RedFox WizPad Lite Quick Review

Another member of the WizPad family from RedFox was given to us to test out. With a full Windows 8.1 OS, IPS display, and included Bluetooth keyboard, this seemed to be a good deal for under Php 10,000USD 170INR 14,446EUR 162CNY 1,241, or isn’t? Read on to find out if the RedFox WizPad Lite is your next budget tablet PC.

Initial impressions of the device were good due to its presentable packaging. Out of the box you’ll get a microUSB cable, a USB OTG cable, the DC charger, a nifty leaflet that gives you a year of Office 365 subscription together with your product key, and a bunch of papers. The tablet PC is running Windows 8.1 with Bing, so the default search engine is Microsoft’s very own which you can change to Google or Yahoo in the settings. A purchase also entitles you to a free Bluetooth keyboard case, making the WizPad Lite a portable typing PC.

The feel of the device is commendable thanks to its matte polycarbonate casing but the overall build is unsure because it is prone to separation whenever you remove it from the keyboard case. This is a concern that needs to be addressed due to the fact that there is a warranty seal pasted on the side of the device. The seal easily cracks and could void your warranty.

It boasts an 8-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 1280 x 800 (188ppi). Thanks to the IPS technology, the screen is the crowning glory of the tablet. It is vibrant and reasonably crisp. Content sharing with peers is easy with its awesome viewing angles. One factor that deviates our admiration is the brightness. It’s either too dim or too bright depending of your situation.

The speaker on the back is dismaying. It couldn’t get loud enough to fill a small room yet it sounded tinny and garbled. You might want to plug in a headphone for media consumption. While both the 2-megapixel cameras could give you descent Skype calls and the like.

The WizPad Lite is powered by a quad-core Intel Baytrail-T processor clocked at 1.33GHz, with a turbo boost up to 1.86GHz, and paired with just 1GB of RAM. While it doesn’t sound that much, it is a capable performer for everyday tasks and ample multitasking. Sure, there is a hiccup from time to time but it’s not crucial unless you open more than four Chrome or IE tabs with heavy web pages.

Casual gaming is also a check for this tablet. We’ve tried Bingo Star and Star Wars Commander, they run just fine. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the chance to install intensive games like Asphalt 8 or Modern Combat due to the limited internal storage.

Speaking of memory. While everything seems to be just okay, the 16GB internal memory is the chief culprit of making the WizPad Lite a good budget tablet for bargain consumers.

With my usage, I had to reset twice in order to properly allocate enough memory to run the tablet effectively. At first, I installed MS Office upon activation. The installation didn’t finish due to lack of free space (10MB of storage left). Things went deranged and the system is barely responsive to inputs and commands so I had to reset. This time, I didn’t install MS Office and had 5.59GB of free space. So, I went to the Windows Store to install apps and games. To my surprise, the tablet was having a hard time installing Asphalt and other games due to the lack of memory again. With the second reset, I just installed few apps and games to test out and left some memory for temporary files and breathing space, because the tablet seems to really need it.

After the cumbersome encounter with the internal memory, the RedFox WizPad Lite is still an okay portable Windows 8.1 PC for Php 9,990USD 170INR 14,432EUR 162CNY 1,240 with included Bluetooth keyboard case. One must just know how to allocate their memory usage properly and buy a microSD card.

RedFox WizPad Lite specifications:
8-inch IPS LCD 1280 x 800 pixels, (188ppi)
1.33GHz Quad-core Intel Atom Baytrail-T Z3735E
1GB DDR3L
16GB eMMc, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
2-megapixel rear camera, 720p video recording
2-megapixel front-facing camera, 720p video recording
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
3.5mm headphone jack
1 x Mini HDMI port
1 x MicroUSB port
Up to 6 hours of battery life
Windows 8.1 with Bing

What we like about it:
• Matte back finish
• Quality IPS display
• Free 1-year MS Office 365 subscription
• Fluid system navigation

What we didn’t like:
• Very tight Bluetooth keyboard case
• Unsightly labels with critical warranty seal placement
• Limited internal storage
• 1GB of RAM causes multitasking issues

UPDATE: The bluetooth keyboard case is an optional accessory for P900