Review: ASUS ZenPad 8.0 Z380KL

The ASUS ZenPad 8.0 – A Style Icon Tablet

ASUS Zenpad 8.0 inside the box

The ASUS ZenPad 8.0 from the ASUS is designed for the fashionable people. It has a 6mm slim bezel and rounded edges with 209mm*123mm dimension. This ergonomic design ensures the Zenpad is comfortable to hold. The device comes in leather black, pearl white and aurora metallic.

ASUS Zenpad 8.0 and Audio Cover

ASUS ZenPad can be further styled by adding ASUS Zen Clutch or ASUS Zen Case. Zen cases come in Black, White, Aurora Metallic, Blue and Orange colours. The Zen cases are easy to attach or detach as per the styling requirement and different occasions. My wishlist includes different coloured Zen Clutch and Zen Cases.
Read more about design here: ASUS ZenPad 8.0 Design

ASUS Zenpad clutch – Image: ASUS

Asus Power Case and Asus Audio Cover

ASUS Power Case is an amazing add-on for long battery life requirement. The ASUS Power Case, available in Black or White model, can be attached on to the rear of the device instead of the ASUS Zen Case. It incorporates a 4000 mAh (typical) non-removable polymer battery to extend the power of the ZenPad 8.0 (10 hour battery life) by up to 16 hours. I wish to buy the Power Case soon.

ASUS Audio Cover is a super cool add-on. Audio cover concept is novice and my techie-husband and my techie-brother are fond of it.

Audio cover has a chic embossed leather pattern. It is available in either Black or White model. A DTS-HD Premium Sound speaker built in to the ASUS Audio Cover that snaps onto the rear of the device. The single strip speaker incorporates four main speakers, one center and one subwoofer. It delivers sound in an upward direction. It has six hours of battery life of its own. The audio cover is designed to make Zenpad stand neatly on a flat surface in landscape mode. This is wonderful for watching movies.

ASUS Zenpad without and with Audio Cover. Image: ASUS

Display

The ASUS ZenPad 8.0 has a 76.5% wide screen-to-body ratio with a viewing angle of up to 178 degrees. 8 inch WXGA 1280×800 high definition IPS panel display has anti-fingerprint coating. Aspect Ratio of 16:10 makes it best for movies and games.

The two layered display uses ASUS TruVivid technology. This removes air gap in the screen offering a higher optical transparency of 94%. The decorative metallic-coated frame edge with NCVM (Non Conductive Vacuum Metalization) safeguards the screen.

TruVivid technology in ASUS Zenpad. Image: ASUS

The screen features 10 finger multi-touch controls. Hence, I finish my typing works and drawing works faster. For more comfort in typing, keyboard can be connected to the tab.

ASUS VisualMaster has been designed to provide Colour Enhancement, Contrast and Sharpness, Clarity and Brightness, Wide Viewing Angle and Eye Care.

Tru2Life makes the device an outdoor readable one. It detects different lighting conditions and automatically adjusts the display. Outdoor Readable technology, contrast and backlight enhancement makes the text much easier to read even in sunlight.

Optional Bluelight Filter reduces the blue light emission by around 30%. The reader in me is much satisfied with this eye-friendly option.

The ASUS Splendid app automatically enhances and adjusts the colours on screen. Hue settings can be adjusted along with the brightness while the colour temperature can be independently set from cool to warm.

Audio

The ASUS ZenPad 8.0 is the worlds first tablet to integrate ‘DTS-HD Premium Sound. The audio experience is awesome with virtual 5.1 surround sound created using headphones or earbuds.

Audio Wizard app assists to adjust the levels to suit specific tastes for various audio requirements. There is also a smart button to do it all automatically. When paired with the Audio Cover, the app allows managing the virtual surround function.

Audio Wizard App in ASUS Zenpad. Image: ASUS

The Dual Camera and Options

The ASUS ZenPad 8.0 features two PixelMaster cameras. The 8MP rear camera has auto-focus and has 15 effects modes. The 2MP Front Camera has 8 effects modes. These include low light mode, HDR (for better backlit images), beautification (to improve portraits by adjusting the softness or brightness of the skin, eye size and cheek width), a selfie mode with 140 degree panorama (used with the front camera), time lapse, time rewind and smart remove (deletes moving objects from the picture background).

The ASUS ZenPad 8.0 offers night landscapes in low light. Pixel merging and pixel perfecting technology result in professional photography effects. Pixel merging technology can merge four pixels into one super pixel making photos brighter at night. Pixel perfecting technology adjusts the noise level.

ASUS Zenpad PixelMaster Camera in Low light mode. Image: ASUS

Moving objects are captured quickly with zero shutter lag. The HDR mode on the rear camera creates finer images in backlit conditions by balancing the exposure and automatically adjusting brightness and contrast. The time rewind mode is an inventive option to capture a perfect moment. It automatically captures burst shots for two seconds prior to the shutter button being pressed and for one second after.

On-board apps in the tab help to quickly edit, add effects and share to social media, cloud services or other linked devices. It is possible to create a movie of photographs with the pre-installed MiniMovie app.

ZENUI Interface and Personalization

The new ZenUI interface offers personalization (35 apps of its own, over 1000 customization features).
The built-in apps and features like AudioWizard, Remote Link, Splendid, Do It Later, Whats Next, Weather, Icon Packs, smart grouping of apps, shortcut menu, account syncing, ZenMotion and so on widen the personalization possibilities.

I like the shortcut options ZenMotion (touch gestures and motion gestures) provides. It immediately opens certain apps when the display is off. Drawing a c with finger activates the Camera, w launches the Browser, s takes to messaging, v launches the phone app, e directs to Email and z launches AUSUS Boost. ZenMotion also understands the movements. Flipping the ZenPad over makes it silent. Tapping the screen twice wakes up the Zenpad. Dropdown menu provides shortcuts for features like blue light filter, mobile data, wifi, Bluetooth, audio wizard, calculator, aeroplane mode, etc. Camera, phone and messaging features can be accessed directly from the Lock Screen of the device holding down the icon and drag it across the screen to open it. Being a blogger, I work with many apps at a time. The tabbed view option in the bottom right of the tab allows me to open last viewed app/pages.

Security

The MyASUS app can be used for 24/7 advice through instant online chat.
The Kids Mode app provides parental controlling options.
SnapView allows users to have two separate and independent environments that can then be switched between  for example, one for personal use and one for work.
The ASUS Support App is packed with quick tutorials and FAQs.

Networking and Data Sharing

ASUS ZenPad can be connected to Wi-Fi or internet can be accessed through SIM card. I have tried both and completely satisfied with the performance. Besides 16GB internal storage, a memory card of up to 64GB can be used as external storage.
It is possible to share data by connecting to PC. The ASUS ZenPad 8.0 can be turned into a PowerPoint or Windows Media Player controller using Remote Link option.

My ASUS ZenPad 8.0 and My Conclusion

The ASUS Zenpad 8.0 is a great companion for my blogging and networking works as the ZenUI is very much user friendly. I have personalized the home screen and have done smart grouping of apps I use. Zenpad is comfortable to use while browsing as I can open multiple tabs with ease. 3G signal in Zenpad 8.0 is stronger compared to that in a mobile phone. I still use digital camera for my photography works but I like to experiment with the photo editing effects Zenpad provides. My family loves watching movies in Zenpad enjoying the HD display enhanced with ASUS VisualMaster technology and the virtual 5.1 surround sound audio experience. Thanks to Blue Light Filter, now reading in my ASUS Zenpad is a pleasurable time for me. These days, I don’t worry about ‘To Do List’ as ‘Do It Later’ app is my trusted assistant! To conclude, I would say, I love my ASUS ZenPad 8.0 and I think it is a must have tablet with high technology for an affordable price.

Please note: I received an ASUS ZenPad 8.0 Z380KL for review. My review is based on the product specification sheet and tutorials provided by ASUS. This is my honest review based on my usage in the first two weeks after receiving the product.