Review: Filipino-made educational tablet delivers world-class performance
MANILA, Philippines — Looking for an affordable gadget to supplement your child’s education?
The use of gadgets among students has remained a necessity even as classes have returned to face-to-face modality, although physical classes should be able to limit their gadget use to researching, connecting with classmates and teachers, learning about coding and other apps as a school requirement, and getting quick news updates especially about class cancellations due to bad weather.
The problem with getting a new gadget for kids, however, is that it is an added financial burden especially due to the ongoing inflation that augmented tuition and other miscellaneous expenses.
A new line of tablets, however, comes not only at a fraction of the prices of other branded tablets; they come with another perk – they are surprisingly proudly Filipino!
With its slim and lightweight figure, shiny metallic finish, glossy mirror and high-definition graphics, the new X10 tablet of Filipino-owned tech company ABC Tech Ventures Inc. has the looks and feel of the high-end tablets of internationally-renowned brands such as Apple and Samsung – but X10 retails for only P8,499 in e-commerce sites and the company’s own website. A Samsung tablet, in contrast, can go up to P66,395, while an iPad model (iPad Pro) goes for P55,990.
Yes, the X10 comes only at a fraction of the price of its more renowned counterparts, but does it also perform less? Not necessarily.
Comparing the X10 to this author’s iPad and Samsung tablets, the X10 even has a number of advantages. They are as follows:
- It is so user-friendly that you and your child can start and navigate it even without reading the manual. Its side controls and drop-down menu function the same way as in an iPad and a Samsung.
- Its monitor has so far stayed smooth and clear even if it has not been covered with a screen protector. Its body also seems stable and secure even without a cover yet.
- The brightness is automatically adjusted for children’s eyes – not too bright to cause an eye strain, or too dim to make reading harder.
- The graphics are at par with other higher-range tablets. Images and videos load fast even with multiple tabs open.
- It is easy to download apps via the Google Play Store. But I like that the tablet is automatically clear of many unnecessary built-in apps that crowd and clutter the screen, eat a lot of internal memory, and can be visually-overloading especially to kids.
- It is also easy to cast videos on TV through the cast (box or TV-looking) icon from the drop-down menu — even kids can do it — no need to download a new app or to connect to other external devices like Chromecast. Through this, you can control and monitor the kinds of videos your kids are watching if you can also see the videos on TV, unlike when the child is alone with the tablet.
- Easy navigation, no lagging, when switching between personal and work profiles. Gaming is also smooth and not lagging. Of course, sometimes you have to let your child play Minecraft or Roblox because parent-supervised gaming still harnesses good hand and eye coordination. Also, some schools with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) subjects use online games like Minecraft to teach kids about coding and robotics.
- Since it is an Android device, it is highly compatible with other devices from other brands.
- Apart from the usual slots for SIM card and a Secure Digital (SD) card slot, it comes with a USB plug, so you can save your work in a USB and easily transfer your data to your laptop.
- After less than a month of use, it has so far demonstrated a long battery life. It becomes fully charged for about an hour or a bit more, then the battery lasts the entire day or even the next day – if used at a rate of one-hour continuous use and with pauses to rest the eyes.
There were, however, some minimal but tolerable issues found in the X10 after a few days of use. They were:
- The tablet and its charger becomes very hot when over-charged or left charging for some hours. This is, nonetheless, also common in other devices such as Samsung and over-charging is actually usually discouraged by most tech brands as this can cause fire or short-circuit. There are some times, of course, when parents, in their busy schedules of juggling the household and their work, were unable to check if their children unplugged their devices. Although the X10 and its charger became hot, they still seem to be safe and not easily going to catch fire.
- The tablet has hang once and restarted for about three times when we attempted to turn it off with the shutdown button, but this has not happened again so far.
- Our usual Samsung or iPad cases do not fit into the X10, so finding a case to protect it could be a challenge in physical tech supplies stores, although cases can be ordered from the company’s website.
Despite these minor hiccups, the X10 is still generally worth it and a good complement to children’s face-to-face schooling.
Customized for kids
According to the company, what sets their line of tablets apart from other devices is that while most manufacturers have the average adult in mind when they create the design and create operating systems, the company considers much younger users' needs and interests. Some models even feature skid-proof covers, bright colors, and even pleasing characters to catch the interest of preschoolers.
Last July 28, the company released a line of more sophisticated tablets for kids with more refined tastes. These tablets have a sleeker and more refined look than their brightly-colored counterparts designed for younger kids. Additionally, the tablets are equipped with specs that cater to their educational needs, making them capable of meeting the requirements of higher grade levels.
The recently released tablets are the X8, X10, and X10 Plus. All tablets have increased durability, being waterproof and dustproof to withstand the rigors of daily use by students. Although utilitarian in function, they still have the clean look of more high-end tablets and are available in four colors: charcoal black, azure blue, rose gold, and graphite gray.
Higher end models have dual cameras, an 8MP front-facing camera and a 13MP rear-facing one, which should be more than adequate for capturing and documenting anything that is needed for class. The X8 on the other hand has an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera.
Each device is made to be used by a different age group, and the most obvious difference would be the size and storage capacity of the devices. The X8 screen measures 8.0 inches, best used by grade school children and has 32GB of storage.
Coming in with an upgrade of 64GB of storage and a 10.1-inch screen is the X10, the offering for high school learners. The next model upgrade, the X10 Plus, has similar features to the X10, but has a slightly larger screen at 10.4 inches with 128GB of storage.
