HP Slate 7 Pro Reviews

For a casual user, the Slate 7 might be a good enough tablet, but at this price, good enough just doesn't cut it. Simply put, the display is disappointing, even for a budget product, and the specs prove better in theory than in practice. It simply can't hold a candle to devices currently (or soon to be) on the market. If this tablet were $40 cheaper, our verdict might be more generous, but as it stands, it's overpriced for the quality you get. HP seems to have gotten the memo, as it's now offering a $30 instant rebate on both the 8GB and 16GB models (bringing the former down to $140 and the latter to $170). There are other budget tablets out there that are better, faster and stronger than the Slate 7, and you might be better served by looking elsewhere.

The HP Slate 7 fits the bill as an entry-level tablet. It's features and performance are average in every way. What makes it stand out is its low $170 pricetag. You can certainly get a better tablet than this one, but you won't get a better one for less money.

HP has crafted a solid, attractive tablet for a superb price, but the Slate 7 simply cuts too many corners to earn a recommendation

HP aims low with its first Android tablet, yet still falls short of the mark

HP's Slate 7 proved to be a solid 7-inch tablet in many ways during the test. First, it is not a second rate device despite its affordable price. It is well built and features a bright, high-contrast and viewing angle stable LC display. Second, HP was not tightfisted with the innards. The combination of a Rockchip RK3066 dual-core SoC and an ARM Mali-400 MP4 quad-core GPU supplies all over sufficient power for applications and games. Compromises do not have to be made with the operating system either. HP's Slate 7 makes use of an up-to-date version of Google's OS with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. To meet the multimedia claim, the Android tablet relies on the Beats Audio HD sound system, which can develop its full potential with headphones. They are not included though. The Slate 7 blunders with its camera modules. Users who want to take pictures with the 7-inch tablet will find a just still acceptable picture quality from the 3 megapixel primary camera. In return, the webcam shoots miserable quality pictures. Disregarding the lapse in the cameras, HP's Slate 7 is in total quite compelling.

For all its good looks, the HP Slate 7 does seem a bit of a mixed bag. The Beats Audio treatment is impressive with both music and movies, but the tablet itself is not too happy with HD content. The 3Mp camera on the back is a bonus and OK for snaps but with video it's terrible. Given its weight you might expect something more than a 13.4Whr battery too although, luckily, you're not stuck with just 8GB of storage – the redeeming feature here is its micro SD slot. So there are pros and cons aplenty, but with 16GB 7in HD tablets around for the same price, the HP Slate 7 is not exactly an easy sell.

In the end, the HP Slate 7 is just an OK tablet, and it would be a good option for casual users who don’t need the greatest device, but want something just to play around on. It’s low $169 price tag is definitely something to keep in mind, but we’d really just recommend saving up only $30 more to buy the Nexus 7. It comes with all-around better performance, a better-looking display, and the latest version of Jelly Bean. If the price of the Slate 7 was lowered to around $149, we’d maybe consider it ($99 would be a deal), but the Nexus 7’s extremely-attractive $199 price tag is just simply hard to beat at this point.

The HP Slate 7 is an Android tablet that combines good looks with speedy performance, but its display just isn't up to snuff.