When you think of a tablet, many people probably think of the iPad. You should know that there are some great Android tablets that you can buy for a fraction of the price of an Apple device.
I’ve been testing tablets that cost less than $300 and have an 11.5-inch, 120Hz display, 256 GB of storage, 12 GB of RAM, and a camera that’s great for social media and video calls.
Meet the Mega 1 from Blackview, a company that was once synonymous with rugged smartphones. Blackview has diversified its products over the past few years and now makes affordable devices with a premium feel.
Blackview Mega 1 technical specifications
- screen: 11.5 inch 2.4K FHD+ IPS 1200 x 2000 pixels, 85% screen-to-body ratio
- CPU:MediaTek MT6789 Octa Core Helio G99 2.2 GHz
- rum:12GB
- ROM:256GB
- OS: Doke OS_P 4.0, based on Android 13
- rear camera:50 megapixel Samsung ISOCELL JN1
- front camera:13 million pixels
- battery capacity: 8800mAh (33W fast charging compatible)
- speaker:1217BOX speaker x 4
- Wifi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- bluetooth:5.1
- SIM slot: 2 x SIM or 1 x SIM + 1 x TF card
- biometric authentication: Fingerprint reader, Face ID
- color: Space gray, sky blue, dreamy purple
- size:268.7×169×7.6mm
- weight:528g
The Mega 1 impressed me right out of the box. I expected this affordable tablet to have the cheap, bulky, plastic feel of older laptops. Instead, I found a thin, light aluminum tablet that feels as premium as Apple’s iPad. The curves and bezels are smooth and the tablet feels perfectly balanced. It exudes a sense of luxury that you wouldn’t expect from a device that costs less than $300.
Plus: This Android phone has super-powerful thermal vision capabilities, and I keep finding ways to take advantage of them.
In comparison, the Mega 1’s folio is a bit disappointing. Yes, it does a good job of protecting the display and turns into a usable stand, but it has a cheap vinyl feel and started to show wear after just a week of use. There’s nothing wrong with this case, but it feels like sacrilege to put such a beautiful tablet in an affordable folio case.
The luxury of the Mega 1 goes far beyond the surface. The 11.5-inch display is easy on the eyes. Even after using the tablet for several hours, my eyes felt refreshed. A refresh rate of 120Hz and a density of 203 pixels/inch ensure user comfort.
The system also supports the Widevine L1 digital rights management specification, allowing you to stream HD and HDR content from Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and more. This feature gives the Mega 1 an advantage for those who want to use their tablet as a content consumption device.
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Quad speakers are great at providing a cinematic surround sound experience. At high volume output, the sound will be powerful, clear, and distortion-free.
Mega 1 has a thin, light design and a premium feel.
Adrian Kingsley Hughes/ZDNET
The device is powered by MediaTek MT6789 octa-core processor and is backed by 12GB of RAM (expandable up to 24GB using system storage). This combination is powerful enough to keep everything in harmony. There was no stuttering or lag during testing, and the app launched almost instantly.
Cooling is handled by an integrated system using over 8,000 square millimeters of graphite. Blackview claims this setting can keep the tablet below 40°C/104°F. Testing the Mega 1 under high load for extended periods of time supports this claim. The Mega 1 never felt hot to the touch. You can push this device to its limits with confidence.
The SIM tray for cellular data can hold two SIM cards or one SIM card and a microSD card.
Adrian Kingsley Hughes/ZDNET
A huge 8800mAh battery is packed into the tablet’s less than 1/3 inch size. According to Blackview, the battery is good for 20 hours of use overall, can play music for 22 hours, can play HD video for 5.5 hours, and can support 5 hours of gaming. I was easily able to use it frequently for a couple of days between charges.
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While the 20-hour run time number is probably correct, Blackview may be underestimating that number. I watched a lot of YouTube while testing. In any case, the battery is not the weak point.
The Mega 1’s camera doesn’t disappoint either.
The 50 megapixel rear camera is perfect for social media and school/work reports.
Adrian Kingsley Hughes/ZDNET
The 50-megapixel rear camera is equipped with a 1/2.76-inch Samsung ISOCELL JN1 sensor, delivering crisp, detailed, and color-accurate images. You won’t get the pop or detail you’ll find on the Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy S24, but this difference isn’t due to the hardware, but rather the amount of on-device processing that high-end devices are currently doing. image.
Don’t let this shortcoming discourage you. This camera is perfect for what most users want and is more than adequate for social media and work/school report output. The 12-megapixel front camera is good enough for selfies and video calls, and easily adapts to different lighting conditions.
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Note: The sample images that Blackview uses to promote the camera on their website are stock images and were not taken using the Mega 1. Blackview is not alone in using this technique. I don’t know why companies insist on this approach, but it’s clearly misleading. consumer.
The tablet comes with a stylus. I’m not a fan of stylus pens, but I think it’s a bonus for people who like stylus pens. That said, there’s no place to store a stylus on a tablet or folio case. So, if you’re like me, you won’t be able to keep using a stylus for very long.
Yes, there is also a stylus.
Adrian Kingsley Hughes/ZDNET
ZDNET purchase advice
It’s easy to imagine a budget tablet as a cheap hunk of plastic and glass with a mediocre processor and display, and a battery that lasts only a minute in the morning.
of blackview mega 1 This is not the case. It’s a premium-looking tablet that offers a hardware experience that would have been expensive just a few years ago. From its thin and light design to its 11.5-inch 120Hz display, this tablet oozes quality and offers a great user experience.
