Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue review: Budget extravagance

Design and handling

The styling of the Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue closely follows the template set by its predecessor. There's not a single removable bit on the body of the MediaPad 7 Vogue, as opposed to the original Huawei MediaPad but, technically, it's not a unibody this time around - you can clearly see how layers of different material and finish are pieced together.

The build is rock-solid still, and what makes it even more impressive is that the Vogue has shed near 60g of weight. The side-mounted slot, accommodating both the SIM and a memory card, is a great convenience. The pattern at the back repeats the original - a two plastic patches etching into a slab of aluminum.

The original MediaPad came with multiple color options, while the MediaPad 7 Vogue is available in just two, black and white. At the end of the day though, the Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue has managed to keep the styling that set the original apart.

The Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue in white

The front of the MediaPad 7 Vogue is rather generic. It's designed as any other slate out there with reasonably thick bezels allowing for comfortable one hand operation without touching the screen with your palm. As Huawei runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, software keys replace traditional hardware buttons leaving the front quite neat and neutral.

At 193.8 x 121.3 x 9.5mm, the Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue is quite comfortable to hold with one hand. The compact size means you can easily carry the tablet in a coat or jacket pocket. At 335 grams it's also among the lighter 7" tablets out there too.

Controls

At the very top of the MediaPad 7 Vogue you'll spot the earpiece grille - the tablet supports voice calls over the cellular network and Huawei obviously thought users won't mind using the tablet as a phone. A headset does seem the more sensible option though. Below the earpiece, there's the VGA front-facing camera, as well as the proximity and ambient light sensors.

There's nothing below the screen but the Huawei logo, as all of the controls are on-screen buttons.

Busy above the display • Huawei logo below the screen

The left side of the MediaPad 7 Vogue is free of any buttons and ports. All of them are located on the right: the Power/Lock key and volume rocker near the top and the combined microSD / SIM card slots in the bottom corner.

That's when referring to the tablet in portrait mode obviously, but with the interface freely rotatable (including the lockscreen) choosing the most comfortable orientation is up to you.

Nothing on the left side • Controls and card ports

The top of the tablet is clean and smooth, the microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack placed at the bottom. The microphone pinhole is squeezed in between.

The top and bottom of the Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue

The 3.15MP camera lens is at the back. Just below the protective glass, there's a tiny nub that protects it from directly contacting with the surface it's resting on.

The stylish looking back holds the camera and the loudspeaker

The loudspeaker grille is right below the lens, the Huawei logo dead center on the aluminum plate.