WishTel Ira Icon MID M801 Review

We did test the tablet for its performance using standard benchmarking apps. Quadrant gave us a score of 1572 and AnTuTu scored 2325. NenaMark gave frame rates of 16 fps while Linpack scored 15 MFLOPS in single-thread tests and 13 MFLOPS in multi-thread tests. As per the tests, the tablet scored almost 20–25 percent lower scores than other tablets with similar hardware specifications. 

Volume and power buttons, a useless On/Off button

Media

The tablet supports a wide variety of media formats for audio (MP3/WMA/APE/FLAC/AAC/OGG/AC3/WAV) and video (H.264, H.263, VC-1, MPEG 1/2/4, DIVX 3/4/5/6, XVID, WMV 7/8, VP8, VP6, AVS) out of the box. We did throw a bunch of standard to high definition movies at the tablet to know what it could deliver; while SD and HD videos played flawlessly, we noticed a little framing during HD 1080p videos. One would not notice the framing easily, but when the video has a fast motion or action sequence, or a quick panning of the video is present, the framing is highly visible. As far as clarity is concerned, the higher resolution display delivers crisp videos with good colours and decent brightness levels. As for viewing angles, it is the same as all other tablets—the viewing angle from the bottom causes loss in video quality and gradually tends to invert the picture.

SIM card for 3G Internet and voice calls

The audio quality of the built-in stereo speakers is below average. It lacks mids and bass while the highs are a bit too shrill. The audio volume is loud enough, but it could still be better. The bundled earphones are very flimsy and fragile. The audio quality of the headset too is below average. You might need a good pair of headphones to enjoy decent audio from music or movies. The headset is good enough for voice and video calls, but it does not feature a call answer/end button on the mic. 

A few apps are bundled for productivity and entertainment

Battery

The Ira Icon MID M801 uses a 5500 mAh battery and the manufacturer claims a 3-4 hour maximum battery life. We conducted a video loop test where we ran a standard definition video continuously until the battery ran out. The battery lasted for 3 hours 25 minutes in this test. We then juiced up the battery back again and then started using the tablet casually by running a video, playing some audio, streaming some media, browsing the Internet and lastly, playing some games. This time the battery lasted us for around 4 hours and 10 minutes. However, this test is basic and the actual battery time will obviously vary from user to user depending on the type of applications used on the tablet.

Verdict

The IRA Icon MID M801 from WishTel is a decent tablet with good display quality. Also, support for 3G SIM for voice calls and Internet is the only advantage. The average battery life, below average audio quality and sluggish performance are the major drawbacks. Retailed at Rs 12,999, the tablet seems steeply priced for just an inch-larger display than the conventional 3G SIM based 7-inchers around. We recommend you look around for another tablets with 3G SIM offering before considering this tablet.