Gemini JoyTab GEM7008 Android tablet – Initial Impressions

Today a nice delivery man came to my work and presented me with an Android powered 7-inch wi-fi tablet in a smart looking box. Was it a Nexus 7? No. Was it a Kindle Fire? No. Did it cost over £150? No. Was I impressed? Yes! He had actually brought me a Gemini JoyTab GEM7008 to review.

The GEM7008 is their budget 7-inch tablet that aims to bring the quality of their premium products to a price-point that is currently occupied by no-name, cheap imports of dubious quality – £79.99.

Having unboxed it, booted it up and played for half an hour or so, I can tell you that my first impressions are very positive. It has a stylish metallic grey back, (not unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab’s “silver” finish), a clear and bright screen surrounded by a slim black bezel, and a microSD card slot (yay!). The weight and feel of it is makes you feel like you’re holding a well made product that’ll stand up to a daily commute, for example.

Software wise, it comes running Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4, that’s been lightly skinned to give a few neat touches, without overloading it with bloatware, and, crucially, Google Play Store compatibility.

Specs are as follows:

• Gem7008 RRP £79.99
• CPU: ARM Cortex A8 1.2Ghz (A13)
• Memory: 512MB DDR3 Memory
• Storage: 8GB built-in, upgradeable to 32GB with Micro SD Card
• Display: LCD Capacitive Multi-Touch Screen/7inch TFT LCD – 800 x 480
• Connectivity: Micro USB Port, Micro SD
• Audio: Built-in 1W Speaker, Built-in Mic, 3.5mm Stereo Earphone Jack
• Wireless Network: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Camera: Front 0.3 Megapixel
• Video Supported: AVI, H.264 DIVX, XVID, rm, rmvb, MKV, WMV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, FLV.HD 1080P max.
• Music Supported: MP3, WMA, MP2, OGG, AAC, M4A, FLAC, 3GP, WAV
• Battery: Up to 4 hours (2500mAh)
• Gyroscope: Built in G sensor for gaming and automatic screen rotation
• OS: Google Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Internet Services: Web Browser, JAVA, YouTube, Email, HTML5, Abobe Flash
• Utilities: Calendar, Alarm Clock, Calculator, Recorder, Notepad, Picture Viewer
• Dimensions and weight: (W) 110mm x (H) 195.1mm x (D) 8.6mm / 267g

You’ll be able to find out much more about the Gemini JoyTab GEM7008 in my full review that’s coming once I’ve spent a few days with it.