Tag Archives: gaming tablet

NVIDIA Breathes New Life Into the Shield Tablet K1

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The graphics card maker has not only refreshed its gaming tablet, but it has also changed the name of the product. The new NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1 goes against some rather popular tablets, and since it focuses on gaming, it might actually attract quite the following.

Whether or not NVIDIA’s Shield Tablet needed to be refreshed is debatable. The original version, which only saw the light of the day last year, can still handle some of the most demanding apps out there, and since the manufacturer was well aware of that, it made very small changes in the hardware department. Probably the most significant change is the major price drop of 33%, as the new NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1 costs only $200.

Bear in mind that the tablet doesn’t come with many accessories, and that was one of NVIDIA’s strategies for keeping the cost down. The stylus found in the previous version is gone, and so are the power adapter and USB cable from the packaging. Frankly, I believe that all manufacturers should exclude chargers and USB cables from their packaging, as everyone using mobile devices already owns one of these.

Following the “if something works, don’t change it” route, NVIDIA has decided not to change any of the specs of the original Shield Tablet, so the new one only differs in design and materials, but it’s nothing extremely significant.

Hence, the NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1 sports an 8-inch 1920×1200 display, and continues to be powered by the same Tegra K1 SoC that includes a quad-core processor clocked at 2.2Ghz, and a Kepler GPU. To make sure that the tablet is capable of multitasking and that it has plenty of room for apps, NVIDIA equiped the Shield Tablet K1 with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, and a microSD slot for expanding this memory. That’s quite a lot of power that the video card maker stuck into a 9.2mm thin body that only weighs 390g.

The stereo front-facing speakers and the two 5MP cameras in the front and on the back are proof that NVIDIA is also serious about the multimedia experience, especially since both cameras can do HDR photos.

In terms of connectivity, the Shield Tablet K1 sports Bluetooth 4.0 LE and Wi-Fi with 2×2 MIMO and dual-band (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz) support.

With the Shield Tablet K1, NVIDIA goes against Apple’s iPad Mini 4 and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2, and it suffices to say that the graphics card maker’s product blows both of them out of the water, not only in terms of price, but also as far as the technical specs are concerned.

The Shield Tablet K1 is available on Amazon for $199.99. Two bundles are available, one featuring the Shield Controller, costing $259.98, and another one that includes a 128GB microSD card, which sells for $249.98. Given the specs and the price, it’s almost guaranteed that this gaming tablet will be found under many Christmas trees this year.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the NVIDIA Shield set top box, or the original Tegra K1-powered NVIDIA Shield Tablet.

[via 9to5Google]

UNU M7006 Android Tablet Focuses on Gaming

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UNU M7006 Android Gaming Tablet 01

Entertainment is one of the main reasons tablets were created, in the first place, and there are such portable gaming devices out there for wallets of all sizes. UNU M7006 is on the budget side of things, but it still packs plenty of power for most Android games.

Considering the simplistic design and the modest technical specifications, UNU M7006 is more adequate for kids, or for people who are just making their way into the world of Android gaming. That being said, it’s by no means ugly or slow, but it does have a design that might appeal more to the aforementioned categories.

The M7006 is powered by a RK3188 chipset that includes a quad-core CPU running at up to 1.6Ghz (according to Rockchip, the manufacturer of the SoC), and a Mali-400 GPU clocked at up to 600Mhz. The GPU may not sound like much, but if you come to think about it, it might just be enough for the 7″ 5-point IPS touchscreen display with a 1280×800 resolution.

In terms of memory, this gaming tablet only packs 1GB of RAM and 8GB of ROM, which can be furthermore expanded by using a microSD card. Surprisingly enough, the device even has two cameras, a 5MP one in the back and a 2MP snapper in the front, for video calls and selfies. The 3000mAh battery should keep the device running for up to 3h, considering that you’re playing videos, and not games. That’s definitely disappointing, but if you intend to give this to kids, you probably shouldn’t let them play games for that long each day.

UNU recommends connecting the M7006 tablet to a TV or monitor, using an HDMI cable, as seen in the above picture. A wireless gaming controller is used for playing the games, and if users want to do something else besides gaming, they can use an air mouse/wireless keyboard combo.

Currently sold for $87.99 by GearBest, the UNU M7006 Android gaming tablet might seem to have a bit of a steep price, considering its modest specifications. However, to sweeten the deal, the manufacturer has included the gaming controller and air mouse-keyboard combo pictured above, so that you have all the tools needed for entertainment. These accessories definitely make the whole deal worth it.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Tegra K1-powered Nvidia Shield tablet, or Razer’s Project Fiona gaming tablet.

Wikipad’s 7-inch gaming tablet coming to the UK on September 27th for £250

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Back when it announced the launch date for the US, Wikipad also said its 7-inch slate would become available in more markets soon thereafter. Fast forward to now and the company's announcing that its perplexed tablet is set to reach the United Kingdom on September 27th for £249.99 (roughly $390). Wikipad says the 7-inch, gaming-focused tablet will be found at a number of "well-known retailers" from day one, so UKers interested in snagging one of these should have no problem doing so.

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Wikipad CEO James Bower defends his gaming tablet’s $500 pricing, why one device beats two

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Why does the Wikipad cost $500 dollars CEO James Bower explains

No matter which way you cut it, the Android-based Wikipad gaming tablet -- dubbed as much despite not having any connection to Wikipedia -- is unusually expensive. As a 10.1-inch Android tablet, it's comparably priced with the leaders of the market (of the Apple and Samsung variety). The obvious problem comparatively with the big dogs: visibility. What is Wikipad, anyway? And who made it?

"This is our first product into the market," consummate salesman and Wikipad CEO James Bower told us in an interview earlier this week -- yes, the company's name is shared with its first product. "We've self-funded the whole concept to this point with a couple of us founders. No VC money or anything," he said (the company did, however, just close its first round of venture capital funding for marketing costs, post-development). Bower's company took the idea of an Android-based gaming tablet with a proprietary, physical (and removable) gamepad from concept to reality in the last year, first revealing the tablet at CES 2012. "We've been able to accomplish a lot very efficiently and very effectively to this point," Bower said, in reference to the approximately 80 people who created the device.

That said, despite our positive hands-on time with the Wikipad (even in its prototype state), $500 is a heck of a lot of money to plunk down on an unproven device from an unproven company. The argument gets harder when you remember Sony's PlayStation Vita -- an arguably much nicer device with a far larger library of gaming content that costs half the Wikipad's price at $249.99. Bower doesn't see the logic in this argument. "It's double the price, but it's also double the size," he pointed out. "If you buy a tablet that's seven inches, you can get a $199 tablet -- it's called a Google Nexus or a Kindle Fire. If you're gonna get a full 10-inch tablet, a tablet to this quality, you're gonna spend $499 to $749 ... if we were talking about a 7-inch device or a 5-inch device, and we were at this price point, then it'd be a different story." Admittedly, the tablet -- as a standalone device -- isn't too shabby. But will it woo consumers away from the likes of Apple and Samsung? Bower hopes as much, but we're not so sure.

Gallery: Wikipad hands-on

Continue reading Wikipad CEO James Bower defends his gaming tablet's $500 pricing, why one device beats two

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Wikipad CEO James Bower defends his gaming tablet's $500 pricing, why one device beats two originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wikipad costs $499 at GameStop starting October 31, gives Android a gaming costume

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Wikipad costs $499, arrives at GameStop on Halloween

When we first caught wind of the Wikipad at CES, we picked up the distinct scent of vaporware. In the months since, we've seen the ten-inch tablet with detachable controls get games via Gaikai and from PlayStation Mobile, plus an impressive list of specs. And now we know it'll cost $500 and will officially be available on October 31st exclusively at GameStop. Of course, you don't have to wait until then to call dibs on your Halloween treat, as those willing to plunk down five bills early can reserve one via pre-order starting tomorrow. That's quite a chunk of change, especially considering the cost of other gamified Android tablets, but it does have an impressive set of internals, and it's tough to put a price on having Jelly Bean out of the box, right?

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Wikipad costs $499 at GameStop starting October 31, gives Android a gaming costume originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for ‘less than €150’

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DNP EMBARGO Archos unveils ICSrunning GamePad with physical controls

Archos already has its hands in the kiddie-tablet market, with its 7-inch Arnova Child Pad, and it's taking on the productivity-minded crowd with its keyboard-toting 101 XS. Now the company is going after another niche segment with the just-announced GamePad. The 7-inch slate runs Android 4.0 with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and a quad-core Mali 400 MP GPU, and it sports physical gaming controls in addition to the standard touchscreen. Archos includes its own "game recognition and mapping tools," which ensure that the physical buttons are compatible with Android games that use virtual controls (some 1,000 titles are apparently compatible with the GamePad at this point). Of course, this is an internet-enabled device as well, and it will include full access to the Play market and WiFi connectivity when it goes on sale at the end of October. Other specs include 8GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot that adds up to 64GB. There's also a mini-HDMI connection for outputting content to your TV. For now, Archos is only announcing pricing as "less than €150", and the device will drop in the US and Europe at the same time. For now, the below-the-break press release will have to satisfy your curiosity.

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Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for 'less than €150' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wikipad specs get real: 10.1-inch 1,280 x 800 display, 1.4 GHz Tegra 3, Jelly Bean

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The Wikipad gaming tablet has been ticking off boxes on its way to becoming a real product, and after bedding down with Gaikai game streaming and settling in to a 10.1-inch form factor, the rest of the hardware is now set. The chunky handheld will brandish an IPS display with 1,280 x 800 resolution, NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30 quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, at least 16GB storage and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Other notable items include 8-megapixel rear / 2-megapixel front cameras, six hours continuous gaming battery life and a 2D-only screen instead of the 3D originally touted -- at least, for the first model. The controller remains the same with a pair of triggers, bumpers, joysticks and start/select buttons, and will cover the slate's speakers and route sound out the front. The rest of the story is yet to come, namely exactly what that price will be and when you'll actually be able to pew-pew with it, but the company has promised to 'fess up soon. Meanwhile, though airy for a tablet at 560 grams (1.2 pounds), it's not exactly PS Vita or Nintendo 3DS XL territory -- but then a heavyweight contender could be exactly what handheld gaming needs.

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Wikipad specs get real: 10.1-inch 1,280 x 800 display, 1.4 GHz Tegra 3, Jelly Bean originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 06:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop gives in to its sweet tooth, stocks Android tablets at over 1,600 stores

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GameStop selling Android tablets in-store isn't anything new, but we've been curious to see how well the initiative would take off following a soft launch at 200 locations last November. Things seem to be going swimmingly, as the company now has "more than 1,600 locations" stocking the slates. If you'll recall, the devices all come with pre-installed titles of the retailer's choosing, with models from the likes of Samsung, Acer, ASUS and Toshiba. There's still yet to be any word about whether you'll eventually be able to trade-in your own, but it would seem like a logical next step -- aside from becoming an AT&T virtual carrier. Hit up the source link below to see if a store in your area is part of the lineup.

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GameStop gives in to its sweet tooth, stocks Android tablets at over 1,600 stores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wikipad’s Android tablet amps up with Gaikai game streaming, quad-core, 10-inch screen

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Wikipad's Android 4.0 gaming tablet still hasn't received a definitive release date despite having just half a season left to meet its launch target, but that hasn't stopped its creator from boosting the feature set. When the tablet does arrive, it will now bake in Gaikai's game streaming service for you to start playing games as soon as the shrink wrap's off the box. In return for the long wait since CES, Wikipad is also giving its slate a heavy makeover: the 8.1-inch screen is ballooning to 10.1 inches, while a lighter body will carry an unnamed quad-core processor and an option for 3G. Otherwise, you're looking at much of the same formula that first emerged in January, which includes traditional gamepad-like controls on either side as well as front and back cameras, 1080p video support and 8GB of space to store your games when you don't want to bring a microSD card. We're looking forward to getting our paws on those dual analog sticks soon, but for now you can check the news release after the break.

Continue reading Wikipad's Android tablet amps up with Gaikai game streaming, quad-core, 10-inch screen

Wikipad's Android tablet amps up with Gaikai game streaming, quad-core, 10-inch screen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 05:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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