Toshiba Excite 7.7 Tablet Review: AMOLED in a Fun Size
by Dustin Sklavos on August 29, 2012 2:01 PM ESTConclusion: If You're In the Market, It's Worth a Look
Without even playing with them you could probably easily argue that the Excite 10 and Excite 13.3 tablets just don't have much to offer an already saturated Android tablet market, but the Toshiba Excite 7.7 is another story entirely. With the Excite 7.7, Toshiba has produced a relatively speedy Android tablet with a knockout screen and an impressively light form factor. Tablet size is bound to be a matter of taste for individual users; some may prefer the increased screen size and real estate of a 10" tablet (Big Buddha knows my eyesight is going and I'll probably be one of those in a decade or so) while others will likely fall over themselves over the Excite 7.7's small-but-still-useful dimensions.
If you're looking for a smaller tablet and price is a primary concern, odds are you've either already clicked "Add to Cart" on the Kindle Fire and are anxiously awaiting its shipment or you're planning on ordering a Google Nexus 7. Google's (and ASUS's) entrant is liable to basically just knock the Kindle Fire right out of competition, but in the process it does take a lot of the shine off of Toshiba's Excite 7.7. It has similar dimensions and weight, and even benefits from a newer version of Android as well as NFC capability.
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With those things in mind, though, the existence of the Nexus 7 may wound the Excite 7.7, but it doesn't kill it. Toshiba's tablet sports both superior battery life and a much nicer display, and for some users these factors may very well be enough to warrant the extra money. The dynamic brightness can be on the irritating side, especially with no way to disable it, but it's not quite as bad as it sounds. Personally it was far more frustrating for objective testing than it was for actual use, where it was easy enough to ignore.
I think the Toshiba Excite 7.7 is probably going to wind up being lost in the shuffle, and that's a shame because it's worthy of attention. Toshiba learned a lot from the Thrive and they're clearly willing to experiment a bit with the technology if the AMOLED display is any indication. That display alone may be worth the price of admission; either way, the Excite 7.7 is at least worth considering.
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teiglin - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
+1. There are exactly two 7.7" SAMOLED+ tablets on the market today, and excluding the one direct competitor from this review is frankly mind-boggling to me.The P6810 (Galaxy Tab 7.7 wifi) can be had for under $450 online now, and it's (imo) a better device. Exynos4210 may not be quad-core but its day-to-day performance is at least as good as tegra3. Plus, it's available with a quad-band HSPA+ radio, which also includes full phone functionality, or you can spend up on the VZW version and forgo the phone for LTE.
As you mention, there's not much market for any >$200 tablet that doesn't start with i and end with Pad, and even here, the comments bear out that most consumers stop reading once they see that it's $500, not 10", and not an iPad. But as others have also pointed out, this is an unusual, niche device, and I'm glad to see any attention it gets.
ph00ny - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
Amen!!!I can't believe he left out the other SAMOLED+ based tablet in the exact same size
I have LTE version of the GT7.7 and it's been a real pleasure. Outside of knowing that verizon will hold me to HC for a very long time, it's been a gem. Great build quality, slim design, samoled+ and it can function as a hotspot. What more can i ask for?
metafor - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
The only thing holding me back from the Samsung 7.7 is the lack of ICS. Samsung just seems to have forgotten about it when it comes to updates.teiglin - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link
Only the Verzion version lacks ICS at this point (thank you American carriers for your wonderfully smooth OS update process!). The international versions have both had ICS for almost two months, which is, admittedly, still pathetically slow from Samsung.haukionkannel - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
Interesting new tablet! The screen is definitely interesting. I am guite sure, that people are more easily to forgive the price if they can compare it directly with another tablet.Hopefully we see some other tablets with Oled screens soon!
frozentundra123456 - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
I have mixed feelings about tablets in general, but I do have a 7" Acer A100. I only paid 200.00 for it on close out . For 200.00 it has its place for browsing and watching netflix. But for 500.00 with no 3G or 4G connectivity included-- absolutely not. Android tablets just have too many limitations to pay this much for one. I dont care how nice the screen is. I would get a smartphone or laptop or wait for a windows tablet and pay more.I am just astounded at the price of this.
mike55 - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
What if you measure the brightness of a full red, blue, and green screen separately and add them together? That might get you closer to a brightness measurement more comparable with other tablets.teiglin - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
Was this review written back before the Excite 7.7 launched? The review contains several obvious anachronisms that undermine its usefulness. For example, the street price has dropped significantly ($430-$440 at a quick search), and it's been over a month since anyone who wanted a Nexus 7 didn't have one. I guess it shouldn't be surprising to find this sort of issue--the concluding line that "the Toshiba Excite 7.7 is probably going to wind up being lost in the shuffle" has already come true.TareX - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
Sorry, but this is a substandard review for Anandtech. I expected it to be way better given how long this review took to arrive. I'd rather have it written by someone familiar with Android and tablets, and not NEITHER. It was a Cowboy move assigning this task to Dustin.That said, the Nexus 7 DID kill the Toshiba Excite. $250 is too much to pay for a MicroSD (my only reason to buy this over the Nexus 7) and SAMOLED screen, expecially given the fact it won't come with 4.1, and Toshiba has a bad record updating its Android devices.
dishayu - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link
Thank you for the tablet coverage but Plextor M5 Pro now, please!