Linx Commtiva N700 review

If you’ve got a sneaky suspicion that you’ve seen the Linx Commtiva N700 7in Android tablet before, you’re be right: it’s identical to the Viewsonic ViewPad 7 we reviewed recently. In fairness, the ViewPad is actually the copy, as Viewsonic decided to OEM the Linx product.

Although the two may be physically identical, the pricing couldn’t be further apart, with Linx selling the Commtiva N700 for just over £300 – around £90 cheaper than Viewsonic’s model. That doesn’t quite make Linx’s product the cheapest Android tablet we’ve seen – that’s the Advent Vega – but it is currently the cheapest model with 3G, GPS, Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless networking.

That’s quite a feat to get all of these features at this price. Corners have had to be cut along the way, but we’re pleased to say that build quality isn’t one of them. Although the plastic construction can’t compete with the build quality of the Apple iPad, the glossy plastic back and brushed-metal-style surround look great, and the N700 feels tough.

The edges are a little sharp and we prefer the curved corners of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but the N700 is still comfortable enough to hold in one hand, leaving the other hand free to operate the touchscreen.

A leatherette case ships as standard, so you can carry your tablet around with you without worrying about scratching the screen. It even folds in half and props the tablet up so that you can use it hands-free as a media player.

As we noted with the Viewtab 7, it’s only switching the tablet on that you start to notice some of the drawbacks of the device. One of the main drawbacks is the screen resolution, which is 800×480. This resolution is usually found on smartphones, where it looks sharp on a 4in or smaller display; on a 7in display icons and text can look a bit blocky.

Screen quality is decent, but there are some problems. We found that contrast wasn’t particularly good and bright screens took on a mottled appearance. Viewing angles are also pretty tight and we had to sit straight-on in order to see the screen properly. We also found that text wasn’t that easy to read and black text on a white background ended up looking more grey; to counter this we had to zoom right in.

It’s doing this that the limitations of the processor become apparent. While most new Android tablets are smartphones are kitted out with a 1GHz processor, Linx has fitted the Commtiva N700 with a 600MHz ARM11 processor. It means that zooming in and out of web pages isn’t as smooth as on Android devices with faster processors. This processor can also struggle a little when playing HD video, so it’s not the ideal media player. This is potentially a shame, as the stereo speakers are clear and crisp, lacking only bass, which is to be expected from such small models.

There’s one major drawback to the processor: there’s no Flash support. Given that this is Android’s one major advantage over the Apple iPad, it’s a shame not to see it on this tablet. That said, the lack of Flash hasn’t stopped Apple’s success, proving that it’s not the be-all and end-all of internet browsing.

Linx has slightly customised its Android 2.2 operating system, modifying the homescreen, which only operates in landscape mode, to include a short-cut bar with four icons in it: email, eBooks (links to the GoSpoken store), media player and browser. The browser has a carrousel thumbnail view of your bookmarks that you can swipe through, when you select the shortcut, but is otherwise the basic Android version.

Adding new applications is easy as this tablet supports the full Android market out of the box. With more than 100,000 apps available, you’re bound to find the ones you’re after. It’s good to see support from big companies, including Sky+ remote record, ESPN Goals and Amazon Kindle apps.

The 3-megapixel camera on the rear produces acceptable shots in bright light, but in dark areas shots are very noisy. It’s a shame that there’s also no flash. There’s also a 0.3-megapixel camera on the front, which you can use for self-portraits or to make phone calls using over 3G, provided you install a SIM card. You can also make standard voice calls using the standard Android phone app. By default, the ViewPad 7 is set to speakerphone mode, so you’ll have to plug a headset or resort to a Bluetooth model to make private calls.

Thankfully, Linx includes a 4GB Micro SD card in the box so you can use the camera straight away; Viewsonic provides its tablet bare, so you have to factor in the price of a memory card in order to take photos and use some other applications.

All of this comes together to make it tricky to know whether to buy the Linx Commtiva N700. On one hand it’s a far better deal than the Viewsonic ViewPad 7, particularly as the price includes a memory card. On that basis, if you want a 3G-enabled internet tablet on a budget, there’s nothing cheaper this good. That said, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is a lot more expensive, but it’s quicker, has Flash support and a modified Android OS that makes it the easier and more polished tablet to use.

However, if 3G isn’t important, the Advent Vega is cheaper still, has a bigger screen and a faster processor. Provided you install the mod to get the Android Market (read our review for details), it’s a brilliant tablet and one we can recommend easily.