Testing bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G: glass quad-core tablet on Windows 8.1
Until recently, only a few large companies with a worldwide reputation released tablet computers on Windows - HP, Acer, Toshiba, ASUS, and so on. As a result, until recently there were few models on the Microsoft operating system in the market. And they were quite expensive: 800-1 000 dollars (!). However, by 2015 the situation has changed: today Windows tablets offer not only the grandees of the market, but also Russian local brands that have the ability to use price dumping. For example, the Russian company Business Bureau, which is promoting the bb-mobile brand on the Russian market, has recently expanded its Techno tablet line with a model running the Windows 8.1 operating system - bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G. The device became the first Russian 9-inch tablet on Windows. Actually, we will introduce you to this device in this material.
bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G is sold in a relatively compact cardboard box. The packaging is framed in bright colors resembling the "tiled" interface of the Windows 8.1 operating system. On the front side of the box is a screenshot of the tablet’s desktop. Its name is also indicated here and several examples of the layout of the Modern UI desktop (tiles) are given. The main characteristics of the tablet are listed on the ends of the package.
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G package is not standard. Although, of course, it is not as rich as some models of bb-mobile Techno on Android. Almost all of them are equipped, for example, with cloths for cleaning the body and stereo headsets.
One way or another, the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G package includes:
- a case made of velvety material
- 2A network charger
- microUSB-USB cord
- protective film already pasted on the screen
- cable for connecting USB devices (OTG)
- instructions
- warranty card
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G looks very solid, the device is made in a strict modern design. Adds a pleasant feeling and the material of the tablet body - this is glass. Yes, we didn’t make a reservation. Typically, in tablet computers, glass is used only on the front panel, in fact, it protects the display from damage. In the case of bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G, the developers decided to cover the back of the gadget with glass. It looks really cool, and in the hands it feels much nicer than plastic.
But we still found a small flaw in the glass back. This material is easily soiled, it quickly attracts dust, and the fingerprints on it are more noticeable.
The device looks and feels monolithic. We did not find large gaps between the parts of the case, or uneven joints, or creaks. Build quality is good, however, as with all bb-mobile Techno tablets.
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G fits comfortably in your hand, and its weight is fully consistent with your visual experience: 460 g. Note the relatively thin frames around the screen, making the gadget very compact: 232 x 148 x 9.2 mm. By and large, these are the dimensions of an 8-inch tablet, and certainly not a 9-inch one. As usual, on the front side of the tablet is a display. Here you can see the camera for video calls.
The main camera of the device is located on the back side. Control keys, connectors and other interfaces are placed on the ends of the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G. At the top are a microUSB port and a standard 3.5 mm audio output.
At the bottom are two multimedia speaker grilles.
The left side is not burdened with anything, but on the right there is a screen activation key and two volume buttons. Note that all keys have a clear course and sufficient "resistance" to avoid accidental clicks in a bag or backpack. A bit lower is a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot.
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G has a transparent protective film on it. It is quite high quality, does not spoil the image quality and does not interfere with management.
With a diagonal of 9 inches (more precisely, 8.9), the screen resolution is 1920 by 1200 pixels. The image is clear, individual pixels are noticeable only upon close examination. Also important is the fact that the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G uses a high-quality IPS matrix. Thanks to this technology, the display has the widest viewing angles and natural color reproduction.
The performance level of the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G can be rated as high. There are enough hardware resources to perform most everyday tasks. So, the tablet quickly launches even resource-intensive applications, and there’s no need to talk about the smooth operation of the operating system interface: there are no complaints. The device uses an Intel Atom Z3735F chip with four processing cores that operate at a frequency of up to 1.8 GHz. It also provides 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal. The volume of the latter can be increased using a microSD memory card up to 32 GB inclusive.
You can also play bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G. If we talk about the usual games for the Windows operating system, then it will be something at the Quake 4 level and even more so Quake 3 Arena. As for the toys sharpened for mobile devices (tablets and smartphones), there are no problems at all. The device can easily cope with Blitz Brigade, Asphalt 8, GT Racing 2 and other similar toys.
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G tablet computer is running the Windows 8.1 with Bing operating system. The interface is no different from the usual interface on desktop computers and laptops. The developers did not make any changes to the OS. It’s probably for the best.
The tablet is preinstalled with a standard set of programs for Windows. Additional applications can be downloaded from the proprietary Windows Phone Store and on the Internet.
As a rule, Windows tablet computers are equipped only with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters. In the case of bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G, in addition to the listed wireless modules, there is also a GPS receiver and a 3G modem. Unlike Android tablets, bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G is not able to make voice calls and exchange SMS messages. The 3G modem in it is used only for access to the Internet.
The battery life of the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G is hard to measure, since the time you watch the video depends on the file format, codecs and player, and the time in games depends on the games themselves and their exactingness on hardware resources. We can say with confidence: in typing mode, the battery lasts about 6-7 hours. This can be called a very good result. As for the capacity of the battery used, it is equal to 5,000 mAh.
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G tablet computer is equipped with two cameras. The first is front, it has a resolution of 0.3 megapixels. It is enough to ensure acceptable image quality during video calls. The main camera of the tablet is 2 megapixel. Given this, the quality of the resulting photographs is not as low as one might expect. Say, you can quite imagine the text for her.
The camera interface is as follows:
bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G showed a good side. The device looks attractive and feels good in the hands, for which it is necessary to thank the glass back and high-quality assembly. The 9-inch IPS display is pleasing to the eye and finger. The 4-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor and 2 GB of RAM are a pretty powerful bunch, and it’s enough for a tablet. A wide range of communication modules complements the picture. The novelty is estimated at 10,990 rubles (the cost is current as of 05/11/2015). We consider such a price to be fully justified, given the listed characteristics and the possibility of using it as a full-fledged computer and replace a laptop. Of the minuses of the model, we can only highlight the soiled body.
Packaging and equipment
bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G is sold in a relatively compact cardboard box. The packaging is framed in bright colors resembling the "tiled" interface of the Windows 8.1 operating system. On the front side of the box is a screenshot of the tablet’s desktop. Its name is also indicated here and several examples of the layout of the Modern UI desktop (tiles) are given. The main characteristics of the tablet are listed on the ends of the package.
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G package is not standard. Although, of course, it is not as rich as some models of bb-mobile Techno on Android. Almost all of them are equipped, for example, with cloths for cleaning the body and stereo headsets.
One way or another, the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G package includes:
- a case made of velvety material
- 2A network charger
- microUSB-USB cord
- protective film already pasted on the screen
- cable for connecting USB devices (OTG)
- instructions
- warranty card
Appearance and controls
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G looks very solid, the device is made in a strict modern design. Adds a pleasant feeling and the material of the tablet body - this is glass. Yes, we didn’t make a reservation. Typically, in tablet computers, glass is used only on the front panel, in fact, it protects the display from damage. In the case of bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G, the developers decided to cover the back of the gadget with glass. It looks really cool, and in the hands it feels much nicer than plastic.
But we still found a small flaw in the glass back. This material is easily soiled, it quickly attracts dust, and the fingerprints on it are more noticeable.
The device looks and feels monolithic. We did not find large gaps between the parts of the case, or uneven joints, or creaks. Build quality is good, however, as with all bb-mobile Techno tablets.
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G fits comfortably in your hand, and its weight is fully consistent with your visual experience: 460 g. Note the relatively thin frames around the screen, making the gadget very compact: 232 x 148 x 9.2 mm. By and large, these are the dimensions of an 8-inch tablet, and certainly not a 9-inch one. As usual, on the front side of the tablet is a display. Here you can see the camera for video calls.
The main camera of the device is located on the back side. Control keys, connectors and other interfaces are placed on the ends of the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G. At the top are a microUSB port and a standard 3.5 mm audio output.
At the bottom are two multimedia speaker grilles.
The left side is not burdened with anything, but on the right there is a screen activation key and two volume buttons. Note that all keys have a clear course and sufficient "resistance" to avoid accidental clicks in a bag or backpack. A bit lower is a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot.
Screen
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G has a transparent protective film on it. It is quite high quality, does not spoil the image quality and does not interfere with management.
With a diagonal of 9 inches (more precisely, 8.9), the screen resolution is 1920 by 1200 pixels. The image is clear, individual pixels are noticeable only upon close examination. Also important is the fact that the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G uses a high-quality IPS matrix. Thanks to this technology, the display has the widest viewing angles and natural color reproduction.
Hardware platform
The performance level of the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G can be rated as high. There are enough hardware resources to perform most everyday tasks. So, the tablet quickly launches even resource-intensive applications, and there’s no need to talk about the smooth operation of the operating system interface: there are no complaints. The device uses an Intel Atom Z3735F chip with four processing cores that operate at a frequency of up to 1.8 GHz. It also provides 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal. The volume of the latter can be increased using a microSD memory card up to 32 GB inclusive.
You can also play bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G. If we talk about the usual games for the Windows operating system, then it will be something at the Quake 4 level and even more so Quake 3 Arena. As for the toys sharpened for mobile devices (tablets and smartphones), there are no problems at all. The device can easily cope with Blitz Brigade, Asphalt 8, GT Racing 2 and other similar toys.
operating system
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G tablet computer is running the Windows 8.1 with Bing operating system. The interface is no different from the usual interface on desktop computers and laptops. The developers did not make any changes to the OS. It’s probably for the best.
The tablet is preinstalled with a standard set of programs for Windows. Additional applications can be downloaded from the proprietary Windows Phone Store and on the Internet.
Communication and autonomy
As a rule, Windows tablet computers are equipped only with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters. In the case of bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G, in addition to the listed wireless modules, there is also a GPS receiver and a 3G modem. Unlike Android tablets, bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G is not able to make voice calls and exchange SMS messages. The 3G modem in it is used only for access to the Internet.
The battery life of the bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G is hard to measure, since the time you watch the video depends on the file format, codecs and player, and the time in games depends on the games themselves and their exactingness on hardware resources. We can say with confidence: in typing mode, the battery lasts about 6-7 hours. This can be called a very good result. As for the capacity of the battery used, it is equal to 5,000 mAh.
Cameras
The bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G tablet computer is equipped with two cameras. The first is front, it has a resolution of 0.3 megapixels. It is enough to ensure acceptable image quality during video calls. The main camera of the tablet is 2 megapixel. Given this, the quality of the resulting photographs is not as low as one might expect. Say, you can quite imagine the text for her.
The camera interface is as follows:
Conclusion
bb-mobile Techno W8.9 3G showed a good side. The device looks attractive and feels good in the hands, for which it is necessary to thank the glass back and high-quality assembly. The 9-inch IPS display is pleasing to the eye and finger. The 4-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor and 2 GB of RAM are a pretty powerful bunch, and it’s enough for a tablet. A wide range of communication modules complements the picture. The novelty is estimated at 10,990 rubles (the cost is current as of 05/11/2015). We consider such a price to be fully justified, given the listed characteristics and the possibility of using it as a full-fledged computer and replace a laptop. Of the minuses of the model, we can only highlight the soiled body.
