Tecno Mobile surprised many industry insiders when it launched the WinPad 10 2-in1 hybrid just over a month ago in Nairobi. Tecno had, until then, just produced Android based mobile smartphones and tablets that focused on meeting the specifics needs of the African consumer. This approach has enabled Tecno to quickly grow it’s market share to rival more established OEMs in the region. Recognizing the need for productivity based devices, Tecno partnered with Intel to develop the WinPad 10, the first in a line upcoming Windows products from Tecno.
“The next category that we are developing right now is WINPAD. The feature for this class will be productivity. Basically we are looking at 2-in-1 devices, plus a low cost notebook. The 2-in-1 devices that we are developing range from 8.9”, 10.1”, 11.6” and 12”1. The key difference between Tecno and other multinational companies is that we develop our products oriented for the African market.” Steven Huang, Tecno Mobile’s General Manager of the Tablet Division
As I have owned both the Microsoft Surface RT and Surface Pro 1 tablets, I was curious to see how this KES 29,999 tablet from an Android manufacturer would hold up. Would it provide a lack luster experience like so many of the affordable Windows 8.1 tablets, or was i about to stumble on an electronic manufactured in Ethiopian highlands? Spoiler note: I will be purchasing my own WinPad 10. After installing Windows 10 on the WinPad10 and spending two weeks testing the devices, I have realized that Tecno did make something special.
Specifications
| Price | KES 29,999 (Safaricom Outlets) | |
| Form factor | 2-in-1 Hybrid with removable keyboard | |
| Operating System | Windows 8.1 Bin Edition (Upgradeable to Windows 10 Home Edition for free) | |
| Screen Size | 10.1 inches | |
| Screen Resolution | 1280 x 800 | |
| Display Technology | IPS, 16:9 Widescreen | |
| Multi Touch Points | 10 | |
| Chipset | Intel Atom Z3735F (64 bit) Bay Trail | |
| Cores | 4 cores | |
| Chipset Clock Speed | 1.33 GHz Base with burst speed upto 1.83 GHz | |
| Chipset L2 Cache | 2MB | |
| Graphics | Intel Integrated graphics | |
| Graphics clock Speed | 311 MHz Base with burst speed upto 646 MHz | |
| RAM | 2GB DDR3L | |
| Storage | 32GB eMMC | |
| Expandable Strorage | microSD (Supporting cards upto 64GB capacit) | |
| Front Facing Camera | 2MP Camera | |
| Rear Facing Camera | 5MP Auto Focus | |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n | |
| BlueTooth | 4.0 | |
| Ports | 1 x Full Size USB 3.0, 1x micro USB 3.0, 1x micro HDMI, 9V Power plug, headphone jack, | |
| Battery | 7000 mAh Li-Ion | |
| 3G Radio | Single microSIM 3G Bands 900/2100MHz, 2G 900/1800MHz | |
| Sensors | Orientation, Proximity, Light | |
| Sound | Tecno Boom Speakers | |
| Extra | 1 year of Microsoft Office 365 Personal (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage) | |
| Accessories | Chiclet Keyboard with kickstand | |
So who is the WinPad 10 for? A quick look at the specs (especially the 2GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage for a Windows device) and you might be tempted to say this device doesn’t meet anyone needs. However, this is a case of the “Whole” being greater than the sum of its parts. The ultra portability of this device (someone could mistake it for a paper notebook), Windows 10, Office 365 and 3G SIM means that it perfect for individuals who are extremely mobile, need to be productive and need to be connected: College students and mobile Office office workers.
What’s In The Box
- WinPad 10 (comes with screen protector already installed) comes with Windows 8.1 Bing Edition
- Power Adaptor with 2 quick connect plugs (2 Pin and 3 Pin)
- Chiclet Keyboard with Flap
- Product Info sheet
- Warranty Card
Hardware Design
The 10.1” 16:9 IPS screen is bright and vivid with decent viewing angles. NOTE: To use the screen outdoors, you will need to crank brightness to maximum, though indoors you can comfortably use it at 50-60% levels. On the front face of the WinPad 10, is a Windows Logo that acts as the home button. On the left edge, you’ll find a combination 3.5mm headphone and speaker port, the internal microphone, a full size USB 3.0 port, a micro-HDMI port and a charging port. On the right edge, you’ll find the power button, volume rocker and a micro-USB port. The top edge of the WinPad 10 features a plastic flap that hides the micro-SIM and micro-SD compartment. Be careful when opening this flap as it requires sufficient force to pry it loose. All the hardware keys feel sturdy and operate with a noticeable “click”.
The WinPad 10 features a metal surround and a dimpled plastic back. The keyboard cover can fold in 3 different ways to provide a variety of support positions to hold the WinPad10.The construction of the keyboard doesn’t meet the quality of the tablet with the edges of the soft cover material fraying easily. The keys on the keyboard offer sufficient travel when pressed and thus provide a pleasant typing experience. However, the included trackpad is barely usable. With no buttons or defined click zones, it will frustrate you in a hurry. Fortunately, you can use the 10 point touch screen, or connect a Bluetooth mouse (and keep your USB ports free). The magnets that secure the bottom edge of the WinPad to the keyboard aren’t as strong as though on the Surface so you will need to be careful when lifting the WinPad without supporting the keyboard. I would NOT recommend recreating the famous Surface Click advert with your WinPad.
The battery charger is also an interesting choice. At a time where many OEMs are opting to use the micro USB port for charging, Tecno opted to use a standard 9V pin connector to charge the 7000 mAH battery. This proved to be a wise decision as it speeds up the charging process (taking about 2.5 to completely charge the WinPad 10 from empty). Had Tecno used the USB port, charging times would have tripled.
Without the keyboard attached, the WinPad 10 is light enough for comfortable one handed use. I cannot reiterate enough the difference you will feel in your laptop bag when your substitute your bulky laptop for the WinPad 10. If your shoulder could thank you, it would. Profusely. One neat trick of the WinPad is its ability to be used on the lap. By folding the cover flaps inwards you can create a stable base on that can rest on your lap.
Software and User Experience
Out of the box, the WinPad 10 comes with Windows 8.1 with Bing. This special version of Windows 8 comes with Bing installed as the default search provider (and thus saves the OEMs the license fee). As the user has the ability to easily change the search provider, Windows 8.1 with Bing is no different from Windows 8.1 when viewed from the customer perspective. The Tecno WinPad 10 is eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 Home Edition. However, before you upgrade, you should do the following:
Storage Size on the Tecno Winpad 10
You will find that the device has 23 GB free of the 32 GB internal storage.
To maximize your experience on your new Tecno Winpad 10. I suggest you do the following:
- Install your free copy of Office 365 personal. This is done via the “Get Office” app (comes pre-installed). The app will walk you though on how to activate your license and setup a Microsoft account if you don’t have one.
- Set up your OneDrive account (with 1 year of 1TB storage) before installing any other programs or files. Due to the limited internal local storage, you will need to rely on the cloud to maximize your productivity.
- Purchase a 32GB or 64GB micro-SD card. Buy the highest class that you can afford (something similar to this card on Jumia Kenya). This will help store your documents and personal files without impacting your C drive.
Now that you have installed Office, set up your OneDrive account and purchased a micro SD card you are now ready to upgrade to Windows 10. NOTE: Windows 10 is free from today for all Windows 7 and Windows 8 devices that have a valid license. Go to Windows Update and install any pending updates. One of these updates will install the “Get Windows 10” app. As Windows 10 is rolling out from today on, you will be able to reserve the Windows 10 app and have it installed to your device automatically.
After installing your microSD card, you can set Windows 10 to use this as a default save location for your documents, music and files. This will help you save valuable storage space on your C drive.
Hardware Performance
The Intel Bay trail chip-set performs on par with an Intel Core Duo 2 chip set. I was able to stream 4K YouTube videos without any lagging or distortion. Games like Asphalt 8 worked well without dropped frames. On multitasking, I could run an Office program, stream music via Groove and have several browser tabs open. As the WinPad 10 only has 2 GB of RAM, performance hits will happen due to RAM hungry applications. I would have preferred if Tecno had included 3 or 4GB of RAM, but that would have increased the price.
The 7000 mAH battery was able to last just under 7 hours when I ran the PCMark8 battery test. As this is a continuous test where the PC is on all the time, you can expect at least a 30% improvement in daily usable battery life. I was able to consistently get between 8.5 to 10 hours depending on how I used the device (watching videos consumed power faster than working on spreadsheets). Charge time from empty to full takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. This fast charge time is due to the high voltage pin plug. Though using a USB cable would make charging more convenient, the increased charging time would have been worth it.
Windows 10 on the WinPad 1o = Perfect Match Made
The Tecno Winpad 10 is eligible for free upgrade for In summary, let me say that Windows 10 feels familiar to both users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.It eliminates the “dual nature” of Windows 8 where the Metro Apps didn’t see to fit in with the more windows traditional apps
- Start Screen
The start screen in Windows 10 has been reworked to accommodate users who love the minimalism of classic Start menu in Windows 7 and users who love the dynamic nature of the Windows 8 start screen with Live Tiles. It is up to the user to configure the start screen based on their choice. You can resize the Live Tiles, turn the Live Tiles on/off, and even group the Live Tiles into categories.
If you are a power user, the functionality that you are used too is a “right click on that start menu” away. This lets you quickly access the old school control panel, command prompt, disk management, device manage among many others.
- Notification Center
The Notification Center on Windows 10 collates all your notifications as well as provides one touch access to the settings you use most. You can access the Notification by swiping in from the right edge.
- Edge
Microsoft Edge is a new light wight and super fast browser built from the ground up for the modern web. It discarded all the legacy bloat of Internet Explorer (this is included as a separate app). Edge provides innovate features like writing notes directly on webpages then sharing them. Microsoft has indicated that Edge will support extensions in the very near future.
- Cortana
Cortana is your friendly personal digital assistant. Use here to quickly set reminders, search for documents, keep track of agendas, search the web and more. She can even tell jokes. But best of all Cortana is also available for your smartphone (Android, iOS and Windows Phone). Thus any reminders that you set on while on your WinPad, will come through on your phone.
- Apps
Windows 10 brings apps that are optimized for both touch and keyboard and mouse. You can find these apps in the new Windows App Store. Apps like Mail, Groove Music, News, Sports and more will help you be more productive.
- Office
The WinPad 10 comes with 1 year of Office 365. This includes the latest version of Microsoft’s popular productivity suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, Sway and OneNote). As these apps are designed primarily for keyboard/mouse interaction, you can also install touch optimized versions of Office. These apps (Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, Word Mobile) are free in the Windows Store. Excel Mobile,
- Continuum
Possibly one of the most important features of Windows 10 on a tablet is Continuum. With a single push of the “Tablet Mode” button on the notification center, you can quickly transform how Windows 10 operates to suit your need.You can also activate Tablet mode be going to Settings > System > Tablet Mode. Continuum allows the user to use the mode that suits the particular task they are using. This is a huge improvement from Windows 8.1 where the user had to deal with the full start screen regardless of the task they were performing.
When the keyboard is attached, it makes more sense to stay in “Desktop Mode”. In this mode, the start screen doesn’t fill the screen, app windows are also not full screen (unlike Windows 8) and can be cascaded.
When Tablet mode is engaged, the start screen and all open apps go to full screen, menus are expanded for improved touch usability. On the start screen you can press the hamburger button at the left hand top corner of screen to show your app list. For multitasking you can either select apps via the taskbar, or via the task view button.
However, unlike the Surface tablets, the Tecno Winpad 10 doesn’t automatically activate Continuum (tablet mode) when the keyboard is detached. This feature increases usability as the device can automatically react to users need. Hopefully Tecno can resolve this small but user critical oversight with a software update in the near future.
For more about Windows 10 features please read these Techweez two articles:
Things To Consider After Upgrading to Windows 10
Features That make Windows 10 A Great Upgrade
Competing Devices
The WinPad 10 that competes directly with the ASUS T100 tablet. Though the ASUS cost on average KES 10,000 more, it has less RAM (1GB) and lower resolution cameras. This makes choosing the Winpad 10 a no-brainer.
Conclusion
While I fully expected to be disappointed by the Tecno WinPad 10, I ended being a convert after 2 weeks of use. The positives were the bright screen, long battery life, 3G connectivity and off course Windows 10. The negatives were the poor touch pad design and 9v pin power adapter (instead of a USB adapter). Admittedly, i nitpicking with the last point as it is necessary to ensure fast charging. I also had an odd bug with the display auto rotation being 180 degrees. This is probably due to a driver conflict with the Beta Windows 10 builds that I tested the device on. The public release of Windows 10 will not have this issue. It is also important to know that while the WinPad 10 does some things well, don’t expect it to run your intensive PC games or edit movie effects with After Effects.
As I stated at the start of the article, I will be buying my own Tecno WinPad 10. Let me explain why:
I am in the consulting field and thus work primarily at Clients location. When I am not on a project, I am constantly traversing the city on business development. My current mobile laptop is 2010 13″ HP Envy Envy Intel Core 2 Duo laptop running Windows 10 (which even though compact, it is still heavy). Add the power brick, and my laptop bag is heavy enough to put a strain on my shoulder. The WinPad 10 would help me improve my productivity in three ways.
- It is powerful enough to handle my work flow software (Office365, Project, Visio) with out a comprising my established work pattern.
- included 3G SIM means that I can connect where I am, without having to tether to my phone when the client’s WiFi is insufficient, or Java WiFi is on the brink.
- Most importantly the light weight of the Tecno WinPad 10 means I can carry a smaller laptop bag. Not only does this help my back, but also provides more security as a large laptop bag stands out for theft.
Even though I am waiting for the next generation Surface Pro 4 device to arrive, the KES 30,000 price of the WinPad 10 makes it a perfect stopgap computing device.
We can expect to see more Windows 10 devices from Tecno in coming months including a 12″ 2-in-1 device running Intel Skylake. Who knows, I may not end up buying the Surface Pro 4 after all?
NOTE: I added a paragraph detailing the battery performance of the WinPad 10 in the Hardware Performance section. Aug 6, 2015, 1:30pm
Thank you Techweez for the hands on review. I am definitely buying a Winpad 10 for my student life and business aspirations as well. Keep at it.
You’re welcome. Glad to help.
The hybrid is awesome. However, it needs more storage capacity. 32GB for work is too little. I guess if it were expandable to 128GB SD card, it would be better. The 7000mAh battery is a cool size for a hybrid.
The WinPad 10 supports microSD up to 64GB (I didn’t have a 128 GB card to test it with though). To use this device well, you need to think of the cloud as your main storage, and the WinPad to just store what you are currently working on. Improved OneDrive integration on Windows 10 makes this even easier.
Plus with a full USB 3.0 you could always carry a small external hard drive.
Sorry, want to clarify something. When I check for specs online it says USB 2.0 but you say USB 3.0. Are there different versions?
Perfect review by the way, searched high and low for a proper review, then stumbled onto this. You’ve got a new fan
I verified the USB version via Device Manager. The Intel BayTrail chipset supports USB3.0
What a solid review you have done mate!! Techweez is the next “TopGear” for devices!!
Thank you sir. Much appreciated.
Good review.
Have you connected it to an external monitor? I would like to know if it can push graphics on higher resolution monitors.
Though I have never really used small screened devices for productive work, I probably should give this one a try.
The micro HDMI (V1.4) port will be able to drive a 1080p screen comfortably. The caveat comes with displays higher than 1080p. Even though HDMI 1.4 works with 4K screens at 30Hz refresh rate, the bottleneck will be the CPU.
Thanks for the comment. We will try and put together a video review of the WinPad soon.
Yeah! was gonna ask for a video review too. What space should we watch for that?
I’m loving the battery capacity. 7000mAh is a woow to me. Your review is beautifully exhaustive.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
I would love to try out it’s functionalities sometime. Oh well! till whenever I find someone use it
Just walk into a Safaricom Premium store and check it out.
I just recently bought this baby and even though i still havent upgraded to windows 10, i am already in love with this baby. This product from Tecno is really somthing people should check out
Hi what a great review, i stumbled into your post when struggling hard to get my winpad 10 windows 10 upgrade to work. I have managed to uograde it but, i face the following issues, the devices freezes almost all the time, it wont rotate, and i cant connect to cellular network. all of these was working seemlesly when i bought it with windows 8.1.
Sorry to bother, but you will help me a big time if you can somehow share link where i can grab all the necessary device drivers and software for winpad 10, because i have noticed that some of them are missing in my winpad after upgrading.
Once again great and influential review.
Regards
Hi Kisaki, we reached out regarding this issue and got a statement from Tecno tech support. See the feedback here https://techweez.com/2015/08/24/winpad-10-auto-rotation-bug/
Tecno should be pushing Windows 10 driver updates via Windows Update in the next few weeks. See the link below for details. In the meanwhile, I received a preliminary driver update that solves the auto-rotation issue. Direct Message me on Twitter (@NairobiWP), and I’ll forward it to you.
If you are experiencing a problem with the display rotation after updating to Windows 10, we posted a solution here at the Techweez article. https://techweez.com/2015/08/24/winpad-10-auto-rotation-bug/
i checked the wed the update its not there,i have display rotation problem can you please post it again.
and
Tecno winpad 10 a Rear Facing camera is Not Working On Windows 10
hi, i upgraded to windows 10, now the screen keeps on rotating, it impossible to use the device. Even when you lock screen rotation, it still keeps on rotating. please advice, Otherwsie my take is that the device cant handle windows 10.
Did you read the solution in the post above? There’s an updated driver that will solve your rotation problem.
i checked the wed the update its not there,i have display rotation problem can you please post it again.
and
Tecno winpad 10 a Rear Facing camera is Not Working On Windows 10
Please why is d front camera not working kept showing me dat app is already usig it. And pls this office 365 or so, can i get somthing similar cos i cant imaging paying $9 fo it. Aside dis d tab made lots of sense
You write well, I can borrow a few tips from you for my upcoming review blog. This was worth reading sir!
Thank you. No problem.
I switched off my winpad 10 but refused to power up on wake up. no sign of power on screen, doesnt light up…. but shows charge light. the last information on screen was “1gb remaining”. I too cannot access information by linking with another desktop by cable
I dont know what to do to access information.
Kindly HELP!!!!!!!!!
I need to use a winpad10 as a phone, how do i go about it?
Is the video review ready?
The reviews are pretty awesome.keep up the good work.
Great review. Honest. Knowledgeable. Easily understood. I’ll save up to buy the Winpad 10.
Please can Visual Studio and Sql Server Work well on this tab cause that is the only reason i want to use it for
Hi Damilare,
It should work. Functions just like your average computer with a full Windows version.
Thanks for this review. I fell in love with it at first sight. I have an Airtel SIM configured for it. However I got this this error code while trying to install Office365. When I diagnosed the problem it says, “Your computer appears to be correctly configured but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding.” Can you help advice what I need to do?
To install office365 the PC is asking me for product key. Where is it ?
You forgot to mention that it overheats when charging, other tablets have had serious problems with that issue, am hoping that the winpad does not get spoiled with over heating.
not sure that will happen, if at all we shld minimise usage of it
I like this review. Is the upgrade out now? Thanks.
yea, its out and its really good
Hi, great review. Is it possible to downgrade it to windows 7? If yes How?
nah i dont think its possible… you dont like the windows 10?
tecno winpad 10 corrupted os 8.1. help me how to intall new os
i also have the same problem now, can anyone help me please
Thank you for your review. I bought this tablet in April and it’s not bad.
Please, do you know if it connects to an external dvd drive? And if it does, which particular dvd drives do you recommend I buy for it?
bought it today and it scares me that it has already started overheating.
normal thing with these device, so dont be bothered
I switched off my winpad 10 but refused to power up on wake up. no sign of power on screen, doesnt light up…. but shows charge light and itI too cannot access information by linking with it with another desktop by cable
I dont know what to do to access information.
I need HELP pls !!!!!!!!!
where can i get original winpad charger Nairobi Kenya and the price
good stores wll definitely get you a good charger or try online
Nice Tab
really good device, the specs are awesome
Hi all. I have used the win-pad for awhile. its a good machine. however, i have achallenge of the machine is becoming hot of late even when am using it which been connected to the power. What could be the problem? This was not happening before? Any one with an idea?
I’m about to buy this device (it has Windows 10 already installed now), but I’m wondering can it run Visual Studio and Android Studio smoothly?
After all, thank you very much for this great review
I’m now replying from my new Winpad, and I’m also running Android Studio now 🙂
It’s really a nice device.
And thank you again for the great review
How can i get the windowpad charger? I need the charger.how can i get it.
Anybody solved the camera driver problem?
Please help
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I would like to use winpad 10 for mobile calls how could i do?
Even if the WinPad 10 has a SIM slot, the SIM is not used for calls, it is just for internet connection.
I PUT MY SIM TO BROWSE..YEAH ITS BROWSING BUT IF SOMEONE CALLS OR TEXT I WONT SEE IT..IS THERE A WAY TO FIX THIS..
most useless remote controlled device.. no wonder twas abandoned asa it appeared.
Hi. Long time coming, but please, what is is the mini USB port for? Have you tried using it to charge the device ever before?
I’m also a blogger, but the review is a top-notch review. I give kudos to your work.
The is for this.
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