Top 5 Best Mobile Tablets – with data and voice call functions

Samuel J Tan Personal Technology, Smartphones, Tablets, Technology 1

Samsung and Apple may have tablets with mobile broadband connectivity but these do not offer phone functionality and therefore cannot be used as a primary device for making calls and browsing the web. If constant connectivity is what you are after from a tablet and only take or make the odd phone calls then one of these tablets with phone function is what you need.

For those who are not bothered with the sheer size of a tablet and care more for browsing the web and consuming content such as movies, TV shows and music during their commute than making phone calls, these are tablets with phone and voice calling functionality. Having access to a full size screen, at least 7.0-inch or 8.0-inch as well and bigger battery capacity, these devices lets you browse to your hearts content with enough juice to last all day and more. The trick is to pair the tablet with a good Bluetooth headset, one that also lets you accept incoming calls and or use this when you place calls.

Huawei is the major player with devices in this category creating ultra compact tablets with the sort of engineering and design found only on smartphones. Others manufacturers include Asus, HP and Acer also has their own take on that mobile tablet but with more focus on value and the mass market. Devices that falls in this category comes with a 7-inch screen with the exception of Huawei’s MediaPad M2 at 8-inch. We do not expect this category to take off in a big way with more and more phablets in the market but, it does serve a niche nonetheless.

Table of Contents

Top 5 Best Tablets with Phone Function

Here are five of the best small tablets with phone function and voice calling capability.

Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0-inch 4G LTE – NEW

Judging from the specifications, the Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0 is a premium device. Not short of processing power, memory or on-screen pixels, the M2 comes with 4G LTE connectivity, 8MP rear facing camera and a whooping 4,800mAh lithium polymer battery. Even with all that power, the device only measures 7.8mm in thickness in a metal body.

The screen or at least the glass flows edge to edge with ultra slim side bezels and very small top and bottom bezel. Huawei claims the MediaPad M2 to be the world’s first 8-inch all metal 4G media tablet and they have a good reason to celebrate. The design of the tablet looks stunning from every angle with a combination of brushed aluminium with polished edges.

In the audio department, Huawei chose to work with Harmon Kardon to fine tune the audio output. To make the super slim device produce excellent audio, a pair of stereo drivers, 43% bigger than previous generation coupled with a large sound chamber in the all-metal body is used to increase resonance and audio quality. These speaker are found on either side of the screen when laid in landscape format.

Specification

8.0-inch 1920 x 1200 FHD IPS touch display 283ppi 400nits – BIGGEST SCREEN
2.0 GHz Kirin930 64 bit Octa-core CPU with GPU Mali-T628 MP4 + i3 co-processor – FASTEST PROCESSOR
3GB RAM Memory with 32GB ROM Storage (Premium) / 2GB RAM Memory with 16GB ROM Storage (Standard) – MORE MEMORY
4G LTE (Cat 6) up to 300Mbps, 3G, 2G, Dual Band WiFi IEEE 802.11ac/a/b/g/n, 2.4/5GHz, Bluetooth 4.0 – FASTER 4G
8MP AF rear facing camera with flash, 2MP FF front facing camera
4,800 mAh lithium polymer up to 30 hours of music playback
214.8 x 124 x 7.8 mm, 330 grams – SLIM
GPS/A-GPS/Glonass Location & Navigation, Ambient Light Sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity, Hall sensor, Compass
Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with HUAWEI Emotion UI 3.1
Colour options: Silver or Gold

Check Price on Amazon: Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0-inch

Also see previous generation Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0-inch IPS HD Screenwith 4G LTE

Huawei MediaPad X2 7.0-inch 4G LTE – NEW

The smaller MediaPad X2 has a 7-inch Full HD display. Again, applying the compact tablet design, Huawei managed the screen to body ratio of up to 80%. As with the MediaPad M2, the X2 has an elegant metal chassis with an ultra slim design.

At 7.18mm, it is even thinner and give its screen size, lighter than the M2. There is nothing short of extraordinary for the X2. Even with its 8-core processor, generous memory and storage, 13MP rear and 5MP front SLR cameras and 4G LTE connectivity, Huawei is still able to squeeze a 5000mAh battery.

7.0-inch Full HD Screen 1200 x 1920 pixel resolution, 323 ppi density IPS LTPS touch display – HIGHEST PIXEL DENSITY
2.0 GHz Kirin930 64 bit octa-core CPU, 4 x 2.0 GHz+4 x 1.5 GHz – FASTEST PROCESSOR
3GB RAM Memory and 32GB ROM Storage or 2GB RAM Memory and 16GB ROM Storage with microSD card slot that supports up to 128GB additional storage – MORE MEMORY
4G LTE (Cat 6) up to 300Mbps Hi Speed connection, Dual Band, Dual Antenna Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n, 2.4/5GHz, Bluetooth 4.0 – FASTER 4G
13MP Sony Rear Camera with Full HD Recording and Wide Angle large F2.2 diaphragm and hybrid IR flash, 5MP Front Camera wide-angle lens 22mm – BETTER CAMERA
5000mAh Battery with capacity to play 10 movies continuously, 24 days of standby time, 3.5 hours of charging time – HIGHEST CAPACITY
183.5 x 103.9 x 7.18 mm, 249 grams – SLIMMER
GPS/A-GPS Location & Navigation. Sensors: Ambient Light Sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Gyroscope, Compass
Android5.0 and Huawei Emotion UI 3.0
Available in Silver and Gold

Check Price on Amazon: Huawei MediaPad X2 7.0-inch

Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG 3G – DUAL SIMS

The bigger version of the Asus Fonepad 7 also featured here, the Fonepad 8 has all the functionality of a tablet plus voice call and phone messaging functionalities. With a bigger screen at 8-inch, Asus’s simplified ZenUI with over a thousand upgrades and enhancements and powered by Intel Atom Z3530 Quad Core at 1.33GHz, the phone still manages a respectable 12 hours battery life or mixed use.

The tablet also features dual front firing stereo speakers on either side of the device when held in landscape mode making it ideal for gaming and entertainment. At 120mm width, only 10mm bigger than Fonepad 7 and narrow bezels at 5.06mm, the tablet phone is grip friendly for a person with big palm. With an ultra thin at 8.9mm and ultra light body at 310 grams, there is certainly a great many appeals for a budget tablet.

Specifications

8-inch 800 x 1280 pixels resolution, 189 ppi IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors display
Intel Atom Z3530 Quad Core 1.33GHz Processor 64-bit and PowerVR G6430
1GB RAM Memory with 8GB Storage or 2GB RAM Memory with 16GB Storage, microSD slot support up to 64GB
3G (DUAL SIM), WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, Miracast, DLNA (720p up to 30fps)
2 MP Front Camera and 5 MP Rear Camera with Auto focus with 720p Video Recording
12 hours battery life; 15.2Wh Li-polymer Battery. Talktime: 21hours (3G), Standby: 600 hours – GOOD BATTERY LIFE
214 x 120 x 8.9 mm (8.43 x 4.72 x 0.35 in), 310 grams
Sensors:G-Sensor, Proximity, Light sensor, E-compass, Hall sensor. GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone / Mic-in), Micro USB, Micro SD Card Reader,up to 64GB, Micro SIM card slot(Dual SIM SKU). Stereo Speakers with SonicMaster technology.
Android 4.4 KitKat
Available in Black,White,Red,Gold

Check Price on Amazon: Asus Fonepad 8 FE380CG 3G

Huawei MediaPad X1 7.0-inch 4G LTE

The predecessor to MediaPad X2, the X1 is still very capable and tick all the boxes for a superior tablet with phone function. Using only a quad-core processor instead of the Kirin 930 Octa-Core, the device still has the same 13MP sony rear camera and 5MP front facing camera as well as 4G LTE connectivity and the huge 5000mAh capacity battery. There is no difference in dimension and design between the new X2 and the X1. Effectively the only thing that has changed between the two is the processor and a slower 4G chip. If you are looking to save some money, get the MediaPad X1.

Specification

7.0-inch Full HD Screen 1200 x 1920 pixel resolution, 323 ppi density IPS display – HIGHEST PIXEL DENSITY
Quad-Core 1.6GHz CPU SoC: Hisilicon Kirin 910 quad core 1.6 GHz with GPU: Mali450-MP4
2GB RAM Memory, 16GB ROM Storage
4G LTE (Cat4) 150Mbps Hi Speed connection
13MP Sony Rear Camera with Full HD Recording and Wide Angle, 5MP Front Camera – BETTER CAMERA
5000mAh Battery with capacity to play 10 movies continuously – HIGHEST CAPACITY
183.5 x 103.9 x 7.18 mm, 239 grams– SLIMMEST, LIGHTEST
Android 4.4 KitKat with Emotion UI 2.0
Available in Diamond Black and Snow White

Check Price on Amazon: Huawei MediaPad X1 7.0-inch

Asus Fonepad 7 FE170CG 7.0-inch 3G – DUAL SIM

Based on Intel Atom Multi-core processor clocking in at 1.2GHz with Intel Hyper Threading technology, the new Fonepad 7 is a budget tablet with phone functionality that still carries enough punch to give out smooth responsive browinsg, HD video playback and quick rendering of games. The tablet has front facing stereo speakers aimed at the user with SonicMaster technology.

While the 1GB RAM memory and 4GB or 8GB storage is nothing to shout about, there is the much needed microSD slot that supports up to 64GB of additional storage and Asus’s 5GB Life Time ASUS Webstorage Space with additional 11GB for the first year. At 110mm width, it is still manageable with one handed operation, gripping it from edge to edge.

For connectivity the phone only supports 3G but but bonus is it takes dual SIM, perfect for those travelling and wanting a local data plan while staying connected to home. Finally, there is no short of colours to choose from, with up to 5 different colours, there is bound to be one that fits your style.

Specification

7.0 LED Backlight WSVGA (1024×600 pixels) Screen
Intel® Atom™ Multi-Core Z2520 Processor 1.2 GHz with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology
1GB RAM and 4GB/8GB eMMC Storage, microSD card slot supports up to 64GB of additional storage
3G, WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, Miracast
2MP Rear Camera, 0.3MP Front Camera
10 hours battery life 15Wh Li-polymer battery. Standby Time: 619 hours, Talk Time: 30 hours, Video playback (720p): 10 hours
192 x 110 x 10.7 mm (WxDxH), 290 grams
GPS, GLONASS & AGPS, Micro USB, Audio Jack, MicroSD, 1/2 Micro SIM slot
Android 4.3 upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat
Available in Black, White, Red or Blue (Dual SIM); White (Single SIM)

Check Price on Amazon: Asus Fonepad 7 FE170CG 7.0-inch

Previous Generation: Asus Fonepad 7 ME175CG 7.0-inch

BONUS

Acer Iconia Tab 7 (A1-713HD) 7.0-inch – 3G

As with other tablets in this list, the Iconia has full smartphone functionality, so you can make phone calls, send text and access mobile broadband over 3G all from the tablet. No more tethering or looking for Wireless hot spots. The tablet still offers WiFi and Bluetooth as standard. The slim Acer Iconia Tab 7 has a premium look and feel with a clean and simple design of anodized silver. The 0.89 cm (0.35 inches) thin body, narrow 11.6 cm (4.6 inches) width is not the smallest in the list here but it weights only 298 g (0.66 lb) making it more comfortable to hold and use with a single hand for phone calls and browsing.

7-inch HD 1280×800 pixels 216ppi IPS multi-touch LED backlit display
1.3GHz MediaTek MT8382 quad core processor
1GB RAM Memory and 16GB ROM Storage with microSD card slot up to 32GB additional storage
3G, WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, MicroUSB v2.0, Accelerometer
5MP rear camera, Web front camera
6 hours of battery life
H19.3, W11.6cm x D8.95mm, 298 grams
Android 4.4.2 KitKat

Check Price on Amazon: Acer Iconia Tab 7 (A1-713HD) 7.0-inch

HP Slate 7 VoiceTab 7.0 inch 3G – DUAL SIM

With a razor sharp HD display for crisp, clear viewing and front-firing speakers for amazing quality sound, the HP Slate VoiceTabs is both an entertainment and productivity tablet. With 3G and WiFi connectivity, it stays connected all the time. Dual SIM cards support meant it can automatically switch between them for calls, text, email and data.

Marvell® Quad-Core PXA1088 1.2 GHz processor
7-inch (17.8 cm) diagonal HD IPS (1280 x 800) display
1GB RAM Memory and 16GB Storage (expandable to 32GB by Micro SD)
3G, WLAN, Bluetooth 3.0+ EDR, Forward facing stereo speakers
5MP Auto Focus Rear Facing Camera with LED flash, 2MP Front Facing Camera.
4100mAh
9.5 mm thickness, 325 grams
Android 4.2, Jelly Bean