Tablets at CES 2014
LAS VEGAS -- There won't be any new iPads being introduced at CES 2014, but you'll find a plethora of alternatives, starting with the very next slide.
Acer Iconia A1-830
Acer's Iconia A1-830 will hit in the first quarter with $149 price but with underwhelming specs. It's a 7.9-inch Android tablet with 4:3 aspect ratio and an unimpressive 1,024x768 resolution. It also uses an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel and comes with 16GB of onboard storage, with a 32GB capacity microSD storage card slot and 1GB of RAM.
Acer Iconia B1-720
The Acer Iconia B1-720 is a $129 budget tablet that ships with Android Jelly Bean 4.2.1 and houses a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. It also packs a microSD card expansion slot and front-facing camera, as well as purportedly better sound quality and battery life.
Lenovo ThinkPad 8
Lenovo's ThinkPad 8 is a 8.3-inch tablet that features a 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution display and houses Intel's Bay Trail quad-core CPU with 2GB of RAM. You have the choice of up to 128GB of internal storage; however, it also includes a microSD card expansion slot. The mobile device will be available in a 4G LTE/3G version, in addition to a Wi-Fi-only model, starting late January with the pricing that starts from $449.
Alcatel One Touch Pop 7
The One Touch Pop 7, together with the Pop 8, are Alcatel's effort to add a few new tablets and a pop of color to its lineup at CES 2014. However, the Pop 7 doesn't hold a candle to the best 7-inch tablets out there, due to its unimpressive specs. It features a 1,024x600-pixel resolution and just 4GB of internal memory, but it does comes with a microSD slot. The tablet is equipped wth a modest 1.3GHz dual-core CPU, a 2-megapixel rear camera, and a VGA front camera. The release date and pricing are to be determined, but it should be less than $200.
Alcatel One Touch Pop 8
Alcatel One Touch Pop 8 is a sub-$300 tablet with slightly better specs than the Pop 7. The Pop 8 features an IPS screen with a 1,280x800 resolution and delivers appropriate wide viewing angles. It has a 1.3GHz quad-core CPU, a 2-megapixel camera on the back, and a VGA camera on the front.
Asus PadFone X
Asus' PadFone X is the first of this line to come to a US carrier, AT&T. The device includes a 5-inch 1080p HD smartphone slides into a connector bay on the back of the tablet docking shell, then uses the phone's battery and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor to power the pad. The Pad itself has a 9-inch HD screen. It's unclear when the PadFone X will be available, but it's safe to say its eventual success or failure on AT&T will come down to price.
Asus VivoTab Note 8
Asus jumps into the small tablet stylus game with the Windows 8.1-based VivoTab Note 8. The device houses a quad-core Intel Atom Z3740 CPU, and according to Asus, the tablet's battery will last for up to eight hours. Other specs include 2GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage, and it's compatible with 64GB microSD storage cards. There's a 5-megapixel rear camera and an "HD" front shooter. There's no price or firm release date just yet, but it's likely going to cost around $400.
Asus Transformer Book Duet TD300
Asus' Transformer Book Duet TD300 is a tablet/laptop hybrid that runs Windows 8.1 and Android. The 13.3-inch mobile device sports a quad-core Intel i7 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. It has a detachable keyboard dock that houses a whopping 1TB of internal memory and various ports, including HDMI, LAN, one USB 3.0, and two USB 2.0. However, it also has a relatively unimpressive 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution. Price and release date to be determined.
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro
Samsung's latest Galaxy Note Pro tablet includes premium specs, widget-based interface, and 12.2-inch screen. It ships with Android 4.4 and a new Magazine UX interface, which is a more graphical UI that uses widgets to make accessing information and apps much more immediate. The Tablet houses either 32GB or 64GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot that's expandable up to 64GB.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro comes in a family of three sizes, including 12.2-, 10.1-, and 8.4-inch models. All are expected to be available for purchase in the first quarter of 2014 with prices being announced at that time. They are all powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors with different clock speeds, and all run Android 4.4 but with an all-new Magazine UX user interface.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2
The 12-inch Galaxy Tab Pro is the largest Samsung tablet so far, and it's the only one in the lineup that boasts multiwindow capabilities that allow up to four apps to run at once. It's slim but rather hefty at 1.6 pounds. It packs a punch, however, with a powerful CPU, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of internal memory.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1
The 10-inch Galaxy Tab Pro comes with 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory. It also has a microSD card that can hold as much as 64GB of added storage.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8
The Galaxy Tab Pro 8 packs a punch similar to that of its larger brothers but comes with just one CPU option, the Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core.
Snakebyte Vyper
Available in the US starting January 31, the Snakebyte Vyper comes with a docking station and an AirMouse remote control for $199.99. However, if you're willing to pay $249.99, it'll also include a Bluetooth gaming controller. When connected to a HDTV using the HDMI port from its docking station, the tablet then mirrors its content to the big screen. As a standalone tablet, the Vyper is a mid-range Android 4.2 device with a 1.6GHz quad-core processor inside. It has a 7-inch touchscreen with a 1,280x800 pixel resolution, and it has expandable storage up to 64GB. On the back you'll get a 5-megapixel camera, and there's a 2-megapixel secondary shooter as well.
Toshiba Excite 7
Toshiba gave the Excite 7 a slight revamp in order to bring down its price point. The $99 tablet no longer features a rear camera, but the front-facing camera (and deceiving name) is still in tow. Like its predecessor, the Excite 7 houses basic specs that are far from Exciting, however, Toshiba representatives say the low-cost and barebones features are meant to offer parents an inexpensive tablet for their children.