VERDICT
The Asus ZenPad S 8.0 packs great specs and well-rounded features into an attractive tablet that won't break the bank, and which competes strongly with more expensive competitors.
PROS:
- Low price
- Superb high-res screen
- Stereo speakers
CONS:
- A lot of pre-installed apps
- Flimsy microSD socket cover
- Average camera
Asus brought one of the first Android Honeycomb 3.0 tablets to the market in 2011 in the form of the EeePad Transformer, and has been plugging away at the tablet scene ever since in an effort to create the fabled 'iPad killer' so many Android-lovers are looking for.
While the company has continued to impress, with some serious improvements in its Transformer line of tablets, few tablets other than the Google-branded originalNexus 7 have managed to sell in significant numbers.
Asus has the Apple iPad Mini 4 firmly in its sights with its latest attempt, the ZenPad S 8.0 , which carries a low price tag of £169.99 ($199 or AU$279) - that's almost half the price of the cheapest 7.9-inch tablet from Apple.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0
Compared with the Asus MeMO Pad 7 , which we reviewed earlier this year, the ZenPad S 8.0 has a higher-resolution 2048 x 1536 IPS screen, which with 324ppi is both incredibly sharp and has iPad-rivalling viewing angles and colour. As with the MemoPad Asus is sticking with the quad-core, 64-bit Intel Atom Z3560 running at 1.83 gigahertz, coupled with 2GB of RAM.
There are plenty of other extras worth mentioning, such as the dual front-facing speakers with Dolby DTS-HD technology, and 32GB of storage space that can be increased by a further 128GB via a microSD card slot.
The ZenPad S 8.0 is also one of the first tablets to include a USB Type-C connector rather than micro USB, which enables faster transfers and quicker charging, and is reversible, like Apple's lightening connector.
Design
The ZenPad S 8.0 measures just 203.2 x 134.5 mm and is light enough to comfortably hold in one hand; at just 6.6mm thick it feels super-thin and well balanced. The 76.5% screen-to-body ratio is far from the worst you'll find, and is enough to give most videos the full-screen cinematic treatment.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
Up front the design offers little to distinguish it from the tablet pack beyond the dual front-facing speakers. A chrome bezel separates the third-generation Gorilla Glass from the plastic chassis, while on the rear a second chrome bezel splits the soft plastic from a leather-effect portion that affords a little extra grip (depending how you hold it).
On the right edge you'll find a nondescript volume bar and power/wake button, which while far from stylish are at least raised enough to make them easy to blindly locate. There's a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top left, and the USB-C socket and a microphone on the bottom.
The left edge is home to the microSD card slot, which is hidden under a little flap. Although the cover does sit flush with the casing and protects the slot from dust, it's not exactly the sturdiest example of its type , and it feels like it could be rather easily snapped off.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
As for cameras, there's a rear-facing 8MP unit and a 5MP front-facing shooter for selfies and video calling. Neither is accompanied by a flash, although if you're serious about taking a high-quality snap it's unlikely that you'll be resorting to a tablet to do so.
Interface and features
While the Nexus 7 may have been a totally stock Android experience, Asus has since moved onto its own ZenUI launcher, which in this case is based on Android Lollipop 5.0. While other launchers do nothing to improve the Android interface ZenUI does very little harm, and in some cases is an improvement.
For starters, the skin is highly customisable, and is a little more intelligent than Google's stock experience when it comes to things such as sorting newly installed apps. After installation, ZenUI will automatically sort an app into a number of pre-made 'Smart' folders, or in some cases will make a new folder, as was the case when I installed a couple of games.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
Asus has been careful not to drastically overhaul some of the best parts of Android, simply putting its own spin on well-rounded existing features such as the pull-down notifications and quick-settings pane, and the multi-tasking apps menu.
The lock screen serves up useful information such as the weather, location and any notifications you might have pending, as well as quick access to apps such as the camera, email and web browser, all of which can be launched with a quick tap and a swipe.
It's a handy feature that's found in many third-party launchers, but like the rest, it quickly disappears into the background if you turn on the PIN or pattern lock screen security options.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
With abundant customisations through ZenUI, it's no surprise that even the app drawer has had every conceivable option thrown in for good measure. You can change the grid size, lock and hide apps, and much more besides.
In fact, you can tweak ZenUI to look exactly as you wish (although none of these extras get in the way of usability). You can leave the ZenPad S 8.0 exactly as it comes out of the box if you prefer, but those who like to adjust background transparency, icons, icon label colours and default system fonts will find these options, and lots more, in the app drawer's preferences menu.
With a well-proven Intel Atom Z3560 under the hood ticking away at 1.83Ghz, and 2GB of RAM for backup, the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 has all the power required for typical tablet tasks, gaming and media. 3D applications and games run smoothly on the high-res screen thanks to the PowerVR G6430 GPU.
As part of our testing we run tablets through a range of benchmarks to gauge how they compare with rivals. In this regard the ZenPad S 8.0 scored admirably - and, unsurprisingly, on a par with the Asus MeMO Pad 7, which features an identical CPU and GPU combo.
In GeekBench tests designed predominantly to test the CPU, the ZenPad S 8.0 scored 768 on the single-core test and 2334 on the multi-core test, besting the multi-core score of 2147 from the Tesco Hudl 2 and its similar processor, but falling short of the single-core 8.4-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S , which scored 886.
In Futuremark's 3DMark benchmark the ZenPad S 8.0 scored a respectable 19,639, which may be nearly 10,000 points shy of the blistering scored achieved by theNvidia Shield Tablet is still a perfectly respectable score.
In previous benchmarks we've tested the approximate speed of the browser using the SunSpider test, which runs a number of JavaScrip tests and records a score measured in milliseconds. The ZenPad S 8.0's score of 991.1ms is a little slower than the Tesco Hudl 2, which scored around 800ms.
As SunSpider is no longer being updated I also ran the JetStream benchmark, which tests a number of more modern JavaScript technologies. For future reference (if nothing else) the ZenPad S 8.0 scored 35.340.
Battery life
Powering the Intel quad-core processor and high-res screen is a 4,000mAh Li-Po battery, which Asus claims should be enough for an easy eight hours of mixed usage. However, that comes up short compared with the 4650mAH battery in the EE Harrier Tab , and is considerably less powerful than the Nexus 9 's 6,700mAh battery.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
To help prolong the running time of the ZenPad S 8.0 the Power Saver app enables you to choose between an Ultra-saving mode that throttles performance to eke out more battery life, an Optimized mode, and a Customized mode that enables you to tailor brightness and network use as needed.
It appears that Asus' Boostmaster technology is included to speed up charging when needed, although I found that it only popped up occasionally when the device was plugged in, and I couldn't find it mentioned in the settings or the user manual.
Screen and media
While many other tablets make do with a Full HD panel, Asus has plumped for a very good 2058 x 1536 IPS panel that gives the tablet a 320ppi screen density, besting even the larger Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 and making it all but impossible to distinguish pixels with the naked eye.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
Sound is provided by stereo front-facing speakers - in my opinion a must for modern tablets, and even smartphones. Once you experience the sensation of stereo sound from YouTube videos and other media you'll wonder how you ever put up with that near-useless speaker on the rear of your old tablet.
The speakers on the ZenPad S 8.0 aren't quite as good as those on the Nvidia Shield, and aren't the finest tablet speakers I've heard - they can be a little treble-heavy and distort at higher volumes. However, they're more than loud enough, and sound perfectly adequate at slightly reduced volumes.
With DTS-HD audio credentials onboard, Asus has included an equaliser app that enables you to choose from a number of preset options, or fiddle with bass and treble to tune the audio to your taste. While these options do make a difference, I tended to leave it on 'Movie' mode most of the time.
Whether you want to play HD films or store stacks of music, Asus hasn't neglected to include a microSD card slot to complement the included 32GB of storage. While Asus claims the capacity can be increased by a further 128GB with the addition of a card, as the slot is compatible with the SDXC format it's very likely that it's compatible with the 200GB cards that are now available.
Apps
Asus' own apps, such as Audio Wizard, Power Saver and File Manager are easy to use, and enable users to easily manage various aspects of the ZenPad S 8.0. Asus also includes its own WebStorage app for storing files in the cloud.
While there's relatively little in the way of third-party bloatware, the lineup of Asus apps includes a suite of applications for connecting and controlling your PC, or sharing links and files across multiple devices.
There's even a slightly ridiculous mirror app, which uses the front-facing camera and which only the most self-conscious tablet owners are likely to appreciate.
The full brace of Google apps are, of course, pre-installed, including the Play Store, YouTube, Maps and Chrome.
Although you're unlikely to want to use the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 as your primary photographic device, the opportunity to take a quick snap is afforded by the 8MP rear-facing camera, while the 5MP front-facing snapper is ideal for video calling, and boasts higher resolution than the unit on the Sony Xperia Tablet Compact .
Neither camera has a flash, so you won't be taking many night-time selfies, but images shot in daylight are more than passable for social media. There's a hint of digital noise, and images look a little smeared up-close, but this is nothing out of the ordinary at this price point.
Autofocus and face recognition are included, as is a low light mode which reduces pictures to just 2MP but aims to compensate for the lack of flash; the results aren't that great though, with a lot of noise caused by the hiked-up ISO level.
A variety of edits and effects can be applied to photos. You can soften skin and brighten eyes in addition to adjusting settings such as contrast, shadows and saturation and hue, and you can crop, add fancy borders or apply funky filters as you wish.
Sample images
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Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
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Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
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Asus ZenPad S 8.0 review
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The Asus ZenPad S 8.0 manages to pack an awful lot into a 8-inch tablet for just £169.99 ($199 or AU$279). With a fantastic screen, good built quality and other welcome additions such as the stereo speakers, it's a decent alternative to the iPad Mini 4 if you prefer the Android operating system.
The ZenPad S 8.0 is also everything we liked in the Asus MeMO Pad 7 ME572 , despite actually being a cheaper alternative - and with a larger higher-resolution screen and more storage space.
We liked
The bright, pin-sharp display is as good as any oher I've seen on a tablet, and coupled with stereo speakers, a speedy 64-bit processor and 2GB of RAM the ZenPad S 8.0 is more than up to the task of any media or gaming demands you'll make of it.
The new reversible USB-C connector is a welcome addition, while the thin chassis feels well balanced and well made, and hides a battery powerful enough to keep you entertained on most long-haul flights.
Although many users will prefer a stock Android experience, Asus has added some genuinely useful features with its ZenUI launcher, which also offers an almost never-ending amount of customisation options.
We disliked
Although there are some genuinely useful apps pre-loaded onto the ZenPad S 8.0, there are an awful lot of them, which really eats into the tablet's built-in storage before you've installed any of your own. More annoyingly, most of them can't be uninstalled.
A microSD slot is always a welcome addition, but the flap which covers the slot on the ZenPad S 8.0 feels flimsy and vulnerable to breaking if used regularly.
Final verdict
The Asus ZenPad S 8.0 is an attractive alternative to better-known models from Samsung and Apple, and packs in an impressive array of bells and whistles which you might expect to find on a more expensive tablet.
It's not as blisteringly fast as the Google Nexus 9 , but Intel's quad-core 64-bit processor is snappy enough to avoid any of the lag or slow-down that spoils the user experience with other cheap tablets.
When you consider that the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 is cheaper than Google's own slate, and half the price of Amazon's or Apple's closest rival, it really does stand out as great value for money, and doesn't scrimp on key features.
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