What's good
- Low price makes it a good choice for the kids
What's bad
- Very poor display
- Short battery life
- Bad camera
It's tough for a PC vendor to transition to the tablet business. At the low end, they need to compete against the Kindle Fire, which is supported by Amazon's store, and the Google Nexus 7. The new HP Slate 7 is HP's first attempt at an Android based device and they chose to go for the low end.
At $170, "affordable" is its main strength, but reviewers concluded that they shaved off too much build quality and features in their effort to hit that price.
Some reviewers recommended it for kids or very undemanding users and recommended that shoppers consider shelling out the extra $30 for the Google Nexus 7.
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Sasha Muller, PC ProGiven the attractive hardware and the low price, we'll admit that HP's Slate 7 had us excited. Unfortunately, HP has had to cut too many corners to whittle the price down. With rival devices putting in a far more competent all-round performance, we'd advise you to look elsewhere.
- Tom Morgan, Expert ReviewsHP's first Android tablet is a basic, no-frills device. Features such as Beats audio aren't enough to make us recommend it over the Nexus 7, which runs a newer version of Android, has a faster processor and will receive software updates sooner. The Nexus 7 also has a higher resolution display. Howev...
- Michael Kozlowski, Good E-ReaderIn the end, this is a woefully average tablet with nothing of note to write home about. Most people might say, Beats Audio, sign me up! Unfortunately, it is relegated to only being available for super expensive headphones, which defeats the purchase of buying a cheap tablet.I would not recommend thi...
- K. T. Bradford, Digital TrendsThere aren’t many Android tablets under $200 worth your time. There’s a certain threshold to inexpensive slates – stay above it and value balances out with price and performance, dip below and you might as well have just flushed that money down a toilet. The HP Slate 7 is *just* on...
- Cory Gunther, Android CommunityHP made no attempts to offer a really good product. This tablet is mediocre and okay at best. They didn’t attempt to smooth the edges, the battery could have easily been bigger, or at least make the slate thin if you’ll use such a small battery. Then of course that horrid display. HP sho...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- HP Slate 7 Quick Start Guide (PDF)
- HP Slate 7 Manual (PDF)
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