Well if CES is anything to go by then this year (and the next) we are going to see a huge number of new tablets across a bewildering range of prices.
If I had to guess then i’d say the success of the Amazon Fire has proven that a cheap, robust and simple tablet WILL sell well compared to the iPad. Basically Amazon realised that there is no point trying to compete with the iPad on a feature by feature basis – it makes more sense to take the battle to the consumers wallet instead. It’s a strange thing because this is pretty much the exact reason why Android on the mobile is selling so well, most of the phones can’t hope to compete with an iPhone in sheer ability – but they can sell for a far lower price.
So, along with the usual crowd – the Motorolas and the Samsungs – we also have a few lesser known manufacturers popping up. These guys don’t have the street cred of the big boys, nor do they have massive marketing budgets. But they do have the ability to knock out a simple and easy to use tablet for an incredibly small price – and that will very possibly be the key to limiting the iPads dominance through 2012, here are some of my favourites:
| Model | WikiPad:3D | |||
| Manufacturer | WikiPad | A low-end specced Tablet (1.2Ghz and not dual core) but with some decidedly non-lowspec abilities. Not only does this tablet come with a fairly functional glasses free 3D screen but it’s also got the chops to playback 1080p video content, and was demoed playing Avatar in 3D without a single stutter. It also has a clip on game control accessory. | ||
| Screen Size | 8 inches | |||
| Processor | 1.2Ghz 1 Core | |||
| Storage | 8GB and microSD max 64GB | |||
| Memory | 2GB | |||
| OS | Android 4.0.3 | |||
| Key Feature | Glasses free 3D | |||
| Availability | March 2012 | |||
| Price | Less than $250 | |||
| Review | The Verge | |||
| Model | Novo7 | |||
| Manufacturer | MIPS | An incredibly basic tablet, a single core 1GHz processor and not much storage, but it has a pretty good capacitive touchscreen can handle 1080p video playback and has HDMI output – all for $99 | ||
| Screen Size | 7 inches | |||
| Processor | 1.0Ghz 1 Core | |||
| Storage | microSD max 64GB | |||
| Memory | 1GB | |||
| OS | Android 4.0.3 | |||
| Key Feature | Incredibly low price, 1080p video playback | |||
| Availability | Now in China, soon elsewhere | |||
| Price | $99 | |||
| Review | The Verge | |||
| Model | E70 | |||
| Manufacturer | Viewsonic | It’s a fairly hefty tablet, but that just translates to a very sturdy feel, Viewsonic have been the princes of cheap tablets for a while, and this model has just the right level of technology to be a success at the price point | ||
| Screen Size | 7 inches | |||
| Processor | 1.0Ghz 1 Core | |||
| Storage | 4GB and microSD max 64GB | |||
| Memory | 1GB | |||
| OS | Android 4.0.3 | |||
| Key Feature | Good build quality and HDMI out | |||
| Availability | March 2012 | |||
| Price | $169 | |||
| Review | Engadget | |||
That isn’t, of course, it for the tablet market – the big boys were there and showing some pretty impressive devices. We also had Intel with their first foray into the mobile market with their new Medfield chipset they bought along some impressive Android devices to prove the point that x86 could work in the mobile world.
We also had a huge array of tablet running on a Microsoft OS, not Windows Phone 7 but Windows 8. The devices were exceptionally diverse and, if manufacturer stats can be believed, have the stamina to last as long as the Android powered slates with the benefit of the Windows library behind them. Well, except a few of the devices were running on Arm chips – these, of course, won’t have access to the more legacy based titles – but we are promised that the majority of .NET titles will work.
I haven’t touched on the Phone side of things in this, mainly because it’s such a huge topic that it deserves it’s own article.