HP Takes Lid Off HP Slate 7, 7-inch Android Tablet for $169

HP is officially back in the consumer tablet game with the announcement of the HP Slate 7, a 7-inch device running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean that’s designed for tight Google integration. Although the Slate 7 won’t be packing the Tegra 4 SoC that many had hoped, it’s doing alright with a 1.6GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor.

The Slate 7 will also have 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage (which is expandable with the microSD card slot), 3MP rear- and VGA front-facing cameras, and microUSB. The 7-inch HFFS display panel will have a resolution of 1024x600, and the device will come in gray or red--an interesting departure in terms of color options for the industry.

HP opted for built-in Beats Audio, as well as HP games and productivity tools such as HP ePrint, which allows users to print directly from most applications while at home or away. It’s also connected to the Google platform and offers Google Now, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, Google+ Hangouts, and more.


The 13-ounce device measures 0.7mm x 197mm x 116mm and will be available in April for the surprisingly low price of $169. HP is teasing a higher-end consumer tablet coming soon as well, for those who are interested in an HP tablet but are holding out for something more powerful.

Perhaps this announcement is a further indication that Meg Whitman knows what she’s doing.