HP is adding two new Android tablets to its lineup this holiday season: the HP Slate 7 HD and HP Slate 10 HD. Both tablets sport similar midrange hardware and can boast 4G data speeds. The slates are due in November in time for the holiday season, and pricing will be announced closer to launch.
Both tablets run on a dual-core Marvell processor and feature 1280 x 800 HD displays. The slates come with HP’s signature software that you’ll find on its laptops, including HP Connected Photo and HP Connect Music. As expected, the HP Slate 7 HD, the follow up the HP’s Slate 7, and HP Slate 10 HD both come with Beats Audio inside. Users will get 200MB of data for two years on T-Mobile’s network included in the price (we're assuming HSPA+ and not the faster LTE).
Unlike other vendors such as Samsung, HP outfits its tablets with a relatively pure version of Android. When looking at the home screen and the app drawer, we noticed that the Android 4.2.2 interface on both tablets closely resembled stock Android. The slates come with a textured plastic rear shell that feels durable, but don’t expect a tablet that feels as premium to the touch as Google’s new Nexus 7.
HP hasn’t told us how much the tablets weigh, but both slates felt extremely lightweight-- especially the 7-inch variant.The 10-inch model we demoed has a bright red textured back, while the 7-inch edition’s back sports a gray shade. HP tells us that the slates will definitely be available in these colors at launch, but didn’t specify whether more options are in the works.
The HP Slate 7 HD and HP Slate 10 HD both managed to open apps quickly without hesitation, but we did notice some lag when switching between landscape and portrait mode. We also found it difficult to locate the power and volume buttons since they were both flush with the device.
We look forward to bringing you more our full reviews in the coming weeks.
