Hands on: ViewSonic ViewPad 4 review

Under the hood, we're looking at a 1GHz processor, which doesn't exactly whip along – we encountered a little bit of lag in launching applications.

The keyboard isn't badly laid out, but if the touchscreen was more responsive we'd have been able to type a darn sight faster – it really lets the handset down when it comes to speed and precision.

ViewSonic viewpad 4 review

We do rather like the Smart Switch function, which enables you to change between a home and work set up, something we've seen before on a number of Symbian devices.

ViewSonic viewpad 4 review

It can also be set as a location-based tool, using GPS to determine which settings it should be using.

ViewSonic viewpad 4 review

As ususal with Android, the Home screens can be customised to your liking and the small helicopter view gives you an at-a-glance look at the overall layout.

ViewSonic viewpad 4 review

The five-megapixel camera on the back of the handset is not the best we've seen; there doesn't seem to be much image stabilisation built-in, and our shots tended to look quite noisy on the screen. The ViewSonic Viewpad 4 is also capable of recording 720p video, but since we weren't able to test the HDMI-out, we can't vouch for its quality on the big screen.

All in all, the Viewpad 4 isn't a bad handset, and it's a definite boon that it will ship in May with the cream of the Android smartphone OS versions, but those craving a high-end experience may find themselves disappointed.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.