Form over function, quantity over quality. These two trade-offs have often been presented as the most common predicaments for both ma...
Form
over function, quantity over quality. These two trade-offs have often
been presented as the most common predicaments for both manufacturers
and consumers alike. Can you really have more by spending less? Or
does design come first over a device's feature set and performance?
This, in a personal standpoint, is what Ekotek seeks to solve. And
today, I have the pleasure of putting one of their devices to the
test to see if my beliefs about the brand hold true. Meet the Ekotek
Ekotab Encore 3G – a 7-inch quad-core tablet that comes with 3G
connectivity and a classy design.
Specifications:
OS: Android
4.4 Kitkat
Chipset: MT8382
Quad core Cortex A7 1.3GHz Processor
Display: 7"
5-point IPS capacitive touch screen (1024*600 pixels, 16:9) Display
Memory: 1GB
RAM
Storage: 8GB
ROM expandable via microSD card slot
Camera: 2.0MP
front / 5.0MP Rear camera
Battery: 2500mAH
Li-Polymer rechargeable battery
Connectivity: 3G/2G;
WiFi; GPS and Bluetooth
Price: Php3,999
(promotional offer: add Php100 for 8GB microSD, Php300 for Ekophone
Atlas, Php350 for both)
Unboxing
and Inclusions
The
Ekotek Ekotab Encore 3G is presented in a neat, colorful packaging.
It's an eye-catcher starting from the box itself, and it stands out
among other tablets presented in the country if I do say so myself.
On the flipside are the specifications as well as a short description
of the Encore 3G to inform perusing consumers about the product.
Prop
it up and you'll be greeted with the Encore 3G itself protected in
plastic, sitting nicely in its own platform. Taking that out will
produce the inclusions that come standard with tablets nowadays.
There's a 1.5A wall charger, a microUSB cable, and a USB OTG cable
for your flash drives and other peripherals.
But
what I'm really pleased to see here are the other inclusions that
serve as a nice addition in the bundle – there's a pamphlet
cardboard with Ekotek's promise with its devices, informing its
buyers about the devices they sell as well as the after-sales service
they provide. It's a really nice touch as it allows buyers to rest
assured that the company's service will be easy to reach should
anything happen. Another thing, while user manuals usually come
standard, Ekotek steps up its game by incorporating its tasteful
design into it. Oh, and there are cute stickers, too. It's the
little things that make it sweet, nice.
However,
it would have been better if Ekotek included a headset in the
package. As to why they didn't, we're not really sure. This may be to reach the price-point or whatnot, but having one included would have been great
as it is, after all, one of the essentials that come standard in
handsets. But props for adding a layer of protection up top the
display. It's barely noticeable that it would seem like there's none.
Build
Quality and Design
The
Encore 3G features a straightforward and clean design. It's very neat
to look at, actually. There's not much going on the front side save
for the front facing camera, the earpiece and the mic down south, but the back side is
where it's at. Ekotek's logo sits nicely at the middle, and a couple
of details are printed under it.
The
volume rocker and the power button sit at the right side, while the audio jack
and microUSB port are up top. To access the SIM card slot and the
microSD card slot, you'll have to pry the wide cover at the top.
As
far as durability goes, you'll be pleased to know that the Encore 3G
is pretty solid. It can take a beating from a kid, so this could come
in handy if you want to play educational apps with games with one. It
also has a nice feel in the hand all thanks to its curved edges and
matte finish.
Display
The Encore 3G features a 7-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1024 x
600. Viewing angles are nicer compared to other tablets in the same
price range, and color output is decent. Texts, however, appear
somewhat muddled from the app drawer due to its resolution. However, the Encore 3G does provide a sweet experience whenever you're watching TV shows
and movies, or when you're reading an E-Book.
Software
and User-Interface
The Encore 3G still runs Android 4.4 KitKat, and again, it's as stock as it can get save for a little tweak on the boot animation and wallpaper. Moving forward, Ekotek didn't tweak the user-interface too much. It's
a good thing actually, as stock Android UI is usually the way to go
for most people. Ekotek did however add two documentation apps and a
book reader app, namely Documents To Go, Kingsoft Office and Aldiko.
As to why they included Documents To Go, an app that requires
registration, is beyond me.
Another thing – it doesn't come with most of the Google apps such
as Play Movies, Play Music, and Google Now, but it only poses as a very small problem even for one that's heavily invested in Google's services as
it can be quickly remedied with a fast download from the Play Store.
But what really comes off as a welcomed feature here is the inclusion
of a Permission Control – a feature that has just come standard in
Marshmallow. It will notify you of any app that tries to access
several of the Encore 3G's features such as calls, camera, microphone
SMS, contacts and so forth. It's a great addition, even more so if
you're OC about privacy.
Performance
The beauty of Android tablets is using it for multimedia consumption, but
we've also ran a couple of benchmark tests and a few games with 2D
graphics to hardcore intense apps, as well as productivity and
entertainment apps for your convenience.
Running games such as Clash of Clans, Plants vs Zombies, Candy Crush,
and other casual games are easy enough for the Encore 3G. Heck, you
can move up a ladder with Implosion, Need For Speed: No Limits, and
Chaos Rings III. There are some, very occasional performance hiccups
in these 3D games, but playable is what we're aiming for here. The
problem however is the limited amount of storage you'll be getting as
you'll only have around 4.6GB of it. No worries about it though,
since you can easily solve that with a microSD card.
For playing movies, we really recommend you download VLC or MX Player
as Google's onboard video player isn't as well rounded as we deemed
it to be. (Point was proven years back with stock Android Kitkat)
Needless to say, it can play 1080p videos without a hitch. But then
again, you can resort to at least 720p videos since you're only
working with a WSVGA panel, and hey, you save more storage space too.
Camera
The camera, well, both of it, aren't the strongest points of the
Encore 3G. It's the same in almost all of the tablets in its price
range, actually. It's standard at best, but it's functional enough to
be used for video messaging, selfies or using it as a mirror. Check
out the sample shots:
 |
| Close-up shot |
 | ||
The great outdoors shot
|
 |
| Shot from the front-facing camera |
Telephony and Network
The Encore 3G, as mentioned before, has a dual SIM slot so you can use it as a phone if you wish. Reception in my place is kind of spotty - most times, I have to leave my handsets in a sweet spot where it will have at least a stable connection. To my surprise, the Encore 3G had great network reception that I switched to it upon learning.
And again, you can make calls with it. The voice from the other line is clear enough, and there were no complaints from the caller as well. However, should you want to use it as a phone, I would really recommend a headset - it's just too darn difficult to make and take calls if you're planning to use this on your commute.
Battery
Life
2,500mAh of juice powering up a 7-inch quad-core handset with 3G
connectivity would seem lacking at face value. However, during our
tests, it managed to last a day and over of mixed to regular usage.
Browsing, a couple of games here and there, testing the camera and so
forth. Of course, it did have it on standby from time to time as
well.
Should emergencies arise, always have your power banks ready. Even
devices with a 4,000mAh battery run out of juice. It just depends on
how you use your devices. Ekotek also offers power banks in the market, and we're hoping to try one soon enough to see if it could work as a great compliment to the Encore 3G.
Verdict
Pros:
Solid build and classy design
3G coverage is awesome
Dual SIM
Close to stock UI
Presentation of inclusions
Lengthy battery life despite its rating
Capable performance
Cons:
Display needs improvement
Needs a headset thrown in the bundle
Camera is standard at best
Ekotek's Ekotab Encore 3G is, to put it simply, superb. I went in on
this expecting that it can perform what I want it to do - I read a
lot of books, surf the net, and play games on the platform from time
to time. In my tests and personal experience, I'm very pleased with
how it managed to serve me. I tried oto use it as my daily driver for
a week – I took calls with it, responded to emails, used it as a
video player and an E-Book reader when paperback was out of the
question. Needless to say that they were met. Can it work as a go-to,
primary device? Not really for everyone– it's a secondary device
for those that already have their high-end smartphones, but I'd dare
say it's a capable go-getter for anyone looking for a well-rounded
3G-enabled tablet at a price-point that won't break the bank.
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