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  • ruthan - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Tablets without integrated 3G/4G/LTE modem are absolute, tablet for home use is ridiculous, same using with cell phone Wifi hotspot.
  • althaz - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Tablets with integrated modem are absolute garbage. Not using your existing phone or wi-fi connection for internet is simply ridiculous.
  • Gunbuster - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Not to mention they keep trying to unload really terrible tablets with built in modems. My Verizon guy keeps emailing about the Ellipsis 7 Crap Tablet. yeah no thanks...
  • secretmanofagent - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Cell phones are absolute garbage. Not using your own body as a mobile hotspot is simply ridiculous.
  • wewantsthering - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    You should win a prize for this comment! Laughed so hard! :-)
  • p1esk - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Nice!
  • akdj - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Unless you 'need' your phone for the day, 'using your existing phone (sic wifi) for Internet is ridiculous'. Indeed. I concur
    But as an owner of each iPad. A half dozen Android tabs, ½ with, ½ without LTE --- I've YET to find an iPad 'with an intersted modem (that is) "absolute garbage"'
    My iPad Air 2 is getting consistent speeds of 60-75 Mb/s down, 45-50 up. That's fast as hell without wires. And consistently stable. Maybe it's time you tried 'one' (ya know, with a modem?)
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    The above comments are pretty funny, especially with the sarcasm, for those who didn't catch that.

    As for cellular hotspots, I don't see what's the issue? In today's world, there's a multitude of ways to charge your phone on the go - in the car, at the office, while ur walking, pushing a stroller, riding your bicycle, a mobile battery pack, a solar powered battery pack etc. I would also assume that most wireless carriers also offer free wifi at certain locations just for being a data subscriber (at least where I live, we have this feature; the concept was to remove congestion from the 3G/4G networks in higher density areas). So, even if I didn't have a cellular data modem in my ipad, the coffee shop or random place I'm at usually has some form of free wifi or at least my subscriber's wifi. For the odd times I dont, I just use my cellular hotspot. It also costs less per month as I don't need a tablet data plan. I have a mini with LTE and with my purchases of the Air 2, I opted for wifi, as I barely used my LTE data on the mini
  • phoenix_rizzen - Monday, March 16, 2015 - link

    How does that work when your phone isn't in the same location as your tablet, and you want to access the Internet from the tablet, and there isn't wifi available?
  • WereCatf - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    "tablet for home use is ridiculous" -- Uh, why? If you only want to consume content why in your mind would a laptop or a desktop be somehow utterly superior?
  • Murloc - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    1. comfort and ergonomics (seating position, not having to hold it up, big screen and audio without spending even more $$$ in wireless gizmos)
    2. speed of writing and clicking when browsing the internet
  • WereCatf - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    As for comfort: I'd say it's actually a plus for tablets that you can use them in all sorts of positions and not be restricted to seated positions. As for "big screen:" not all activities require a big screen. If you always insist on doing everything on a big screen then that's on you, but obviously many people don't. Writing is faster on a proper keyboard, sure, but I don't see how clicking is any faster.

    Besides, nothing you said actually answer the question I asked: why is using a tablet specifically at home so ridiculous compared to using it elsewhere?
  • darkich - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Thise arguments are utterly ridiculous.
    Have you ever actually used a tablet?

    An 8" tablet is PERFECTY usable in a sitting position, its screen provides a perfectly natural focal area size from that viewing distance, when held on top of the lap.
    Reading articles is in fact far superior than on a laptop even in that position since:
    1}) articles are usually formatted towards visual focus of the eye(columns) and portrait screen of a tablet is a perfect fit for a column.
    If you still fail to see the obvious and dont get why tablets are far better and convenient way for reading than a laptop is ,let me ask you - how many books and magazines have you read on a laptop??.
    2) tablet screens are superior to laptop(unless you want to compare a $1300 laptop with a $400 tablet) screens in terms of quality.
    3) tablet is incomparably more manageable and confortable to handle than a laptop due to vast weight and size differences.
    4) tapping and swipping >>> using a touchpad for scrolling and clicking
  • p1esk - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    I've read a ton of pdfs (books and papers) on a laptop. I tend to agree with your points, however, one thing a laptop has got going for it is the screen size. On my 15" MBP I can display two pages at a time. Alternatively, when a text is really dense (some papers), on a 8" tablet the font is simply too small to read comfortably without zooming in all the time (with your zoom resetting every time you turn a page.
  • darkich - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Yeah I don't disagree with your points either, all you say stands but doesn't counter what I said.
    For some complex and rich context, a top notch laptop like MBP is a natural fit, but overall, Internet is about reading, and for reading a tablet will always be a more natural fit than a laptop.

    It is no coincidence that devices specialized for reading have 6" screens, and are about as light as a magazine.
    I actually by far prefer to surf on my Note 3(despite having an 8" tablet also) ..all context can be easily managed with one hand, and the screen is just the right size to cover the visual focus from one ft distance.
  • akdj - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Ah. You're on 'our side' lol. I misread. I love my Note 4 too. But pick up an iPad mini retina. The second iteration is a bargain right now and it's not much heavier than your Note
    But it's a HELLUVA lot easier to read whe your eyes get tired (I'm 44 & retina, HiDPI displays have changed everything for me when it comes to Legibility & Portability/Hand 'Hold-a-bility'
  • akdj - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Need to look at it differently. I'm with you as an rMBP owner myself and LOVE computing again...after three decades, HiDPI is phenomenal
    That said, as darkich mentions...its a 'comfort' thing
    The iPad Air2's display is phenomenal. The horsepower is finally here and in MANY cases, it's a perfect 'home' computer. Facebook, Twitter, email, SMS MMS, pics, reading, surfing and gaming ALL significantly more 'easy' to do with a one pound 6mm tablet without the keyboard in the way! While the last part may be one of the dislikes you've got with tablets ...you can always get a keyboard case for a hundred bucks ...that said, after time with an iPad you can type quick. Respond fast and get back to what you were reading, watching or playing. A laptop while hella more powerful invites distractions while 'reading a magazine, book or doing a crossword puzzle'
    IMHO, it's always made me curious why others 'want' multitasking on a tabket OR user accounts. The former ...I've also been a Galaxy Note owner and currently use the Note 4 for our business, it's multi tasking system is still very flawed and much like in this article ...it's Google that isn't paying attention to their UI layouts pixel for pixel on individual devices
    Probably an impossibility I know me the latter...a first world deal, but for my family our tablets, whether my son's iPad mini, wife's Air, employees' iPads or my own are VERY personal devices set up the way you're looking to set them up with your icons and apps distributed in the fashion you prefer
    If you're unable to realize the benefits of tablet computing you're 'working too much!' Enjoyment, recreation and pleasure are how I use my iPad at home. On the Job site, it's all business! (& they're VERY capable devices now, today in this incarnation as a productivity piece too! $10/month and you've got 5TB of storage on OneDrive with a free word processor (Word), spreadsheet creator or editor (Excel) and a crappy presentation program in comparison to Keynote. Called PowerPoint;). Five tablets. Five computers. Mix n match as we do and it's a bargain!
    Not to mention making music, editing photos, video work flow or entertainment. Games for a buck or two. Five or ten for the big ones and some IAPs the kids can 'earn'. Lot better than dropping the same amount on a console and $60/pop for a game they don't enjoy
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    I'm comparing a 13" MBP to say, a tablet like the Air 2 or retina mini. I actually find my laptop more comfortable than my tablets when sitting (couch or otherwise), eating (kitchen table), on the toilet (I have a small table in the washrooms dedicated for the placement of tablets and laptops).

    1) on my MBP, books and magazines are okay, and can match my tablet's viewing experience only if the app/program im using is optimized for viewing on a laptop. That being said, I prefer my tablets in this category because of the "curated" views books and magazines have done for the reader.

    2)screen speaks for itself, but one thing to note is that for laptops, u can open a swathe of articles a lot easier and faster than a tablet can. If I'm spending an hour catching up on the news or some tech event, I could easily open 10-20 tabs for articles and related articles much faster than my tablet.

    3) sure, there's a weight and size disadvantage, but there's also a keyboard and screen advantage

    4)for my MBP, scrolling is a pretty easy two finger affair, which doesn't require me to reach my tablet each time. As for switching browser Tabs, I just use the keyboard short cut (same with closing/opening), and keyboard shortcut for switching programs. Zooming for text to fit to size is also an easy affair with "reader" setting on safari (removes adds, reformats text) for those websites with terrible layouts, or I could just double-tap my trackpad on the text I want to read and my browser automatically adjusts the zoom to fit my screen.

    I'm not out to promote apple per say, but once u figure it out, their UI for some things is pretty amazing. It would be a nightmare to do the above in Windows IMO
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    I do prefer my tablet in some scenarios, such as lying down in bed (I have a canter lever tablet holder thing), and when my laptop doesn't fit the area required, like my current predicament of replying to this while in my bathtub
  • SoCalBoomer - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    "The Venue 8 has an LTE variant, but most tablets operate purely over WiFi." Hmmmmm . . .
  • kmmatney - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Tablet for home use is ridiculously awesome. That's why they invented couches - they knew there would be tablets to use them on some day.
  • zepi - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Maybe Dell should just release a Windows edition of this tablet?
  • Manch - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    I have the Dell venue 8 Pro. I like it better than the Android version. I'm sure this will get the Windows treatment. If only you could dual boot. bluestacks is kind of crappy
  • nevertell - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Are there any Windows 8 tablets with PowerVR G6430 ?
    I'd want this tablet if it had a nice Intel GPU, so I'd have the drivers for it :(
  • nathanddrews - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    This. I would actually consider buying this, maybe even for the asking price, if it was Windows.

    I'm currently using the Microcenter WinBook TW100. For $160, you don't get the best possible build quality or components, but it's an 800p IPS with MicroSD, micro HDMI, micro USB, and a full-size USB 3.0 port... and the full Windows experience for when you want it. It runs full Office, plays HD Netflix/YouTube/Prime, and I can use it to remote into my computers and servers. I can easily use the wide array of ad-blocking, VPN softwares, and customize any setting I choose. The CPU/GPU is strong enough to play some old Halo, CS, UT, modern platformers like Meat Boy, and most emulators, but I can also Steam Stream from my gaming rig when I need to. Just connect any USB or BT controller and it couldn't be easier.

    My only complaint (other than it not having an i7+980M) is that it only has 2GB RAM on a 64-bit OS. I would pay another $50 to have 4GB.
  • Speedfriend - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Wait for the new smaller surface tablet running the new Atom. Finally a high quality, realtively cheap Win 8 tablet/2 in 1. Coming soon....
  • OrphanageExplosion - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    The ads on this page are slowing Chrome to a crawl on my 2012 MacBook Air. Please don't make me install AdBlock.
  • MrSpadge - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Ever since I disabled Adblock Edge for AT the site has become really slow. This is with 4 GHz Ivy i7 and the last few Firefoxes. And with the flash adverts still blocked.
  • jjj - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Too bad for the stupid chin and obscene pricing. At 200$ it would be almost passable even with that screen.
    In your comparison with other devices don't forget that the ipad min gen 2 is just 300$ and xiaomi's mipad 208$. And you guys really need to get some decently clocked A53 SoCs in those graphs.
  • nathanddrews - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Can you identify the specific ad that is causing the slowdown? If my Atom-based Windows tablet with 2GB RAM isn't having problems, I'm guessing the problem is with your system, not the site or the ads.
  • Drumsticks - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Indeed. I haven't noticed a slowdown on any of my devices, including a surface Pro 1 and a 4570k based PC.
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    Ditto, IPad Air 2, iPad retina mini, ivy-bridge i7-U, my mother of a desktop, iPhone 4S and even my Nokia 830 run this fine. :(
  • Ryan Smith - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    If you could please email me some screenshots of the ads in question, I will have it looked it.

    http://www.anandtech.com/Author/85
  • damianrobertjones - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Read the specs, all sounded good, until I reached "Android 4.4.4 KitKat".

    Oh well.
  • Michael Bay - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    You should have stopped at Android.
  • Michael Bay - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Android?
    Jesus, what a way to kill a perfectly fine hardware mix.
  • Azurael - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    They make a Venue 8 Pro if you want to run Windows/Linux... Pretty dull looking, but at least it doesn't have stupid bezels.
  • Azurael - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    If anybody wants a point of comparison with a Haswell-Y tablet, my i3 4020Y-based Dell Venue 11 scores the following running an Android-x86 5.0.2 build from a few days back (it's an x86_64 kernel w/ 32-bit userspace):

    Kraken 1.1 - 2741.8ms
    Octane 2.0: 10668
    WebXPRT kills Chrome for some reason (as does one of Vellamo's benchmarks) - I'm assuming that's something to do with the MESA/i915/Android interaction that Android-x86 creates. It worked under 4.4 and 5.0 is unofficial and buggy ATM.

    BaseMark OS 2 hates this thing:
    Overall: 1361
    System: 1893
    Memory: 1486
    Graphics: 1572
    Web: 776

    And I know AT don't use it, and it's not exactly known for accuracy and consistency but AnTuTu 5.6.1: 50757

    There's a lot of optimisation to be done, and it'd be nice to get 64-bit userspace working... But if Intel's slowest Haswell dual core can do that, think what the higher spec devices could do!
  • Kidster3001 - Wednesday, April 1, 2015 - link

    Basemark OS2 for Android scores incredibly poor on all x86 devices. I don't recommend it as a benchmark for Android.
  • darkich - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    "With generational improvements to their processors, it's not hard to imagine Intel becoming a major performance leader in the mobile space"

    In your dreams?
    How in Earth will Intel even come remotely close to achieving that in the light of Tegra X1, Exynos 7420, and upcoming army of Cortex A72 based chips?!?

    Wow, their newest Atom- built on a superior process to any of the compared chips, some of which being more than a half year old - held its
    ground in CPU, and got owned in GPU tests.

    I'm amazed at how your Intel has can translate that into some kind of promising prospect for Intel.
    Wake up and see that in reality, Intel IS FAR BEHIND, and has nothing to counter the upcoming ARM chips.
    The next Atom is basically a die shrink of Silvermont, and should be absolutely demolished by 14-20nm chips with Cortex A72 and Kryo CPU cores.
  • darkich - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    your Intel *bias*
  • Michael Bay - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Consider how faster Atom became when Baytrail came. That`s generational improvement the article is talking about.
    Intel also always will be on superior process node compared to everyone else.

    It`s only a question of supplying better GPU part.
  • lucam - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    This GPU is good, but not enough maybe for a tablet.
  • darkich - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Lol.
    Consider how faster Cortex became from A9-A72. Around 400%.
    Astonishing achievement that Intel can only have pipe dreams about.
  • LukaP - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Considering Intel managed to get Broadwell into 4.5W space i wouldnt be too worried about them. Their next gen atoms will be on par with any arm design. Dont forget that they have atleast one node advantage (with 10nm that will be two nodes) and ALOT more money to pour into RND.

    Look at what they are doing with iGPU performance. they realised AMD was stealing their market there, and came up with the Gen8 Iris Pro.

    Same will happen in mobile. when intel wants something it takes it. Plus it helps that they can rely on the Intel Inside branding.
  • pSupaNova - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Every generation we hear the same arguments spouted by the Intel Crowd, then when the mobile products hit the market ARM based Socs beat Intels hands down.

    Intel can't own this market big players like Samsung & Apple who manufacture devices and design ARM SOCS will not let them gain a big enough foothold in the market.

    The Mobile SOC race is over ARM won and Intel are now scrambling for the scraps.
  • Michael Bay - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Samsung SoCs are the ones scrambling for the scraps even within Samsung lineup, and Apple will always will be a thing in itself.
    This battle is far from over, and rushing to proclaim someone a winner only uncovers one`s uncertainty.
  • darkich - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    That 4.5W Broadwell costs over $250, and is matched(in raw computing performance) by a $50 2W Exynos 7420, and almost matched by last year's 20nm A8X..

    Seriously, there is no competition whatsoever. Facts are overwhelmingly in favor of ARM based chips.
  • darkich - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Also, so far Intel always had a node advantage but trailed behind ARM despite of that.
    Now even that advantage is melting away.
    Samsung is actually the first to have tested a 10nm process
  • Michael Bay - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Intel process advantage "melting away"?
    Nice mantra.

    It took them literally years and years to get where intel was two years ago process-wise, and then it`s not even real 14nm. You`ll get years after years of Samsung milking it completely dry, then TSMC yields will finally catch up and they`ll have to think about moving to 10.

    Intel will be somewhere below 5 by then.
  • darkich - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    "Intel will be somewhere below 5 by then."
    Oh I see, you're nothing but a TROLL
  • Michael Bay - Saturday, March 14, 2015 - link

    So all you have is an eteranl looser`s excuse.
    Typical of ARM fanatics.
  • Michael Bay - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Oh please. Intel has to improve a much more complex architecture and simultaneously drive power consumption down, while ARM is touching the heat ceiling on current complexity. Those issues will only exacerbate in next iterations.
  • GNUminex_l_cowsay - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Considering that there isn't much you can do with a tablet besides viewing content. How could something with such a bad screen possibly be useful?
  • extide - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Wow, those CPU scores are terrible. Even nVidia can roll a custom ARM core and be faster, and I'm not even talking about the GPU part, only CPU. This is sad Intel, c'mon you're letting me down! ATOM NEEDS TO GO. Use Core-M and then for the cheaper segments Intel needs to roll a custom ARM-v8 core. It's time!
  • djc208 - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Remember that in some cases the Atom CPU has to do a real-time conversion from ARM to X86 on any app that doesn't provide an X86 build. I notice that on my MeMo Pad some things just don't run, or don't run right even though they're fine on my phone. Admittedly the MeMo has far less RAM, but it's still glitchy on some apps. But it also means that some stuff just isn't as responsive because the CPU is trying to translate and run at the same time. Which admittedly is kind of what the Tegra K1 is doing too, just without the optimization library.
  • extide - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    That only happens on apps that are native code, which is basically only things like full-screen 3d games. All of the main google apps, browsers, and common stuff you use is java, so it has no additional translation overhead compared to running on ARM.

    However, the truth is that it's the end result that matters.
  • tipoo - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Browsers aren't java, they're native.
  • staiaoman - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    and THIS is why we patiently wait for anand's review before buying a tablet, instead of going off of the "FIRST!" articles from other sites. Well done, guys. Thorough as always.
  • Refuge - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Haha agreed, they are my guiding light.
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    Yeah, this was a really well done review. Thoroughly enjoyed it even tho I'm not a dell fan.
  • tipoo - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    My primary interest in this is that it has the same chip as in the Zenfone 2, I wonder how much it will have to scale back for a smartphone form factor. Seems like that could be the next budget champ, since it should be closer to the Snapdragon 800 than the 400.
  • hrrmph - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    I find it less disconcerting that Dell made a WiFi only version that is being mistaken for a flagship tablet than the fact that it remains difficult to figure out from AT reviews whether there is an LTE version of any given tablet.

    For a flagship tablet review, this should be prominent in the Connectivity section, if not in the Introduction. Flagship tablets have everything but the kitchen sink thrown in - and that is the way it should be.

    There is nothing wrong with the manufacturer making a WiFi only version. It is just that doing so will automatically make that version of the tablet a mid-range tablet. Maybe, upper mid-range - at best, if we are being charitable and they nailed everything else down perfectly.

    4G LTE and GPS radios are mandatory for a tablet to be considered a true fully equipped flagship because it represents the peak level of equipage possible. Those who need it know why they need it...

    ...and AT should make it easier for us to figure it out... instead of having to sort through a pile of chaff to figure out if we are even interested in the article at hand. As it is, these type of muddled articles border on being clickbait.

    If it were not for a helpful reader's comment, I wouldn't even know that Dell has produced LTE versions in this class of device.

    In addition to asking whether Dell is interested in providing full flagship value, I'm finding myself asking the same of AT.
  • Brandon Chester - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    I apologize for not listing it in the chart on the first page. However, it was mentioned in the WiFi section. I've added it to the connectivity cell in the spec chart to make it easily accessible.
  • FlyBri - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    @hrrmph -- I'm sorry, but you are sorely mistaken with your comment about a flagship tablet absolutely having to have a 4G LTE radio. Adding in a cell radio usually increases the cost of the tablet much more, and you can have the exact same tablet without it, and it's still considered flagship. So what are you saying is that an iPad Air 2 with a cell radio is a flagship device whereas the same iPad Air 2 without is not? That's just ridiculous. any iPad Air 2 is a flagship device -- period. Many tablets are used just as a media consumption device at home with WiFi. And as someone mentioned earlier, you can also many times use your phone as a hotspot to get cell coverage for the tablet.

    As a tablet doesn't have to have a cell radio, it can still be a flagship device. So you can have a flagship tablet with and without a cell radio -- it's as simple as that.
  • metayoshi - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    By the way and off topic, nice Google+ avatar Brandon. One of the best Anime in recent times.

    Back to the review... Great review. I was also someone really wanting Dell to succeed on this one since I'm still on the lookout for a Windows tablet and Dell seems to have a bunch in the pipeline. Kind of disappointed at this device, but also somewhat expected considering they're not really the first choice when it comes to Android tablets.

    Dell recently updated their Venue 11 Pro tablet line with the Core M 5Y71, and that, along the Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi, which is not out yet, is on my radar for a future purchase. If you guys could get reviews on those devices, that would be really nice. Of course, the best thing to do right now is probably wait until the Surface Pro 4 comes out, but I'd like to see some comparisons with other tablets/hybrid models before I make a purchase decision.
  • GeekBrains - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Since the DELL Venue 8 is now having the option to update to Lollipop, why wasn't it updated before running all the benchmarks?
    http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/feature-hands-dell-...
  • Brandon Chester - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    The update wasn't available at the time I was doing my testing. I had to send the Venue 8 back to Dell.
  • LukaP - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Perhaps noting in the review that the Lollipop version is now available, instead of saying it may take a while would be good.
  • Brandon Chester - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    I'm actually still looking into this because that hardwarezone source is the only site saying there's now a Lollipop update out, and yet their photos are of a tethered unit running KitKat. Once I hear back from Dell I'll update the article.
  • Brandon Chester - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    According to Dell, there is no update yet. Hardwarezone must be mistaken.
  • GeekBrains - Wednesday, March 25, 2015 - link

    Checked with DELL support and it's available already.
  • PC Perv - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    Z3580 is more than competitive but the tablet is sluggish? Did you not think of checking whether Intel is cheating the benchmarks? I am sure you would have, if you were reviewing tablets from other vendors.

    And you keep parroting "AMOLED not made by Samsung," (I counted no less than 3 times). Then who made the screen? How do you know it is not made by Samsung, and if you have that information why not share it?

    Oh and please keep it to recommendation for users. Your trying to advise an OEM is rather funny.
  • coolhardware - Thursday, March 12, 2015 - link

    I would like to know more about the screen as well!

    It seems to be tied with Samsung as the highest pixel density tablet (non-phone) display out there?!
    http://pixensity.com/list/tablet/:
    Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 (2014)
    Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 (2014)
    Dell Dell Venue 8 7840 (2015)

    All three of these have:
    8.4″ 31.71 square inches (7.1″x4.5″) 2560×1600 16:10 359.39 PPI
  • JoshHo - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    All of our benchmarks are designed to defeat benchmark detection mechanisms. The issues with performance are due to Android 4.4 and Dalvik. We saw massive improvements in performance for almost any device updated from 4.4 to 5.0.

    Brandon's statement regarding AMOLED displays refers to the device OEM.

    While we welcome feedback, our writers are human. Please avoid personal attacks.
  • PC Perv - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    You two are surely protective each other. I know the feeling.
  • akdj - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    You must. With that hamdle
  • akdj - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    (Sp!). Handle
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    I actually prefer recommendations to OEM - sure it may be considered subliminal messaging to the readers, but I'd like to think the review community like AT helped submerse the cheating done on android phones back in the day. AT was one of the first in terms of big review sites that caught the cheating and called OEMs on it, which in turn made us readers also aware and called them on it. There's all so many cases where they've done a laptop review, made some recommendations to OEM, and the next gen laptop remedied the issue. Maybe AT wasnt the sole deciding factor for the change, but every little bit helps when it comes to consumer advocacy to big corporations. We as consumers also benefit from their recommendations, so long as their recommendations are logical and objective
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    Lol, subvert, not submerse
  • Sushisamurai - Sunday, March 15, 2015 - link

    Hell, even CNET and sister sites quoted anandtech when the cheating was found/occurred. That's some pretty big influence there. What about the times when they got GPU architectures from imagination and the like (we still miss u anand), that was also to "OEM recommendations". I feel AT's done some good work in terms of pushing the consumer/review industry
  • az060693 - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Cirrus Logic DAC? I really want to see how good the audio output is.
  • zodiacfml - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Dell, why bother? Why not compete with Asus's convertible laptops with this type of hardware.
  • shadarlo - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Tablets that cost >$150-$200 should always come with usb-c, HDMI, or display port out. There are basically no exceptions to that, but it's even more true if it's a Windows tablet. Not having a 2nd USB port and a video out port on a windows tablet is beyond stupid.

    This being android and $400 is a hard sell to me. I just can't understand the purpose of a $400 android tablet unless it had phone functionality built into it. If it was a phone as well it'd be AWESOME.
  • FXi - Friday, March 13, 2015 - link

    Too bad there isn't a Win 8.1 version. Might have actually sold a bunch then
  • Wolfpup - Thursday, March 19, 2015 - link

    Regarding that CPU...I thought that all second gen Atoms were going to be using Intel's GPUs from now on? I had no idea they had any running PowerVR still.

    I thought that sounded like a bad idea for driver support until I realized this was an Android tablet (thought it was Windows 8 at first) and lost interest.

    BUT I'm still curious as to why there's a second gen Atom chip shipping with PowerVR instead of an Intel GPU.

    All the ones I've seen until this are 4 core parts that are fairly slow clocked. Not exactly great considering a 20 or even 40 core part isn't a powerhouse, but at least it means they're driver compatible with Intel's other GPUs.

    Wish that Nvidia had been able to license x86 and we had Tegra K1 tablets running Windows 8, complete with a GPU that would actually run modern games semi-decently. THAT would have been seriously cool (well, assuming the CPU part was fast enough LOL).
  • Razzy76 - Friday, March 20, 2015 - link

    Android ruined this tablet.
  • NamelessTed - Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - link

    If this tablet were running Windows it would be much more compelling to me. I got an nVidia Tegra Note tablet when they first launched and it has been a great product. The longer I use it the more I wish I had a slightly bigger screen and that I had the ability to use Windows. Within the next year I really really hope we see a sub-$400 Windows 10 tablet with front facing speakers and an 8-9" display.
  • Angelina Mathews - Monday, July 18, 2016 - link

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