Among the budget tablets out there, I’d say nothing comes close to the Onda in terms of performance, connectivity and price point. With its 7" IPS display and 1280×800 resolution it’s already better than its contemporaries but it goes far beyond that, bringing with it and its included accessories, extended use and connection options.
Here’s a list of what is in the box/package – Onda Valkeyrie unit, charger, USB cable, USB OTG cable, 4GB flash drive, manual, warranty card, and a Power Bank… yeah you probably didn’t expect that. This unit has a 5000mah battery and is rated to last around 5 hours with normal use, this definitely doesn’t come up to par with the more expensive counterparts but the inclusion of the powerbank serves to address this limitation.
What makes this package unique is the localized warranty. Never before have a tablet, not coming from the major competitors, had a warranty card issued which offers supplier level repair and after sales service and support.
^The front of the tablet is all glass with a VGA front facing camera and a proximity/light sensor.
^Behind we find the branding and speaker grille. The design is quite familiar wouldn’t you agree? At the top there along the black band is a 3.5mm headphone jack as well, ready to utilize most if not all manner of headphones you may want to pair with it.
^At the bottom we find the hardware buttons as well as several ports enumerated L-R: Home key, OTG USB port, Mini HDMI, MicroSD, microphone, reset button, and the all important power button.
Everything you’d expect to run on a tablet and with the required resolution will run on this one, unless of course it is an Android Jelly Bean Only developed software which none are as far as I know of… there are also indicators that the tablet can be updated to the newer OS eventually. Another feat, very well documented and tested, is the ability to play 1080p videos natively in a variety of formats formerly only available through software decoding.
^There are no hardware volume rocker buttons, that is why you can see soft controls beside the regular back, home, and multitasking keys. This is the size of the device compared to the Transformer OG tablet.
The unit loaned to me by EGL is a 16GB 3G? version (so listed because of a mobile network meter and options for mobile data management on the settings of the device), the lack of a dialer and messaging app suggests that this is dedicated to mobile data only; however, I cant find the SIM card slot which could be inside the back panel but since the packaging should remain intact, I didn’t dare find out.
I liked the thin and premium feel that this particular model gives out. Add to that the wonderfully crisp HD IPS display and the lightness of it, I am comparing it with my first generation Transformer of course. Add to that the USB OTG and micro USB charging port then you can practically be assured of juice anytime you’re in front of a computer.
What you would miss, should you decide to take one home, would be a GPS sensor and Bluetooth connectivity, although many times BT is hard to use, the additional possible transfer and connection method is a very welcome one however for the current pricing and the availability of WiFi file transfer, there are plenty of ways getting around the ordeal, should it appear to be one.
The Onda V712 Valkeyrie is priced at 7,999Php and is available through Gameline, Gamegizmo, Vitech, and online thru http://awesomegadgets.multiply.com. If you’re feeling quite generous this holiday season, you wont go wrong with one of these.
Here’s a quick hands on with the device there’s no audio so you won’t need headphones for this one:
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