Nextbook 2-in-1 Tablets get Cherry Trail Upgrades; Let’s Hope They Improved the Keyboard Connection as Well
Early last year tablet maker E-Fun announced a two-in-one Android tablet that combined a mid-grade 11″ tablet with a solid keyboard dock that had a trackpad and a couple full-sized USB ports.
Now the company is back again this year with an updated model, as well as a trio of two-in-one tablets running Windows 10. All four new Nextbook tablets are going to be shown off at CES next week (I won’t be going, alas).
The Nextbook Ares 11A features an 11.6″ screen, and runs Android 5.1 on a quad-core Atom x5-Z8300 CPU with 2GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, 2MP cameras, a multitude of ports and card slots, and a backlit keyboard.
It’s going to ship in the second quarter with a retail price of $220.
E-Fun is also announcing three Windows 10 two-in-one tablets. All three Nextbook Flexx tablets have a quad-core Atom x5-Z8300 CPU with 2GB RAM, 32GB (Flexx 9A) or 64GB internal storage (for the 10A, 11A), cameras, a multitude of ports and card slots, and a locking keyboard dock.
They’ll be available in three screen sizes:
- Flexx 9A: 8.9” (1280 x 800)
- Flexx 10A: 10.1” (1280 x 800)
- Flexx 11A: 11.6” (1366 x 768)
Prices will start at $150 (for the Flexx 9A, with 32GB storage) and go up to $199 and $249 for the larger models. They are expected to ship in the second quarter.
O O O
I have last year’s model, and while it is very solidly built for the sub-$200 price tag, I have also found that it has a serious flaw that ruins it as a two-in-one. The locking mechanism that keeps the tablet connected to the keyboard dock is wobbly.
It can’t guarantee a solid connection. Every time I pick up the tablet by holding on to the screen the two parts lose connection, and the tablet thinks it is undocked. As a result it ignores the keyboard input until I disconnect and reconnect the two parts.
Let’s hope they fixed that issue in the new models, because aside from that one issue this was a great tablet.
Edit: And since I forgot to mention it, I fixed the wobble by using 4 thicknesses of Post-Its to make the dock grip the tablet a little more firmly.
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