Fujitsu Stylistic M532 review

Fujitsu's business tablet lacks many exclusively business features

Fujitsu Stylistic M532
The Fujitsu Stylistic M532 is a business-focused Android tablet

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The Fujitsu Stylistic M532 is billed as a business tablet that you can take home with you. Or alternatively, a home device you can take to the office. But we're not really sure what makes it a business tablet, aside from a couple of pre-installed apps. The VDI apps can be downloaded for free from Google Play anyway, so all you're left with is Norton Tablet Security and ThinkFree Office.

It's nice to have 3G connectivity, but again, this isn't the only tablet that offers it.

Because of the open source nature of Android, there's always the option for businesses to load in-house bespoke software onto the Fujitsu Stylistic M532 and distribute it to employees. Should this scenario occur inside your company then thank your benevolent employer, because this is a fantastic tablet.

Why Fujitsu feels the need to market it as a business device is a mystery.

We liked

The design and build quality of this tablet is so much better than the unwieldy Stylistic Q550. Fujitsu has crafted a sleek and accomplished device with bags of power, thanks to the Tegra 3 processor and an impressive Full HD Gorilla Glass display.

We're big fans of Android, and the fact that Fujitsu has left well enough alone really works here – there's barely any clutter to wade through, and as a result, performance is silky smooth.

Also, even if you don't use them often, the inclusion of an 8MP rear-facing camera and 3G compatibility are definite positives.

We disliked

We understand that certain compromises have to be made to keep the chassis as slim as it is, and that makes it easy to forgive the Fujitsu for its slight lack of ports, but we would have appreciated some sort of HDMI connectivity alongside the micro USB, rather than having to rely on an adaptor.

Slightly better audio would also be on our wish list for any follow-up tablet from Fujitsu – although volume wasn't really a problem, there was a tinny edge when we really pushed it up.

Aside from these basic quibbles, there isn't much wrong with the Fujitsu Stylistic M532, and it handled just about everything we threw at it with aplomb.

Final verdict

A great Android offering from Fujitsu, the Stylistic M532 dutifully ticks each box on our what-we-want-from-a-tablet list. There's slick performance from the Tegra 3 processor and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The tough build quality and slim design are certainly standout highlights.

It's true that it faces tough competition from other Android heavyweights such as the Acer Iconia Tab A510, Asus Transformer Prime and the Toshiba AT300, but the Fujitsu is more than capable of giving these tablets a run for their money.

Fujitsu might take some heat by opting for a proprietary connection on the bottom of the tablet, but if it follows up with some killer accessories, then we can see the appeal of the Fujitsu Stylistic M532 growing even more.

It's unlikely that the business angle will draw iPad customers away from their devices and yes, there are a few issues we've outlined above – even battery life could be slightly better – but these are tiny blemishes on what is a very good piece of tech.

In short, whether or not you plan to use this for business, it's still among the top Android tablets out there, and well worth considering.