HP Slate 7 is a $169 seven-inch tablet pitched for glory

Well done HP, a seven-inch Android tablet for US$169. Now this is innovation. It’s got Beats audio, Jellybean, access to Google Play, a 1.6Ghz CPU and loads to prove. HP even calls it a “compelling entry point” for those desperate to get into the tablet action.

Eyes on the Nexus 7

The cheapest, and best sub-US$200 Android tablet before HP’s Slate 7 was the Nexus 7. But the Slate 7 is “fast and responsive” says the HP press garbage, this remains to be seen until a hands-on occurs. What it does offer with its 7-inch screen is a “High-aperture-ratio Field Fringe Switching (HFFS) panel” that “offers wide viewing angles that provide easy viewing of documents, games, photos and videos-even in outdoor lighting conditions.” Also, it only weighs under 386g, which is a paltry number, but heavier that the 340g Nexus 7, yet lighter than the 412g Kindle Fire HD.

What else, how about 3-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera for video chats? And can we deal with a US launch date of April? Sure we can. This is a tablet for the everyman, the consumer dying to get their hands on a slice of the future. Remember the Touchpad, the WebOS-running monstrosity? Us neither. With the Slate 7 though, we’ll get our money’s worth.

More

News

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest in digital insights. sign up

Welcome to Memeburn

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest in digital insights.