HP Slate 7 Now Available for $169, Cheaper than Nexus 7
HP has released it’s own 7-inch Android tablet to rival Google’s Nexus 7 and other budget 7” tablets. The new tablet by HP is dubbed as the HP Slate 7 and comes with a price tag of just $169.
The new HP Slate 7 is for users who want a cheap Android tablet that’s even cheaper than the Nexus 7. Both tablets share a similar design, however, the Nexus 7 has a complete plastic shell while the HP Slate 7 comes with a metal shell instead of the plastic. The HP Slate 7 also sports both front and rear cameras, while the Nexus 7 lacks a rear shooter.
Of course there are a couple of drawbacks associated with the HP Slate 7. First of all, the the tablet comes with a 7-inch display and has a resolution of 1024 x 600p, which is significantly lower than the Nexus 7’s 1280 x 800p resolution. It also comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but HP has promised to update it to the latest Android 4.2 pretty soon. However, on the bright side, HP has really done a good job by keeping the Android experience as close to stock as possible.
Performance wise, the HP Slate 7 lags behind the Nexus 7, but it comes with some decent specs for a tablet in its price range. It is powered by a 1.6GHz Dual-Core chip under the hood and 1GB of RAM. The HP Slate 7 only offers 8GB of internal storage, although, there is a microSD card slot on the tablet to give users some additional storage space.
According to the company, the battery inside the HP Slate 7 will last for nearly 5 hours, that’s actually not very long for a tablet. The tablet also supports Beats Audio for providing the users with some boosted sound.
HP Slate 7 vs Nexus 7?
Even though, the HP Slate 7 may seem like a rival to the Nexus 7, in reality with it’s price tag and relatively low specs, it’s a direct rival to Asus MeMo Pad. The HP Slate 7 definitely has an edge over Asus’s cheaper tablet.
The Hp Slate 7 is now available for purchase via HP’s official website, and according to the site it will ship within 24 hours of the order. If you’re really looking for a tablet under $199, the Slate 7 is your device, or you can go for an even cheaper Chinese tablet.