Nvidia Tegra Note 7 with LTE and HSPA+ (Update: Hands-on)

By Marcus Yam
published

The Tegra 4-powered Tegra Note 7 can now grab data when not near Wi-Fi.

Update with hands-on:

Alongside the Tegra 4i-powered Wiko Wax, we also got to see the new Tegra Note 7 LTE model. We were expecting something that looked indistinguishable from the EVGA Tegra Note 7 that we reviewed last year, but we were surprised to see the LTE model have a flat back made of soft touch material. It’s not unlike the Nexus 7 and definitely classes up the look.

We asked Nvidia why the change, and we were told it was simply down to having a different manufacturer. Rear differences aside, from the front the Tegra Note 7 looks the same, including the front firing stereo speakers that we loved from the original model.

The LTE model also has a little slot cover that hides the micro SIM and microSD card slot.

Original story

Just days before the start of Mobile World Congress, Nvidia has announced an upgrade to its Tegra Note 7 by adding LTE and HSPA+ connectivity. Everything under the hood is the same as with the Wi-Fi model, but this new model integrates Nvidia's i500 LTE modem.

Nvidia says that its i500 chip is special in that it leverages a unique software-defined radio technology – meaning it can deliver new capabilities via software without requiring an entirely new chipset.

The jump to mobile data connectivity won't be cheap for the Tegra Note 7 at a suggested $299, representing a $100 premium over the Wi-Fi model. While additional hardware and licenses don't make this an insignificant cost to Nvidia, buyers considering the Tegra 4-based tablet will likely stop and think whether or not it's worth paying 50 percent more over the $199 base model. That said, even at $299, the Tegra Note 7 is still priced competitively with other 7-inch 4G tablets. It's really the attractive entry-level price of the Wi-Fi model that changes the perspective on things.

Tegra Note 7 will ship with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, which is now rolling out at an OTA for all the existing Tegra Note models.

For our in-depth look Nvidia's tablet, read our EVGA Tegra Note 7 review.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
CountryPartner
North AmericaEVGA
UKDixons
Western EuropeEVGA, Gigabyte
UkraineGazer
JapanZotac
KoreaGigabyte, Zotac
IndiaXOLO
BrazilGradiente
ChinaGigabyte, Homecare

Check out all our Mobile World Congress 2014 coverage here!

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Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • JD88
    If this thing had an extra gig of RAM and a 1920x1080 screen, it would easily be class leading.
    Reply
  • squirrelboy
    i'm still waiting for the tegra 5/ kepler/ whatever they're gonna call it mobile devises.
    Reply
  • The_One_and_Only
    Doesn't matter if this thing has LTE or not it still sucks. This is coming from someone who purchased it with high hopes. The screen is very meh, colors are washed out; even after turning prism off and playing with the display settings. Any type of streaming constantly cuts out. For instance pandora will skip...When does that even happen? I have a dell venue 8 and galaxy pro 8.4 and neither of them have that issue on my home network. I sent mine right back. Maybe next time. For what it's worth the front facing speakers and stylus were great.
    Reply
  • airborne11b
    I just got an EVGA Tegra Note 7 last week and it's by far the best tablet I've ever owned. People complain about the screen resolution / colors, and in some side by side reviews, it doesn't look that good, but when I got my hands on mine I was surprised at how nice the screen actually looked. No where near as bad as the reviews made it out to be.But the real gem of this tablet is it's power. The GPU is insane, and coupled with a lower resolution (but still great PPI imho) it gets smooth frame rates in even the most graphically intense mobile Tegra games.The stylus is also awesome and I've found a ton of uses for it.I also constantly stream youtube and other video sites with this thing constantly and it never sits around buffering or cuts out. Streaming is great and web browsing and apps are instantly loaded and responsive on use.So far I've owned Galaxy tab, Asus T700, Ipad air and a Nexus 7, and this EVGA Tegra Note 7 is by far my favorite tablet device.
    Reply
  • amk-aka-Phantom
    I find it ridiculous that different manufacturers will make it in different countries. I'd gladly buy from EVGA or Zotac and maybe Gigabyte, but XOLO? Not a chance.
    Reply