Android Honeycomb Tablet Expected from ViewSonic First 7-Inch

Big screen Android tablets with Honeycomb 3.0 were all the rage, while smaller tablets were stuck with older smartphone versions of the OS--until now. The first 7-inch tablet featuring Honeycomb is set to arrive later this month from ViewSonic, and it will be dubbed the ViewPad 7x, according to a Pocket-Lint report.
Because Google rushed Android 3.0 to the market to counter the popularity of the Apple iPad, the company was unable to optimize the OS for different-sized tablets fast enough. This meant that you could get Android 3.0 Honeycomb on 10-inch tablets such as the Motorola Xoom, but not on 7-inch tablets such as the HTC Flyer.
Now it seems that ViewSonic will be the first to get on the market a 7-inch Honeycomb tablet at the end of May, if Pocket-Lint's sources are accurate. The tablet will be called the ViewPad 7x, and will reportedly be sold alongside the ViewPad 7 (not as a replacement). Pricing and exact availability are unknown for the ViewPad 7x.
While the details on the ViewPad 7x are sketchy, we do know a bit more about the version without the X in the tail, which runs Android 2.2. It runs on a 600MHz processor and has 512MB of RAM and 512MB of on-board storage (expandable to 32GB via microSD card). The 7-inch screen has 800 by 480 pixel resolution, and the tablet also features 3G antennas along Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Our PCWorld reviewer was not very impressed with the original ViewPad 7, citing a mediocre display, sluggishness, poor battery life, and bulky design as its main flaws. The original ViewPad 7 sells for around $400.

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Dell Streak 7 Gets Aggressive Pricing

Today T-Mobile is announcing the Streak 7 will be available starting February 2, and it will cost $200 after a $50 mail-in rebate (with a two-year contract). Off-contract, and on T-Mobile's prepaid mobile broadband plans, the Streak 7 will sell for $450.
That mail-in rebate bumps the Streak 7 to a lower price than the T-Mobile variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The Tab recently got a price reduction to $250, after a $50 mail-in rebate of its own.
The Streak 7 is one of several Nvidia Tegra 2-based Android tablets coming to market this winter. The pricing clearly makes this tablet an intriguing option, but keep in mind it's just the first of a coming flood of high-profile tablets (and many others that are less so). Over the next couple of months, we expect to see the first Android 3.0-based tablet, the Motorola Xoom (also introduced at CES), as well as the RIM Playbook; and, we expect more formal news of the second-generation Apple iPad.

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T-Mobile Springboard Budget Tablet

The Springboard's specs include the 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and support for T-Mobile's 4G network. There is even a micro HDMI out port, in case you want to view your tablet content on a larger screen. I was disappointed to find out that the promised battery time is only 6 hours. Still, this is the first 7-inch tablet where I've honestly been impressed by its overall performance.
While no pricing details have been announced yet, T-Mobile and Huawei bill the Springboard as the most affordable Android tablet. With other Android tablets (such as the Amazon Kindle Fire) coming in at $200, hopefully Huawei and T-Mobile follow suit on pricing. A $200 Android tablet running Honeycomb would be a major boon to the Android tablet ecosystem.
When asked exactly how affordable the tablet would be, a Huawei spokesperson simply replied: "You will be surprised." Here's hoping that the surprise will happen in a good way.

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Hands-On With the T-Mobile Springboard

I managed a few minutes with the Springboard, and came away reasonably impressed with the tiny tablet. Its screen measures only 7 inches, which makes it fit nicely in a pocket or purse. The tablet has a mostly aluminum body.
The Springboard was extremely responsive thanks to its Snapdragon processor. While T-Mobile's 4G network may not be the fastest, webpages loaded smoothly for me, and I was able to stream some video over Netflix without a hitch. Though small, the screen looked very sharp. Text was very easy to read, and the tablet is comfortable to hold in one hand.

I've used 7-inch Android tablets before, but all, so far, have run Android 2.3 or lower. What makes the Springboard standout is that it runs Google Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). Note: Acer has already started shipping its Aconia Tab A100 7-inch tablet, which also runs Honeycomb. It is priced at $329.

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