Only a few years ago, a quad-core processor in a desktop was something exotic and top-of-the-line. But these days quad-core CPUs have even made their way into the latest Android tablets. One of these supercharged tablets, from well-known manufacturer Prestigio, is the subject of our review. The Prestigio MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 is the new compromise-free option of choice for road warriors.

Packaging and box contents

The Prestigio MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 is nestled in a sturdy cardboard box that is spacious for an 8" tablet. Like other Prestigio products, the box is red and black, with textured surfaces and silver embossed lettering. Copious badges on the front and a thorough description on the back give a good idea of what to expect inside.

Inside the box is the Prestigio MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 tablet, 220V charger with USB port and set of power adapters for European, British, and American outlets, a USB–microUSB cable for charging the tablet and synchronizing with PCs, an OTG converter cable, a leather case, a short user's guide in several languages, and a warranty form.

If you are planning to travel far and wide with your tablet, the Prestigio MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 will never leave you without power: its charger works with almost all electrical outlets found worldwide.

The Prestigio-branded leather case, adorned by sturdy red thread, does a good job of protecting the device from life's unexpected turns. In addition, the soft inside of the case wipes fingerprints from the screen. This thoughtful approach by the manufacturer to the bundled accessories impressed us.

The USB-to-OTG converter cable allows connecting various USB peripherals to the tablet – more details about this can be found later in the review. The single-piece charger (without separation between the prongs and the socket) is very compact and convenient in everyday use.

I rate the included accessories as very good, especially with the case and thorough set of adapters for the charger.

Appearance

The body of the Prestigio MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 consists almost entirely of aluminum, resulting in a durable design that is also light. The color is bit unusual: if you look at the Prestigio MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 in low lighting, you will be sure that the body is black. But in bright light, you will spot dark-blue hues. So it's fair to call it "dark-blue metal", perhaps midnight blue. The tablet stands out with its fresh appearance, drawing attention and looks. A thin silver stripe where the body and front panel converge fills out the stylish exterior of Prestigio's new creation.

The dimensions of the Prestigio MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 are 203.5 x 139 x 8.9 mm, with weight of 406 grams. The tablet is light and compact, making it easy to hold in one hand.

Most of the front is occupied by an IPS touchscreen (multitouch supported) with resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The display measures 7.85 inches diagonally, which is a good fit for 1024 x 768 resolution. The excellent "popping" colors on the display are worth a mention, as well as the good blacks and lack of color distortion even when viewing at extreme angles. A black frame runs along the display's edge, offering a convenient place to rest your fingers without smearing the screen. Scratch-proof glass promises to protect the screen well.

The upper part of the front panel features a 0.3MP webcam that is convenient for video conferencing.

On the right edge, you can find two volume adjustment buttons as well as an on/off button. The buttons depress easily, with a satisfying click.

The left side does not contain any functional elements.

On the right side, you'll find a built-in microphone, 3.5 mm headphone port, slot for microSD memory cards, and microHDMI port. The good sound quality makes it entirely possible to replace a dedicated MP3 player with this device by simply connecting headphones. The memory card slot supports SDHC cards. I personally tested a 32 GB Transcend Class 10 card and had absolutely no problems using it on the MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85.

The microHDMI port allows connecting the tablet to any modern TV and savoring your favorite videos on the big screen. In the tablet settings, you can set the screen resolution and screen lock delay.

The bottom edge of the device sports a microUSB port, for connecting the charger, synchronization cable, and OTG converter cable.

On the rear panel you can find a 2MP camera, speaker, and attention-getting Prestigio logo.

The speaker volume is average with quite acceptable sound quality; the sound track to movies can be played satisfactorily without headphones.

Photos from the built-in camera are good for the resolution provided, especially under normal lighting. Video recording is supported as well. The battery of the MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 is lithium-ion polymer, with a capacity of 4700 mAh – quite an impressive amount for a tablet so small and compact. Large batteries mean long battery lives: during playback of a movie using the built-in player at moderate screen brightness, the tablet lasted 5 hours 20 minutes. In reading mode without Internet use, this number jumped to 7.5 hours. These are excellent results, especially for such powerful hardware (more about this below).

Specifications

The "brains" of the MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 consist of the powerful Rockchips RK3188 CPU, which has four cores screaming along at up to 1.6 GHz. This tablet can handle any app you throw at it. Both heavy documents and mobile games are handled with ease, thanks to 1 GB RAM and a Mali 400MP graphics processor. GTA, Max Payne, and Real Racing 3 are all snappy on the tablet and show all the best that Android gaming has to offer. Games also benefit from the built-in accelerometer, which is handy for character movement in some shooters.

Of the 8 GB of on-board memory, 5 GB is accessible to the user.

The tablet has rich options for communication.

Internet access is provided via a Wi-Fi module with support for 802.11b/g/n. The Wi-Fi module is good at catching signals; the MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 “saw“ a network at normal strength through two reinforced walls.

If there are no wireless hotspots nearby, an OTG converter can connect a 3G modem (as well as a USB flash drive or keyboard) to the star of today's review. So with this tablet, you can get online and stay online anywhere that has cellular coverage.

For short-distance connectivity – file transfer or music streaming to wireless headphones – there is a Bluetooth module featuring Bluetooth 4.0 support, with high transfer speeds.

When connected to a PC over USB, the tablet is displayed as a mass storage device. No additional drivers are required.

Operating system and bundled software

The MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 runs on Android 4.2. Demanding users will appreciate the up-to-date version included, since most Chinese tablets run on only Android 4.04. The standard Android 4.2 desktop is included, which, as I see it, is a plus since the user can always install an alternative launcher of their choice.

Like other Prestigio tablets, the MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 has two sets of bundled apps: those included in the firmware itself and a set of .apk files stored in the on-board memory, which are installed through the special Prestigio Installer.

The first group includes the Explorer file browser, the special Prestigio eReader for reading books, with access to a store and library, and the excellent OfficeSuite Pro 7.2.1 productivity package. Those who regularly use their tablets for document editing are sure to love this best-in-class mobile software option.

The Prestigio Installer allows installing a number of apps: 250 Solitaire, FreeChess, SugarSync cloud storage (free 5 GB of virtual cloud storage), a measurement converter, Stock Alert, and more. Users in countries in the former Soviet Union can also try the set of apps from Yandex (Mail, Maps, Market, Search), the RIA Novosti news aggregator, and the VKontakte client.

Stability and snappiness never fail to bring a smile to any reviewer, and my five days of test use of the tablet were free of any slowdowns or freezes.

Conclusion

The MultiPad 4 Quantum 7.85 is elegant on the outside and a modern workhorse on the inside. Its excellent stylish design, quad-core CPU, capacious battery, and good screen all indicate that this tablet will be a hit. And for many potential buyers, the tablet's price of U.S. $210 will seal the deal.