O+ Fab 3G, the 7-inch Android tablet phone

We try to avoid using the word phablet but every time we encounter a 7-inch Android tablet with full phone functionality, we still couldn’t find a suitable name for it. This is the same case with the O+ Fab 3G.

The O+ Fab 3G is a regular tablet with a full cellphone functionality (which means you can make calls and send text messages). It comes with some pretty decent hardware specification — a dual-core 1.0GHz processor, 1GB RAM, Android Jellybean 4.1.2 and a quad-band SIM support for 3G/HSPA connectivity.

Te full hardware specification is listed below.

O+ Fab 3G specs:
7.0-inch TFT LCD display @ 976×600 pixels, 163ppi
MediaTek MT6577 1.0GHz dual-core processor
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
3G/HSPA
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.0
GPS
5MP rear camera
2MP front-facing camera
Android 4.1.2 Jellybean
Li-Ion 3,000mAh battery

The resolution and pixel density is similar to that of the Apple iPad Mini (163ppi). The TFT screen is expectedly a bit washed-out and has a narrow viewing angle and the low resolution is evident. The bezels are thin so the display looks like it’s taking almost all of the front panel.

The tablet looks pretty simple and plain design with a matte or rubbery surface around it. The ports, including the microSD and SIM cad slot are found along the sides and are actually exposed.

The device is slim and feel light on the hands, has a good grip because of the matte finish. The Fab 3G also comes paired with an earphone which will be very useful when making calls or you can just use a Bluetooth headset to pair with it instead.

The unit comes with Android 4.1.2 Jellybean and though there seems to be very little customization done, you’ll notice the usual icon set used by O+ on all of its other smartphones in the market.

The dual-core Mediatek processor performs pretty decent although you will noticeably encounter slight lags in between tasks. All of the basic functions worked well but don’t expect the device to be very smooth when running graphics-heavy games.

The built-in Li-Ion battery has a rating of 3,000mAh and while that may not seem enough for a tablet, it’s more than good enough for a smartphone. The low power consumption of the TFT display and Mediatek processor actually benefited the battery life of sorts.

The O+ Fab 3G is available in the market since last month and has a suggested retail price of Php7,995USD 136INR 11,550EUR 130CNY 992 (actual street price might be lower in stores). It’s a budget Android smartphone disguised as a tablet so we did not really expect anything bid from it.

Anyway, we’re looking at giving this away to readers after the quick review so watch out for that raffle widget below later this evening. ;)