Telstra 4G tablet review

Wiping away memories of the T-Touch Tab

Telstra 4G tablet
Super fast and super cheap, but does it perform?

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Telstra created this tablet for one reason - as a device to showcase its growing 4G network. So it's no surprise that the integrated 4G is the key selling point for the device.

In Telstra's 4G network, the tablet easily pulled down 20 Mbps, as stated by the Speedtest.net app on Google Play.

Telstra 4G tablet speedtest

Upload speeds sat around the 23 Mbps mark, with impressive ping times of around 35ms.

Outside of Telstra's 4G coverage areas, the tablet drops back to the still strong NextG HSPA+ network. While this means a slight drop in speeds compared to 4G, it's still more that respectable.

Given that 4G tablets are few and far between - outside of the iPad mini and iPad 4 - this tablet is obviously catering to a market craving speed, without being tied to the iOS operating system.

The tablet also offers standard 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth.

Battery life

The 6900mAh integrated battery isn't accessible to the user, which isn't much of a surprise given the complexity of getting the largest possible battery into the device.

The good news is that even with the battery-hungry LTE connection, the Telstra 4G tablet still managed to keep on keeping on for just under seven hours with the brightness cranked up to full and an HD video playing on loop.

Telstra 4G tablet browser

While that may not play in iPad territory, it's still noteworthy for a budget tablet from a telco like Telstra.

The 4G tablet only comes in one, 16GB version, with just under 13GB of that usable. The MicroSD card slot offers significantly more versatility in that regard though.

Having spent the past decade editing some of Australia's leading technology publications, Nick's passion for the latest gadgetry is matched only by his love of watching Australia beat England in the rugby.