Asus MeMo Pad HD 7: Standing out in its simplicity

SINGAPORE — In the world of tablets, Taiwanese brand Asus stands tall. After all, it is the company that built the award-winning Nexus 7 — both the first and the second generation.

Even without the backing of Google, its impressive track record continues in the Asus MeMo Pad HD 7 tablet. Standing out from the pack in the most unassuming way, it does not try to be anything more than a well-designed, handy device.

Announced at Computex in June and launched here last week, it boasts a quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM for optimum performance and has a 1,280x800 high-definition 7-inch IPS display with a 178° wide viewing angle. It comes in four vibrant colours: Pearl white, vivid pink, lime green and charcoal grey.

At only 302g, it will not weigh you down whether you are playing a game or watching a movie on the train, or reading an e-book in bed.

No superlative descriptions here: Apps on the tablet are responsive but not blindingly fast. Videos and photos look vivid and sharp enough but are not enough to wow you. Even with Amazon’s Kindle app, e-books are hardly close to e-ink quality, yet I could read for hours under the dim light of my bedroom without my eyes getting tired.

It comes with 16GB of internal storage and, if that is not enough, has a microSD slot that can expand its capacity. The tablet also has an additional 16GB of online WebStorage that is free for a year.

Running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the device offers the latest Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and a 3,950mAh battery that lasts all day — it is touted to run 10 hours on the spec sheet — on its Smart Saving technology.

A front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera that can record videos at 720p HD resolution and a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 1080p video round up the device’s capabilities.

A slew of Asus apps such as Asus Artist, Asus Story, Asus Studio and Asus To-Do help to organise photos, paint or design your own greeting cards or organise a to-do list.

All in all, the MeMo Pad HD 7 tablet works well and has a sturdy build. It fits snugly in my hand and offers a comfortable viewing screen for videos or reading even under direct sunlight.

Its audio is a little nasal but not unexpected from a minuscule tablet. At only S$249, it is an affordable entertainment or work companion to have on your daily commute.