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TECNO Phonepad 3 Review- Perfect office companion


The TECNO Phonepad 3 was launched a couple of weeks ago in the country and earlier on we had already told you so much on what to expect with this device. The Phonepad 3 is the first tablet of 2017 from TECNO Mobile and is probably the most attractive tablet from the company ever.

We have been interacting with it for a while now and trust me, just as TECNO says, the Phonepad 3 is really meant for people who love doing business while on the move. If you are the kind of person who loves reading web content, then the Phonepad 3 is one of those devices you should own. The Phonepad 3 has been tagged ‘’Do business, Stay mobile’’ and as I said it has been designed to facilitate business communication for users even when they are on-the-go.

Read >> Tecno Phonepad 7 II review and specifications

But that aside, there is a lot more I have discovered while using the device, especially in terms of performance and even the camera. Below are the specs:

  • Display Size: 7.0-inch FHD.
  • Dimension: 188mm x 98mm x 7.85mm.
  • Screen Resolution: 1280 x 720 pixels.
  • Processor: 1.3GHz Quad-Core MT8375W.
  • Operating System: Tecno HiOS based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
  • Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory. Support external card up to 128GB.
  • Camera: 13MP rear camera with dual Led flash and 5MP front camera with soft flash.
  • Network: 2G, 3G, 4G.
  • Battery Capacity: 4100 mAh, Non-Removable.
  • Connectivity:4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 ac,Bluetooth 4.1, Micro USB 2.0, GPS.
  • Color: Champagne Gold, Black.
  • Sensors: Fingerprint, Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass.

First, I love the packaging TECNO Mobile gave to the Phonepad, very simple. The box is a white rectangular cardboard with some details of how the device looks like and also what to expect. And when you unbox it you get the usual accessories:

  • The tablet
  • A power adapter
  • A USB cable
  • A plastic case
  • A pair of earphones
  • A sim ejector and
  • A user guide in English.

So, that’s what you have in the box and I love the fact that TECNO Mobile added a pair of earphones in the box. I mean, we haven’t seen that in the recent tablets the company has been launching.

Read >> Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II Review: Tecno outdid themselves on this one

Here is our TECNO Phonepad 3 review.

Design and Display

Phonepad 3

Well, the TECNO Phonepad 3 is a 7-inch tablet or should we just call it a big phone and we are not wrong when we call it the most attractive tablet from the company ever. Why? First, the Phonepad 3 has a stunning design with a steel body accompanied with perfect angles to improve the device handling. Many delicate details have been added to improve the beauty of the Phonepad 3. With the new unibody design, the Phonepad 3 feels amazing just as it looks.

Read>>

The 7-inch HD display built in with 720 x 1280 IPS with full lamination on the tablet gives you enough view of everything that happens on the screen. The screen also makes it so easy to read and write emails, browse through files. With the larger screen, one can also easily View Reports, Documents, PPT, Without Amplification.  Now you understand when I say the Phonepad 3 can be a good office companion or as TECNO says, a good ‘’Business Assistant’’

WhatsApp Image 2017-04-25 at 2.06.06 PM

 

The Phonepad 3 is visually slim with a length of 188mm, 98mm breath and a thickness of just 7.85mm. It tries to find a balance between a phone and tablet and that’s why I think we should just call it a big phone.

WhatsApp Image 2017-04-25 at 12.48.14 PM(3)

I also love Diamond Texture Design TECNO decided to give to the power button on the Phonepad 3 where we also have the side button with a fingerprint sensor positioned at the right-hand side of the device.

Business Assistant/Business Apps

business assistant apps

So why does TECNO refer to the Phonepad 3 as the best business companion? Well, because it has been designed for business people. I mean with the screen size and all the other features, the tablet has indeed been designed to facilitate business communication. Some of the business apps that come installed on the tablet include:

  • WPS Office
  • Xender – For exchanging files
  • CamCard – For scanning business cards and having them stored safely
  • CamScanner – You can use this to scan and manage documents and other useful information. It also gives you an option of sharing the documents via email, or even social media and as well as extract text from images.
  • Trustlook – You can use this to keep your device safe and secure from attacks and viruses.

You will never have to worry about losing important contacts anymore with the handy feature for scanning business cards. Once the card has been identified, all the relevant information is saved in your contacts. You can also exchange electronic business cards securely with this feature. Interesting, right?

Performance

One of the other things I love about the Phonepad 3 is its smooth performance. Despite just having a 2GB RAM, the device delivers to its expectations. But still, TECNO should have increased the RAM to something like 3GB. It features a quad- core 64-but Mediatek MT8375W processor, with a processor speed of 1.3 GHz. The internal memory is 16GB which is expandable to about 128 GB. Overall, the performance is quite good.

If you are a gamer, who loves playing soccer games like me then the Phonepad 3 will serve you just well.

Camera

WhatsApp Image 2017-04-25 at 12.48.16 PM(1)

The TECNO Phonepad 3 features a 13MP rear camera 85-degree wide angle captures some good images. With a dual flash, the camera does not disappoint.

Phonepad 3 rear camera

The selfie camera, on the other hand, is 5MP with soft flash. The flash is softer than common flash and delivers some nice natural images.

Phonepad 3 selfie

Fingerprint sensor

WhatsApp Image 2017-04-25 at 2.07.44 PM

The fingerprint sensor is positioned at the right-hand side of the device. Well, I love the position TECNO chose to put the sensor, and also the fact that I don’t have to struggle to have it recognize my finger.  Although at some point it always ended up getting in contact with my hands whenever I tried holding the device.

One can also use the fingerprint scanner as a scroll bar when viewing documents.  I found this quite interesting since I don’t have to always keep flattering my fingers around the screen.

Battery

The Phonepad 3 comes with a 4100 mAh non-removable battery and here is the thing. The consumption is just out of this world. See, used the device for close to 48 hours and still I had a good amount of battery left to make calls. At some point during the Easter Holidays I forgot the charge and took a trip to Kitale for two days, coming back I still had enough power thanks to the ultra-power saving mode.

Conclusion and availability

To conclude, I loved the TECNO Phonepad 3. If you are a young business professional then the features TECNO gave to this device makes it the perfect choice for you.

Above all, the device is quite affordable at just Kshs. 17,000. You can grab one from Jumia here. Have anything to add to this TECNO Phonepad 3 review? Leave us a comment in the comments section below.

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Nixon Kanali

Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to nkanali@techtrendske.co.ke.

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