PolaTab Q10.3 10.6" Octa Core Review

Just when you thought that the boundary for quality had reached its highest possible limit when it comes to low-budget Tablets, PolaTab comes out with a new release that takes that boundary to a new level. The build quality of the PolaTab Q10.3 is nothing short of spectacular when considering how cheap it is to buy.

PolaTab_Q10_3_10_6_Octa_Core_Review

It has a build quality similar to Tablets that cost considerably more money to buy. In fact, almost everything about the Q10.3 is impressive and will leave most people pleasantly surprised. The specification surpasses almost everything else in its category.

First off, the screen size is 10.6 Inches. This is around half an inch bigger than the "standard" screen size that the rest of the 10 Inch Tablets have, as most are 10.1". And although it's not a massive size difference, it is a nice improvement.

Great for someone who's looking for maximum viewing area without compromising on-screen quality. Some Tablets that have tried to increase the size of the screen have, from being stretched to fit, lost some of the sharpness that is achieved with the smaller screened Tablets of the same brand.

But with the PolaTab Q10.3 having a respectable 1366 x 768 IPS display, and having adequate processor support, there is no issue with quality being reduced. The colours, graphics and sharpness are all superb for a Tablet in this price range. And they remain that way even when viewing the screen from unusual angles.

The Q10.3 starts up very fast and is extremely clean of much bloatware, like pre-installed Apps and software programs that routinely come as standard on many Tablets. Battery life is good, lasting between 3 - 6+ hours on average depending on how demanding you are. And the charge time is also fairly swift. Movies and clips run smoothly and the WiFi works great.

Overall, it's a very responsive device, that runs really well and feels solidly built. If you're after a low-priced Tablet to use for all the usual things, like Facebook, YouTube, online shopping, gaming, emailing, and watching the odd film or two, the Q10.3 would make an excellent purchase. It's an absolute steal for what it's on sale for.

PolaTab Q10.3 (A106T) Specification

  • 10.6" Screen with 1366 x 768 (Smart Colour) IPS Display
  • Octa Core Allwinner A83T Processor @ 8 x 1.8GHz - 2.0GHz A7 Cores
  • Android Lollipop 5.1 Operating System
  • 16GB Storage space (Upgradable to an additional 32GB)
  • 2GB RAM (DDR3)
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Dual Cameras
  • Twin 3.5mm headphone jacks
  • Micro SD Slot
  • 1 x Micro USB Port
Comes complete with Mains Adapter, USB Cable, On-The-Go Host Cable, Free (standard) Earphones, User guide and also a 1 year warranty.
The Allwinner Octa Core A83T (with Cortex-A7 cores) is a very capable Processor. It's noted for its enhanced graphics capabilities and very low energy consumption. The Cores of this Processor are variable speed. Their speed is set at 1.8GHz each, which is good on its own, but they can reach up to 2.0GHz (Burst) at times when resources are under a heavy workload and feeling the strain. Nice to have that extra little burst of power to call on if needed.

The Octa Core A83T Processor, coupled with the generous 2GB RAM (DDR3) that the Q10.3 comes complete with makes this device very fast and responsive, even when under a considerable workload. This would make a decent gaming computer. And a perfect, cost-effective device for general day-to-day usage.

How many times have you had to share one of your headphones with someone when watching a movie or listening to music on your Tablet? Not needed with the Q10.3. It has two separate headphone jacks so it's just perfect for watching a late night movie or listening to music with someone when you need to keep the noise down, or don't want to be looked at as ignorant or anti-social.

Whatever the reason, it's an excellent little feature that's not seen too often in this price range. If you like and want this feature but already own a Tablet that you're happy with, you can always just buy a splitter so that you can use two sets of headphone at the same time through one headphone port. They are relatively cheap. But the Q3 takes out this added expense and makes things more convenient by having this feature built-in.

Some things to consider

More connection ports on a device is always a good thing, and sadly, other than the two headphone jacks, which is a great feature, this doesn't have that many more. Of course, there are ways to work around the lack of ports, but for ease of use and with so many people being more familiar and comfortable with actual ports, it would have been the icing on the cake if the PolaTab Q10.3 was riddled with them. But within this low budget category, there are always going to be a few compromises that will have to be made.

The dual cameras are the standard, low quality 0.3 MP front facing and 2.0 MP rear that are found on many of the cheaper models. There is no GPS in this device, and it does not have a HDMI port. Instead it uses "Cast Screen", which ultimately removes the need for the device to be wired via a HDMI lead. However, in order to successfully connect them together, the TV will need to have this technology built-in (Smart TV). If it does not an external dongle will be needed.

If you're looking for the cheapest Tablet but still want something that has great performance and offers serious value for money, here is something to remember. Not all companies do this but some do, so it's worth keeping an eye out. When a company releases a new Tablet they usually put down the price of their previous model.

This is exactly what PolaTab have done in this instance with their Q10.1. It's being sold at a discount. But, considering that the difference isn't all that much between the 10.1 and the 10.3, even with the discount applied, it still makes more sense to go with the newer model. It is well worth the extra bit of money, and is no doubt one of the leading, best value for money devices in this price bracket. One word: Excellent! Other models worth considering for 2021: Neocore N1 and E1.

Alba Tablet Cracked Screen Replacement

How to replace a cracked screen in your Alba Tablet. Most Alba tablets, from the mini 7 Inch and 8 Inch models, right up to the 10 Inch are really good value for the price. But they do have a few issues that come as part of the deal (as is the case with most cheap tablets). With the Alba models its a flimsy screen. As a result, they are fairly easy to damage. If the damage is bad enough, or gets worse over time, it can effect the responsiveness of the touch screen. And in some cases, the damage can make the touch screen stop working all together.

How to change the screen in an Alba, or mostly any brand of tablet for that matter, is a fairly straight forward process. When a tablet screen gets smashed / cracked, most of the time its not the actual LCD screen that is damaged, but the outer layer Touch Screen Digitizer glass.

See below for a video that shows how to replace the screen. Please Note: The video has no sound, but shows everything you need to see in order to make a successful screen swap.




You can either send it to a repair shop and pay someone else to do the job for you, or you can fix it yourself if you have the confidence to do so. It's not a very hard process to complete, as the video in this post shows.

If you get it repaired at a PC repair outlet, due to the labour, it will be more expensive than doing it yourself. However, if you decide to do it yourself, you will obviously still need to buy the replacement screen from somewhere. The good news is they are very cheap to purchase and can be found for sale online on websites such as Amazon and eBay.

If you're having trouble finding them for sale due to there being so many different types of digitizer glass out there, for so many different makes and sizes, see here for for the complete list of Alba (Argos) specific digitizer glass' available in all sizes (7 Inch, 8 Inch, 10 Inch and 10.1"). Link removed.

A New Generation Of Neocore E1

new-generation-E1-2019Neocore have been busy making sure they are ahead of the game by bringing out a newer generation of their very popular and excellent performing E1 model. At this time, the E1 appears to now be Neocore's flagship model. And rightfully so. It's one of their best products.

The previous E1 already had an impressive review score, and now with some added upgrades in the new model, the positive reviews will no doubt continue to grow. The hands on video review below will basically tell you all you need to know about what's new, but I will briefly jot some of the improvements down, as some people prefer to read rather than watch video. Back in stock on Amazon.

New Release: November 2021 E2 model available here at Amazon and the official Neocore website.


The new E1 now has 2GB RAM, compared to 1GB that was in the earlier model. Android 7.0 comes pre installed, and this model has a bigger SD card capacity. Holding up to 256GB of extra space. Available in black or grey, the latest E1 also has a stickier / grippable back casing so it stands less chance of being dropped. Better battery saving ability while in standby mode is a feature that buyers will welcome.

New Neocore E1 Hands-On Video Review




If you're not aware of what else the E1 has, here is a quick low down of the spec. Note: Most of the specification below is not exclusive to this generation and can also be found on some of the previous versions of the E Series. You can find the latest E2 version for sale here. The latest version has some specification impovements, inlcuding a larger SD memory card capacity (now at 400GB). Update: The new E2 can now hold up to 1 Terabyte (1TB) of extra storage space via the SD card.

The E1 specification features a 10.1 Inch IPS display, a glass screen, a 64-bit MTK (MediaTek) Quad Core Processor, which consists of 4x Cortex A53's running at 1.3GHz, Dual WiFi, Bluetooth, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage space, GPS, mini HDMI, Micro USB port, headphone connection, dual cameras, two built-in speakers, 7000 mAh battery, SD Card slot (can hold up to 256GB) and a 2 year warranty. Excellent deal for the price.

Trending