Decent processor, expandable memory, 4G
Screen could be better
The debut tablet from EE continues the ornithological theme it started with the budget Kestrel smartphone earlier this year and delivers 4G and a few decent specs for a reasonable, if not exactly bargain, price.
It's not necessarily a bargain price for an tablet, but it's pretty good for one with 4G capability, though it's got stiff competition from Google's Nexus 7, which has a better quality screen and cameras for the same price (even if you buy it from EE). As is the way with networks, EE doesn't actually make its devices -- it just brands them -- and the Eagle is actually made by Chinese manufacturer Huawei. In fact, it's pretty much identical to the the Huawei MediaPad M1 showed off earlier this year.
Chassis & screen
It's a good-looking device, available in pale white and measuring up at 8mm thick and a fairly lightweight 329g. The 8-inch screen delivers a not-quite-full-HD 1,280x800 pixels (189ppi) -- not bad, but it's outclassed by some of its midrange rivals that are delivering full HD. As well as being a little sub-par visually, it's perhaps not quite as sensitive as it could be (too often our presses seemed to be ignored), but it looks sharp for the most part -- web pages render well and HD movies scrub up nicely. The dual speakers are a nice touch and pump out a fair level of volume, though they can sound a bit strained and tinny at full volume.
Processor & performance
The quad-core processor is clocked at 1.6GHz and backed by 1GB RAM, though it did seem to struggle a bit when he had a lot of apps open at once. However, it did seem capable of handling any individual apps we tried, including HD gaming with Real Racing 3. It's running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which comes as a bit of a surprise in these 4.4 KitKat days. EE has put its own yellowish theme on the icons too, though there's not much in the way of extras.
Our AnTuTu benchmark test gave it a score of 21,120, which puts it in a similar range to Lenovo's quad-core Yoga Tablet 10 HD+, but well behind powerhouses like Samsung's hexacore (but considerably more expensive) Galaxy Tab S.
Photography
The 5-megapixel camera won't break any records and doesn't come with a flash. But it includes autofocus, object tracking and smile capture, and delivers pretty good quality pics so long as you're careful with your light. There's also a 0.9-megapixel camera on the front for video calls and selfies.
There's a reasonable 16GB of memory on board for your pics and vids, plus you can add up to 32GB more via microSD card. The battery held up fairly well, comfortably delivering over a day's worth of steady use.
Conclusion
The EE Eagle is a decent if unspectacular midrange tablet with good looks, an okay screen and fair processor for the price. The dual speakers are nice and it has 4G to give you download and streaming power when you need it but it has some stiff competition from the likes of Google's Nexus 7.
Software: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Processor: Quad-core 1.6GHz
Memory slot: Yes
Display: 8in IPS LCD, 1280x800 pixels
Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Ports: microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Camera: 5 megapixel with autofocus
Video playback: MPEG4, H.263, H.264
Audio playback: eAAC+, MP3
Radio: Yes
Battery: Li-Ion
Size: 214x121x8mm
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
