Asus ZenPad S 8.0 Review

To say it from the start, the ZenPad S 8.0 is exceptionally well designed.

To start with construction quality, the rear of the tablet incorporates two stylish design elements. One is the main, aluminium hairline pattern that takes up most of the space on the rear of the tablet and oozes class. The other aspect to the tablet's rear is its faux leather strip. This occupies the right edge of the chassis, and houses the microSD slot. Both elements work well together and create a lovely appearance to the back of the tablet. Gorilla Glass 3 protects the front of the device.

Also worthy of praise are the product dimensions. The ZenPad S 8.0 measures 203.2 x 134.5 x 6.6 mm, with a screen-to-body ratio of 74%. Comparing this with the new iPad Mini 4, which measures 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm, the ZenPad S 8.0 comes off better – as it fits a larger screen in to essentially the same chassis size as the iPad Mini.

The ZenPad also incorporates a metallic edge that runs around the entirety of the device. This is just a small touch, but its silver aesthetic contrasts beautifully against the dark bezels and aluminium rear of the tablet. Also worth mentioning are the rounded edges, which are iPad-esque but look sleek nonetheless – and are definitely more attractive than square edges.

On the bottom right edge is the Type-C USB connector, while a headphone jack can be found on the top edge, also right-of-centre. A volume rocker and power button can be found towards the top of the right edge.

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