NVIDIA - SHIELD K1 - 8" - Tablet - 16GB - Black

I love this product it is everything that I need and more.

I had the SHEILD k1 tablet and a controller for a long enough time to play doom 3 bfg addition and never finish it because it won't stay charged even while it's plugged in so don't buy this devise it is my honest suggestion to you that you do not have to buy this and return it like me I am a gamer and a tablet user over all you can get an iPad for a bit more of the same and a controller that will do the same Apple has perfected the tablet legacy no reason in getting a nexus want to be when nexus doesn't even run as well as Apple when you buy an apple product you are paying for honest quality and good work no gimmicks except for accessories that's where money is made in electronics it's not the computers it's not the software maybe a little now that software is downloadable but money is made by accessories chargers controllers remotes ear phones keyboards and cables anything you pretty much plug into a computing device so remember that peace happy holidays and good shopping it's the counsel/computer we all really want boycot accessories and they will go down in price like the mouse and keyboard has over time don't buy extra controllers special headphones or headsets and or special mouses and keyboards and everything will be much cheaper in the long run for everybody thank you hope my advice helped with your tough money spending decisions you all take care thanks again

TL:DR review (for those who don't want to read the long review): Pros- + Price/performance ratio can't be beat! + Marshmallow 6.0.1 after one update as soon as connected to WiFi + Expandable and adoptable storage up to 128GB microSD + Great for gaming performance and media consumption + Nice customizations such as gamepad mapping profiles and fullscreen mode without root + Dual front-facing speakers are really loud + 1920 x 1200 LCD screen looks really good with no noticeable backlight bleed + Mini HDMI connection for watching videos/playing games on big screen + Sips power in standby (even with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on) + GeForce Now (Netflix-style game streaming) is a cool feature and tablet comes with a free 90 day trial Cons- - No Direct Stylus included in this model and no charger included to cut costs - Build is a little thick and heavy compared to other tablets in it's size range (Sony Xperia Z3 is much lighter) - Battery life when gaming could be better - 2GB RAM is cutting it close these days for memory/multi-tasking So, I came from a Nexus 9, which has a similar Tegra K1 processor as this except it has a slightly faster dual-core x64 CPU compared to the quad-core ARM CPU that this one has. If you aren't a tech-geek and don't know what that means, don't worry and just know this: real-world applications at $199 this tablet goes toe-to-toe and sometimes beats the Nexus 9 in some scenarios, especially in gaming. Part of the reason for this is due to the thicker build and passive cooling solution, this tablet, unlike the Nexus 9, doesn't overheat even under heavy load or when gaming. First off, I want to say although I have read issues with this tablet after the Marshmallow update such as Wi-Fi not connecting or battery drain, I haven't had any such issues. In fact, my initial impression of this tablet has been overall really positive and after about one month of using it, I'm very pleased with the tablet. On initial setup, connected to Wi-Fi with no issues and it notified me of update from Android 5.1.1 to 6.0.1 (latest build). After downloading and installing one update, I was on Marshmallow! After update, tablet booted fairly quickly. Not only did I not experience any battery drain issues, but I observed the Doze optimizations caused the tablet to last very long when in standby even with Wi-Fi on. With light use, my Shield K1 tablet would last several days. With moderate gaming and use, it lasts me 2-3 days. Gaming does really wear down the battery, so be aware of that though, When doing solid gaming, you will get about 3 hours screen-on time (SOT). Regular use and web browsing will last most of the day. Gaming performance on this tablet is awesome, which should come as no surprise as this tablet has been designed by Nvidia with gaming in mind. There are some gaming specific features and optimizations such as fullscreen mode, gamepad mapping for apps/games and game streaming from a PC with a Nvidia GTX graphics card. Also, GeForce Now, Nvidia's Netflix-style game-streaming service, is a native feature bundled with this tablet and comes with a 90-day trial for free. It actually works pretty good, but you will need a good Wi-Fi and internet connection for it to work properly. Also, if you do any gaming, do yourself a favor and get yourself a controller. You don't need to get the official Shield controller and can get a more affordable Bluetooth HID controller if you want. I have a Steelseries XL Stratus series, which costs just as much retail as the Shield option but can be used on PC and Android. It works with all the games/apps I have tried, to include the Shield K1 optimized/exclusive games. There are lots of apps/games that are exclusive and optimized for the Shield K1, such as Doom 3 BFG Edition, The Talos Principle, Trine 2 and others. These games are very close to their PC counterparts and as I'm playing them, I have to keep telling myself that I'm playing games like this on a tablet that costs less than $200, which is crazy. Sound on the tablet from the dual front-facing speakers is loud and amazing. If you don't feel like playing games or watching your videos on a tablet screen, just hook up a Mini HDMI cable and hook up to a big screen TV. In console mode, the tablet screen shuts off and displays on the monitor you're connected to only, saving battery life. If you save lots of games, movies or files to your device, you can expand the internal 16GB storage with a good-quality high-speed microSD up to 128GB additional storage. Even though most would agree 16GB internal storage is a mere pittance for storage these days with HD videos, large game and app sizes and 4K photos and videos, it becomes almost a non-issue with the Adoptable Storage feature enabled in the Marshmallow update for the Shield K1. Adoptable storage allows a microSD to be formatted as used as internal storage instead of a separate storage partition that can be removed. Be aware when you do this, this card can't be used for anything else except the device that used the card is adoptable storage. Also, ensure you buy a high-quality high transfer speed microSD. I bought a 128GB Sandisk Ultra microSD from Best Buy that was on sale for $50, but Samsung EVOs and some other microSDs are a good choice. I chose the adoptable storage and even with 10 large size games, apps and several HD movies downloaded I still haven't used 1/4 of my storage. Now, to get some of the not-so-good things out of the way: build quality on this tablet compared to others with 7-8" form factor is pretty thick/heavy. I have owned a Nexus 7" 2013, Kindle Fire HDX and Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, this is the thickest. Given the overheating issues that my Nexus 9 had, I would trade the thicker tablet with better cooling over a thin tablet that overheats and throttles. There's no charger included, but most people who own Android devices will already have one laying around. I recommend getting a third-party charger, that will cost you anywhere from $8-15 depending on what you go with and where you buy it from. The official charger from Nvidia will cost you $29.99 retail. All things considered, this tablet used to be $299 for this variant and $399 for the 32GB/LTE variant (no longer available) with the original model. The Shield K1 Tablet at the current price even with official charger will be less than $229, which is a steal. If you buy something other than the official charger, caveat emptor: buy a charger that meets same or similar specs with 2-2.1A charging current, 5VDC output and at least 10W charging power. If you need some options, comment on my review and I will reply. I can't link products within this review, especially to other sites, but I can comment on my reviews and steer you where to look. I understand why Nvidia did this to cut costs, and I have seen this done by other manufacturers of other electronics (like the New 3DS), but it can be a pain to find a proper charger to charge this beast. The one I bought charges my battery from 15 to 100 percent in about 1.5-2 hours. Also, if you were hoping to have a Direct Stylus like what had been bundled with the Tegra Note 7 and Nvidia Shield Tablet (previous gen), sorry to disappoint you: it's not included which isn't a deal breaker, but I wish they'd at least left the slot for it for those who wanted to purchase it at additional cost. The only confusing thing is even though the stylus isn't included, Nvidia has pre-installed apps optimized for the Direct Stylus. Speaking of pre-installed apps there's a little bloatware pre-installed, to include Fallout Shelter, a F2P game that could be installed on the Play Store anyways. I didn't really care for the game, so I disabled it. Just wanted to get the cons out of the way. However, at this price point with the features it offers, the pros very much outweigh the cons and become very minor in context. Bottom-line: if you game, buy this tablet and buy a controller. Even if you don't game and want a good budget 7-8" tablet (which this product range has been sadly neglected), buy it. You won't be disappointed.

I ultimately decided to keep my Nexus 9 instead of the K1, but here's my comparison: Form factor is very good. 16:9 screen as opposed to the N9 16:12. My use is in landscape view so being a little less wide is easier for gaming. It is also lighter, but of course the trade-off is the screen being only proportionally 75% the height of the N9. Also, holding the K1 is really nice with the "knurled" rubber speaker area on each end. Very nice to grip! The micro-usb power jack at the top takes some getting used to though. Battery isn't all that great, but probably slightly better than the N9. Battery Saver mode on both stretched it out considerably. I've done timed battery tests while playing Clash and both at ~25-30% brightness. Below are how they compare. Normal battery settings: N9: 4:13 pace K1: 4:30 pace With Battery Saver on: N9: 6:47 pace K1: 7:30 pace Speed is very good. Buttery smooth in game play and other operations. Only a little slow at the very beginning setting up the tablet due to all the app downloads and updates which is not unexpected. Testing with the battery saver mode on for both tablets, the K1 seems faster. I ran Geekbench 3 on both in normal and battery saver modes. Normal battery settings: N9: 1983/3351 K1: 1130/3623 With Battery Saver on: N9: 999/1693 K1: 741/1308 Per these scores, it would seem the N9 is overall better, but maybe there are other factors like the screen size/pixels or graphics optimizations that have the K1 feeling a bit faster, especially in Battery Saver mode. Both are very fast though. Sound seemed very good on the K1. However, I don't think there is any vibration or haptic feedback on the K1. I like that when typing on the screen, but of course not a deal breaker. I have not connected the K1 to a TV or anything yet. I also did not buy the gaming controller.

I did not order this tablet for gaming, rather I ordered it because it had all the features I wanted in an Android and not cost a fortune. It is an awesome little tablet! The display is fantastic, the sound is fantastic and the speed of the tablet is great. No stuttering, no constant circles, no delays, and it is simple to use. If you have ever had an Android tablet, you will pick up the features and app right away. So far after a few weeks, I have been able to setup email, ebook reader, all my games (card games), cloud storage, everything, no glitches, nothing but a smooth responsive tablet that is easy to use, easy to carry. I even watch MKV movies and stream my audio over the tablet. If there was a downside, its the lack of an office suite. I really like using Microsoft office (there I said it), but do use OpenOffice which is an acceptable substitute but lacks some of the features excel, word and power point offer. So if you are looking for a very affordable android tablet geared for gaming, this is it. Even if you are not a gamer, the price and features of this tablet is awesome!

Or at least non-gamers on tablets, which is me. Anyway... I was looking for a replacement tablet since Samsung was trying to charge me over $230 to fix a tablet I'd barely had for six months. During extensive research into various models and brands (Lenovo, Asus and the like), I stumbled upon this little beauty. It quickly became a finalist and I decided to read everything I possibly could about this tablet. It had pretty much everything I was looking for, which honestly? Wasn't much, but with most tablets now rolling out with lackluster screen resolutions and this one at least has a 1920 x 1200 resolution, which is certainly better than the 1024 x 768 and the 1280 x 800 versions most major brands are peddling now. Also the almost stock Android experience is a definite plus. Most tablets/phones/etc. are so bogged down by bloatware, it's ridiculous. But this tablet, other than a few gaming-centric additions is totally pure. So, now to the parts most people care about. Pros and cons! - No charger. I knew it didn't come with a charger and I know it was a cost-cutting move on Nvidia's part. Considering that most everyone has extra micro USB cables and power adapters lying around, it wasn't a huge deal to me, but I have to detract from my score for it. - Battery life. Honestly, this one goes either way. Do I need a tablet that I can leave on for days without charging? No. Now if you leave the settings in their default place, I can't imagine getting more than maybe five hours of use. If you're using this to play graphic-heavy games, then you're gonna want to leave the settings high. But if you're anything like me and just use tablets for web-browsing and maybe some "phone games", then you don't need it. I currently have the screen brightness set to about 30%, CPU cores down to 2 and the frame rate at 30-35 and I can generally get through a whole day of fairly heavy use. - Android Marshmallow 6.0. This one used to be a con because many people reported excessive battery drain and loss of WiFi connectivity, which is why I kept Lollipop on mine. But Nvidia started pushing a 1.1 patch update which apparently helped fix this issues. So I decided to take the plunge and install Marshmallow on my tablet today. Never lost wifi and I have yet to see anything unexpected in the battery window for what's draining it. I have yet to test the length of battery life when it comes to watching videos, but I'm hoping to get at least a few hours out of it. So to finish up, I would definitely recommend this tablet to others. It's a sleek, sexy little device and does exactly what Nvidia says it does.

You'd be hard pressed to find a better Android tablet on the market for the same price. In many ways, this tablet is smoother and better than ones at the higher end of the scale, especially if you like to play mobile games. This thing has no slowdowns or stutters. The screen might not be as high resolution as something like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, but for an 8" tablet, it's really not necessary. Visuals are still crisp and clear, with bright and vivid colors. The speakers are loud and clear. If you have a desktops or laptop with the appropriate graphics card, you can stream games from your PC either at home or using Wifi when you're out and about. You can also subscribe to Nvidia's game streaming service and steam games from there. Battery can be an issue, but only if you're doing 5-6 hour s of mobile gaming at a time or about 4-5 hours of game streaming at a time. Watching Netflix or similar service can run about 6-7 hours before you'd have to worry about the battery dying. General web browsing has minimal impact on the battery, but even then, it seems like continuous use will require recharging around 8-9 hours. It has good standby time. Mixed with off and on internet usage, you could get away with only recharging every other day. This also doesn't come with a charger, but it takes any micro USB plug which I'm sure everyone has one somewhere. It doesn't have quick charging that I'm aware of, so it also takes some time to get full once it's depleted. You can always buy the world charging kit from Nvidia, but unless you plan on traveling a lot, I wouldn't recommend it.

I have the original Nvidia Shield Tablet which sold for $299.99. This newer $199.99 version is essentially the same tablet with less accessories included and some small cosmetic updates. For $199.99 you get the same quad-core Nvidia Tegra K1 processor with Kepler GeForce GPU, the same front firing speakers, and the same 1080p screen. What you DON'T get is a stylus, a USB charger and a micro-USB charging/data cable. You can buy the stylus separately from Nvidia, but the new model no longer has a stylus silo to store it in. You can also get the charger and USB cable from Nvidia, but you probably already have one for your smartphone and the tablet should work fine with that. At $199.99 this tablet is a steal. Nothing can touch it in gaming performance, and even for general application performance it's still one of the faster tablets out there. If you are not interested in gaming, there are thinner, lighter alternatives, but you'll likely have to spend more to beat this tablet's performance.