This is my next to last Tech Dump post for the summer. Before you get too disappointed with that news, get excited for today’s post. I am featuring not one, but two reviews today!
Both devices are created by the company ZTE, a company that has been starting to make a name for itself in America. The company has been producing different products since 1985, but has only come to the United States in the last couple of years.
ZTE Spro 2
Before I start talking about the device, I want to make one thing abundantly clear: I love this device.
The Spro (pronounced S-Pro) 2 is a device that I did not know I wanted until I had it. Since then, I have used it almost every single day. Every time I turn it on and find something new to use it for, it impressed me even more.
To elaborate on what makes the device so different from the normal projector is the guts inside of this thing. What the Spro 2 boils down to is a chunky Android tablet with a projector attached to it. Rather than plugging a device into it, which you actually can do through HDMI, it is self sustaining. And since it is an Android enabled device, the device has full access to the Google Play store. That means that you have almost all of the Android apps available to you on this device. It also has expandable storage through a microSD card slot. You can load up all the music and movies you want on it and take it wherever you go. Besides that all you need is a blank wall, and you are good to go.
The one I have is an AT&T provisioned projector that has 4G connectivity as well as the ability to make it a mobile hotspot, something that blows the possibilities for what this device can do to the next level. Off contract the device is $499 or $399 on contract. Instead of relying on a WiFi connection, you can take this anywhere with service and watch movies or stream music. My internet went out during one of the bigger storms a couple of weeks ago, and I used the Spro 2 to stay connected online. As boring as that may sound, I did not have to go without internet for almost two days.
Now for the fun uses. In my apartment we have a giant empty wall in our kitchen, and now whenever I am cooking or eating dinner I throw on some YouTube. Even though the projection is only as good as 720p, I can still get a 60 inch picture on our wall without a problem. I loaded up an NES emulator on it, plugged a couple of wired controllers into it and took it to Alabama where my uncle and I played some games. When I went home to New Orleans, I sat in the back yard and streamed music music videos from the projector onto a portable screen. Then my family took the projector to the beach and watched Top Gun outside by screwing it onto an old tripod that we had somewhere in the house. This could be considered an Android tablet, and that means that it has a battery. The projector packs a whopping 6,300 mAh battery that is good for up to 2 and a half hours of projection. I never ran into any problems using it off of its charger. And since there is HDMI input, the possible uses for the device increase even more. Literally anything you have that uses HDMI will work on the projector. You can take your Xbox outside and play games on it. I do not recommend that, but you can do it.
My only issue at all with the projector is the speaker. While it is perfectly fine for when I am in my kitchen, it tends to lean onto the weaker side if it is outside. I highly recommend getting a bluetooth speaker to connect it to you if you plan on using it outdoors. One other fear I have is that it runs Android 4.4 Kit Kat. While that is only one generation of Android old, some apps that start getting updated for 5.0 Lollipop and lose compatibility with the projector. I hope that ZTE supports the projector for that long and updates it eventually, but right now it is not a problem that would hinder me from recommending this.
The ZTE Spro 2 is a near perfect device for what it is. Besides getting the projection quality up to 1080p or higher or getting the software onto Lollipop, I cannot think of what could make the device much better.
I give the Spro 2 a 9.5 out of 10 because it is truly an outstanding device.
AT&T Trek HD LTE Tablet
Much like the projector review, there is one thing that I need to make clear before anything. This is a budget tablet designed to be a budget tablet. This will not take the place of an iPad or a Nexus 9 because it is not supposed to.
The ZTE Trek HD tablet is a more than capable entry level tablet, as well as AT&T’s first Android 5.0 Lollipop featured tablet complete with LTE connectivity. Are we still at the point that we still need to say that it has LTE? What has come out lately that does not have LTE? Regardless, it has it. It has a 720p screen and is made entirely of plastic to keep production prices cheap. Speaking from personal experience after using a Galaxy S5, I almost prefer the durability of plastic. I dropped the S5 enough times to know how durable plastic can be over glass, and if you have a child that is begging for a tablet, this might be the way to go for durability alone.
The performance that the tablet kept steady at was much better than I expected, considering there is only one gigabyte of RAM in the machine. At first that put me off, but once I actually started using it I was impressed. The device was powerful enough to run YouTube videos and successfully play Threes, the number puzzle game that I recommended everyone play last week. That is pretty much all I need in a tablet. It is perfect for surfing the Internet, playing a few light games and watching YouTube videos.
While I do wish the screen was a bit sharper, it is by no means unviewable. In fact the only issue I have with the device’s screen was a couple of weird graphical glitches that would mess with the colors and graphics on the screen. The problem never lasted more than a few seconds, and it could be an isolated issue, but it was something I could notice happening on more than one occasion.
One little feature I thought was cool was the data tracker that AT&T added as a widget to the homescreen so the user will know how much data is left on his or her monthly billing cycle. If you do not like it, it can always be removed, but as someone who knows enough people who freak out about data, it is a nice feature to have.
Battery life was great, as it holds a 4060 mAh battery. Because the screen is 8 inches in size, there was a lot of room on the inside of the device to fit a battery while still keeping a sleek profile.
The buttons on the side are clicky enough. My only issue with the buttons, as with any device of buttons with this layout, are they are close enough that the power button can be hit when reaching for the volume up button and vice versa. It may just be a personal preference/issue, but I prefer buttons on either side.
Since the tablet runs Android 5.0 Lollipop it already has the latest software, and hopefully will be updated to Android 5.1 soon, users can expect long term support from the Google Play Store in terms of apps.
The final thing to talk about with the device is the price. While you can buy the Trek HD unsubsidized for $199, the tablet is available on contract for $49 dollars. I think $49 is a steal considering this is a tablet with an HD screen running the latest version of Android smoothly.
The AT&T Trek HD tablet is an entry level device. The only thing it was designed to be was an entry level device. It will not break records in terms of processing power or speed (power users stay away), or amaze you with the sharpest screen in the world. But if you want an affordable tablet for yourself or your kids that will be small enough and light enough to carry around or read news on while sitting on the couch, I can easily recommend this.
I have to score the device for what it is, and that is a budget tablet. The final score I give the Trek HD is a 7.5 out of 10.

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Courtesy of AT&T