HP Slate7 Extreme VS HP Slate7 Plus Specs Comparison

Written by B Johnson January 22, 2015
HP Slate7 Extreme VS HP Slate7 Plus Specs Comparison
Hi guys, welcome back to this site!

In my previous comparison reviews, one of the tablets that has been my favorite so far is no doubt the one from HP.

And that is HP Slate7 Extreme. In fact, i think this tablet is one of the best tablets i’ve ever seen on the market, even until now.

(HP Slate7 Extreme VS HP Slate7 Plus Specs Comparison)

I mean, it’s just really impressive how an affordable tablet that costs only $199, is capable to do a lot of things than any other regular tablets out there on the market.

It has a pretty sharp 720p display, powerful graphical and gaming performance, stock Android UI without any bloatwares or unnecessary apps from manufacturers, decent quality cameras, good battery life and the most importantly, an amazing stylus experience.

I’ve actually already made several comparison reviews that involve HP Slate7 Extreme against other competing devices, like Google Nexus 7, iPad mini, Asus MemoPad 7HD and even Microsoft Surface RT 2.

However, there is one other tablet that i also believe can be a pretty good contender for this note-taking device.

This one is actually coming from the same manufacturer. It’s running Android (of course) and it’s powered by Tegra 3 quad-core processor.

The tablet is HP Slate7 Plus – which is the sibling of HP Slate7 Extreme.

HP Slate7 Extreme VS HP Slate7 Plus benchmarks and gaming performance

Well, if you’re interested to learn more about my comparison of these 2 tablets, including my take on their gaming performance, then here you go, my comparison review between HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus.

Introduction

The jump from Tegra 3 quad-core processor to Tegra 4 also, quad-core processor is actually really huge especially in terms of graphical performance.

And that’s what happens here exactly between HP Slate7 Plus and HP Slate7 Extreme, which both are powered by a Tegra 3 and Tegra 4 respectively.

The most noticeable difference seen on each of these 2 tablets is of course on their gaming performance.

And as the one that ships with the newer-gen Tegra 4, no doubt HP Slate7 Extreme is just more powerful than HP Slate7 Plus especially given its 72-core GPU that looks more superior on paper than the 12-core GPU found on Tegra 3 of HP Slate7 Plus.

But we’ll get more on that later.

However, despite having a huge difference in performance and especially hardware specs, both of these tablets are actually pretty similar in the whole aspect.

Okay, HP Slate7 Extreme may have a more powerful processor and GPU, not to mention a stylus, which HP Slate7 Plus don’t.

However, there are still some parts of HP Slate7 Plus that are on the same level with HP Slate7 Extreme – like rear-facing camera, display, software and features.

The great thing is, even with some similar quality hardware, HP Slate7 Plus only costs around $150, as opposed to the $199 price tag of HP Slate7 Extreme.

But the questions remain, with all of the similar class of hardware found on both devices,

which one between HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus that will come out as the winner here as the best gaming tablet in this comparison review?

Which one that is a much better tablet in the whole aspect?

Is it worth it to buy any of these devices, especially for playing graphically-demanding games?

Well, you're gonna find out my answers of these questions at the end of this review. So be sure to read the rest of this review!

Design

The design of HP Slate7 Extreme actually take some design cues from HTC’s flagship smartphone – HTC One M7 -, especially with the dual-speaker grilles on the front.

This is also the same thing found on NVIDIA Tegra Note, which is the reference device used by HP to design and manufacturer HP Slate7 Extreme in the first place.

However, unlike Tegra Note, the rear-case of HP Slate7 Extreme impressively looks much better especially thanks to “HP” logo that makes it look more professional as an Android tablet.

This really contradicts with Tegra Note that has some weird shapes all over the rear-cover.

HP Slate 7 Extreme
HP Slate 7 Extreme
HP Slate 7 Extreme 2
HP Slate 7 Extreme
HP Slate7 Plus
HP Slate7 Plus
Meanwhile, compared to HP Slate7 Extreme that has a modern looking design especially with the dual-speaker grilles on the front, the design of HP Slate7 Plus looks really generic just like many Android counterparts on the market right now.

So there’s nothing to write home about because it has no characteristic on it.

The corners are in fully rectangular shape – which makes it look chubby -, and there’s no dual-speaker on the front just like the one found on HP Slate7 Extreme.

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HP Slate7 ExtremeHP Slate7 Plus
No SIM
Released December 2013
7.0 inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 800 x 1280 pixels, (~216 ppi pixel density)
Android OS 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Nvidia Tegra 4 Quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A15 CPU
1 GB RAM
5 MP rear-facing camera, autofocus, HDR
VGA front-facing camera
microSD card slot for up to 32 GB
16 GB Internal storage,
No GPRS
No EDGE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
USB, Bluetooth, GPS
No Radio
HDMI port
Java
Non-removable Li-Po 4100 mAh battery
Talk time (multimedia): for up to 10 hours
    No SIM
    Released December 2013
    7.0 inch Capacitive touchscreen, 800 x 1280 pixels, (~216 ppi pixel density)
    Android OS 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
    Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU
    1 GB RAM
    5 MP rear-facing camera
    VGA front-facing camera
    microSD for up to 32 GB
    8 GB Internal storage
    No GPRS
    No EDGE
    Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
    Bluetooth
    USB, GPS
    No Radio
    Java
    Non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery
    Talk time (multimedia): for up to 7 hours 

    Both of HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus actually were released at the same time, which was in December of 2013.

    So in terms of hardware specs, especially given their affordable price points, then these 2 devices are still considered as pretty good even in today’s standards, of course in mid-to-low end tablet market.

    Interestingly, despite being offered at just $150, HP Slate7 Plus comes with the specs that are on par with HP Slate7 Extreme – like its 720p display, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, 5MP and VGA cameras back and front, microSD card slot for up to 32GB, 4000mAh battery capacity and some other standard features.

    However, with higher price tag, comes much better features and more powerful performance. And that’s what exactly happens on HP Slate7 Extreme.

    Besides having a more powerful Tegra 4 processor and 72-core GPU, HP Slate7 Extreme also ships with the DirectStylus, along with the hole/port on the back.

    Meanwhile, HP Slate7 Plus doesn’t have the stylus and its gaming performance of course is not ‘on the same page’ as its sibling.

    But i think, despite not having stylus and the same powerful gaming performance, the whole aspect of HP Slate7 Plus can actually be considered as good enough for a cheap $150 budget tablet.

    You already got good quality 5MP camera, microSD card slot for up to 32GB, stock Android UI, 4000mAh battery and definitely, great gaming performance.

    So i believe the price of this device is totally worth it with the goodies that you’re gonna get from HP Slate7 Plus.

    Screen

    Both HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus are equipped with the same 7-inch display sporting the same 720p resolution.

    So when it comes to sharpness, it’s quite obvious that both devices are on the same level. It goes the same with the quality as well.

    So it still looks pretty sharp, text is still readable, image looks good and the colors are also impressive on these 2 devices.

    Besides, it’s probably a good idea to use this medium 720p resolution because it will make the performance of both tablets much faster and smoother, plus more efficient with the use of battery life.

    User Interface

    Besides the display that is similar, the other thing that puts HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus on the same bracket is definitely their software. And by ‘software’, i mean User Interface.

    So just like Tegra Note, the UIs of HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus are actually the stock version of Android OS. So there is no significant customizations made by HP on these 2 devices.

    As a result, the performance of both tablets is fast and smooth, plus more efficient with the use of memory/RAM and battery life.

    However, as a note-taking device, of course HP Slate7 Extreme comes pre-installed with some pre-loaded apps and tasks in the system especially the ones related to stylus – like lasso feature, note-taking app, paintbrush-alike app and many more.

    Not to mention, as an HP tablet, there are also some additions of pre-loaded apps like Printer app that can easily be synchronized with your printer.

    The good thing is, HP is not really aggressive when it comes to customizations on both of these 2 devices. So there are not many pre-loaded apps or tasks that the company crams inside their software.

    Back to Top
    The most prominent difference found on both HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus is actually on their gaming performance.

    And that’s not shocking because HP Slate7 Plus comes with a less powerful Tegra 3 quad-core processor along with 12-core GPU, as opposed to HP Slate7 Extreme that is equipped with NVIDIA’s beast Tegra 4 processor that has a lot more 72-core GPU.

    So basically, their gaming performance will be quite different, of course with HP Slate7 Extreme being the most powerful one in this comparison review.

    With Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 12-core GeForce ULP GPU, stock Android UI and not to mention, a medium 720p display, there are some heavy and graphics intense games that you’re able to play on HP Slate7 Plus.

    Some of them are Modern Combat 4, Asphalt 8: Airborne, NOVA 3, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Dead Trigger I, GTA Vice City or Horn. These games will run in buttery smooth performance and of course in full highest graphics.

    Unfortunately, Asphalt 8: Airborne doesn’t run really smooth but still playable in full highest graphics.

    On the other hand, HP Slate7 Extreme with its Tegra 4 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 72-core GeForce ULP GPU, plus stock Android UI and a 720p resolution display, is no doubt really excellent in gaming performance.

    Games like GTA San Andreas, Asphalt 8: Airborne and even Modern Combat 5 can all be executed perfectly, smoothly and of course, in full highest graphics.

    Besides having more powerful gaming performance than HP Slate7 Plus, the experience of gaming on HP Slate7 Extreme is also much better thanks to the dual-speaker grilles on the front-side, making the experience of playing games on HP Slate7 Extreme more realistic than on HP Slate7 Plus.

    So in this comparison review, HP Slate7 Extreme is definitely the one that comes out as the winner here against its sibling –in gaming performance and gaming experience as a whole.

    But there’s still one downside found on HP Slate7 Extreme. And that is the overheating issue. So many of Tegra 4 tablets are mostly plagued with overheating issue.

    So these tablets will get hotter on the rear cover, especially when used to do some heavy stuff like gaming.

    And this can be quite annoying in the long run. So if you decide to buy any of Tegra 4 tablets, be sure to prepare the budget to buy an external case cover to prevent your hands from touching the rear-case.

    Cameras

    Apparently, the display and UI of HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus are not the only ones that make them similar one to another.

    There’s more. And one of them is their cameras. Both HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus are equipped with 5MP and VGA cameras back and front respectively, but there’s no LED flash found on their rear-covers.

    So if you love photography, it’s probably a better idea to use their cameras in daylight.

    When it comes to quality, the cameras of both devices are actually not too shabby at all. So according to what i’ve seen on some reviews on YouTube, the 5MP rear camera of HP Slate7 Extreme apparently is able to take decent quality shots.

    As a matter of fact, its VGA front-facing camera is also pretty good for taking photos or selfies. So you can totally expect the same thing on HP Slate7 Plus.

    Their camera quality may not be as great as the cameras on iPads or Samsung flagship devices, but at least, they get the job done and still produce good quality shots to users.

    As a matter of fact, in my personal opinion, taking photos can probably be a lot more fun to do on HP Slate7 Extreme, instead of iPads, especially because with its stylus, you can do some creative stuff with the photos – like adding words, writing signature, putting red marks on important spots, making the photos look funny or anything.

    Battery Life

    In terms of battery life, i think HP Slate7 Plus is slightly better than HP Slate7 Extreme, but not significantly.

    And that’s because this $150 device is packing a less power hungry Tegra 3 and 12-core GPU, as opposed to the more powerful Tegra 4 processor along with a staggering 72-core GPU inside HP Slate7 Extreme – which obviously requires more power from its battery.

    So this is probably the reason why HP crams a slightly bigger 4100mAh battery inside HP Slate7 Extreme, compared to the smaller 4000mAh battery on HP Slate7 Plus.

    But even so, i believe both of these tablets are able to deliver an all-day-long battery life to most of users, of course in moderate use.

    So practically, if you mostly use any of these tablets to do some basic daily stuff in your spare time, you can totally expect to see them survive in full solid day on a full 100% charge.

    However, their battery life would drop drastically to just around 5 to 7 hours especially if you use them for doing some heavy intense tasks without resting the screen at all – like for watching HD movies in marathon or playing games in the row.

    The good thing is, both HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate7 Plus come with stock Android UI. So this probably could help a lot in making them more efficient with the use of battery.

    My Personal Opinions

    So in my final conclusion, despite having some similar-class of hardware, i think it’s quite obvious that HP Slate7 Extreme is just a much better tablet than HP Slate7 Plus – either as a gaming device or as a media-consumption tablet in the whole aspect.

    There are many reasons to back that argument. One of them is of course its Tegra 4 quad-core processor and 72-core GeForce ULP GPU that are way more powerful than the Tegra 3 processor along with 12-core GPU of HP Slate7 Plus.

    The existence of stylus on HP Slate7 Extreme is also another reason why this device is just a much better offering than HP Slate7 Plus.

    If you haven’t known already, the stylus of HP Slate7 Extreme is really amazing. Not only does this stylus have great writing experience as S-Pen of Samsung GALAYX Note series, but you can also literally create some beautiful paintings out of it.

    So no wonder if HP Slate7 Extreme costs more expensive ($199), compared to the $150 price tag of HP Slate7 Plus.

    But even so, the rest of the specs on HP Slate7 Plus are actually ‘on the same page’ as HP Slate7 Extreme.

    I mean, it has the same 7-inch 720p display, 5MP rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM, microSD card slot for up to 32GB, 4000mAh battery, stock Android UI and some standard features.

    I believe the final decision to buy any of these tablets will come down to your personal preference and budget. So if you’re looking for a decent note-taking device that has powerful gaming performance and good quality camera, then HP Slate7 Extreme is definitely your destination here.

    Meanwhile, if you only have small budget around $150 in your pocket, but you happen to be a gamer, then HP Slate7 Plus is also a great choice for you.
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