Chinon Rolls Out Low-Cost Android Tablets

The quest for a good low-cost tablet continues with Chinon’s announcement of a pair of Android tablets called the Swtich 7 and Switch 10. The 7-inch model starts at $159.99, while the 10-inch version starts at $279.99.

"There is no reason why consumers who want to experience the excitement of tablets should be priced out of the market. Chinon's superior design and the improving Android OS allows our Swift tablets to be priced low without compromising performance," said Chinon USA President Jensen Fong.


The tablets feature ARM Cortex A8 (1.2GHz) processors, microSD slot, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, USB 2.0, built-in mic and spreakers, and 2MP front-facing cameras (with a rear-facing camera for the Swift 10). The Swift 7’s screen is 800x600 (or maybe 640x480, according to the specs listed on the website) while the Swift 10’s is 1024x768. The website lists the internal memory 4GB (Swift 7) and 8GB (Swift 10), with a microSD slot that’s expandable up to 32GB.

If you want 3G, you can have it, via an external USB modem...which is not included. Further, don’t expect Ice Cream Sandwich here; both tablets run on Android 2.3.

Chinon Unveils Affordable New Line of Android Media Tablets in 7" and 10" Displays

-- Swift Tablets Start at $159.99 --

LAKE ZURICH, IL, February 13, 2012-- Chinon USA today introduced a new line of Android® driven media tablets that deliver standout performance and a suite of smart technologies that go beyond expectations at one of the most affordable price points on the market.

Worldwide tablet sales surpassed 72 million units in 2011, and are expected to surge to 383 million in 2017 (NPD DisplaySearch Tablet Quarterly). However, there is a large population of consumers who are being under-served by manufacturers who price their tablets upwards of $600 (U.S.). These are the price-conscious consumers that Chinon is targeting with its new Swift tablets.

"There is no reason why consumers who want to experience the excitement of tablets should be priced out of the market," said Jensen Fong, President, Chinon USA. "Chinon's superior design and the improving Android OS allows our Swift tablets to be priced low without compromising performance."

The Chinon Swift™ 7-inch media tablet has an MSRP of only $159.99 (U.S.), while the 10-inch Swift 10 has an MSRP of $279.99 (U.S.), which compares favorably to similar-sized Android tablets from Sony, Samsung, Motorola, Dell and Asus.

Amazingly lightweight, both Swift tablets give users the portable freedom they crave to explore the web and the Android app ecosystem. Super-fast 802.11n Wi-Fi makes a Swift tablet the ideal mobile companion, ready to go wherever and whenever you are. Battery life rates five hours even when multi-tasking. Plus, the rugged yet stylish aluminum casing is travel-friendly for on-the-go handling. The internal 4GB of memory for the Swift 7 allows the tablet to hold approximately 2,000 songs, 40,000 photos or four full length movies, while the Swift 10 with 16GB of internal memory provides room for 8,000 songs, 160,000 photos or sixteen movies. A micro SD memory card slot provides additional options for storage expansion and file transfer.

Equipped with an ARM Cortex®-A8 Core 1.2GHz processor, Swift tablets deliver entertainment-optimized processing power when you need it most, for example, when watching HD movies, reading eBooks, listening to music, viewing photos, playing intense 3D games or browsing the web. Further enhancing the multimedia experience is support for Adobe® Flash 10.1 enabled content such as games, video streaming, online photo editors and animations.

At the heart of the mobility-focused hardware is the super-bright, highly responsive multi-touch LCD display. Unlike other Android tablets featuring standard 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio, Swift tablets sport a 4:3 ratio to better accommodate digital photography, A4-size PDFs and eBooks. As a result, the image completely fills the screen rather than leaves edges cut-off or blank screen spaces. The screen runs in both landscape and portraits modes, plus features a built-in Gyro motion sensor that enables full screen rotation. Swift 7 display is 800x600 while the Swift 10's IPS display is 1024x768.

Swift tablets provide outstanding connectivity to help you communicate with the devices, networks and people you need to stay in-touch. In addition to Wi-Fi, this includes USB 2.0 (host and slave), 3G when you attach an optional USB modem, microphone/earphones, and a front-facing camera for photos, videos and video chat. In addition, the Swift 10 has a rear-facing camera. Both tablets are powered by Google's Android 2.3 operating system.

For more information and ordering, visit www.chinonusa.com.