rolexconfuse
Member
- Apr 5, 2011
- 18
- 0
I've purchased a few Chinese made tablets before and the biggest thing for them is that they are "affordable". But really it depends on what you are using the tablet for. If you are only going to surf the web/email and watch movies most Chinese tablets (with decent specs) would work fine. But keep in mind of a few things.
Firmware: Big companies may or may not release an OS upgrade but if there is a problem with the existing firmware you could get the patch easily when it gets released. Where if it's a Chinese tablet you will need to find a support forum or go into the Chinese forum to get the firmware fix.
Processor: Big names are moving toward quad core-cpus while Chinese tablets are starting to go toward dual core-cpu's. But not all dual cores are equal. Some are going to the cortex A9 (found in the current ipad2, new ipad, samsung, sony and etc). While others are using a dual core rockchip cpu. The rockchip cpu was made more for media playback and not for processing (also a cheaper processor compared to the Cortex A9).
Build quality: Build quality is improving but they are still a bit behind the big names. You made get a good unit or you may get a bad unit. Yes all tablets are made in china but quality control is tighter with the big names.
Display: Big names are moving past 1024 X 768 resolution and going into HD resolution. Chinese tablets are still stuck on the older resolutions.
Warranty: most companies are just a website with no storefront and no inventory. If you buy a big name tablet from best buy or fry's and find a problem you can always bring it back for an exchange. If you have a problem with something from amazon you can always ship it back. If you have a problem with a Chinese tablet it may cost almost the price of the tablet to send it back for repairs (after insurance and shipping charges)
I'm not saying that Chinese tablets are bad. I think they are a good starting point if you are interested in testing the tablet waters. But you have to keep your expectation in check. Some of these tablets may not function as well as some of the bigger names.
Firmware: Big companies may or may not release an OS upgrade but if there is a problem with the existing firmware you could get the patch easily when it gets released. Where if it's a Chinese tablet you will need to find a support forum or go into the Chinese forum to get the firmware fix.
Processor: Big names are moving toward quad core-cpus while Chinese tablets are starting to go toward dual core-cpu's. But not all dual cores are equal. Some are going to the cortex A9 (found in the current ipad2, new ipad, samsung, sony and etc). While others are using a dual core rockchip cpu. The rockchip cpu was made more for media playback and not for processing (also a cheaper processor compared to the Cortex A9).
Build quality: Build quality is improving but they are still a bit behind the big names. You made get a good unit or you may get a bad unit. Yes all tablets are made in china but quality control is tighter with the big names.
Display: Big names are moving past 1024 X 768 resolution and going into HD resolution. Chinese tablets are still stuck on the older resolutions.
Warranty: most companies are just a website with no storefront and no inventory. If you buy a big name tablet from best buy or fry's and find a problem you can always bring it back for an exchange. If you have a problem with something from amazon you can always ship it back. If you have a problem with a Chinese tablet it may cost almost the price of the tablet to send it back for repairs (after insurance and shipping charges)
I'm not saying that Chinese tablets are bad. I think they are a good starting point if you are interested in testing the tablet waters. But you have to keep your expectation in check. Some of these tablets may not function as well as some of the bigger names.
Last edited:
