Velocity Micro bows a pair of budget-friendly Android tablets
Will the 8-inch and 10-inch devices make a splash in the tablet waters? Both offer a fair number of features at affordable prices.
Velocity Micro announced a pair of low-cost Android tablets today, unveiling the 8-inch Cruz T408 and 10-inch Cruz T410. Each tablet features identical hardware specifications and software with 1GHz processors, 4GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, front-facing cameras, and Wi-Fi.
As for applications, each comes with Amazon's Kindle app, QuickOffice, Twitter, and access to the Amazon Appstore for another 7,000 titles. What's more, the inclusion of Adobe Flash Payer 10.3 ensure that users receive the full web experience.
Probing deeper into the two screens, the 8-inch model features a 4:3 ratio display with 800x600 resolution while its larger counterpart comes with the more common 16:9 1024x600 resolution. Though the 2.3 Gingerbread OS might not appeal to seasoned Android users, I suspect that the low cost could win more than a few buyers. The 8-inch model should retail for $239.99 and the 10-inch version should carry a $299.99 price tag when they begin shipping later in September.
Considering there's yet to be a runaway hit in the Android tablet game, I somewhat like Velocity Micro's chances. Assuming that the company promotes these devices more than its previous models, I suspect people shopping for inexpensive Android tablets from fairly reputable companies might give them a shot.
Don't be surprised if Archos, Toshiba, and Velocity Micro do as well as the other, bigger players this holiday season.