CherryPad 7-Inch Android Tablet Video Review – HotHardware
Posted: October 30, 2010 in UncategorizedCherryPad: This is What a $188 Tablet Looks Like | News & Opinion
Posted: October 30, 2010 in UncategorizedCherryPad: This is What a $188 Tablet Looks Like
By: David Pierce
- 10.28.2010
- 3 comments
$499. $399. These are the prices we’re seeing for tablets (and those are the cheapest ones). But how about $188? That’s what Cherrypal is asking for its Android tablet, the CherryPad. Cherrypal is best known for its $99 computer, so the $188 CherryPad comes as no surprise. It’s a 7-inch, Android 2.1–running tablet that weighs a little over a pound, has built-in WiFi, an 800-MHz processor, resistive touch screen, 2GB internal memory with a slot for more, and lots of the other trappings you’ll find on much more expensive tablets.
But is the CherryPad any good? That remains to be seen. Based on the few minutes I had with the device, it’s totally functional, and is faster and more responsive than I expected, but you’re very much getting what you pay for—from the exposed screws to the resistive touch screen, there’s none of the beauty and polish of a device like the Apple iPad (which the CherryPad’s design essentially copies as much as possible). But if $188 is what you want to pay, the CherryPad might not be such a bad idea.
We’ve got the CherryPad in our labs for testing, and we’ll report back with a full review. Before we do, we took some shots to show you what you can expect to see with the CherryPad, so hit the slideshow to see exactly how much tablet you’ll get for your $188.
Sony’s getting creative with its Playstation 3 bundles, adding a 320 GB console for $350.
That’s $50 less than a console with the same size hard drive and the Playstation Move starter kit, which includes the camera, the motion controller wand and Sports Champions. It’s $50 more than Sony’s basic PS3 with 160 GB hard drive.
I’ve read the opinion that the $350 price point shows Sony’s willingness to subsidize the Playstation Move. On its own, the Move starter kit costs $100, so in essence, Sony is cutting the Move price in half when bundled with a $400 console. I think of it in a different, admittedly unsubstantiated way: Sony’s putting out the sans Move bundle mainly to lure people towards its new motion controller.
I can already envision the pitch at Gamestops across America: So you’re buying the 320 GB PS3. Why not spend an extra $50 for the Playstation Move bundle? That’s a $100 value for less than the cost of one game, which you’re already getting in Sports Champions.
The upsell isn’t so much in the initial Move bundle as the purchases that will inevitably follow: New games for the Move, the subcontroller that’s required for certain games, more wands so people can play together. Clever.
Of course, it’s also possible that Sony’s trying to get buyers of the 160 GB model to pay $50 more for twice the storage (that’s the current pitch at Sony’s official Playstation blog). I wonder, then, how many people will be double-upsold?
For more smart takes on technology, visit Technologizer.com. Story copyright © 2010, Technologizer. All rights reserved.
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The Galaxy Player Looks Like One Sweet Android iPod Touch
We’d gotten a quick look at the Galaxy Player before, but not like this: a nearly three minute video that shows that Samsung’s brought a gun to the iPod Touch gunfight.
The Galaxy Player is an Android 2.1 media player, and it looks like the first device to really go toe to toe with Apple’s iPod Touch. It’s got a 2MP camera, 8GB or 16GB internal memory along with a microSD slot, an FM radio, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.2-inch screen, built-in DivX support. And access to the Android Market for all your Angry Birds needs.
There’s no price announced yet for the US, but it’s currently available for at 200 euros overseas. The iPod Touch costs about the same in euros and in dollars, so we’ll hopefully see the Galaxy Player come in at around 200 bucks. If you’re an Android fan, you’ve been waiting a long time for this. [Samsung Hub via Wired]
Send an email to Brian Barrett, the author of this post, at bbarrett@gizmodo.com.
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Jesus Christ, Samsung. At least PRETEND you’re not just stealing all of Apple’s designs. This is getting silly. Reply
As an iPhone owner, I can’t wait to get this and bring Android into my life. This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Reply
How can it have the Android Market if it doesn’t have a 3G signal radio? That is one of the requirements that prevent just any tablet from getting in on the fun. ReplyAreWeThereYeti promoted this comment
I am very excited about android tablets, but I am still not too sure on an MP3 player. They just seem so redundant with cell phones. Reply
For some reason that screen look like it was added to the video cuz in a few instances, that persons finger looks out of place when touching icons like hes fat fingering the screen. Is this an attempt to fake the speed of the phone and clarity?one part he pressed an icon and the media player came on just before he was touching the icon to bring it up on the main screen. Reply
It looks great…but people keep missing what makes iPods the huge sellers that they are: the ecosystem.You can find any number of peripherals, docks, adapters, etc. etc. for your iPod.
For example, if you go to a party, you can more than likely dock an iPhone or iPod into one of the DJ’s peripherals or a home stereo; devices like these, not so much, at least not without carrying some kind of a cable with you.
Hell, most home-theater-in-a-box systems sold at places like Best Buy are packaged with an advertised iPod dock. Reply
Jesus H. Christ. Someone FINALLY did it. I’ve been wanting to cut the last tie I have to Apple products but there hasn’t been a true competitor to the iPod touch until this. If it has a screen as good as the Galaxy S phones and maybe even a 4″ screen, that’s even better!Ten thousand thank yous Samsung! Reply
I’m happy to see this come out for one simple reason- the more Galaxy series devices there are, the more likely Samsung will actually put some effort in supporting them. We know for sure that Galaxy S phones will be getting 2.2. There is a very high chance this will have it before the end of the year. If they keep coming out with devices that share a code base, maybe we’ll even see gingerbread on them. Reply
“And access to the Android Market for all your Angry Birds needs.”Android Market? On a non-cellphone device?
I will buy this, maybe. Reply
Regardless if the screen is simulated, but does he not seem to hold down his finger when pushing on an app or anything for that matter, a bit long? Reply
Usually not into circus/indie/happy-go-lucky music, but I liked the song they used in this.Reply
blehbleh13 promoted this comment
If only it could pretend to be an iPod to all those car stereos that only make good use of an iPod through that 30-pin connector.iPod is the best cross-brand, best-featured CD changer ever to come to mobile audio. Reply
Same price? Repeat after me.. NO RETINA DISPLAYThank you… Reply
Arggh! there goes a…snake a snake! promoted this comment
I don’t get it. All it would take for a device like this to become a serious ipod touch competitor would be to knock $50-$100 off the price. The android fanboys (myself included) will inevitably love this but for the Christmas shopping parent or the not-tech-savvy adult looking for a music player, what would entice them to go with an unproven product over the behemoth that is Apple’s ipod? Apple’s marketing machine is too good and their head start is too advanced for any company to go toe to toe with them in terms of pricing. Reply
I’ll be watching this closely. I need an Android device for dev purposes. BTW is this the cheapest way to get an uop-to-date Android device besides getting a phone with contract? ReplyDr. Evil Genius: The Fall of House Atlantic promoted this comment
Ok the flying Android with the cape outside the plane was friggin adorable. ReplyTheLostVikings promoted this comment
Same concept should be applied to WP7. Instead of creating the Zune hardware and abandoning for WP7, MS should have extended the brand to a WP7 Player–a device that’s part of the entire WP7 ecosystem and not have neglected the Zune market. Can WP7 or a variant run on a Zune HD? Reply
Great! This is great but, how about audio quality? The iTouch is known by being the higher end portable player out there. I’m an audiophile you know… Reply
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We’d gotten 
The Samsung Focus delivers the best Windows Phone 7 experience I’ve seen so far. It’s a spare, elegant canvas for a mobile operating system that relies heavily on bold design. The Super AMOLED screen showcases Microsoft’s big blocks of color, and Samsung even found ways to subtly downplay Windows Phone 7′s weaknesses.
Hardware and Phone Performance
The first thing you notice about the Samsung Focus is its grand and gorgeous 4-inch, Super AMOLED screen. AMOLED’s hypersaturated colors work well with Microsoft’s UI, which has big blocks of color and clear text; the Focus makes many competing phones look washed out. The phone itself is a slim 4.9 by 2.5 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and 4.2 ounces, pretty easily pocketable. The entire front is black, so as not to take attention away from the screen; the plastic back has a businesslike pinstripe design, but looks a little greasy when overrun with fingerprints.
A world phone that connects to AT&T’s and foreign 3G networks at HSPA 7.2 speeds, the Focus also integrates 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. I was able to get about 1.3Mbps down using a speed-test Web site, although you can’t use this phone (or any Windows Phone) as a modem or hotspot for your PC.
Specifications
- Service Provider
- AT&T
- Operating System
- Windows Phone 7
- Screen Size
- 4 inches
- Screen Details
- 800-by-480 Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen
- Camera
- Yes
- Network
- GSM, UMTS
- Bands
- 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100
- High-Speed Data
- GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
- Processor Speed
- 1 GHz
As a voice phone, the Focus is fine. In my tests, RF reception was stronger than the competing HTC Surround ($199.99, 3 stars). Volume was okay, if a bit quiet sometimes. Noise cancellation in the microphone worked very well, though it made my voice sound a bit strangled when it was busy blocking out a loud, passing truck. The speakerphone has great volume and transmissions sound solid. The Focus connected effortlessly with my Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset, and the TellMe-powered voice dialing was unusually accurate. Talk time, at 5 hours 54 minutes, is good for such a slim phone.
The Focus is the only Windows Phone 7 so far to accept expandable memory. Take off the back panel, and you can pop in a MicroSD card (up to 32GB), potentially turning this 8GB phone into a 40 GB phone. But beware: you can’t remove or change the memory card without doing a full factory reset of the phone. Don’t think of this as “removable” memory—think of it as adding more RAM to your mobile PC.
The Focus and Windows Phone 7
For a basic rundown of Windows Phone 7′s features, take a look at our review of the Windows Phone 7 OS.
In my mind, the Focus’s major contribution to Windows Phone 7 is what it doesn’t do. The Focus doesn’t have a slide-out keyboard or a kickstand, so you’ll almost always hold it in portrait mode. And this is a good thing.
One of Windows Phone 7′s biggest problems is that it’s just not designed to be used in landscape mode. A few apps work in landscape mode—a couple of games, the Web browser, the video player, and the e-mail program. But most of the system just doesn’t rotate. Most notably, the menus, even the Zune music-selection menu, don’t rotate. The Focus avoids tempting the user into using the phone in landscape mode, playing down this OS weakness.
AT&T and Samsung got to add a half-dozen apps of their own to the Focus, although you can uninstall any of them. AT&T added FamilyMap, a GPS tracking service; myWireless, which helps you monitor your phone bill; AT&T Navigator, AT&T Radio, and U-Verse Mobile, which I’ll discuss later.
Samsung Now, which gives you basic weather, news and stock information is also pre-installed. I wish it could show that information in the app’s home-screen tile, but the selection of Windows Phone apps is so thin at this point, I’m grateful just for the data.
The Zune Phone
Like all Windows Phones, the Focus is also a Zune music player. I don’t mean it’s “like” a Zune; the interface looks very similar, and it has has almost all of the features of Microsoft’s Zune HD.
To Zune, hook your Windows Phone up to a PC running the Zune client software. Mac software for syncing unprotected, local music and video is coming soon. The Zune client lets you organize, sync, and download music, video, and apps.
AT&T stuck some of its own media software on the Focus, too. AT&T Radio gives you a large library of streaming radio stations for $4.99 per month. I think it will be outdone by Slacker Radio, which should be in the Marketplace at launch. More interesting is the $8 a month U-Verse TV, which promises unlimited streaming and downloadable copies of popular TV shows. I couldn’t test that feature, though.
The 5-megapixel camera is pretty good, although it isn’t quite as good as the iPhone’s. Shutter speed is super-quick and resolution is good at 1,300 lines, but shutter speeds in general seemed a little low, causing some blur (especially in low light) if my hands were shaky. The video camera isn’t bad either, taking 720p HD videos at 24 frames per second and 640-by-480 videos at 30 frames per second. They were a little grainy, but clear, in focus, and not wobbly, in my tests.
Windows Phone vs. the Competition
The Samsung Focus is probably the best of the Windows phones, although I have five more reviews to go before I can really decide that for sure. But the more practical question is: How does this phone compare with the other top handsets on AT&T?
The Focus strikes hardest at the Samsung Captivate ($49.99-$199.99, 4 stars), AT&T’s best Android phone—and at Android in general. The Captivate is a terrific phone, but Windows Phone is like a manicured garden where Android is running a little wild. It looks like updates will come more promptly for the Focus, and e-mail compatibility is even better. Especially if you like the Zune syncing experience, the Focus can offer a more elegant, more orderly (if less flexible) option.
Microsoft may be a major player in business, but the Focus and the BlackBerry Torch ($199.99, 4 stars) don’t really compete. You’re buying the BlackBerry Torch because your business has a BlackBerry server, or because you want a physical keyboard. Come back when we’ve reviewed the Dell Venue Pro and we’ll talk.
Apple’s iOS is simply a more mature platform. Even though the iPhone 4 ($199, 4.5 stars) has serious trouble making phone calls—yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it—it retains our Editor’s Choice because it’s both refined and flexible. The platform’s 300,000 apps are a big part of that, but Apple is also just a step ahead of Microsoft on many of the experiences, such as multiplayer gaming. While Microsoft’s promised XBox integration is mostly potential for now, it’ll undoubtedly be more impressive when there’s a better array of games, including multiplayer titles. But this is a good start.
Zune fans are obviously the first major market for the Samsung Focus, but I’d also recommend it to folks who want the simplicity of the iPhone, but who are scared away by its poor voice performance. Just beware that you’re an early adopter, and are buying into a platform that’s just starting up. For a version 1.0, though, the Samsung Focus is a great start.
The Samsung Focus will be available on November 8 for $199.99 with an AT&T contract.
Compare the HTC Surround with several other mobile phones side by side.
More Cell Phone Reviews:
• Windows Phone 7 OS
• HTC Surround (AT&T)
• Samsung Focus (AT&T)
• Nokia N8 (Unlocked)
• Samsung Acclaim SCH-R880 (US Cellular)
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