HP's slick new Slate 6 VoiceTab gets ready for wide release in Europe (hands-on)
With a nice screen, good sound and dual SIM support, the HP Slate 6 VoiceTab aims to make some noise this May.
BARCELONA, Spain -- HP may have introduced its new VoiceTab line with a focused release earlier this month in India, but here at Mobile World Congress the old dog is sending its new tricks into wider release.
HP continues to rebuild its credentials beyond the desktop and server room with the arrival of more options in the smartphone and tablet domain. The Slate VoiceTab devices are both full-featured smartphone devices at the phablet/small tablet size range.
Both run 1.2GHz quad-core processors with 1GB of RAM running Android 4.2.2, both offer HSDPA with dual SIM support, and both include the HP DataPass service (where available), which gives users 250MB per month of free 3G data service for two years as a backup when Wi-Fi or other services aren't easily available.
Both devices feature an HD front camera plus a 5-megapixel rear camera. There's also 16GB of storage on board with a microSD slot supporting cards up to 32GB.
The Slate 6 features a 720p HD IPS display and that IPS technology makes the screens really pop as nicely as you'd expect. Along with front-firing speakers, these screens look great in the flesh and give impressive multimedia performance. The Slate 6 VoiceTab comes in at 8.8mm thick and weighs 160g.
The styling is slick, with a nice textured plastic back in a range of coloured swappable back covers — both models come in silver, with optional accessories in Snow White, Neon Purple, Marine Blue, Neon Pink, and Grass Green.
No one spec sings louder than the competition, but the pricing is very aggressive at at €249 (US $343) for the Slate 6 VoiceTab and €229 (US $315) for the Slate 7 VoiceTab. The overall fit and finish is excellent given the price range, and with dual SIM support it would be easy to see this new line building a fan base.
The HP Slate 6 VoiceTab will be available at retail in May in France, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, and at the same time through the HP Store in France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and the UK.
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