Alba 7-inch tablet review

Tablets do not make good photographic devices. The measly sensors packed into tablets – and especially into budget efforts – virtually guarantee disappointment, and the two 1.9MP cameras in the Alba 7 certainly won't be causing any paradigm shifts.

The camera app itself is sensibly designed for the most part. On the right are the gallery and the extended settings menu. The HDR and camera toggles are at the top, and at the bottom is an arrow which gives quick access to white balance and exposure controls, a scene mode selector and a selection of filters.

On the left are options for panorama mode, a 'Face Beauty' mode (which has predictably terrifying results) and a 'switch to photo' mode, along with the shutter/video capture button.

On any other device, this level of control would be something to brag about, yet when paired with the poor sensors, it's next to meaningless.

To begin with, both sensors have exceptionally slow autofocus speeds, and the inability to quickly achieve focus soon becomes frustrating. And it gets worse.

Colours are completely washed out, dynamic range is non-existent, detail is lost in a vast smudge and the lack of effective focusing means most shots are poor to begin with.

These cameras are okay for the odd grainy selfie, and for emergency Skype sessions, but anyone expecting even a modicum of quality will be severely disappointed.

Music

Most tablets are purchased with media consumption in mind – they're the devices on which many people are increasingly choosing to watch their favourite shows and listen to music, via the likes of Netflix and Spotify.

Indeed, audio quality is increasingly becoming an area of focus for manufacturers. Good speakers and audio codec support are now expected as standard, and woe betide those who fall behind.

When it comes to listening to music the Alba 7 tablet is something of a mixed bag. Using a music subscription service such as Spotify, with the quality set to the highest level and – crucially – with a decent set of headphones plugged in, the sound was perfectly pleasant.

So too was FLAC file playback, although more demanding audiophiles will likely find bones to pick. Given the focus on stock Android, the Alba 7 lacks a 'normal' music app, so users will have to download one of their choice or make do with Google Play Music.

As for the speakers, given that they're rear-firing, my expectations weren't high to begin with. Sure enough the sound they produced is weak – it's barely audible over the din of a shower, with negligible bass, and becomes tinny at high volumes.

For the odd gaming session, or watching TV in a quiet room, the speakers will likely suffice, but for anything else the use of earphones is highly recommended.

Movies

Watching video content on the Alba 7 is, again, something of a varied experience. With a poor screen and unimpressive speakers, this tablet is never going to replace your TV, or even your laptop.

For the daily commute, though it's perfectly fine – while the screen brightness and poor viewing angles may make viewing in crowded or brightly lit situations difficult, it'll suffice if you just want to shut yourself off from fellow bus or train passengers.

Gaming

It's a similar story with gaming. As might be expected from any recent Android device, it handles undemanding popular titles such as Crossy Road and Pac Man with relative ease.

Try anything more intensive, however, and the picture changes significantly. When I fired up Dead Trigger 2 I was greeted by very long loading times, and I experienced a significant degree of lag during play.

Moreover, the lack of a proper fingerprint-resistant coating on the screen reduced my ability to actually move within the title, making the already imprecise controls even worse.

This pattern was repeated with Temple Run 2, a title that's around mid-range in terms of its requirements. The slower initial stages were playable, however anything faster became impossible to work with.

For those serious about their mobile gaming, this tablet simply isn't up to it. However, as with watching video, it'll do just fine for killing time on the commute.