Hands-On: Skyworth SkyPad S82 Android tablet

This Android tablet from Skyworth was sent to us a couple of weeks ago and we only managed to unbox and check it out over the week-end. The tablet is part of the Tattoo Tablet Bundle being offered under various plans.

The tablet has the same 4:3 aspect ratio as the iPad, and as such, the form factor of the 8-inch tablet is more squarish compared to the typical ones we see in other Android tablets which is rectangular at 16:9.

This is actually the very first Skyworth tablet we’re ever used and it nearly reminds us of the popular Archos tablet from many years ago — almost similar design, form factor and finish.

Everything looks plain at the front while all the ports are found at one corner at the bottom end — there’s the microUSB port, mini-HDMI port, the 3.5mm audio port, mic and the exposed microSD card slot. There’s a pin hole for reset just in case the device needs to be restored to the default settings.

Here’s the complete specifications

Skyworth S82 specs:
8-inch IPS LCD display @ 1024×768 pixels, 160ppi
ARM Cortex A9 RK3066 1.6GHz dual-core
Mali 400-MP
1GB DDR3 RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 16GB via microSD
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Mini-HDMI port
2MP rear camera
0.3MP front-facing camera
Android 4.2.2 Jellybean

We’re not exactly sure about the battery capacity but our best guess is about 2,800mAh to 3,000mAh only. That translates to a poor but bearable battery life of just around 4-5 hours on moderate use.

While it is small, thin and handy, the tablet feels a bit hefty for its size. The display is just right, comparable to the iPad Mini at 1024×768 pixels. However, there’s noticeable lack of ample brightness especially when we take it in the outdoors.

As for the performance, the SkyPad S82 is actually pretty decent and capable. Results in our Quadrant Standard Benchmark gave it 4,207 (slightly higher than the Transformer Prime TF201). The tablet also scored a good 14,202 points on Antutu Benchmark; pretty much close to the quad-core tablets from Mediatek.

What actually surpsied us was the NenaMark 2 scores were thru the roof at 63.0fps.

The tablet is only Php999 when you subscribe to Tattoo Tablet-only Plan 999 which comes with a free pocket WiFi. There’s also Plan 1298 which comes with free SkyWorth S73 or Cloudpad 705W, BlackBerry Curve 9220 and WiFi stick.

And finally, a giveaway.

We’re going to give this review unit away to our readers. All you need to do is post a Tweet or an FB status saying why you’d want to have this Android tablet. Don’t forget to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with a link back to your shared post on Twitter/FB. We’ll announce a random winner tomorrow night on GeekyNights.