Introduction and features
When the iPad came on the scene five years ago it heralded the arrival of a radical new form factor with apparently limitless potential; it was widely assumed that tablets were the future of computing, supplanting both the desktop computer and laptops.
With the benefit of hindsight, those predictions look a little overblown. In the years since only one constant has emerged: form factor. Tablets come in two sizes, big and small, with the big ones now getting bigger (and going 'pro').
Of the smaller kind, Android slates are by far the most numerous, and prices are falling steadily. This cost cutting is driven by a growing problem: market saturation. Now that every man and his dog has a tablet, manufacturers are increasingly seeking out unexploited niches.
Which brings us to the Alba 7-inch Android tablet, a rebranded Archos model sold by Argos and pitched unashamedly at the budget end of the market.
Shipped with two silicone protective cases complete with idiot-proof reinforced corners, and strong parental controls, this is a sub-£50 tablet that's being positioned as a stocking filler for the kids. Yet with more and more tablets appearing at this price point, the Alba faces plenty of competition.
For around the same outlay the cash-conscious consumer can get their hands on the likes of the Amazon Fire 7, in addition to a slew of Windows tablets. With each of these offerings bringing something different to the table, can the Alba 7 find a niche of its own?
Design
Unfortunately for those who love a bargain, stunning examples of design are rarely found below the £200 mark, and the Alba 7 is no exception. Like the Amazon Fire 7, the device is clad in a moderately grippy matte plastic, and exudes a distinct lack of je ne sais quois.
For less than the cost of a night out however, the main aim design-wise is to not cause offence rather than to impress, and by that metric the Alba is a resounding success.
On the top of the tablet is the 3.5mm headphone jack, along with a micro USB port for charging and data transfer via a computer. There's also small slot for resetting the device with a needle.
The left side of the device is bare aside from a carefully hidden MicroSD card slot, and the volume rocker and the power button are on the right side.
Things get a little more interesting when it comes to the rear, which is home to the main speaker, certification information, some tasteful Alba branding and the device's main camera, which has a lowly 1.9MP resolution.
Usefully, especially for those for whom this is their first tablet, each port and button on the device has a corresponding label on the rear, making navigation relatively pain-free.
The front of the device is a fuss-free affair, containing the 1024 x 600 IPS LCD screen and the 1.9MP selfie cam.
All in all the Alba 7 tablet makes a reasonable first impression, but this is undermined somewhat when you start to handle the device. Whereas the Amazon Fire 7 felt solidly built, the Alba feels hollow and somewhat flimsy, with the rear material bending noticeably under pressure.
The screen also doesn't feel as reassuringly strong as it might, due in no small part to the lack of a proper Gorilla Glass coating. Both the rear and the screen have a tendency to pick up fingerprints like they're going out of style, while the front panel also lacks the pleasant 'oleophobic' treatment found in more expensive efforts.
This issues can be mostly mitigated, however, by slipping the Alba 7 into a silicone case, two of which are included as standard with the device. I found the case had a pleasantly cool feel under the skin, with the thick corners feeling like they could stand up to a bit of rough and tumble.
Even with the addition of a case, though, the budget trappings of the Alba tablet are all too evident, which isn't that surprising given that the device is manufactured by Archos. Better value design is available for a similar price, not least in the Asus MemoPad 7.
Performance and battery
As recently as 2012, picking up almost any budget 'smart' device was something of a risky proposition. At that point both the smartphone and tablet markets had yet to reach saturation, and targeting those consumers hanging warily onto feature phones was still a viable proposition.
This resulted in a slew of poor devices that compromised on specifications and failed to deliver any significant innovation. In particular, screens – that component by which modern devices live and die –were especially poor.
The tablet sector remained mostly stagnant until the introduction of the first Moto G, which brought 720p to the masses. Since that point, screens have improved consistently.
Against this, the Alba 7 is something of an exception. The sub-£50 price category in which it sits is still somewhat new, and what is deemed 'acceptable' at this price point is yet to be defined – although the target audience of first-time users tends to be fairly undemanding.
This means the screen technology of three years ago is being hauled out once more, and how the market responds will help decide how the evolution of devices in this price bracket progresses.
The Alba 7 is equipped with a 1024 x 600 IPS LCD screen, 1.9MP front and rear cameras, a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek mtk8127 processor and 1GB of RAM. Based on those specifications, my expectations for performance were not astronomical.
Geekbench 3 testing did little to raise my hopes. The device achieved a single-core score of 351, beating the Asus Nexus 7 (2012), which runs a Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, and managed a multi-core score of 1168, just beating the Moto G (2013), which runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400.
This slightly underwhelming performance was also evident in everyday use. Swiping through the operating system with several apps installed, and while the device was pulling in email, was generally a sluggish affair.
Using the Google keyboard was also frustrating, with the poor sensitivity of the screen combining with the laggy response times to make for a generally sluggish experience.
As for the screen, I found it to be quite underwhelming. At 1024 x 600 pixels and 160ppi, watching iPlayer was a generally OK experience, and certainly fine in a pinch. When reading fine text, however, letters displayed unpleasant jagged edges that, once noticed, could not be un-noticed.
For those coming from the likes of a feature phone, or those for whom this is their first tablet, it likely won't be a problem; but for those used to a little more in the way of screen quality the Alba 7 leaves a lot to be desired.
The excessive pixellation is not the only problem with the display. I found that the panel on the Alba 7, despite being IPS, had very poor viewing angles, with colours turning milky at almost any angle. A very weak backlight and poor anti-glare efforts only serve to make things worse.
The software picture on the Alba 7 is somewhat better, with Argos thankfully resisting the intention to install a great deal of bloatware.
When setting up the device users are asked if they wish to install a few apps: the Argos app, Angry Birds and a few 'free games'. Declining these makes for a blessedly clean device upon first launch, stock Android almost always being preferable to manufacturer skins.
The only real customisation made by Argos is in the child-friendliness department. If the option to install Argos-approved apps is taken up, the user is given access to a full suite of user controls, giving parents a good deal of influence over their child's consumption habits.
Just 8GB of storage is included internally, but this can easily be supplemented with a microSD card.
Overall, for the price, the Alba 7 is adequate performer. For some tasks, such as checking email, it's perfectly sufficient, but if it's called on to do anything more demanding, significant levels of lag creep in.
Battery life
With more internal space than phones, tablets tend to pack a bigger battery, so even the worst tablets usually manage to outlast most handsets.
But not every tablet is equal in the battery stakes, and the Alba 7 is something of a mixed bag. With its dim low-resolution display and a less power-hungry processor than most, the potential to impress is there, but this promise isn't borne out in everyday use.
Over the course of a regular day – reading during a half-hour commute, browsing the web on Wi-Fi for about 20 minutes and watching a downloaded show on iPlayer, I generally found I had around 50% battery life left by the time I got home, and this dropped to around 20% by bedtime.
On other days, however, the battery could drop quite significantly when streaming a TV show, and without warning. Downloading a programme and watching it offline alleviated this somewhat, but better battery performance would be preferable.
Gaming is a huge drain on any tablet battery, and I didn't have especially high hopes for the Alba 7 in this regard. As I'd anticipated, the battery tends to plummet even during a quick session of Crossy Road – this isn't a device for those who like to play games for hours at a time.
For the average user this kind of battery performance is about acceptable, and it's certainly sufficient for kids gaming in the car or on a plane. However, older users who are new to 'smart' devices may be a little underwhelmed – using the device as an ereader, for example, caused battery life to drop significantly.
Camera, media and gaming
Tablets do not make good photographic devices. The measly sensors packed into tablets – and especially into budget efforts – virtually guarantee disappointment, and the two 1.9MP cameras in the Alba 7 certainly won't be causing any paradigm shifts.
The camera app itself is sensibly designed for the most part. On the right are the gallery and the extended settings menu. The HDR and camera toggles are at the top, and at the bottom is an arrow which gives quick access to white balance and exposure controls, a scene mode selector and a selection of filters.
On the left are options for panorama mode, a 'Face Beauty' mode (which has predictably terrifying results) and a 'switch to photo' mode, along with the shutter/video capture button.
On any other device, this level of control would be something to brag about, yet when paired with the poor sensors, it's next to meaningless.
To begin with, both sensors have exceptionally slow autofocus speeds, and the inability to quickly achieve focus soon becomes frustrating. And it gets worse.
Colours are completely washed out, dynamic range is non-existent, detail is lost in a vast smudge and the lack of effective focusing means most shots are poor to begin with.
These cameras are okay for the odd grainy selfie, and for emergency Skype sessions, but anyone expecting even a modicum of quality will be severely disappointed.
Music
Most tablets are purchased with media consumption in mind – they're the devices on which many people are increasingly choosing to watch their favourite shows and listen to music, via the likes of Netflix and Spotify.
Indeed, audio quality is increasingly becoming an area of focus for manufacturers. Good speakers and audio codec support are now expected as standard, and woe betide those who fall behind.
When it comes to listening to music the Alba 7 tablet is something of a mixed bag. Using a music subscription service such as Spotify, with the quality set to the highest level and – crucially – with a decent set of headphones plugged in, the sound was perfectly pleasant.
So too was FLAC file playback, although more demanding audiophiles will likely find bones to pick. Given the focus on stock Android, the Alba 7 lacks a 'normal' music app, so users will have to download one of their choice or make do with Google Play Music.
As for the speakers, given that they're rear-firing, my expectations weren't high to begin with. Sure enough the sound they produced is weak – it's barely audible over the din of a shower, with negligible bass, and becomes tinny at high volumes.
For the odd gaming session, or watching TV in a quiet room, the speakers will likely suffice, but for anything else the use of earphones is highly recommended.
Movies
Watching video content on the Alba 7 is, again, something of a varied experience. With a poor screen and unimpressive speakers, this tablet is never going to replace your TV, or even your laptop.
For the daily commute, though it's perfectly fine – while the screen brightness and poor viewing angles may make viewing in crowded or brightly lit situations difficult, it'll suffice if you just want to shut yourself off from fellow bus or train passengers.
Gaming
It's a similar story with gaming. As might be expected from any recent Android device, it handles undemanding popular titles such as Crossy Road and Pac Man with relative ease.
Try anything more intensive, however, and the picture changes significantly. When I fired up Dead Trigger 2 I was greeted by very long loading times, and I experienced a significant degree of lag during play.
Moreover, the lack of a proper fingerprint-resistant coating on the screen reduced my ability to actually move within the title, making the already imprecise controls even worse.
This pattern was repeated with Temple Run 2, a title that's around mid-range in terms of its requirements. The slower initial stages were playable, however anything faster became impossible to work with.
For those serious about their mobile gaming, this tablet simply isn't up to it. However, as with watching video, it'll do just fine for killing time on the commute.
Camera samples
Click here to see the full-resolution image
Click here to see the full-resolution image
Click here to see the full-resolution image
Click here to see the full-resolution image
Click here to see the full-resolution image
Verdict
In an increasingly crowded budget market it's difficult to produce a tablet that stands out from the crowd while keeping costs down.
And while the Alba 7 ticks the low-cost box, it's a mixed bag when it comes to features and performance.
We liked
With two tough silicone cases and parental controls included as standard, the Alba 7 has great kid-proof credentials. And at £49.99 a pop, replacing the device should it be mistaken for a bath toy is a fairly pain-free affair.
The stock software experience on offer is a refreshing change, enabling the user to easily customise the device to their liking, and sticking with Google's various services is always a recipe for success.
Battery life is also generally decent, allowing for around a full day of light-to-moderate use.
We disliked
Although the tablet is touted as kid-friendly, the design is worryingly creaky, with a fair bit of flex on the back.
The screen is exceptionally poor. With bad viewing angles, low resolution, minimal brightness and uneven backlighting, it's hardly ideal for doing two of the main things many people buy a tablet for: gaming and watching movies.
The processor is also easily tripped up, offering sub-par performance in most situations. Whether it's swiping through the OS or running games that are even vaguely challenging, the MediaTek effort isn't up to scratch.
Final verdict
Scoring a tablet at this price point is always a difficult affair. As electronics become more and more disposable, notions of what constitutes good value need to be adjusted. Is it churlish to moan about sub-HD screen resolution on a device that's about the price of a meal for two?
For the target market chosen by Argos – those looking for a stocking filler for a child or a first-time tablet owner – the Alba 7 is a decent proposition. It's reasonably rugged with the case fitted, and will likely make long car journeys with the sprogs a bit more tolerable.
That's about all though. With a bad screen, an anaemic processor, unreliable battery life, awful cameras and tinny speakers, the Alba 7 feels every inch the budget offering that it is.
And with the likes of Amazon starting to produce some decent devices at this level, such as the Amazon Fire 6, meekly accepting poor build and performance is no longer mandatory. With Windows tablets also beginning to mature, and often available at only a slightly higher price, the Alba 7 becomes an even more difficult sell.
It's one thing that you can buy a tablet for £50 – the question becomes whether you should buy a tablet for £50. If your answer to that is an unequivocal 'yes', then the Alba will likely meet your meagre needs. If you have even a moment of hesitation however, then save your pennies.
First reviewed: November 2015
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1UAWRBI
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