West Covina, California-based E Fun has introduced two new Nextbook Ares Android tablets at the ongoing CES 2017 trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first one is premium device called the Ares 12 Flip that comes with a 12.2” touchscreen panel and can be used either as a standalone tablet or as a full-fledged laptop by attaching the full-sized, Pogo-pin keyboard that comes as an optional add-on. The other model happens to be the Nextbook Ares 8A, which, by the looks of things, will be more of an entry-level device with a smaller display and without the physical keypad. While the Ares 12 Flip is expected to start shipping from Q2 2017, the Ares 8A will be available for purchase this quarter itself.
Taking a look at the tech specs of the two devices, the Ares 12 Flip features a 12.2” IPS panel with a pixel resolution of 1920 x 1200. According to E Fun’s press release, it is powered by an Intel Atom quad-core processor, and has Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow pre-installed. It comes with 64GB of internal memory that can be expanded by up to 128GB thanks to the presence of a microSD card slot. In terms of connectivity, the device supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth v4.0, while a micro HDMI port allows videos and other streaming media to be displayed on any compatible PC monitor or TV set. The device comes with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery that E Fun claims will allow up to eight hours of usage. As far as the device’s imaging credentials are concerned, there’s a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, while sensors include a 3-axis gyroscope.
As for the Nextbook Ares 8A, the device will seemingly be a more humble product in terms of its hardware specs, but that should hopefully reflect on its pricing as well. Its predecessor, the Nextbook Ares 8, was originally priced at just $78 at launch last year. The tablet will feature an 8-inch touch panel with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, and will come with only 16GB of built-in storage. There will, however, be a microSD slot that will support cards of up to 128GB capacity. Just like its more powerful stable-mate, the Ares 8A will also run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, and will support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. As for the cameras, the rear-facing primary shooter will come with a 2-megapixel sensor, while the front-facing selfie-cam will only be able to snap images at VGA resolution (0.3-megapixels).