Pantech Element Pro Reviews

Admit it: an 8-inch waterproof, LTE-enabled tablet makes for a pretty compelling purchase on paper. Couple those sweet-spot features with solid, everyday performance, a smooth Honeycomb-based user experience and a 6,400mAh charge that'll last through nearly half a day of heavy use and you've got yourself several strong reasons to think long and hard about this guy. But when you factor in the sad state of the Element's dual camera setup and its poor outdoor visibility, you might start to feel precognitive pangs of buyer's remorse kicking in.

The Pantech Element is a waterproof 8-inch Android 3.2 tablet that runs on the AT&T 4G LTE network and can handle life's small mishaps!

There’s not a lot to dislike about the Element, but I don’t have a lot of things to love about it either. It’s just an average Honeycomb tablet that won’t die immediately upon being dripped on. Its hardware isn’t on par with a device like the Asus Transformer Prime or the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and even its size and price are awkwardly in no-man’s land: it’s not as portable as a 7-inch slate like the Kindle Fire or the Nook Tablet, or as immersive as a 10-inch device like the iPad. At $299 with contract or $449 without, it’s priced right in the middle as well. If you want a tablet you can place next to your bathtub and watch Netflix without worry, then Pantech’s here for you, but otherwise there’s just nothing exciting about the Element.

Considering that this is Pantech’s first foray into the tablet scene, we’re astounded to see that they’ve been able to present us with an admirable effort with the Pantech Element. Yeah, it might not boast the same brand recognition as some of its rivals, but nevertheless, you can’t count it out since we’re compelled by its balanced performance and offerings. Without a doubt, it’ll catch a few eyes on the way since it’s the only Honeycomb tablet on the market that we can honestly survive through some minor spills and submersion under water, which you don’t see that often. In terms of pricing, it’s not that bad when you take account that it offers 4G LTE connectivity for only $299.99 on-contract or $449.99 outright. All in all, it’s a resoundingly great starting point for Pantech as they continue to impress us with their surmounting efforts in the market.

Need a tablet you can get wet? The Pantech Element delivers solid and reliable performance, with fast 4G LTE connectivity, in a durable, waterproof package.

The Pantech Element fills a valuable niche in the tablet market. It's the first mobile 4G tablet that truly affords you the freedom to use it outside, without fear that bad weather or a spilled cup of coffee will render your investment useless. Unfortunately, it's still quite an investment. The $299 subsidized price demands a two-year data commitment, with a minimum rate of $35 per month. That's a total of cost of $1,139 over the life of the tablet, not including taxes and messaging rates. The tablet is available off-contract for $449, but unless you consider 4G connectivity a must-have, that's a sucker's price when there are so many better Android 3.2 options on the market, not to mention the imminent wave of Android 4.0 devices.