When choosing a new tablet device you typically have to choose between either a model with a screen measuring around 10 inches across the diagonal, or else opt for a seven inch device which is smaller and more compact.

The Huawei MediaPad 7 falls into the latter category, although those who assume that its less expansive display will necessarily make it less functional are sorely underestimating this well put together tablet.

The display itself as a good resolution of 1280×800 which is impressive for a seven inch tablet. Rivals like the BlackBerry Playbook may share screen dimensions but cannot actually match the MediaPad 7 in terms of pixel count and thus imaging clarity.

As well as a seven inch touchscreen display it features Android 3.2 preinstalled along with a number of integrated applications and the option to add as many programs as you like from the Google Play marketplace.

The actual physical makeup of the MediaPad 7 is worth pointing to as a strong point, since this is a more budget-oriented model than some of its rivals and could suffer from poor build quality as a result. Thankfully this is far from the case and this tablet ends up being much easier to wield for extended periods than larger options like the iPad or the Asus Eee Pad Transformer.

In terms of pricing it is not quite as low as the Amazon Kindle Fire, although you do get the full, customisable Android experience, rather than one which has been geared around getting you to purchase media content.

Customising homescreens, accessing menus and running apps all feels smooth and fluid and it features a dual core 1.2GHz Scorpion processor from Qualcomm. This means that while the MediaPad 7 may not match up with quad core tablets on paper, it is more than capable of delivering consistent performance that will not feel like you are using a sub standard tablet.

You get a five megapixel camera on the rear of the device, with 720p video capture also an option when still photography will not suffice. It would have been nice to see full HD 1080p recording available, but this is not going to be a deal breaker when you consider the price.

You can also record HD video using the front facing 1.3 megapixel camera, although this will primarily be used for video calling.

There is just 8GB of integrated storage, which is a clear indication that at least one corner has been cut in the name of lowering the price. However, a microSD memory card slot means that you can always expand this further, with the cheapness of supplementary memory making this a suitable route to take.

It will be interesting to see whether the Huawei MediaPad 7 is able to take off in a market dominated by better established brand names. Sites like www.3wisemonkeys.co.uk will allow tablet owners to get accessories for their devices after they have purchased them, so this particular model could become more functional as a result.