Matsunichi MarquisPad to Touch Down in the U.S. for $249, Bringing ICS to the Party

If you're an Android fan, it's not a tablet party unless there's Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), and that point isn't lost on Matsunichi, the company that plans to sell its full-sized 9.7-inch MarquisPad (MP977) for $249 in the U.S. That's an incredible price point for an ICS tablet this size, and going by the spec sheet alone, it doesn't appear to be overly gimped, though there are some notable omissions.

The MarquisPad boasts a 9.7-inch display with a 1024x768 resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, 2GB of internal memory, microSD card slot with a 2GB card pre-installed, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, front-facing camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 4000 mAh battery.


Out-of-the-box storage is a little light and there's no rear-facing camera. It's also curious that Wireless-N isn't supported, but one thing we can't argue with is the price tag.

Matsunichi is also planning a higher end version of its MarquisPad -- MP979 -- with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of internal storage, Wireless-N support, and a beefier 6000 mAh battery. Pricing for the MP970 is unknown at this time.