The answer, apparently, is an impressive piece of tech that almost seamlessly melds the two satisfyingly without breaking the bank. We get that it’s not exactly cheap, but if a laptop/tablet hybrid is specifically on your wishlist, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something this good under that R20,000 mark. Compare it to something like the Surface Pro 9 or Asus’ B Flip series and you’ll see what we mean.

Clever doesn’t always mean pretty

You’d be forgiven for assuming that Acer’s Spin 14 is just an average, run-of-the-mill laptop the elderly lady you know might bring into the office. We understand the confusion. The Spin 14’s best features have nothing to do with its exterior which has been kept purposefully cheap (yet sturdy) to protect the laptop’s money-makers: the 360-degree hinge and 14in display.

See, the Spin 14 isn’t just a laptop. It’s got all the makings of a decent one; a 14-inch display, a generously sized keyboard, a trackpad and a selection of ports. Where it differs from its laptop siblings is the 360-degree hinge that’ll transform the Spin into one of those weighty tablets we were just discussing. It’s even packing a stylus on its right-hand side to make the whole thing a little more functional than just another screen to watch Netflix in bed with.

Once you’ve gotten over the 2-in-1 aspect, you’ll notice this is a large bugger. For a tablet, at least. For a laptop… it’s average. The substantial keyboard helps it feel a lot larger than it is. Yeah, it couldn’t squeeze in a numpad, but that isn’t a dealbreaker for us. The keys offer a satisfying clicky-clack if that’s your thing. It’s not overbearing enough to annoy your cubicle neighbour, either. Don’t expect more than a faint white glow under the keys, so if real RGB is a must, look elsewhere.

Drop your gaze and you’ll meet the slightly-too-small (by comparison) centralised trackpad – with its best feature being the built-in fingerprint sensor that hardly ever gave a hassle. You won’t hate the trackpad’s size, but you’ll eventually find yourself wishing for a bit more room for your fingers to run. Keep a wireless on hand, however, and you’re golden.

Beyond all that, cheapness isn’t inherently a bad thing. It’s still a solid machine, covered in a ‘steel grey’ hard plastic – save for the metallic lid – that’ll amount to a slightly too hefty weight of 1.6kg in a backpack. One that’s packing a half-decent selection port at the very least, including a single Thunderbolt 4, one HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the power port.

An unassuming beast

Our review model’s 13th-gen Intel Core i7-1335U processor and 8GB of RAM might not be worthy of writing home about. But a “tablet” like the Spin 14? It’s packing more than enough power. That’s not us knocking the laptop’s performance, either. It handled every everyday task we threw at it without complaint, though it did occasionally give the fans something to whine about when we had one too many Chrome tabs open.

If you’re looking for the best results, we’d recommend keeping things simple for the Spin’s Intel Xe integrated graphics. By that, we mean confining any gaming ambitions you might have to titles like Minecraft or Marvel Snap and staying right away from The Witcher 3 and hardcore editing software. We managed to pull off a couple of sessions with Portal 2 and The Witness at the most middle-of-the-road settings imaginable, but hey, it worked.

As far as displays go, the Spin’s is just alright. The 1920×1200 panel did the job when visiting the great indoors but the 200 nits’ peak brightness actively shooed us back inside when attempting to get some good ol’ fashioned vitamin D. And unfortunately, it didn’t handle colour reproduction all that well. For the average user who’s only tackling the odd spreadsheet, it’s more than equal to the task. But for artier users looking to replace a pen and notebook, you’d be happier finding something a little more specialized.

Don’t go near the Spin 14 expecting to have your ears serenaded as you pass. It’ll do its best with what it’s given – outputting just enough volume that we weren’t reaching for the volume slider every five minutes – at the expense of losing some bass in the mix. For the average YouTube session, it’ll carry you through. But if you’re attempting to squeeze in a quick watch of Oppenheimer? Yeah, we’d recommend a pair of headphones.

Being a tablet/laptop combo, battery life is more important than ever. Thankfully, the Aspire Spin doesn’t disappoint. It’s what stood out to us the most, netting between eight and nine hours off a single charge when putting the Spin through its paces. That’s… considerably less than Acer’s advertised fourteen-hour life, but that’s okay. The quick charge time – around two hours and ten minutes from zero to full more than makes up for the exaggeration.

Putting pen to paper screen

When the Spin 14 isn’t being a laptop, it’s spending its time as a tablet. Pop out the oddly Nintendo DS-looking stylus that’s housed in the device’s right-hand side and there’s no shortage of things to do. Windows bombards the notification centre with all sorts of programs vying to be clicked first.

After some fiddling, we found that Microsoft Journal was the app most worthy of attention. It offered up the most intuitive controls of the lot, though it never managed to convince us that typing wasn’t the superior method here. Had we been a bit more art-inclined, however, it might be a different story.

Colour us impressed where the stylus is concerned. The touchscreen display can register up to ten touchpoints at any given time, meaning the occasional finger slip or something similar didn’t send our journalling or doodles awry. Pressure variation worked just fine, giving us plenty of control without ever feeling the need to go any deeper – potentially damaging the screen.

Our only gripe? We weren’t all that keen on letting the keyboard dirty itself when resting on whatever surface was nearby when we were looking to exert a little more pressure on the tablet’s front. Functionally, it works. The keys turn themselves off once the hinge reaches the point of no return, but it won’t stop them from getting scratched up.

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 Verdict

Acer’s Aspire 5 Spin 14 was never meant to be an invigorating piece of tech. It’s here to do a job – okay, two jobs – and alleviate any regret that might creep in after dropping close to R20,000 for the i5 model (good luck finding a model with our specs). And… does it? The short answer is yes. It’s packing more than enough power for the everyday tasks, and just enough to see you through a few rounds of Marvel Snap – as long as you confine your escapades to the indoors.

If you’ve been paying attention over the last decade, you’ll know that’s not strictly true. But history has a way of travelling in circles, especially if there’s money involved. In this specific case, money’s a factor but there’s not all that much of it. That’s good for you, if you’re in the market for a capable 8in tablet that’ll impress with its performance while leaving your savings less than depleted.

Bit of a curveball

The Nokia T10 doesn’t do anything really revolutionary on the design front. It’s packaged, rather happily, with a clear cover to protect the rear panel and edges from (some) falls which could be handy for a number of people. There is at least one odd change we weren’t expecting, but we’ll get to that in a second.

The front face is a conventional 8in slab of glass. There’s a substantial chin and forehead, as well as some thickness on the bezels down the edges, and the obligatory camera sensor in the centre which you can use for video calls. The rear end is mostly clear, with a small camera bump (which hosts the 8MP camera sensor and a flash) on the upper left of the textured plastic panel. The only other markings are a Nokia logo in the very middle of the tablet’s back.

It’s the edges of the tablet that caught us off guard. There are speaker vents on the top and bottom (which become left and right in landscape mode, which you’ll use for Netflix and the like). There’s a USB-C charge port at the base and a 3.5mm audio jack on top. But the power button… has moved away from the volume rocker to sit on top of the tablet. That change alone killed years of muscle memory. We’re used to the power button waking the screen of our devices and having that button up top is… jarring. But at least Nokia provides that case, which accounts for the weird placement.

Watch this space

Given the Nokia T10’s price point, the 8in IPS LCD panel isn’t to be scoffed at. There’s an 800 x 1,280 native resolution, so images won’t be quite as crisp as if you’d spent double the money on your slate, but it’ll handle the job of some Netflix (at 720p) during load shedding without letting you down. The IPS panel is bright enough for a lit room unless you happen to work in a fluorescent light bulb factory, but daylight may prove too much for it.

That is about in line with what you’d get from competitor brands’ tablets at this size and price point. Colour reproduction is largely cool in tone, as opposed to the vibrant scheme Samsung’s contender brings to the table. That’s a matter of taste, but we’d prefer the more vivid expression from our tablets. Sorry, Nokia T10. It’s us. Not you. Promise.

The Unisoc T606 processor and 3GB of RAM sitting in the middle of this thing try their best but you really shouldn’t expect high-end performance. There’s some evidence of slowdown during navigation and running multiple apps will get old fast. The main usage case is for passive media consumption. Scrolling through a feed or kicking back to watch a movie is your best bet.

Built to last?

The Nokia T10 offers users a little chunk to go with their screen. You can look at this two ways. Yes, that’s typical of devices further down the price bracket but it also offers the opportunity to be a little rougher with it. It seems like it could take the punishment. We’d happily hand this one, suitably encased, off to a small child and only experience the normal amount of worry about the display. The rear section, with its textured panel and plastic build, will probably emerge from any ill-treatment unscathed. Unless that treatment involves water.

The other aspect is the battery. There’s real potential here as a long-distance or load shedding entertainment device. It’ll last close to twelve hours when you’re full-screening some action from your favourite streaming service, so civilised usage should see it lasting a few days in between charges. But if you’re a fan of long sessions in the smallest room (to the point where your legs stop working — that’s super unhealthy, by the way), this is the companion you want to have along.

Bluetooth and a 3.5mm audio jack mean you have consumption options if you’re using the T10 as a go-to-bed device, too. You can watch Bad Boys 3 on endless repeat, and whoever’s nearby doesn’t have to listen to it. Win-win.

Oh. Those guys

The only other aspect we have yet to touch on is the Nokia T10’s camera. There’s a single sensor on the back, to go with the already-mentioned selfie camera. The front 2MP sensor is good enough for video calls but it’s not the foot you’ll want to put forward if it’s an important interview or something.

The back is packing an 8MP camera that supports autofocus and includes an LED flash. If it’s the camera you happen to have in your hand, then it’s the best it can possibly be. If, on the other hand, you have literally any smartphone and enough time to switch to it, you can do better. Far, far better.

Nokia T10 verdict

If you want one of these tablets, expect to pay about R3,000. You may find it cheaper but not considerably so. It’s a fair price for the Nokia T10, considering how long it’ll receive software updates. But it’s also a slick bit of hardware. It’s not flashy but it feels like it’ll outlast a rambunctious child (even if it probably won’t). There are some drawbacks. It’s only splash-resistant and not the kind that merits an actual IP rating, so it’s doomed if it lands in a bath. But that’s normal for a R3,000 branded tablet, no matter who you buy it from. The best thing about it is that you know what you’re getting and who you’re getting it from. And, if something goes wrong, you know who to complain to. You probably won’t have to do any of this, but it’s nice to have the option.

But it still leaves you with a choice to make. Do you grab the shiny Microsoft tablet that needs a keyboard cover but puts far less weight on your back or do you opt for the shiny Microsoft notebook that doesn’t have the detachable bits? Okay, fine, you can choose other brands too. But do you have to?

Aesthetic choice

The answer, judging by the review machine we were allowed to use for a while, is ‘not really’. The Surface Pro 9 really is just a 13in tablet, impressively engineered in that manner Microsoft is so fond of these days. The box contains the slate, the charger, and a couple of extras, but the Keyboard Cover/Stylus and Surface Arc mouse arrive in their own packaging. Again, that’s not a problem if you pick up the right deal for the device.

Alone, it’s an uncomplicated piece of machinery. There are minimal buttons and ports around its bevelled edges. The 13in 2,880 X 1,920 touchscreen turns the Surface Pro 9 into an easy-to-navigate oversized tablet, though the responsiveness of the screen still loses something to controlling a stock Windows interface. It really does work better with a mouse (and nobody liked Windows 8, so there went that idea).

The one thing Microsoft got really right with this thing? The kickstand around the back is a solid strip of aluminium, with a rubber stopper to keep your display from slipping around on slicker surfaces. It would battle on tables with large gaps, sure, but Microsoft’s hardware will handle most environments without sweating.

Why choose?

There are various flavours of Microsoft’s new convertible tablet available in South Africa, ramping the cost up to R45,000 if you go full Core i7. Our review model wasn’t quite as overpowered. There was an Intel Core i5-2135U processor in the middle of it, backed by 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage. That’s close to what you’d get from your average high-end smartphone except the chipset is differently optimised. Yes, yes, we know the actual difference.

As does Microsoft, which is why the company’s Surface Laptop 4 is almost exactly the same thing. That one’s 13.5in display may have a lower resolution but all of the other specs are identical. That’s right down to the processor, the Intel XE integrated graphics, all of it. Plus there’s, you know, a keyboard attached right out of the box. Finally, the Surface Laptop 4, is actually a little cheaper to buy if you factor in the extras you need to make the Surface Pro 9 into a functional laptop.

Happily, that’s an option. Microsoft’s keyboard cover is intelligently designed to make the most of its lightweight surface. Powerful magnets hold it in place, allowing users to reinforce the floppy(ish) cover for a more stable typing experience. The only objection we could muster is that the trackpad on the keyboard cover is smaller than we’d like. It’s still perfectly functional. Besides, Microsoft’s stylus is an excellent piece of tech on its own.

Mightier than the sword? 

The Surface Slim Pen 2 is an oddly-shaped stylus, a distant cousin of the carpenter’s pencil (except you don’t sharpen it with a chisel). That design takes some getting used to but once you do, you’ll notice just how detailed it’s possible to get with the Pen on the Surface Pro 9’s touchscreen. Pressure variation is fine enough to extract a range of responses without feeling like you’re about to gouge a track on that lovely screen. We’re not saying it’ll replace an actual pen or pencil on paper but it’s close. It’s very close.

Add to that all of the usual functions of working on a new Windows machine and we’ve got a winning combination here. The Windows OS is as powerful and flexible as ever, provided you’re using a decent interface device. We don’t like the combination of Windows and touchscreens without something to stick between the two. Sue us.

And then there’s the generous battery life — which Microsoft claims is more than eighteen hours but if you’re using this like a regular human being it’ll be less than that. Twelve to fifteen hours is more likely, but maybe we were hammering the video playback harder during load shedding than is typical. It’ll last out the day at work, even if Eskom gives you the extended finger. Which… could happen a lot in 2023.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 verdict

But we’re still left with the question: The Surface Pro 9 or the Surface Laptop 4? In terms of power, it doesn’t matter. The operating systems are the same and, if you choose the right models, so are the specs. The 13in Pro 9 has a slightly better resolution but also a slightly smaller screen footprint. You’ll probably pick up one of these convertibles with the Keyboard Cover included so the actual format becomes a coin flip. We’d tend to opt for the all-metal construction, handing the win to the Surface Laptop 4, but there’s also a case to be made for not lugging the extra weight around on your back. If that’s you, this’ll perform just as well as a laptop. For a little bit more money.

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 will set you back R40,000, unless you give the company a R1,000 deposit. If you do, you can score a R5,000 discount on the final price. This is a weird bit of marketing intended to spark the sort of uptake Netflix demands from new shows or it’ll send them to the farm. Will it work? Eh… that’s no for us to say. Assessing the Mate Xs 2? That’s something we could do all day.

Making a new Mate

Purely as a physical device, the Mate Xs 2 is great. It’s not perfect — the screen is always exposed, even in the supplied case. The fact that it opens out from behind instead of clasping over the screen means the screen’s always in the firing line. And then there’s the hinge system.

The Mate Xs 2 feels best when it’s closed. It’s a touch irritating that the rear screen doesn’t turn on when folded, but it’s a sturdy piece of tech. Open it up by touching the button holding the thing closed and you’ll note how firm the hinge is. Mechanical effort is needed to unfold the screen. Even then, it doesn’t quite lock into place when it’s doing its impression of a Kindle Oasis.

The rear panel when it’s open is tough and sturdy. We’re really quite sorry that’s not the side facing the outside world. It looks like it could take a bit of damage and still work fine. But then the comparison between this and Samsung’s Fold lineup would be close enough to take to court, so we’re left with a flexible, outward-facing screen.

The best bits?

The screen is arguably the best part of Huawei’s newest foldable. The foldable OLED screen measures 7.8in, made up of 2,200 x 2,480 pixels, when it’s open. It is bright, colours pop, and dark sections really let you know there’s an absence of light. In other words, it’s performing the basic functions any OLED screen worthy of the name will.

When folded, the screen measures 6.5in over 1,176 x 2,480 pixels. OLED performance is the same, just smaller. But the concerning bit about the way Huawei’s phone opens is that it’s only usable completely folded or unfolded. There’s no in-between usage possible unless you’re using a partially-folded screen as a prop for your phone’s camera. Even in this instance, the phone’s only functional in one position. That is, with the camera arrangement at the top of a vertically-standing smartphone.

The other specs cover the spectrum from decent (8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage) to underpowered (the Snapdragon 888 4G chipset). There’s no 5G support. It’s not Huawei’s fault, there are geopolitical issues at work here. Even so, the price tag would justify the fastest internet speeds possible and you’re not getting those here.

No need for light

Even the camera, an area Huawei historically performs well, is a mixed bag. There’s nothing wrong with the triple-camera setup. A 50MP main, 13MP ultrawide, and 8MP telephoto combine to pull off some excellent shots. Low-light performance is decent enough to keep most camera-happy users… well, happy. It’s even possible to shoot yourself using the rear cameras and that normally-dormant rear OLED panel as a viewfinder — but that bit’s a chore that really should be simpler to arrange. It’s almost more trouble than it’s worth to try and snap a 50MP selfie.

And then there’s the battery, which isn’t terrible for a phone as thin as the Huawei Mate Xs 2. Still, it’s just 4,600mAh. Perhaps the fact that there’s no 5G inside the phone helps its stamina — a little silver lining there. Still, we’d have preferred a larger battery. There’s loads of screen to power. Even with OLED, it’ll run down the battery before you get to the end of a workday (assuming you spend all day watching videos).

Huawei Mate Xs 2 verdict

Huawei’s first folding phone to actually launch in South Africa is worth checking out. But there’s a ‘but’ here. But… you need to have the money to spare. If you’re after utility rather than curiosity, no matter how well built it is, you should opt for one of Samsung’s foldables instead. Sure, you could drop R40,000 on the Mate Xs 2, or you could just buy a R20,000 smartphone and a R20,000 tablet and you’ll have the same basic functionality. Huawei’s folding-under display complicates matters in a way you have to work around rather than in one that serves you. Which is a shame, because it’s a decent phone. Given some 5G and a full suite of Google support, it might have been a splendid one.

Don’t get us wrong. There’s nothing wrong with the technology that you won’t also see in the folding smartphone field. But the Zenbook Fold reminds us of the blockchain. It exists but there doesn’t seem to be a use for it beyond existing. Other solutions perform the same function with less chance of something going seriously awry.

Legitimately cool

There’s no denying that the Zenbook 17 Fold is a serious conversation piece. The cool factor is off the chart. Any time you pull it out in public, people will marvel over it. It’s a folding screen that’s also a laptop sometimes. That sort of thing is really hard to overlook.

Asus has done a great job putting it together. There are some caveats — the screen isn’t as durable as even a regular touchscreen and you’ll encounter a set of folding and unfolding instructions if you buy one. It’s more fragile than your everyday notebook. Close the screen over the keyboard when it’s not properly locked on its magnetic base and you’ll have made a very expensive mistake. But it’s still an eye-opener. People will ask questions.

It’s a regular old notebook, at the end of the day, though. The keyboard appears sliced off a regular Asus PC, aside from the small power switch on the bottom right corner. The 17.3in/12.4in display is as bright and clear as any of Asus’ other OLED screens. And that’s the problem.

Find your why 

There doesn’t seem to be a point to the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold beyond “because we can”. It’s not meeting a need or asking a question. It’s just kinda cool. It’s not the level of pointless of, say, the Juicero. That device was completely superfluous. The Zenbook Fold is still a completely functional computer. But if that’s all you want, why not just buy a functional computer? Asus’ own Zenbook Pro 16X OLED features an amazing screen, sports a massive amount of power, and is perfect for video and image editing. It blows the Fold’s performance out of the water, for R5,000 less.

Inside the Fold, you’ll encounter a Core i7-1250U, 16GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage. It’s not a bad load of specs but you can do better for about R25,000 less than Asus’ asking price. You can do considerably better if you jettison the idea that a folding notebook screen is an item you absolutely must have in your life. Heck, if you’re only after power, R65,000 will buy you a 16in 165Hz display, a Core i9-12900H processor, 16GB of RAM, 4TB of SSD storage, and an 8GB RTX 3070 Ti GPU from Asus. By comparison, the Fold is a Lamborghini shell covering a Toyota Corrola motor. Sure, it looks cool, but what can it do?

A laptop with extra steps

We really can’t fault Asus on anything traditional. The Zenbook 17 Fold’s build is great, even if there are many warnings about the fragile display. You don’t have to treat it like it’s made of porcelain, but a little more care is required. Display quality, as always, is top-notch.

The keyboard, as mentioned, looks like it was sliced from a regular notebook. It’s a little flimsy and the fact that you have to turn it on and off is a little irritating, but using it is just like using a traditional (and cheaper) Asus notebook. The trackpad is responsive if a little compact. The keys are standard chiclet buttons. You’ve been here before. It’s competent but nothing special.

Elsewhere, there are the usual features you’ll find in any other Asus notebook, like biometric login and the like. Again, that’s the problem. There’s nothing beyond the screen that is any different from a regular old notebook. And those regular parts are complicated by the fact that the 17.3in display has to fold in half. It’s less convenient to use than a normal laptop. It’s more expensive than a normal laptop. And it doesn’t do anything differently from a normal laptop. It’s still cool, we’re just not sure why it exists.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold verdict

What Asus has done with its flexible notebook is a technical achievement. It’s a 17.3in folding tablet that also happens to contain an entire computer. Paired with a very skinny Bluetooth keyboard, it’s an ultraportable notebook. But that’s as far as it goes. It doesn’t do anything better than any existing solutions. It’s not more powerful. It doesn’t offer better utility unless you really need a 17.3in display with you at all times. Even then, there’s the price factor. Even at its base price of R65,000, you can afford two 512GB M2 MacBook Pros and still have cash left over. A couple of thousand rand more and you can outfit your dual Apple PC setup with a screen that’ll at least match what Asus is fielding. In short, it’s awesome. But we’ve got no idea why anyone would want to buy one over, say, a regular notebook and enough monitors to always have one on hand.

This might be unfair, and it’s something we’re keeping in mind. Samsung’s original Fold smartphone felt much the same when it launched. In more ways than one, but we’ll get to that shortly. We’ve spent a couple of hours in the company of the Zenbook 17 Fold so far. Initial impressions are that it’s a technical success — but you probably won’t ditch your regular laptop for it right now. In other words, it’s just like almost every other flexible smart device on the market these days.

Delicate little Fold

Comparisons between the first Galaxy Z Fold and Asus’ Zenbook 17 Fold are especially apt when you examine the build Asus has gone for here. It’s got an advertised 8.7mm thickness, but that’s a touch deceptive. When folded out to its full 17.3in screen size, it’s that thick. If you don’t count the generous padding around the hinge, which serves at least two functions.

It protects the hinge section, and it removes the need to over-engineer the hinge. Some of the moving parts are exposed under the padding. It might pinch skin or pick up detritus if the soft, spongy material didn’t exist. Even with it, there’s a chance of dirt getting into parts of the outer hinge.

Elsewhere, the Zenbook 17 Fold is similarly delicate. The screen is fringed with a soft bezel that’s spongey to the touch. The screen’s crease is held by a pin — Samsung learned this lesson the hard way so Asus didn’t have to. Poking around the display is a sometimes stressful affair. It’s noticeably more fragile than a conventional touchscreen and that stretches to more than just the build.

There are a range of acceptable ways to open and close the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold. Pressing into the screen at mid-points, away from the edges, could cause damage. Which, you know, is fair enough. But it reinforces the Samsung Fold comparison — this is a first-generation device for Asus and it should really be treated that way.

One thing or another

It should also be treated as experimental in another way — we’re not really sure what this computer is for. Marvelling over it and going, “Man, that’s cool” shouldn’t really count as a reason to own one. It’s possible to use it as a tablet, with a fully functional OLED touchscreen that’s nigh-on as good as Asus’ conventional display. You can fold it up so it’s a laptop from the future, but then you’ve got to use a digital keyboard. It’s far simpler to pop the included Bluetooth keyboard on top of the bottom half of the display, turning the Zenbook 17 Fold into a conventional notebook again. Or you can stand the screen up, so it looks like a storytime display at a public library.

So yes, it’s versatile. But it doesn’t, in our limited time with it, do anything that can’t already be done by a 2-in-1 notebook with less worry that something delicate is going to break. Adding an external monitor to a regular Asus Zenbook or grabbing a Lenovo Yoga notebook will offer most of the functions we’ve seen so far. Being able to slip an admittedly powerful 17.3in tablet into a relatively small bag probably won’t outweigh the risks you’re taking owning one.

That’s because the Bluetooth keyboard is a potential point of failure here too. It’s magnetic, so it should stay in place when you fold your PC up like a giant computer sandwich. But if it’s off-centre, there’s a risk that it’ll damage the display. Again, this is a first-gen device problem and it’ll improve in the next model. But all it takes is one mistake and an early adopter is heading back to the adoption agency. So to speak. Please don’t returns any real kids to an adoption agency. That’s incredibly evil.

It’s all here

Still, Asus knows how to make a computer. The Zenbook 17 Fold includes at least as many ports as a usual Zenbook — not that many, but they’re versatile. Okay, so there are just two Thunderbolt ports, and there’s a 3.5mm jack in there as well. Even the Bluetooth keyboard, which is fantastically skinny, doesn’t have more than a power switch and charge port. It’s perfectly familiar if you’ve ever used an Asus keyboard, but it does feel a little flimsy if you’ve balanced it on the bottom screen.

Inside, though, there’s a decent amount of power. 16GB of RAM backs up an Intel Core i7-1250U. That’s not incredibly large, but it’ll more than get the job done. The machine itself isn’t thick enough for a third-party GPU, which is fine. We can’t imagine how annoying it would be to investigate high-end thermal solutions for something like this.

The 17.3in OLED display is Asus’ usual quality — that is, excellent. When unfolded the screen defaults to a 1,920 x 2,560 resolution. If you’re using it like a laptop, or have the keyboard in place, then you’ve got a 12.5in 1.920 x 1,280 screen to play with. There are a bunch of the usual smart features included, like biometric logins, that we haven’t even started playing with.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold initial verdict

The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold is an impressive-enough technical showcase, but we’re almost 100% certain the company is already working on a better model. It’s a serious feat to take the ‘folding smartphone’ and doing it with a 17.3in screen. But this definitely feels like an early adopter device. That is, you’ll need a chunk of disposable cash and have to not mind teething issues too much in order to make this a must-buy. Most of the immediately-apparent features can be replaced by less sensitive hardware or an external monitor. But hey, maybe that opinion will change by the time the review is done. Stranger things have happened.

Any budget tablet will offer lower specs than you might find in products with a larger price tag. Samsung’s A7 Lite is no exception. The screen is sub-HD (but offers more than a 720p resolution). It’s not really designed for gaming. But if you’re after an affordable and attractive media consumption device, you’ve come to the right place.

Death to all but metal

Samsung has a way with design. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is an attractive piece of hardware. The 8.7in 800 x 1,340 screen is surrounded by surprisingly skinny bezels. The surrounding edges are sparsely populated. There’s space on the upper left edge for a microSD card. The volume and power buttons live on the upper right, but it feels a little weird. Unlike Samsung’s phones, the power button is above the volume rocket. It takes some getting used to.

Some surprising parts of the build are extremely welcome. There’s still a 3.5mm jack, in case you’re rocking a set of wired headphones, a speaker grille, and then a USB-C port for charging. That… makes a heck of a difference in this budget slate. We’re not thrilled with its offset placement, but it hasn’t done anything unpleasant as a result of it so…

The edges and rear are also welcome. Samsung’s included two plastic end-caps but the metal rear panel goes a long way towards keeping this tablet as compact as it is. It measures just 8mm thick, which is thinner than many smartphones. It weighs just over 365 grams and it handles well if you’re using it as a media player. Or you could stick it into a case that props it up if this is your load-shedding time waster.

The power of thy sword

But, as mentioned, this is a budget tablet. For all that, it runs Android 12 and Samsung’s One UI 4.1. That means it’ll connect wonderfully with Samsung Wear devices, like earbuds and smartwatches. You’re more likely to use the buds because the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is an almost perfect media machine. Netflix and other streaming services work wonderfully. There’s also plenty of internal space — around 20GB of the included 32GB — to use VLC or another media player if you’re fond of offline media files.

The 8.7in TFT display is bright and colour reproduction, while it won’t win design awards, is more than enough to make HD content pop. South Africa’s version of the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite includes 3GB of RAM. Along with the MediaTek Helio P22T processor running everything in the background, that’s more than enough for media playback and web browsing. We did note a slight slowdown when playing files in VLC. The stutter lasts for a couple of seconds before the video and audio sync up.

Which is a roundabout way of saying that you… probably shouldn’t buy this if you’re keen on playing games. It’ll cope with older titles, but don’t expect to win (or even attempt to win) any chicken dinners. Fortnite won’t work. Nor will most graphics-heavy games. Idle games, point-and-click, and emulated SNES games, sure. But nothing much more intensive, sadly.

To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth 

The last bits of the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite we have to cover are a) the obvious and b) the extremely important. The cameras are the obvious point. How do they perform? Well… they don’t really. There’s a little 2MP front-facing potato-cam that’ll do for video calls. You won’t ever light up social media using it unless you’re very creative with your lighting. The rear camera is a single 8MP sensor, with autofocus. It’ll take decent images provided you make every effort to ensure that the lighting is perfect.

But you’re not buying a tablet like this for its photography skills, which is why Samsung gets to skimp a little here. Far more important is battery life and it’s here that the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite performs. There’s a 5,100mAh battery at work. Given the reduced specs, even the 8.7in screen size can’t do much damage to the battery. It’ll outlast load shedding with plenty of breathing room, even if you’re actively streaming from a WiFi connection and using Bluetooth earbuds. You can clear two to three full-length movies and still have enough charge left over for an episode or two before returning to the charger.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite verdict

No tablet is perfect. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is less perfect than many. But it has several factors in its favour — there’s a solid build behind it, the battery has enough legs to keep you entertained for ages, and that screen isn’t nearly as bad as its on-paper specs might suggest. In other words, if you’re after a media player that’ll work when all others are lacking power, this is your device. But it’s relatively low-powered compared to most devices you might own and the camera isn’t worth mentioning. But that’s fine — nobody needs to use a tablet to take photographs. Unless they’ve spotted Bigfoot and don’t have any other camera to hand. Which, based on Bigfoot images out in the wild, happens far more often than you’d think.

With a price point of R4,500, you’re paying for an excellent screen, a decent battery, and great speakers. And, believe it or not, it’s actually worth it.

Deep Blue Sea

The MatePad T 10s looks a lot like the MatePad 8. It even comes in the same colour – ‘Deepsea Blue’. Even though it’s not nearly as thin as its competitors, the MatePad weighs just 450g and has a thickness of 7.85mm, making it feel more premium without any of the extra cost.

The backplate is metal with a matte finish, and a thin plastic edge on the top of the tablet.

Along the edge, you won’t find much besides the USB C 2.0 charging port, headphone jack and a slot allowing for a nano sim card and a MicroSD which can be expanded all the way up to 512GB. Speakers live along the top and bottom, with the power and volume buttons being where you might reasonably expect them.

While the metal backplate makes the tablet look and feel great, it’s prone to attracting smudges. A case is advised if you don’t feel like wiping your tablet down five times a day.

It’s easily portable and a great companion to take with you.

Book smart

The Huawei MatePad T10s has a 10.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200. If all you’re looking to do is scroll social media, browse the web and watch videos, then you’re all set.

The best feature of the display is hands down eBook mode. Turning on eBook mode filters out all blue light, helping to reduce eye strain while getting to the end of your next favourite book. It’s a pity that the regular display mode can be a little finicky.

Conventional brightness levels leave room for improvement. Unless your brightness settings are set to the max, sitting outside in a brightly lit area will be almost impossible. At times, the screen also felt a little blurry, with the resolution not living up to the stats shown. The reason is simple. By default, Huawei adjusts the resolution for users based on what they’re doing. Turning off Smart Resolution is a must if you’d prefer your resolution to be constantly crisp.

Fuzzy logic

If you’re looking to get a tablet to take great pictures, then this may not be the tablet for you. And you need your head examined.

The front-facing 2MP camera is centrally located when using the MatePad in landscape view. Its position allows for easier video calls, though you may be better off sticking with your smartphone’s standard camera. The resolution isn’t anything remarkable.

The 5MP rear camera is a slight improvement. But only slight. It gets the job done as best it can – especially for how cheap the MatePad is in the current market. This price point in a smartphone wouldn’t suggest an excellent camera. There’s no reason to expect any better from Huawei’s tablet.

Game for most things

The MatePad sports one of Huawei’s Kirin 710A core processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. If 64GB isn’t enough to satisfy your storage needs, you are given the option of slotting in your own 512GB SD card. Or something smaller, we won’t judge.

While not optimal for gaming, the MatePad holds up pretty well. While there are slight stutters in faster-paced games, it never feels slow. Titles such as Asphalt 9 run smoothly, as long as there aren’t too many apps pulling power from the background.

Gaming is still the main drawback of the hardware – everything else runs and opens exactly as it’s meant to. Replying to your latest Snapchat won’t offer even a hint of lag. When it comes to budget tablets, this is most definitely a win.

Running Android 10 and EMUI version 10.1, the MatePad is certainly no slouch. There is one major problem though.

There’s no Google Play Store. Or any of Google’s services. Instead, there’s Huawei’s own AppGallery which is… lacking. Due to current American restrictions, the MatePad isn’t able to include any of Google’s staple apps. You can still get along fine with the web versions of missing apps; although it ends up leaving AppGallery feeling a little empty.

When turning on the MatePad for the first time, you’re greeted with plenty of shortcuts to apps on the AppGallery. Essentially, they’re just ads. Don’t sweat it – one tap of a button and they’re gone.

Despite all that, it’s still Android, only with Huawei putting their own spin on things.

Load shedding buddy

Arguably one of the better features of the MatePad is the 5,100mAh battery. You’ll never be stuck in the dark (thanks, Eskom). The MatePad to keep you busy for a couple of hours at least — it’ll give you around five hours of intensive usage, with the internet running, before it conks out. This can be extended by turning off internet access and toning down brightness.

The only downfall in the battery department is that there’s no Fast Charging option. While some may find this a dealbreaker, most casual users will be content with charging it throughout the night. Well, what would you expect from a tablet that was first launched in 2020?

Surprisingly, the speakers are where the MatePad shine. The audio quality is much higher than expected for a tablet in this price range. It’s loud enough to hear every lyric of your favourite tune and subtle enough to hear the whispers when watching videos.

With a budget in mind, it would be hard to close your ears to the MatePads excellent sound quality. Combine that with the display (suitably tweaked), brightness, and enough battery life to outlast all but the most determined of Eskom interruptions and we’re looking at a slab of glass and plastic that is worth your time.

Huawei MatePad T 10s Verdict

While the Huawei MatePad T 10s won’t be stepping into the ring with either Samsung or Apple anytime soon, it set its sights on becoming the best ‘cheap’ tablet around. If you’re looking for a tablet that has a great battery along with great speakers, you’ve come to the right place. You won’t trounce any kids in Fortnite, unless you don’t mind the occasional lag spike. But that’s fine. Weighing only 450g, the MatePad will be your best friend on your travels, being compact enough to easily slip in a carry-on. For a tablet newbie on a budget of R4,500, and as long as you’re not welded to the idea of Google’s services, it’s hard to go wrong with the Huawei MatePad T10s.

Which isn’t the first Nokia-made Android tablet Stuff has seen. But it’s certainly considerable slicker than anything that carried the Lumia branding back in the day. The Nokia T20 takes a page from its more modern smartphone designs by being a mostly understated budget slate. It’ll work best for entertainment. Or, you know, anything else that needs little more than a portable screen.

A clean slate

Which is basically all that you’re getting from the Nokia T20. The 10.4in 1,200 x 2,000 display is certainly bright enough (if you crank the brightness up). Adaptive brightness helps to keep it below eye-searing levels in darker environments. However, place it under bright lights and you’ll turn the upper surface into a bit of a mirror. The backplate is a very premium metal finish, with a thin plastic section along its upper edge.

The T20 is largely devoid of accessories along its edges. Along the upper edge is the SIM card slot and, on the left, a volume rocket. There are speaker vents left and right, with a power button on the upper left-hand side. In the lower right-hand corner, using very weird placement, is a 3.5mm headphone jack. It looks like you’ll insert your headphone connector diagonally. It’s just horizontal, and it looks like a weak point to us. Drop the tablet on that corner with some ‘phones plugged in and you’ll be sobbing.

There are cameras front and back (we’ll get to those, but don’t bother getting too excited). The Nokia T20 is powered by Android 11 out of the box, and there doesn’t seem to be an Android 12 upgrade ready for it just yet. It measures 7.8mm thick and looks a little like someone took a Nokia smartphone and just… stretched it.

Read More: 12 Nokia phones that changed the world (and 9 crazy ones)

Empty inside

The outer shell is competent but boring. If you happen to be a hardware nerd, then the interior is just as yawn-inducing. There are a few points worthy of notice, but not the ones you’re looking for. There’s a Unisoc T610 processor running this one. Don’t panic if you’ve never heard of it. We had to look it up. This lesser-known chipset launched in 2019 and is roughly comparable to one of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665. Expect lower-to-mid-range performance from the Nokia T20 as a result.

And that’s with 4GB of RAM backing it. There’s noticeable lag when bringing up the login screen and the T20 will battle with processor-intensive tasks. A little light gaming is possible, but don’t expect to go trouncing many youngsters in Fortnite. We ran the T20 through Geekbench and came back with scores of 345 for single-core and 1,246 for multi-core performance. Those are strictly rookie numbers. Sadly, there’s not much you can do to pump them up.

No. But also, yes

Remember what tablet cameras used to be like? More or less pointless outside of perfect lighting conditions? Kinda fuzzy at every other point in time? Yeah, nothing much has changed here. There’s a single 8MP rear camera sensor that… takes photos. That’s the best thing we can say about it. There’s also a 5MP camera up front for video calls. You’re likely to get more use out of that one, but don’t expect much more than utility from the pair of sensors the Nokia T20 is packing.

The battery is another story. There’s an 8,200mAh lithium-polymer battery in the back of this thing. Paired with the Unisoc processor, which isn’t especially power hungry, and with just the display making major demands, you’re looking at a considerable amount of standby. You’ll also breeze all the way through load shedding (even Stage 4) without resorting to a wall charger. The fact that, in our review model, there’s 64GB of storage and a dedicated microSD card slot makes this the perfect time-waster when power is lacking.

Nokia T20 Verdict

The Nokia T20 isn’t going to displace Apple or Samsung’s headliners any time soon. If power is what you crave, you won’t find it here. But at 465 grams, it’s fairly easy on the wrists and the major high notes have all been hit. There’s plenty of battery headroom, even if you’re doing nothing but watching videos. The screen is fantastic for the same purposes, though it can become a bit of a mirror in the sun. About the only other negative thing we could possibly mention is that the metal backplate gathers fingerprints like a bouncer taking tickets at a music festival. At R4,000, the price we were given by Nokia’s local representatives, you’re paying mostly for the screen and battery in this 10-incher. But the premium finish is awfully nice to have too.

It’s almost large enough to swap out your laptop for and it’s got all the hardware under the hood to at least have you considering the move. The OLED panel, sporting a 120Hz resolution, wants you to spend all your time gazing at the screen. But does it really live up to the idea of being a laptop replacement, even with S Pen support and an (optional) keyboard peripheral thrown into the mix?

Sharp dressed slab

Everyone who knows tablets knows that Samsung’s best are the best you can get on the Android OS. That applies when it comes to style as well. This is one of Samsung’s largest but the Tab S7 Plus still feels premium. The all-metal build feels sturdy and the brushed metal sides are particularly fancy.

At 575g it’s fairly thin and light, but you won’t be one-handing this thing unless you’re waving it around like a clipboard. In which case, we hope you have insurance because it’ll set you back R23,000. The smaller Tab S7 starts at R18,000, which is a bit of an easier pill to swallow.

The screen’s bezels are decently skinny, and you’ve got a choice of where you dock your S Pen. It’ll stick (magnetically) to the side if you want it to but it’ll only recharge when you’ve got it attached to the rear, by the cameras. You know, the place Samsung intended you keep it.

There’s an in-display fingerprint sensor, which’ll speedily let you in to look at your own files. But since it’s hard to know which way is up, maybe register more than just the one finger this time around, yeah? You can opt for face detection too, but it’s not quite as speedy.

If you’re a fan of wired headphones, we’ve got some sad news for you. You’re gonna have to go wireless, but Samsung’s included quad speakers in case you want to spread the sound a little. The sound stage is helped by Dolby Atmos tech, so expect the S7 Plus to be a media darling.

Better big screen

Samsung’s displays are always a treat and this tablet’s 12.4in AMOLED panel is fantastic. It has to be, because tablets are all about that screen space. This one combines inky blacks with vibrant colours, providing ample brightness into the mix. It’s perfect for media streaming, where you want the best contrast possible. HDR10+ support is a great addition too. 

There’s a 16:10 aspect ration here, which really suits widescreen (read: all) modern video content. The 2,800 x 1,753 resolution gives you the option to crank YouTube up to 1440p — your eyes will thank you. Samsung could have gone for a 4K display here, and we wouldn’t have blamed them for trying, but the effect on the price and battery life would have been nigh-catastrophic.

But, like most of Samsung’s high-end displays of late, there’s a 120Hz refresh rate to play with. Now you too can compete with the very best mobile gamers, only now you can’t blame input lag for why you’re dying all the time. Plus, there are the S Pen benefits — Samsung’s stylus is so smooth to use.

Something extra

Samsung’s using One UI, as usual and it’s still a fantastic Android skin. Multitasking here is decent and navigation is also splendid. Love that shortcut bar.

The included S Pen is also a breeze to use. It includes the same air gesture shortcuts first seen with the launch of the Galaxy Note 10 and the bundled apps for the peripheral will up your note-taking or sketching skills.

And then there’s DeX UI. You should know the drill by now — connect your Samsung to  screen, mouse and keyboard and you’ve got a little computer. Only this is a fairly big computer. Sadly, it’s only Samsung’s apps that make an effort to be really usable. If you’re working with anything unusual, you’re better off with an iPad Pro (which features optimised everything) or a conventional PC.

Enter the Snapdragon

The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus will eat up tasks, thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (that devices released this year will know as the Snapdragon 870). Yes, there are faster chipsets out but this slate launched in 2020. They weren’t around then. Despite the ‘older’ hardware, it’s mighty responsive to just about everything you do. The high refresh rate helps the speedy chip to get things done.

You could obsess over mobile benchmarks. If you do, you’ll find that the iPad Pro considers this tablet slow but if you prefer to actually use the thing, you’ll find that numbers don’t always dictate reality. Unless you’re an accountant. Apps are speedy, animations are animated and games will run as well as you’ve ever seen. There’s 8GB of RAM in the South African model, which is lower than you’ll find in Samsung’s flagship handsets. Even so, there’s more than enough here for effective multitasking.

Some models of the Tab S7 Plus ship with 5G access as well — here in South Africa, that’s sadly not the case. There’s WiFi, and it’s speedy enough if you’ve got the right supporting hardware, but 5G speeds will have to wait till the Tab S8 rears its head.

I’ve got the power

Look, Eskom’s back. And so’s electricity. Aaand it’s gone again. But that shouldn’t matter too much to you, because Samsung’s fitting the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus with a monster 10,090mAh battery. It’ll outlast load shedding, especially now that Joburg’s on a (slightly nonsensical) two-hour schedule.

How long it lasts in general is up to you. You’ll manage ten hours of video playback, even if you’ve set the screen fairly bright. Games will give you a little less uptime, but more than an OG Nintendo Switch. If you slap a keyboard onto this thing and attempt to get your work done, you’ll find yourself needing a charger a lot sooner. That’d be the display’s 120Hz refresh rate and all the scrolling you’re doubtless doing.

If you’re not constantly at it, this slate will give you at least a day’s use. There’s a 15W power adaptor packed in but it’ll take a while to get back up to 100%. If you’ve got your hands on a 45W charger, it’ll top up much faster. But… those cost extra.

Seeing double

Samsung puts a whole lot of effort into its mobile camera and that goes for tablets now too. It’s no S21 Ultra but it’s also not a shoddy effort for a tablet-based snapper. There’s a front-facing 8MP camera but it’s situated in the centre of the screen. You really shouldn’t be attempting selfies with this thing, it’s much more inclined towards video calls.

Around back, though, there’s a duo of lenses for you to play with — there is a 13MP main sensor alongside a 5MP wide-angle backup. The 13MP includes autofocus, while the 5MP is fixed and, as you can see, it’s also got a flash built-in.

In terms of performance, the Tab S7 Plus balances colour and dynamic range well, though colour reproduction can sometimes be a little enthusiastic. That’s Samsung for you. Auto-HDR is a nice touch, making daylight images a delight but when the light begins to shuffle off, you’ll contend with some noise. The wide-angle lens takes less impressive snaps but you’re unlikely to be ashamed of them unless you’re also a terrible photographer — and we all know the cameras won’t be at fault in that case, don’t we? But, as pleasant as these images are, you’re still going to get better snaps with an easier-to-handle smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Verdict

Android tablets are everywhere and yet, most can’t come close to the quality offered by Apple’s stable. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 Plus can, with enough power behind its attractive display to rip through any task you set it to. The S Pen brings a new (for Android) dimension to tablet use, increasing the Tab S7 Plus’ versatility. And then there’s 5G support.

If pressed, we’d say that Apple still has the edge in this fight but Samsung’s brought the fight to the company’s iPad Pro 12.9 with this slate. It gains extra points for the fact that the stylus is included (Apple’s version will cost you an extra R3,000, on top of the tablet price). If you’re suffering from a case of tablet-envy but don’t want to give Captain Cook any cash, Samsung’s effort will scratch any itch you might have.