Featured: $150 for a Decent Android Tablet or $200 for Crippled Tablet & Solid Infrastructure?

When I first heard about Xytec’s $150 MY TABLET ‘7 Android tablet, I thought to myself, “Great- another bargain basement tab, that my kids won’t even use ala Coby!“.  Specs wise- looks solid: Latest ICS, 7 inch display with 800X400 pixel  resolution (which can be had on today’s Woot Sellout Dell Streak for $139.99), 1GB RAM, and 16GB (expandable)storage with front facing 2MP camera.  It also has a 1.5 GHZ  processor, running under clocked, assumed for better battery life. For full specs check here.

It is clear to me that they are trying to deliver a tablet experience at a price much more competitive than say, the best known budget “tablet” on the market the Kindle Fire .  You probably noticed the quotes, that’s right- they call it a tablet, but it really isn’t as delivered.  Yes, you can get apps from the Amazon market.  Same place you can get other media.  Don’t try getting Google Play goodies though unless you root your new “tablet”.  Specs wise MY TABLET ‘7 outdoes the Kindle Fire pretty much everywhere except for the display, which is 1024X600 pixels.  Now, my complaints about the Kindle Fire not actually being a tablet come into play.  The OS is proprietary, with Android way under Amazon’s own flavoring.  You can browse, albeit slowly, read books, listen to music,  watch videos,  check email, play some games, check facebook and twitter as long as all of it comes from Amazon’s market.  This is what most people do on tablets anyway, so what’s the problem?  Well, to me the problem is that I want full ability to do it all!  I don’t want to be limited to Amazon’s Market.  I also don’t want to have to root my device to use any browser or email client I want!  This is kind of the simplistic device I would buy for my child, or aging relatives.

Back to the MY TABLET ‘7.  As more manufacturers jockey for the under $200 price point, I think we are going to see plenty of choices.  This device looks to be a good start especially given that it’s current closest competition in the new tablet market is “crippled”.

Written by Scott Coxey