Via8505
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Eken's $100 Android MID reviewed: you get what you pay for
When we first spotted the Eken M001 MID, we immediately liked its honest nature. The M001 didn't claim to be an iPad killer, or boast ridiculous specs and decades of battery life; it was simply cheap, and proud of it. Now, Shanzai.com has discovered the tablet is exactly what we expected. Running Android 1.6 with a VIA WM8505 processor, the device is pokey with terrible battery life, and the 7-inch, 800 x 480 resistive screen has noticeable lag. Still, the M001's moderately capable; think of it as a digital photo frame with tablet functionality -- like the HP Dreamscreen, but affordable and battery powered -- rather than the other way round. Were it readily available stateside, we could see a few souls actually picking it up for $680 RMB (about $100)... but definitely not the $200 Haleron asked for in February. Video after the break.
Eken's Android-powered MID looks mighty nice for $100
Okay, so the last time we told you about an inexpensive Android tablet/MID things didn't turn out so well. So, this time we bring you one to appreciate from afar -- no credit card needed nor, as you'll see, wanted. It's seven-inch, 800 x 480 device from Eken that is selling for $680 RMB in China. That translates to $99.53 currently that, at first glimpse, looks to be quite a bargain. Sure, it has only 2GB of storage, but you can expand that to 32GB with SD. The VIA 8505 processor certainly won't be confused for a Snapdragon but despite that the device pledges only two hours of battery life on a charge. To top it off it's stuck with good 'ol Android 1.5 installed, leaving us to conclude that this is hardly a bargain after all. Shucks.
