Barely a week before the Black Friday shopping frenzy on November 29, consumers looking for affordable Android tablet can add one more reason to push their way to Walmart's shelves - Hewlett-Packard has collaborated with Intel to roll out the 7-inch HP Mesquite Android tablet. The said device will have a sticker price of $89.
According to reports, the sub-$100 device will run on Intel Atom processors that go by the codename "Medfield." The said chip is not the latest of the Atom tablet processors of Intel and is not at par with the processing power of "Bay Trail." With an older processor, this means that the Mesquite will be able to fulfill the basic needs of tablet users but cannot be relied on in terms of graphics performance and multi-app usage.
The announcement of the affordable HP tablet was made by Intel on its official blog.
"Whether you're looking for a small 7-inch or 8-inch tablet or a larger 10-inch tablet running Android or Windows 8, there are lots of choices this holiday powered with Intel processors," stated the article by Marcia Hansen on Intel's Inside Scoop blog.
"Looking for a tablet with Intel Inside ensures you'll get Intel level performance that delivers lightning-fast web browsing and extraordinary battery life that keeps up with you and your busy life," the post added.
The details about the HP Mesquite are still very limited at the time of reporting but selling a tablet for $89 may translate to lower resolution, smaller storage space, and most likely an older version of the Android platform when it comes out of the box.
Intel also announced other Black Friday tablet deals.
Consumers will be able to get the Android-based eight-inch tablet Dell Venue 8 for $99 at Costco while Dell.com offes a $50-discount on the same gadget with a sales tag price of $130.
Those looking for eight-inch Windows device can get the Dell Venue 8 Pro for $300 from Dell.com for a savings of $79. It is also available at Staples for a slightly higher price of $280 or a savings of $50. Another tablet in this category is the Toshiba Encore that will have a $30-discount and sell for $300.
For consumers hoping to get an Intel tablet with a bigger display real estate, there is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 that will be on sale at Best Buy, Office Depot, and Walmart stores fore $300. Costco will be offering the same tablet at a promo price of $280.
