EVGA Tegra Note 7 Review: Nvidia's Tegra 4 For $200

Tegra Note 7's Slide Cover

Nvidia also shipped us a Slide Cover that's very much like Apple's Smart Cover, with a few key differences. For example, Apple's cover attaches to the side of an iPad using magnets, whereas the Tegra Note 7 cover's "spine" is attached to a long, hinged pin that slides right into a round cutout on the side of the tablet. Practically, the end result is much the same. Because it doesn't use magnets to anchor itself to the tablet, Nvidia's implementation might even be more secure, if a bit harder to remove quickly.

The Slide Cover does use magnets, however, to stick to the display, as well as provide automatic screen on/off functions. Another difference between the Tegra Note 7 cover design and Apple's Smart Cover is the way it folds to create a stand.

The back of the tablet is magnetized in two spots, where the cover anchors firmly when it's folded. Positioned with the Slide Cover at the bottom of the device in landscape mode, the magnetized positions provide two angles for viewing content. In this orientation, the stereo speakers are correctly positioned left and right.

Flipping the tablet over puts it into a much more comfortable position for typing, but reverses the stereo channels. If you're taking notes or writing email, the speakers probably aren't a big concern, but it's more of a compromise if you fire up a game with the Slide Cover attached. Of course, headphones would fix this.

The Slide Cover won't protect the Tegra Note 7 against drops, but it aesthetically completes the tablet's look, thanks in part to the "Tegra Note" branding on the side. It also works well as a stand. At $30, however, it's a significant cost-adder to an otherwise very affordable tablet.

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.
  • MasterMace
    It lacks a 1080 screen - deal killer for me.
    Reply
  • DelightfulDucklings
    Performance wise it is very good for the price seemingly but I just hate the design, to me it just looks plain ugly
    Reply
  • JD88
    Front facing speakers are really nice. One of the very few complaints I have about my Nexus 7 is volume.

    This thing is a powerhouse for the money.
    Reply
  • ananke
    No 1080p, no sales. Otherwise great device, and good price, but DOA because of the screen. The Chinese knock offs will outsell it.
    Reply
  • TheSchmed
    I am considering buying this tablet, but I'm weighing it against the less-expensive Dell Venue 7 and 8 (Android, not W8). I hope Tom's will review the Dell tablets and evaluate Intel processor performance and battery life!
    Reply
  • johnjohn67
    Pretty good deal and it has a micro sd slot.
    Reply
  • somebodyspecial
    CF BENCH:
    "Sony has been optimising for Snapdragon-based devices since the Xperia range took on the Krait core, and its experience shows as the Xperia Z1 comfortably leads the Tegra Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 in both Managed and Native."

    xperia java=32352
    Tegra Note7=32648.5

    Unless I'm not understanding what is going on here, 32648 is the longer bar/better score right? So while it lost NATIVE, it did not lose Java Managed right? It seems Sony won NATIVE and TEGRA note 7 won Java Managed. You need to fix the text.
    Reply
  • Lessthannil
    Why does everyone complain about no 1080p? The difference between 1280x800 to 1920X1080p on a 7" screen is minimal while it requires signifigantly more performance and power. Also, its a $199 tablet, what where you expecting?
    Reply
  • JeanLuc
    While benchmarking did you check to see if the any of the devices you were testing were boosting the SOC clock rates beyond the advertised clock speeds in certain benchmarks? Anandtech looked at this issue a while ago, it would be good to see publications like Toms testing for this sorting of thing and name and shame culprits.
    Reply
  • somebodyspecial
    Shows the power of the T4, I just wish they'd put it in something I want. And I agree 1080p min on anything that is above a phone' 5in size. But I also understand some just don't care so really a personally complaint about that. I'll wait for T5 and hope they get it into 1080/1200p on 13in or 20in ;) I have no use for 10 or below after using nexus10. Print etc, stuff is just too dang small. Maybe spoiled by 24in/22in dual monitors. I just can do squat on something that small and enjoy it other than some games and I'm not even sure about that. I hope they make a 7in shield 2 :) (maybe a 10in?...LOL).

    Smaller and THINNER (you took how much of my batter for thinner?) are USELESS to me. Give me back that larger and FAT model please, so I can run with more power or longer life (or some combo of both). As soon as I see "THINNER" in any description I just put my wallet back and shake my head :( Did I want thinner 10-15 years ago, yeah...Now that party ended ages ago for me.
    Reply