T-Mobile SpringBoard Pro Reviews

For the current price of $179.99 after rebate, there’s a lot to like about the T-Mobile SpringBoard. Its Android Honeycomb experience is easy to use, and feels quick with the 1.2GHz dual-processor and 1GB of RAM. We also appreciate the 4G data speeds, which provide for fast web page downloads, and the 16GB of on-board storage gives ample room for your files. The 7” HD display also does a nice job with images and text, and viewing angles are good, though it can be tough to see in sunlight. The only downfall we find on the SpringBoard is with its camera, as images and videos look bad enough that it’s not even worth using. Alternatives are the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus ($70 more with a contract) or the budget Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet.

As for that $180 price T-Mobile will surely be promoting, it's tough to get excited about a tablet that cheap when the only way to get it is to sign a two-year agreement. If we're talking to a narrow, self-selecting group of people who think it's worth it to pay upwards of $30 a month on an always-there Internet connection, we can see why you'd pick this over, say, the HTC Jetstream, which is heavy and costs an insulting $700, even on contract. But for most people, a pretty design and decent battery life simply won't be compelling enough reasons to get shacked up with a carrier. That's why pay-as-you-go plans are such a beautiful, beautiful thing.

The quality of its aluminum chassis, crisp IPS display, and better-than-average battery life make the T-Mobile Springboard 4G a solid small-screen tablet choice for those looking for cellular internet, but it is hard to justify the cost when compared with higher-end or budget tablets.

The T-Mobile SpringBoard is an excellent device for the price (provided you agree to a two-year contract), and it offers an impressive display and build quality. Its only real flaws include a poor speaker as well as a subpar battery performance.

I’ve had plenty of time to toy around with this tablet and so far I’m pretty confident that most users will appreciate what it has to offer. If a larger 10″ tablet isn’t ideal or portable enough for you, but you need the 4G data connectivity — consider the T-Mobile Springboard. With a small and portable 7″ form factor that also manages to pack plenty of punch with a dual-core processor you wont be disappointed. Compared to other 7″ tablets on the market this is by far one of the best choices. At least until the Kindle Fire or Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus arrives. We’ll be reviewing both of those in the next few weeks and will be sure to compare them so you can all get a better idea of what to expect. I’m not sure who came up with the name Springboard, and the fact that it is launching now it’s almost winter instead of in the spring seems a little funny if you ask me.

The T-Mobile SpringBoard has the performance and features to rival most small tablets, but the price is a bit hard to swallow.