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AWOW CreaPad 1009 tablet review: Well-built, compact and affordable
AWOW CreaPad 1009 Android Tablet
pros and cons
- Clever kickstand hinge mechanism
- Keyboard and cover included
- Kickstand locks in one position
The AWOW CreaPad 1009 is a handy-sized Android tablet with a 10.1-inch screen and a keyboard cover case. Running Android 11, the CreaPad 1009 is well-built with a mostly metal body and a streamlined look and feel.
On the left-hand side of the tablet, there is the power button, with the volume button below. There is a USB-type-C port towards the bottom of the unit for recharging the tablet or transferring data.
The top of the tablet has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a SIM slot for a TF card. At the rear of the camera, there is a camera lens and an LED flash which can also usefully be used as a flashlight.
The bottom of the tablet has docking pins and two 1W speakers. Sound is surprisingly good for such a slim device. Obviously, the bass is not deep and rich as the cones are tiny, but you can plug in your headphones or connect to Bluetooth to get the full range of sounds.
The screen has a 1920 x 1200 FHD display with a reasonable screen-to-body ratio, although the bezel could be slimmer. Colours are clear and bright, and the display is crisp -- even when showing ultra-small font sizes.
In the box, underneath the tablet itself, is also a keyboard/cover, which clips firmly onto the tablet and provides a connection to the keyboard. The keys are sturdy and have a nice long travel as you press them.
The touchpad is really responsive and fast, and you can combine gestures and touchpad movements easily and quickly. You might find the touchpad a little jumpy, but you soon get used to touching the pad more firmly to slow the cursor down.
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Inside the tablet, there is an entry-level Unisoc Tiger T618 octa-core processor with two ARM cortex A75s running at up to 2.0GHz and six ARM A55s running at up to 1.8GHz.
The CreaPad 1009 has 4GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage, and it has a 5,000mAh battery giving up to 12 hours of use before it needs to be recharged using the USB Type-C cable.
The CreaPad 1009 has a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front-facing camera. Camera settings are basic compared to your mobile phone. You can switch HDR on and off, apply a grid to help you position the image and set an automatic timer for your photos, nothing more.
There is no pre-image manipulation, and post-image manipulation is by the standard Google Photos app.
I like that this build of Android 11 for the CreaPad 1009 has a scheduled power on and off, which is useful if you forget to cut the power when you close the lid of the tablet. I also love that there is no OEM bloatware to slow the tablet down. This is a pared-down device to customise as you wish.I initially thought that the cover case plastic hinge was a little weak. When positioning the tablet, the hinge flopped, leaving the tablet lying flat on its back.
In contrast, the Vastking KingPad K10 Pro had a stiff hinge that let me set the tablet's angle in several different aspects. I eventually realised that the centre part of the hinge has a clever flip-out section that is magnetic and locks the softer flap hinge in one place.
However, you can not adjust the tablet's angle from its set point, which is a pain if you are used to the flexibility and changing angles.
All in all, for under $190 on Amazon, the AWOW CreaPad 1009 is a nice affordable entry-level tablet with no installed bloatware and a long-lasting battery.
If you need a practically pocket-sized and reasonably fast tablet, then the CreaPad 1009 is certainly worth a look.