Tablets

Tablet Tuesday: Get a 10-inch Acer Iconia for $199.99 shipped

Looking for a big tablet? The iPad famously (or infamously) starts at $499. The Google Nexus 10: $399. Even the comparatively affordable Kindle Fire 8.9 will set you back $299.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Acer (via Ebay) is selling the refurbished Iconia Tab A210 10.1-inch Android tablet for $199.99 shipped. Deal? More like steal.

The Iconia A210 features a 1.2GHz Tegra 3 processor, 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD cards), the aforementioned 10.1-inch screen (running at a competitive, if not spectacular, 1,280x800), and Android 4.0. Acer will push out … Read more

Lenovo doubles-down on 7-inch Android tablets (hands-on)

With Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a 1.2GHz processor, this 7-inch tablet is entering a very crowded marketplace. There's 16GB of storage on-board, front-facing speakers and it's available in black or white.

These days, I can't help but be disappointed when a 7-incher features anything less than a 1,280x800 screen resolution. Call me spoiled, but recent entries in the 7-inch market have simply raised my expectations and this doesn't leave much room for the A1000's 1,024x600 7-inch screen to impress. Text was noticeably blurry, there was visible warping whenever I tapped … Read more

Hands-on with the Lenovo A3000 7-inch tablet

The Lenovo A3000 is a 7-inch tablet with an IPS display. It runs Android Jelly Bean, has a 1.2GHz processor and is 11mm thick. We've had some hands-on time with it at Barcelona - check out our video above to see what we thought, and browse the picture gallery below to get a closer look at the product.

The A3000 is a definite step up over the A1000, with a higher quality IPS screen. Unfortunately, it's locked at the same low 1,024x600 resolution. The screen is definitely bright and features the same textured backside as the … Read more

Stacking up the tablets, large and small, of MWC 2013

Mobile World Congress is generally all about phones, but this year there are a fair number of tablets out and about. Feeling like you're losing track? Check out the roundup below, covering the biggest hits (HP Slate 7 and Samung Galaxy Note 8) and a few unknowns (ZTE, anyone?).

On Day 1 of Mobile World Congress, here's what mattered

The first official day of Mobile World Congress was riddled with exciting launches and delivered press conferences from some of the big guns of the smartphone world. Without Samsung and HTC to stand in their way, the likes of Asus, LG and ZTE threw down the Android gauntlet, and Nokia revealed the latest handsets in its ever-expanding range of Windows Phone 8 devices.

Despite the early hour, CNET staff were out in force with not a bleary eye in sight to cover Nokia's 8.30 a.m. press conference. A series of budget and midrange handsets were launched, chief … Read more

Asus explains why smartphones are more expensive than the $249 FonePad

BARCELONA, Spain--Asus has taken the wrapper off its new FonePad device, a 7-inch Android tablet that contains all the necessary tech to make phone calls. It also costs a mere $249, or £179. If Asus can sell what is basically a giant phone at half the cost of a high-end smartphone, why are smartphones so expensive in the first place?

I put the question to Asus, and while I didn't get a single, clear answer, I was given some clues.

"[With] small devices," Asus' regional director Jonahan Santaub said, "Often there's more engineering, development, … Read more

ZTE V98 is a metal-backed 10-inch Windows 8 slate (hands-on)

BARCELONA, Spain--ZTE's V98 tablet was initially announced in September of last year but it's shown its face again at Mobile World Congress. The V98 is a 10-inch tablet packing an Intel Atom processor and full-fat Windows 8. I went in for a closer look.

In terms of design, the V98 is pretty unremarkable. The front is home to an unbroken sheet of glass, bordered by machined aluminum edging. That metal continues all the way around the back too. The full-metal jacket gives the V98 a more premium feel, although aesthetically, it's unlikely to get your heart racing.… Read more

Microsoft to launch Surface tablet in Japan

Microsoft's Surface tablet may surface in Japan as early as next month, according to a story from the Nikkei news service, as reported by the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch.

A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed to CNET that Surface will reach Japan in the near future but didn't specify a launch date.

"As part of our phased approach to Surface availability, Surface will be coming to Japan in the near future," the rep said, promising to provide more details soon.

Microsoft is expected to sell the Surface RT edition to Japanese consumers. That version can run certain … Read more

The Asus PadFone Infinity delivers on specs, doesn't come cheap (hands-on)

BARCELONA, Spain--While "PadFone" wouldn't be the first name to spring to mind while attempting to come up with a marketable brand, the name has apparently worked for Asus. The company announced today that it would continue its PadFone line with the unveiling of the PadFone Infinity. It's a 5-inch LTE smartphone that becomes a 10.1-inch tablet when docked into the included PadFone Infinity Station. The whole package comes out this April for 999 euros.

The phone Thanks mostly to its metal edges, the phone piece looks and feels not too dissimilar from an iPhone 5, … Read more