Hisense Sero 7 Pro Review

Long gone are the days where a “cheap” tablet meant a horrible and worthless one. Hisense has shown that with its Sero 7 Pro tablet, which comes in at just $130 and is one of the best Android tablets in the sub-$200 market.

There are numerous Android tablets around the $200 mark which may be better for high-end users, such as the Nexus 7 from Google, but if you are looking for the cheapest tablet that will still perform well, it seems hard to beat the Sero 7 Pro.

When it comes to design, the Sero 7 Pro is nothing special and resembles the design of the original Nexus 7. It does have a textured back (something I’ve come to love from Android devices), and of course, Sero 7 is in a 7-inch form factor.

Hisense had to make some compromises with the Sero 7 Pro, particularly with the screen. Despite its 1280 x 800 resolution, the tablet is sharp and for the most part, the resolution is nothing to scoff at. In comparison to the Nexus 7 and its 1920 x 1200 display however, the Sero 7 Pro is unable to compete.

Although price was probably a factor, bad cameras are commonplace in the tablet market, even among more expensive devices. That trend continues with the Sero 7 Pro, which is definitely capable of taking mediocre photos. On the back, you find a 5-megapixel camera and on the front, an even less impressive 2-megapixel camera.

With regular usage, I was able to get more than two days of use out of the Sero 7 Pro. It’s battery is quite impressive and does last for around 10 hours under maximum load, but in real world use scenarios, you can definitely get by without charging it for at least two days.

One of the best things about the tablet is it’s OS. The Sero 7 Pro runs off of Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), but is just about as close to stock Android as you can get. Whether or not you like stock Android, at least there is nothing bogging down the tablet.

For a small, cheap tablet, the inclusion of an HDMI and microSD slot are worth noting. If you plan on hooking up your tablet to a TV, the Sero 7 Pro may actually be better than some of its more expensive competitors. As such, the tablet is great for multimedia and would be one of the best media consumption devices if not for its average display.

At just $130, you generally cannot expect too much from a tablet, but Hisense packed the Sero 7 Pro full of as many features as it could. By no means is it the best 7-inch tablet on the market, but for the price, you would be hard-pressed to find a device that is significantly better.

Rating: 9/10

Buy

Walmart ($129.00)