The tablet market has't found long-term traction, and we now see a lot of manufacturers shying away from this product category. There are still a few major players like Apple[1] and Samsung[2] showcasing products like the iPad Pro[3] and the Galaxy Tab S3[4], but the smaller manufacturers such as iBall[5], Micromax[6], and Intex[7] that cater to the lower price segments have slowed down, releasing fewer new models than before. Today we have one such tablet from iBall, which claims to be different. The company says that it is designed for work as well as entertainment, and what's also interesting is that it runs Remix OS, a fork of Android. Is this enough to make the iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G[8] reinvigorate the tablet market? Let’s find out.
iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G look and feel
This iBall tablet looks like it was inspired heavily by the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3[9] and its siblings, so much so that it’s practically a knockoff. An original design might have been a better idea since the Yoga Tab 3 is available at roughly the same price. iBall has used plastic for the construction of this tablet and it does not feel premium. It has a cylindrical bulge on one side which houses a kickstand to keep the tablet upright when used in landscape mode.
When holding the iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G in portrait mode, it feels like you are holding a book with the pages folded back around the spine, which helps grip it better. There area speakers at either end, but this positioning means that audio isn’t directed towards the user. Also, the speakers aren’t very loud to...