Ever since Microsoft announced Windows 8.1 with Bing, hardware makers have been churning out new, inexpensive devices running Windows, making new devices accessible to pretty much anyone. The EveT1 is just one of many new Windows 8.1 tablets being sold on the cheap, however to me the EveT1 stands out just a bit compared to the rest.
A common trait you’ll find with these new, super-cheap devices being sold on the market is that they feel cheap. Considering they are cheap, this is to be expected. However, the EveT1 is a different story. Still being cheap and still sporting entry-level specifications, the device feels premium, which is somewhat of a rarity when it comes to these low-end devices.
The EveT1 sports the following specifications:
- Intel BayTrail 1.8GHz CPU
- 2GB RAM
- 32GB Internal Storage (with expandable MicroSD card slot)
- 4300mAh battery
- 8-inch IPS display (1280×800)
- 2PM front facing camera / 5PM rear
- MicroUSB 2.0 port
- 802.11n WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS
As we’ve already mentioned, the EveT1 is not a high-end device by any means. However, using the device is a breeze. Performance never fell down when doing basic tasks such as checking emails, browsing the web and watching video. Although the device runs Windows 8.1, it’s unlikely you’ll want to run photoshop, as the device is simply not designed for such uses on an 8inch screen.
Although not frequent, I’d sometimes encounter a noticeable amount of lag with animations when flipping between apps or opening panels within apps. I found this would only happen if I was doing some heavy multitasking like updating Windows in the background whilst listening to music and editing a Word document. So animation lag is something I’m not surprised to see.
A great addition on the Eve T1 is a MicroSD expansion slot, allowing up to 128GB of additional storage on top of the 32GB you get internally. As I’m an avid fan of all kinds of media, it’s super convenient to just simply pop in my 128GB MicroSD card and have all my movies and videos all there ready to go immediately.
The 4300mAh battery held up tremendously throughout our uses. I easily got at least 8-9 hours of use out of the device each day, and even more if I was only using it here and there to check email. Charging times are pretty quick too, you can easily get the device charged up and ready to go within an hour or two of plugging it in.
One of the selling points of the EveT1 is its size. It’s an 8 inch device, with a screen resolution of 1280×800. The screen isn’t anything amazing, however at 8 inches, the low resolution is rarely a problem. You’re going to have a hard time using the desktop however, which is to be expected considering this tablet is not designed for desktop use.
If you really must use the desktop, I recommend you up the DPI scaling just a bit to improve accuracy when tapping elements. Out of the box, the EveT1 scales the desktop normally, however upping the DPI scales the desktop to better fit the small screen, which makes using the desktop a far better experience.
Back to the quality of the screen, as said above it’s nothing special. When holding the device at a normal distance, pixels do become a little difficult to see which is good. Viewing angles however are not super, so if you’re planning to watch movies with multiple people, keep that in mind.
Eve-tech say the EveT1 sports a hardened Asahi glass screen. This means from a durability standpoint, the EveT1 holds up well against gorilla glass and such. It also means the screen is scratch resistant. I’ve definitely tried scratching the screen with a set of keys which results in no scuffs or marks.
Pretty much all 8 inch Windows 8.1 tablets come with a year of Office 365, and the EveT1 is no exception. The subscription can be easily activated once setting up the device and signing into your Microsoft account. Again, considering the screen size, you’re not really going to be able to get any ‘real’ work done on the EveT1. The good news here however is that the Office suite is pretty fast performance wise.
Circling back to the build quality of the Eve T1, the device features a plastic, matte-black textured casing which annoyingly is a finger-print magnet. The textured back feels really great in the hand however, allowing for lots of grip so you won’t ever worry about it slipping out of your hands. In a matter of fact, I think it’s the matte-textured back cover which makes this device feel so premium.
The design of the back plate is excellent and is one of the reasons why this device feels so good in the hand. Unfortunately, the device is a bit on the heavy side at 395g. I know this can be an annoyance for some, however I’m one who prefers a heavier device, as to me a heavier device feels more solid and premium.
The speakers on the device are also nothing special. From a low-end tablet this is to be expected. They do they job pretty well, sounds can be loud when turned up to 100 but there’s a noticeable lack of bass and things sound a little tinny. Again, the standard with these low-cost tablets. Luckily, as with all devices ever these days, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the device which allows use of high-end headphones / speakers, so there’s that.
The EveT1 also comes with a front and back facing camera. The back being a 5MP shooter, it’s nothing too special considering it’s a tablet, however you can take some ‘decent’ photos if you need to. The front facing camera is only a 2MP shooter, and isn’t anything to be amazed with.
This 8 inch tablet will get a free update to Windows 10 later this year too, which is an excellent bonus for those waiting for Windows 10 to arrive. Eve-tech has allowed us to try out Windows 10 on the EveT1, which we will talk about in a post following this review.
The EveT1 is available now for the low-low price of 159 euros (£109.57 or $162.43), that price doesn’t include shipping so depending on where you are you’ll most likely have to pay a bit more than that. You can buy one directly from the makers of the EveT1 right now.
