Ainol NOVO7 Aurora (16GB) Review

In the last year more affordable 7-inch Android tablets hit the tech scene here in the Philippines. Initially most of them flopped despite the low price point primarily because they sucked. The build quality was poor and they usually just had Android 2.3 Froyo. However the budget-friendly Android tablet segment is starting to pick up steam with the entry of more reliable and better designed products. One of those is the Aino NOVO7 Aurora. Check out the spec sheet below.

Ainol NOVO7 Aurora Spec Sheet

• 1.2GHz Allwinner A10 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB Storage
• 7-inch IPS LCD, 1024×600 (~170ppi)
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
• 2MP front-facing camera
• 3,700 mAh Li-Ion battery
• Android 4.0 ICS

As you can see it runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and it has pretty decent specs. How much? You can get it for as low as Php8,999 if you order directly from the distributor (call 0917-8463449) and you tell them that you read about it here on Unbox.

Anyway, we were able to play around with a unit for a couple of days. We can’t give you guys a comprehensive review but we can give you our impressions as well as why or why not you should be getting this tablet. Let’s kick things off with the unboxing.

Packaging

To open the box just remove the sticker covering the bottom and flip up the top lid. You’ll find a white sheet of paper with the Ainol logo covering the tablet. Just pull the paper up and then you’ll find the NOVO7 Aurora.

Other than the actual tablet you’ll find the charger (DC), a mini-USB cable, and a mini-HDMI cable.

Hardware Impressions

The Aionol NOVO7 Aurora is primarily made of some sort of hard plastic material. It’s lightweight, thin, and easy to hold making it very portable. However I have a bad feeling that this won’t be able to take too much abuse so if ever you decide to get one be careful when you handle it so that it doesn’t fall from the table or slip from your hands. It’s actually awesome to look at since it has a certain glossy polish to it.

For the ports and buttons you’ll find the charger port, mini HDMI, microSD, headset jack, and the mini USB port (data and charging). If you check the top you’ll find the volume keys and wake/sleep. There’s a front-facing camera as well. There’s no rear-facing camera at the back.

Ainol definitely understood that the screen and display quality is critical for success because it is the portal to all of the content in the tablet. They made sure that the NOVO7 Aurora came with a pretty good one considering the very low price point. It’s not the cheap displays that you found in the first generation aPads that flooded Greenhills. This one is actually at par with a lot of more expensive 7-inch tablets. It’s quite ideal for watching movies, browsing the web, and reading e-Books… as long as you’re not directly under sunlight.

Software and User Experience

So how does Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich run on the NOVO7 Aurora? Well having owned tablets that had Honeycomb and Froyo in the past, I can definitely say it provides a much better experience than a lot of the more expensive entry level Honeycomb tablets in the market today. While I can’t say that it’s smooth and lag-free 100% of the time, it’s a far more enjoyable device to use compared to Honeycomb tablets primarily because of the new OS and the 1GB RAM.

During the review we tried out several apps ranging from the basic fare of Angry Birds, Temple Run, and Social Networking to a couple of graphics intensive apps (mostly games). Yes, there were instances of lag and a few crashes here and there but it’s unavoidable given that you’re not really shelling out a fortune for this one.

Verdict

If you’re looking for an affordable Android tablet that won’t frustrate you all the time (and you can’t wait anymore for Google to release the Nexus 7 here in the PH) then you might want to seriously look into getting the NOVO7 Aurora. It’s a good media player and you won’t have too many problems with the core functions like casual games, social networking, e-mail, and web browsing. Note though that this doesn’t have a rear-facing camera as well as Bluetooth connectivity.

For those who already have higher-end tablets the Ainol NOVO7 Aurora would make a perfect gift for family members who have yet to discover the wonders of mobile tablet computing. 🙂

Pricing and Availability

If you want one you can order directly from the EGL MARKETING by calling 0917-8463449. If you want a discount just say that you read about it here and you can get it for just Php8,999.