At CES 2012, ViewSonic is announcing three new Android tablets for low-mid U.S markets. The first, known as the ViewSonic E70, runs the latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich platform on board, along with a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen on top of the slate and a 1GHz CPU, 4GB of internal storage, WiFi, micro-HDMI out, a front-facing camera, optional 3G connectivity, and micro-SD slot under the lid. This one will be ready for shipping somewhere towards the end of March for ONLY $169, which makes it very competitive price-wise, with the additional upgrades. The second, the ViewPad 10e, will go on sale by the end of the month for $299, and reportedly sports a 10-inch IPS display, paired with a robust 9.1mm chassis, a 1Ghz Cortex A8 CPU and either Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS, to be determined later, after the show. And last but not least, is the 10-inch (1280×800) ViewSonic ViewPad 10pi, that houses a 1.5GHz Intel Oak Trail z670 chip, powered by dual-boot of Android 2.3 and Windows 7 OS. Now, frankly speaking, we’re not a huge fans of those two different platforms, running together under one slugish roof. It’s slow, very choppy and not a good user-friendly / user experience we, the gadget lovers, are striving for while we’re watching a video or surfing the net. That said, we leave it to your discretion, as long as you’re willing to pay $849 for it. Check out the videos after the jump.

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You really can’t expect much in a tablet that is so cheap. That, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy yourself one, especially if you are struggling to end the month with a positive cash flow. for those who would settle for the second best or just the average tablet device, we would highly recommend getting this brand new $79 Ice Cream Sandwich slate from Ainovo, also known as the Novo7 Paladin tablet. And while we’ve already seen some NOVO7 creatures running an Android 4.0 OS  inside their guts, this one, now available in China, runs a bit cheaper at around $79 or so. In addition to the lower rates, we’re looking at a 7-inch 800 x 480 multitouch display, packed with a MIPS-based 1GHz single core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage,  a GC860 GPU, a 3.5mm jack and miniUSB/microSD ports. Unfortunately $79 probably won’t actually buy you GPS or integrated cameras, but it doesn’t really matter for us, is it? Anyway, make sure to check out the video after the break.

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CES is always a good time to prepare a roll-out strategy for brand new products around the world. And while there’s no official word from Asus yet, we hear that the company plans to launch its own 7-inch Eee Memo Pad tablet, at the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow which will take place in Vegas from January 10th to January 13th, 2012. A firm release date has not been set, but judging from a recent leak, we do know it  will be available with a 1,280 x 800 capacitive touchscreen display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, WiFi, 3G connectivity and 16, 32 or 64GB of storage capacities at your choice. The full details are yet to be disclosed, and all that’s left is for you to decide which configuration suits you best and which package will you get: this one or the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Tough decisions!

Update: As it turns out, Asus is planning to offer TWO new Memo Pad devices and not just one as we had earlier thought. The first, the Eee Pad MeMO (ME171) that we’ve already seen before, packs a 7-inch WXGA 1,280 x 800 IPS capacitive touchscreen, along with  a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8260 processor, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR,  a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera plus 5 megapixel rear camera, GPS, gyroscope, proximity sensor, 16GB / 32GB of storage capacities, and  a micro-USB port. The 4,400mAh Li-polymer battery inside will be able to deliver up 8.5 hours of video time, on average, powered by the latest Android 4.0.1 Os running atop. General availability is scheduled for Q2 2012 in the U.S.

The second device, the  ME370T – A 7-inch  quad-core tablet, powered by a Tegra 3 chip, is likely to run an Android Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood, paired with a WiFi-only connectivity an 8 megapixel camera behind its back and some other goodies that you’ll just have to wait patiently for them a few weeks more. Video (courtesy of  netbooknews) and Full PR after the break. 

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We’ve already seen a 10.-inch Toshiba Thrive version breaking cover in the mids of summer 2011, and now we have an official announcement about a new 7-inch tablet from the company that will allegedly go under the name Thrive 7. Design wise, it does seem to have quite a lot in common with the original ten incher, but in terms of specs there are quite a few changes. For instance, there are no full-sized ports anymore, due to the slim design (you’ll get mini-USB / micro-HDMI jacks and microSD slot), and the operating system is likely to be an Android 3.2 (instead of 3.1). Other than that, we have that same  Tegra 2 chipset, paired with a duo of cameras – 5MP on the back (this time with a LED flash) and another one at 2MP, up front. There’s still no word about pricing, but you’ll be able to nab one either at 16GB or 32GB sometime around Thanksgiving or early December. Hit the jump to read the full announcement.

Update: We’ve also added a quick hands-on video, courtesy of Donald Bell and good guys over at Cnet. Check it out after the break.

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As promised earlier this month, Samsung has officially announced their two new Galaxy Tabs, with the expected 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch models in line. The new Honeycomb Tabs which herald Samsung’s entry into ultra-thin and ultra-light tablets market – both measure only .33-inches thick- will be available starting June 8 of this year, featuring a 1GHz dual-core processor on board, alongside WXGA 1280×800 HD displays, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and another at 3 megapixel on the back, 3.5mm headphone jacks, SIM card compartments, 802.11 b/g/n wifi connection, Bluetooth 2.1 and microSD card reader slots. Further more, both Sammy’s new devices are said to include gyroscope, accelerometer, a digital compass and an ambient light sensor, whereas the smaller version houses a 6000mAH battery pack and the bigger one boasts a 6860mAH cell under the hood. Remember, these are WiFi only flavors, though Samsung does plan to release 4G-enabled models later in the year to go. On the cost department, Samsung’s prices seem to finally be getting competitive and more affordable for the average consumer, as the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab is claimed to be offered at launch at $469 (16GB) and $569 (32GB), while the 10-incher Tab will set you back for $499 (16GB) and $599 (32GB) and not a single dime more. So there you go ladies and gentlemen, two revamped Galaxy Tabs on the stake and one PR announcement half past the break.

Update1: We’ve just added a few introduction videos of the Galaxy Tabs, courtesy of the Android Community fellows who recently had a chance to play with the new tablets.

Update2: And just in case you wanna get into the full spirit of the event, we’ve also added Samsung’s CTIA Wireless 2011 keynote after the break.

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Today at MWC in Barcelona, HTC officially announced the Flyer, an Android-based tablet with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 pixel resolution capacitive touchscreen display and a 1.5GHz single-core processor on board. Titles aside, the Flyer will reportedly ship in Q2 2011 with an Android 2.4 platform (AKA: Gingerbread), alongside a 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and another one, at 5 megapixels, attached to the back. Moreover, the good looking aluminum unibody tablet offers inbuilt Wifi connectivity, paired with a 4000mAh battery pack, Bluetooth 3.0, a microSD card reader, HDMI out, a micro USB hub and DLNA support. No prices available at the moment, but the Full PR is somewhere down the road.

Update1: Also, make sure to stop by and check out the two “first-look” Flyer tablet videos we’ve just added after the break.

Update2: Not sure I like this all “pressure sensitive” thing, It feels a bit dubious. That said, the Flyer does seem to include a stylus pen for taking onscreen notes, or playing back audio recordings from the time a note was written.

Update3: What’s this? Looks like Amazon.de has just listed HTC’s latest and greatest Flyer tablet at €669, which means a little more than 700 US Dollars. Expensive, isn’t it?

Update4: And just in case you were wondering, HTC’s WiFi-only Flyer tablet is set to be released Stateside somewhere “this spring”. And while prices remain vague at the moment, the 7-incher is said to run exclusively via Best Buy’s nationwide retail stores, while others may join the selling later on.

Update5: HTC has just posted a Flyer demo video that seems to demonstrate the level of qualities the tablet has to offer. Check it out after the break (3rd video).

Update6: HTC confirms Flyer tablet will get Honeycomb sometime this year or so. Hopefully. According to the company’s Twitter account it ”will be offering a Honeycomb upgrade when it’s made available.” A bit vague, especially when it comes to launching dates, but still good enough to give us all a ray of hope.

Update7: And looks like the HTC Flyer has finally made it into the UK market with pre-order prices starting at a whopping £600 (about $985) at Carphone Warehouse. This amount will grant you a 7-inch tablet device, powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm CPU, 32GB of storage, 3G connectivity and Android Gingerbread running on top. Did someone say expensive?

Update8: And if you’re looking for more reasonable prices, US retailer Best Buy is said to begin selling the Flyer on April 24th with a $499 starting price and all the good things we’ve already talked about, running on board. Regretfully, It’ll ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but we’re told an Honeycomb upgrade is something we should all look for.

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Looks like it didn’t take LG that long to make its newly born 8.9-inch Android 3.0 tablet, AKA: Optimus Pad (or T-Mobile’s G-Slate) official – and it all happened today, at the MWC 2011 event in Barcelona, Spain. The Optimus Pad, which boasts a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor along with a 1280 x 768 screen resolution and a special 3D camera array on the back, is LG’s first real foray into the tablet market place and frankly, dear fellows, it’s doing quite a nice job, isn’t it? Availability wise, the South Korean giant says that the Honeycomb-powered slate will go live worldwide somewhere around March, while prices are yet to be determined.

Update: Engadget has the hands-on video, from Spain, which can be found right after the break.

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Motorola Xoom has already gone official Stateside (WiFi only version), back at CES 2011 in early January, and moments ago the company has officially confirmed a Q2 European release of its 10.1-inch Honeycomb wonder – both in WiFi and WiFi plus 3G flavors. Prices still remain undisclosed to the public, despite those early whispers from Best Buy and co. Full PR after the break.

Update: Nope, you still can’t buy the new Motorola Xoom on Best Buy (or other retailers) yet, but you can download the company’s Honecomb tablet manual guide – all parts of it -64 pages that will teach you how to handle the upcoming device, and how to navigate through the Android 3.0 platform. The guys at Droid Live have somehow managed to obtain it, and you can have it right away from the following link below.

Download: XOOM_Manual.pdf

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In the inevitable storm of Android tablets set to rain down on us this coming year, one thing’s for sure: it won’t be easy for smaller manufacturers to distinguish themselves apart. Not to mention creating a buzz. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see them, right? Right. Korean Enspert, for instance, is a good way to illustrate our thoughts, because most people have probably never heard of them before, and yet thankfully, it didn’t stop them from launching an Android tablet of their own. And if you’re still reading, here’s what the company’s 7-inch Identity Tab E301 slate (yep, that’s the full name) is going to boast: Generally speaking, we’re looking at a $350 tablet with 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen resolution, alongside a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal flash storage, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a mini USB hub, and HDMI port. In addition to that, there’s a 4100mAH battery pack preloaded inside, a microSD, optional 3G-enabled version, and last but not least, dual webcams – a 5 megapixel unit on the back, and another at 1.3 megapixel, up front. In a first move, the Asian corp says it has already started selling its latest and greatest merchandise locally, while US invasion is expected to take place in cooperation with a major wireless carrier during a back-to-school launch, in the coming months or so. And while you’re waiting, make sure you check out the quick hands-on preview along with the full PR announcement, half past the break.

Update: There seems to be one or more than one Identity Tab models out there, as it would appear on a recent pre-order page that has recently emerged at  Dynamism‘s online store. The other version, Identity Tab E201U, which will run on Google’s Android Froyo platform (with both Gmail and Android Market preloaded inside), boasts that same 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display on top, along with a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, PowerVR SGX540 for the graphics and one single SD card slot. Ship date pushed back to February 1st while pre-order price tag is standing at $349. Full specs after the break.

[via liliputing]

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We’ve first seen them back in June as the WindPad 100 and 110, and now at CES 2011, they will actually come out as the WindPad 100W and WindPad 100A, as MSI recently announced it. And while there’s really nothing new in terms of design, spec wise there seems to be signs of great improvement (though it still feels a bit sluggish). As said, this is going to be another addition to MSI’s 10-inch portfolio of Windows 7 and Android slates, which due to ship within three months or so. The first model, the WindPad 100W, is said to sport a 1.66GHz Atom Menlow Z530 CPU along with 2GB of RAM, 32GB SSD and Windows 7 OS on board. While the second, which boasts an Android platform under the lid, together with a full Android Market access, packs a ARM Cortex A8 chip, paired with 1GB of RAM, duo webcams, HDMI out, SD card and USB ports. Prices are yet to be announced, but ’till then, hit the jump to watch the video or read the full PR.

Update: It looks like MSI’s 10-inch 100W slate is now being offered on Simply Electronics for a whopping $709.95. That’s way too much for a Windows 7 Starter device, if you’re asking us. Anyway, it’s your call, but you’d probably better wait until mid-February or so.

[via NetbookNews]

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Panasonic is about to join the overcrowded group of international tablet doers, and tinge everything with something of its own color. The Japanese Corp, that recently held a press conference at CES 2011, has officially announced a new line of three Android Froyo tablets, equipped with either 4, 7, or 10-inch displays on top of the slate, and similar hardware specs under the hood. The company, that is well known for its unmatched expertise in the field of screening technology, is said to put its latest and greatest Viera Connect software solution in all three models, which means a seamless connectivity between tablet content and your big flat TV screen. In addition to that, Panasonic has also added a very convenient home theater remote controlling feature within, so that you won’t miss the many fun and entertaining events that take place around the globe. And while price and availability details are still missing, full PR is just after the break.

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Remember Acer’s mysterious 10.1-inch android-tablet which we’ve already seen in New York City back in November, last year? Well, there it is, live and kickin’ in NVIDIA’s booth at CES 2011, rising up again – this time with a brand new name – Acer Iconia Tab A500. Generally speaking, this is Acer’s first serious attempt to take on the iPad, and it’s a worthy one, no doubt. With “10 point multitouch” screen, Nvidia Tegra 2 chip, a built-in gyroscope and hopefully, Google’s android Gingerbread running inside, you can’t go wrong, can you? Especially when it’s going to take advantage of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. As for the UI, we’re looking at “Acer UI 4.5″ that the company has skinned atop the the Android OS, while other specs include a bunch of embedded ports such as HDMI out, a full-sized USB plus a micro-USB one, a dock connector on the bottom, and 1080p along with 3D gaming support. Still no price or availability dates to share at the moment, but ’till then, Engadget has the hands-on video that you can find along with the Full PR, after the break.

Update1: Acer has just confirmed the UK pricing for its forthcoming Iconia Tab A500 tablets lineup and it’s pretty much within the iPad range: The WiFi-only flavors (Windows 7 or Android OS) will run you for £449 each, while the 3G-enabled W500 version will set you back for £529 when it officially gets out in the UK on April 8th. Still no word about the A500 pricing numbers.

Update2: And looks like the US official price is going to be more competitive than we originally thought, or in other words, the 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) Android Honeycomb tablet which boasts a 1GB of RAM along with a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 250 and dual cameras on the back (5MP) and up front (2MP), will set you back for only $450 on Best Buy retail stores while shipping starts on April 24. Let the competition begin!

Update3: It seems that Acer’s new Iconia Tab A500 is finally listed for sale on Best Buy. Apparently, this is the WiFi-only version of Acer’s brand new tablet and it will set you back for $450. In exchange you’re getting all the good specs we’ve already mentioned, including a Tegra 2 chip, paired with a 10.1-inch display, 16GB of storage, USB 2.0 hub and 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity.

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It’s not just about tablets or smartphones these days, there’s also a very fine line of netbook devices getting released. And the latest in that “still-relevant” category is Toshiba’s ultra-portable series that includes the Mini NB505 and the Mini NB305 machines, both said to have 1GB of RAM, along with a 250GB hard drive, nice chiclet keyboard and Windows 7 Starter for the OS. However, while the Mini NB505 packs an Intel Atom N455 processor and runs for $300, the Mini NB305 which appears to be a bit more powerful, comes with a dual-core Atom N550 processor and costs eighty bucks more ($380). In addition to that, both versions will be offered in wide range of bright and vivid colors at your choice, so if netbooks are still your thing – go for it.

Shocking! Toshiba has just announced yet another NVIDIA Tegra 2 tablet and oddly, it ain’t the 10-inch Folio slab we’ve all seen before. Details are scarce at the moment but we do know that the package includes a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display, with an integrated accelerometer, Adaptive Display technology (whatever that means), dual webcams (5mp at the back plus 2mp up front), Google’s Honecomb Android 2.4 platform and myriad types of ports , such as full sized USB and HDMI hubs, a mini-USB socket, and an SD card slot. Obviously, we’re very excited about it, and hopefully we should expect to see a working version in the coming days or so. There’s another image at the other side of the post.

Update1: Quick measures update: The slate is said to weigh about 1.7lb and will feature a 0.6-inches body.

Update2: PCMag’s Lance Ulanoff was lucky enough to take a closer look at one of Toshiba’s unnamed working units at the CES show in Vegas and you can watch his quick “first-look” video right after the break.

Update3: And looks like Tosh has finally started rolling out its latest and greatest Android 3.0 tablets lineup, now available for a purchase over at Newegg‘s online store and known as ANT. Apparently, there are three Honeycomb tablets in stock: ANT-100 ($449.99), ANT-102 ($499.99) and ANT-104 ($579.99). Each one of them boast that 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) touchscreen on top, along with NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip, and either 8/16/32GB of storage at your choice. Cool!

[via Engadget]

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Still on the hunt for a decent Android 2.2 bargain? Make sure to check out Amazon’s latest eLocity A7 deal, that only recently been released to the pond, according to official sources. The 7-inch 800 x 480 tablet, which was already available for a pre-order over the past three months, and is about ready to finally start shipping throughout the US of A, will cost you only $399 – a very good price for a slate with such specs, including NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 silicon chip, a 1.3 megapixels camera, WiFi, SD card slot, HDMI output, and an Android Froyo platform on board. Don’t wait too long, if you’re keen to buy one before the holidays, something tells us they’re about to really take off. Full PR is down the road.

[Amazon]

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The Blackberry Playbook tablet has been pretty elusive so far. But thanks to RIM’s David Neale, who recently gave a talk at Rogers TabLife TO conference, we finally got a huge piece of the pie, and suffice it to say we’re pretty impressed. The 10.1-inch prototype device which was unveiled on stage in a very thorough 17 minute walkthrough video features RIM Playbook’s impeccable HD video playback capabilities, along with the smooth and very responsive multy-touch UI and the fact that this powerful dual-core device will indeed support 4G connectivity. Already curious? Hit the jump to watch the video.

Update: Word on the street is that Motorola’s 10-inch Honeycomb tablet will presumably include a 1GHz Tegra 2 T20 chip, along with a 1280 x 800 multitouch screen, 512MB of RAM, an integrated gyroscope and 32GB of storage. Ports wise, there’s an HDMI out paired with a microSD card slot, a micro USB hub, a 3.5mm headphone jack and some sort of a proprietary output, for a possible future dock. Stay tuned, there’s plenty more to come.

[via Electronista]

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Well, we knew it was only a matter of days before Dell’s new hybrid machine, the Inspiron Duo, would officially become real. And while the 10.1-inch tablet / netbook device isn’t exactly available for pre-orders yet (Dell says it should probably go live soon), we can finally tell you what’s on it, when it’ll be out, somewhere around the first week of December. Generally speaking, the basic model will run you for $549 (about £450), packing a dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor, along with 2GB of RAM, 250GB of storage, a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, and Windows 7 Home Premium for the OS. However, there are plenty of optional extras that can be added to Dell’s ordinary bundle, such as the JBL speaker dock, that will definitely upgrade your day-to-day experience and make it, in our humble opinion, a lot more comfortable. But it would cost you a lot, a hundred bucks more. So there you have it – make it yours or let it go – it’s your freedom of choice.

Update: And looks like the 10.1-inch Dell Inspiron Duo tablet / netbook hybrid is finally up at Dell‘s online store and available for purchase, starting at $549 for the base mode, which packs (as you already know) a dual-core Atom N550 processor, together with Windows 7 Home Premium for the OS, 2GB of RAM and plenty of other goodies on board. Full PR after the break.

[Dell]

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For those of you who already purchased an unlocked version of Streak, you should check with your 5-inch slate immediately, as word on the street claims that Dell has finally started rolling out the Android Froyo update that you’ve all been waiting for. You may or may not find it available for a download right away but you’ll have to believe us, it’s there, so be patient. As for people who bought the locked version, make sure you check out again next month. In addition to that, the coming update will also include Dell’s new Stage UI layer, which I hope you’ll find useful in getting on top of Google’s Android 2.2 update. And finally, according to a StreakSmart report, unlocked Streak devices are said to arrive to the US, preloaded with Froyo OS platform, in the next month or so. Please stay tuned.

What do you think the new trend in media players? For those of you who answered “Android OS“…you were right. First it was Archos who wisely added Google’s burgeoning platform into its latest PMP series, and now it’s Creative’s turn to do exactly the same. The new model on stake is the Android 2.1-based Zen Touch 2 player which packs a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen on top along with WiFi, Bluetooth, an accelerometer module and inbuilt speaker under the lid. In addition, there’s also a 2 megapixels camera, an FM radio, GPS, digital compass, and microSD slot. Storage wise, you get to choose between 8GB and 16GB capacities while the smallest one runs for £149.99 and the bigger edition is priced only £10 more. Let’s go Android! let’s go.

[Creative]

Surprise, surprise! The long-awaited HP Slate 500 is finally out. And while both official video (after the break) and prospects clearly indicate that HP is aiming the Slate at the enterprise and business market (like Medical services, Restaurants, etc.), in practice, anyone who’s interested in buying this 8.9-inch (1024×600) capacitive touchscreen monster, can easily log into HP’s online store and nab it for a staggering $799. No, it doesn’t have 3G connectivity included, nor replaceable battery or any special UI layer attached (onto the preloaded Win 7 Professional platform). But it does have WiFi, along with a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD, rear 3MP camera and another one at 1.3 megapixels, up front. In addition to that, there’s also a powerful Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator for smooth handling of 1080p content, an SD card slot, a USB port, headphone jacks and a N-Trig active digitizer for those who’d like to take some notes. But wait, if that wasn’t enough, folks, the US computers giant will also add to the package a nice covering case, together with a stylus pen for touch interaction, and this cool charging cradle, which boasts two additional USB hubs, headphone jack, a power connector and HDMI output – all located at the back of the dock. NICE! Full PR, full specs and couple of hands-on videos right after the jump.

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