ViewSonic Americas today announced the upcoming releases of its ViewPad 7 and ViewPad 10 tablet devices, which will be made available through the company’s network of channel partners.
Adam Hanin, vice-president of marketing at ViewSonic Americas, said initially, ViewSonic’s ViewPad line will launch with two products, the ViewPad 7, which is a seven-inch form factor and the ViewPad 10, which is a 10.1-inch device.
“The ViewPad 7 and ViewPad 10 will be the first of many (offerings) in our ViewPad line,” Hanin said. “We anticipate having a broad line of products to meet the different needs and requirements of customers as we move into the future.”
ViewSonic’s ViewPad 7 device runs on the Android 2.2 operating system and features wireless 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth connectivity. The device is also carrier-independent, which means users can insert any SIM card of their choice into the tablet and it’ll work. The device also comes with Google Mobile Services, which allows users to connect to more than 100,000 Android applications and Web sites such as Gmail and YouTube.
ViewPad 7 also comes with two built-in cameras which include a three mega-pixel auto focus camera in the rear and a 0.3 mega-pixel camera in the front, integrated 512MB of memory and additional storage capabilities of up to 32GB via the device’s micro SD card slot. The batter life of the device is said to last up to 10 hours, Hanin said.
Because the device supports instant messaging, Web browsing and VoIP, ViewPad 7 is ideal for both consumers and business users, Hanin said, noting it’s ideal for people who need to travel and work.
The ViewPad 10 tablet is a dual-boot Wi-Fi device that gives users the choice between using Windows 7 Home Premium and Google Android 1.6 operating systems on the same device. This tablet comes with integrated 1GB of memory and 16GB SSD hard drive and expandable micro SD card slot capabilities. ViewPad 10 also comes with a 1.3 mega-pixel Webcam and a built-in microphone to support videoconferencing needs.
Both devices have different screens, with the ViewPad 7 featuring an 800×480 WVGA LCD screen and the ViewPad 10 coming with a 1024×600 LED backlit panel display.
In addition to the margins partners will earn on the tablet devices themselves, Hanin also said partners can boost margins by offering extended warranty options and third-party accessories.
“The margin opportunities aren’t just around the hardware,” Hanin said. “It’s how you put the solution together and what you load on (the device) and how you train (customers) to use it. Because Android is open source, I see partners creating custom Android applications that they can then load and provide services to for their customers.”
The ViewPad 7 will be available before the end of this year with an estimated street price of US$479. The ViewPad 10 device will be made available either next January or February at an estimated street price of $629. Both products will be made available through the company’s ecosystem of channel partners.
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