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Asus ZenPad S 8.0 Review

Rating: 8.0.

In 2013, Asus manufactured the critically acclaimed Google Nexus 7. After a quiet period on the tablet front, Asus are back with a new range of ZenPads – and today we look at the ZenPad S 8.0. The 8.0 obviously refers to an 8-inch display, so this tablet is only slightly larger than the iPad Mini.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the ZenPad S 8.0 is that its display features a 4:3 aspect ratio – just like the iPad range. Typically, Android tablets have widescreen displays, but since the launch of the Google Nexus 9 last year, the 4:3 aspect ratio is steadily becoming more popular.

Features

  • 8-inch, 2048×1536 display.
  • Quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 CPU, 1.8GHz.
  • 2GB RAM.
  • 32GB internal storage with microSD cards up to 128GB.
  • Android Lollipop 5.0.
  • 8MP primary camera, 5MP secondary camera.
  • 4000 mAh battery.
  • WiFi-only connectivity.

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The packaging for the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 is colourful and eye catching. The tablet is supplied in a black and white box with two images of the tablet itself on the front, along with product branding.

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On the back you will find just a few barcodes with no product specifications.

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Inside we find the usual AC adapter and quick-start guide. However, what sets the ZenPad S 8.0 apart from its competition (for now, at least) is that it uses a Type-C USB connector. One such cable is supplied.thin
To say it from the start, the ZenPad S 8.0 is exceptionally well designed.

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To start with construction quality, the rear of the tablet incorporates two stylish design elements. One is the main, aluminium hairline pattern that takes up most of the space on the rear of the tablet and oozes class. The other aspect to the tablet's rear is its faux leather strip. This occupies the right edge of the chassis, and houses the microSD slot. Both elements work well together and create a lovely appearance to the back of the tablet. Gorilla Glass 3 protects the front of the device.

Also worthy of praise are the product dimensions. The ZenPad S 8.0 measures 203.2 x 134.5 x 6.6 mm, with a screen-to-body ratio of 74%. Comparing this with the new iPad Mini 4, which measures 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm, the ZenPad S 8.0 comes off better – as it fits a larger screen in to essentially the same chassis size as the iPad Mini.

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The ZenPad also incorporates a metallic edge that runs around the entirety of the device. This is just a small touch, but its silver aesthetic contrasts beautifully against the dark bezels and aluminium rear of the tablet. Also worth mentioning are the rounded edges, which are iPad-esque but look sleek nonetheless – and are definitely more attractive than square edges.

On the bottom right edge is the Type-C USB connector, while a headphone jack can be found on the top edge, also right-of-centre. A volume rocker and power button can be found towards the top of the right edge.displayfull
In typical Asus fashion, the display is another strong area for the ZenPad S 8.0. It features the same 2048×1536 resolution of the iPad Mini 4 (and all of the other recent iPads) which is unusual for an Android tablet but increasing in popularity. This resolution works out at 320 PPI across the 8-inch display, which is terrifically sharp for a tablet.

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As it is an IPS panel, viewing angles are very good and I noticed no discernible colour shift at all. Asus have also included ‘VisualMaster' technology within the display, meaning contrast and brightness adapt to both the surroundings and what is being displayed. Essentially what we have is a tablet with lovely contrast and colour reproduction, meaning viewing photos and video is particularly satisfying.

The brightness is also very strong, with indoor usage proving fantastic, while outdoor usage is also very good. No tablet is going to be as good in direct sunlight as it is indoors, but the ZenPad S 8.0 still delivers readable text outdoors and on the move.

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On the whole, this display is hugely impressive with its sharp resolution, lovely colours and bright display. Asus have impressed me previously with their displays on other devices, and they continue to do so here with the ZenPad S 8.0.lock
Asus ship the ZenPad S with Android Lollipop 5.0 and their own software skin on top – named ZenUI. While I usually prefer stock Android to any manufacturer additions, ZenUI has impressed me previously so we shall see how it fares this time around.

home
On first impressions, it looks very modern and colourful, with the flat icons we have become accustomed to since iOS 7 first launched. The home screen has a inoffensive clock widget and a fair number of apps on show but it does well to look uncluttered. The lock screen is also fairly sleek, with 3 immediate app options which you can open directly from the lock screen.

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The settings menu is how I remember it from the 2014 ZenFone range. It is bright and colourful, with plenty of options to tweak. Everything is laid out clearly and attractively, and the same can be said of the quick settings.

In true Lollipop fashion, one swipe downwards displays any app notifications, while another swipe downwards displays the quick settings themselves. These are displayed in large, round icons which turn blue when activated. Users have full control over which settings actually appear on the quick settings menu.

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While that is all well and good, there are a few key features which deserve explanation. One is the new ZenMotion Touch Gesture function. This allows you to open a number of apps while the ZenPad S 8.0 is locked – using your finger. Essentially, users can ‘draw' a letter on the locked screen to unlock the tablet and open the required app.

For instance, drawing the letter ‘e' on the display will open the email client, while drawing the letter ‘c' will open the camera app. It is of course a gimmick, but a very nifty one. Essentially, Asus are taking LG's KnockOn feature to a whole new level.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the Motion Gesture feature. This is perhaps less useful, but it still has its place within ZenUI. Motion Gesture allows you to shake the ZenPad S 8.0 twice in-app, and the system will take a screenshot. It won't be used by everybody, but it saves reaching for the volume and power buttons to take a screenshot the usual way.cpuz
The 2014 range of ZenFones made use of the Intel Atom Z2xx-series processors. This range has now been updated and it is the new Moorefield CPUs that are used in the new range of ZenPads. This particular ZenPad S 8.0 uses the mid-range Z3560 CPU at 1.8GHz, with 2GB RAM.

To start with real world usage, then. It is hard to overemphasise just how fast the ZenPad S 8.0 is for everyday usage. Apps open very rapidly, and home page animations are buttery smooth. You will not notice any keyboard lag – the overall experience of using this tablet is exceptionally pleasing.

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The benchmark scores do not reflect the everyday performance quite as well as they should, but they are a still impressive. In Geekbench 3, the ZenPad S 8.0 scored 764 for single-core performance and 2293 for its multi-core performance. This is far superior to the Vodafone Tab Prime 6, powered by a Snapdragon 410, which scored 473 and 1425 respectively.

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In Ice Storm Unlimited, however, it delivered a huge score of 19631. This is miles ahead of the 4308 scored by the Smart Prime 6. As the ZenPad S 8.0 is not LTE-enabled I cannot post a data speed result.P_20150922_132050
The primary camera on the ZenPad S 8.0 is an 8MP unit, taking images at a native resolution of 3264×2448. There is also a 5MP secondary camera.

Before we get to actual camera quality, it is good to see a whole host of shooting modes included within the stock camera app. For instance, there is the usual HDR and low-light modes, along with ‘super resolution,' ‘depth of field,' and a time-lapse option to name just 3.

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Anyway, the actual image quality is not bad for a tablet. Images appear very sharp at first glance, with good colours and contrast. Auto-exposure seems to be the biggest problem for the ZenPad S 8.0's camera – but even that is not awful.

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Of course, 8MP is not a huge amount of detail by modern standards, but on a tablet it would be unreasonable to expect more. For the best photos I would still recommend using your smartphone, but the ZenPad S 8.0 will still take decent, sharp images.battery
Asus did not release an official battery capacity figure for the ZenPad S 8.0 – but the 3DMark app says it is 4000 mAh which seems accurate given the performance I experienced.

In everyday terms, I think you would be fortunate to last 2 full days with the ZenPad S 8.0. I found that using social media intermittently, watching videos and running our benchmarks drained the tablet faster than I would have liked. For instance, a 90-minute HD video drained the ZenPad's battery by 26%, meaning it can play roughly 5-and-a-half hours of HD video from a single charge. This is not huge, so do not expect to be using the tablet for several days before it will need recharging.

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The Geekbench 3 battery benchmark only confirmed this. The ZenPad S 8.0 lasted 6:25, well below the time posted by the Vodafone Tab Prime 6. Clearly, the 4000 mAh battery is just not enough for the high resolution display.On the whole, I was very impressed with the ZenPad S 8.0 especially the overall design concept.  It has a lovely, aluminium hairline finish which looks very classy – while the unusual faux leather strip makes the tablet stand out from the competition.

I am usually most impressed by the design and display panels of Asus products, and the ZenPad S 8.0 is no exception. The display has a high resolution 2048×1536 panel which also includes high contrast levels and solid brightness levels. It is a real pleasure to use.

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The software is also impressive. ZenUI remains as colourful and modern as ever, but with a few new touches. For instance, Touch Gesture allows you to draw a letter on the screen when the tablet is locked. The corresponding app is then opened – so drawing the letter ‘e' will open the email app. This is a nifty gimmick which makes using the tablet that bit easier.

Performance from the Intel Atom Z3560 is also very solid. There is enough processing power to deliver a good real world experience. A strong set of benchmark scores argue the point that the included Z3560 CPU is a mid-range processor. This CPU will please even the most impatient tablet users with its sheer speed.

An 8MP camera is capable of delivering decent photos, too. They are not spectacular and I would still recommend using a modern smartphone for photography on the go. That said, images are fairly detailed for a tablet, and colours look good – so this camera can do a job.

Battery life is the biggest issue. A 4000 mAh unit is simply not enough, and I struggled to get more than 2 days of intermittent usage out of a single charge. If you are prepared to charge the ZenPad S 8.0 often, it is bearable. However, most of us would expect a tablet to last a few days before a charge, so the poor battery life is somewhat disappointing.

On the whole, though, the ZenPad S 8.0 is a terrific all-rounder and particularly impresses with its modern design and gorgeous display. If you have £200 to spend on a new tablet, look no further than the ZenPad S 8.0.

You can pick it up from Dabs for £203.02 inc VAT here.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

Pros

  • Sleek, modern design
  • Beautifully sharp display
  • Great performance from the Intel Atom Z3560
  • Decent camera

Cons

  • Mediocre battery life

KitGuru says: The ZenPad S 8.0 is a real pleasure to use. It is fast, light and inexpensive. Look no further for an Android tablet costing around £200.
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3 comments

  1. Where is the review? This is just the specs, and a video in which you list the specs again.

    How does it feel, build quality. Is it powerful / laggy / normal, performance. Is the screen IPS or regular. Sound quality from speakers. Camera examples. Ports and expansion.

    Give us the pros and cons

    Then round it off with a bit about how the overall adds up to a device you love/hate.

  2. why is nobody testing the z stylus? ugh

  3. I was back in the market for shopping for a tablet as the one I just recently bought into (Lenovo) decided it needed a broken LCD by barely applying pressure to the screen (it was in my cargo pocket, screen facing my leg….and I leaned forward and it applied enough pressure to crack the glass and turn the LCD into all sorts of colors). So after TONS of research and reviews (ie, http://pocinc.net/blog/product-reviews/review-asus-zenpad-s-8-0-tablet ), I decided to give this one (ASUS) a chance. So far I love it. The screen looks nicer (they claim it is 2K resolution, but it doesn’t look much better than any other awesome tablet…it just simply looks awesome lol but not 4K like the TVs). It’s faster than my other one, has more space than it + has a card slot for more space and hasn’t given me any troubles yet. Just needs better battery life that’s all. It’s enough to last you all day, but if you let it sit around not using it, it dies within a few days usually. Sometimes though it seems to last much longer. Really odd…

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