X

The textured silver backside of the Toshiba Encore 8 (pictures)

Toshiba's fast Encore 8 is bulky and heavy like a typical Toshiba tablet.

Xiomara Blanco
Xiomara Blanco is an associate editor for CNET Reviews. She's a Bay Area native with a knack for tech that makes life easier and more enjoyable. So, don't expect her to review printers anytime soon.
Xiomara Blanco
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7453-001.jpg
1 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Silver lining tablet

The $329 Toshiba Encore 8 is a Windows 8.1 tablet that features a comfortable yet plasticky build and a solid set of simple features. Despite its extra girth and weight, the 8-inch slate fits comfortably in one or two hands.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7460-004.jpg
2 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Ports-a-plenty

Toshiba had to cut some corners on the build quality of the Encore 8 in order to meet its relatively affordable price. However, it still manages to offer Micro-HDMI and microUSB ports on the tablet. The top edge also houses a headphone jack and microphone pinholes.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7468-007.jpg
3 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Comfy corners

The Toshiba Encore 8 features rounded corners, which make for a comfortable handheld experience. The power button and volume rocker are located on the top-right corner (if holding in portrait mode), and they're almost flush to the tablet's edge, making them relatively unnoticeable if held in landscape orientation.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7475-008.jpg
4 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Two megapixels, one front-facing camera

The 2-megapixel front-facing shooter is located on the top right corner of the tablet, with the rear camera in an almost identical spot on the back.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7463-006.jpg
5 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Stereo speakers

Both speakers on the Toshiba Encore 8 are located on the bottom edge, which unfortunately makes them easy to block or muffle if holding the tablet horizontally.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7478-009.jpg
6 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Silver and black

This 8-inch slate features thick black bezels that appropriately accommodate thumbs, as well as a silver trim that accents the tablet's edges.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7461-005.jpg
7 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Intel insider

Toshiba's Encore 8 packs a zippy Intel Bay Trail Atom processor and 32GB of internal storage. It also offers a microSD card slot, expandable up to 32GB, on its left edge.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7455-002.jpg
8 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Textured and grippy

The Encore 8 features the textured silver back that other Toshiba tablets -- like the Excite line-up -- also sport. The slate can easily fit in one hand, and the round edges that extend to the front help securely grip the device.
Toshiba_Encore_8_35833475-7457-003.jpg
9 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

8-megapixel rear camera

Though tablet cameras are a standard, they don't usually impress with their photo quality. The 8-inch Encore's rear 8-megapixel shooter falls into this category. However, it features the cool Windows 8.1 capability to easily take 360-degree photos by using the native camera app.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos