India as a market inherently has always wanted more for less. We are a market that virtually defines the world of All in Ones. It is no wonder that South East Asia has been one of the largest markets when it comes to tablets with inbuilt feature for calling. Very seldom in west you will find people who will be okay slapping a 7 inch giant screen across their face and chatting away to glory, but here it is a bit of a norm. It is a norm because we would much rather use one device instead of carrying two, and somewhere down the line you understand the sense. Why carry a smartphone, a watch, a tablet and maybe a couple of notebooks and a pen, if all of this can be achieved in one single device. So, if you are planning to pick up a calling tablet, here are the five choices that you must consider.
PS: You still do not need to slap a tablet on your face even if it does calls, you may use a bluetooth receiver or even the headphones with microphone inbuilt.
HP Slate 7 Tablet
Powered by a 1.2 GHz Marvell PXA1088 quad-Core processor and 1GB RAM with 16 GB internal storage, the HP Slate 7 tablet is one of the best stock Android tablets if you are looking for one in the region of Rs 10,000 in terms of build quality and looks. You do get a 5 MP and a 2 MP camera combination on the tablet and the dual front speakers make the multimedia experience on the 7 inch display pretty good. The only drawback here is the dated Android 4.2.2 version though thankfully it is largely stock Android so you will not have to battle too much customisation.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4
The Galaxy Tab 4 T231 is possibly the best tablet you can pick in the market if calling is your agenda and are okay spending moderate money. The tablet makes great calls and we received great reception on the unit when we tested it. You get an adequate 7 inch WXGA display without it ever being spectacular. The device comes with 8 GB internal memory with support for further expansion using a Micro SD card. You get Android 4.4 Kitkat out of the box, though it does have Touchwiz which can be a bit of an eye soar on top. Generally the performance of the tablet is acceptable, and if you are going to simply use it as a multi purpose, one for all occasion thing, you should have little to complain.
Asus Fonepad 7 (2014)
Asus Fonepad 7 is possibly the most affordable phone and tablet rolled into one. The device is available around the Rs 8,000 mark, so if you are looking for a great value for money device, you cannot go wrong with the Fonepad 7. The tablet is powered by a 1.2 GHz Intel Clover Trail Plus Z2520 Processor and comes in several colour choices including light blue and red, something none of the competitors offer. The tablet comes with a Dual SIM support and Android 4.3 out of the box which is upgradable to Android 4.4. We really like the Zen UI on top of Asus devices, and it is no different here.
Lenovo A7-30
Giving a solid run for the money to the Asus Fonepad 7 is the Lenovo A7-30. The tablet will set you back by about Rs 7,300 and packs specifications and features very similar to the Asus Fonepad. The tablet comes with a 1.3 GHz Quad Core processor and 1 GB of RAM to keep the performance smooth. You get a generous battery backup thanks to a 3500 mAh battery. The Lenovo A7-30 comes with a 7 inch display with 1024×600 resolution, which is slightly odd. The device is upgradable to Android 4.4 Kitkat.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.4
If you are looking for something slightly more premium and high end, then the Galaxy Tab S8.4 would be a fantastic choice. The tablet, launched as a competitor to the iPad Air originally is available for a close to Rs 29,000 price point, is a really good tablet, period. The screen on the Tab S8.4 is easily our favourite of any tablets that we have listed. The tablet is powered by a Quad core Exynos (1.9GHz Cortex A15+1.3 GHz Cortex A7) chipset and has features like finger print scanner and heart rate monitor. The Tab S8.4 is available both in 3G and WiFi based model.
Those were our top five tablets when it comes to them having an additional feature of calling. Which of the listed above is your favourite or do you have a choice that we did not come up with? Let us know by leaving us comments below.