Review bb-mobile Kalash LTE tablet - metal, 4G / LTE and Android 5.1
More recently, the latest version of Android was the prerogative of the flagships and branded Google Nexus devices. Yes, and the communication module with support for LTE seemed outlandish optional chip. But today 4G networks have covered 79 regions of Russia, and access to Android 5.1 was given to many companies immediately after the release. And while all of them aimed at smartphones, the Russian bb-mobile brand released Kalash LTE in early September 2015, the first most affordable tablet combining Android 5.1 and LTE support. Among other characteristics, it is worth noting the new 4-core processor with 64-bit architecture and IPS-display. At the same time, the tablet is a budget device and costs 6,990 rubles.
Before the release of the iPad, tablet computers did not even have a hint of popularity. Yes, there were models based on Windows and Linux, as a single occurrence, but the devices "for some reason" were not sold. Now the opposite is true - tablets based on Android and iOS have replaced e-books, GPS-navigators from store shelves and accelerated the withering away of the personal computer market.
True, for me in the first tested models (commercials in 2011) there were obvious flaws - 10 inches for a portable device is a bit much, the weight is large and there was no support for phone calls. Today, all of them are in the past - the popularity of 7-inch models is growing, you can often call them, and the weight of these models ranges from 280 to 350 grams, which is not much. bb-mobile KALASH LTE is just such a device, so I’ll try to tell you as much as possible about all the advantages and disadvantages of the model.
The bb-mobile brand in Russia has gained fame as a manufacturer of baby phones, camera doors and other outlandish gadgets. But since the beginning of 2014, he has been developing tablet computers based on Android or Windows. For a year and a half, the brand has about 20 models, some of which are regularly updated. So, our hero bb-mobile Kalash LTE last year already had a predecessor - just bb-mobile Kalash, and they should not be confused. In addition to the communication module, they have enough differences - last year's model has less (512 MB vs 1 GB) RAM, a 2-core processor, a TFT-TN display and Android 4.4. Now Kalash can still be found on sale for 3,990 rubles. So what has changed over the past year at Kalash?
The Kalash LTE model looks unusual - a strong metal case immediately catches your eye, and not plastic familiar to budget employees. Before us is not a thin back cover, as in other metal tablets, but a durable plate, passing into the rim around the case. Such an all-metal casing is designed to increase reliability. Of course, this will significantly reduce the risks of breaking the tablet in the fall, but you should not intentionally take risks - this is not a construction tool and not a board for cutting vegetables.
Perhaps it was for such a case that the tablet was given the name "Kalash". A loud name hides an allegorical description of the most durable equipment made in Russia. Automatic machines of the same name, as is known, serve for a long time and reliably under any conditions. (However, almost all other bb-mobile tablets are enclosed in the same condo metal cases, and they are not called “Kalash” at the same time.)
Despite the strong case, the weight was modest - less than 300 grams. You can hold such a gadget with one hand, for example, during calls. Although it is much more convenient to use it in landscape mode - two plastic inserts on the back help. They not only make the grip very durable, but also improve the quality of communication (Wi-Fi, 3G / 4G or GPS signals cannot pass through solid metal).
The lower plastic insert contains only one speaker and joyfully vibrates with it to the beat, nothing more remarkable. The speaker is loud enough for such devices and is suitable for watching movies, although the sound quality at maximum volume is not the highest.
The upper plastic part is removable, it is a cover for memory card slots and SIM. Initially, it seemed to me that there is only one SIM card slot - this is not surprising, because the model uses a dual slot, where one memory card is located on top of the other, and not on the side of it.
Lock and volume buttons on one side, on the right. Next to them there is a small hole that can be called a “ghost from the past” - this is a reset button hidden in the case. Write in the comments if you have some kind of Android device in recent years with official firmware hanging. Maybe I’m very mistaken, but in this way I haven’t had to restart anything for four years now.
At the bottom there is an audio output and a microUSB connector:
I was very pleased that the tablet turned out to be quite compact - dimensions 188 by 107 mm and a thickness of 9.5 mm. So the device looks good even when the cover from the kit is put on. And the model's configuration is very rich.
Now companies are trying to save money, so everything "extra" is removed from the kit. I’m afraid that very soon the chargers will be removed under the slogan “you still have them anyway.” In bb-mobile, we went the other way, adding a whole mountain of various additional accessories to the Kalash LTE set:
- Book case
- USB-OTG wire
- Stylus pen for capacitive displays (can be fixed in the headphone jack)
- Headphones
- Charger
- USB-MicroUSB for charging and connecting to a PC
- Wipe to wipe the display
- Instruction / Warranty card
Packaging for all the good turned out to be large. The box is also not simple - it looks like a metal box with camouflage khaki inserts and even St. George ribbons. In the same place, basic information about the model is written in a bold font from demotivators.
The display resolution is not at all high, only 1,024 by 600 pixels, like the very first Android tablet computers. This is not enough, but for 7 inches it is not critical. Granularity when viewed from hand is rarely seen, but it definitely is. On the other hand, the selected TFT-IPS matrix technology, so that the colors are accurately transmitted and the viewing angles are wide.
Even now, many models get obsolete TFT-TN matrices, which differ in terrible viewing angles and low color reproduction. Their most noticeable problem is the inversion of color - with the slightest change in the viewing angle, colors change.
The IPS-matrix of the bb-mobile Kalash LTE tablet does not have such a problem. Colors do not change when tilted, the color scheme is natural and the colors are not oversaturated. Reading or watching movies on such a display is quite comfortable.
The shooting quality is below average, which is not surprising - in the role of the main camera 2 megapixels, and the front camera is only 0.3 megapixels (640 by 480 pixels). However, getting a legible text in the frame is not difficult. And this is, in my opinion, the main task of the camera in a budget tablet.
The front camera is well suited for video calls, even on the road - good, there is 4G LTE. But in general, this tablet is not the best solution for a selfie and is definitely not a replacement for the camera. Even shooting with the main camera on the street on a sunny day here has drawbacks - bright objects are slightly lit.
If you've already heard about Android 5.0 / 5.1 (Kalash LTE has 5.1), then you know about the increased performance and more modest battery consumption. This was said in the case of Android 4.4 (relative to 4.2), but with Android 5.0 / 5.1 all the promises were as close to reality as possible. First of all, we finalized the ART Java machine and finally removed Dalvik. This allowed applications and the system to start faster, consume less RAM and processor resources.
In addition, the new interface contains elements of the ideology of Material Design from Google. So the system is easier to read and faster. It is simpler and more beautiful than it was throughout the entire Android 4.x series.
Version 5.1 was more likely to fix bugs, but it was in it that they introduced support for two SIM-cards at the system level. For dvuhsimochny "Kalash" innovation is important.
It was possible to increase the performance of the new system, including through the introduction of full support for 64-bit processors. This is exactly what the Kalash LTE tablet is equipped with. The MediaTek MT8735M model is a 4-core SoC (system on a chip) with a frequency of up to 1,400 MHz, built on Cortex-A53 cores. Given the resolution of 1024 by 600, the performance is more than decent - the menus switch instantly, games load and start quickly.
RAM 1 GB, so that any game will work, even the most modern. What pleases - the video chip in the processor is also new, so games with support for OpenGL ES 3.0 can show some miracles of graphics. But most often the graphics in games still have to be set to “medium” settings, because the processor frequency is not very high.
Normal results for such a hardware in benchmarks:
I was pleased with the tablet and another feature - support for 4G LTE. Fourth generation networks have already captured 79 cities in Russia, and technology users are still few. So, when switching from overloaded 3G networks, the difference is noticeable. On paper, the increase is from three to five times, but in reality it is worth focusing on a twofold increase in speed in comparison with a reliable 3G connection. When you connect to unlimited Internet, you can easily download a movie on the go.
And video calls from mobile messengers have become a reality. If on a 3G connection it was a weak link even with voice calls in Skype / Viber, then in the case of 4G you can see the interlocutor, and voice communication now does not go off at all. Convenient for both family and work - video calls to family and colleagues no longer require a laptop with Wi-Fi.
Moreover, with Kalash LTE you can make calls not only through instant messengers. Ordinary calls on mobile networks are also supported and work quite well. There is a speaker, Bluetooth headsets work well. Using a 7-inch tablet as the main phone would be a little strange, but possible. In this model, this is possible even without a headset.
Wireless connections are also quite modern - Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi b / g / n. There is also full GPS support, which turns the tablet into a convenient replacement for the navigator. Fortunately, cartographic and navigation programs on Google Play Sea, there are also free options from Mail / Yandex. A 7-inch display allows you to install the device on the front panel of the car and perfectly see the road with "side vision". Yes, and the speaker is suitable for the road - voice comments in the navigators can be heard without problems.
All good is provided with a 3,000 mAh battery. In 3D games, continuous gameplay of up to 6 hours is possible. Watching the video will empty the battery in 8 hours 20 minutes. One daylight of more or less active use, the tablet withstands without problems.
Finding a device with similar specifications is difficult for Android 5.1 and 4G LTE, especially for the price. Tablets of famous companies are much more expensive, and frank "China" is not distinguished by guarantees and reliability.
So the only drawback of the tablet is the display resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels. But this trouble is quickly forgotten thanks to the high-quality IPS-matrix. The rest is a strong middling with a sturdy metal case and good hardware stuffing.
The tablet is perfect as a replacement for a GPS navigator or e-book. Yes, and a powerful processor in combination with a 7-inch display make the device convenient for games.
Before the release of the iPad, tablet computers did not even have a hint of popularity. Yes, there were models based on Windows and Linux, as a single occurrence, but the devices "for some reason" were not sold. Now the opposite is true - tablets based on Android and iOS have replaced e-books, GPS-navigators from store shelves and accelerated the withering away of the personal computer market.
True, for me in the first tested models (commercials in 2011) there were obvious flaws - 10 inches for a portable device is a bit much, the weight is large and there was no support for phone calls. Today, all of them are in the past - the popularity of 7-inch models is growing, you can often call them, and the weight of these models ranges from 280 to 350 grams, which is not much. bb-mobile KALASH LTE is just such a device, so I’ll try to tell you as much as possible about all the advantages and disadvantages of the model.
The bb-mobile brand in Russia has gained fame as a manufacturer of baby phones, camera doors and other outlandish gadgets. But since the beginning of 2014, he has been developing tablet computers based on Android or Windows. For a year and a half, the brand has about 20 models, some of which are regularly updated. So, our hero bb-mobile Kalash LTE last year already had a predecessor - just bb-mobile Kalash, and they should not be confused. In addition to the communication module, they have enough differences - last year's model has less (512 MB vs 1 GB) RAM, a 2-core processor, a TFT-TN display and Android 4.4. Now Kalash can still be found on sale for 3,990 rubles. So what has changed over the past year at Kalash?
Features bb-mobile Techno Kalash LTE
| Screen | 7 inches, 1024x600 pixels, TFT-IPS |
| CPU | MediaTek MT8735M, 4 cores, 1.4 GHz, 64 bits |
| RAM / ROM | 1 GB / 8 GB |
| Memory cards | MicroSD up to 32 GB (HC) |
| Front camera | 0.3 megapixel |
| Main camera | 2.0 MP |
| Bluetooth | + |
| Wifi | + |
| GPS | + |
| 3G | + |
| LTE | + |
| Dual SIM | + |
| Voice calls | + |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh |
| OS | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 188 x 107 x 9.5 mm |
| Body material | High impact metal |
| Price | 6 990 rubles |
Appearance bb-mobile Kalash LTE
The Kalash LTE model looks unusual - a strong metal case immediately catches your eye, and not plastic familiar to budget employees. Before us is not a thin back cover, as in other metal tablets, but a durable plate, passing into the rim around the case. Such an all-metal casing is designed to increase reliability. Of course, this will significantly reduce the risks of breaking the tablet in the fall, but you should not intentionally take risks - this is not a construction tool and not a board for cutting vegetables.
Perhaps it was for such a case that the tablet was given the name "Kalash". A loud name hides an allegorical description of the most durable equipment made in Russia. Automatic machines of the same name, as is known, serve for a long time and reliably under any conditions. (However, almost all other bb-mobile tablets are enclosed in the same condo metal cases, and they are not called “Kalash” at the same time.)
Despite the strong case, the weight was modest - less than 300 grams. You can hold such a gadget with one hand, for example, during calls. Although it is much more convenient to use it in landscape mode - two plastic inserts on the back help. They not only make the grip very durable, but also improve the quality of communication (Wi-Fi, 3G / 4G or GPS signals cannot pass through solid metal).
The lower plastic insert contains only one speaker and joyfully vibrates with it to the beat, nothing more remarkable. The speaker is loud enough for such devices and is suitable for watching movies, although the sound quality at maximum volume is not the highest.
The upper plastic part is removable, it is a cover for memory card slots and SIM. Initially, it seemed to me that there is only one SIM card slot - this is not surprising, because the model uses a dual slot, where one memory card is located on top of the other, and not on the side of it.
Lock and volume buttons on one side, on the right. Next to them there is a small hole that can be called a “ghost from the past” - this is a reset button hidden in the case. Write in the comments if you have some kind of Android device in recent years with official firmware hanging. Maybe I’m very mistaken, but in this way I haven’t had to restart anything for four years now.
At the bottom there is an audio output and a microUSB connector:
I was very pleased that the tablet turned out to be quite compact - dimensions 188 by 107 mm and a thickness of 9.5 mm. So the device looks good even when the cover from the kit is put on. And the model's configuration is very rich.
Packaging and packaging
Now companies are trying to save money, so everything "extra" is removed from the kit. I’m afraid that very soon the chargers will be removed under the slogan “you still have them anyway.” In bb-mobile, we went the other way, adding a whole mountain of various additional accessories to the Kalash LTE set:
- Book case
- USB-OTG wire
- Stylus pen for capacitive displays (can be fixed in the headphone jack)
- Headphones
- Charger
- USB-MicroUSB for charging and connecting to a PC
- Wipe to wipe the display
- Instruction / Warranty card
Packaging for all the good turned out to be large. The box is also not simple - it looks like a metal box with camouflage khaki inserts and even St. George ribbons. In the same place, basic information about the model is written in a bold font from demotivators.
Display
The display resolution is not at all high, only 1,024 by 600 pixels, like the very first Android tablet computers. This is not enough, but for 7 inches it is not critical. Granularity when viewed from hand is rarely seen, but it definitely is. On the other hand, the selected TFT-IPS matrix technology, so that the colors are accurately transmitted and the viewing angles are wide.
Even now, many models get obsolete TFT-TN matrices, which differ in terrible viewing angles and low color reproduction. Their most noticeable problem is the inversion of color - with the slightest change in the viewing angle, colors change.
The IPS-matrix of the bb-mobile Kalash LTE tablet does not have such a problem. Colors do not change when tilted, the color scheme is natural and the colors are not oversaturated. Reading or watching movies on such a display is quite comfortable.
Camera
The shooting quality is below average, which is not surprising - in the role of the main camera 2 megapixels, and the front camera is only 0.3 megapixels (640 by 480 pixels). However, getting a legible text in the frame is not difficult. And this is, in my opinion, the main task of the camera in a budget tablet.
The front camera is well suited for video calls, even on the road - good, there is 4G LTE. But in general, this tablet is not the best solution for a selfie and is definitely not a replacement for the camera. Even shooting with the main camera on the street on a sunny day here has drawbacks - bright objects are slightly lit.
Performance and work experience
If you've already heard about Android 5.0 / 5.1 (Kalash LTE has 5.1), then you know about the increased performance and more modest battery consumption. This was said in the case of Android 4.4 (relative to 4.2), but with Android 5.0 / 5.1 all the promises were as close to reality as possible. First of all, we finalized the ART Java machine and finally removed Dalvik. This allowed applications and the system to start faster, consume less RAM and processor resources.
In addition, the new interface contains elements of the ideology of Material Design from Google. So the system is easier to read and faster. It is simpler and more beautiful than it was throughout the entire Android 4.x series.
Version 5.1 was more likely to fix bugs, but it was in it that they introduced support for two SIM-cards at the system level. For dvuhsimochny "Kalash" innovation is important.
It was possible to increase the performance of the new system, including through the introduction of full support for 64-bit processors. This is exactly what the Kalash LTE tablet is equipped with. The MediaTek MT8735M model is a 4-core SoC (system on a chip) with a frequency of up to 1,400 MHz, built on Cortex-A53 cores. Given the resolution of 1024 by 600, the performance is more than decent - the menus switch instantly, games load and start quickly.
RAM 1 GB, so that any game will work, even the most modern. What pleases - the video chip in the processor is also new, so games with support for OpenGL ES 3.0 can show some miracles of graphics. But most often the graphics in games still have to be set to “medium” settings, because the processor frequency is not very high.
Normal results for such a hardware in benchmarks:
I was pleased with the tablet and another feature - support for 4G LTE. Fourth generation networks have already captured 79 cities in Russia, and technology users are still few. So, when switching from overloaded 3G networks, the difference is noticeable. On paper, the increase is from three to five times, but in reality it is worth focusing on a twofold increase in speed in comparison with a reliable 3G connection. When you connect to unlimited Internet, you can easily download a movie on the go.
And video calls from mobile messengers have become a reality. If on a 3G connection it was a weak link even with voice calls in Skype / Viber, then in the case of 4G you can see the interlocutor, and voice communication now does not go off at all. Convenient for both family and work - video calls to family and colleagues no longer require a laptop with Wi-Fi.
Moreover, with Kalash LTE you can make calls not only through instant messengers. Ordinary calls on mobile networks are also supported and work quite well. There is a speaker, Bluetooth headsets work well. Using a 7-inch tablet as the main phone would be a little strange, but possible. In this model, this is possible even without a headset.
Wireless connections are also quite modern - Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi b / g / n. There is also full GPS support, which turns the tablet into a convenient replacement for the navigator. Fortunately, cartographic and navigation programs on Google Play Sea, there are also free options from Mail / Yandex. A 7-inch display allows you to install the device on the front panel of the car and perfectly see the road with "side vision". Yes, and the speaker is suitable for the road - voice comments in the navigators can be heard without problems.
All good is provided with a 3,000 mAh battery. In 3D games, continuous gameplay of up to 6 hours is possible. Watching the video will empty the battery in 8 hours 20 minutes. One daylight of more or less active use, the tablet withstands without problems.
conclusions
Finding a device with similar specifications is difficult for Android 5.1 and 4G LTE, especially for the price. Tablets of famous companies are much more expensive, and frank "China" is not distinguished by guarantees and reliability.
So the only drawback of the tablet is the display resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels. But this trouble is quickly forgotten thanks to the high-quality IPS-matrix. The rest is a strong middling with a sturdy metal case and good hardware stuffing.
The tablet is perfect as a replacement for a GPS navigator or e-book. Yes, and a powerful processor in combination with a 7-inch display make the device convenient for games.
