Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 and MeMO Pad FHD 10 go high-def, low-cost
The Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 and MeMO Pad FHD 10 are high-definition tablets at low, low prices.
More tablet action! Another 7-inch slate and 10-inch tablet join the fray today in the shape of the Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 and MeMO Pad FHD 10 -- and they're dirt cheap.
As the names suggest, the HD 7 is a 7-inch slate and the FHD 10 a 10 incher, both powered by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. But the real name question is: is it MeMo -- as in, "take a memo, Smithers" -- or Me-Mo, as in "Me-Mo is a really stupid word"?
The 7-inch model takes on the Google Nexus 7 and iPad mini -- not to mention the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, also announced today -- with a quad-core processor, and 1,280x800 screen. It packs a 1.2-megapixel, 720p front camera and an optional 5-megapixel rear camera. It comes in black, white, pink and green.
The 10-inch FHD 10 boasts a new Intel Atom Z2560 processor, under a 1,920x1,200 screen. There's a 5-megapixel camera that shoots 1080p video, and it comes in blue, white or pink.
Both tablets come with a microfiber TransCover that folds into a stand, like Apple's Smart Cover for the iPad.
The MeMO Pad HD 7 goes on sale in July, with dollar prices that translate to around £85 for the 8GB model, or £100 for the 16GB version. Yep, you read that right -- but I doubt we'll see such shockingly cheap prices in shops here, with the usual VAT and mark-up likely to goose the price when they cross the pond. Still, if Asus can keep the price down -- and if the MeMO Pads turn out to actually be any good -- that's a real challenge to the bargain-tastic Nexus 7.
Can Asus challenge the Nexus 7 and iPad mini? Do the MeMo Pads have you salivating at the gills? Tell me your thought in the comments or send us a memo on our Facebook page.