--- Hisense Sero 7 Pro ---
This isn't first impressions... this is my own proper review! But first, we need to take a look at what I am blogging about. That would be THIS device:
^ from: androidadvices.com - The Sero 7 Pro tablet PC from Hisense.
Before I begin, here is some retrospective. The review portion of this blog post will come later.
--- Hisense Sero 7 Pro: Retrospective ---
While the Google Nexus 7 is long regarded as king in the 7-inch tablet segment, there are certain features which make it not as well-liked among some tech consumers. Among others, the lack of external memory for the Nexus 7 is a con for a lot of people. So leave it to a company like Hisense to challenge Google's hot tablet. Hisense decided to test the tablet PC market with two tablets. The lower-spec Hisense Sero 7 LT is the light model of the Sero 7 series, and the Sero 7 Pro (which is the highlight of this post) is the top-of-the-line model.Since Hisense is sold exclusively through Wal-Mart, people will automatically assume that you're going to have cheap quality from this Chinese company. And to some people, "China" and "good quality" don't usually belong in the same sentence. Get these thoughts out of your head in regards to the Hisense Sero 7 Pro. Hisense has a hub here in the United States, as Hisense USA is based in Sewanee, Georgia, USA.
One of the points to set up the Sero 7 Pro's appeal is that the Sero 7 Pro came out near the end of the Google Nexus 7's cycle. The Nexus 7 would end up getting a refreshed and enhanced model with a new Snapdragon processor while the Hisense Sero 7 still packed a processor to stand with the Google Nexus 7. This led some people to believe the Sero 7 Pro would have a tough time keeping up with the Nexus, especially after the refresh of the Nexus 7. The Google Nexus 7 comes in at about $229 USD; and the Hisense Sero 7 Pro started off at $149 USD, but has since been dropped to $129 USD. So in regards to price points for 7-inch tablets, this one is very affordable compared to most offerings in the $150 USD to $200 USD range. You aren't going to pay too much to enjoy a proper 7-inch tablet like the Hisense Sero 7 Pro.
From Samsung to Hisense...
I always wanted to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablets for the longest. I wanted one to stay within the realm of Samsung and their amazing products... until I looked at a lot of the competition. It began when my interests went from having a Samsung tablet to getting the more expensive Google Nexus 7. Then, I saw the ASUS MeMO HD 7. And then eventually... I came across a tablet that felt pretty good when I visited a Wal-Mart store once. I started to play around with one tablet and remembered the name- Hisense Sero 7 Pro. I came away fairly impressed with it. The only thing I wasn't sure of was if I was actually using the Hisense Sero 7 Pro. After my own research and such, I found out I was indeed using the Sero 7 Pro at the store! I extended my research into watching various YouTube videos. Many video reviewers were pretty impressed as I got a fair idea of how this tablet PC is.Little by little, I started to become less attracted to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablets in favor of the Hisense Sero 7 Pro. I became attracted to the Sero 7 Pro in much the same way I was slowly drawn away from getting the Samsung Galaxy Player portable media players after long wanting an iPod Touch. Some people whom have owned a Google Nexus 7 or considered a Nexus 7 ultimately picked or enjoyed the Hisense Sero 7 Pro. I guess you can say I'm one of the ones to join the Hisense party.
Specifications.
Here is what you need to know about the Hisense Sero 7 Pro- or as much as I know without consulting Hisense's website...The Hisense Sero 7 Pro is a 7-inch tablet PC. It runs the Android 4.2 ("Jelly Bean") interface. The Sero 7 Pro is powered by an nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor for fast and smooth operation. It features two cameras- a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2 megapixel camera at the front. What is unique about the rear camera is that it has an LED flash to it. So you can actually use this tablet to take photos in low-light or night conditions. The rear camera even has Autofocus as part of the package. You can also shoot video with the camera, and it is capable of video up to 720p resolution. It has a micro USB dock for charging as well as an HDMI port for you to plug into your HDTV. There are two rear-facing stereo speakers on the Sero 7 Pro. If you prefer Internet usage, it is WiFi only. No options for 3G or 4G or whatever. You can use your Bluetooth devices with this tablet. It also has NFC (Near-Field Communications) support. Most importantly, this device supports external memory with a microSD card slot. You can put in a microSD card of up to 32GB, but I've heard of some who managed to put in 64GB microSD cards into the device. The back of the Sero 7 Pro features textured backing- just like the Google Nexus 7. This helps keep the tablet in your hands without feeling like it's going to slip from your fingers. There are no physical buttons on the front of the device. You have the capacitive buttons for Back, Home, and Menu. Curiously enough, there is a capacitive button where you can press to take a quick screenshot to be saved to your Gallery. This tablet can even be a remote control for your TV- granted the TV connected on the same WiFi network.
The Hisense Sero 7 Pro has dimensions of (length × height × width) of 7.87 in. × 4.95 in. × 0.43 in. It weighs 12.7 ounces. The Sero 7 Pro has an IPS HD LCD screen boasting a resolution of 1280 x 800. I am guessing, then, that it should have no problem playing videos and movies of up to 720p. You get a handful of Google apps preloaded onto the Sero 7 Pro. Among many others: Google Chrome, YouTube, Google Play, and more. Since Wal-Mart sells the Sero 7 Pro, you even get Wal-Mart exclusive stuff like the Wal-Mart app, the Sam's Club app, and the Vudu app (I didn't know Vudu was owned by Wal-Mart) for you movie watchers. The Sero 7 Pro is told to have a 4000 mAh battery. Reviewers I've seen YouTube videos on say they were able to get about maybe nine hours of usage under moderate or even heavy operation.
Now that you have an idea about the device, I'll share my review of the Hisense Sero 7 Pro.
--- Hisense Sero 7 Pro: My Review ---
Going on almost one year since getting the Sero 7 Pro for Christmas, Hisense has done a very good job providing a powerful and useful tablet. Hisense may not be a sexy name or any big label brand, but anyone looking for a more than suitable tablet PC to take on basic mobile device usage would not and should not be disappointed with the Hisense Sero 7 Pro. It is fairly powerful and more than useful for basic usage. I am not much into mobile gaming, so I left this aspect of the tablet aside. Some of the games I did play ran fairly well. The biggest problem I've had with the device- except for times when it would freeze after keeping it on for so long- is the camera, especially the front-facing one. You have to look at it at a certain angle to get a better look and to look right using the front-facing camera. The only other issue is the fact this thing has a button on the navigation bar that takes screenshots. You may accidentally tap on that icon and end up taking a screenshot you didn't want to take. Not that I've used a bunch of tablet PCs previously, but there are times when I noted the Hisense Sero 7 Pro overheats a lot of times. Be sure not to have it on for too long or have too many processes working at once to minimize this overheating.When I mentioned the tablet sometimes freezing, this usually happens a few times when I realize the tablet has been active for hours on end. I have now started to simply turn off the tablet when I feel I don't need to have it on serving as my own notification device for e-mail or other things.
I still think the Hisense Sero 7 Pro is a great tablet for what it is. It has a lot of the features the Google Nexus 7 (at its time) has, but with external memory and more. This Sero 7 Pro will still do many of the things you want in a 7-inch tablet. Even if you find a used or refurbished model, this tablet will do you just fine. Just be wary of some of the different negatives and issues regarding this tablet.
Video Preview.
Here is a look at the Hisense Sero 7 Pro I offered my review on:^ "Hisense Sero 7 Pro review iPad alternative 2013"
For More Information...
For more information about Hisense and other products they offer, visit global.hisense.com. Or for my American audience, visit Hisense USA's website at hisense-usa.com.--- Hisense Sero 7 Pro's Successor? (BONUS SECTION!) ---
Some people into Hisense have voiced displeasure with the latest offering- the Hisense Sero 8. Some even say a refurbished Hisense Sero 7 Pro is better than the up-to-date Sero 8 that was released earlier in 2014. So if you're torn about getting the Sero 7 Pro or the Sero 8, at least this blog post hopefully sways you in the direction of the Sero 7 Pro.To learn more about the Hisense Sero 8 tablet, here is an official video from Hisense: Hisense Sero 8
I probably should apologize for wanting to post this review of the Hisense Sero 7 Pro, but never doing it until now. As they say, better late than never. I already mentioned the new model is the Sero 8. Maybe I'll do the first impressions and such on this tablet in the future. As for the Sero 7 Pro, I hope I've given you some insight. Thank you for reading!
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1 comments:
Great post John, I didn't use this brand but it looks very nice! Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend <3
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