Disgo 9104 first look – new cheap Android tablet
What is the Disgo 9104?
The Disgo 9104 is a new tablet with Android 4.0 – priced at just £180. Most tablets we’ve seen with Android 4.0 cost well over £250, so this is something of a breakthrough.
This version of Android adds face unlock, a standard web browser with up to 16 tabs, an improved user interface, and resizeable widgets among other improvements. Disgo also claims that the 9.7″ screen is the same one used on the Apple iPad 2, which is impressive, but on the downside there’s just a single-core processor and no access to the Google Play app store, the main Android app store.
You do, however, get 16GB of internal storage, with micro SD card expansion, and £100 worth of apps from the SlideME app store. SlideME is nowhere near as comprehensive as Google Play, but you may find some interesting apps here, Kindle for example.
Read our round-up of the best Android tablets.
Watch our hands-on first impressions of the Disgo below.
Read our tablet reviews to compare over 50 independently tested tablets from Apple, Samsung, Asus, Toshiba, BlackBerry and more. Browse our cheap tablets for the best of the budget brands.
5 things we like about the Disgo 9104
- It’s cheap
Let’s get the obvious one out the way first. The Disgo 9104 isn’t bargain basement, but it’s much cheaper than a lot of tablets out there. Less than half the price of an iPad 3 and a fair chunk off other mainstream models too. - It looks like an iPad
That’s no bad thing. It’s smart looking with its silver-coloured back, and it feels pretty well-built. - 16GB of built-in memory is enough for most people
Unless you’re really into your video and would like to store lots on your tablet, 16GB is usually plenty. It’s enough for a couple of films, a few albums of music and a few games. Don’t forget the microSD card slot if you need more space. - Screen response is quite quick
The screen reacts without much delay when you touch it. It feels quicker than many other cheap tablets we’ve tried. - You get some free office software
OfficeSuite Pro 6 is included among the free apps bundle, meaning you can create and edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint files with nothing more to pay. On most tablets, you’ll need to pay for a separate app to allow you to do this.
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The Disgo 9104 tablet
Chris’s impressions of the Disgo 9104
I liked the Disgo 9104. Based on my initial impression, it’s a well-built, fairly quick tablet that’s perfectly usable for the occasional pick-up-and-browse session. Browsing the web is acceptably fast, and screen quality seems decent.
There are downsides too of course. I am not convinced about the battery life - one of the reasons I look forward to the full lab tests results. Disgo claims up to 5 hours of use on a single charge. Based on my try, I think 5 hours could be optimistic.
Also, the £100 of free apps may not be as good as it sounds. Only OfficeSuite Pro 6 held any appeal for me among the 12 productivity and entertainment apps, plus you also won’t have as much choice when downloading new apps without access to the Google Play store.
I’ve seen some pretty horrible cheap tablets in my time, but this isn’t one of them. It’s not as slick or smooth as the best, but it’s not a million miles off. For emailing, watching YouTube videos and browsing the web occasionally – the things that I do on a tablet – it seems to do the job.
For those who may already have a laptop or other main computer but fancy trying a tablet for the first time and are put off by the premium brands’ price tags, this could be a good option. I look forward to seeing how it performs at the lab where our experts will test it thoroughly.
What makes a Best Buy tablet?
These are just our first impressions of the Disgo 9104 based on a short amount of hands-on time. Before Which? can recommend any product, we must send it to our labs to be scientifically tested. See our how we test tablets page for an in-depth look at what we do at the lab. And watch our video below to understand what makes a Best Buy tablet.
- Tablet reviews - Over 50 tablets tested and reviewed
- Tablet buyers’ guide - the things to consider when buying a tablet
- Best iPad alternatives – the best non-Apple tablets
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Ian Steele
It will be interesting to see how reliable and long-lasting these are…
I’ve seen so many things like this that fail within 2 years- or the company vanishes and
there is no support or warranty.
pet remedies
You could certainly see your expertise in the work you write. The arena hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe. Always go after your heart.
RobH
It should be mentioned that it’s very easy to install the Google Play app store on this tablet – Disgo’s website even shows you how to do it. The reason it doesn’t come preinstalled is to save money on paying a license to Google. The real shame about this device is the paltry battery life – 4-5 hours maximum is just not enough for anything more than casual use. However if you want a tablet for idly browsing on the sofa at home, this is a perfect compromise for many people.