Eken M001 tablet is a frontrunner for bargain-priced tablets
The device above may look familiar to some of you who remember the Haleron iLet Mini HAL tablet we wrote about back in February. After suspicions were raised regarding Haleron's legitimacy, the same device has now resurfaced, launched by what appears to be its original manufacturer, a Chinese company called Eken. Haleron appears to only be a distributor who intends to market and sell the device internationally.
The Eken M001 has a 7-inch WVGA touch screen display with an accelerometer, running either Android 1.6 or Windows CE. 6.0. The processor has been identified as a 600MHz VIA MW8505 (ARM-based), with other specifications including 128MB DDR2 RAM, 2GB local flash storage, b/g WiFi, optional 3G, support for SD cards up to 32GB, two USB 2.0 ports, a 1.3MP camera, microphone input and audio output, and in-built stereo speakers.
Shanzhaiji and Shanzai have both had some hands-on time with the device and their overall impressions have been pretty good with the tablet's sleek and clean design, slim usable dimensions, good build quality, and light weight scoring high marks. In addition, the Android implementation is said to be well done with smooth responsive performance, an accurate touch screen, good video and music playback, and a good range of included apps. The main negative point seems to be relatively poor battery life of 2 hours.
But perhaps the most impressive aspect to the Eken M001 is the bargain price! The device is available for only around $100 in China. For those of us outside China, Haleron currently has the iLet Mini HAL listed for between $179 to $229 depending on order quantity, but an alternative is ordering the Eken M001 direct from ChinaBuye.com for a tempting $140.
Clearly this is not a top-of-the-line MID with regards to specifications or performance, but for the price it represents impressive value for a budget MID. Shanzai compiled a comprehensive video of their hands-on impressions of the M001, which I have added below for those of you who are interested in having a closer look.
