Enspert Identity Tab E301 and E201 hands-on preview

Android tablets aren't exactly in short supply at CES 2011, but the Enspert Identity Tab stands out -- despite hailing from a manufacturer we'd never heard of before the show. Enspert's got two slick 7-inch slates on the floor, and while the E201 mostly cribs from Samsung's WiFi-only Galaxy Tab -- right down to a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird chip -- the flagship Enspert E301 pumps up the pixel density with a 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, adds an all-metal case, a mobile DTV antenna, and 3G connectivity. We poked and prodded these tablets all over and got a peek at the full spec sheets, so after you peruse our gallery below, hit the break for details!

Update: It seems Enspert isn't new to the Android game at all -- it's actually Inbrics, which renamed itself after acquiring a semiconductor design firm early last year.
%Gallery-113487%%Gallery-113488%

Enspert E301: There's nothing quite like a device made of metal and glass, as Apple well knows, and the Enspert E301 feels like a premium device because of both. Make no mistake, we're looking at an aluminum sandwich rather than a single machined unibody here -- and these prototypes had plenty of rough edges to boot -- but the E301 felt like a solid, attractive device and had very little flex to speak of. The spacious screen is not only quick and accurate, but also quite pretty for a standard TFT LCD, with good horizontal viewing angles and bright colors, and seemingly without the the oversaturation of Samsung's slate's screen. Power and volume buttons reside on one edge, a mix of capacitive and physical Android keys join a 1.3 megapixel webcam up front, there's a 5 megapixel autofocus imager around back, and all the ports (including microSD, micro-HDMI, mini-USB and a 3.5mm headphone jack) are actually on a tiny slab that slightly swings out of the bottom, next to tiny speakers and a pop-out TV antenna. While overseas products typically ditch their DMB antennas before making the journey stateside, that actually may not be the case here, as the E301 actually supports ATSC-M/H, the new Mobile DTV standard for us roaming US bumpkins.

Under the hood, you'll find a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, PowerVR SGX 540 graphics, 8GB of flash storage and 512MB of RAM, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1, a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass and ambient light sensor, and either a 4,100 mAh or 4,400 mAh battery good for 4 or 4.5 hours of uninterrupted video playback -- depending on which spec sheet you trust. Enspert's prototypes ran Android 2.2, but reps told us it'll sport Gingerbread at launch, and they're hoping to have it run Honeycomb later on. Unfortunately, they couldn't confirm whether it'd have Android Market (and other Google apps) on board, saying the company needed to get GSM certification for the device first.

Enspert E201: Presently saddled with Android 2.1 (Enspert promises Froyo soon), the E201 still feels like a speedy, capable machine if not nearly as stylish or high-resolution as its successor. We only had a few minutes to toss it around, but it felt well-constructed and responded quickly to our touch, and we were surprised to find the fixed-focus 3 megapixel camera around back took decent snapshots, though the LCD panel looked a little sub-par. The Samsung Hummingbird's embedded PowerVR SGX540 graphics chip still pulls its weight here, as Asphalt 5 and Angry Birds played butter-smooth. Interestingly, there's a full-size SDHC card slot and a micro-HDMI socket under a flap up top. Tiny twin speakers and a mini-USB charge cable live on the bottom, there's a front-facing camera, mic and three physical Android buttons up front, and volume buttons on the side. What lies beneath that faux metal frame? Pretty much the same stuff as the E301, though a product brochure claims it will have a smaller 3,000mAh battery even as the spec sheet lists a 4,100mAh pack.

While Enspert tells us its products are already tooling around Korea, they'll be coming stateside soon -- the Identity Tab E301 is "coming to a major US wireless carrier for a back-to-school launch," while the WiFi-only E201 will hit brick-and-mortar Best Buy stores in the first quarter of this year. We're looking forward to see how they size up. Press release below!

Update: Enspert told Electronista that the E201 will cost between $200 and $250, and the E301 will be "under $300." Remember, that latter figure likely includes a carrier subsidy.

Show full PR text