ZTE V98 (Intel Atom Processor 1.7GHz; 10.1-inch display)

ZTE's 10-inch Windows 8 tablet was first announced last year, but it remains unavailable. The Atom-based device made another appearance recently at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow, and here's what we gathered. 

Upside

With its black-bordered glass-covered front facade, the ZTE V98 looks similar to most tablets in the market. However, its sleek aluminum chassis that measures just 8.9mm thick is likely to give it a more upscale feel than plastic.  

The ZTE V98 runs the full version of Windows 8, not the RT version. Users get access to older Windows apps, including ones for desktop computers--not just the ones available on the Windows Store. 

With 64GB of internal storage, the ZTE V98 has double the capacity of comparable Windows slates, which typically start from 32GB. A microSD card slot allows users to add more storage, up to 32GB. As full versions of Windows apps can take up a substantial amount of disk space, having more storage is helpful. 

The V98 has a SIM card slot, as the tablet supports GSM radios, and even 4G LTE as an option. While we have seen quite a few Android slates with the ability to make phone calls, notably from Samsung, it's not as common for a Windows tablet. Other features standard on tablets--an accelerometer, a gyroscope and an ambient light sensor--are found on the V98. The tablet can also be configured with an NFC chip. 

According to ZTE, the V98 is equipped with a 7,000mAh battery. The company didn't give a battery life estimate for the V98, but users should get all-day computing with an Intel Atom processor inside. 

 

 Downside

Based on our past experiences with Intel's Clover Trail Atom processor, the performance of the V98 may be underwhelming when compared with devices equipped with a Core-i CPU. Apps take longer to load, and users may encounter sluggish performance when running multiple apps, which probably isn't that surprising for a device sporting 2GB of RAM. 

It performs better than the Netbooks of yesteryear, but there's definitely room for improvement. ZTE's Windows 8 tablet isn't alone here--you're likely to get a similar experience on other Atom-based devices. 

The 10.1-inch screen has a standard 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution. While this is acceptable for its size, it feels like a missed opportunity for ZTE--bumping the resolution to 1,600 x 900 pixels, or higher, would have differentiated the V98 from the crowded field of Windows 8 tablets.  

Outlook

ZTE hasn't revealed the price for the V98, though we do know that it's slated to go on sale in China in Q3. If ZTE plays its cards right, and prices the V98 attractively versus its more established rivals, it could do well in the market. 

ZTE V98 Specs

Hardware

Height	6.73 inches
Width	10.41 inches
Thickness	0.35 inches
Color	Black / Silver

Display

Screen size (diagonal)	10 inches
Technology	LCD
Resolution (X)	1366 px
Resolution (Y)	768 px
Touchscreen type	Capacitive
Multitouch	Yes

Software

Operating system	Windows 8

Memory

RAM size	2 GB

Storage

Internal size	64 GB
External storage	Yes
Max external size	32 GB

Connectivity

3G	Yes
GSM	Yes
GSM frequencies	1900, 1800, 900, 850
UMTS / HSPA	Yes
UMTS frequencies	2100, 1900, 900
4G	Yes
LTE	Optional
WWAN data standards	UMTS, LTE, EDGE, GPRS
Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi support	802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b
GPS	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth version	4.0
NFC	Yes

Front Camera

Effective pixels	2 megapixels
Video resolution	1080p
Video framerate	30

Rear Camera

Effective pixels	8 megapixels
Video resolution	1080p
Video framerate	30

Ports

Headphone	3.5mm
Data connections	Proprietary

Sensors

Sensors	Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Compass / Magnetometer, Accelerometer

Battery

Capacity	7000 mAh