2012 is turning out to be a pretty good year for consumers looking to buy a 7-inch Android tablet. Better processors, thinner and lighter devices, sharper screens and faster GPUs are now featured in a host of new 7-inch tablet devices coming this year from Samsung, ZTE, Velocity Micro and many others.
Market Kindle Fire “Sparking” 7-inch
Although Samsung was the first Android tablet maker to release a 7-inch tablet back in 2010, the sudden interest in the smaller tablet form is largely due to the initial huge wave of enthusiasm for the Kindle Fire. Will the success of Amazon’s new tablet, which many consider an entry-level tab, prompt consumers to seriously consider an alternative, low-cost 7-inch Android tablet that packs a bigger punch in terms of features?
Manufacturers are confident that the 7-inch format will prevail due to its greater mobility and lower price. They are probably right this time. The success of the Kindle Fire is rapidly transforming the 7-inch tablet form into its own differentiated segmentcompeting with each other for market share instead of competing with Apple as “iPad Juniors”.
Android makes significant strides on tablets
Several of the new 7-inch tablets coming out this year ship with the more stable Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, with other tablet makers promising upgrades to the new OS soon (or later). Ice Cream Sandwich has been specifically developed to bridge the gap between Android smartphones and tablets.
Although still highly fragmented, Android is finally starting to make significant inroads into the tablet market. Strategy Analytics recently reported that Android had captured 39% of globally distributed tablets in the fourth quarter of last year, an increase of 10 percentage points from 2010. If Android can do this again, it will be neck and neck with Android. the iPad.
price is key
The success of the Kindle Fire, not to mention the lines of people lining city streets last year for a chance to buy discontinued HP Touchpads at clearance prices, clearly demonstrated that price is key. Android tablet makers have gotten the message. Prices for many smaller Android tablets are hundreds of dollars cheaper than today’s entry-level iPad. And some new 7-inch tablets sold with data plans are even cheaper than the Kindle Fire and have more high-end features than Amazon’s tablet.
Sprint, for example, just added a 7-inch ZTE tablet to its tablet portfolio that’s priced at just under $100 (with a two-year contract). The ZTE Optik features a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor and 1GB of RAM. It runs on Android Honeycomb, has a 1280 x 800 capacitive touch screen, Bluetooth, and GPS antennas. It also has stereo speakers and dual cameras (5MP rear and 2MP front), plus 16GB of storage and a MicroSD slot.
At CES last month, Samsung and Verizon Wireless introduced the Galaxy Tab 7.7 with LTE for Verizon’s LTE network. It has a 7.7-inch 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, and 16GB of internal storage. The tablet uses Android 3.2 Honeycomb with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface. It has Wi-Fi, a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and full 720p recording. Verizon will soon be selling this at a subsidized price to win contracts. There are no details on the price of this new tab yet, but the previous model, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0, currently costs $229.99 with a 2-year contract on Verizon’s website.
There were also a number of cheap new 7-inch tablets at CES preloaded with Android Ice Cream Sandwich. This includes the ViewSonic ViewPad E70, which has front and rear cameras, mini-HDMI and mini-USB ports, and a 1GHz processor. The tab includes 4GB of storage plus expandable microSD storage up to 32GB. It will reportedly launch in April for $169.00.
There is also the Micro Cruz T507. It will soon come with a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor, a 7-inch 800 x 480 TFT LED display, and discreet 400MHz 3D graphics acceleration, along with 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The Android 4.0-based tablet will also have front and rear cameras, Mini USB and Mini HDMI ports, and a microSD slot. The Cruz T507 is expected to be priced under $150.
Thin, light, palm friendly
After price, portability seems to be the second biggest selling point for 7-inch tablets. Tablets are inherently all about portability, and the 7-inch form factor can be held comfortably in one hand, leaving the other hand available for scrolling and tapping – a good choice for travelers and readers, surfing the web, playing games , check email .
But is a new 7-inch Android tablet for you? Only you can decide, because everyone has their own individual demands and preferences. It’s best to go to their mobile stores and big box stores when they come out soon and spend some time with them. There are likely to be enough options available this year that you can fully determine your own tablet sweet spot.
