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Vodafone and EE debut 3G and 4G own-brand tablets

by Mark Tyson on 23 May 2014, 12:06

Tags: Everything Everywhere, Vodafone (LON:VOD), Huawei, PC, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qaceqf

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This week both Vodafone and EE have launched 8-inch Android tablets, packing cellular connectivity, which are own branded and reasonably priced. The firms are attempting to leverage the new devices to boost the popularity of their respective networks. Does either mobile network offer anything particularly tempting?

The Vodafone Smart Tab 4 is the cheaper of the two tablets. It costs £125 with a PAYG SIM card or £39 up front on a £20pm 2GB 3G data plan. Vodafone calls its new tablet "your everyday big screen," which can enjoy being "connected everywhere".

The EE Eagle costs £199 on PAYG, or £49.99 up front on a £15pm 2GB 4G data plan. EE says the Eagle is the "UK's most affordable 4G tablet," which offers "specifications and features traditionally associated with more expensive devices".It looks a bit like an inflated HTC One and is said to be based upon a (rebranded) Huawei MediaPad M1.

From various sources I have made a comparison table for the two new tablets, so you can easily determine the key differences. See below.

 

Vodafone Smart Tab 4

EE Eagle

Dimensions:

209 x 122.8 x 7.99 mm

214.4 x 120.7 x 7.9 mm

Weight:

328 g

329g

Colours:

Basalt Black

Silver

Screen:

8-inch IPS 1280x800

8-inch IPS 1280 x 800

Camera:

2 MP rear camera, VGA front camera

5 MP rear camera, 1MP front

Platform (OS):

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Chipset:

1.2 GHz quad-core, MTK8382

1.6GHz quad-core processor

Memory:

1GB RAM /8GB eMMC, MicroSD card up to 64GB

1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage, MicroSD card up to 32GB

Battery Capacity:

4,060  mAh

4,800 mAh

Connectivity:

GSM/EDGE/3G/HSPA+, Wifi b/g/n, BT 4.0

4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

 

You can see that these 8-inch tablets are not a million miles apart in terms of value. The Vodafone tablet has some lower spec components, and of course 3G rather than 4G network connectivity, but you pay considerably less for it if buying it outright rather than on a data plan. If you want to buy on a monthly plan the EE makes much more sense though, simply tallying both the 2GB plan monthly fees and initial outlay.

If you live in the UK and would like mobile network connectivity on your next tablet then one of the above could make a good choice. Are any HEXUS readers tempted by these new mobile network connected tablets?



HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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I don't get why you would buy either of these if the 2013 Nexus 7 is a similar price and dominates spec-wise?
Repressor
I don't get why you would buy either of these if the 2013 Nexus 7 is a similar price and dominates spec-wise?

Because the only Nexus 7 with mobile Internet access is £299 from Google Play. Not price-comparable at all.
can not see why people need tablets… lazy sobs…
NiPPonD3nZ0
can not see why people need tablets… lazy sobs…
Why is using a tablet lazy?
With the abysmal data allowance I would prefer tethering something like a nexus 7 to a phone with unlimited data plan. My SO pays under £17pm for unlimited messages, data and 300 minutes with no restrictions on tethering with T Mobile (EE).