ASUS rolls out new MeMO Pad for $149, undercuts Nexus 7
updated 05:57 am EST, Mon January 14, 2013
ASUS undercuts its own Nexus 7 with new MeMO Pad
ASUS has rolled out its new 7-inch MeMO Pad for just $150. The device undercuts its own co-branded Google Nexus 7 by around $50, but it comes at a cost, including a reduction in storage to 8GB. However unlike the Nexus 7, which only comes with built-in storage, the MeMO comes with a micro-SD slot and support for up to 32GB of additonal storage space.
To help keep the device at its attractive price-point, the ASUS MeMO is powered by a VIA WM8950 1GHz processor paired 1GB of RAM as well as a Mali-400 GPU. It runs Android 4.1 ‘Jelly Bean’ and centers on a 7-inch 1024x600 display with a relatively low pixel density of 170 pixels per inch. It retains 10-point multitouch, but has a relatively narrow viewing angle of 140-degrees, which doesn’t compare favorably with the 178-degree viewing angle of the IPS display in the Nexus 7.
Wi-Fi is 802.11n, while it also includes a 720p front facing camera 30fps. The in-built battery is a 16Wh Li-polymer 4270mAh that ASUS says is good for 7 hours of battery life. It also adopts a similar rubberized finish to the Nexus 7, but offers it in three colors including white, gray, and pink in a diamond-patterned finish. The MeMO also weighs slightly more than the Nexus 7 at 370 grams against 340 grams.
The MeMO Pad will ship in April.
