor has included a fold-out stand that can open to a maximum angle of around 80°.

Our test device is relatively well-built considering its size, the materials used and its price, but we can twist it without much force. Moreover, applying pressure to the front of the device causes the display to deform. In short, the L15 has acceptable build quality, but it will not win any awards.

The power and volume buttons sit firmly in their apertures at the back of the case. Both buttons hardly wobble, although we found them difficult to reach in daily use.

TrekStor SurfTab Theatre L15
TrekStor SurfTab Theatre L15
TrekStor SurfTab Theatre L15

Size Comparison

379 mm / 14.9 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 21.7 mm / 0.854 inch 1.6 kg3.54 lbs266 mm / 10.5 inch 177 mm / 6.97 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 550 g1.213 lbs258.7 mm / 10.2 inch 171.8 mm / 6.76 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 498 g1.098 lbs243.68 mm / 9.59 inch 173.14 mm / 6.82 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 496 g1.093 lbs242 mm / 9.53 inch 168 mm / 6.61 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 480 g1.058 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The L15 has 32 GB of eMMC flash storage, of which 25 GB is available. This is rather limited by today’s standards, but you can expand the available storage with a microSD card. Our review unit cannot read the exFAT file system, which limits it to being able to only read up to 4 GB files. You could also connect a USB stick via the L15’s three USB 2.0 Type-A ports, as you could do with other peripherals like a keyboard and mouse. Please keep in mind that the L15 lacks either a micro USB or USB Type-C port and charges using a proprietary barrel power connector.

TrekStor has also equipped the tablet with a Mini-HDMI port, a memory card reader and a 3.5 mm jack. You can either use the Mini-HDMI port to output audio and video to an external monitor or use Miracast to wirelessly cast the screen to a TV or monitor that supports such technology.

However, the L15 has only L3 DRM Widevine certification, which means that it is unable to stream HD content on services like Amazon Prime or Netflix. Devices require L1 certification to be able to do so, and it is not something that manufacturers can roll-out in an update. Hence, you will not be able to make use of the L15’s 1080p resolution with most streaming services.

Software

The L15 ships with Android 8.1 Oreo at the time of writing, which looks and feels much like stock Android. TrekStor has installed its own launcher among other subtle changes, but it should not take most people long to acclimatise to operating the L15 if they have previously used Android. TrekStor has preinstalled hardly any bloatware, which is always welcome.

Our review unit arrived with August 2018 security patches installed though, which were around five months old at the time of testing. TrekStor has not announced any upgrade schedule for the L15, so we would not hold our breath on the company updating the tablet to Android 9.0 Pie or beyond.

Settings
Settings
Default home screen
Default home screen
Quick Settings
Quick Settings
Default app drawer
Default app drawer

Communication

The L15 has comparatively poor near-field and Internet connectivity. The tablet supports Bluetooth 4.0, which is now outdated and does not have GPS or LTE connectivity. Likewise, the L15 supports up to IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi and can connect to 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz networks, but there is no support for the faster 802.11ac standard. Correspondingly, our review unit finished bottom of our iperf3 Client comparison tables and averaged around 93 Mb/s in the two tests that we conducted. By contrast, all our comparison devices achieved almost 200 Mb/s or faster in the same tests, so the L15 offers worse value for money in this regard. Moreover, our review unit only achieved -49 dBm attenuation when sat next to our Linksys EA 8500 reference router, which is disappointingly weak.

We also tested the call quality of our review unit using Skype as we suspect that many people will use the L15 for video calls. The built-in microphone worked well during our tests with our call partner remarking that they could hear our voice clearly. However, the L15’s speakers distorted our call partner’s voice and made it sound unnatural, which makes the L15 a poor fit for those who make and receive plenty of video calls.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo Tab M10
Adreno 506, SD 450, 16 GB eMMC Flash
284 (246min - 313max) MBit/s +207%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
Mali-T880 MP4, MT6797X, 64 GB eMMC Flash
248 (114min - 278max) MBit/s +168%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
238 MBit/s +157%
Alldocube Alldocube X
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
238 MBit/s +157%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
Mali-T720 MP2, MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz, 32 GB eMMC Flash
92.5 (85min - 103max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Alldocube Alldocube X
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
254 MBit/s +169%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
236 MBit/s +150%
Lenovo Tab M10
Adreno 506, SD 450, 16 GB eMMC Flash
207 (98min - 220max) MBit/s +120%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
Mali-T880 MP4, MT6797X, 64 GB eMMC Flash
197 (191min - 201max) MBit/s +109%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
Mali-T720 MP2, MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz, 32 GB eMMC Flash
94.3 (55min - 104max) MBit/s
0102030405060708090100Tooltip
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø94.3 (55-104)
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø92.4 (85-103)

Camera

Photo taken with the 2 MP front-facing camera
Photo taken with the 2 MP front-facing camera
Taking a photo using the default camera app
Taking a photo using the default camera app

The L15 has a single 2 MP front-facing camera that can take pictures at up to 1600x1200 in a 4:3 aspect ratio. TrekStor does not provide any detailed information about the camera sensor that it has equipped the L15 with, but it is only good enough for making occasional video calls. The sensor can record videos in up to 1080p too, but the image quality is poor, as demonstrated by our photos here on the right.

Accessories & Warranty

The L15 comes with a 36 W DC power supply (12 V/3 A), a cleaning cloth and some documentation including legal information, a quick-start guide and safety instructions.

The tablet comes with 24 months manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

The L15 has a 10-point multitouch capacitive touchscreen that remains accurate into the corners of the display and is protected by glass that feels smooth to the touch. Unfortunately, we noticed that our review unit sometimes took longer than we would have liked to reproduce our inputs and even inaccurately did so on some occasions. We suspect that TrekStor, or whoever manufactured the panel, did not affix the touchscreen to the display glass as most OEMs do and left a small air gap between the two components. Hence, this gap sometimes interferes with the tablet’s ability to reproduce inputs accurately.

TrekStor has not included any biometric authentication functionality like a fingerprint sensor, but you can still use a password, pattern or PIN to secure the tablet. The L15 also uses the standard three navigation buttons, which are arranged from left to right as Back, Home and Recents like many other Android devices. TrekStor has preinstalled Google Gboard as the default keyboard, which functions just as well as it does on other devices that we tested, except for the touchscreen issue that we described. You can install a different keyboard from places like the Google Play Store too if you are not a fan of Google Gboard.

Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The L15 has a 15.6-inch IPS display that operates natively at 1920x1080 and with a pixel density of 141 PPI. The screen should look sharp enough for most people, but we can discern individual pixels with elements of the UI like digits and letters. Many of our comparison devices have higher resolution displays, but this is only useful for when you hold a device relatively close to your face, which we suspect most people will not do with the L15.

Our review unit achieves an average maximum luminosity of 206 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which is noticeably darker than the displays in our comparison devices. Moreover, the screen is only 82% evenly lit, which means that large areas of the same colour will not look homogeneous. The more realistic APL50 test yields almost the same results, which demonstrates that the L15 just has a disappointingly dim display. It is also worth noting that the tablet has no ambient light sensor, so it cannot automatically adjust the display brightness to changing lighting conditions. Hence, you must change brightness manually, of which we would expect better from a 300-Euro (~$341) device.

It is uncommon for devices with LCD panels to use pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate display brightness, but the L15 does, which is disappointing. PWM can cause eye strain and headaches for some people, but we measure our review unit flickering at 1 kHz when set to 27% brightness and below, which should be high enough not to cause issues for most people.

229
cd/m²
218
cd/m²
205
cd/m²
200
cd/m²
224
cd/m²
198
cd/m²
187
cd/m²
202
cd/m²
189
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 229 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 205.8 cd/m² Minimum: 9.04 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 224 cd/m²
Contrast: 800:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
65.1% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.15
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Lenovo Tab M10
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Alldocube Alldocube X
AMOLED, 2560x1600, 10.50
Screen
11%
-3%
-20%
22%
Brightness middle
224
308
38%
339
51%
384
71%
297.3
33%
Brightness
206
297
44%
327
59%
360
75%
307
49%
Brightness Distribution
82
92
12%
86
5%
84
2%
83
1%
Black Level *
0.28
0.29
-4%
0.42
-50%
0.8
-186%
Contrast
800
1062
33%
807
1%
480
-40%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.6
6.2
-11%
5.8
-4%
6.83
-22%
6.74
-20%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
20.3
10.5
48%
11.6
43%
12.7
37%
14.42
29%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.8
6.6
-74%
8.6
-126%
7.5
-97%
2.2
42%
Gamma
2.15 102%
2.19 100%
2.16 102%
2.199 100%
2.31 95%
CCT
7239 90%
8216 79%
8718 75%
8544 76%
6719 97%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 1000 Hz ≤ 27 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 27 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1000 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Our mixed impressions about the display continue with its colour accuracy. X-Rite i1Pro 2 measures the display’s black value at a pleasingly low 0.28 cd/m², which rises to a still decent 0.35 cd/m² when tested with APL50. However, the low maximum brightness results in a dissatisfying 800:1 contrast ratio. Moreover, the display’s colour temperature is well above the ideal value of 6,500 K, which makes content look bluer than it should do. Equally, while Delta E deviations are acceptably low, our review unit covers hardly any of the sRGB colour space. In short, the L15’s display left us feeling underwhelmed.

CalMAN: Colour Accuracy – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – sRGB target colour space

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
46.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 28 ms rise
↘ 18.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 99 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
59.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 29.2 ms rise
↘ 30 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. » 95 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The L15 is difficult to use outdoors because of its low maximum brightness, as demonstrated by the photos below. Even brightly lit rooms are a problem for the TrekStor tablet because its low contrast screen can often look washed-out to the point where it is difficult to read what is being displayed onscreen.

Our review unit has stable viewing angles though. We noticed no brightness, colour or image distortions even at acute angles, so you should be able to read the L15 from practically any angle, if you are in a suitably dark room.

Using the TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 inside
Using the TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 inside
Using the TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 outside
Using the TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 outside
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

TrekStor has equipped the L15 with a MediaTek MT8163 V/A SoC that integrates four ARM Cortex-A53 cores that can clock up to 1.5 GHz and an ARM Mali-T720 MP2 GPU. The SoC is complemented by 2 GB RAM, but both components are outdated by today’s standards.

Our review unit has acceptable system performance, but the tablet does not run smoothly, and we regularly experienced prolonged delays when multitasking. Moreover, the L15 finished bottom in all our synthetic benchmark comparison tables and is outperformed by much cheaper tablets. In short, the L15 delivers poor performance for a tablet at this price.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Tablet (745 - 5713, n=15, last 2 years)
2711 Points +275%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1892 Points +162%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1641 Points +127%
Alldocube Alldocube X
1624 Points +125%
Lenovo Tab M10
774 Points +7%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
723 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (549 - 723, n=2)
636 Points -12%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Tablet (1418 - 15310, n=15, last 2 years)
7880 Points +292%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6173 Points +207%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4636 Points +131%
Alldocube Alldocube X
3976 Points +98%
Lenovo Tab M10
3897 Points +94%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
2009 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (1553 - 2009, n=2)
1781 Points -11%
Compute RenderScript Score
Average of class Tablet (2128 - 9945, n=10, last 2 years)
6573 Points +334%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
3685 Points +143%
Alldocube Alldocube X
3419 Points +126%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
1515 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (1121 - 1515, n=2)
1318 Points -13%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score
Alldocube Alldocube X
8356 Points +83%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6830 Points +49%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4922 Points +8%
Lenovo Tab M10
4836 Points +6%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
4576 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz
4576 Points 0%
Work 2.0 performance score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6039 Points +76%
Alldocube Alldocube X
5020 Points +47%
Lenovo Tab M10
4238 Points +24%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4077 Points +19%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
3424 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (3071 - 3489, n=3)
3328 Points -3%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
26634 Points +293%
Alldocube Alldocube X
16891 Points +149%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
14402 Points +112%
Lenovo Tab M10
12726 Points +88%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
6778 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (5761 - 6778, n=3)
6391 Points -6%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
35076 Points +478%
Alldocube Alldocube X
16601 Points +174%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
15682 Points +158%
Lenovo Tab M10
12386 Points +104%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
6067 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (5144 - 6199, n=3)
5803 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
Alldocube Alldocube X
17990 Points +57%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
14456 Points +26%
Lenovo Tab M10
14076 Points +23%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
11472 Points
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
11203 Points -2%
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (8790 - 11472, n=3)
10063 Points -12%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0
Average of class Tablet (507 - 8472, n=19, last 2 years)
2878 Points +1094%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2386 Points +890%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
996 Points +313%
Lenovo Tab M10
804 Points +234%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
241 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (101 - 252, n=3)
198 Points -18%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics
Average of class Tablet (454 - 10759, n=19, last 2 years)
3021 Points +1698%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2392 Points +1324%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
890 Points +430%
Lenovo Tab M10
694 Points +313%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
168 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (81 - 211, n=3)
153.3 Points -9%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics
Average of class Tablet (863 - 4858, n=19, last 2 years)
2901 Points +198%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2366 Points +143%
Lenovo Tab M10
1816 Points +87%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1714 Points +76%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
973 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (774 - 973, n=3)
847 Points -13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited
Average of class Tablet (539 - 17675, n=28, last 2 years)
5681 Points +1981%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2404 Points +781%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1242 Points +355%
Lenovo Tab M10
822 Points +201%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
273 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (233 - 273, n=3)
256 Points -6%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics
Average of class Tablet (485 - 35165, n=28, last 2 years)
8154 Points +3492%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2466 Points +986%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1133 Points +399%
Lenovo Tab M10
712 Points +214%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
227 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (194 - 227, n=3)
213 Points -6%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics
Average of class Tablet (463 - 6449, n=28, last 2 years)
3683 Points +290%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2210 Points +134%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1871 Points +98%
Lenovo Tab M10
1782 Points +89%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
945 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (768 - 945, n=3)
831 Points -12%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (14 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
58.3 fps +430%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
57 fps +418%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
25 fps +127%
Lenovo Tab M10
20 fps +82%
Alldocube Alldocube X
19 fps +73%
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (9.2 - 15, n=3)
11.7 fps +6%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
11 fps
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (15 - 873, n=57, last 2 years)
144.2 fps +1102%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
93 fps +675%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
39 fps +225%
Alldocube Alldocube X
33 fps +175%
Lenovo Tab M10
22 fps +83%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
12 fps
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (9.3 - 12, n=3)
10.4 fps -13%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Average of class Tablet (8.1 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
45 fps +947%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
27 fps +528%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
11 fps +156%
Alldocube Alldocube X
8.9 fps +107%
Lenovo Tab M10
8.8 fps +105%
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (4.3 - 6.9, n=3)
5.2 fps +21%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
4.3 fps
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (7.3 - 494, n=57, last 2 years)
87.3 fps +1930%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
41 fps +853%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
19 fps +342%
Alldocube Alldocube X
16 fps +272%
Lenovo Tab M10
9.2 fps +114%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
4.3 fps
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (3.6 - 4.3, n=3)
4.03 fps -6%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (4.8 - 118.3, n=57, last 2 years)
33.5 fps +1141%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
16 fps +493%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
6.2 fps +130%
Lenovo Tab M10
5.7 fps +111%
Alldocube Alldocube X
5 fps +85%
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (2.7 - 4.9, n=3)
3.47 fps +29%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
2.7 fps
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (5 - 340, n=57, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +2204%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
28 fps +977%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
13 fps +400%
Alldocube Alldocube X
9.9 fps +281%
Lenovo Tab M10
6 fps +131%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
2.6 fps
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (2.2 - 2.6, n=3)
2.47 fps -5%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (3.1 - 94.5, n=57, last 2 years)
21.2 fps
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
9.3 fps
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4 fps
Lenovo Tab M10
3.3 fps
Alldocube Alldocube X
2.9 fps
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
fps
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (2.2 - 214, n=57, last 2 years)
35.8 fps
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
16 fps
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7.2 fps
Alldocube Alldocube X
5.1 fps
Lenovo Tab M10
3.4 fps
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
fps
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (1.9 - 97.3, n=68, last 2 years)
14.8 fps
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
2.4 fps
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (0.9 - 90, n=68, last 2 years)
14 fps
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
2.5 fps
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (3 - 111, n=68, last 2 years)
21.3 fps
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
3.8 fps
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (2.5 - 279, n=68, last 2 years)
37.3 fps
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7.2 fps
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
157445 Points +273%
Lenovo Tab M10
58122 Points +38%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
42179 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (33452 - 42179, n=2)
37816 Points -10%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
175581 Points +264%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
110854 Points +130%
Alldocube Alldocube X
107784 Points +123%
Lenovo Tab M10
70878 Points +47%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
48234 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (39551 - 48234, n=2)
43893 Points -9%
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Average of class Tablet (444 - 8886, n=51, last 2 years)
3569 Points +1530%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2204 Points +906%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1446 Points +560%
Lenovo Tab M10
1138 Points +420%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
219 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (213 - 219, n=2)
216 Points -1%
System
Average of class Tablet (1103 - 14097, n=51, last 2 years)
6449 Points +506%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
3639 Points +242%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
3318 Points +212%
Lenovo Tab M10
2845 Points +167%
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (1064 - 1137, n=2)
1101 Points +3%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
1064 Points
Memory
Average of class Tablet (916 - 8890, n=51, last 2 years)
4229 Points +527%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
3108 Points +361%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
849 Points +26%
Lenovo Tab M10
846 Points +26%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
674 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (595 - 674, n=2)
635 Points -6%
Graphics
Average of class Tablet (580 - 31738, n=51, last 2 years)
6458 Points +1805%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2284 Points +574%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1967 Points +480%
Lenovo Tab M10
949 Points +180%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
339 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (309 - 339, n=2)
324 Points -4%
Web
Average of class Tablet (10 - 1907, n=51, last 2 years)
1196 Points +11860%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
913 Points +9030%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
789 Points +7790%
Lenovo Tab M10
735 Points +7250%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
10 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (10 - 10, n=2)
10 Points 0%

Legend

 
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15 MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Chuwi Hi9 Plus MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X, ARM Mali-T880 MP4, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo Tab M10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Alldocube Alldocube X Mediatek MT8176, PowerVR GX6250, 64 GB eMMC Flash

Perhaps predictably, the L15 scored poorly in synthetic browser benchmarks, which we conducted with Google Chrome. Moreover, webpages generally load slowly and media content takes a while to appear. Scrolling remained largely fluid throughout our tests though, which is good.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Tablet (57.3 - 436, n=6, last 2 years)
143.8 Points +631%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
57 Points +190%
Alldocube Alldocube X (Chrome 71.0.3578.99)
53.6 Points +172%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus (Google Chrome 70)
29.93 Points +52%
Lenovo Tab M10 (Chrome 71.0.3578.99)
22.22 Points +13%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15 (Chrome 72)
19.68 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (16.7 - 19.7, n=2)
18.2 Points -8%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Tablet (2672 - 74614, n=70, last 2 years)
23400 Points +559%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
11854 Points +234%
Alldocube Alldocube X (Chrome 71.0.3578.99)
10377 Points +192%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus (Chrome 70)
6017 Points +69%
Lenovo Tab M10 (Chrome 71.0.3578.99)
3990 Points +12%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15 (Chrome 72)
3550 Points
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (2972 - 3550, n=2)
3261 Points -8%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average MediaTek MT8163 V/A 1.5 GHz (12550 - 15571, n=2)
14061 ms * -12%
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15 (Chrome 72)
12550 ms *
Lenovo Tab M10 (Chrome 71.0.3578.99)
11448 ms * +9%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus (Chrome 70)
7059 ms * +44%
Alldocube Alldocube X (Chrome 71.0.3578.99)
4041 ms * +68%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
3575 ms * +72%
Average of class Tablet (451 - 34733, n=59, last 2 years)
3204 ms * +74%

* ... smaller is better

To make matters worse, TrekStor has also equipped the L15 with slow eMMC flash storage. Our review unit achieved below average transfer speeds in AndroBench 3-5 and again is beaten by considerably cheaper devices. These slow transfer speeds compound the underwhelming system performance and result in long loading times when closing or opening applications.

The microSD card reader is comparatively slow too. Our test device averaged just 37.3 MB/s sequential write and 44.06 MB/s sequential read speeds, which are well below average and most of our comparison devices. All devices fall way short of our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference card’s 270 MB/s write and 150 MB/s read speeds though.

Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15Chuwi Hi9 PlusLenovo Tab M10Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 ProAlldocube Alldocube XAverage 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Tablet
AndroBench 3-5
64%
121%
118%
89%
132%
1197%
Sequential Read 256KB
78.2
145
85%
279.9
258%
278.6
256%
255.4
227%
242 ?(25.8 - 452, n=247)
209%
848 ?(163 - 3414, n=65, last 2 years)
984%
Sequential Write 256KB
59.2
132.5
124%
52.6
-11%
94.1
59%
101.1
71%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
70%
537 ?(78.2 - 2528, n=65, last 2 years)
807%
Random Read 4KB
14.16
42.2
198%
52.5
271%
27.41
94%
14.62
3%
43.2 ?(3.59 - 117.2, n=247)
205%
166.7 ?(18.4 - 451, n=65, last 2 years)
1077%
Random Write 4KB
7.4
13.01
76%
11.32
53%
15.35
107%
11.62
57%
22.4 ?(0.75 - 91, n=247)
203%
149.4 ?(8.23 - 503, n=65, last 2 years)
1919%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
44.06 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
21.16
-52%
83.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
90%
84.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
93%
87.2
98%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
63%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
37.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
20.44
-45%
61.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
64%
73.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
96%
66.1
77%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
42%

Games

The ARM Mali-T720 MP2 is now four years old and can use just two out of its eight possible cores. Correspondingly, graphics performance is low, and it cannot handle complex games like Asphalt 9: Legends. Asphalt Xtreme and PUBG Mobile are playable at reduced graphics, but regular stutters ruin the gaming experience. Hence, the L15 can only play simple or older games comfortably.

The accelerometer and touchscreen worked well during our gaming tests. The L15 is just too big in our opinion to hold during prolonged gaming sessions. Using a controller would make for a better gaming experience though.

Emissions

Temperature

The L15 largely remains cool to the touch under sustained load apart from a hotspot at the centre of its back case, which reached a maximum of 37.4 °C during our tests. The tablet should remain cool in daily use and averaged around 25 °C when idling.

Max. Load
 23.9 °C
75 F
25 °C
77 F
24.5 °C
76 F
 
 25.4 °C
78 F
27 °C
81 F
25.7 °C
78 F
 
 25.9 °C
79 F
27 °C
81 F
26.5 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 27 °C = 81 F
Average: 25.7 °C = 78 F
26.2 °C
79 F
26.3 °C
79 F
23.6 °C
74 F
32.1 °C
90 F
37.4 °C
99 F
26.8 °C
80 F
27.5 °C
82 F
35.1 °C
95 F
34.7 °C
94 F
Maximum: 37.4 °C = 99 F
Average: 30 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.7 °C = 85 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 25.7 °C / 78 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 27 °C / 81 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 37.4 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.5 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load

Speakers

Pink noise speaker test
Pink noise speaker test

The L15 has stereo speakers but they are comparatively quiet and deliver poor audio quality. The speakers in our review unit reached a maximum of 72 dB(A), which is much quieter than the speakers in the Alldocube X. Moreover, audio sounds distorted and tinny even at low volumes, which is disappointing. Likewise, the speakers are dominated by mid frequencies, while bass and high tones are all but absent. In short, the L15 has terrible speakers.

Our review unit reproduced audio clearly via its 3.5 mm headphone jack and over Bluetooth though. Overall, the L15 should not stop high-quality accessories from delivering enjoyable-sounding music.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.636.32528.224.73124.620.2402122.7502831.26327.221.28025.422.410023.620.512519.215.91602020.320016.417.32501726.831516.534.340015.644.350014.348.263012.847.68001456.6100014.663.2125014.263.316001465.6200014.164.8250014.460.6315014.259.3400014.657.3500014.147.7630014.637.1800014.738.41000015.137.21250014.926.1160001518.7SPL26.672.4N0.822.9median 14.6median 44.3Delta0.916.936.536.433.23532.131.332.229.63029.728.929.92929.728.529.928.128.126.52926.133.825.24125.147.724.554.124.259.223.464.823.168.323.370.423.369.522.965.52366.82366.42367.422.971.322.967.122.961.822.860.722.857.722.853.722.747.235.379.12.442.3median 23.1median 60.71.111.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseTrekstor Surftab Theatre L15Alldocube Alldocube X
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.9% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (17.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 12.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (14% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 9.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (14.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (52.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 97% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Alldocube Alldocube X audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (71.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (31.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 87% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 10% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 88% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 9% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

The L15 also has comparatively high power consumption. Our review unit consumed a minimum of 7.21 W at idle, which is higher than the Lenovo Tab M10 consumes under sustained load. Likewise, the L15 consumes a maximum of 15.27 W under load, which is astronomically high for a tablet powered by an entry-level SoC.

Our review unit recharges fully in just over 3 hours with the included charger.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.12 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7.21 / 9.77 / 9.89 Watt
Load midlight 11.72 / 15.27 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
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.
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
4800 mAh
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7000 mAh
Lenovo Tab M10
4850 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
7500 mAh
Alldocube Alldocube X
8000 mAh
Power Consumption
41%
60%
32%
42%
Idle Minimum *
7.21
2.18
70%
0.98
86%
3.3
54%
3.8
47%
Idle Average *
9.77
5.29
46%
4.45
54%
4.2
57%
5.9
40%
Idle Maximum *
9.89
5.37
46%
4.51
54%
7
29%
6.3
36%
Load Average *
11.72
8.56
27%
5.78
51%
10.4
11%
7.4
37%
Load Maximum *
15.27
12.86
16%
7.18
53%
13.8
10%
7.6
50%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The L15 has a 4,800 mAh battery that achieved surprisingly good runtimes in our tests. Our review unit lasted for 9:09 hours in our Wi-Fi battery life test, which is significantly longer than the Alldocube X and is only 22% short of the Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro with its 7,500 mAh battery. We conduct our Wi-Fi battery life test by running a script that simulates the load required to render websites, for reference. We also adjust the display to around 150 cd/m² and turn any power-saving features off.

This section may make for surprising reading given the L15’s high power consumption, but there is a reason for its better than expected battery life. The L15 has a higher voltage battery than those equipped in our comparison devices, so it can correspondingly last longer. However, we suspect that TrekStor could have equipped the tablet with a larger battery considering its huge case.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
9h 9min
Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15
4800 mAh
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7000 mAh
Lenovo Tab M10
4850 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
7500 mAh
Alldocube Alldocube X
8000 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
549
634
15%
580
6%
670
22%
253
-54%

Pros

+ large IPS panel
+ well built

Cons

- slow eMMC flash storage
- underpowered SoC
- slow Wi-Fi
- poor speakers
- limited RAM & ROM
- dark display
- no HD Amazon and Netflix streaming

Verdict

The TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 tablet review. Test device courtesy of TrekStor Germany.
The TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 tablet review. Test device courtesy of TrekStor Germany.

The TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 could have been a good tablet, but it is hard to find any positives on which we could focus. Simply put, the L15 is a mess. Its huge form factor is a unique selling point for an Android tablet, but its poor execution destroys any potential that the L15 had.

The TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 could have been a solid midrange Android tablet. We would recommend looking elsewhere though, as the L15 is underpowered and overpriced.

The L15 is outdated, too expensive and struggles in almost all areas against cheaper competition. Moreover, the display is so dark that we often struggled to use it indoors and the stereo speakers are awful. To make matters worse, the entry-level SoC has incredibly high power consumption, and the tablet only has 2 GB RAM. In short, we would not recommend the TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 to anyone as it gets almost everything wrong.

Trekstor Surftab Theatre L15 - 02/28/2019 v6(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
79%
Keyboard
69 / 80 → 87%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
36 / 65 → 55%
Weight
68 / 40-88 → 58%
Battery
92%
Display
75%
Games Performance
11 / 68 → 16%
Application Performance
34 / 76 → 45%
Temperature
95%
Noise
100%
Audio
63 / 91 → 69%
Camera
23 / 85 → 26%
Average
63%
71%
Tablet - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > TrekStor Surftab Theatre L15 Tablet Review
Marcus Herbrich, 2019-03- 2 (Update: 2019-03- 2)