O+ Convertible Review - NoypiGeeks

Local device manufacturers have always been eager to compete with the more prominent international competitors by venturing in to different product lines to battle with. From high-end smartphones, wearables, and tablet hybrids.

And O+ is most definitely one of the companies who took a lot of guts by introducing new products to a market that may find these releases a bit unfamiliar. The O+ Tag and O+ Time wearables hit the market few months back, and now, O+ is at it again — a Windows 8 laptop/tablet hybrid, the O+ Convertible.

Is O+’s first take on this product category is a success? Let’s figure that out!

O PLUS CONVERTIBLE VIDEO REVIEW

O+ Convertible Specs

  • Windows 8.1
  • 11.6-inch HD display
  • 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor
  • 2GB RAM
  • 32GB internal storage (tablet), 500GB HDD (keyboard dock)
  • 2-megapixel back camera
  • 2-megapixel front camera
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Dimensions (tablet): 291.8 x 188.6 x 9.8mm
  • 6400mAh battery

DESIGN

The O+ Convertible consists of two hardware; the actual tablet, and the keyboard dock. It’s really be an understatement to call the included keyboard as an accessory, as a lot of the features that the whole device can showcase is only accessible with the tablet’s accomplice attached. But before we get on to the other half of this machine, let’s breakdown first the bits and pieces of the actual crown of the device, the tablet itself.

We do have a large 11.6″ HD screen on front and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.  We can also notice the pretty thick bezels on this one. Something that’s  disturbingly chunky for a tablet, but pretty conventionally thick in today’s tablet-laptop hybrids.O+ Convertible Specs

The right side is clean, while the left side has the volume controls, home button and the micro-HDMI port.O+ Convertible widthO+ Convertible size

At the top we got the 3.5mm headphone jack port, a built-in microphone and the lock/power switch with an LED power indicator integrated.O+ Convertible Review-6

At the bottom we got the slots and contact for the keyboard, a USB 2.0 port and a microUSB port for charging.O Plus Convertible ports

At the back we have a 2-megapixel camera, stereo speakers, a microSD card slot (capable of up to 128GB) and the O+ USA logo. The back panel has this metallic-look finish, although it feels more like plastic. But nevertheless, it still gives an elegant look, with a horizontal design accent that pass through the company’s logo, which may appeal the working-professionals out there.O+ Convertible Windows Tablet

Despite having two drivers, the built-in speakers on this one is disappointing. There’s not enough just not enough volume, which only made worse by having it placed at the back of the device, rather than having it in front so users can fully take advantage of its potential.O Plus Convertible microSD support

Taking a look at the latter part of this device we see a Chiclet style keyboard. Nope, it’s not wireless like what we see on a lot of this type of devices, but we do have is a tilting contact at the upper part of the dock, which utilizes the use of magnets, to securely connect the primary device. Once the two are intertwined, the O+ Convertible really looks like a full-fledged laptop PC.O+ Convertible Keyboard Review

We also have the touch pad at front. The interface has a pretty decent size on it, although the sensitivity is a bit lacking. It may require some few more swipes before you can reach that close button at the left, high up.

Taking a tour, the left side of the keyboard contains all of your I/O ports: two USB 2.0 ports and the AC power port for alternative charging. Everything else is clean. Also, the 500GB Hard disk drive is situated on the keyboard. Perfect to store all of your media (movies, music and photos), since the actual tablet only has 32GB of storage with, more or less, 23GB of usable space. This also emphasizes how vital is the actual keyboard on the overall usage of the device — as you need to always snap it to the actual tablet to access all of your files that aren’t stored on the ample-sized internal storage.O Plus Convertible Keyboard

With the keyboard dock attached, the device still feels very compact, thanks to its appropriate dimensions. Although, the weight on this one is really noticeable. Even just by carrying only the actual tablet is a bit tiring.. but hey, it’s a laptop hybrid, not just a tablet per se. Overall, the O+ Convertible design is pretty sturdy, and appealing in the eyes.O+-Convertible-Review

Having this kind of keyboard is not without its pros and cons. For the good part, the Convertible can sit firmly on any desks or be used on your lap, something that’s a little hard to accomplish on let’s say, the Miscrosoft Surface Pro 3, which has an almost paper-thin keyboard and made with a soft material. But on the inimical side, the keyboard adds some weight and thickness on the device. But nevertheless, at least for me, the keyboard is a very good inclusion.

DISPLAY

The O+ Convertible sports an 11.6″ HD display, with 1366 x 788 resolution, and has 133 pixels-per-inch. Judging by the figures, it’s pretty evident that this one doesn’t offer top-class screen. Full HD displays with 1080p resolution is probably the standard in today’s market. But considering the device’s price tag, limitations are really expected, and some sacrifices must be made.O+-Convertible-Review-NoypiGeeks

The display may not be the best of all, but still able to get the job done. Looking at a distance makes individual pixels less visible, thus making it look sharp. Devices with such large displays are meant to be looked at this amount of distance, anyway. Texts from different websites or other reading material looks pleasant in the eyes; gaming, watching movies and consuming other media also provides decent experience on this one. It’s also large enough to type decently using the on-screen keyboard.

The O+ Convertible’s display also has a pretty average glass that’s protecting it. There are a lot of visible glares and reflection, although the actual display panel was still able to pop-out nicely, thus still providing some pretty impressive viewing angles.

SOFTWARE

We got Windows 8.1 that’s governing this device, which comes with a hefty amount of preinstalled applications, that are, thankfully, can be uninstalled. I just wish that O+ included Microsoft Office on this one, or at least a one-year free subscription, since this device is targeted to office-workers and students, who are expected to use this device primarily for document editing, powerpoint presentations and even spreadsheets.O+ Convertible Windows 8

But luckily, there are a lot of free alternatives available, like this one from LibreOffice, which provides an alternative to Microsoft’s Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.  For those who are worried, the document file that you can create on this one is also compatible to Microsoft’s actual softwares. Although, you should be okay with the LibreOffice’s unfamiliar user-interface.O+ Convertible Office

Speaking of user-interface, the UI on this one is something that we have known and loved from other and previous Windows 8.1 PCs. Navigating through the tiles, widgets and application list is still smooth and seamless as before. Swiping gestures are also here to assist all your multi-tasking needs. Swiping from the left side of the display reveals all your recent apps. You can open one by swiping it to the center of the display, or have it closed or dismissed by swiping it downwards.O+ Plus Convertible Web browsing, Multitasking

Multi-window is also present, for those hardcore multi-task-er out there. I still wish though  that this feature would also work with those windows opened on the Desktop. I would love to open two web pages, and view them concurrently without the hassle of resizing it.

Related: O+ 360 HD ReviewO+ Convertible Review, Features

PERFORMACE

The O+ Convertible is running under Intel Atom Z3735F, a 32-bit quad-core processor with a clock speed of 1.3GHz and 2GB of RAMO+ Convertible Review-21

Processing performance have been decently fast and snappy. Boot-up time is about 15secs. on average. Applications’ starts affably fast. Playing games from the Microsoft Market have been a breeze, with no visible frame drops or lags.

The O+ Convertible doesn’t brag a muscular hardware, but for its intended use, the device can really deliver. You really can’t expect some intense gaming on this one. Video editing is possible, although softwares like Adobe Premiere Pro requires 64-bit processors, so you might be better off with NHC’s VideoPad video editor. Adobe Photoshop CC is possible for basic photo editing to some average photo manipulation, although expect a bumpy ride as some stutters may occur from time to time, but nevertheless, I was able to process an entire photo on this one.

CAMERA

As what I’ve said earlier, the device only has 2-megapixel sensor on both of its primary and front-facing cameras. Thus, the photo quality on this one is something to be expected. The photos that this thing can produce is barely usable. Well, laptops aren’t really made to take day-to-day snapshots, anyway, something that you would reserve to do on your smartphone, or other device that are more suitable for this activity.

Check out these sample shots:

O+ Convertible Review-22 Camera sample O Plus Convertible O+ Convertible Camera Review-23

The camera is only suitable for video chats like Skype, but other than that, it’s useless. There’s just too much noise on the photos and videos taken, contrasts are overblown, and the saturation is dull. Although there’s really enough brightness to see the objects moving under the lens, which clearly makes it all right for video calls.

BATTERY

We got a 6400mAh battery that’s powering this device. This battery capacity is a bit huge if you ask me, as some other laptops and portable PC only has a battery capacity with an average of 5000mAh. But nevertheless, the performance on this one is nothing too special.

The O Plus Convertible did last for about two-three hours of heavy use like continuous YouTube streaming, and being connected to a wireless bluetooth speaker. While light usage like casual web browsing lasted the device for almost a whole daylight (that’s about 5-8 hours). You might want to completely Shut Down the device if you’re not using it to improve battery longevity, rather than just locking it and leaving it on standby.

VERDICT

O+’s set out on the laptop-tablet hybrid really did please me. The portability it provides is something to adore, perfect for business people who are always on the go; or for students that always cram in doing projects and paper works, especially during the finals term. All the power and productivity that the Windows 8 has is sandwich on this compact and easy-to-carry machine.O-Plus-Convertible-Review-NoypiGeeks.com

Although, the competition is too stiff for the O+ Convertible. There are a lot of rival companies, and even international manufacturers who are now also offering range of similar devices under this category.

But as for the Convertible; the device’s large 11.6″ HD display, chic design,  quad-core processor, spacious 500GB HDD storage and an included keyboard dock may justify its Php15,995 price tag. But of course, it’s not without its shortcomings; the disappointing camera and speaker volume may cause an impact to some, the average battery; and the lack of free, essential softwares.

To wrap it up, I think this device is really designed for people who wants to get the basics work done. And for what it is intended to do, I think the O+ Convertible was able to make the cut.

Pros

  • Elegant design
  • Industrial keyboard
  • 500GB storage + microSd card support
  • Decent display
  • Windows 8.1

Cons

  • Bad camera
  • Low speaker volume
  • Average battery life
  • No Microsoft Office installed

Join the Conversation

1 Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *