IFA 2014: Asus ZenWatch and MeMO Pad 7 hands-on

Asus Memo Pad 7 hands-on

The Asus Memo Pad 7 will come in Wi-Fi only and LTE versions, both of which share an impressive 8.3mm slim chassis. It's made of part duralumin and part fiberglass and it feels great in the hand. We were reminded of a large Nokia N9 due to the combination of curves and flat sides.

The tablet is thin (it measures 200 x 114.4 x 8.3mm) and weighs 269g, fairly light even for a 7" device. The LTE version is a touch heavier at 279g.

The Asus Memo Pad 7 has a premium build

The Memo Pad 7 is built around a 7" IPS screen of WUXGA resolution (1,920 x 1,200px). The screen is sharp and, thanks to the IPS tech, viewing angles are great. Contrast is pretty good too but we found the glass a bit too reflective, which reduces legibility in direct sunlight.

The tablet has a 5MP camera on the back and a 2MP camera on the front.

Asus MeMo Pad 7 ME572C/CL at a glance

• Form factor: 7" tablet, duralumin and fiberglass body
• Dimensions: 8.3mm thick, 269g
• Display: 7" IPS touchscreen with 1,920 x 1,200 resolution (323ppi)
• Chipset: Intel Atom Z3560, quad-core 1.83GHz processor, PowerVR G6430 GPU; 2GB of RAM
• OS: Android 4.4 KitKat; Asus ZenUI
• Camera: 5MP camera; 2MP front-facing camera
• Connectivity: Optional LTE (ME572CL)
• Storage: 16/32GB built-in, microSD card slot (cards up to 64GB)
• Other: Stereo speakers

Asus continues its relationship with Intel and this tablet has a beefy Intel Atom Z3560 chipset with a quad-core 1.83GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and a PowerVR G6430 GPU. The device runs Android 4.4 KitKat, which the company has styled with its own ZenUI.

The top and bottom sides of the Memo Pad 7 (the short side) are mostly flat and house a loudspeaker each. A microSD card slot and a microUSB port are also to be found on the sides of the device. The tablet comes with 16GB or 32GB of storage and accepts microSD cards of up to 64GB.

Stereo speakers (one on each side) • buttons • microUSB port

The Asus Memo Pad 7 will come in a Wi-Fi only version (ME572C) and in an LTE version (ME572CL) by the end of the year. The starting price for the Wi-Fi model is €200.