HP Embraces Cheap Android Tablets with the Slate 7

HP pulled out something no one expected with the Slate 7, a 7-inch Android tablet that sells for US$169 (about RM530) with its sights set on the Nexus 7 as they duke it out in the hotly contested cheap 7-inch tablet market.

The Android 4.1 running Slate 7 features a stainless steel frame construction with a soft touch plastic back panel. The average 7-inch 1024×600 pixel display pushes roughly 170ppi. Powering the device is an A9 1.6GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage. There’s also Beats Audio embedded into the device but judging by the price, we’re pretty sure that the enhancement is nothing more than just some gimmicky software trickery. There’s a 3MP camera on the back and a VGA camera on the front for chatting, videos and photos as well. Other “smart” features include the ability to print wirelessly using compatible HP printers.

As far as cheap tablets go, the Slate 7 looks like any other in a seas of cheap tablets with nothing special to differentiate it from the race. The device will go on sale in the U.S. in April and if you’re wondering when its coming to Malaysia — stop, because we don’t think it will. Besides, we have better choices here anyway.

[press release]