SYNAPSE CIRCUIT CHRISTMAS LIST 2014

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
CHRISTMAS LIST 2014:

ARE YOU READY FOR...
...CHRISTMAS 2014?
NO? NEVER FEAR! SYNAPSE CIRCUIT IS HERE! HO! HO! HO! GET READY TO JINGLE THOSE BELLS!

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! Again, I thank you so much for reading my articles! As always, I am wishing you the very best of health, love and happiness with your tech! Have you done your Christmas tech shopping yet?

Can you believe that 2014 is almost over already??? It has been a juggernaut year for tech: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Moto G 2014, Hudl 2, Android 5 Lollipop and so, so many more to list! If you are looking for tech gifts then you are in luck... Read on!

Let’s see how Archos is doing right now!

#Christmas2014 #Xmas2014 #ChristmasShopping #SynapseCircuitChristmasShoppingList #ChristmasShoppingList #TechChristmasShoppingList

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT TECH CHRISTMAS SHOPPING LIST!
I am going to do my best to list what I think will make great Christmas gifts in the following categories:-

SMARTPHONES
From budget to mid-range all the way to the super-premium! If you are looking for the perfect smartphone gift you can rely on my recommendations! If your contract is due for renewal hang on!

TABLETS
If you are looking for a high-end tablet for serious productivity on the go or something for the family or even a decent tablet for the student, Synapse Circuit will sort you out! Prepare to be surprised!

APPS
I will do my best to recommend some worthwhile apps for both the smartphone and tablet!

PC SOFTWARE
You have probably figured out already that the PC isn’t dying for now! Uh-uh! The chances are that you have a PC at home that has stood the test of time. Perhaps you are looking to build a website for your business idea? Hey, you have all that video footage on your mobile; why not edit the footage together and create DVD / Bluray discs for friends and family? And don’t you think it’s about time you got round to making your own original music? And think about all those pictures on your phone that could do with some editing? You could have a go at making greeting cards out of those pictures!

I will do my best from now until December 23^rd to list as many gift ideas as possible!

GENERAL HARDWARE / ACCESSORIES
I will do my best to list various forms of hardware that includes Bluetooth speakers, PC speakers, security cameras, laptop bags, tablet bags and just about anything that I can review!

COMPETITIONS!
I will do my absolute best to bring you some wonderful competition prizes! It's happening! 

WAVES

Dear Synapse Circuit Readers,

I have to tell you that this year has been very, very rough for me and I have tried not to let it interfere with my articles! You name it I have gone through it this year... Illness, friends and family being seriously ill, friends and family passing away: RIP! Then there’s so-called friends deciding that it would be a good idea to take advantage of my good nature! Jeez! <Rolls eyes> That’s not even the half of it! Lol! If I revealed all you probably wouldn’t believe me!

I can only apologize if my writing hasn’t been up to my usual standards! But you know what? I am still here! I am still doing what I love which is to not only test and review gear but to bring you an informed viewpoint. I’d like to think that I have been critical and objective. I hope that you will agree!

Most of all I am a consumer! I want the best for myself and therefore I want the best for you too!

I think it’s so important to be real and not let manufacturers, software houses, etc bias my opinion. I am not like these so-called writers that say, “Apple, Apple, iPhone, iPad, Apple... Oh, and get a Mac too! Now where’s my money, Tim?” Hahahaha! Uh-uh! I take pride in my work!

I will take the time to thank you for appreciating my work while I have the time! The coming weeks will be NUTS!!!! So much to do and so little time! Right, I will do my best to bring you what I can! So, stay tuned and watch this space! I have been so busy offline in my private life that I haven’t had the time for a site redesign! Soon!

There you go!

That’s something to think about!

Thank you for your patience! I look forward to bringing you some gift ideas – even if the gifts are for you! Yeah, spoil yourself! Or yourselves! Wink, wink...

THANKS FOR READING...

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

REVIEWS & COMPETITIONS ARE COMING SOON!!! PLEASE STANDBY!!!

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT ARCHOS HELIUM 50

Above: The elegant looking Archos Helium 50 4G 5 inch handset.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
REVIEWS:

ARCHOS...
...HELIUM 50 4G
PRICE: £229.99

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! As always, it’s great to see you again! I hope that all is well in your world and that your tech is working as it should! Nothing worse than malfunctioning tech! Bah!

You know Archos, right? I know Archos from way, way back on the QVC channel with its famous media players. Those were the days... Then the iPod came along and captured the imagination of the populous! And seemingly out of nowhere came the wonder that is the Android operating system... Other companies have fallen in the quest to keep up with the virulent Android strain of multiple devices but Archos is still standing...

Let’s see how Archos is doing right now!

#Archos #Android #Helium504G #Smartphone #4G

CATCHING UP
Archos has embraced Android when it – along with the iPod – changed the media player market forever! The media player has been replaced by handsets, tablets and, dare I say it, media players from the likes of Samsung whereby they’ve removed the phone component from one of the Galaxy models and transformed the handset concept to the Galaxy Media Player. Yes, it makes sense to have a separate media player in addition to a handset as it prevent battery drainage on the phone! However, I have always said that yesteryear’s handset can easily become a media player with phone capabilities! Use for an old handset no.1!

Anyway, the French company has gone from strength to strength and have brought some great tablets and lately handsets to the mobile device mobile marketplace. Kudos!

DESIGN: FORM & FUNCTION
It’s just a little taller than the second generation Motorola Moto G! There’s a little chin at the bottom to bear the Archos brand. The look and feel is very much like an enlarged version of the Samsung Galaxy S2. The battery cover bears a similar feel to the back of the HTC Desire – remember that handset? The removable cover can only be described as having a matt finish and feels a little velvety to the touch. As a result the design comes across as elegant if a little dated by today’s Android handset standard. It’s not a big deal as the Helium 50 4G feels very premium in the hand. When the quality of the materials is compared to the second generation Moto G one can see how Motorola is able to deliver such a cost effective handset.

The Helium 50 4G has a bit of heft to it as it is slightly heavier than the aforementioned second generation Moto G but not by much. Me? I personally favour handsets with a heavier and thicker build as it means better handling and a high capacity battery. Speaking of the battery, the 2000 mAh battery is removable!

When the battery cover is removed it reveals spaces for the micro SIM and SD card up to 64GB!

To cap off this section I would sum it up, thus so far, in the following manner: Slightly retro design, thick bezels by the latest Android handset trends, premium in that the materials are of good quality and as a whole the Helium 50 4G feels sturdy.

HARDWARE: POWER RATINGS
The display is a 5” IPS with a 1280 x 720 resolution; it’s pretty sharp with a good amount of detail and colour representation. It’s a bit of a shame that the bezels don’t show it off. But it’s not a disaster!

For a handset of this substance it is a little disappointing that the storage capacity is 8GB; still, that stated, I managed to install what I consider to be the base apps: WhatsApp, LINE, Facebook with space for a bit more. Again, as mentioned earlier, there is a slot for a microSD card up to 64GB! However, it would be significant if apps could run from the microSD and I wish that Google would change that in Android. Think about it: if Google are looking beyond handsets and tablets like CEO Larry Page states then why not make the vital changes to Android to let apps run from the microSD card? Now that’s something to think about... Hmmmm...

The Qualcomm MSM 8926 quad-core 1.2Ghz CPU and Adreno 305 GPU pushes things along nicely! Thus making the Helium 50 quite nippy! I played a few of the games preinstalled on it and there was no lag.

To sum this section up: Strong hardware let down slightly by the 8GB internal storage. The 1.2 quad-core CPU is fast but the Moto G 2014 handset is faster with a similar 1.2 quad-core CPU, Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB RAM. I will do the camera separately in its own category, Camera. The battery duration was good for a day of moderate use.

SOFTWARE:
ANDROID & DEFAULT APPS
Thankfully, there is no Archos user interface over Android 4.3. Yes, it’s Jelly Bean and not KitKat. To be very honest with you I haven’t really noticed a huge difference in functionality. Here’s what I have observed:-

1. The virtual navigation buttons does not allow for app management; in other words there’s no way of swiping away apps running in the background. But that can be solved with an app management app.

2. The wallpaper screen does not bleed into the notification / battery / network and Wi-Fi area. It spoils the aesthetic if you have been spoiled with other handsets. Jelly Bean just does not support a transparent notification bar. I tried to see if a few launchers would change that to no avail.

3. No voice activated, “OK Google”, Google Now. Again, Jelly Bean does not support that functionality which isn’t a big deal. It’s so funny when ambient TV voices can sometimes set Google Now off!

There was no KitKat update for the Helium 50 unfortunately. It could come... Perhaps version 5, Lollipop is a possibility. I won’t hold my breath. And it could be that be this review model does not support an update. However, the hardware is very similar to the second generation Moto G and that is handset is getting Lollipop!

There are the usual default Google default apps preinstalled: Gmail, Chrome, Drive, Google Search, Hangouts, Maps, Play Games, Play Movies & TV, Play Newstand and Play Music, etc. In addition there are Archos specific apps: Music, Video players and File Manager. Plus there are some games from Gameloft: Little Big City, Total Conquest, Wonder Zoo and World at Arms. The games are very similar in look, feel and play. They ran without lag.

Summary: No user interface (UI), pure Android but it is Jelly Bean and not KitKat. The overall effect is that the interaction is pleasingly rapid but slightly slower than the second Generation Moto G. I can live with that.

CAMERA: PICTURES & VIDEOS
The 8MP camera is, once again, compared to the second generation Moto G, is very similar; the video recording is the same 720p. I think this is where the comparison ends as I found the pictures on the Helium 50 to be of a lesser quality than the 2^nd generation Moto G. The results are acceptable – they aren’t bad. But like all cameras it’s a few factors that make for a good picture: lens, pixel count, sensor and software. In good lighting the results are very pleasing. The way the camera works is very much bog standard Google Camera. There’s HDR and a good amount of settings to ensure a good picture is taken from the main or the front.

The Helium 50 camera works so very differently to the Moto G (second generation) which is fully automatic: launch the Moto G camera and point with rapid auto focus, tap the screen and the photo is taken! But the Helium 50 has the traditional camera on it that allows more of a manual control. In contrast once you get used to the Moto G way of taking pictures it’s a little hard to go back. That said, you should be satisfied with the Helium 50 camera. The 8MP will ensure that your best pictures can be printed out if you so wished and it is perfect for the purpose of providing your social networks with high quality pictures and videos. The video aspect is very good. When I get the chance I will post up the pictures and videos.

USAGE: DAY TO DAY
I enjoyed the Helium 50 very much... You should know that I still use my Galaxy S2 everyday and, as I mentioned earlier, the Helium 50 could have been a Samsung design had they kept up with that particular design ethos: black and monolithic. As you know by now a 5 inch handset is no longer considered to be a big handset. Even though it is slightly taller than the second generation Moto G it still feels compact. It slides into my jean and jacket pockets and it feels comfortable.

Watching YouTube video was 90% pleasing because the speaker at the back is nice and clear. Even when placed flatly on its back the speaker resonates off the surface to make it sound oddly better! With the Helium 50 held in the air the speaker doesn’t have that richness of tone but it is still loud enough to be pleasing to the ear. I think that the thick bezels and chin is a bit of distraction; it’s not quite the cinematic viewing experience.

The thickness of the handset makes it so easy to hold when taking pictures; again to compare the thickness to the Moto G (2^nd generation) it is about the same 11mm thickness. I do HATE these thin handsets that is a design feature on these premium handsets just for the fact that it makes taking pictures / video cumbersome where I protective case helps with providing sturdiness. And it reduces the battery capacity! I wonder if the big Android hitters i.e. Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG, etc will be brave enough to make a 13mm handset to hold a larger battery and quite possibly a more advanced camera lens... Hmmm...

Calls on the Helium 50 are a pleasant experience as the earpiece is very clear.

Productivity is quite pleasing due to the nice 5” screen.

CONCLUSION
I think many folk will dismiss an Archos phone in favour of the bigger names and that will be a great shame. The Helium 50 4G is delightful handset and I would imagine that it would be appreciated by those who just want “good enough”. Here I am envisioning non-technical individuals that aren’t fussed about things such as screen-casting, NFC, and an array of camera functionality. There are many folk out there who would be more than happy with the picture and video quality as they are destined for social networks and those brilliant free messaging apps. For such users the Helium 50 4G will make a fine main – if not only driver!

A power user – someone that gets off on tech will find the Helium 50 4G to be a nice secondary, third or even a fourth handset! I don’t know about you but when my contracts are up I don’t sell the handset on or trade it in – unless I really have to! C’mon, I am NEVER going to trade in or sell my Samsung’s! I have friends on different networks and a small PAYG or SIM only contract allows me to take advantage of free network to network calls and so on; I’ll never get a good price for the premium handsets as a trade in. And, of course, I enjoy tinkering with rooting, installing custom ROMs , etc. I am waffling – as per usual! In short I do like the Helium 50 very much!

I am inclined to think that it is just a tad expensive but bear in mind that you do get 4G LTE speeds so when you’re not at home and not on Wi-Fi you can enjoy HD quality YouTube material! I think 4G LTE runs a lot faster than some cable broadband! Gosh! Anyway, the second generation Moto G is not 4G and the extra £80 buys you the 4G connectivity.

It’s a pity that the £80 couldn’t have stretched to also include latest version of Android which is KitKat at the time of writing with Lollipop imminent! That small detail could make the difference for the true Android fanatic who must have the latest version of the operating system! That said, you still get a nice 5” screen that makes the Helium 50 worthwhile. There’s the Huawei G6 that is 4G but the screen is 4.5” – if I am correct! That currently retails at £120! Oh, boy! You do get quite a decent handset for the price as the hardware pretty much identical: 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage! But get this... ...you get a 5MP front-facing camera as well as an 8MP main one! Ta da! But the question for the Android aficionado is: Will it be receiving the Lollipop upgrade? Do you prefer the 5” screen over the 4.5” one? Me? I can’t go back to 4.5” unless I absolutely need a handset in hurry i.e. my main driver is broken beyond repair or it’s too costly to repair and I need a phone to replace it! The answer would be the Helium 50 for the 4G and 5” screen aspect!

That’s the thing with Android: so, so many options and the Helium 50 4G should be up there with some of the best budget 5” 4G handsets!

SCORE
I give the Archos Helium 50 4G a respectable solid silver! It would have gotten gold if it was upgradable to KitKat. Or if it was a tad less than £229.99! Ideally, I would say £190 at the most. Because the Android market today is so competitive Archos has to pay close attention to its pricing! Other than that, it’s a very good effort from Archos!



There you go!

Things to think about!

THANKS FOR READING...

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

REVIEWS & COMPETITIONS ARE COMING SOON!!! PLEASE STANDBY!!!

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

ANDROID TABLETS vs LAZY TECH-WRITERS

Above: ASUS Fonepad ME372CL; tablet meets phone.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
ANDROID TALK TODAY:
ANDROID TABLETS vs.
LAZY TECH-WRITERS

CONTENTS:
ASUS FONEPAD ME372CL
APPLE iPAD AIR 2 & MINI 3
GOOGLE NEXUS 6 & 9
FRAGMENTATION
ANDROID 5 LOLLIPOP

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! I hope you are well and feeling refreshed after the weekend! I also hope you are getting the most out of your tech!

Say, can any of you tell me what’s wrong with the following headline?

“WHY APPLE'S NEW TABLET DESTROYS THE COMPETITION...”

#Asus #AsusFonepadME372CL #Apple #Samsung #Google #SteveJobs #TimCook #iPhone6 #iPhone6Phablet #iPhone6Plus #AppleWatch #GalaxyNote4 #GalaxyAlpha #GalaxyNoteEdge #GalaxyTabS #Nexus9 #iPadAir2 #iPadMini3

iPAD AIR 2 & MINI 3:
SLEEK & SLENDER
I’ve got to say that my first impressions of the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 are positive! The quality of the build is excellent – as always! And it’s so slim that it’s almost like holding a pane of glass. Golly, gee! Boy, is it fast! Gosh! It’s as though iOS 8 (on the iPads) come with a gust of wind for each interaction! Pun unintentional but it works! I played around with a few apps including Guitar! by Smule and was very, very impressed. So, what the matter with it? The PRICES!!!



Wi-Fi
16GB £399
64GB £479
128GB £559

Wi-Fi & Cellular
16GB £499
64GB £579
128GB £659

Of course, there is no 32GB model as it gets in the way of Apple’s money making principals. Fair enough. For me? At those prices? NO!!! Why? Thank you! I am glad you asked! To answer your questions...

iPAD AIR 2 & MINI 3 DOES NOT DESTROY THE COMPETITION BECAUSE?
Resistance is futile... It sure is! Essentially, what Apple has done is to put a couple more iPads on the market where the current iPads have tanked in terms of sales. What's the point in that?

1. There is no other manufacturer making iOS compatible tablets but Apple. Therefore Apple is competing with itself. Android and Windows have their respective ecosystems and they do not really compete with each other. One may use the Galaxy Note 4 as a daily smartphone driver, an Android tablet and own a Mac or Windows computer at home. But it’s highly likely that if you own a Mac computer you might swap out the Galaxy Note 4 for the iPhone 6 Plus. And as a Windows PC owner you might own a Windows phone instead of the Galaxy Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus. Or it very well be that you have a secondary handset that could be an iPhone, Android or Windows. The underlying point I am making is that Android, iOS, OS X and Windows work together and there isn't much competing going on. We are not slaves to a particular ecosystem. I work with Windows and Android; occasionally I work with Mac when I take my files to a print bureau.

The chances are that if you have bought into the Android ecosystem you won’t feel the need to venture elsewhere for a tablet. The trouble with Apple and Microsoft is that they both have desktop computers with their own respective operating systems: OS X (Mac) and Windows. And fundamentally that’s where the tablet operations from both Apple and Microsoft do not make great economic sense. The asking prices for these tablets (iPad and Surface Pro) indicate that one would be better off with a decent laptop from either of the two: Macbook Air or any one of the great Windows laptops from the excess of great PC manufacturers: ASUS, HP, Lenovo, Dell, etc.

While Google has the Chrome OS you can still use it on a PC and access its great applications. Or you can afford to purchase a cost effective Chromebook or Chromebox in addition to your Android devices / or PC – especially as Google have made it possible to run some Android apps on Chrome OS and there is even a hack to ensure that you can run all your Android apps!

Here's how to hack your Chromebook to run Android apps:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2686712/run-any-android-app-on-your-chromebook-with-this-hack.html

The point is that the Google ecosystem is the most cost effective to encompass Android and Chrome OS devices - very likely in addition to a PC or Mac set-up! Apple and Microsoft aren’t making it easy for the everyperson to own the whole Apple and Microsoft shebang respectively! As a PC user I’d rather pay for a powerful desktop as I have the advantage of being able to swap components out as and when than to invest it in a Surface Pro tablet. And as a PC owner I would love a Surface Pro too! However, it’s not practical. It’s thanks to Google that I am able to utilize Microsoft Office compatible apps: Drive, Quick Office, Docs, Slides, etc that I can use on a handset, phablet or tablet. Nothing that I haven’t pointed out already in previous articles!

2. Android tablets are people friendly. Apple’s policy doesn't allow for cost effective solutions that covers different sizes – well, the iPhone 6 Plus takes care of the almost 7 inch version (Jobs must be rolling in his grave) - and function i.e. game oriented consumers. So, what Apple gives you is two basic iPads. Not with Android and this is one of the attributes that makes the Android tablet attractive to owners of the Mac and / or PC computers.

If your child / children need a distraction away from the main PC / Mac it can come in the form of an inexpensive 7” Android tablet, for example. Some households find that a PC / Mac is no longer needed as the tablet caters to the needs: Internet, photo editing / manipulation, video editing (this is improving all the time - apps are getting better), social networking and so on.

Do you need a hybrid tablet and phone? Sure, these days the iPad and select Android tablets such as the Galaxy Tab S will allow you to take phone calls but if you don’t have these tablets and you wanted to, let’s say, replace a broken handset, for example, with the best of both worlds: a phone and tablet then there are a range of decent 7” tablets that will allow you to take and make phone calls. The downside is that you can only get a SIM meant for a phone or tablet; you can’t use a normal SIM that supports data as well as text and calling. I will give you some solutions to that late on in this article...

There you go! The above tells you why the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 aren’t going to “destroy the competition”. There is no competition. Got it? Good! No matter how fast the new iPads are it doesn’t matter a jot because what is important to Android (and Windows users) is that they have a tablet that serves their needs. If I wanted a tablet specifically for games I’d go for the NVIDIA Shield. If I want a tablet for productivity I’d either go for the Galaxy Tab S or wait for the Nexus 9. Not that the NVIDIA Shield isn’t suitable for productivity too! In fact most Android tablets are great for productivity! But if it’s high quality games you want then you have to expect to pay for it! At least you have a wide range of choice! And now... Now for a review...

ASUS FONEPAD 7 ME372CL REVIEW, £199

Yes, from the title you have discerned that the ASUS Fonepad 7 ME372CL is a tablet with phone functions and it can be seen as the successor to the original Fonepad. The ME372CL has a set of front-facing stereo speakers and gone is the aluminium back for a plastic one. I can’t say that I am too impressed with the materials used for the Fonepad 7 ME372CL as they attract fingerprints. Yuck! If you invest in this hybrid phone and tablet you will greatly benefit from a protective case which also serves to position the tablet for viewing and interacting i.e typing. Design-wise the Fonepad 7 ME372CL pretty much harks back to an era (I know, it comes across as an aeon of Android tablet design principles) of thick bezels but it works to avoid touching the screen and to house the stereo speakers (one doubling up for the receiver – the microphone is positioned at the back near the charger).

SPEEDY
Once the ME372CL upgraded to receive Android KitKat 4.4.2, its various apps and ZenUI I was then able to play around with it! I find that the Fonepad 7 ME372CL is pretty speedy! Just like the iPad Air 2 apps fly out and hit the screen as soon as the app icons are tapped! Everything is smooth operating system-wise! It is like butter! The ASUS interface overlay, ZenUI, is light so that it’s running an almost pure Android experience.

I am sure that it’ll score pretty low against the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 in a benchmark test but it matters not as I am able to do exactly what I want to do with this tablet. I am not a games person – never have been! It will play many games smoothly without the infamous lagging issues. However, the more graphic and memory intensive the game is the more likely it will lag under such pressure! Again, if it’s games you want this hybrid phone and tablet may not be for you!

THE SOUND OF MUSIC
I got the ME372CL primarily to make music whilst replacing a defunct RAZRi handset. The music applications: Caustic 3, Audio Evolution and G-Stomper Studio functions to meet my expectations. The music composition apps perform flawlessly! However, I was a tad disappointed with the speakers as I had imagined them to sound more powerful and rich in tones. Even though there are different sittings for games, speech, movie, recording, smart and music the speakers do not live up to the product hype on the ASUS website. The ‘smart’ mode adapts to the usage / functionality!

“The ASUS Fonepad 7 LTE delivers high quality audio to bring entertainment to life. Your listening experience will never be the same again when you hear your favorite tracks through precise and powerful SonicMaster speakers...” Er... Not quite...

They’re not disastrous but the sound from my Galaxy Note 2 has a better quality in terms of loudness and tones. I can live with the SonicMaster speakers – just!

When making and receiving calls the sound comes across as weak; using the speakers yields in pretty much the same result – understated. It would have been so, so good to be able to crank up the volume a bit. Never mind! I can see the need for a Bluetooth headset in order to make the most of the phone aspect. On a busy noisy street it'll be, "What? Hang on... What?" Use a Bluetooth headset for best results!

I would have liked ASUS to have provided two SIM slots: one for making calls and the other to take advantage of 4G LTE data (Internet)! Yes, it’s 4G LTE compatible.

HANDLING
While I can hold it comfortably with one hand I have to use the other to interact with it. It’s not too thick at 10.5 mm and quite hefty at 333g for a 7” tablet! The 7.87” iPad mini 3 cellular weighs in at 341g.

I have pretty big hands and so I can get away with putting it to my ear like a phone. The form factor – large bezels aside – makes it feel like a phablet instead of a tablet – especially by today’s standards! Look at what Google have done with the latest Nexus devices: the 7” tablet is no more and the 6” phablet serves as the perfect bridge. And the Nexus 9 is a nice medium between the 8” and 10” tablet. The 10” tablet, for now, is no more where Google is concerned.

In any event the ME372CL is compact enough to fit in an inside jacket pocket and / or handbag / manbag. It’s all good!

Again, the most annoying thing is that the screen and back is a fingerprint magnet despite promotional text that states the opposite.

CALL SCREENING & FUNCTIONALITY
The screen has a respectable 1280 x 800 resolution; the colour reproduction is quite good although a bit on the saturated side. With the brightness halfway up the screen looks good and when the brightness is turned all the way up it gives the impression of a higher resolution as the clarity is undeniable! I would imagine that having the screen on full brightness continually may burn an image onto the screen to give a ghost-like appearance. And no doubt the battery will suffer as a consequence. The screen is quite okay for the £199 asking price. I can work with my Google Doc documents very comfortably! Oh, the keyboard is a delight to use and should be available as a keyboard app! Yes, it's that good! Normally I would have replaced the UI (in this case ZenUI) with a launcher and my favourite is Nova Prime. ZenUI is very nice and well thought out! The Fonepad 7 ME372CL is a joy for productivity; when I am travelling I can get a good amount done quite comfortably.

CONCLUSION
The Fonepad 7 ME372CL 4G LTE tablet is not, in my opinion, a compromise for those who can’t afford a tablet and a handset. No! The Fonepad LTE is for those that do not see the value in a phablet – especially as you do not get tablet related apps which is a bit silly but I understand! Google encourages you to purchase a tablet because you're not going to get tablet related apps on a phablet! I can live with that as they are affordable!

Fonepad 7 LTE is for those that do not require a great deal of power that results in the likes of the iPad Air or Galaxy Tab S!

In my situation I had a RAZRi burn out on me and I simply didn’t want to splash out on an expensive handset nor did I want a cheap one! I wanted a hybrid device that would give me a lot of room for apps and the 16GB storage on the Fonepad 7 LTE is perfect. I wanted to experience tablet specific apps without a great investment knowing that 64-bit Android devices was (at the time) around the corner. I am up for the prospect of a kickass 64-bit Android tablet further down the line. My needs were met admirably on this occasion. I don’t mind taking and making calls on this wonderful hybrid!

SCORE
Wow! This is a bit of tough one to score... On the one hand you can say that the Fonepad 7 ME372CL 4G LTE is a cheap tablet but it’s not quite. I didn’t get it as a tablet; I got as a phablet! It’s not my main driver and therefore I do not take many calls on it nor do I receive many! It fills that gap between a mediocre handset and sub £100 cheap tablet. There again, the quality of inexpensive Android tablets have been upped somewhat! The supermarket chain Tesco has recently put out Hudl 2! From 7” to 8” with a full HD screen, stereo speakers at the back and boasts some decent spec for £129! Check it out: 1.83GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage which is expandable by 32GB! Of course, it’s Wi-Fi only and it isn’t apparent if you can at least utilize the free calling and texting apps via Wi-Fi. There again, there is a front-facing camera! Review of the Hudl 2 is coming soon! I know that Tesco was going to do a phone but it seems as though that’s not happening for now. Anyway... Had ASUS added two SIMs (calls and data) it would have scored platinum. But I give the Fonepad ME372CL 4G LTE a solid gold!

Again, a phablet would have prevented me from experiencing tablet specific apps. A handset would have given me, for the price, a smaller screen, probably 8GB of storage, most likely a dual processor and a gig of RAM! Here, I have the best of both worlds and at a reasonable price. I am pretty happy!

SOLUTIONS
Let’s say that you have been thinking about a tablet either for yourself or child(ren) and you don’t want to expend a great deal on one for some of the reasons brought up in this article i.e. you’re biding your time for something more modern with a 64-bit CPU such as the Nexus 9 and / or you don’t want to make such a huge financial commitment for a child(ren). Here are some scenarios...

Scenario 1
When you have Wi-Fi at home you don’t really need to be bothered about being able to access data on the move outside the home. You would have already downloaded all the apps you need at home so when you are on the move you just get on with being productive with apps that do not require the Internet to function.

However, occasionally you might need to go online from time to time when you’re out and about. The solution there is to tether your handset to the tablet – share the data. Be aware that some network providers do not allow you to share your handset data with any other devices. You can download apps for this that should allow you to bypass the network provider restrictions. And if you do not have a handset with an unlimited data contract you will soon quickly use up the limitations! 2GB of data is not enough on the go! So, one solution is to use a portable Mi-Fi device. A Mi-Fi device can give you up to 15GB of data; for tablets you don’t need to have it on all the time. You might wish to email a Google Doc file when you’re out and about, etc and once you’ve done that you’d turn off the Mi-Fi and continue using the Fonepad LTE as a phone!

Scenario 2
If you are planning to purchase both an inexpensive tablet such as the Fonepad LTE and a handset I suggest you go for a handset that utilizes two SIM cards. Check out the Motorola Moto G 2014 as there is a model that takes on two SIMS!

In addition to the dual SIM handset you could get a pay as you go data SIM for the tablet and a SIM for the phone aspect of the tablet. Here, you will have the slightly irritating task of swapping out the phone SIM between the two devices. The data SIM won’t show up in the dual SIM handset but it is a safe place to put it.

It’s a bit of a hassle but it’s not bad.

Scenario 3
If the Fonepad LTE serves as a secondary handset to your main driver that has an unlimited data plan then you should be able to tether (share that handset’s data) with the tablet. Again, you would only need to do this as and when it is needed. Once you’ve finished using the data on the tablet you’d turn off the Wi-Fi hotspot capability on your main driver. But bear in mind that using your handset as a Wi-Fi hotspot will drain the battery. This is why I opted for a Mi-Fi unit in the first scenario.

 There you have it! The choice is yours!

Even though there is now a trend to phase out the 7 inch Android tablet the Fonepad LTE is so compact and therefore very portable! The 7 inch tablet should now be a phablet but most annoyingly this cannot happen as you can’t place a phone SIM in these things whereby you have the usual calls, texts and data. Uh-uh! As soon as you place a phone SIM in a 3G / 4G enabled tablet the data aspect becomes void! You win some. You lose some.

MEDIA SAVVY?
Another thing that lazy Apple biased writers do is to keep harping on about this idea of “fragmentation” where the Android operating system is concerned. Whenever an Apple product is being promoted comparisons are made to the Android ecosystem and fragmentation becomes an issue. And in addition to that way too much is made over the quality of Android tablet apps; the situation keeps improving! That’s right! Let’s take the gloves off! These so-called tech-writers are just trying to sell you whatever Apple releases without being objective! Shame on you if you insist upon calling yourself a journalist! Cook and Apple biased "journalists" (sic) want to get it into your head that Android is a bad operating system simply because a majority of Android device users are utilizing older versions of the ubiquitous operating system. The fact that many Android users do not notice the difference between different versions is evidence to show just how powerful and brilliant it is! Android just works!

The most essential component of Android is the Play Store! Google Play updates on just about every Android handset and tablet regardless of operating system version i.e. Ice Cream Sandwich, Jellybean and KitKat. As the owner of over 8 Android devices and counting I can attest that the latest version of Google Play Store is on each and every one of them. You, as a consumer, have to be vigilant of the Apple biased media. Such biased articles go against the non-technical consumer. Every once in a while when I visit a computer department I bump into stressed out mothers weighing up the iPad over the less expensive but capable Android tablets. These mothers come across as brainwashed when they have it mind that an Android tablet is a compromise. Many children are just as brainwashed too! What a shame. What I hope to do is bring about a fair representation of the tech market.

What the Apple biased media don’t tell you is how flawed iOS can be! For example, iOS 8 offers up the possibility of third party keyboards but such keyboards cause iOS 8 to malfunction. iOS 8 apps currently do not take advantage of the 5.5" screen and full HD resolution. Also there is the phenomenon of Apple not allowing iPhone users to call and message Android users. Odd, huh? I wonder why that is.... Hmmmm... There are the diehard Apple fanatics that will insist that what I state about iPhone users not being able to call and message Android users is unfounded but I don’t write untruths. I leave that to the biased media.

ANDROID 5:
THE GOOD SHIP LOLLIPOP
By all accounts Android 5 Lollipop will reach selected devices come 3^rd November! 6 days and counting! My second generation Moto G ought to get it when it hits! We could be in for a number of awesome surprises; one them could be that Lollipop could go as far back as the Samsung Galaxy S3! My understanding is that it is supposed to be compiled tightly so that it is compact enough to be installed on more devices than we have been led to believe by the media. One can only hope! Another way of looking at it is that if Lollipop is coming to a relatively small handset that is the second generation Moto G then there is a chance it could make its way on more than just the super-premium handsets such as the Galaxy S5, One M8, Z3 and so on...



As an Android fan I can’t wait to see it transform at least half of my devices!

There you go!

Things to think about...

THANKS FOR READING...

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

REVIEWS & COMPETITIONS ARE COMING SOON!!! PLEASE STANDBY!!!

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT APPLE TALK 12 iPAD AIR 2 AND MINI 3

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

APPLE TALK 12:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS...
iPAD AIR 2 & MINI 3

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! I hope you are well and feeling refreshed after the weekend! I also hope you are getting the most out of your tech!

Say, can any of you tell me what’s wrong with the following headline?

“WHY APPLE'S NEW TABLET DESTROYS THE COMPETITION...”

#Apple #Samsung #Google #SteveJobs #TimCook #iPhone6 #iPhone6Phablet #iPhone6Plus #AppleWatch #GalaxyNote4 #GalaxyAlpha #GalaxyNoteEdge #GalaxyTabS #Nexus9 #iPadAir2 #iPadMini3 #AsusFonepadLTE #AsusFonepadME372CL

SLEEK & SLENDER
I’ve got to say that my first impressions of the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 are positive! The quality of the build is excellent – as always! And it’s so slim that it’s almost like holding a pane of glass. Golly, gee! Boy, is it fast! Gosh! It’s as though iOS 8 (on the iPads) come with a gust of wind for each interaction! Pun unintentional but it works! I played around with a few apps including Guitar! by Smule and was very, very impressed. So, what the matter with it? The PRICES!!!

Wi-Fi
16GB £399
64GB £479
128GB £559

Wi-Fi & Cellular
16GB £499
64GB £579
128GB £659

Of course, there is no 32GB model as it gets in the way of Apple’s money making principals. Fair enough. For me? At those prices? NO!!! Why? Thank you! I am glad you asked! To answer your questions...

iPAD AIR 2 & MINI 3 DOES NOT DESTROY THE COMPETITION BECAUSE?
Resistance is futile... It sure is! Essentially, what Apple has done is to put a couple more iPads on the market where the current iPads have tanked in terms of sales.

1. There is no other manufacturer making iOS compatible tablets but Apple. Therefore Apple is competing with itself. Android and Windows have their respective ecosystems and they do not really compete with each other. One may use the Galaxy Note 4 as a daily smartphone driver, an Android tablet and own a Mac or Windows computer at home. But it’s highly likely that if you own a Mac computer you might swap out the Galaxy Note 4 for the iPhone 6 Plus. And as a Windows PC owner you might own a Windows phone instead of the Galaxy Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus. Or it very well be that you have a secondary handset that could be an iPhone, Android or Windows.

The chances are that if you have bought into the Android ecosystem you won’t feel the need to venture elsewhere. The trouble with Apple and Microsoft is that they both have desktop computers with their own respective operating systems: OS X (Mac) and Windows. And fundamentally that’s where the tablet operations from both Apple and Microsoft do not make great economic sense. The asking prices for these tablets (iPad and Surface Pro) indicate that one would be better off with a decent laptop from either of the two: Macbook Air or any one of the great Windows laptops from excess of great PC manufacturers.

While Google has the Chrome OS you can still use it on a PC and access its great applications. Or you can afford to purchase a cost effective Chromebook or Chromebox in addition to your Android devices – especially as Google have made it possible to run some Android apps on Chrome OS and there is even a hack to ensure that you can run all your Android apps!

Here's how to hack your Chromebook to run Android apps:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2686712/run-any-android-app-on-your-chromebook-with-this-hack.html

The point is that the Google ecosystem is the most cost effective to encompass Android and Chrome OS devices. Apple and Microsoft aren’t making it easy for the everyperson to own the whole Apple and Microsoft shebang respectively! As a PC user I’d rather pay for a powerful desktop as I have the advantage of being able to swap components out as and when than to invest it in a Surface Pro tablet. And as a PC owner I would love a Surface Pro too! However, it’s not practical. It’s thanks to Google that I am able to utilize Microsoft Office compatible apps: Drive, Quick Office, Docs, Slides, etc that I can use on a handset, phablet or tablet. Nothing that I haven’t pointed out already in previous articles!

2. Android tablets are people friendly. Apple’s policy doesn’t allow for cost effective solutions that covers different sizes – well, the iPhone 6 Plus takes care of the almost 7 inch version (Jobs must be rolling in his grave) and function i.e. a game oriented consumers. So, what Apple gives you is two basic iPads. Not with Android and this is one of the attributes that makes the Android tablet attractive to owners of the Mac and / or PC computers.

If your children need a distraction it can come in the form of an inexpensive 7” Android tablet, for example.

Do you need a hybrid tablet and phone? Sure, these days the iPad and select Android tablets such as the Galaxy Tab S will allow you to take phone calls but if you don’t have these tablets and you wanted to, let’s say, replace a broken handset, for example, with the best of both worlds: a phone and tablet then there are a range of decent 7” tablets that will allow you to take and make phone calls. The downside is that you can only get a SIM meant for a phone or tablet; you can’t use a normal SIM that supports data as well as text and calling. I will give you some solutions to that late on in this article...

There you go! The above tells you why the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 aren’t going to “destroy the competition”. There is no competition. Got it? Good! No matter how fast the new iPads are it doesn’t matter a jot because what is important to Android (and Windows users) is that they have a tablet that serves their needs. If I wanted a tablet specifically for games I’d go for the NVIDIA Shield. If I want a tablet for productivity I’d either go for the Galaxy Tab S or wait for the Nexus 9. Not that the NVIDIA Shield isn’t suitable for productivity too! In fact most Android tablets are great for productivity! But if it’s high quality games you want then you have to expect to pay for it! At least you have a wide range of choice! And now... Now for a review...

ASUS FONEPAD 7 ME372CL REVIEW, £199


Yes, from the title you have discerned that the ASUS Fonepad 7 ME372CL is a tablet with phone functions and it can be seen as the successor to the original Fonepad. The ME372CL has a set of front-facing stereo speakers and gone is the aluminium back for a plastic one. I can’t say that I am too impressed with the materials used for the Fonepad 7 ME372CL as they attract fingerprints. Yuck! If you invest in this hybrid phone and tablet you will greatly benefit from a protective case which also serves to position the tablet for viewing and interacting i.e typing. Design-wise the Fonepad 7 ME372CL pretty much harks back to an era (I know, it comes across as an aeon of Android tablet design principles) of thick bezels but it works to avoid touching the screen at the sides and to hold the stereo speakers (doubling up for the receiver – the microphone is positioned at the back near the charger).

SPEEDY
Once the ME372CL upgraded to receive Android KitKat 4.4.2, its various apps and ZenUI I was then able to play around with it! I find that the Fonepad 7 ME372CL is pretty speedy! Just like the iPad Air 2 apps fly out and hit the screen as soon as the icons are tapped! Everything is smooth operating system-wise! It is like butter! The ASUS interface overlay, ZenUI, is light so that it’s running an almost pure Android experience.

I am sure that it’ll score pretty low against the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 in a benchmark test but it matters not as I am able to do exactly what I want to do on this tablet. I am not a games person – never have been! It will play many games smoothly without the infamous lagging issues. However, the more graphic and memory intensive the game is the more likely it will lag under such pressure! Again, if it’s games you want this hybrid phone and tablet may not be for you!

THE SOUND OF MUSIC
I got the ME372CL primarily to make music whilst replacing a defunct RAZRi handset. The music applications: Caustic 3, Audio Evolution and G-Stomper Studio functions to meet my expectations. The music composition apps perform flawlessly! However, I was a tad disappointed with the speakers as I had imagined them to sound more powerful and rich. Even though there are different sittings for games, speech, movie, recording, smart and music the speakers do not live up to the product hype on the ASUS website. The ‘smart’ mode adapts to the usage / functionality!

“The ASUS Fonepad 7 LTE delivers high quality audio to bring entertainment to life. Your listening experience will never be the same again when you hear your favorite tracks through precise and powerful SonicMaster speakers...” Er... Not quite...

They’re not disastrous but the sound from my Galaxy Note 2 has a better quality in terms of loudness and tones. I can live with the SonicMaster speakers – just!

When making and receiving calls the sound comes across as weak; using the speakers yields in pretty much the same result – understated. It would have been so, so good to be able to crank up the volume a bit. Never mind! I can see the need for a Bluetooth headset in order to make the most of the phone aspect.

I would have liked ASUS to have provided two SIM slots: one for making calls and the other to take advantage of 4G LTE Internet data! Yes, it’s 4G LTE compatible.

HANDLING
While I can hold it comfortably with one hand I have to use the other to interact with it. It’s not too thick at 10.5 mm and quite hefty at 333g for a 7” tablet! The 7.87” iPad mini 3 cellular weighs in at 341g.

I have pretty big hands and so I can get away with putting it to my ear like a phone. The form factor – large bezels aside – makes it feel like a phablet instead of a tablet – especially by today’s standards! Look at what Google have done with the latest Nexus devices: the 7” tablet is no more and the 6” phablet serves as the perfect bridge. And the Nexus 9 is a nice medium between the 8” and 10” tablet. The 10” tablet, for now, is no more where Google is concerned.

In any event the ME372CL is compact enough to fit in an inside jacket pocket and / or handbag / manbag. It’s all good!

Again, the most annoying thing is that the screen and back is a fingerprint magnet despite promotional text that states the opposite.

CALL SCREENING & FUNCTIONALITY
The screen has a respectable 1280 x 800 resolution; the colour reproduction is quite good although a bit on the saturated side. With the brightness halfway up the screen looks good and when the brightness is turned all the way up it gives the impression of a higher resolution as the clarity is undeniable! I would imagine that having the screen on full brightness continually may burn an image onto the screen to give a ghost-like appearance. And no doubt the battery will suffer as a consequence. The screen is quite okay for the £199 asking price. I can work with my Google Doc documents very comfortably! Oh, the keyboard is a delight to use - it should be available as an app in itself. Normally I would have replaced the UI (in this case ZenUI) with a launcher and my favourite is Nova Prime. ZenUI is very nice and well thought out! The Fonepad ME372CL is a joy for productivity; when I am travelling I can get a good amount done quite comfortably.

CONCLUSION
The Fonepad ME372CL 4G LTE tablet is not, in my opinion, a compromise for those who can’t afford a tablet and a handset. No! The Fonepad LTE is for those that do not see the value in a phablet – especially as you do not get tablet related apps which is a bit silly but I understand! It’s for those that do not require a great deal of power that results in the likes of the iPad Air or Galaxy Tab S!

In my situation I had a RAZRi burn out on me and I simply didn’t want to splash out on an expensive handset nor did I want a cheap one! I wanted a hybrid device that would give me a lot of room for apps and the 16GB storage on the Fonepad 7 LTE is perfect. I wanted to experience tablet specific apps without a great investment knowing that 64-bit Android devices was (at the time) around the corner. I am up for the prospect of a kickass 64-bit Android tablet further down the line. My needs were met admirably on this occasion. I don’t mind taking and making calls on this wonderful hybrid!

SCORE
Wow! This is a bit of tough one to score... On the one hand you can say that the Fonepad 7 ME372CL 4G LTE is a cheap tablet but it’s not quite. I didn’t get it as a tablet; I got as a phablet! It’s not my main driver and therefore I do not take many calls on it nor do I receive many! It fills that gap between a mediocre handset and sub £100 cheap tablet. There again, the quality of inexpensive Android tablets have been upped! The supermarket chain Tesco has recently put out Hudl 2! From 7” to 8” with a full HD screen, stereo speakers at the back and boasts some decent spec for £129! Check it out: 1.83GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage which is expandable by 32GB! Of course, it’s Wi-Fi only and it isn’t apparent if you can at least utilize the free calling and texting apps via Wi-Fi. Review of the Hudl 2 is coming soon! I know that Tesco was going to do a phone but it seems as though that’s not happening for now. Anyway... Had ASUS added two SIMs calls and data it would have socred platinum. But I give the Fonepad 7 ME372CL 4G LTE a solid gold!



Again, a phablet would have prevented me from experiencing tablet specific apps. A handset would have given me, for the price, a smaller screen, probably 8GB of storage, a good chance of a dual processor and a gig of RAM! Here, I have the best of both worlds and at a reasonable price. I am pretty happy! The battery life is quite good too! Here's the full spec:-

Operating System 
Android TM 4.3 - upgradable to Kit Kit 4.4.2.

Display
7" LED Backlight WXGA (1280x800) Screen
IPS Panel
Anti-fingerprint coating

CPU
2X2:Intel® Atom™ Multi-Core Z2520 Processor 1.6 GHz
with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Memory
1GB

Storage
8GB/16GB eMMC
5GB Life Time ASUS Webstorage Space *2; with an additional 11GB for the first year
Network Standard

Connectivity
DC-HSPA+ UL:5.76 Mbps/DL:42 Mbps
3G:
WCDMA :
850/900/2100
2G:
GSM : 850/900/1800/1900,
4G:
LTE:
800/900/1800/2600
Wireless Data Network
WLAN802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth V4.0
Support Miracast

Camera
1.2 MP Front Camera 
5 MP Rear Camera with Auto focus(1080p Video Recording)

Audio
Stereo Speakers with SonicMaster technology

Interface
1 × Micro-USB
1 × 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone / Mic-in)
1 × Micro SD Card Reader,up to 64GB
1 × Micro SIM card tray
1 × Digital Microphone

Sensor
G-Sensor
E-compass
Proximity
Ambient Light Sensor
Hall sensor

Battery
11.5 hours; 15Wh Li-polymer Battery *3
Standby Time
735 hours(3G)
Talk Time
31 hours(3G)

Navigation
GPS, GLONASS & AGPS

Color
Sapphire Black
Diamond White
Ceramics White
Gray

Dimensions
197.7 x 120 x 10.5 mm (WxDxH)

Weight
333 g

SOLUTIONS
Let’s say that you have been thinking about a tablet either for yourself or child(ren) and you don’t want to expend a great deal on one for some of the reasons brought up in this article i.e. you’re biding your time for something more modern with a 64-bit CPU such as the Nexus 9 and / or you don’t want to make such a huge financial commitment for a child(ren).

Scenario 1
When you have Wi-Fi at home you don’t really need to be bothered about being able to access data on the move outside the home. You would have already downloaded all the apps you need at home so when you are on the move you just get on with being productive with apps that do not require the Internet to function.

However, occasionally you might need to go online from time to time when you’re out and about. The solution there is to tether your handset to the tablet – share the data. Be aware that some network providers do not allow you to share your handset data with any other devices. You can download apps for this that should allow you to bypass the network provider restrictions. And if you do not have a handset with an unlimited data contract you will soon quickly use up the data! 2GB of data is not enough on the go! So, one solution is to use a portable Mi-Fi device. A Mi-Fi device can give you up to 15GB of data; for tablets you don’t need to have it on all the time. You might wish to email a Google Doc file when you’re out and about, etc and once you’ve done that you’d turn off the Mi-Fi and continue using the Fonepad LTE as a phone!

Scenario 2
If you are planning to purchase both an inexpensive tablet such as the Fonepad LTE and a handset I suggest you go for a handset that utilizes two SIM cards. Check out the Motorola Moto G 2014 as there is a model that takes on two SIMS!

In addition to the dual SIM handset you could get a pay as you go data SIM for the tablet and a SIM for the phone aspect of the tablet. Here, you will have the slightly irritating task of swapping out the phone SIM between the two devices. The data SIM won’t show up in the dual SIM handset but it is a safe place to put it.

It’s a bit of a hassle but it’s not bad.

Scenario 3
If the Fonepad LTE serves as a secondary handset to your main driver that has an unlimited data plan then you should be able to tether (share that handset’s data) with the tablet. Again, you would only need to do this as and when it is needed. Once you’ve finished using the data on the tablet you’d turn off the Wi-Fi hotspot capability on your main driver. But bear in mind that using your handset as a Wi-Fi hotspot will drain the battery. This is why I opted for a Mi-Fi unit in the first scenario.
There you have it! The choice is yours!

Even though there is now a trend to phase out the 7 inch Android tablet the Fonepad LTE is so compact and therefore very portable! The 7 inch tablet should now be a phablet but most annoyingly this cannot happen as you can’t place a phone SIM in these things whereby you have the usual calls, texts and data. Uh-uh! As soon as you place a phone SIM in a 3G / 4G enabled tablet the data aspect becomes void! You win some. You lose some.

There you go!

Things to think about...

THANKS FOR READING...

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

REVIEWS & COMPETITIONS ARE COMING SOON!!! PLEASE STANDBY!!!

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com