ZTE V9 (TNZ V9)

My review of the ZTE V9 tablet running Android 2.1-update1 ($399 with accessories bundle).

I'll be honest my initial thought when I bought it was: I'll play with it, out of the normal kinda financial validation process, then quietly forget about it when I run out of excuses to use it. But to date that's not the case - the v9 tablet has found it's place as a shared device hanging out in the lounge, kitchen or bedside table (more on the shared bit later).

It's pretty good for the money - lets face it even if it became a white elephant it's not awful money for a 7" wifi photo frame (though I haven't found a perfect flickr photoframe app yet - certainly not a free one that supports Flickr auth, etc). But for 5-10 kiwi pesos I'm sure I can find something adequate here.

Beyond that it is a functioning eBook reader and web browser - although for me the web browsing experience is a little 50/50.

• 800x480 is really too small (involves horizontal scroll)
• browser support for 'near', 'far' zoom settings is cool but the screen resolution is not really up to it
• confusion over default recognition as phone v desktop .. some sites mobile is better others desktop (browsers with easy toggle on toolbar win here).

Where the ZTE v9 really wins though, as a 7" tablet over a standard handset, is multimedia .. namely photos, video and gaming (you may laugh at this - but I'm more of a suduku gamer than anything 3D). youTube, Facebook and other social media sites with video and photos embedded or linked come to life on a tablet. Other wins include a bigger UI for more boring things like email, etc.

So all good - well almost, there are some serious gripes. Namely:

• Lack of decent video conferencing software (why else have a camera front + back .. oh just for photos .. bugger)
• With only 2.1 I can't install apps on SD card (there are a lot more apps I would use on a tablet than on my phone .. filled internal memory on day 1)
• No flash - sadly this cripples some websites (a good reason for youTube app not just mobile web or maybe just flame 2degrees for their top-up site not working on it ;)
• I haven't got multi-touch working on any apps (maybe try Dolphin browser?)
• Selecting the notification bar and 'pulling down' is not easy for some reason (no matter how many times I re-run the calibration).

Support for 2.2 and improved 3rd party apps would go a long way to fixing the majority of these.

In the end the biggest disappointment is actually found in the accessories bundle (itself actually reasonable value). The leather wallet simply does not work as supplied. As it is touch sensitive screen the holes for 'Home', 'Menu' and 'Back' are confused when you try and poke a finger through. You succeed only in closing whatever app you are in ... to the point where you have to remove the leather pouch and continue. Mine now sits gathering dust. Interestingly the resistive touch screen is actually working for me, it's easy to wipe down and feels robust exposed to the elements ;).

An accessory I would prefer is a leather folder with edge holders and simple velcro .. the proporta.com one I have for my Nokia n800 is gold ;) .. Another accessory for the tablet would be a car headrest pouch .. instance movie player, game console, navigation unit for the little / big people in the back of the car.

Getting back to the device itself and that 'shared device' notion - there is a catch. The way Android works, with Google's tie in, is that you hook the device up to a Google account. Changing the account wipes the device clean .. apps and all. Hmm - problem, I don't necessarily want to be signed in all the time especially if the device is used by multiple parties. I can see a strong need for multi-user OS support for tablets. With a standard desktop style authentication but better yet the ability to recognise different unlock patterns (thus making it even easier to hack .. hmm, anyway .. moving on) . Even if they are cheap in the era of cloud computing buying 5 of them when you really only need 1 in the house is not a valid work around IMHO. Although I'm sure that's what everyone thought about telephones in the good old days.

So in conclusion - an interesting first foray into the world of tablets for me. I must admit, I now see their place in the portable device spectrum. Furthermore, the ZTE V9 is a credible device for the money. The potential to upgrade it and the likely improvements to 3rd party software for tablets mean it could be a worthwhile punt if you're curious to see what all the fuss is about. My pick is you won't be left with a white elephant. This is supported by other online review - check the Optus ZTE V9 Pre-Paid Tablet Review ,  4-5 stars and highly recommended.