Alba 7-inch tablet review

In an increasingly crowded budget market it's difficult to produce a tablet that stands out from the crowd while keeping costs down.

And while the Alba 7 ticks the low-cost box, it's a mixed bag when it comes to features and performance.

We liked

With two tough silicone cases and parental controls included as standard, the Alba 7 has great kid-proof credentials. And at £49.99 a pop, replacing the device should it be mistaken for a bath toy is a fairly pain-free affair.

The stock software experience on offer is a refreshing change, enabling the user to easily customise the device to their liking, and sticking with Google's various services is always a recipe for success.

Battery life is also generally decent, allowing for around a full day of light-to-moderate use.

We disliked

Although the tablet is touted as kid-friendly, the design is worryingly creaky, with a fair bit of flex on the back.

The screen is exceptionally poor. With bad viewing angles, low resolution, minimal brightness and uneven backlighting, it's hardly ideal for doing two of the main things many people buy a tablet for: gaming and watching movies.

The processor is also easily tripped up, offering sub-par performance in most situations. Whether it's swiping through the OS or running games that are even vaguely challenging, the MediaTek effort isn't up to scratch.

Final verdict

Scoring a tablet at this price point is always a difficult affair. As electronics become more and more disposable, notions of what constitutes good value need to be adjusted. Is it churlish to moan about sub-HD screen resolution on a device that's about the price of a meal for two?

For the target market chosen by Argos – those looking for a stocking filler for a child or a first-time tablet owner – the Alba 7 is a decent proposition. It's reasonably rugged with the case fitted, and will likely make long car journeys with the sprogs a bit more tolerable.

That's about all though. With a bad screen, an anaemic processor, unreliable battery life, awful cameras and tinny speakers, the Alba 7 feels every inch the budget offering that it is.

And with the likes of Amazon starting to produce some decent devices at this level, such as the Amazon Fire 6, meekly accepting poor build and performance is no longer mandatory. With Windows tablets also beginning to mature, and often available at only a slightly higher price, the Alba 7 becomes an even more difficult sell.

It's one thing that you can buy a tablet for £50 – the question becomes whether you should buy a tablet for £50. If your answer to that is an unequivocal 'yes', then the Alba will likely meet your meagre needs. If you have even a moment of hesitation however, then save your pennies.

First reviewed: November 2015