Asus could be set to take on the very device it manufactures for Google, the Nexus 7, with an even cheaper 7-inch tablet.
The Google Nexus 7 continues to be arguably the best-value tablet on the market, with an HD display, quad-core processor and the very latest version of Android – all for just £159.
However, Asus could be planning to trump that with an even cheaper 7-inch tablet. According to SlashGear the Asus ME371MG, as the distinctly un-catchy codename goes, could turn out to be even cheaper than the Google effort.
Of course, it will give away some performance for the privilege. It’s said that the new tablet will drop the Nexus 7’s quad-core Tegra 3 trip in favour of a single-core Intel solution.
The Atom Z2420 will probably run at around 1Ghz to 2Ghz. Benchmarks show that it comes up well short of multi-core solutions, but the name of the game here is price.
Also, the specs elsewhere appear quite competitive. The ME371MG will sport a 7-inch IPS display with a 1280 x 800 resolution, which sounds distinctly Nexus 7-like to us. There’s be 1GB of RAM and a choice of 8, 16, or 32GB of internal storage. It’ll also have a microSD slot and a shiny aluminium chassis.
Expect Android 4.1 Jelly Bean straight out of the box, and a 3-megapixel camera on the back. That might sound a little weedy, but at least it has a rear camera, unlike the Nexus 7.
There’s no precise idea of cost as yet, but the source expects it to come in significantly cheaper than the Nexus 7.
Would you buy one? Let us know in the comments section below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
