Tablet computers have been one of the most significant development in the world of consumer technology over the last few years. They have completely changed the way we approach computers and consume content. They have been the reason why PC sales have been tumbling every year for the last few years. Even though iPad, the tablet that started it all, is still the king in this category, many other devices have sprung up over the years that are much cheaper and good enough for most purposes.

This Kocaso 8″ tablet has roughly the same form factor as iPad Mini. However, one look at it and you would not ever mistake the two. M872 is much thicker and heavier tablet, with an unmistakable protruding back-facing camera. The tablet feels very rugged and solidly built. It’s exterior is mostly metal and glass, not some flimsy plastic.

The tablet is very easy to hold in your hand, although after iPad Mini it feels heavy. It powers up fairly quickly and loads up a fairly recent version of Android (4.2 as of this writing). The screen doesn’t seem too bad, although I would have appreciated a slightly sharper and more detailed resolution. It is very bright and easy to look at. As it is to be expected from a tablet with these specs, it is not exactly the fastest tablet out there. It is still fairly responsive, and pretty good for email, web surfing, and consuming light content. The included cameras are also underwhelming, and I would not use them for any tasks where picture quality is even of a modest importance. Nonetheless, if this is your only mobile device that you carry with you they will come in handy. The tablet also doesn’t have either Bluetooth or GPS capabilities, which additionally diminish its range of uses.

One thing that I do like about this tablet, and where it largely redeems itself, is the range of input/output options. This tablet has easily accessible micro USB, mini HDMI and micro SD card slots. This really enables you to extend this tablet way beyond its core capabilities. You can use it to stream video to your TV, or upload and browse photos on your sd card. This is what makes Kocaso M872 one very convenient tablet to take on the road.

Overall, this is indeed a very limited and underpowered mini tablet. Nonetheless, it is a decent device that will be more than adequate for someone who doesn’t put a high premium on the latest computing power intensive apps.

**** Product provided for review purposes. ****