GoClever Tab R974 review

The tablet is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz RockChip RK3066 processor based on the ARM Cortex A9 architecture, which is still able to hold its own against newer chips – it scored a very respectable 3829 in the Quadrant performance benchmark, putting it just behind the Asus Transformer Prime. 1231ms is a perfectly acceptable result in the Sunspider JavaScript benchmark, and websites rendered quickly. Unfortunately we couldn’t get GLBenchmark to run, so we couldn’t measure the tablet’s graphics abilities formally, but we had no trouble playing games – even intensive 3D ones like the gruesome zombie game Dead Trigger. The updates in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean also mean Android feels responsive and animates smoothly.

We weren’t so impressed with battery life, though. The Tab R974 could only manage a terrible four and a half hours from a full charge. You won’t be able to go far without having to look for a power point, especially if you’re watching video or playing games.

GoClever hasn’t made any major changes to the stock Android interface, adding a pair of volume buttons to the bottom menu bar and leaving everything else relatively untouched. Unlike many budget tablets you get access to the Google Play Store, letting you download any app you like, and GoClever hasn’t preinstalled many apps. Apart from the obligatory Angry Birds and an office suite, this is essentially a blank slate.

The R974 is certainly cheap for a 10in tablet, and it has a reasonable screen and good performance. However, its battery life is a definite concern, and makes it hard to recommend the R974. If you’re mainly going to use it from home and don’t mind sitting near a plug, it’s a reasonable buy, but most people would be better off putting up with a smaller screen and buying a Google Nexus 7.