REVIEW: Walton Walpad Pro

We get tons of emails from our readers asking for a single device with the mobility of a tablet but with the convenience of a PC. To those readers, we have something just right for you. Behold the first ever local OEMed Windows tablet: Walton Walpad Pro. How well does it fare compared to the ones that are already in the market? Keep reading to find out:

Design & Construction:

The design of the Walpad Pro is fairly simple. The tab is made out of plastic with bezel around the screen. The bezel isn't exactly thin making it easier to hold without accidently touching the screen. The shortest two sides are ruggedised for increased ease in operating the tab in landscape mode. The volume rocker and power button are on the top left. Close to those on the left side are the HDMI, 3.5mm audio port and Micros USB port. The back camera is also situated here. Thanks to the compact physique it comfortably fits in tight spaces and is extremely easy to carry. And paired with the optional keyboard it transforms into a nano-netbook.

Display:

The Walpad Pro boasts an 8.9-inch IPS Full HD screen with the industry standard 1920 X 1200 resolution that can contest any Android tablet in the market. The brightness of the screen was great although the colour accuracy could be better. Most of the colours popped out so it's highly likely that you won't notice the difference. Another significant issue that we stumbled upon was the size of the fonts and icons. The screen boasts high resolution images making the icons and font size noticeably smaller. If you are using multiple tabs on a browser then it might even induce claustrophobia! So if you are facing the same problem, make sure you make the font size and icons larger than the usual size.

OS & Software:

The main difference between Walpad Pro and other tablets lies in the OS. Walpad Pro runs on Windows 8.1 (32 bit) version. And it's going to get the Windows 10 upgrade, so that's something to be excited about. In addition to that you will be getting a one year subscription of Office 365 Personal. In the test lab we were having trouble opening MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and even Outlook. But it was short lived after downloading several updates. In this tab you also get 1TB of cloud space in One Drive. Though Windows App Store lacks the rich ecosystem of the Play Store, yet most important desktop tools can be found very easily.

Performance:

This is the exciting part. The tab sinuously handled most of the computing tasks we threw at it. We did basic document editing, browsed the net, played HD music videos and attended a couple of Skype calls. We installed Adobe Photoshop and the processor delivered enough horsepower to do a few light Photoshop edits. We opened side by side windows to check how it handles multi-tasking. To our surprise, it handled it quite well. We even installed our office favourite 'Need For Speed: Underground 2.' We managed to play a couple of races smoothly without any hiccups. But the tab did start to heat up. All in all, the performance was satisfactory. Hats off to the Intel Atom 1.3 GHz Quad core processor and 2 Gigs DDR3 RAM.

Camera:

The Walpad Pro has two cameras: 5MP rear camera with auto-focus and a 2 MP front unit. And both of the cameras produce subpar photos. Actually the cameras work as a two-way webcam. They are good for video conferencing or making Skype video calls. You can always try downloading  third-party apps to improve the quality of the pictures.

Battery:

A Li-Po 6000 mAh battery gives the tab enough juice to run for more than 5 hours with average use. The depletion of the battery can be slowed by dimming the brightness and avoiding processor intensive tasks. This Atom processor powered tab can run for up to 6.5 hours straight if you restrict your activities to document editing, listening to MP3s or reading PDF files. 

 SPECS

Display: 8.9-inch IPS Full HD panel (1920 X 1200)
OS: Windows 8.1 (32-bit) 
CPU: Intel Atom 1.3 GHz Quad core
GPU: Intel HD Graphics
Camera: Rear 5 MP Autofocus & Front 2MP
ROM: 64 GB, RAM: 2 GB
Sensors & Features: SIM Support , GPS Support, Micro HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Office 365 Personal, 1TB One Drive,  OTG Support etc
Battery: 6000 mAh

Price: Tk. 18,690/- (Add on: Flipcover with USB keyboard Tk. 2,500/-)

Verdict: 

We loved the Walpad Pro. It's a slate that packs enough muscle to keep you productive for a good amount of time (better than many laptops). The IPS display was evenly lit and was responsive to every touch. The processor handled tasks beyond our expectations. The Windows 8.1 is the key attraction of the tablet putting it ahead of the competition. The optional keyboard is a must have (separately sold, Tk. 2,500/-) to make the most out of this device. For the specs it offers at only Tk. 18,690/- , it is definitely a strong contender for the title of the best local tablet on the market right now.