The tablet market’s going to get a little bit more crowded again. TV maker Vizio just confirmed that they’re going to be joining the tablet fray soon with an eight-inch touchscreen tab called the Via Tablet and a four-inch Via Phone. What’s up with the new devices? The specifics weren’t given out, but after a teaser video that ran during the Rose Bowl, this much is known: the Via Tablet will feature a front camera, three speakers and a Wifi-only model, while the Via Phone will pack a 1GHz processor, 5MP cam and a lesser front cam for making video calls.Vizio’s video after the break.
It’s been out in Europe for a few weeks now, but if you’re in the US looking for an affordable Android 2.1-based tablet, here’s an interesting option. Creative’s 7-inch ZiiO tablet is now available both on Creative’s online store and on Amazon, ranging from an 8GB model that starts at $250 to a 16GB model that costs $270. Obviously, it should appeal to budget buyers, but here’s what makes it stand apart from the bunch of existing Android tablets in the same price range: Creative designed it with multimedia playback in mind, and fitted it with their X-Fi audio processing tech (for enhanced audio quality) with wireless speaker support via Bluetooth.
Dell has announced an Android version of the Windows Phone 7-based Venue Pro. Called the Venue, it basically packs in everything the first phone had except for the slide-out keypad (the Venue is a touch-only device), with a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen protected by a curved Gorilla Glass display, GSM/UMTS/HSPA support, Bluetooth and 3G connectivity, and Android 2.2 installed instead of WP7.
If you wanted a cross between an Android phone and an Android tablet, here’ s your chance to get one on the cheap: Best Buy just dropped the Dell Streak’s price down to $99.99 (from $500) with a two-year AT&T contract. The reason for the huge price drop? It doesn’t matter, really. All you need to know is that for $100 and a two-year tie-up with AT&T, you get a 5-inch Android 2.2-based device that you can think of as either a huge smartphone or a compact tablet that packs a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, dual cameras, Bluetooth, Wi-fi, and GPS connectivity.
Looking to score a relatively cheap Android-based tablet? Coby has introduced the Kyros MID7015, which could be exactly what you’re looking for if you’re in the market for a 7-inch Android tablet on a $250 budget. So what did it give up to go more than half the price of a Galaxy Tab? Not much if you’re not necessarily looking for a built-in cam (the Kyros doesn’t have one) or the best that current tech has to offer. The processor’s no 1GHz Snapdragon either. The Kyros runs on a relatively slower 800MHz chip, while the rest of the spec’s made of lower-end tech to make for the lower-end price. Yeah, it’s a bit underwhelming, but you get what you pay for.
